Now it’s good to recall our blessed shepherd Jonah, in a brief at least a word. Well, after all, he did not have to adorn the bishop’s throne of Veliky Novgorod for only three years, but he managed to show great kindness and goodness and be remembered by everyone.
This blessed Jonah was still a child, and God had already chosen him for the holiness.
Jonah grew up an orphan - he lost his parents early, and only one compassionate widow took pity on the lad, took him to her and raised her like a mother. It was she who gave it to the deacon, so that he would learn to read and write and the Holy Scriptures.
They lived poorly, and his physical weakness was also added to orphanhood: he grew painful. That's why he got used to meek behavior and quiet disposition, did not dare to approach the noisily playing children, but stood aside and meekly smiled at their amusement.
Once an honest Michael walked through the city, a holy fool in the world, but wise about God. He walked through Veliky Novgorod for the first time, no one knew him as a man of God, and the boys scoffed and mocked him.
And here comes blessed Michael, not paying attention to the ridicule of the children, and suddenly turns around the corner of the street to where this meek lad stood. It was already getting dark, how did he spot it ?! So, God's man saw everything with his inner vision.
“Ivan,” he called out to the lad (that’s what the lad was called at birth, and he became Jonah later, in the monastery), “Ivan, teach the holy books, you will be a great archbishop of this city.” He hugged the orphan and walked away.
How did he know what to call him Ivan? Also, with spiritual eyes, as he saw his sight, what would happen in many, many years. And he ordered the books to be taught, for the saint has to work hard in understanding the Divine word.
But then time passes, blessed Michael has long rested, and Jonah himself has already approached old age, and the prophetic prediction has not come true. But it doesn’t happen that the word of God's man passed by and was not fulfilled: upon the death of Archbishop Euthymius by lot and the will of all people, and Jonah was chosen by the decision of the whole council. And they elevated him to the bishopric, rejoicing and admiring his good nature and virtues. And Jonah became a model of a noble life, turned his eyes to the poor, and to orphans, and to widows, and to the wretched. And seeing his good deeds, they praised all the Lord.
And Jonah built the church, and very decorated them, inviting the most skilled craftsmen - artists and icon painters. He cherished much about the Ogenskaya desert, in which his monastic obedience once passed. And he cared for the veneration of the saints of God, instructing the Pachomius Serb to draw up canons and write lives.
And when they called Archbishop Jonah, the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily and the Metropolitan named for him, also Jonah, then, despite the hardships and illnesses, the saint came to Moscow. Grand Duke Vasily was angry and angry at Novgorod; Jonah spoke a lot in comfort to Basil and gave gifts in order to divert the thunderstorm from his city.
And St. John predicted to the son of Basil, Prince Ivan, the liberation from the Tatars, if he would look fatherly at the broken ones. Prince Vasily, knowing the power of the prophetic words of the Ionins, was very glad to hear this.
And then both saints, both Jonah, both Moscow and Novgorod, began to pray earnestly to gain freedom from the Tatars. Only then suddenly did the saint of Novgorod cry. Everyone was very surprised and wanted to know the reason for his tears. And Jonah complained about the fate of Novgorod’s darling: he foresaw bitter times with spiritual eyes, the death of freedom, and violence, and drowning in blood — he requested that the Lord give his city peace, silence and prosperity to people during his life.
And they released Jonah with honors and blessings; the old man’s wisdom, meekness and beneficial character earned him universal love.
When Prince Vasily died, his son Ivan, having accepted the princely banner, immediately sent ambassadors to Veliky Novgorod, asking Jonah to pray to the omnipotent God in order to free Russia from the power of the Horde kings.
Archbishop Jonah, in response, confirmed that the Lord will bring down the Horde, but let the prince himself live honestly, rule without bechyny and not torment his tribes. And so, not only the Moscow princes, but also all other neighboring lands loved and honored Archbishop Jonah and lived in peace with Veliky Novgorod. And the land of Novgorod in those days was in complete silence and no war was heard.
And when Saint Jonah fell ill and died, they performed the proper singing over him, and put his honest body in an oak ark and covered it with a board inscribing the year, month and day of the blessing of the blessing, and placed in the Church of John the Baptist, which Jonah himself built and decorated .
Until forty days, while the funeral services were being sung, they did not fall asleep. And since the body did not give off a smell even after forty days, they decided not to fill the tombs even then, but only to lay them in oak planks. For they believed in his good life and hoped that there would be no stench from his body, as it happens with other dead bodies. And now a year has passed, and another after his success, and so far no one has heard the smell of decay. And they stand and sing over his sepulcher; and many healings happen here.
