OUR VENERABLE FATHER POLYCARP ARCHIMANDRITE OF THE CAVES

(Z4 JULY/6 AUGUST)

The name Polycarp is derived from a Greek word for ‘Very fruitful’. Our holy father Polycarp indeed lived up to this name by bearing fruit on the way shown by the Saviour Himself, Who said, He who abides in me and I in him, brings forth much fruit (Jn. 15, 5). Polycarp renounced worldly goods and the secular life, and received a monastic tonsure at the Cave Monastery. Here, as a seed in a fertilized and ploughed field, he began to educate his spirit, mortifying bodily passions and Vices, and striving toward unity with God. Upon such a path, he brought forth many beautiful fruits of repentance: a sincere love for God and brothers, the joy of undefiled conscience, spiritual peace, long-suffering, patience, mercy, compassion, meekness, restraint, and a complete victory over carnal vices.

The blessed Polycarp grew the spiritual fruit himself, with God’s Grace, but the seeds had been prepared by his relative, St Simon, later, Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal. The saint strove to educate Polycarp spiritually and the two became relatives in spirit as well as in flesh. Therefore, when, by God’s will, Simon was taken from the Cave Monastery to the cathedra in Vladimir, he took Polycarp along and continued his spiritual education by both word and deed. Often, in conversations with his disciple, St Simon told about the lives and deeds of the holy Cave monks of former times: how they had struggled and pleased God so that on earth they shone with their uncorrupted relics and in heaven they received incorruptible crowns. St Polycarp sincerely accepted the seeds of patristic teaching and struggled to make it bear fruit a hundred fold. Moreover, he was zealous for the salvation and welfare of other people and wanted to share the beneficial and spiritually edifying lives of saints with the posterity. Therefore, he strove to write down everything heard from St Simon about the great asceticism and God-pleasing lives of the Cave monks for the benefit of others seeking salvation. These writings were sent to Akindene, the abbot of the Cave Monastery, along with an epistle.

Later, Saint Polycarp returned to the Cave Monastery. Separated from his elder, St Simon, physically, he strove to keep to the instructions of his guide.

Upon the repose of the holy abbot, Akindene, the brotherhood of the Cave Monastery unanimously chose St Polycarp as a man worthy and capable of guiding the helm of the great Lavra of Theotokos, the Cave Monastery. This occurred in the reign of Rostislav Mstislavovich, the Prince of Kiev, while John was Metropolitan of Kiev — the third of that name.

As the head of the great Cave Lavra, St Polycarp diligently strove to preserve the spiritual legacy and the Rules established by St Theodosius. He was a skilful and diligent guide for the brethren in the struggle for salvation. He became famous for the spiritual propriety and a special order in Lavra in the abbacy of Polycarp. Many noble princes came to him for advice and guidance, and many went away aroused and instructed in a life of virtue. Some of them even forsook their princely stations and worldly life in order to live in the monastery under his guidance. It is known that the Great Prince Rostislav Mstislavovich after receiving instruction from St Polycarp communed the Holy Mysteries every week, covering his face with tears of repentance for his sins. The prince often asked Polycarp to accept him as a monk in the monastery, but St Polycarp told him, ‘My pious prince, God has ordained you to live thus: to execute truth, to judge with justice and to unalterably stand firm before the Cross.’

The prince responded, ‘Holy father! One cannot be a prince in this world without falling into a sin; I am already exhausted and weakened by daily cares and toils. I would like to, at least at my old age, serve God and imitate those princes and kings who have entered the narrow and sorrowful path and received the heavenly kingdom. I have heard the wish of Constantine, great among kings, who appeared from heaven to an elder and said, ‘Had I known what glory and audience the monks receive in heaven and how the fiery wings bring them to the Master’s throne, then I would have taken off my crown and royal purple and replaced them with monastic attire.’

Hearing these words, St Polycarp said, ‘If you desire that in your heart, may it be God’s will.’

The prince did not have time for that, however, but his sincere desire was proved in the following manner. While passing through Smolensk, he suddenly fell seriously ill and ordered to take him home in Kiev. His sister Rogneda, seeing how weak her brother was, besought him, ‘Stay here in Smolensk and we will put your body in the church we built.’

‘No!’ he replied. ‘If I am not strong enough to make it to Kiev, and if God takes me on the way, let me be placed in the church my father built at the Monastery of St Theodore. If God delivers me from this illness and gives me health, then I swear to become a monk of the Cave Monastery under the blessed Polycarp.

When the illness worsened and he was already at death’s door, the prince said to his spiritual father, the priest Simeon, ‘You shall give an answer before God for having hindered me from being tonsured by the holy man at the Cave Monastery, for I truly wished that. And may the Lord not impugn it to me as a sin, that I did not fulfil that.’

Thus, the prince received a blessed demise. St Polycarp set the basis for the prince’s highly virtuous life. His divine instructions and especially his living personal example, acted upon the prince’s soul. The saint not only attracted the monastic brethren by his example toward virtue, but he also guided secular people to the path of salvation. The saint lived until deep old age and peacefully reposed on July 24, 1182.

After the repose of St Polycarp, no abbot was chosen for a long time. There were many worthy elders at Lavra, but none of them would accept the abbacy due to their humility and meekness. As a result, a great grief and sorrow arose amongst the brethren, for they all understood that such a great flock should not be left without a shepherd for a single hour. Therefore, once on Tuesday, the brethren rang the bell, gathered in the church and prayed about the need. They called upon the Lord, His most Holy Theotokos and Sts Anthony and Theodosius and their newly reposed abbot, St Polycarp, to reveal to them if he (Polycarp) had been pleasing to God by indicating a person to replace him as an abbot. Then something wondrous happened. There rose up a voice from among the brethren, ‘Let us go to Basil, the blessed priest in Shchekovitsa; let him be our abbot and rule the Cave Monastery.’

On their arrival to him, the monks bowed down to the widowed priest Basil saying, ‘We, all the monks of the Cave Monastery, bow before you and wish to have you as our father and abbot.’

For a long time, Fr Basil refused, and only after long, insistent and diligent petitions he finally agreed and went to the monastery with them.

Metropolitan Nikephoros of Kiev, Bishops Lawrence of Turov, and Nicholas of Polotsk, together with abbots of neighbouring monasteries, came to the Cave Monastery for the tonsure of this God-chosen abbot. Thus, the presbyter Basil received the holy mystery of tonsure from this consecrated council and was elevated as an abbot, as successor of St Polycarp.

The blessed Basil was himself a model of virtues; he directed the monastery to the glory and honour of Heavenly Instructor, Jesus Christ, the Lord our God. To Him, with His Co-Unoriginate Father and the Most Holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit unceasing glorification and worship is due from each creation now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen!