Izrail Merzlikin

Izrail Merzlikin was a Russian schemamonk, born in 1812 in a peasant family in the Borisoglebsk district, Tambov province. He reposed on 29 December 1900. He is venerated by the faithful, without a synodal canonization.

Named Yakov Iovlevich in the world, at twenty he went on pilgrimage to Sarov, to the renowned Seraphim, to ask whether it was God's will for him to become a monk. The great elder received him kindly and said: You will be a monk when you have learned to love. Yakov asked when that would be, and the elder answered: Pray, and the Mother of God will show you. Later he reached St Panteleimon on Athos and lived there as a monk and schemamonk. St Silouan knew him and recalled that in a conversation about prayer, Izrail said: Prayer is not foolishness, we are the fools, and Silouan understood only later that the fools are we who do not know how to live and work for God as we should. Izrail himself knew how to work for the Lord. He reposed on 29 December 1900.