Feast Day: September 23rd
The Life of Saint Tikhon: The eyes of the Russian Hermit Father Tikhon were always full of tears. He would wipe them constantly with a wet handkerchief which he carried always in his hand. His Stole was usually damp with tears, and the wooden Cross he used to Bless with, was worn out. He would often say that we ought to wash Jesus’ feet with our tears all the days of our lives, and wipe them with our hair while Prostrating ourselves before Him. In his own cell, the wooden Cross before which he Prayed was soaked with his tears…
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Prayers
Thy festival, O God-bearer, hath arrived brighter than the sun; illuminating those who in faith have recourse unto thee, filling them with the sweet fragrance of immortality and radiating healing unto their Souls, O Holy Father, fervent intercessor for our Souls.
O most blessed God-bearer, Father Tikhon! As did the Prophet of old, so hast thou covered the Earth with thy tears never giving sleep unto thine eyes nor even allowing thine eyelids to close in slumber thus manifesting the yearning of thy heart after Christ, Whom thou didst exceedingly love; wherefore, thou art an example to all Monastics elevating them to the comprehension of every virtue; wherefore, we also bless thee, magnifying Him Who hath glorified thee.
“My child, repentance is the greatest science.”
“My child, clean Christ’s feet with your tears and he will cleanse all your sins”
“When anyone asked him, ‘Do you live all alone in the desert?’ the Elder would reply: ‘No, I live with the Angels and Archangels, with all the Saints, with the Mother of God and with Christ.’”
“Hell is full of saints but prideful saints and Paradise is full of sinners but humble sinners…”
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“Whenever one Prays, the Prayer must unite with the heart just like you join two different things together with glue.”
“The Prayer, ‘Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us’ is worth one hundred drachmas, but ‘Glory to God’ is worth one thousand. Glorifying God is more valuable than anything else, because in the first instance, people often say the Jesus Prayer when needing something; but when one Glorifies God in the midst of suffering, it is an Ascesis.”
“The Prayer, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me!’ is the pure wheat.”
“Better three Prostrations with humility than 1,000 Prostrations with arrogance. Only humility will save us! Few people have acquired humility of mind and it is almost impossible to find them!”
When asked, “How are you, Geronda?”, Fr. Tikhon would answer: “My heart is inflamed in Prayer.”
“Fr. Tikhon would lock the Church door during the Liturgy in order to keep from getting distracted, and I would sing ‘Lord have mercy!’ outside in the corridor. One day at the moment of the Consecration of the Eucharistic bread and wine during the Liturgy he fell silent. I waited for about five hours without calling out to the Elder as he didn’t Bless me to do that. Five hours later Fr. Tikhon proceeded with the exclamation, ‘Especially for the Most-Holy, Most-Pure, Most-Blessed…’ Where had he been all that time? I believe the Elder had been drawn up to Heaven in spirit. On that day the Divine Liturgy ended in the evening.”
“Always Pray before you start any work. Say ‘God, give me strength and enlightenment’ and then start your work. And in the end, say ‘Thank God’.”
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“After three years in a Cenobium, a Monk is ready for Spiritual Warfare.”
“Let a Monk not connect with animals because they will win his mind and heart and the Monk will waste his love on animals instead of giving it wholeheartedly to God.”
“A good, obedient Monk will be able to acquire the habit of unceasingly repeating the Jesus Prayer.”
He made up to 3,000 prostrations a day and advised one Monk: “Do many Prostrations until your undershirt gets sweat-soaked and you have to change it.”
“I bless you to do as many Prostrations as you wish. And, if you can, keep Vigil all night long.”
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“Whenever people boast of their virginity, Christ will say to them, ‘Since you have no humility, take yourself to Hell.’ But to the person who was a sinner and had repented and lives humbly with a contrite heart and confesses that he is a sinner, Christ will say, ‘Come here, my child, into sweet Paradise.'”
“God Blesses with one hand in the morning the entire world, and uses both hands to Bless the humble man. A humble person is above the whole world.“
“Good habits are Virtues, and bad habits are passions.”
“If you don’t exercise caution while reading the Gospel, you may fall into delusion like Origen.”
“Abba Isaac is so sweet!”
“To find a good Spiritual Father, you must Pray for three days, and then God will enlighten you. And on your way, Pray to God to enlighten him to tell you kind words.”
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Shortly before his repose Saint Tikhon saw the Holy Theotokos together with Saint Sergius of Radonezh and Saint Seraphim of Sarov in a vision, and they promised to meet him in eternity after the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God.
Once Fr. Tikhon told his Monks not to open his grave after his death. But one of the Monks thought: “I will exhume his body all the same and say, ‘Bless me!’” His thought was revealed to the Elder and he said instantly: “There is no Blessing for this!” And his precious Relics remain buried to this day, awaiting the General Resurrection.
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Glory to Christ’s Golgotha!
Holy Golgotha, Divine Golgotha, Sanctified with the Blood of Christ! We beg you, tell us how many thousands and millions of sinners, by the Grace of Christ, repentance and tears, you have cleansed and brought to fill up the Bridal Chamber of Paradise? With Your ineffable Love, Christ Our King, with Your Grace, you have filled all the Celestial Palaces with repentant sinners. You have Mercy on those here below, too, and save them. And who could render You worthy thanks, had he even the mind of an Angel?
Sinners, come quickly. Holy Golgotha is open and Christ is Merciful. Fall before Him and kiss His Holy Feet. He alone, as the Merciful One, can heal your wounds!
How Blessed we shall be when Christ the Most Merciful counts us worthy, with great humbleness, fear of God, and burning tears to wash His Spotless Feet and kiss them with love! Then Christ, the Merciful, will be pleased to wash away our sins and will open unto us the gates of Sweet Paradise.
We shall then, in sweet Paradise, with great joy, together with the Archangels and Angels, the Cherubim and the Seraphim and all the Saints, Glorify the Saviour of the World eternally, Our Most Sweet Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity Undivided and of One Essence.
Sinner Tychon,
Fiery tears are the key to Paradise.
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An Icon
