Manuscript No. 165 from the Neamț Monastery collection, dated 1441, folios 189–204.
I. He who knows the path that leads to virtue is accustomed to guiding souls who love God well and directing them towards the heavenly abodes. Blessed, therefore, is the word concerning those who have striven for virtue and purified their innermost feelings. For what could be happier or more praiseworthy than the soul of one who has entrusted themselves entirely to God and followed His commandments?
For this reason, the wise virgins are worthy of praise, who, despising all worldly things, have prepared the lamps of their souls to welcome the Bridegroom and, thus, rejoice with Him and are filled with unspeakable glory.
It was by their zeal that the blessed Philothea was kindled, she who was deemed worthy to enter into that bliss; she who even today gathers us together and sets before us a bountiful feast from her many miracles, calling upon us through her prayers to receive swift help and support, so that we may bring to a successful conclusion and duly fulfil this message, which you have requested concerning her. For it will bring no small benefit and will kindle zeal in those who, with diligence, wish to follow this path.
II. For, from the very beginning, the evil enemy, consumed by envy, could not bear for the first man to remain in paradise; and, having nowhere to vent his malice, he found the woman—the simplest of all, the weakest vessel, not yet tested in the art of deceit, and he beguiled her with the promise that she would be like God. And she, being unskilled in that craft, believed and obeyed the death-bringing counsel; for this, she received the punishment due for disobedience and was deprived of the food of Paradise and of God, being cast out of Paradise.
From this judgement came punishment upon the whole human race: from the judgement, various illnesses and temptations; from the judgement, the woman’s submission to the man; from the judgement, his dominion over her; from this judgement, the woman was condemned to give birth in pain. And thus, the punishment extended to the entire female race. What, then, did God, the Wonder-worker, do? He came down from heaven, as He Himself knows, He was born of the Virgin and Mother of God, Mary, taking flesh from her pure blood, and was fully God and fully man, so that He might honour mankind and restore the female race, corrupted by the ancient disobedience, and grant victory to all humanity, not only to the male race, but also to the female race, so as to trample underfoot and utterly defeat the chief of evil, the enemy who, in the Garden of Eden, deceived the woman, together with all his opposing powers.
Such are the blessed myrrh-bearers, who, being filled with the Most Holy Spirit, received manly strength within their womanly nature and followed the Lord Christ, even to the cross and to death; and not only that, but after the divine Passion and after the Resurrection, they were deemed worthy of the first saving vision and the first word: ‘Rejoice!’, heard from the Saviour. For this reason, the wise virgins, of whom the Gospel speaks, prepared themselves with all their hearts to welcome the heavenly Bridegroom and, despising all the beauties of this world, each one kept her lamp burning, not allowing it to go out—that is, preserving the purity of her body—so that when they heard the voice: ‘Behold, the Bridegroom!’ they might run ready to meet Him and, showing Him their bodily and spiritual purity, whole and unblemished, enter with great glory together with Him into the heavenly chamber.
Filled with this zeal with all her heart, the blessed Philothea strove to please her Bridegroom and to offer Him the purity of her body, blameless and unstained. To this end, ceaseless prayers and supplications rose from her to God, and she served Him in spirit and in truth; and, for the sake of the true faith, she prepared the sweetest drink, not like the drink called ‘sichera’, made from many and varied seeds, but one blended according to the divine order of the teaching, rejecting any murky drink composed of heretical deceptions. Such was she, like a tree, according to the words of David, planted by the springs of water, guarding purity with great vigilance and gazing ceaselessly towards the bliss above.
III. The blessed woman’s homeland was the city of Molivot, so named according to custom, situated in the region of Pamphylia. Her parents were John, a patrician, and Irina; they were the offspring of families of good standing and lived ceaselessly in the fear of God; day and night, they would linger near the holy churches, feed the hungry and give what was needed to those who asked, and their most ardent desire was to receive a child from God.
Thus, as they prayed fervently and shed hot tears from their eyes, their hope was not in vain. For this holy maiden was born, and they named her Filofteia; their hearts were filled with unspeakable joy, and they raised songs of thanksgiving to God.
Three years later, the blessed Irina, leaving behind her husband and their little daughter, departed for the imperishable abodes. As for John the patrician, seeing that the infant, from the very moment of her birth, received no milk whatsoever from her mother or from any other woman, he was in utter bewilderment; yet she was nourished by divine providence and flourished beyond her years.
When she reached the age of six, she was entrusted to holy servants to be taught the Scriptures, and she made such great progress in her learning that she had the entire Holy Scripture on her lips, to the amazement of all, and her fame spread far and wide. She flourished so greatly in self-discipline that she would spend the whole week without food, and on Saturdays and Sundays, after receiving the divine Mysteries, she would eat a little bread and soaked vegetables, thus maintaining the ascetic discipline she had practised from the very beginning. Day and night she meditated on the divine law and nourished her soul with the Holy Scriptures.
IV. Upon reaching the age of fourteen, she was, against her will and against her own desire, given in marriage for carnal union. Her betrothed was of noble birth and in every respect like Philothea, and his name was Constantine. That year drew to a close, and the God-loving maiden, finding herself bound by marriage against her will, was deeply troubled within and sought with her mind some way to keep her body unblemished. And with all her heart she lifted up her prayers to the Lord, saying: ‘Lord, my God, look upon my humility and grant me the strength to preserve my purity unblemished, until You receive me unto Yourself’.
(…) the woman who loved God, finding herself bound in marriage against her will, was deeply troubled within and pondered how she might preserve her body from defilement. And with all her heart she lifted up her prayers to the Lord (…)
Praying thus at all times and overcome by unspeakable sorrow, she found the right moment when, having been given to the man as his bride and locked in the bridal chamber, she immediately fell to the ground and began to weep with unconsolable grief, drenching the earth with her tears and striking her face with her hands, crying out: ‘Woe is me, woe is me, what have I suffered! Open your mouth, O earth, and swallow me alive, me, the wretch!’
Seeing her weeping thus inconsolably, Constantine with great difficulty lifted her from the ground and asked her what was the cause of such weeping. And she, after a long while, barely managing to stop her tears and casting aside all shame, said to him: ‘My lord, behold, I am entirely in your hands; but if you will wait and listen to me, and accept the advice I am about to give you, you will save your soul, and we shall be of benefit to others as well.’
He replied: ‘Say what you wish, casting aside all doubt and fear.’ And the woman who loved God said: ‘Whilst reading the Holy Scriptures, I came across an ancient tale which goes like this: that a certain maiden, having been betrothed to a man, being devout, a scion of a chosen lineage, when the time came for her to approach her bridegroom, he, in a gentle voice and with tender words, said to her: ‘Beloved wife, do you know the art of a man?’ And she replied: ‘No, my lord, I do not know at all.’ And he said to her: ‘Listen to me carefully, and I shall tell you, one by one, all that will befall us if we unite with one another. For they have caused me much toil and worry, and have brought me immeasurable sorrow and unceasing suffering. When you conceive in your womb, you will be overcome by unbearable pains, so that you will not even be able to eat your food in peace, and your days will be filled with sighs and lamentation. And when you begin to give birth, weakness, frequent groans and cries will overwhelm you and, to put it briefly, a terrible death will overtake you, as you look here and there without finding help.
And if you give birth, countless worries and labours will beset you: breastfeeding, rocking the baby, bathing, feeding, innumerable chores, caring for your husband, for the authorities, for the churches, for clothes. And if the child is born infirm, your sorrow will be doubled; on top of all this will come the worries of daily life. And if we fall into poverty, we shall deem death better than such a life.
Listen to me, then, as I give you sound advice, and let us live this short life in purity, so that we may inherit the life to come, from which all pain, sorrow and sighing have fled. There is no darkness there, nor stars; there is no summer or spring, no winter or scorching heat, but everything is light and joy. There is Christ, the Tree of Life, from whom all the saints draw sweetness, according to each one’s worthiness, according to how they have purified themselves. Longing for these things, let us too strive to attain them.’
And the maiden, hearing these words from her betrothed, said with eyes full of tears: ‘If this is so, my lord, and this is how life in the world unfolds, behold, I am ready in every way to obey you. Do as you will, for I shall not go against your will.’ And so, having consulted one another and strengthened their resolve with vows, they went on their way, preserving their virginity and purity.
After they had lived there for a sufficient time, they resolved by mutual agreement to withdraw a little from the world and live in solitude, fearing that some wicked and depraved man might deceive them and lead them back into sin, causing them to lose both their souls and their bodies. Following the advice of the great Anthony, they reached Mount Nitria and there, in the wilderness, they built a humble hut, where they spent many years, making frequent prostrations and subduing the body through fasting and vigil.
But the devil, the enemy of all that is good, unable to bear the abundance of purity and virtue so pleasing to God, sowed passionate thoughts in the woman’s mind; and she was sorely tried and ceaselessly tormented herself. But she, the most marvellous of all, and indeed the bride of Christ, realising the suffering that had overtaken her, with wisdom and discernment confessed everything to the blessed Ammon andurgently asked him to build her a small cell, set apart. And he granted this request, and thus they spent all twenty-two years, preserving their purity and complete self-restraint to the very end.
Before long, the blessed woman fell into a peaceful sleep and departed to Christ, whom she longed for. As for the virtuous Ammon, the dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit, he lived for a few more days and met his end; and the great Anthony saw his soul carried by angels to heaven on the twentieth day after their parting.
And many others have led such exemplary lives; if we too follow in their footsteps, we shall receive a reward like theirs. Now, therefore, may my counsel find favour with you, my lord, and let us live in purity, keeping our bodies unstained. For nothing can benefit us from fleeting pleasure, even if we were to live a long life, for we shall return to the dust once more. Let us, therefore, live in the fear of God and receive the blessings prepared together with all those who fear the Lord.
When Constantine heard these words from his betrothed, having taken them to heart, he said to her: ‘If I believed these things to be true, I would gladly fulfil them, but I fear they might be a deception and that we might not escape reproach.’ And she immediately replied: ‘So help me the Righteous Judge, Who will judge the living and the dead, that I speak the truth to you: until the end of my life, I shall keep my body unstained, even if I were to suffer a thousand deaths.’ Believing these words to be true, he immediately heeded her counsel and, thus strengthening their resolve with vows, they continued to live in purity and complete wisdom.
V. And after a short while, Constantine was ordained to the ministry. Not many days later, the father of the blessed Philothea passed away. They, however, lived in every respect according to God’s commandments, feeding the poor and clothing the naked, without ever straying from the church, day or night. And everyone followed them and benefited from their virtuous way of life.
They lived in this manner for about six years, and then Constantine passed away. The blessed woman, seeing that her husband had passed away to the Lord, arranged all the funeral rites with due reverence, as was fitting, and offered songs of thanksgiving to God. Then, when the time was right, she set all her male and female servants free, and distributed the rest of her possessions and wealth to the poor and needy, in accordance with the words: ‘He has scattered, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever and ever’1.
He bestowed great wealth upon the churches and divine monasteries and adorned them abundantly. He took one of the maidservants with him and left his house, leaving all the others behind.
VI. Near the town of Molivot there is a certain lake, and within it lies an island. Entering there, he built himself a small cell and continued to live there, casting aside all worldly distractions and subduing his body through fasting, vigil and sleeping on the ground. He struggled so hard against his passions that his bones clung to his flesh.
But the devil, the enemy of all that is good, could not bear to leave her untempted for long, but waged various wars against her: sometimes he frightened her, at other times he troubled her heart with various illusions and deceptions, sometimes taking the form of a serpent, sometimes of a beast, to terrify her. And she had the words of the Psalms on her lips: ‘Depart from me, all you who practise iniquity’2.
One night, whilst she was sitting, as was her custom, in prayer, with her mind and hands raised towards heaven, suddenly the ground began to shake, and a great cry and howling could be heard from outside, as though a king had arrived: some were trying to tear down the doors, others to tear the hut apart, whilst others were shouting to one another: ‘Seize her quickly, seize her and throw her into the lake!’
The God-loving woman, realising that this was the work of the devil, added prayer upon prayer, saying: ‘Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Word of the Father, Who deigned to become incarnate of a woman, to heal the fall of the female race, taking flesh from the Most Pure Virgin and Mother of God, look upon me, Your humble handmaid, who for Your sake have turned away from the world. Behold, the prince of evil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour me. For it is his habit to pounce especially upon the female nature, to cover it with shame and to provoke scorn and great derision. But You, Who were born in an ineffable manner of the Virgin Mary and blessed womanhood, wiping away her disgrace completely, send me now Your swift help, that his shame may fall upon his own head and all his hostile power may be put to shame, for You are blessed for ever. Amen.”
And so, making the sign of the Holy Cross, all those apparitions immediately vanished without a trace. And she did not cease to sing and glorify God until the break of dawn, and ever added one spiritual struggle upon another, filling her heart with spiritual ascent. How could I describe the fountain of her tears? Her ceaseless sighs, the beautiful silence, the ceaseless prayers, the frequent prostrations, the perfect detachment from the passions, the love for God, the angelic way of life and all such things – what are these, if not proofs of divine love?
The Lord did not allow such a way of life to remain hidden for long, but made it known to all those in the vicinity of that place, and great glory went forth from her, whilst God was glorified by all because of her.
VII. As she lived in this way, existing in the flesh as though she were incorporeal, the Lord did not allow such a way of life to remain hidden for long, but made it known to all those in the vicinity of that place, and great glory went forth from her, and God was glorified by all because of her. Many of the faithful flocked to her and were strengthened by her divine words.
For the Greek deception was most terrible at that time, reigning everywhere, and the devil’s shrines were filled with defiled sacrifices and smoke, and countless multitudes of martyrs were then being mowed down, whilst the faithful were reeling in great storms and turmoil. Hearing of these things as if they were happening every day, the blessed Philothea was filled with bitter sorrow, and she taught all who came to her from the divine Scriptures, utterly destroying the Greek deception.
And she received the gift of healing, and many sick people and lepers were healed by her. For she had learnt the entire Holy Scripture thoroughly and, speaking with the fear of God, drew everyone to an understanding of divine matters, just as a magnet draws iron.
A certain woman, afflicted by a dreadful illness, came to her, for her breasts were red with pain, and, having spent a great deal of her wealth on doctors, she had gained no relief. Seeing her suffering in this way, the God-loving woman was deeply moved in her heart and took pity on her. She immediately returned to prayer, and a stream of tears flowed from her eyes as she said: ‘O God, Almighty One, spare Your creation and do not let her be tormented in vain’. And, taking oil from the holy lamp of the Mother of God, He anointed both her breasts and made the sign of the Holy Cross over them with His hand; and, after a short while, He sent her home in good health.
Some time later, when news of this miracle had spread far and wide, a man named Eftimie, who had a wounded foot, came to the island to see the Saint, seeking healing. And the blessed one, seeing him, asked him about his ailment. He showed her the wound on his leg, speaking in a voice full of humility and shedding tears from his eyes. And Philothea, the most virtuous and blessed of women, just as Christ once did to the paralytic, asked him in the same way, saying: ‘Do you wish to be healed?’ And he replied at once: ‘I do, my lady, and I do so very much; have mercy on me, I beg you, for I believe that whatever you ask, God will grant you.’ She said to him: ‘Behold, what you suffer is because of your tongue, for it was given to you by God for His glory and praise, yet you have turned it to idle talk, jests and foul language. So, make a vow that from now on you will no longer dare to engage in such things, and that you will turn away from Greek fables, their rituals and beliefs, their blasphemous words and their harmful ‘wisdom’, and my Lord will heal you speedily.” And he, with joy, immediately carried out what he had been commanded and gave his word that, from now on, he would never again dare to do such things. And straightaway the Saint, stepping upon his foot and invoking the Most Holy Name of Christ, sent him home in good health after a few days, rejoicing, glorifying and giving thanks to God.
And once this miracle had become known far and wide, everyone glorified God, raising songs of thanksgiving to Him. But the blessed woman did not in the least take pride in such miracles; rather, she constantly kept in mind the words of David—or rather, of the Holy Spirit: ‘Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your Name be the glory’ 3, and ceaselessly she wet her bed with tears, always having before her eyes that dreadful and terrible Judgement: the impartial Judge and the merciless angels, the places of torment and the shame awaiting sinners, as well as the dreadful and final verdict: ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed’, so that, from so many sighs, he even forgot to eat his bread.
VIII. Thus, having lived a long life and so ordered his life, knowing in advance the hour of his departure from this world and, as was his custom, taking great care over the dogmas of the Church and judging well and with sound judgement, guided by the Holy Spirit, so that just as in life she had strengthened the Church through righteous commandments, so too after her death she would not leave it without care. And, summoning the entire clergy and the holy ministers, she spoke to them at length, her words full of spiritual sweetness.
‘The time of my departure,’ she said, ‘has come, and I have deemed it right to remind you of the matters pertaining to the true faith, that which was handed down and strengthened by the Holy Apostles and the divine Fathers, for just as it is impossible for one who is blind to walk straight, so too is it impossible for one who does not keep God’s will to live in true faith.
Know that the foundation of our entire life is the faith that is pleasing to God. For this reason the Apostles laboured and suffered various forms of death, so that they might hand it down to us pure and unblemished. It is therefore fitting that you should guard it with all reverence and piety, keeping it pure and unshaken, and hold fast to the traditions of the Church, not being carried about by every wind of doctrine and error. For, although the enemy of our life has sown in many ways the defiled and unclean Hellenism, seeking to destroy the true faith, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who shed His blood for it, will not allow His Church to be corrupted to the very end, but will grant her aid and bring her forth victorious from the trial.
I myself, though poor in body, was brought up in the true faith from my youth and received it from my parents as a treasure of great value; I beseech you, holy ministers, not to forget the teachings of the Holy Prophets and of the Apostles, as the great Apostle Paul writes to Timothy: ‘My son Timothy, the things you have heard from me, entrust these to faithful people, who will be able to teach others as well.’
Straying into lawlessness and thinking themselves wise, the foolish fail to realise that all things were brought into being out of nothing by the one true God.
It is therefore fitting for you to hold fast to the faith and by no means to pay heed to Greek errors. For even if they revile us by the thousands and blaspheme us by the thousands, never shall falsehood prevail over truth, nor shall wickedness be able to overcome wisdom. For they have brought the name of divinity down to the level of created things: to men, to the unclean, to wood and stones, to beasts and dogs; and they are not at all ashamed, nor do they consider themselves to be mere creatures.
Wandering in lawlessness and considering themselves wise, the foolish fail to realise that all things were brought into being from nothing by the one true God, Who created heaven and earth and all things visible and invisible. For the gods who did not make the heavens and the earth should perish; so too should those who make them, and all who place their hope in them. For this reason, the Greeks have become futile, and their senseless hearts have been darkened; claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the one true God for images of four-footed creatures, of reptiles and of birds.
Let these wretches, then, see of what the heavenly and earthly things, those in the air and those in the waters, are composed; first and foremost, the heavens and the earth, the air and the nature of the waters. Who has mingled them and who has separated them? What is their connection and their interplay with one another, and their harmony? Who moves them and governs them? How do the elements, which are by nature opposed, come together without harm into a single fullness of the world? How do they agree and harmonise, having neither counsel nor word? All these things are the work of divine Providence.
They, however, having forsaken the Creator, have honoured and served the created more than the Maker, and have strayed into vanity, lashing out furiously against our faith and against Christians who uphold the true worship, tormenting them without mercy and forcing them to renounce the sweetness of Christ’s name. You, however, must not be daunted by their threats; even if they take you to the wheel, to the dungeon, to the sword or to the fire, do not be afraid of their terror. For a new life awaits us, an age that never grows old, where the Prophets dance, the Apostles rejoice, and the hosts of fasting saints are together with the angels and archangels, with the martyrs and all the saints.
For all the beautiful and beloved things of this world will scatter like dust and perish without a trace; only virtue remains, extending for ever and ever.
Meditate on these things ceaselessly; inscribe them upon your hearts. Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, over which God has appointed you as shepherds and teachers, that you may keep both yourselves and the flock pure and unstained. For all the beautiful and beloved things of this world will scatter like dust and perish without a trace; only virtue remains, extending into the ages of ages.
Strive, therefore, to keep yourselves pure and to guide the flock entrusted to you towards the living pasture, so that the Lord of all, seeing your diligence, may reward your labour with a worthy reward and make you worthy of His kingdom.”
IX. Having spoken these words to the entire clergy and strengthened the hearts of all, he dismissed each one to their own affairs, commanding them to return after four days.
As for the Venerable Philothea, having shut herself away in her cell, she spent four days without tasting any food whatsoever, but spent those days in vigil, in tears and in frequent prostrations.
And on the fourth day, as had been announced beforehand, the entire church congregation came to her once more and were edified by her customary teaching. And having instructed them at length, she led everyone’s hearts to the fear of God.
When, however, evening fell and she realised that the hour of her departure was drawing near, she urged them all to pray, saying: ‘The time of my departure has come, and it is fitting that you should labour a little with me. For I truly hope that, through your prayers, I shall obtain mercy on that dreadful day of the Righteous Judge, at that terrible hour.’
And she spoke many other such words with tears to that holy clergy. And they, hearing this, were deeply moved in their hearts, and a cry of weeping rose up to heaven.
Amidst much turmoil, sighing and lamentation, the pious woman, gesturing with her hand, stopped them all from that inconsolable weeping, saying: ‘Do not trouble my soul, bishops and lords, for I am still with you and shall remain with you for a while yet, as long as the Lord wills. Therefore, keep vigil with me for a little while and offer up prayers of thanksgiving to God on my behalf.”
And they, having barely ceased their weeping, all returned to prayer, and with one voice a hymn of praise was raised up for her.
And so, whilst they were singing, she gave up her spirit into the hands of the Lord. For, behold, this unexpected suffering came to an end, and at once the weeping and the singing ceased, and great lamentation arose, and cries of grief filled the air, and all those around, having learnt of it, gathered together, weeping together over this loss.
And the body of the pious woman, having been honourably prepared and buried in a fitting manner, was laid to rest in the church of the Most Holy Mother of God, which was also called Hagia Sophia. There she performed countless marvellous and most glorious miracles.
For if we were to begin to speak at length and recount them all one by one, it would take us a whole year to tell the story. Therefore, so as not to prolong our account unduly, we shall mention only a few of these, and let these suffice for those of sound mind, whilst the rest may be received with clear faith.
X. At that time, a certain man named Navcratie, from the city of Amoria, was appointed governor of Hellas by those who then held the imperial sceptre. Being a renowned and celebrated man, he happened to do battle with the unbelieving Agarians. And when the two armies clashed in war, through unknown divine judgments, he was defeated, together with his entire army.
Some were killed, whilst others, taken alive, were carried off to Sicily. Along with them, a certain stratilates4 named Artavan, from the city of Philomilia, was also captured. And they, having been taken by the godless, were cast into a dark dungeon and kept under harsh and unrelenting guard. And whilst they were there, they did not know what to do or what to think, being overcome by boundless sorrow, and they called upon the Almighty God and His beloved saints for help. Then Artavan remembered Saint Philothea and began to tell them of the most glorious miracles of this blessed woman, and how she had received the gift of healing for all infirmities and various illnesses.
Hearing this, the commander’s heart was set ablaze, and with all his soul he began to call upon her for help. And, overcome by a longing for God and a burning faith, he could not keep this to himself for long; but, rising eagerly, he urged everyone to pray and bathed himself in tears, and rivers of bitter tears flowed from his eyes.
And they, their souls unburdened by sloth, all set their minds on prayer and called upon the help of the one beloved by God, Philothea, saying: ‘Ever-servant of Christ, unblemished bride, pure dove, dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, lover of Christ, turtledove of the wilderness, if you would deign to look upon us, turn your gaze towards us, the humble and despairing, and set us free from this bitter prison, that we too may be trumpets of your countless miracles, proclaiming them with a loud voice and then spending the rest of our lives in purity and wisdom. O most reverend Mother, do not overlook us, who are so grievously afflicted, in this bitter and foreign land’.
With such prayers they spent the whole night, shedding hot tears and frequent sighs from the heart. And when the all-night vigil and prayer had come to an end, they lay down to rest, giving their bodies a little comfort through sleep.
And whilst they were overcome by sleep, each lying in their own place, the Pious One appeared to them and gladdened their hearts with comforting words, saying: ‘Your prayers have been heard, and God has not overlooked your sighs; go, therefore, in peace, and, having been duly delivered, offer fervent prayers to God, Who sets free those who are bound”.
And they, in their joy, awoke as if from a stupor and, seeing that the chains lay undone and the prison was wide open, believed that what they saw was true. And, immediately leaving the open prison and leaving the guards as though dead, they fled.
And they did not hasten first to their homes, but went first to the island to offer fitting thanks to the Most Venerable One. And after these things had been carried out in good order, each returned to his home and told everyone of the most glorious miracles of the Pious One.
XI. And as these tales spread far and wide and reached the ears of all, a certain leper, having heard of them, filled himself with faith and fervent zeal and, with great diligence, came to the church of the Most Venerable nun, offering fervent prayers and frequently prostrating himself before the Saint, moving her to mercy.
And he spent long, sleepless nights, mortifying himself through fasting and severe asceticism, persevering unceasingly in the holy house of God. And the blessed one, seeing such zeal and that his bodily illness did not in any way depart from him, was immediately moved to mercy. And, appearing in a dream to the then churchwarden, she commanded him to anoint him all over his body with oil from the holy lamp of the Most Holy Mother of God. And the deacon, waking from his sleep as if from a trance, diligently carried out what had been commanded.
And not many days later, he sent the sick man home in good health, glorifying and giving thanks to God and to her who is ever pleasing to Him in all things.
XII. Much time passed and many miracles were performed, whilst the Greek kingdom grew utterly weak, and those who held its sceptre found themselves in great distress. For the Romans, seeing that the time was favourable, invaded with cruelty and harshness, bringing unbearable distress upon the Greek realm.
At the same time, the Bulgarian kingdom, being strong and very powerful, encompassed and subjugated all the surrounding lands. And the imperial sceptre was then held with good order and splendour by the most faithful and glorious tsar – Caloian5.
Seeing that the Greek kingdom was utterly weakened, he boldly set out against it, plundered many towns and villages, and laid them waste. And he gathered together all the beautiful things that were there and transported them to his glorious city, Tarnovo, whilst he brought the people and livestock under his rule.
Whilst he was engaged in this endeavour, he heard of the miracles of the most pious Philothea, and his heart was greatly stirred. For it is the nature of God-loving souls to yearn for virtues and to show great diligence in all things.
And, having subdued the whole of that land and brought it under his rule, he came to the place where the venerable body of the Most Venerable lay and was filled with unspeakable joy, offering up unceasing praise and thanksgiving to God. Then, falling prostrate before the venerable relics of the Most Venerable, he bathed them with abundant tears and kissed them with honour and reverence.
He ordered an all-night vigil to be held and distributed many goods to the poor and the needy. And in the morning, after the divine service had been celebrated, the Tsar was filled with great joy and gladness, as was his entire army.
They had a good plan and a wise counsel to transfer the body of the Pious One to their dominion. And he deigned to reveal this decision to his confidants and nobles, which he did. And they, hearing this from the Tsar, cried out with one voice: ‘The Tsar’s heart is in God’s hands; do, therefore, O Tsar, what has been set before you. For we believe that, if you carry out the decision that has been advised, you will bring great benefit to our souls, not only to them, but also to our land and our city, which will receive great aid.
XIII. And not many days later, he ordered that the body of the Most Venerable One be carried, with great honour and reverence, to the glorious city of Tarnovo. Three hundred chosen soldiers were appointed for this task, led by a certain Theodore, a devout and honourable man, more faithful and steadfast than others, valiant in battle and of fine stature. For many years he had suffered from a cataract in his left eye; he had spent a great deal of money on doctors and taken great care of it, but to no avail.
After receiving the final command from the Tsar and mustering the entire army, he immediately hastened with zeal to the holy relics and, kissing them with all his heart, shed tears from his eyes and asked for mercy for the affliction of his eye. And, filled with fervent faith, he took the saint’s left hand and placed it upon his eye. And – oh, a miracle! – immediately the whiteness from his eye vanished without a trace, and with clear, bright eyes he saw the light distinctly and was filled with great joy at his most glorious healing. And as news of this miracle spread far and wide, everyone gave glory to God and to the most pious Philothea.
Theodore, however, together with the whole army, honourably carrying the God-beloved relics, set out on their journey, rejoicing and dancing for joy, just as the God-bearing fathers of old had done before the ark of the covenant. And God wrought many healings during this procession—various and innumerable—which it is impossible to recount one by one; yet it is enough for the faithful to receive them with faith and to aspire to virtue.
XIV. And when they began to draw near to Tarnovo, the patriarch was informed and gathered all the clergy, going out to meet them with all the people, bearing torches, censers and fragrant myrrh. And, kissing the holy relics of the Pious One with reverence, and pouring out the fervour of his heart in tears, with a broken heart he uttered words of joy, saying:
‘Welcome to our lands, not only to visit us, but also to remain with us for ever and to teach the uneducated to follow your godly path and to aspire to your purity, which is a gift from God.’
‘True handmaid of Christ, dwelling place of virtues, abode of the Holy Spirit, dweller of the wilderness, companion of the wise virgins, bride of Jesus, turtledove of the wilderness, gilded by the Spirit, how did you fly from the East and reach us, the humble ones? Welcome to our lands, not only to visit us, but also to remain with us for ever and to teach the untaught to follow your divine path and to yearn for your God-given purity. For you have laid your body here as a pledge, whilst in spirit you delight in the heavenly beauties; not through a mirror or by conjecture, but face to face you behold your Bridegroom, the sweet Jesus, the beloved Jesus, Jesus whom you long for, for Whom you have prepared yourself, and you are not ashamed, nor do you approach Him as a stranger, but speak to Him as one of His own, and offer up to Him, in purity, prayers on our behalf as well.
Pray, then, always for us, your flock, that we may end our lives in peace, in the true faith and in righteousness. Do not cease to watch over us, to guard us, to help us, to guide us and to shield us from the onslaught of the adversary, for we believe that whatever you ask of God, God will grant you.
Let us rejoice and be glad for you, for we have gained you as a fervent intercessor.
And immediately, taking her body, they carried it to the glorious city of Tarnovo andplaced it in the church of the Most Holy Mother of God, the true Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, known as Temnișca, where to this very day she rests and performs marvellous and most glorious miracles, too numerous to count, for all those who turn to her with faith and love.
XV. Such was the life of our most reverend Mother, such were the miracles of the blameless Bride of Christ, who, having for a short time laboured in fasting and vigils, in prayers and tears and in many other harsh ascetic endeavours, now rejoices in the endless ages, where there is the pure voice of those who celebrate and unspeakable joy, where there is all praise to God, where there is all light, and where there is no longer any sorrow or sighing.
For, although he lived on earth in the flesh, he now rejoices in heaven in spirit; he now delights in those things which the human mind cannot utter, which the physical eye has not seen, nor has the human ear heard, nor have they entered the human heart—which God has prepared for those who love Him. These he now beholds, these he contemplates; for their sake he laboured, renouncing all bodily rest.
Being a branch from the chosen root, he bore countless fruits of every kind of virtue and, together with the wise virgins, entered the heavenly chamber; there she now rejoices in spirit, whilst she has left her body to us here on earth, just as Elijah once left his cloak to Elisha. And not only that, but she now dwells amongst us in spirit, bestowing upon all a worthy reward for their labours, granting the petitions of the faithful, healing infirmities, cleansing lepers, casting out demons, thwarting every plot of the adversary and dispelling every ruse, guarding our city and our country from invasions, and strengthening its rulers in the true faith and in sound understanding.
Therefore, you too, monastics, as well as all who live in the wilderness—young, middle-aged and elderly alike—should follow this good mother: you too must offer up pure and unblemished chastity, ceaseless prayers and supplications, and righteous zeal springing from a pure heart. For this is why you have renounced the world and counted all things as nothing, so that you might receive the Spirit and, together with the blessed Philothea, enter the heavenly chamber which God has prepared for those who love Him.
May this be granted to all of us, through the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen!