diveyevo 6

The great servant of God, Agafia Semyonovna...

as was mentioned, labored in her cell, built in the courtyard of the parish priest Dertev, for 20 years. She spent her whole life in such great labors and deeds, that she was filled with the grace and gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

Richly gifted with a rare mind, she was extremely educated, well-read and finely educated. Then she so thoroughly studied all the statutes, laws and regulations of the church, that in all important cases one turned to her for guidance and explanations.

Her cell exploits remained unknown... 

but Archpriest Vasily Sadovsky wrote down everything that Father Seraphim, Father Vasily Dertev, sisters of the Diveevo community, neighbors, her admirers and Diveevo peasants told him about mother Alexandra, who preserved memories of her deep humility and secret charity. 

In addition to performing the most difficult and menial work with Father Vasily Dertev... 

mother Alexandra went to the peasant field... 

and there she reaped and tied the bread of lonely peasants into sheaves, and in a bad time, when everyone in poor families, even housewives, spent their days at work, she drowned in oven huts, kneaded bread, prepared dinner, washed the children, washed their dirty linen and put clean clothes on them for the arrival of their tired mothers. 

She did all this on the sly, so that no one would know or see. However, despite all the efforts and cover-ups, the peasants gradually began to recognize the benefactor. The children pointed to their mother Alexandra, and she looked with surprise at those who thanked... 

Agafia Semyonovna embroidered hats for poor brides, magpies and beautiful towels.

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For 12 years, on holidays and Sundays...

Agafia Semyonovna never left the church straight home...

but at the end of the Liturgy, she stopped at the church square, and instructed the peasants, telling them about Christian duties and about worthy reverence for holidays and Sundays. 

These spiritual conversations with the people, were remembered with gratitude by the parishioners of the village of Diveyevo even many years after her death. 

Not only ordinary people... but also high-ranking officials, merchants and even clergy flocked to her from all sides to listen to her instructions, to receive blessings, advice and receive her greetings. 

In family matters, disputes and quarrels, she was treated as a righteous judge and, of course, unquestioningly one obeyed her decisions. 

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If mother Alexandra deigned to agree to be the manager of any especially important church celebration, then this was considered the greatest honor. So, when a temple was consecrated in the large nearby village of Nucha, everyone came on purpose to ask Mother Alexandra to be the manager of this holiday, to which she agreed. 

Everyone was amazed at how well she ordered and arranged everything. There were so many people that it seemed impossible to accommodate everyone, and the mother connected the nobles together, the clergy in another department together, the merchants planted with the merchants and the peasants separately. Everyone was comfortable, good and everything was enough. 

Mother also directed the church ceremony... 

and those present looked at her with special respect... 

and reverence.

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Mother Alexandra's charity was always secret. 

She served with everything she knew how and to the best of her ability. 

Her manifold deeds so softened her heart and pleased the Lord God so much, that she was rewarded with the high gift of grace-filled tears (Fr. Seraphim often recalled this).

[bron]