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Trinity Lavra of St Sergius
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

Trinity Lavra of St Sergius

Sergius of Radonezh · Sergiev Posad, Russia

Around 1337 the young Sergius went into the forest with his brother and built a small wooden church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. He lived simply and humbly; even a bear is said to have come to share his bread. His monastery grew into the spiritual centre of Russia, and Sergius blessed Prince Dmitri before the battle against the Golden Horde in 1380. Today the fortified monastery with its blue and gold domes is still home to many monks and on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Did you know?

Andrei Rublev painted his famous icon of the Trinity, the three angels visiting Abraham, for this monastery.

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An inspiring story

Bread for a bear

Who would you share your last piece of bread with?

Sergius lived alone in a hut in the forest north-east of Moscow when a hungry bear came by. He did not run. He brought out bread and laid it on a tree stump. The bear came back day after day. When there was only one piece of bread left, Sergius gave it to the bear and went hungry himself. Why? His biographer says he reasoned that the animal could not understand fasting, but he could.

From that hut grew the great monastery of Sergiev Posad, the heart of Russian Orthodoxy. It began with a man who was gentle even to a bear.

The righteous care for the needs of their animals.Proverbs 12:10

Sources

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