July 15 – Memory and Praise of Prince Vladimir. -By the Monk Jacob (11th century)

HOW VLADIMIR WAS BAPTIZED, AND BAPTIZED HIS CHILDREN, AND THE WHOLE RUSSIAN LAND FROM END TO END, AND HOW BEFORE VLADIMIR, VLADIMIR’S GRANDMOTHER OLGA WAS BAPTIZED.

WRITTEN BY JACOB THE MONK

Father, bless!

Paul, the holy apostle, teacher of the Church and light of the whole world, sending a letter to Timothy, said: “My child Timothy, what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others also.” And the blessed apostle Luke the Evangelist wrote to Theophilus, saying: “Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” For that same Theophilus, the holy apostle Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel, and afterward, the lives and martyrdoms of many saints began to be described. So too I, the unworthy monk Jacob, having heard from many about the pious prince of all the Russian land, Vladimir, son of Svyatoslav, and having gathered a little from much, have written about his virtues, as well as about his two sons, the holy glorious martyrs Boris and Gleb. And I have written how the grace of God enlightened the heart of the Russian prince Vladimir, son of Svyatoslav, grandson of Igor, and how the merciful God, “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” loved him—and the prince thirsted for holy baptism.

“As a deer pants for flowing streams,” so the pious prince Vladimir thirsted for holy baptism, and God fulfilled his desire. For it is written: “He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.” And the Lord himself said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” And again he said: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” He sought salvation and learned about his grandmother Olga, how she went to Constantinople and received holy baptism, and lived in a godly manner, adorned with all good works, and reposed in peace in Jesus Christ and in the good faith. Having heard all this about his grandmother Olga, who was named Helen in holy baptism, Prince Vladimir began to imitate her in life, just as he followed the holy Empress Helen, mother of the great Emperor Constantine, in all things. And his heart was kindled by the Holy Spirit, desiring holy baptism. Seeing the desire of his heart, God, knowing his goodness, descended from heaven upon Prince Vladimir with his mercy and bounties. And God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, glorified in Trinity, the righteous God who “searches mind and heart,” foreseeing all things, enlightened the heart of Prince Vladimir of the Russian land, that he might receive holy baptism.

Prince Vladimir himself was baptized, and enlightened his children and his whole household with holy baptism, and freed every soul, both male and female, with holy baptism. And he rejoiced like David, and Prince Vladimir was glad in God, and “he rejoiced and exulted in the Lord,” like the wondrous holy prophet Avvakum, in God his Savior. O blessed time and good day, filled with every good thing, in which Prince Vladimir was baptized and named Basil in holy baptism! And the gift of God overshadowed him, and the grace of the Holy Spirit illumined his heart, and he learned to walk according to God’s commandment, and to live virtuously in a godly manner, and he kept the faith firmly and unshakably. He baptized the whole Russian land from end to end—and rejected the impious delusion, and the pagan gods, or rather demons, Perun and Khors, and trampled down many others, and crushed the idols. And he built a stone church in the name of the most holy Mother of God, a refuge and salvation for faithful souls, and gave it a tithe, to care for the priests, and orphans, and widows, and the poor. And afterward, he adorned the whole Russian land and all the cities with holy churches. And he rejected all the devil’s deceit, and came from the devil’s darkness to the light with his children, came to God, having received baptism, and snatched the whole Russian land from the jaws of the devil and brought it to God and to the true light. For the Lord said through the prophet: “He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death.” And Prince Vladimir was like the mouth of God and led people from the devil’s deception to God. O, how much joy and gladness there was on earth! The angels rejoiced and the archangels, and the souls of the saints leaped up. The Lord himself said: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.” Countless souls were brought to God by holy baptism throughout the Russian land; the deed was accomplished, worthy of all praise and full of spiritual joy.

O blessed and thrice-blessed Prince Vladimir, pious, Christ-loving, and hospitable, great is your reward from God! As the blessed David said: “Blessed is the one whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of adversity.” Blessed Prince Vladimir, having renounced service to the devil, came to Christ God, his Lord, and brought his people, and taught them to serve God. For the Lord himself said: “Whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” And you, blessed Prince Vladimir, were an apostle among princes, having brought the whole Russian land to God by holy baptism, you taught your people to worship God and to glorify and sing praises to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And all the people of the Russian land came to know God through you, divine Prince Vladimir. The angelic hosts rejoiced, the glorious lambs; now the faithful rejoice, and they have sung and praised! As the Hebrew children met Christ with branches, crying: “Hosanna to Christ God, the conqueror of death!”, so the newly chosen people of the Russian land praised the Lord Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit. And having drawn near to God by holy baptism, and having rejected the devil, and scorned his service, and spat upon the demons, they came to know the true God, the creator and maker of all things. And they sing every day and hour of their life a wondrous song, the archangelic praise: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men!” And you, blessed Prince Vladimir, like Constantine the Great, accomplished the work, as he was moved by great faith and love for God. Constantine established the whole universe with love and faith, and enlightened the whole world with holy baptism, and commanded God’s law throughout the universe. And he destroyed the idolatrous temples with their falsely exalted gods, and set up holy churches throughout the universe to the glory of God, glorified in Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and found the cross, the salvation of the whole world. With his blessed and divinely wise mother, the holy Helen, and with many children, he brought countless multitudes of people to God by holy baptism. And he destroyed the devil’s altars, and demolished the idolatrous temples, and adorned churches and cities, and the whole universe, and commanded that the memory of the saints be celebrated in churches with singing and prayers, and festivals observed to the glory and praise of God. The same did blessed Prince Vladimir and his grandmother Olga accomplish.

Blessed Prince Vladimir, grandson of Olga, having been baptized himself, baptized his children and the whole Russian land from end to end. He dug up and cut down the idolatrous temples and altars everywhere, and crushed the idols, adorned the cities and the whole Russian land with churches, and celebrated the memory of the saints in churches with singing and prayers, and brightly observed the Lord’s festivals. He set three tables: the first for the metropolitan with bishops and monks, and priests; the second for the poor and the needy; the third for himself, and his boyars, and all his men. Blessed Prince Vladimir imitated the holy kings, the prophet David, King Hezekiah, and the thrice-blessed Josiah, and the great Constantine, who chose and preferred God’s law above all, and served God with all their heart, and received God’s mercy, and inherited paradise, and received the kingdom of heaven, and reposed with all the saints who pleased God. Like them was blessed Prince Vladimir, who served God with all his heart and soul. Let us not marvel, beloved, that he does not perform miracles after death, for many holy righteous ones did not perform miracles, yet they are holy. As it is said somewhere by the holy John Chrysostom: “How do we know and understand a holy man, by miracles or by works?” And he said: “By works we know, not by miracles, for even magicians performed many miracles by demonic delusion.” And there were holy apostles and false apostles, and holy prophets and false prophets, servants of the devil, and moreover—a wonder—Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. By works we know a saint, as the apostle said: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Blessed Prince Vladimir, having loved God with all his heart and soul, knew and kept his commandments. And all countries feared him and brought him gifts. And he rejoiced and was glad in God and in holy baptism, and gave thanks and glorified God for all that, Prince Vladimir. And thus in joy with humility in his heart he said: “Lord, good Master, you have remembered me and brought me to the light, and I have known you, the creator of all things. Glory to you, God of all, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Glory to you with the Son and the Holy Spirit, for you have had mercy on me. I was in darkness, serving the devil and demons, but you have enlightened me with holy baptism. I was like a beast, doing much evil in paganism and living like an animal, but you have tamed me with your grace and taught me. Glory to you, God, glorified in Trinity, Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit! Holy Trinity, have mercy on me, guide me on the true path and teach me to do your will, for you are my God!” Prince Vladimir followed the works of holy men and their lives, and was ravished by the life of Abraham and imitated his hospitality, loved Jacob’s truth, Moses’ meekness, David’s innocence, but above all imitated Constantine, the great emperor, the first Christian emperor, in orthodoxy, and performed alms, Prince Vladimir. If the weak and old could not reach the prince’s court to take what they needed, then blessed Prince Vladimir sent to their homes and gave them all that was necessary. I cannot describe his many mercies—he showed mercy not only in his house, but throughout the city, not only in Kiev alone, but throughout the whole Russian land. And in cities and villages, everywhere he showed mercy, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, giving rest to travelers; honoring churchmen, and loving and having mercy on them, giving them what was needed, the poor and orphans, and widows, and the blind, and the lame, and the afflicted, he had mercy on all, and clothed, and fed, and gave drink.

When Prince Vladimir performed good works, God’s grace illumined his heart and the hand of the Lord helped him, and he conquered all his enemies, and all feared him. Whomever he went against, he overcame: he defeated the Radimichs and imposed tribute on them, defeated the Vyatichs and imposed tribute on them, took the Yatvingians, and defeated the Silver Bulgars; and going against the Khazars, he defeated them and imposed tribute on them.

Having planned a campaign against the Greek city of Cherson, Prince Vladimir prayed thus to God: “Lord God, Master of all, I ask one thing of you: give me the city, that I may take it and bring Christian people and priests to the whole land, and let them teach the people the Christian law.” And God heard his prayer, and he took the city of Cherson, and church vessels, and icons, and the relics of the holy martyr Clement and other saints.

And in those days there were two emperors in Constantinople: Constantine and Basil. And Vladimir sent to them, asking for their sister as his wife—that he might be further strengthened in the Christian law. And they gave him their sister, and sent him many gifts, and gave him relics of saints.

And thus piously lived the pious Prince Vladimir, and ended his life in the orthodox faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, as did the pious Olga. She before him, going to Constantinople, received holy baptism, and having done much good in this life before God, ended her life in the true faith, and reposed in peace, committing her soul into God’s hands. And when there was war with the Pechenegs, Prince Vladimir was still alive, but ill, and from that illness he committed his soul into God’s hands.

Prayer of the holy Prince Vladimir. Prince Vladimir, departing from this world, prayed thus, saying: “Lord my God, I did not know you, but you had mercy on me and enlightened me with holy baptism—and I have known you, God of all, holy creator of all things, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, glory to you with the Son and the Holy Spirit! Master God, do not remember my evil; I did not know you in paganism, but now I know you and acknowledge you. Lord my God, have mercy on me. If you wish to punish and torment me for my sins, punish me yourself, Lord, do not deliver me to demons!” And thus praying to God, he committed his soul in peace to the angels of the Lord and died. “The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,” “and their reward is from the Lord, and their care is with the Most High; they will receive a glorious crown from the Lord’s hand.”

After holy baptism, blessed Prince Vladimir lived twenty-eight years. In the year after baptism, he went to the rapids; in the third year he took the city of Cherson; in the fourth year he laid the foundation of the stone church of the holy Mother of God; in the fifth year he founded Pereslavl; in the ninth year the blessed Christ-loving Prince Vladimir gave a tithe to the church of the holy Mother of God from his possessions. About this the Lord himself said: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” And blessed Prince Vladimir hid his treasure in heaven by mercy and good works; there his heart was in the kingdom of heaven. And God helped him, and he sat in Kiev in the place of his father Svyatoslav and his grandfather Igor. And Prince Svyatoslav was killed by the Pechenegs, and Yaropolk sat in Kiev in the place of his father Svyatoslav. And when Oleg was going with warriors near the city of Ovruch, the bridge broke with the warriors, and they crushed Oleg in the ditch; and Yaropolk was killed in Kiev by Vladimir’s people. And Prince Vladimir sat in Kiev in the eighth year after the death of his father Svyatoslav, on June 11, in the year 6486 (978). Prince Vladimir was baptized in the tenth year after the murder of his brother Yaropolk. Blessed Prince Vladimir repented and lamented all that he had done in paganism, not knowing God. But having known the true God, creator of heaven and earth, repenting of all and rejecting demons and the devil and service to him, he served God with his good works and mercy. He reposed in peace on July 15, in the year 6523 (1015) in Christ Jesus our Lord.

sourcehttps://starove.ru/izbran/pamyat-i-pohvala-knyazyu-russkomu-vladimiru/