OUR VENERABLE FATHER NEPHON

(8 /21 APRIL)

For the zeal of Thy house hath eaten me up (PS. 68, 10). These words should adorn the righteous coffin of the great zealot of Orthodoxy, St Nephon. He strove diligently to keep the Rus’ Church from falling away from the body of the Eastern Church which is the same thing as being separated from the Lord Himself Whose name is the sunrise (Lk. 1, 78).

In the days of Abbot Timothy, St Nephon struggled as a monk of the Cave Monastery following the holy fathers, adorning himself by prayer, vigil, fasting, and other virtues.

When the blessed John, the Bishop of Novgorod, retired from his cathedra after twenty-five years of toil and struggles to end his life in hesychastic exploits in a monastery, St Nephon was elected a new bishop. Most Reverend Michael, Metropolitan of Rus’ and his bishops, consecrated him in Kiev.

In Novgorod, St Nephon began to work with great zealousness to strengthen the Orthodoxy of his diocese and his rational sheep. He built a new stone church in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos in the very centre of Novgorod. He had the cathedral church of Christ the Divine Wisdom (St Sofia) decorated with icons and covered its top with pewter. He became a true shepherd of his flock reconciling frauds between them. Once, a war broke out between Novgorod and Kiev. St Nephon with a group of Novgorodian boyars met the armed sides and pacified them. The war was averted. In the same manner, he pacified every argument and reconciled every enmity. Thus, did the saint bishop care and struggle diligently for the eternal life of his flock. The servant of God always remembered the Lord’s words of God the Father, His commandment is eternal life (Jn. 12, 50). With all his strength, the saint sought to lead his sheep away from violating God’s commandments. He reproved, rebuked, and exhorted, with complete patience and teaching (2 Tm. 4, 2) those who did violate the law of God.

The following events testify the zeal of this blessed pastor. In the time of his episcopacy, people of Novgorod drove away their prince Vsevolod Mstislavovich. They invited prince Svyatoslav Olegovich to govern them. Upon his arrival, Prince Svyatoslav attempted to enter into a marriage which contradicted the Church canons. The blessed hierarch not only refused to perform the marriage, but he also forbade the clergy to be present at the lawless wedding. When the prince had the wedding served by the priests he had brought along, St Nephon audaciously reproved him imitating the Scripture, I will speak of your testimonies also before kings and will not be ashamed (Ps. 119, 46).

The saint showed even greater zeal, however, when he defended the whole Rus’ Church from violation of the Law.

When Kiev Metropolitan Michael reposed, the Great Prince of Kiev, Izyaslav Mstislavovich, decided to assign Clement (Klim) the Philosopher, a monk of the schema, on the post. The prince wanted to have Clement consecrated Metropolitan without the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. A council of the bishops of Rus’ was gathered. It consisted of Onuphrius of Chernigov, Theodore of Belgorod, Euthymius of Pereyaslav, St Nephon of Novgorod, and others. At this council, St Nephon would, under no circumstances, agree to a new metropolitan being consecrated without the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch. He firmly proclaimed that the plan contradicted the tradition of the Holy Church which, by holy baptism had enlightened the Rus’ Church from the cathedra of Constantinople and made the children of Rus’ be sons of Orthodox East, that is, God’s children. St Nephon stood very courageously against the unlawful desires of the prince, holding the Rus’ Church from falling away from the Orthodox East, that is, from God, citing God’s word, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience (Col. 3, 6). Five bishops agreed with St N ephon but the prince, not wishing to be humiliated, did not heed the blessed man. Supported by those sided with him, he did as he wished. On his command Clement was consecrated, according to Bishop Onuphrius’ advice, with the skull of St Clement, Pope of Rome, instead of the blessing from the living Patriarch of Constantinople. Thus, the Metropolitan of Kiev occupied the cathedra in an anti-canonical manner. Having become Metropolitan of Kiev, Klim attempted to force the blessed Nephon serve the Divine Liturgy with him but the zealot of Orthodoxy replied to him,

‘Since you did not receive the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, but unworthin took upon yourself the pastoral office having occupied unworthily and unjustly what does not belong to you, you are a true wolf. Therefore, as I did not agree earlier to your consecration, so now I also refuse to serve with you or to commemorate you at Divine services, as you do not commemorate the patriarch from whom you were supposed to receive a blessing.’

Clement became angry with the saint. He taught the prince and his supporters to send St Nephon into imprisonment or to cause him some kind of evil. Prince Izyaslav contented himself, however, with preventing the saint to return to Novgorod and held him at the Cave Monastery as if under arrest.

However, the saint was not at all grieved by this; on the contrary, he rejoiced and thanked God that he was deprived of his rightful place for the sake of Orthodoxy and returned to his silent life among the saints.

When the Christ-loving Prince George Monomakhovich defeated Izyaslav, St Nephon returned to Novgorod with honour. The citizens, who had been left like sheep without a shepherd, met the saint with an unspeakable joy.

Soon after that, the Patriarch of Constantinople heard of St Nephon’s zealousness and, following the custom of the fathers, sent him an epistle praising the saint’s wisdom and firmness and allying him with ancient fathers, who had stood for Orthodoxy long before. St Nephon read the Patriarch’s epistle and blessing and was aroused to yet greater zealousness. His many toils received a reward from the Chief of the shepherds, Jesus Christ, as proved by his righteous repose.

Sometime later after his return to Novgorod, St Nephon learned that Metropolitan Constantine, a delegate to Rus’ of the Ecumenical Patriarch, was sent to dethrone the wrongfully consecrated Klim and to occupy the cathedra of Kiev. St Nephon was filled with spiritual joy and desiring to meet Bishop Constantine, set out for Kiev and lived at the Cave Monastery again.

Soon, however, he fell ill. Three days before his repose, the blessed elder told the brethren of a wonderful dream,

‘Once, I returned to my cell after the morning prayers in order to rest. As I was falling asleep it seemed to me that I was in holy the Cave church, at the place of Nicholas Svyatosha. With tears, I began to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos that I might see the good builder of this church — St Theodosius. Countless brethren gathered in the church and one of them approached to me saying, ‘Do you wish to see our holy father Theodosius?’

‘Yes, I do! I desire it,’ I replied. ‘If possible, show him to me.’ Then he took me by hand, led into the sanctuary and showed me St Theodosius there. When I saw him, I fell at his feet with joy. However, the Holy Father raised me and blessed me saying, ‘It is good that you have come, brother and son Nephon! From now on you will be inseparany with us.’ The saint gave me a scroll. I unrolled it and read, ‘Here am I and the children which God gave me’ (Hb. 2, 13). I woke up and understood that the vision had been from God.’

St Nephon lay ill for thirteen more days and then he peacefully reposed in the Lord, on the eighth day of April, on Saturday of the Bright Week. His sacred relics were placed in the Cave of St Theodosius and in spirit he stands before the throne of the Master, Christ, and intercedes for us, the children given to him by God, the undivided Trinity, to Who be all glory, honour and adoration, now and ever, and unto the endless ages. Amen!