The Orthodox church calendar is replete with various days of remembrance of the holy ascetics of piety. In the Russian Orthodox tradition, special attention is paid to domestic saints. One of those is considered to be the Archbishop of Novgorod Jonah.
St. Jonah the Archbishop of Novgorod was born at the end of the XIV century. At a young age he remained an orphan (at three years the future saint lost his mother, and after another four years - his father). He was brought up in a step-mother.
As a schoolboy, the boy met the holy fool Mikhail Klopsky, who predicted a great future for the young man: the dignity of the Archbishop of Novgorod. In adulthood, Jonah decided to devote his life to God and settled in the Otensky desert (near Novgorod). Seeing the spiritual experience of the ascetic, the brethren elected Jonah the abbot of the monastery.
In 1458, St. Jonah was chosen by the Archbishop of Novgorod. The people especially loved their archpastor for a virtuous life. St. Jonah himself was an example for believers: he performed works of mercy, never refused support, in every way instructing the people with a word.
Saint Jonah also enjoyed reverence among the princes, not only from Moscow, but also from Germany. Often the saint made trips to the prince of Moscow and interceded for the inhabitants of his city, asking the ruler for mercy to his native people. It is worth saying that St. Jonah was a real peacemaker. During his reign in Novgorod there were no wars, strife and strife.
Once on a city entrusted to the pastoral care of the saint, a pestilence fell, which claimed many lives. Saint Jonah with the believers made a procession around the city, after which the ulcer ceased.
The great ascetic of piety died in 1470. Contemporaries themselves considered the archbishop of Novgorod the saint, therefore, after death, the tomb with the body of the righteous remained open. At the end of time, the relics of St. Jonah were acquired imperishable. Now they rest in the Otensky desert.
The Orthodox Church commemorates St. Jonah of Novgorod every year on November 18 according to a new style.
