Luke of Glinsk

The Venerable Luke of Glinsk (1838-1898), in the world Leontius Shvets, was a hieroschemamonk of the Glinsk Hermitage, born in a peasant family of the Kharkov province. He came to the hermitage in 1864 and worked two years in the kitchen and twenty-⁠two in the bakery; in 1869 he was tonsured a rassophore and made head of the bakery. He scolded his novices to teach them to overcome anger, taking the reproaches upon himself. Tonsured a monk in 1875 with the name Longinus, in 1888 he was named "keeper of the Psalter" and in 1891 received the schema with the name Luke and settled in the Near Skete, then in the Far one. His spiritual father was the Venerable Archippus (Shestakov).

Prayer and struggle

His rule included five hundred Jesus Prayers, but at first he could not keep attention in them, and the Glinsk icon of the Saviour Not Made by Hands appeared to him in the air and by a voice urged him to say them slowly and attentively. He was attacked by demons (a great white horse once rushed at him) and overcame them. He guided his disciples wisely, speaking plainly to one and in parables to another, and said that true love gives to all, not only to the chosen. The demons took revenge on him because he guarded his disciples. He had the gifts of foresight and healing, but hid them under simple acts: to a monk sick with fever he gave a soaked bagel, saying "Eat", and the sick man recovered.

His humility

In his cell he was welcoming and cheerful, but always bore the fear of God. When his cell was whitewashed and he found the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" laid on his bed, he put it back at once in its place and prayed before it, hearing a voice urging him always to keep the good faith. He died on 1 May 1898, and the Council of Bishops of 2017 added him to the Menologion of the Russian Church. He is commemorated on 22 September, in the new style.