Life of the Optina elder Leo. Agapit (Belovidov), Schiarchimandrite

The Eyewitnesses of his exploits called the old man, surprised, it would seem, the paradoxical combination of external strength and identity with the wealth of spiritual talents that are served only meek and humble.

“I am not afraid of anyone. In addition to God, ”said this stately hero who lived extremely openly for any human court and did not care, as the Optina hagiographers subtly noticed," assureing everyone in their location. " The Monk Leo was indeed a man so bright, unusual for the philistine perception and internally free that others, having taken up his life -painting, were limited only to a “feasible contribution”, because, as the abbot Anthony (Bochkov) later recognized, “it was possible to see and understand this. , and expressing in words and completely to convey to others is inconvenient. ”

Even the Monk Makarii (Ivanov), like no other who understood and loved the old man Leo, considered himself “weak and unworthy” to work on his biography. And, apparently, this was not just a excess of modesty. Perhaps, to comprehend the significance of such ascetics as the Monk Leo, it took even time, even a different hagiographic language was required in order to completely convey something uncomfortable, which just contained a hidden spiritual essence.