St. Abraham of Smolensk was born in the middle of the 12th century into a pious and wealthy family. His parents, who had twelve daughters, prayed for a long time for the birth of a son. From an early age, the boy was distinguished by his love of prayer, worship and reading. He studied well, sang well, and read well in church, and the lives of the saints strengthened his desire to dedicate his life to God.
After the death of his parents, Abraham distributed property to churches, monasteries and the needy, and then took vows at the monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a village near Smolensk. The young monk zealously obeyed, remained in fasting and prayer, studied the Holy Scriptures and the works of the holy fathers. He was engaged in collecting and copying books, striving not only to grow in spiritual life himself, but also to help those who turned to him for guidance.
After more than thirty years of monastic asceticism, in 1198, the monk took holy orders. He celebrated the Divine Liturgy daily and preached the word of God. The saint especially often spoke about repentance, the memory of death and the coming Last Judgment. His talks attracted many people — clergy and laity, rich and poor, came to him.
The preacher's fame caused envy and discontent. The monk was forbidden to address the people, and then he was forced to move to the poor Holy Cross Monastery. However, people continued to flock there. The monastery church was decorated with donations from worshippers, and the saint himself painted two icons — the Last Judgment and the trials of the soul during the ordeal.
Soon new charges were brought against the monk: he was accused of heresy and an unworthy life. Although the saint rejected the slander at the trial, he was banned from the priesthood and removed to his former monastery. At that time, Smolensk suffered from drought and disease. Priest Lazarus convinced Bishop Ignatius to reconsider the decision. The bishop acknowledged the injustice of the condemnation, asked the monk for forgiveness and blessed him to pray for the city. After the saint's prayer, it began to rain heavily, and the drought stopped.
Subsequently, Bishop Ignatius appointed St. Abraham the archimandrite of the monastery in honor of the Position of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos in Blachernae. Under the guidance of the saint, a small group of brothers gathered: he accepted those who wished to enter the monastery only after a serious ordeal. The monk took care of the splendor of the temple and, until the end of his life, instructed the monks to remember death, to watch and pray.
St. Abraham of Smolensk died before 1224, having spent about fifty years in monasticism. His disciple, St. Ephraim, continued the spiritual labors of his mentor. Already at the end of the 13th century, a joint service was composed for both saints.
The memory of St. Abraham has been preserved in the Church as a memory of a zealous pastor, educator and preacher of repentance, who meekly endured slander and persecution, remaining faithful to his service to God and people.