Our Holy Father Saint Prohor Pchinski
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Saint Prohor Pchinski was born in Macedonia, in the area of Ovche Pole, to pious parents Ivan and Marija. These noble, God-fearing people also had great wealth, but they always put God before the world, the spiritual before the material, and gave and helped a lot to the poor, but they were childless. For this deficiency (need) they constantly prayed to God. And God answered their sincere prayers and gave them a son, and they named him Prohor.
When Prohor grew up, his parents wanted him to get married in order to have heirs to their property, but he, who had learned from them to seek the Kingdom of Heaven first, did not want to marry, so he went to church to pray to God in order for the way of salvation to be reviled to him. On that particular day of the Liturgy, the Gospel was read where Christ says: He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever leaves…a wife or children… for My name will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life! (Mt 10, 37)
Saint Prohor was moved by those words, wept in his soul and prayed to God to guide him on the path to salvation.
As soon as he left the Church he went into the mountain. As the deer longs for the springs of water (Ps.41: 2), so Saint Prohor longed into the mountain desert from where he could constantly drink from the inexhaustible source of living water, and he settled in the mountain desert of Nagorichani, in the Zegligovo region, where he found a cave with a small spring alongside it, so he settled there as if he was in an imperial palace. His food consisted of wild fruits, grasses and roots, and he ate once a week. Who can describe all his efforts in the incessant prayer, tears and labours, in the winter ice and summer heat, lying on the bare ground instead of on a soft bed. He was truly a hermit, truly a prophet, truly a martyr, who lays on a cold stone! And he shone with his virtuous life like a shining star from east and west by the grace of a hermit. Saint Prohor spent 32 years in that place without seeing anyone, leaving together with the mountain beasts.
Once, by God’s permission, when the Elder was sitting in front of his cave, a frightened deer came running and the Elder asked her: Why are you tired dear? Diogenes, the hunter, was chasing that deer. But when Diogenes came and saw the deer lying peacefully at the Saint’s feet, he was ashamed and frightened of the old man, so he began to flee. Then the Saint called to him: Diogenes, do not run away, come back, because I am a man like you. Then Diogenes was even more frightened when he heard his name being called and with fear fell at his feet asking for a blessing. The Elder blessed him and said to him: Diogenes, go to Constantinople to become a king. But when you sit on the throne, remember me, the old man, that I foretold this to you!
Then Diogenes left, feeling delighted having met the holy Elder, but it was not long before he forgot his words. And the deer got up and went deep into the mountain and the Saint followed her. While wandering in the forest, he found another narrow cave, so he moved into it, saying: God bless this place. Here the holy Elder continued his labours (struggles) longing for knowledge of God and unceasing communion with Him. There were many temptations (tribulations) on his way to spiritual perfection and deification.
The Saint spent another 30 years at that place. And after contemplating by the mercy of God, the Saint foretold his departure from this world, he got up, crossed himself, and saw the holy angels who came to the cave to take his soul. He prayed for the world and presented himself before God on October 14 (old calendar) / November 1. And his incorruptible body rested there.
Then St. Prohor appeared to Diogenes, who had already become the emperor crowned in Constantinople under the name Roman Diogenes (1067 – 1071) and said to him: You have forgotten your previous situation, as you have forgotten me, the old man! Beset by this dream, the emperor immediately sent people to find the place and bring the relics of the Saint. They found the relics, transported them to the river Pchinja, made an ark * (coffin), they decorated it with gold and planned to transport it to Constantinople. But the relics would not move. The Saint appeared to the emperor again, saying: you will not be able to take me from here!
Then the emperor built a monastery on that place dedicated to Saint Prohor, sanctified and laid the relics of the Saint to the right side of the altar, where there is now a chapel. And immediately myrrh flowed from the relics, from which the blind could see, the lame walked, and the sick were healed. Diogenes appointed an abbot to the monastery, hieromonks, hierodeacons and monks. He also gave them land so they could feed themselves. And a wonderful miracle, holy myrrh continued to flow from the tomb of Saint Prohor and to give healing to all who approached with faith to prostrate before his holy relics.
May we also be made worthy for the healing and salvation of our souls, as well as with physical health.
Glory to God in all ages! Amen
Fr. Gavril Galev
Abbot of the monastery “St. Clement of Ohrid”,
Kinglake, Melbourne, Australia
01 / 11 / 2020
