Adrian of Yuga

Adrian of Yuga (in the world Andrei Ivanovich Semyonovsky, 4 July 1800 - 7 August 1853) was a hieromonk of the Russian Church, a resident of the Yuga Dorofeeva hermitage, known as a wanderer and as author of a guide to spiritual wandering. The sources at our disposal show no canonization of him; he appears in our archive as a venerable elder, but we have no act of glorification to cite here.

Life

He was born on 4 July 1800 in the village of Semyonovskoye in the Poshekhonye district, Yaroslavl province, in the family of a deacon. He graduated from the church school and entered the Yaroslavl seminary. In 1820, having finished the lower division, he left the seminary and entered the Adrianov monastery of Poshekhonye, under the obedience of Elder Innocent; in 1821 he was numbered among the brothers and ordained reader. On 4 April 1826 he was tonsured a monk with the name Adrian, in honor of Saint Adrian of Poshekhonye. On 2 November of the same year he was ordained deacon, and on 9 November hieromonk. Through his effort a guesthouse for pilgrims was opened at the monastery, the well of Saint Adrian was renewed and a chapel built over it, where the sick began to receive healings through his prayers. In 1831 he was appointed treasurer of the monastery.

Adrian was a strict faster, ate only black rusks and water, never ate hot food, had nothing of his own; he was a zealous prayer, read the whole Psalter daily, had the gift of foresight, and was marked by humility and quiet. For his strict labor he endured numerous cruel attacks of demons, at times evident also to those around. The brothers of the monastery, not understanding the intense spiritual struggle the ascetic was waging, thought him mentally ill, and Adrian was sent out of the monastery to relatives. In this time began his work of serving his neighbor. Having borne in all its heaviness the spiritual struggle and attained by strict labor the victory of spirit over flesh, he directed those who came to him toward Christian life. To his spiritual children he recommended moderate fasting, reading of the Menaia, the Philokalia and the ascetic writings of the venerable Ephrem the Syrian, John Climacus and Isaac the Syrian, saying that the teaching of the Church is made clear in the measure that the soul is cleansed by personal struggle.

After Adrian's return to the Adrianov monastery of Poshekhonye it was decided to make him abbot of the monastery. Not wishing this, the monk took a vow of silence and the labor of foolishness for Christ and for two years wandered in the forests; he traveled much, collecting means for the monastery and at the same time guiding in Christian life the people of the places where he stopped. Adrian had numerous disciples, who came to him or were guided by the elder through correspondence. He was honored not only by individuals but by whole towns, such as Bezhetsk, where from among his followers a women's community, the Annunciation, was formed, which the elder directed for several years, and its final arrangement he left by testament to Fr. Peter Tomanitsky, who took on the labor of foolishness for Christ and lived near Uglich. After the death of the abbot of the monastery, Hieromonk Irenaeus, who had been favorable to him, Adrian was subjected to slander and contempt by the brothers and in 1851 moved to the Yuga Dorofeeva hermitage. On 25 January 1851, by resolution of Archbishop Eugene of Yaroslavl and Rostov, he was transferred there. Before death he was granted a vision of the Mother of God with the saints and of the Savior. He reposed on 7 August 1853 and was buried at the Yuga hermitage, opposite the altar of the monastery church.

Writings

After Adrian's death, his admirers made an extract of his letters and printed it in two volumes in Saint Petersburg in 1861, under the title "Guide to Spiritual Life of Elder Adrian, Hieromonk of the Yuga Dorofeeva Hermitage"; in that edition there is also information about his life.

Sayings of the elder

Elder Adrian advised that infants be brought more often to Holy Communion, saying that by this they will be healthier, wiser and happier. He said that we think ourselves humble as long as no one touches us, but this is not humility; true humility is when you are humbled and reviled and say to yourself: "I deserve this for my sins". He said not to behave humbly toward one and insolently toward another, but to keep humility toward everyone, friend or enemy, great or lowly. To one who says "I am not the only one who sins", the answer is that in hell there is room enough. To the sick who came to him he recommended that, for health, they drink in the morning, fasting, before tea, plenty of cold water, even as much as ten glasses. He said that the Bible takes one out of one's mind, from worldly things to spiritual, that there is no unforgivable sin except the unrepented sin, that repentance is a covenant with God to amend one's life and that first comes honor to God, then care for the rest.