Just as Sts. Sergius and Herman were not fully valued, so that spiritual nature of Valuam’s last elder Michael has .yet to be recognized.  It is hoped that the following account will awaken an interest in this ascetic-confessor and be a reminder to pray for his soul.

 Left as an orphan while still very young, Michael had an unhappy childhood. Although he rarely spoke of this period of his life, it is likely that as a youth he had already formed the decision to leave the world. But he had to endure many difficulties and overcome many obstacles which the evil one placed in his path; before he found himself crossing Lake Ladoga’s waters and entering the quite harbor of Valaam.

When he was in his late teens he moved in with his older sister who lived in Petersburg. Her husband wanted to find the young Michael a job in the factory where he worked. He was due to begin after Pascha when the factory resumed its schedule, Just prior to the Feast, however, there was a tragic accident at the factory; a worker was killed. The uncertainty of life and nearness of death struck deeply Michael’s heart and brought him to a resolute decision. It was the third day of Pascha. Quietly, without saying a w6rd to anyone, he put a Bible and two changes of linen into a sack, and with this on his back he left the house.

Nourishing himself with whatever God sent his way, and sleeping under the open sky or sheltered by kind people, the young pilgrim wandered over the vast expanse of the Russian land: “I sought God’s will for my life.” He went from monastery to monastery, listening carefully to the conversations of other pilgrims in hopes of learning where there could be found true elders and which monasteries were best known for their high quality of spiritual life. From all that he heard, he was drawn to three monasteries in particular: Glinsk, New Athos and St. Vassily Caves Monastery in Riazan.

Traversing the broad steppe towards Poltava, as if out of nowhere there appeared before the young traveler an elderly man. ‘I bowed down to him and said, ‘I am seeking God’s will for my life. l want to enter a monastery but I don’t know which of three.’ And I named him the three I had chosen.” The old man listened and said, “No, go north to Valaam.” When Michael objected that it was so far away and he knew no one there, he was told, “Don’t be afraid, go.  The abbot is good; all will be well.”

Michael pondered on these words for a few moments and looking up he discovered the man had disappeared without a trace.  He never saw him again but he took his words as the will of God, Much later he found out that in those parts lived an elder who for many years had led an ascetic life on Mt. Athos where he had acquired the gift of unceasing prayer and clairvoyance.

The youth’s high calling and purity of heart roused the hatred of the evil one who set his nets at every turn in an attempt to destroy his soul and his very life. Once, in the middle of a forest, two robbers set upon the pilgrim, threatening to kill him. Another time, some profligate young women in a village tried to seduce him  Throughout his life he endured many trials on account of women. As an elder he was slandered because of the number of spiritual daughters he had-but he never left them. On another occasion, as he was herding sheep to earn some money for food, his master saw a dog attack one of the sheep. Enraged at the young shepherd, he seized him by the throat. “His face was al- together black, terrifying, and I understoodwho he was. He let go of me and said, ‘You are fortunate today is Sunday and Liturgy is now in progress or I wouldn’t let you off so easily.’

When the time came for him to fulfill his military service, Michael returned to Petersburg. At the end of the three and a half years term of duty, everyone was given a ticket home. In obedience to the elder he had met near Poltava, Michael requested a ticket to Valaam where he arrived the day after the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, 1902, leaving the world behind.

For 13 years Michael struggled as a novice, fulfilling various monastic obediences without complaining: as a cell attendant, in the bakery; for seven years he was the lamp- lighter and sang in the cliros of the Valaam metochion chapel in Petersburg. Finally he was clothed in the angelic habit and given the name Timon. During these years Valaam attracted countless pilgrims and numbered about 1500 brethren

Desiring greater peace and solitude for more concentrated prayer, Fr. Timon decided to build himself a cell at some distance from the skete of St. Sergius where he was living at the time. The skete was located on some granite cliffs covered with age-old firs. During the severe winters the rocky cliffs were covered with ice. Fr.Timon had nearly finished building a little hut and was collecting some wood needed to finish It when he somehow came too close to the edge of one of the cliffs, slipped and fell headlong onto the ice below. he lost consciousness and when he came round it was several minutes before he understood where he was or even who he was. He related all this to his elder who said: “Let this be a lesson to you; It is still early for you to live as a hermit. Better return to the monastery.” And Fr. Timon did so’
In the ’20’s a dark cloud settled over Valaam which has not lifted to this day. In 1926 the monastery was forced to adopt the new calendar. Those who refused were persecuted. Some were exiled to distant sketes. It was as though a sword were thrust into the heart of the monastery, causing such strife and bitterness that not a few were unable to endure and left Valaam for monasteries in Serbia and elsewhere. Most, however, deliberately remained as witnesses of the truth within the walls of the monastery. Their very presence could not but prick the conscience of the new calendarists who forced them to endure all manner of difficulties, slander, and derision. Fr. Timon was accused of disobedience. Remaining true to what he had been told. by the elder prior to his entering the monastery, Fr. Timon stood at the head of the old calendar monks whom he encouraged to hold firmly to the purity of Orthodoxy

What was most difficult was that they were deprived of a church and consequently of serving divine Liturgy. Often, however, Fr. Timon served secretly at night in some of the distant chapels. His fondest memories were of the years he spent in solitude in Gethsemne skete which was located about 22 miles from the monastery. The church and monks’ cells were built at the foot of an enormous cliff on top of which stood a chapel. During his years in Gethsemane skete Fr. Timon had to endure many fierce attacks from the evil one.

Once when he came to the church to serve Liturgy as was his daily custom, the church was locked as usual. But to his surprise a strange man was standing inside. “Who are you, and how did you get in here?” he asked. The man muttered something in reply.  “I sensed evil lurking. ‘Speak, who are you and why are you here?’ Silence. I repeated the question but he only stammered, ‘BI..bl. .. bi. ..’ Then I said, ‘Make the sign of the cross, like this: In the name of the Father, and of the Son..’ I didn’t have time to finish before he let out with a frightful yell and hit me so hard in the chest that I fell down. ‘Lord, Lord!’ I cried, and the stranger disappeared-it was a demon. He appeared a second time in the church. Many times, in fact, they tried to scare me, but God’s mercy saved me.”

The monastery authorities eventually found out about these nightly Liturgies and prohibited Fr. Timon from serving altogether. “My grief ‘.;as such that I did not think I could endure. I went up to the cemetery on St. Seraphim’s hill and there I walked back and forth, covering it. with tears and crying out to God: “O Lord, when your own people who should understand, when your own people act in such a way.. and because of Liturgy!.. what is to be done?!” Finally a certain heaviness lifted from his heart and returning to his cell, he wrote a letter to his bishop with a full. explanation.. Soon came a reply: “God bless you; pray and continue to serve Liturgy.” With the bishop’s Blessing the old calendarists were able to transform an empty building into a church for themselves. Here Liturgy was dally celebrated at four in the morning.

At this time many lay people came to Valaam seeking guidance in the midst of the turmoil which was shaking the Church from within as well as from without. So as not to provoke the authorities unnecessarily, lay people as a rule were not permitted to attend these early morning Liturgies. Instead, Fr. Timon would himself go to the guesthouse, confess the pilgrims in their rooms and give them Holy Communion. He tried to be as quick and unobtrusive as possible, although he often spent a long time with confessions.

Fr. Timon himself baked prosphoras, prepared charcoal, and even made wine from grapes provided by his spiritual children. He was constantly criticized ‘for his close and frequent contact with so many lay people.

In this way the years passed until. 1939. With the coming of the war Valaam was evacuated. With hearts overflowing with sorrow the monks were forced to leave their beloved island sanctuary where, for centuries, the dense forests had held in their embrace so many thousands of saint ascetics whose prayers were borne ‘aloft .on the wings of the wind which echoed their tearful entreaties on behalf Or the whole worle.

In Finland the monks were, temporarily sheltered near a small village  Conditions’ were crowded but this in no way caused Fr. Timon to interrupt his daily liturgizing.  He at once set about cleaning a corner of a ,barn which he closed off with make shift curtains. A door removed from its hinges served as an altar table. This rude dwelling, like the stable in Bethlehem,, was transformed into a chamber where the; greatest of Mysteries was performed.

In 1946 or ’47 Fr.’ Timon was clothed in the great schema and given the name Michael. It was his wish to spend the rest of his life as a recluse, but such was not God’s ‘will. “As soon as I think of refusing to see you any more,” he said to his spiritual children, “I see countless demons around me. Truly, it is through your. prayers that the Lord has mercy on me,’  he added meekly. And his spiritual children continued to visit him’.

Whoever came to him with their sorrows, their troubles, knew well the’ Elder’s power of love. Entering his humble cell, one felt as though everything that was burdening the heart, all sin and sorrow, simply lifted and disappeared without a trace. And if something remained, Elder Michael would at once notice it and., posing a simple question, he would easily reveal the still festering wound. Sometimes he’ would straightway say rather sternly: “Chase him out, chase out that demon of… and here he would name exactly what was ailing the soul.. Chase him out with the name of Jesus.”

Although he was condescending towards others’ weaknesses, Elder Michael.was strict in regards to himself. Even before taking upon himself the great •schema, he stopped taking cooked food from the monastery refectory. Certain basic commodities ‘such as bread, tea, sugar and milk (on non-fast days) were distributed to each’ monk in his cell. Elder Michael would coo’k for him self a thin gruel, on non-fast days he would have an egg and some coffee which he liked very much. “It gives •me strength, he would say. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he ate nothing at all and towards the end of his life he didn’t even drink tea unless he was very tired from many visitors and needed strengthening.

Elder Michael never complained against his persecutors, but he was sorely grieved over Valaam’s spiritual disfigurement which occurred during the split over the calendar. question. He could not help but point out to his spiritual children the gaping’ wound caused by the “lack of monastic spirit.” Already old and so pained by what had befallen his beloved Valaam, Elder Michael longed to return to his homeland to die, a homeland which he cherished for its h’osts of saints and martyrs.

In 1957 on the Feast of Protection, the  very day on ,which 55years earlier’ ‘he had with such fervent prayer left the world for the monastery,.so now, as an elder of. many years’ experience, he returned to his homeland of Russia, leaving his orphaned spiritual children under the protection of the Most Holy Mother of God. He arrived in Pskov-Caves Monastery’ together with six other monks, the finest of Valaam’s last true warriors.

In.Pskov Elder Michae’l continued to serve Liturgy daily. as before. He did not attend the, monastery church but would serve alone in his cell at night, commemorating upwards of 8000 name’s at the, Proskomedia. And these were not just names; these were living souls, individual faces whose needs he placed with such love at the Throne of the Almighty God. His all-night Liturgies ceased., only when His eyesight began to fail altogether.., and he began to weaken physically. Realizing that he had reached the end of his earthly pilgrimage, the elder began to prepare himself for the journey to the other world. He was given Unction and, after having received the Body and Blood of Christ for the last time, he peacefully departed to the Lord on Sunday, April 15,1962. Two days later, to the singing of the canon, “My Helper and Protector”, his coffin was carried around the. church of the Meeting of the Lord, before being ‘taken into the caves and lowered into the grave which Elder Michael had himself prepared.

Give rest,. O Lord, to the soul of Thy servant, whose life shines even now as an example of sober asceticism, firm confession and self-sacrificing Christian love.

Fr’. Michael couldn’t tolerate pharisaism and the “letter of the law.” He had his own special term. “letter-keeper..” “Never be a ‘letter-keeper.” I don’t mean that you should skip or neglect. your rule; no, this is necessary. But if you do only~this-it will be to your condemnation.t’

Once two of his spiritual daughters came to Valaam desiring holy Unction. Elder Michale gladly gave his blessing but was unable to perform this Mystery himself because of eye trouble’., He was blind in one eye and the other .was being “capricious,” over- strained from long periods of reading. He sent the women to the ecclesiarch, Fr. Simforian, but the latter refused to comply with the request on the grounds that one of the rules he had been given at the’ time of his ordination read that unction should be performed only in cases of extreme illness. Fr. Michael became very upset. “‘Everything here is done only according to rules. This simforian is a real ‘letter-keeper,’ Now we are only allowed to have Holy Communion according to the ‘rule’ -every three weeks.

 Once a brother was feeling unwell and wanted to have confession and Communion. But he was told, ‘No, it hasn’t been three weeks yet since you last received Holy Communion. it’s not allowed; you must wait.’ I went to them and said, ‘What are you doing? Have you for gotten how the first Christians lived? Have you forgotten. the apostolic teachings? And what does St. John of Kronstadt say?’ They did not listen to me; the following morning the brother died See where following the letter can lead!” 

(This was already after the war in New Valaam;. It couldn’t be compared to the original Valaam.

On Preparing for Holy Communion

One morning one of his spiritual. children came to him to receive Holy Communion. “Batiushka, yesterday I was so tired that I did not finish reading my rule; I am poorly prepared.” Batiushka looked at her closely: “God will for give you. Just listen to this: Once St John of Kronstadt went to give Holy Communion to his spiritual children. ‘Well,’ he asked ‘are you prepared?’ ‘Yes, Batiushka,’ some answered, ‘we are prepared.’. Others looked sorrowful; ‘No, forgive us, we were.distracted by work and various concerns and were unable to prepare ourselves properly.’ ‘All right,’ said St. John, ‘those who said they were unprepared, come forward. Those of you who are prepared, come another time to receive Christ’s Mysteries.’ St. John saw the pride and self-assurance and humbled them. Without humility and compunction the heart has little value.”

 Concerning Prayer

 “Above all, prayer requires repentance with humility-and gratitude.”

 Concerning the Jesus Prayer, Elder Michael told someone: “Everything needs a certain preparation.’ Pay no attention to all these methods and breathing techniques you’ve been reading about; they can only harm the soul-and there have been such cases. The Jesus Prayer must come as a cry from the depths of the heart-then it is true prayer.”

 “When the devil tries to irritate you over trifles, or stir you to anger, to destroy your peace of soul, just say, ‘Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen!’ He fears these words above all. They scorch him like fire and he will flee from you.”

 Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen!