“A Holy Soul Ascends to God.” St. Joasaph of Belgorod

On the feast day of St. Joasaph of Belgorod, we are pleased to published another English translation of a poem by L. N. Pogozheva on the repose of St. Joasaph.

View from the bell tower of the Trinity cathedral (of the Trinity Monastery) on Cathedral Square in Belgorod, during the celebration of the canonization of Joasaf of Belgorod, September 4, 1911 (Uncovering of the relics of Saint Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod). Photograph by Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky. View from the bell tower of the Trinity cathedral (of the Trinity Monastery) on Cathedral Square in Belgorod, during the celebration of the canonization of Joasaf of Belgorod, September 4, 1911 (Uncovering of the relics of Saint Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod). Photograph by Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky.
    

A frosty evening and a shining moon,
A glowing lampada.
In a chamber, where the saintly bishop lies
Quietly, visions hover above.

A luminous childhood amidst paternal gardens
And a mother’s caress so dear.
Kiev is filled with saintly dreams,
Blue are the waves of the Dnepr.

A radiant youth full of dreams,
Heavenly, innocent visions,
The joy of fasting, repentance and tears,
Feat of countless midnight watches.

The far-away Lavra in a vision arises,
The abbots’ shrine glimmering,
The monastic choir prayerfully sings,
The monastery’s ring fading away.

O quiet Belgorod and your cherry gardens,
Joy of the midday sun,
The feat of the saint in great efforts,
The sweetness of grace mysterious.

Zeal towards service, fearless in speech,
Rebuker of dark sins,
Sermon of truth like an angel’s sword,
Forgiveness for humble sinners.

In a home of the Graijvor village all is quiet
As a lampada is fading.
In a dark forest a cell stands
In it, an old man weeping.

Hearing from heaven a wondrous voice,
“Your son, the saintly bishop, has fallen asleep.”
He looks up to the sky – out of the shining stars
A joyful dance winds around the night sky.

The old man remembered as some 40 years
A luminous vision he saw:
The Queen of Heaven stood in the sky
and before Her, his son in fervent prayer.

It was then that an angel his son
In a bishop’s Mantia clothed, flying from above.
“I have heard your prayer, o my child”
Said the Mother of God.

“This vision has come true…” the old sobs
In fear, in trembling of soul,
Quietly he whispers in that tremulous moment,
“A kind man of prayer has fallen asleep.”

A frosty evening, the moon glimmering,
The pale stars glowing,
In the evening sky, a holy soul
Ascends to God.
In the evening, a holy soul,
Ascends to God.

L. N. Pogozheva
Translation by Aaron Martin

12/23/2015

See also
The Miraculous Relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod The Miraculous Relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod The Miraculous Relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod The Miraculous Relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod
"At the time I was studying at St. Petersburg Theological Academy. I had much knowledge, but no real faith. There were ceremonies associated with the opening of the relics of St. Joasaph and I attended them unwillingly, thinking about the tremendous crowds of people thirsting for a miracle. How could miracles happen these days? ...I returned to Petersburg as another person—a believer."
Saint Joasaph of Belgorod Saint Joasaph of Belgorod Saint Joasaph of Belgorod Saint Joasaph of Belgorod
So great were the labors of St. Joasaph that he soon became known to Empress Elizabeth I, who summoned him to court and listened to his homilies with great attention, later calling him to hierarchal service. In 1748 St. Joasaph was consecrated bishop of Belgorod and Oboyan. From that moment and until the end of his days, the saint was quite literally a good shepherd of his flock and knew each sheep by name.
St. Joasaph of Belgorod, in Verse and Song St. Joasaph of Belgorod, in Verse and Song
L. N. Pogozheva
St. Joasaph of Belgorod, in Verse and Song St. Joasaph of Belgorod, in Verse and Song
L. N. Pogozheva
The Queen of Heaven is particularly close to children who call upon her. She loves and helps them. Once the father of the holy Russian hierarch Joasaph of Belgorod was sitting on his porch at sunset pondering on what awaited his son when he grew up and finished his studies. Suddenly he saw the Mother of God in the air and his son on his knees, praying at Her feet. Then he heard her say to Joasaph, "Your prayer is enough for me," and from the heights an angel flew down and cloaked the youth in a bishop's mantle.
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