Saint Michael
of Klopsk Monastery was of aristocratic boyar ancestry, and was a relative of
great prince Dimitry Donskoy (1363-1389). He took upon himself the
podvig of being a Fool-for-Christ to avoid the praise of men.
Leaving Moscow dressed in rags, he arrived at the Klopsk monastery, near
Novgorod.
No one knew how he got into the locked cell of
the Hieromonk Macarius, who was going round the cell censing during the
Ninth Ode of the Canon. Father Macarius entered to cense the cell and
there sat a person dressed in monastic attire, copying the Acts of the
Holy Apostles. After the end of Matins the igumen came with some
of the brethren and asked the stranger who he was, and what his name
was. But he responded only by repeating the questions, and did not
reveal his origin.
After serving Matins, the abbot came with the
brethren and began to question the stranger: Who are you, and what is
your name? The stranger replied simply by repeating the questions, and
did not reveal his lineage. In church, the saint sang on the kliros and
read the Epistles. In the refectory, he would read the lives of the
saints. All who heard him were touched by the beauty and spirituality of
his reading.
In church the stranger sang in the choir and
read the Epistle, and he also read the Lives of the Saints at meals. All
who listened were moved by the beauty and spirituality of his reading.
On the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Klopsk monastery
was visited by Prince Constantine Dimitrievich, son of Great Prince
Demetrius of the Don.
After Holy Communion, he and the prince were
having a meal in the refectory, while the anonymous visitor was reading
the Book of Job. Hearing the reading, the prince approached the reader
and, carefully looking him over, bowed to him, and addressed his
relative as Mikhail Maximovitch. The fool-for-Christ said, “Only the One
Who created me knows who I am.” However, he did confirm that he was
called Michael.
Soon Venerable Saint Michael became an example
for the brethren in all monastic spiritual struggles. He lived in the
Klopsk Monastery for 44 years, wearing out his body with labors, vigils,
and various kinds of deprivations, and receiving from the Lord the
gift of clairvoyance. He denounced people’s vices, and did not
fear the mighty of this earth. He foretold that great prince Ioann III
(1462-1505) would be born on 22 January 1440, and that he would take
Novgorod. He denounced prince Dimitriy Shemyako for blinding his
brother, great prince Vasily Temny the Dark (1425-1462).
He denounced the vices of people, not fearing
the powerful of this world. He predicted the birth of Great Prince Ivan
III on January 22, 1440, and his capture of Novgorod. He denounced
Prince Demetrius Shemyaka for blinding his brother the Great Prince
Basil the Dark (1425-1462).
Venerable Saint Michael brought forth a spring on
a sandy spot by writing on the ground, “I will take the cup of salvation
(Psalm 115:13); on this spot a spring will appear.” By his prayers,
during a famine the amount of grain in the monastery granary did not
decrease, despite the fact that the grain was freely distributed to the
hungry.
Having foretold the place of his burial, the
venerable one reposed on 11 January (+ ca. 1453).
