The Church remembers the finding of the relics of St. Ambrose of Optina

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Alexander Grenkov, the future father Ambrose, was born on November 21 or 23, 1812 in the spiritual family of the village of Bolshye Lipovitsy, Tambov diocese. After graduating from the theological college, he then successfully completed a course at the theological seminary. However, he did not go to the Theological Academy or to the priesthood. For some time he was a home teacher in a landowner's family, and then a teacher at the Lipetsk Theological College. Possessing a lively and cheerful character, kindness and wit, Alexander Mikhailovich was very much loved by his comrades and colleagues. In his last year at the seminary, he had to suffer a dangerous illness, and he vowed to take monastic vows if he recovered.
Upon his recovery, he did not forget his vow, but postponed its fulfillment for several years, "huddled", as he put it. However, his conscience would not let him rest. And the more time passed, the more painful the reproaches of conscience became. Periods of carefree fun and carelessness were followed by periods of acute longing and sadness, intense prayer and tears. Once, when he was already in Lipetsk, walking in a nearby forest, he, standing on the bank of a stream, clearly heard the words in its murmur: "Praise God, love God..."
At home, secluded from prying eyes, he fervently prayed to the Mother of God to enlighten his mind and direct his will. In general, he did not have an insistent will and already in his old age he told his spiritual children: "You must obey me from the first word. I am a compliant person. If you argue with me, I can give in to you, but it won't be good for you." Exhausted by his indecision, Alexander Mikhailovich went to the famous ascetic Hilarion, who lived in that area, for advice. "Go to Optina," the elder told him, "and you will be experienced." Grenkov obeyed. In the autumn of 1839, he arrived in Optina Deserts, where he was kindly received by the elder Leo.
Soon he took vows and was named Ambrose, in memory of St. Nicholas, then he was ordained a hierodeacon and later a hieromonk. When Father Macarius started his publishing business, Fr. Ambrose, who graduated from the seminary and was familiar with ancient and new languages (he knew five languages), was one of his closest assistants. Soon after his ordination, he fell ill. The illness was so severe and prolonged that it permanently undermined the health of Father Ambrose and almost bedridden him. Due to his painful condition, he was unable to celebrate the liturgy and participate in long monastic services until his death.
The severe illness that befell Fr. Ambrose had undoubtedly a providential significance for him. She tempered his lively character, prevented him, perhaps, from developing self-conceit in him and forced him to enter deeper into himself, to better understand himself and human nature. It is not for nothing that Fr. Ambrose later said: "It is good for a monk to be ill. And in illness, one does not need to be treated, but only to be cured!" Helping Elder Makarii in publishing, Fr. Ambrose continued to engage in this activity even after his death. Under his leadership, the following publications were published: "Ladder" of the Rev. St. John of the Ladder, letters and biography of Fr. Macarius and other books. But publishing was not the focus of Fr. Ambrose's senile works. His soul was looking for a lively, personal communication with people, and he soon began to gain fame as an experienced mentor and leader in matters not only spiritual, but also practical life. He possessed an extraordinarily lively, sharp, observant and penetrating mind, enlightened and deepened by constant concentrated prayer, attention to himself and knowledge of ascetic literature. By the grace of God, his insight turned into perspicacity. He penetrated deeply into the soul of his interlocutor and read in it as in an open book, without needing his confessions. His face, a Great Russian peasant, with prominent cheekbones and a gray beard, shone with intelligent and lively eyes. With all the qualities of his richly gifted soul, Fr. Ambrose, despite his constant illness and frailty, combined inexhaustible cheerfulness and was able to give his instructions in such a simple and playful form that they were easily and forever remembered by every listener. When necessary, he was able to be exacting, strict and demanding, applying "instruction" with a stick or imposing penance on the punished person. The elder did not make any distinction between people. Everyone had access to him and could talk to him: a St. Petersburg senator and an old peasant woman, a university professor and a metropolitan fashionista, Solovyov and Dostoevsky, Leontiev and Tolstoy.
With what requests, complaints, and with what sorrows and needs people came to the elder! A young priest comes to him, appointed a year ago, at his own request, to the most recent parish in the diocese. He could not stand the poverty of his parish existence and came to the elder to ask for a blessing for a change of place. Seeing him from afar, the elder shouted, "Go back, Father! The priest, perplexed, asked the elder what his words meant. The elder replied: "But the devil who tempts you is alone, and you have God as your helper! Go back and don't be afraid of anything; it's a sin to leave the parish! Serve the liturgy every day, and everything will be fine!" The delighted priest cheered up and, returning to his parish, patiently conducted his pastoral work there and after many years became famous as the second elder Ambrose.
Tolstoy, after a conversation with Fr. Ambrose, joyfully said: "This Fr. Ambrose is quite a holy man. I talked to him, and somehow it felt light and pleasant in my soul. When you talk to such a person, you feel the closeness of God."
Another writer, Yevgeny Pogozhev (a Villager), said: "I was struck by his holiness and the unfathomable abyss of love that was in him. And looking at him, I began to understand that the meaning of the elders is to bless and approve of life and the joys sent by God, to teach people to live happily and help them bear the burdens that fall to their lot, whatever they may be." V. Rozanov wrote: "The beneficence from him is spiritual, and, finally, physical. Everyone's spirits rise just by looking at him... The most principled people visited him (Fr. Ambrose), and no one said anything negative. Gold has passed through the fire of skepticism and has not tarnished."
There was one Russian trait in the elder to a very strong extent: he loved to arrange something, create something. He often taught others to undertake some kind of business, and when private people themselves came to him for a blessing on such a thing, he began to discuss it with fervor and gave not only a blessing, but also good advice. It remains completely incomprehensible where Father Ambrose got the in-depth information on all branches of human labor that he had.
The external life of the elder in the Optina monastery proceeded as follows. His day began at four or five in the morning. At this time, he called the cell-keepers to him, and the morning rule was read. It lasted for more than two hours, after which the cellmates left, and the elder, left alone, devoted himself to prayer and prepared for his great day service. The reception began at nine o'clock: first the monks, then the laity. The reception lasted until lunch. At two o'clock a meager meal was brought to him, after which he was left alone for an hour and a half. Then Vespers was read, and the reception was resumed until nightfall. At 11 o'clock the long evening rule was performed, and it was not until midnight that the elder finally remained alone. Father Ambrose did not like to pray in plain sight. The cell attendant who read the rule had to stand in another room. One day, a monk violated the prohibition and entered the elder's cell: he saw him sitting on the bed with his eyes fixed on the sky and his face beaming with joy.
So for more than thirty years, day after day, Elder Ambrose performed his feat. In the last ten years of his life, he took on another concern: the foundation and establishment of a women's monastery in Shamordin, 12 versts from Optina, where, in addition to 1000 nuns, there was also an orphanage and a school for girls, an almshouse for old women and a hospital. This new activity was not only an unnecessary material concern for the elder, but also a cross entrusted to him by Providence and ended his ascetic life.
The year 1891 was the last in the earthly life of the elder. He spent the whole summer of this year at the Shamordinsky monastery, as if in a hurry to finish and arrange everything unfinished there. The work was in a hurry, the new abbess needed guidance and guidance. The elder, obeying the orders of the consistory, repeatedly appointed the days of his departure, but the deterioration of his health, the onset of weakness – a consequence of his chronic illness – forced him to postpone his departure. So it dragged on until autumn. Suddenly the news came that the right reverend himself, dissatisfied with the elder's slowness, was going to come to Shamordino and take him away. Meanwhile, Elder Ambrose was getting weaker every day. And so, barely had the right reverend managed to drive half the way to Shamordin and stopped for the night at the Peremyshl monastery, when he was given a telegram notifying him of the elder's death. The Right Reverend changed his face and said confusedly: "What does this mean?" It was the evening of October 10 (22). The Right Reverend was advised to return to Kaluga the next day, but he replied: "No, probably it is God's will! The bishops do not celebrate the funeral of ordinary hieromonks, but this is a special hieromonk – I want to perform the funeral of the elder myself."
It was decided to transport him to Optina of the deserts, where he spent his life and where his spiritual leaders, elders Leo and Macarius, rested. The words of the Apostle Paul are engraved on the marble tombstone: "I would be weak, as I am weak, so I will gain the weak. All would be all, and I will save everyone" (1 Corinthians 9:22). These words accurately express the meaning of the elder's life feat.

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