Optina Monastery and the Righteous Transmission of Tradition—Elder Anatole (the “Younger”)

+ July 30/August 12

Subdeacon Matthew Long

    

Raised in Moscow, the future Elder Anatole, stayed there until his teenage years. Born Alexander Potapov, he had a desire to go become a monk from an early age but when he approached his mother with this she asked that he wait until she died, and to honor her he agreed. After graduating from high school, he became a clerk in Kaluga. In 1885, after the repose of his mother, he went to Optina, at the age of thirty. He was made a novice in 1888 and became the cell attendant of Elder Ambrose. While a cell attendant, Elder Ambrose would occasionally send people to him because he showed the gifts of clairvoyance and love.

After the death of Elder Ambrose, Alexander became the cell attendant of his successor, Elder Joseph. In 1895 he was tonsured a monk and given the name Anatoly in honor of St. Anatole, Patriarch of Constantinople. In 1899, he was ordained a deacon and people began to come to him as an elder. Later, he had the gift of healing but hid it, instructing people to go pray for healing at Elder Paphnutius' grave or attributing it to Elder Ambrose, among other things. Many witnessed to his gifts of clairvoyance and prophecy, especially regarding the future of the Church. In 1906 he was ordained a priest and then appointed as the spiritual father of the neighboring Shamordino Convent which position he held until his death. In 1908, the confessor of the skete reposed, and Fr. Anatole was asked to take over the post. He responded saying, “How blessed,” and moved from the monastery to the skete.

He took his time with each pilgrim despite a painful hernia that he developed as well as painful and bleeding legs. Despite his infirmities it is noted how he was attentive and loved listening to their complaints and sorrows. Often he would give out the book On True Christianity by St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. He was “uncommonly simple and kind.” Old women especially loved him. His treatment of people was said to be reminiscent of St. Seraphim or Sarov and he was affectionately called Anatole the Comforter.

Elder Nektary said of Elder Anatole when a pilgrim had gone to him for advice, “Well now, that’s good that you wound up going to Fr. Anatole for guidance. Some people seek me out as an elder; but I—what can I tell you—I’m just a pie without a filling. But Fr. —well, he’s just like a pie with filling.” Elder Nektary always preferred to remain in the background, therefore, in his humility, when he saw visitors approaching his own cell he would go up to them and say, “Whom are you going to?” and would lead them away to Elder Anatoly without them suspecting anything.

Elder Anatole fulfilled this ministry up until that fateful year of 1917. In this year the prophecies of previous elders were fulfilled—monasteries were closed down and monks imprisoned. Shortly thereafter the elder was arrested and his beard and hair were cut. He was released and went back to the monastery being exhausted and looking “barely alive." he crossed the threshold of his cell crossing himself and saying, “Glory to Thee, O God; glory to Thee, O God; glory to Thee, O God!”

In 1921, when the elder was quite infirm, Abbot Isaac suggested that the elder accept the Great Schema. He did and during the service he was so weak that he could barely hold a candle. He slowly became better and was even able to get out of bed. There were more accusations against the monastery as the new government wanted to close it down for being a “hotbed of counter-revolutionary activity.” In 1922, they again came to arrest the elder. He asked to be given twenty-four hours in which to prepare and this they allowed. They came back the next day and found him reposed lying in his coffin in the middle of his cell.

Sayings of Elder Anatole (the “Younger”) of Optina

On Pride and Humility

Pride comes in various forms. There is worldly pride: this is knowledge; and there is spiritual pride: this is self-love. This is exactly so: people will truly go insane if they expect their intellect to cope with everything they hope to receive from it. But how can our mind get down to its own business, since it is insignificant and infected? Take from it that which it is able to give, and make no further demand upon it. Our teacher is humility. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble: and the grace of God is everything… That’s your greatest wisdom. Humble yourself and say to yourself: ‘Although I’m a speck of earthly dust, still God cares for me, and may the will of God be done in me.’ If you say this not only with your mind, but also with your heart, and really boldly, as becomes a true Christian, rely on the Lord with a firm intention to submit to the will of God, whatever it may be, without murmuring, then the clouds will disperse before you and the sun will look out, and will enlighten and warm you, and you will know true joy from the Lord and everything will seem clear and transparent to you, and you will cease tormenting yourself, and it will become light in your soul.

* * *

Bibliography

Andreyev, Ivan, Russia’s Catacomb Saints (Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Press, 1982).

“The Prophet’s Mantle” at http://www.roca.org/OA/44/44d.htm accessed on December 31, 2013.

“Anatolius and Seraphim of Optina, Hieroconfessors” athttp://www.orthodox.net/russiannm/anatolius-and-seraphim-of-optina-hieroconfessors.html accessed on December 31, 2013.

“The Full Life of St. Anatole (Potapov), Elder of Optina” athttp://www.optina.ru/starets/anatoliy2_life_full/ accessed on December 31, 2013(in Russian).

“Reverend Anatole of Optina: A Short Life” athttp://www.optina.ru/starets/anatoliy2_life_short/ accessed on December 31, 2013(in Russian).

Subdeacon Matthew Long

Christ the Savior Orthodox Church

8/12/2016

See also
1990: A Pilgrimage to Optina Monastery 1990: A Pilgrimage to Optina Monastery
Catherine Rees
1990: A Pilgrimage to Optina Monastery 1990: A Pilgrimage to Optina Monastery
Much has happened since 1990 when an American recently converted to Orthodoxy made a pilgrimage to the famous home of the Optina Elders—all of the original churches have been rebuilt, new ones added, and the brotherhood is flourishing. Nevertheless, we can wistfully remember those blessed days when Russian Orthodox Christians were sacrificing their time and talent to rebuilt Optina. Here are the impressions of that pilgrim, published in the Orthodox Word.
The Optina Elders and their Sayings The Optina Elders and their Sayings
Olga Rozhneva
The Optina Elders and their Sayings The Optina Elders and their Sayings
Olga Rozhneva
The spiritual life does not mean just living in the clouds; it consists of the discovery of the laws of spiritual life, as far as they are applied to a given person in his situation and in his circumstances. And the Optina Elders revealed these spiritual laws to laypeople, helped them to understand and give meaning to life’s circumstances, and instructed them on the way to salvation.
Synaxis of the Saints of Optina Synaxis of the Saints of Optina
Commemorated October 11/24
Synaxis of the Saints of Optina Synaxis of the Saints of Optina
Commemorated October 11/24
Although the beginning of monastic life in Optina monastery dates to at least as early as the sixteenth century, it is most known for its tradition of spiritual eldership in the tradition of St. Paisius (Velichkovsky) of Moldavia, which flourished there in the nineteenth century—particularly in the monastery’s Skete of St. John the Forerunner. This pleiad of spiritual luminaries bears a significance to Russian Orthodox spirituality that cannot be overestimated.
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