St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) Bishop of the Caucasus and Stavropol – Feast Day April 30

St. Ignaty wrote:

“I spent my entire life in sickness and sorrows, but without sorrows, how can one be saved? Illness is sent by God in place of and to make up for the deficiency of our struggles. I see that my ill health is a gift of God -His epitimia, His mercy…

“May the Lord teach you humility. the source of all calm. From humility peace and quiet flow into the heart. If we are handed the cup of suffering, let us accept it as the cup of salvation, as a pledge of eternal joy. He who refuses sorrows, rejects also salvation God allows the devil to strike us for the sake of our salvation and humility.”

From the RTOC Glorification of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

Troparion, Tone 8

O Champion of Orthodoxy, excellent teacher of repentance and prayer, divinely inspired adornment of hierarchs, glory and praise of monastics: by thy writings thou hast imbued us with purity. O spiritual lute, Ignaty divinely wise, pray to the Word, Christ God, Whom thou didst bear within thy heart, to grant us repentance before the end!