June 18. Martyrs Feodor and Luka.
The Holy Martyr Leontiy and with him Ipaty and Feodul (4); the Holy Martyrs Feodor and Luka; the Feast of the Appearance of the Bogolyubsk Icon of the Most Holy God-bearer (Vigil rank).
Saint Feodor was born in Mezen. His father, also named Feodor, was a tax collector in Novgorod. As a young Christian, Feodor embraced the path of holy foolishness: he left his wife and family, went barefoot year-round in only a shirt, slept no more than four hours a night, prayed with tears, and patiently endured beatings, heat, and frost.
On his way back from exile in Siberia, Protopop Avvakum met the holy fool in Velikiy Ustyug and was struck by his piety. Avvakum became his spiritual father. “At the time,” Avvakum later recalled of his spiritual child, “he had a new-printed Psalter in his cell—he still knew little of the innovations; and I told him in detail about the new books. He grabbed the book at once and threw it into the stove, cursing all the novelties. His faith in Christ burned hot within him!”
By Avvakum’s instruction, Feodor personally delivered petitions from the protopop to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. For the boldness he showed before the sovereign himself, the holy fool was shackled in chains and imprisoned in the Chudov Monastery. But by God’s will, the chains on his feet fell off. The monks witnessed how, after a loaf of bread had been taken out of the blazing oven, Feodor climbed inside and crawled across the hearth gathering crumbs. This was immediately reported to the Tsar, who came to the monastery and ordered the blessed one to be released in peace.
Then the servant of God went to Protopop Avvakum, who blessed him to dwell in the chambers of his spiritual daughter, the noblewoman Feodosiya Morozova (commemorated on September 11). When the protopop was imprisoned in the Pafnutiy-Borovskiy Monastery, Feodor visited him, having escaped from Ryazan where he had been tortured in the courtyard of Archbishop Illarion. The holy fool lamented to his spiritual father that he was too easily recognized by persecutors, since he always wore only a single shirt. His confessor blessed him to wear outer garments as well, so as not to draw attention.
The Lord granted Feodor a faithful companion — the young Luka Lavrentyevich. Together, they became the principal messengers among the centers of Old Believer resistance. In Mezen, they were captured by the streltsy commander Ivan Elagin, who imprisoned the protopop’s family in an earthen jail. During interrogations and torture, the holy fool Feodor showed courage and boldness. The holy martyr and confessor was hanged in 1670.
Saint Luka was born in Moscow and lost his father at an early age. Left as the sole provider for his mother, he earned their daily bread as a cobbler. He was well-read, gentle, meek, and had the gift of tears — when he spoke, it seemed as though he wept.
He was only twenty-five years old when the Lord called him to the path of martyrdom. The young Christian made his way to Mezen, where the family of the holy hieromartyr Avvakum was imprisoned. The protopop of all Rus’ was amazed by his spiritual child, whose wisdom surpassed his years, and said: “He is young in years, but his mind is of a hundred winters.”
When Ivan Elagin demanded that Luka show how he crossed himself, the confessor humbly replied: “As my father, Protopop Avvakum, so do I cross myself,” and he made the sign of the cross with two fingers. The martyr was thrown into prison and tortured until a decree came from Moscow to strangle the servant of God. He was hanged on the same day as the holy fool Feodor.
The bodies of the holy martyrs and confessors Feodor and Luka were buried side by side. A votive chapel was later built over their burial site, during the construction of which their incorrupt relics were discovered.