27.11.2019

Job Humer's biography. “A worthy priest is a friend of God. — What was your path to the monastery like?

Conversation with Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) about pastoral ministry

Hieromonk Job Gumerov. Photo by A. Pospelov. Pravoslavie.Ru

Father Job, please tell us how you became a priest?

I became a priest out of obedience. At first I was an ordinary parishioner. Our whole family joined the church on April 17, 1984. I remember well: it was Maundy Tuesday. Then I became the spiritual child of Priest Sergius Romanov (now he is an archpriest). He entrusted me with the obedience of priestly service.

When I was baptized and became Orthodox Christian, a special world opened up before me, which I entered with great joy and hope. Doing what I was told spiritual father, was an axiom for me. Five years after I began my life in the Church, Father Sergius once told me: “You need to teach at the Theological Academy.” This was completely unexpected for me. Teaching at the Theological Academy seemed so different from my scientific studies at that time that even the thought of it never crossed my mind. Now I have no doubt that this was in accordance with the will of God, His plan for me.

And therefore everything worked out without any obstacles. I met with the vice-rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, Professor Mikhail Stepanovich Ivanov, who offered me a course called “Christianity and Culture.” He asked me to write a program. On the appointed day, he and I came to Vladyka Alexander (Timofeev), the then rector of the academy. Apparently, he had already made a decision, so the conversation was short. After a few introductory phrases, he looked at the pieces of paper that were in my hands and asked: “What do you have?” I said, “This is the course syllabus.” He took the sheets, put his finger on some line and asked how I understood this question. I answered immediately, and this satisfied him. He had no more questions. Turning to Mikhail Stepanovich, with his characteristic energy, the Bishop said: “Prepare for the Council.” So I became a teacher at the Theological Academy, without ever striving for this.

Under Bishop Alexander there was a mandatory requirement: teachers who came from secular institutions and did not have spiritual education, had to graduate from the Seminary as an external student and then from the Academy. I graduated from the seminary in May 1990, and passed the exams for the Academy the following year. academic year. In the fall of 1991, he defended his dissertation for the degree of candidate of theology. Since September 1990, I began teaching at the Academy Holy Bible Old Testament, and in the Seminary - Basic Theology.

At the end of May 1990, Father Sergius Romanov said that I needed to submit a petition for ordination as a deacon. Again, without any hesitation or doubt, I answered: “Okay.” Soon after this, I met Archbishop Alexander in the corridor and asked to see me. He asked: “For what reason?” - “About ordination.” He set a day. When I arrived, he immediately opening remarks said: “On the day of the Holy Trinity.” Then he added: “Come in three days. Live in Lavra. Pray.”

In September, my second year of teaching at the Academy began. Father Sergius says that it is time to file a petition against the priest. And I agreed with the same readiness. Some time has passed. And then one day (it was on Saturday around noon) the vice-rector called me at educational work, Archimandrite Venedikt (Knyazev). He said: “Come today to the all-night vigil, tomorrow you will be ordained.” I immediately got ready and went. On Sunday, the week before the Exaltation, between two great holidays (Christmas Holy Mother of God and Exaltation of the Holy Cross) - September 23, I was ordained. So, out of obedience, I became a priest. I see God's will in this. I didn't include mine.

How did it happen that you came to the Church from a non-Orthodox family? After all, this also had great importance for your subsequent pastoral ministry.

I think that the most big influence I was influenced by my mother, who was baptized in old age, but in terms of her soul (abundance of love, desire to live in peace with everyone, responsiveness to everyone) she was always very close to Christianity internally. She did not miss a single opportunity to tell us something sweet Nothing. This was her need. She never scolded us. Already in her old age she told me that her mother, my grandmother, forbade her to do this. We had to leave because dad was often transferred to different cities. When grandma last time I saw my daughter, she said: “I ask one thing - don’t hit the children or scold them. If you hit your hand even once, my mother’s blessing will leave you.” But mom would never have done that: she was simply incapable of it.

My mother was born in 1915 in Urda, Astrakhan province. She said that when she was a teenager, she regularly had to take an old woman to church. It was probably a neighbor.

My mother's parents were not the typical Muslims, as we know from life and books. Grandmother Zainab and grandfather Hasan even (albeit in a peculiar way) took part in the Easter holiday. My grandmother had a box with some land. She sowed grass in it in advance and placed colored eggs there. On Easter Day they went to congratulate their Orthodox friends. After all, the city where they lived had a mixed population.

Mom was seven years old when she was given a special test. And she turned out to be capable of sacrificial love. Her father Hasan fell ill. I think it was typhus. When they discovered his signs fatal disease, they built a hut for him in the garden so that he could lie there. It was harsh, but necessary measure to protect the rest of the family from illness (he had six children). Since he needed care, it was decided that my mother would live in a hut, feed him and look after him. They brought food and placed it in a certain place. Mom took and fed father, washed clothes, changed clothes. She was old enough to understand mortal danger illness and realize what awaited her. However, she did not give up and did not run away, but showed that sacrifice that has always distinguished her. Her father died, but the Lord God preserved her, although they lived in the same hut and communicated closely.

From that time on, a special bond was established between her and her late father, thanks to which she escaped death several times. During the war, when my brother and I (he is two years older than me) were still very young, a typhus epidemic broke out in Chelkar, where we lived. Barracks were set up for the sick. Unfortunately, my mother developed some kind of illness at this time. The temperature has risen. The local doctor demanded that she move to the barracks for patients. Mom refused. She said that there she would become infected and die, and her young children would not survive. Since my mother resolutely refused, the local doctor warned several times that she would bring a policeman. But she still did not agree, and she gave a final warning: “If you don’t go to bed today, then tomorrow morning I will come with a policeman.” Mom couldn't sleep that night. She expected something irreparable to happen in the morning. And so, when she was in the most alarming state, her father appeared and said: “Go to the experimental station. The professor will help you...” To my great chagrin, I didn’t remember the last name. The phenomenon was so significant that my mother, despite the night (and she had to walk several kilometers), went. This was the Aral Sea experimental station of the All-Union Institute of Plant Growing, which was organized by academician Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov. She was located in the Big Barsuki sands in the Chelkarsky region. Many exiled specialists worked there. Mom found the house of a professor whom everyone in Chelkar knew. He could not work as a doctor because he was an exile. However, people, of course, approached him unofficially. Mom woke him up. He showed kindness and attention. He immediately assessed the situation and made a diagnosis at his own risk. He did not find typhus in his mother. The conclusion he wrote did not have the force of a certificate, but the Lord arranged everything so that it protected my mother. When the doctor and policeman came in the morning, my mother handed me a piece of paper from the professor. The local doctor looked and said: “Okay, stay.”

My mother told me this many times amazing story, in which the action of Divine Providence was so clearly manifested. She said that her father appeared to her several times and suggested this or that decision when she was in danger of death.

The story I have told may seem incredible to some and may be viewed with distrust. But one must also admit that it is “incredible” that out of all six of Hassan’s children, only my mother became a Christian - she took communion and received unction. She lived to see the ordination of her eldest grandson Paul (now a priest) as a deacon. I sent her a photograph where he was photographed with us on the day of his consecration in the courtyard of the Lavra. Then, when I talked to her on the phone, she said: “Solid!” Now the priest’s two grandsons and the priest’s son constantly remember her at Liturgy.

Some might say that she came to Christianity because Orthodox priest became her son. This is a superficial explanation. His main drawback is that cause and effect are reversed.

Undoubtedly, I myself came to Christianity solely thanks to the education that she gave me. Her moral influence on me was decisive.

- What else contributed to your coming to Christianity, which happened back in Soviet years?

Russian and European culture. Since childhood, my education and upbringing took place in a culture that is genetically connected with Christianity: Russian and Western European literary classics, painting, history. Therefore, in the years of the birth of my religiosity, I did not face the problem of choice. For me, no religion other than Christianity was possible. I remember back in the late 60s I wore a pectoral cross. I can't remember how I got it. It was an ordinary church cross made of light metal with the image of the crucified Savior and the inscription “Save and preserve.” I wore it for so long that the image was partially erased and became barely noticeable.

When I think about my path to Christianity, I come to a thought that is obvious to me: the Lord God led me to faith. He not only acted through my mother, who also prepared her for Christianity from childhood, but also kept me safe.

I was sometimes uncontrollably active. For this reason, he found himself in the clutches of death several times. But the Lord preserved me. I will remember this incident for the rest of my life. Not far from us was the Green Construction Trust. You could enter its territory through huge metal lattice gates. There was a deep puddle in front of the entrance. At some point, for some reason, the gate was removed from its hinges and leaned against metal posts. I was wearing summer shoes. I couldn't get through the puddle. Then I decided to use one of the gate leaves. I inserted the legs between the vertical rods and placed them, as if on steps, on the cross beam that held the rods together. I moved my legs and moved sideways - from one edge of the sash to the other. Since I was hanging on it, under the weight of my body it began to fall. I fell backwards into a deep puddle. And a heavy gate fell on me. They would have killed me if it had not been for the layer of liquid in which I sank. I didn’t choke because I was able to stick my face between the metal bars. I couldn’t lift the gate and get out. They were very heavy. Then I began, holding onto the bars, to crawl on my back to the upper edge of the gate. I succeeded until my head rested against the upper transverse beam, which, like the lower one, connected metal rods. For some reason, no one was close to help me at this time. Then, I think, a miracle happened. With my small hands I was able to lift the heavy gate leaf and climb out. All my clothes were soaked with dirt to the last thread. Mom didn’t scold me then. But she was surprised: “Where could you get so dirty?” In order not to frighten her with what happened, I did not tell this story.

Another incident caused even more worry. We lived on the territory of the radio center (my father worked as the head of radio communications at the airport). They had to put up another mast. At that time, long pieces of rail were used to bury them and secure the mast guys. I was in the yard and saw a cart driving through the gate. She was carrying rails. I ran towards him and quickly jumped onto the cart, sitting on top of the rails. The horse had difficulty carrying the load. To get to the mast installation site it was necessary to drive along a path between the beds. Suddenly one wheel slid off the hard ground and ended up on the dug up ground. The weight pressed him into the loose earth. The horse did not have enough strength to drag the cart further. The driver, who, unlike me, was walking next to her, began to whip her. The poor animal made a jerk, but the cart did not budge. Then the horse began to move to the side and turned the shafts at right angles to the cart. The driver did not have time to think and whipped the horse. She jerked forward. Everyone who has ridden carts knows: if the shafts turn at a right angle while riding, the cart will tip over. And so it happened. I fell first, then the rails fell to the ground. I found myself under them. I don’t remember at all how the rails were removed. I was lying in a narrow but fairly deep hollow between the beds, and rails lay across the top, without causing me any harm.

There were other cases when I was clearly in danger, but I remained alive and was not even injured. Now I know that it was a miracle. God protected me. Then I thought, of course, in other categories. However, every time I had a vague awareness that something unusual had happened, that someone had saved me. I am sure that these incidents and their successful outcome quietly prepared me for the conscious faith that I acquired several decades later.

- How much knowledge of culture does a priest need?

If a person is cultured, then it is easier for him to understand and communicate with everyone - both simple and educated people. For a priest, this opens up greater opportunities for missionary work. It's about about the internal mission, since our society is a society of mass unbelief. Culture makes it possible to deeper and more fully understand the greatness of Christianity. It reveals a vision of Christianity in history, its spiritual and moral uniqueness. On historical material one can see the differences between the lives of Christians and representatives of non-Christian societies (for example, pagans).

- What qualities are necessary for a clergyman in the first place, without which he is completely unthinkable?

It is obvious that the most important spiritual qualities, both for a priest and for any Christian, are faith and love. However, it is known that no virtue is autonomous. The Monk Macarius the Great says: “All virtues are connected with each other like links in a spiritual chain, they depend on one another: prayer - from love, love - from joy, joy - from meekness, meekness - from humility, humility - from service, service - from hope, hope comes from faith, faith comes from obedience, obedience comes from simplicity” (“Spiritual Conversations”, 40.1).

Since we decided to analytically highlight the most important spiritual and moral qualities, I will name one more virtue - spiritual courage. The fact is that faith and love are constantly tested in life. And courage does not allow you to waver. The Holy Apostle Paul calls: “Watch, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).

The priest is a co-worker with God, and when a person accepts the priesthood, he makes a direct challenge to demonic forces. At the same time, he may clearly not think about it. A person has to overcome both external and internal obstacles. Either the enemy tempts and entices you to leave this path, then human weaknesses are revealed, and sometimes you need to have the courage to act according to your conscience in the face of difficulties and dangers.

And I’ll add one more thing: a priest must be absolutely free from greed. If there is even a small grain, it can imperceptibly begin to grow and manifest itself detrimentally.

- If we talk about the current situation, what worries you most about young priests?

The most troubling thing is the isolation from the church-priestly tradition. It feels very painful. Until the end of the 80s of the last century there were few churches. After his ordination, the young priest came to serve in the temple, where there were ministers not only of middle age, but elderly and even very old. They were the custodians of the experience of previous generations. Serving together with such fathers is priceless. When I was ordained in 1990, I found two archpriests in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - Dimitry Akinfiev and Mikhail Klochkov. Both were born in 1928. They had vast priesthood experience. Father Dimitri served for 54 years. He knew the Divine Service Rules perfectly. I learned a lot from him.

You can successfully study at the Seminary and even at the Academy, but the lack of experience of generations cannot be compensated for by any knowledge. Over the past twenty years, the number of churches in the country has increased several times. For example, in the Moscow region - 10 times. This means that almost 90 percent of priests began serving alone - in newly opened churches. They turned out to be really cut off from the experience of previous generations and from tradition, and do not have the opportunity to perceive the living experience of many generations.

I can clearly see how seriously this affects the ministry. The point is not only the lack of liturgical experience, but also of pastoral and ethical experience.

Another reason for many painful phenomena in modern church life is that clergy are part of modern society. Young men do not enter theological schools from any special tribe. They are supplied by our moral sick society. At the age of 18, a person already has a fully formed spiritual appearance. After five years of study, it is not easy to re-educate him. Many grew up in non-church families, some of whose parents are still not churchgoers. Many came to faith at school. Some people lack normal upbringing. All this leads to the fact that some seminarians very easily fall under the influence of the spirit of the times. This then affects their service. Most often this manifests itself in the desire to combine high service to God and people with service to oneself, without missing the opportunity to acquire something, make friends among wealthy people. This is where I see the serious consequences of the destruction of traditions.

- Father, what would you like to wish to the seminary graduates?

You need to constantly and hard work on yourself. I advise you to thoroughly study the life and pastoral feat of such grace-filled priests as Saints John of Kronstadt, Alexy Mechev, Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov, etc. It is necessary to take their service as a model and work hard throughout your life in order to approach perfect service. We must not forget for a minute about our chosenness: “A great person is a worthy priest, he is a friend of God, appointed to do His will” (St. righteous John Kronstadt).

☦How to learn to love God? ☦ ☘ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27). Do not love the world, nor the things in the world: whoever loves the world does not have the Father’s love in him. (1 John 2:15). The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us. (Rom 5:5). Love is born from dispassion; dispassion from trusting in God; hope from patience and generosity; these latter from abstinence in everything, abstinence from the fear of God, fear from faith in the Lord. Venerable Maximus the Confessor (662). You cannot take spiritual life from above, but you need to take it from below: first cleanse your soul of passions, acquire patience, humility, etc., then love your neighbor, and then God. Holy Righteous Alexy Mechev (1859-1923). Faith is a benevolent gift; it gives birth to the fear of God in us; the fear of God teaches the observance of the commandments or the organization of a good active life; from active life grows honest dispassion; and the product of dispassion is love, which is the fulfillment of all the commandments, connecting and holding them all within itself. Saint Theodore, Bishop of Edessa (848). Having received the commandment to love God, we also received the power to love, invested in us at creation. Love for God is born without teaching, naturally, as gratitude for God’s blessings, for we see that dogs, oxen, and donkeys love those who feed them. Saint Basil the Great (330-379). Increasing the fear of God is the beginning of love. Venerable John Climacus (649). No one can love God with all his heart without first warming the fear of God in his heart; for the soul is in effective love comes after it has already been cleansed and softened by the action of the fear of God. Blessed Diadochos of Photicus (5th century). Love is the fruit of prayer. Love for God is born from conversation with him. Conversation with him from silence; silence from non-covetousness; non-covetousness from patience; patience from hating lusts; hatred of lusts from fear of Gehenna and aspirations of bliss. He who says that he has not conquered passions, but loves to love God, I don’t know what he is saying. You will object: I did not say love, but I love to love. And this does not take place if the soul has not achieved purity. There is no other path to spiritual love, by which the invisible image of God is drawn in us, if first of all a person does not begin to show mercy in the likeness of the Heavenly Father, who showed us His perfection in mercy. Venerable Isaac the Syrian (VII century). He who is always in prayer is kindled with the most ardent love for God and receives the grace of the Spirit, which sanctifies the soul. Venerable Macarius the Great (IV century). When we hear that someone loves us, even if he were humble and poor, we are inflamed with special love for him and show him great respect, then we love him; and our Lord loves us so much, and we remain insensitive? Saint John Chrysostom (407). Those who frequently partake of the Body and Blood of our Lord will naturally kindle in themselves a desire and love for Him on the one hand, because these animal and life-giving Body and Blood warm those who partake (even the most worthless and hard-hearted) in love as much as they continually take communion; and on the other hand, because the knowledge of love for God is not something alien to us, but is naturally infused into our hearts as soon as we are born in the flesh and reborn in the spirit in holy Baptism. St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain (1749-1809) and St. Macarius of Corinth (1731-1805). The feeling of love for the Lord comes as we fulfill His commandments. Rev. Nikon of Optina (1888-1931). Some, having read in the Holy Scriptures that love is the most sublime of the virtues, that it is God, immediately begin and intensify to develop in their hearts a feeling of love, to dissolve their prayers, thoughts of God, and all their actions. God turns away from this unclean sacrifice. He demands love from a person, but true, spiritual, holy love, and not dreamy, carnal love, defiled by pride and voluptuousness. It is impossible to love God otherwise than with a heart purified and sanctified by Divine Grace. The premature desire to develop in oneself a feeling of love for God is already self-delusion. It immediately removes one from correct service to God, immediately leads into various errors, and ends in damage and destruction of the soul. Repentance for a sinful life, sadness about voluntary and involuntary sins, the struggle against sinful habits, the effort to defeat them and sadness about their forced defeat, forcing ourselves to fulfill all the Gospel commandments is our lot. We must ask God for forgiveness, reconcile with Him, make amends for infidelity with faithfulness to Him, and replace friendship with sin with hatred of sin. Those who are reconciled are characterized by holy love. Do you want to learn the love of God? Avoid every deed, word, thought, feeling prohibited by the Gospel. By your hostility to sin, so hateful to the all-holy God, show and prove your love for God. Heal sins into which you happen to fall due to weakness with immediate repentance. But it is better to try to prevent these sins from happening to you by being strictly vigilant over yourself. Do you want to learn the love of God? Carefully study the commandments of the Lord in the Gospel and try to turn the Gospel virtues into skills, into your qualities. It is characteristic of a lover to carry out the will of his beloved with precision. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) (1807-1867). To love God with all your heart, you must certainly consider everything earthly as rubbish and not be deceived by anything. Remember that you always walk in the presence of the sweetest Jesus. Tell yourself more often: I want to live in such a way that my life pleases my Love, crucified on the cross for me. Experience has proven that one who does not love his neighbor cannot love God, and one who is ungrateful to people cannot be grateful to God. A limited, small, insignificant being, such as a person, needs to start from the limited, small and, with God's help, go to the less limited, to the highest. Do you have a wife, friends, relatives? Learn to give them their due first and then you will be able to give due to all people and to God Himself. In order to properly honor the Mother of God, learn first how to honor your mother. And in order to honor you as you should, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, learn to honor your father according to the flesh. He who is unfaithful in small ways and in many ways is unfaithful; and he who is faithful is faithful in little and in many (Luke 16:10). St. Righteous John of Kronstadt (1829-1908). You cannot love God if you treat even one person badly. This is quite understandable. Love and hostility cannot exist in the same soul: either one or the other. Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev) (1894-1963). The love of prayer continually strengthens our love for God. Rev. Justin Popovic (Serbia) (1894-1978). Ardent faith in God gives rise to ardent love for Him and for His image as our fellow man. Elder Paisiy Svyatogorets (1924-1994). You see why we must despise the world, that is, in order to honor our God; not to love the world in order to love God, to leave creation in order to find God, to turn away from creation in order to turn to God. For just as we cannot look to the east and to the west, and to heaven and to earth at the same time, so we cannot cleave to the world and to God with our hearts. When we turn our eyes to the earth, we turn away from heaven, and when we turn to the west, we turn away from the east - just as we turn away from God with our hearts, when we love the world, and when we turn to God with our hearts, then we turn away from the world. Everyone must choose one of the two. No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one and neglectful of the other (Matthew 6:24). Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783).

Hieromonk Job (Gumerv) - in the world Shamil (baptized Afanasy) Abilkhairovich Gumerov - was born on January 25, 1942 in the village of Chelkar (now a city) in the Aktba region of Kazakhstan. Tatar.

Father, Abilkhair Gumerovich, (1913-1996, head of the radio communication service at the Ufa airport.

Mother, Nagima Khasanovna, nee Iskindirova, (1915-1999), accountant

In 1948, the Gumerov family moved to Ufa
Graduated in 1959 high school.
In 1959 he entered the history department of the Bashkir state university. He completed four courses and transferred in 1963 to the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University, from which he graduated in 1966.
“Philosophy led me to theology, which in the Middle Ages was called the “handmaiden of theology” (“philosophia est ministra theologiae”). Philosophy began to interest me at school. We lived on the outskirts of Ufa. In our regional library, I discovered the classical works of R. Descartes, G. W. Leibniz, G. Hegel and other philosophers and became very interested in them. After graduating from high school, I wanted to enter the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow University, but they only accepted people with at least two years of work experience. My mother persuaded me to enter the history department of the Bashkir State University. There I completed four courses and moved on to the fifth. But my desire remained unsatisfied, because the second higher education it was impossible to obtain in the Soviet Union. Unexpectedly for me, the rector of the university, who knew about my passion for philosophy, suggested that I try to transfer to the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow University. Everything went without any difficulties, and I was accepted into the third year. A very stressful life began, during the academic year I had to pass exams and tests for three courses” (“Without love it is impossible to help a person,” ZhMP, 2012, No. 6, p. 50).
In 1969, he entered graduate school at the Institute of Concrete Social Research (ICSI) of the USSR Academy of Sciences, which he graduated in 1972. Prepared a master's thesis on the topic “System analysis of the mechanism of change social organization", which he defended at the Institute of Philosophy of the USSR Academy of Sciences in December 1973.
After completing his postgraduate studies, from July 1972 he worked at the Institute of Scientific Information on social sciences(INION) Academy of Sciences. From June 1976 to December 1990, he worked as a senior researcher at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for System Research (VNIISI) of the Academy of Sciences. During these years, he met the Russian sociologist Valentina Chesnokova.
On April 17, 1984, with his entire family (wife and three children), he accepted holy baptism with the name Athanasius (in honor of St. Athanasius the Great).
From September 1989 to 1997 he taught basic theology at the Moscow Theological Seminary and the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament at the Moscow Theological Academy. In May 1990, he graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary as an external student, and in 1991, also as an external student, from the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1991 he defended his dissertation for the degree of candidate of theology.
On holiday Life-Giving Trinity On June 3, 1990, the rector of the Academy, Archbishop Alexander (Timofeev), ordained Afanasy Gumerov as a deacon, and on September 23 of the same year - as a priest. Served in the Church of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir in Starye Sadekh, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki, Ivanovo Monastery.
Since December 2002, with the consent of Mother Elena and the children who began independent lives, he became a monk Sretensky Monastery.
“I was already sixty years old. Gradually he grew old and began to remember his long-standing desire to become a monk. While the children were small, of course, this was out of the question. But now they have grown up. Moreover, although I have been all my life healthy person, a streak of constant illness began. There was one more circumstance: the son joined the army and fought in Chechnya in an offensive group. I think the Lord specifically sent me all these trials, which prompted me to think about the monastic path. I decided to read the akathist to the Mother of God for 40 days. Before and after reading, I asked the Most Holy Theotokos to open God's will me through Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), since I was then teaching at Sretensky Seminary and he was the only abbot of the monastery with whom I was in close contact. AND Mother of God fulfilled my request exactly: ten days later I was walking home from the seminary and walked around the temple with south side to go to the monastery gate. Father Tikhon walked towards me, we said hello, and the first words he said to me were: “When will you move in with us?” We have prepared a cell for you.” After that, I returned home and told my wife about what happened. Mother told me that this is the will of God. She added: “I feel good only when you feel good.” If you feel good in the monastery, then do it, and I will be patient.” A month later I arrived at Sretensky Monastery"
In April 2005, he was tonsured by the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), into monasticism with the name Job (in honor of Saint Job the Long-Suffering).
In 2003-2011, he led the “Questions to a Priest” column on the “Orthodoxy” website. Ru"
April 10, 2017 - during the Liturgy in the Small Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery, Patriarch Kirill elevated him to the rank of archimandrite

Three children: two sons and a daughter. Sons Pavel and Alexander are priests. Daughter Nadezhda

In 1997-2002, on behalf of the clergy, he prepared materials for the canonization of saints.

Candidate of Philosophy, Candidate of Theology.

Essays:

Gracious Shepherd. Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov. M., publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1998, 63 p.
The trial of Jesus Christ. Theological and legal view. M., publication of the Sretensky Monastery, 2002, 112 pp.; 2nd ed. M., 2003, 160 pp.; 3rd ed., M.., 2007, 192 p.
Questions for the priest. M., publication of the Sretensky Monastery, 2004, 255 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 2. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2005, 207 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 3. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2005, 238 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 4. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2006, 256 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 5. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2007, 272 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 6. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2008, 272 p.
A thousand questions for the priest. M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2009, 896 p.
The Sacrament of Anointing (unction). M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2009, 32 p.
Holy baptism. - M., 2011. - (Series “Sacraments and Rituals”).
What is marriage? - M., 2011. - (Series “Sacraments and Rituals”).
Cross power. - M., 2011. - (Series “Sacraments and Rituals”).
Sacrament of repentance. - M., 2011. - (Series “Sacraments and Rituals”).
The spiritual life of a modern Christian in questions and answers. Volume 1., M., Sretensky Monastery, 2011, 496 p. Volume 2.. M., Sretensky Monastery, 2011

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ READ. Issue 13. Two-volume book about. Job (Gumerova)

✪ Book: A thousand questions for a priest

✪ Lecture 30. The Russian Orthodox Church at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries

Subtitles

Biography

Born on January 25, 1942 in the village of Chelkar, Aktobe region, Kazakh SSR, into a Tatar family. In 1948, the Gumerov family moved to Ufa, where Shamil spent his childhood and adolescence. In 1959 he graduated from high school.

In 1959 he entered the history department of the Bashkir State University. He completed four courses and transferred in 1963 to the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University, which he graduated in 1966.

“Philosophy led me to theology, which in the Middle Ages was called the “handmaiden of theology” (“philosophia est ministra theologiae”). Philosophy began to interest me back in school. We lived on the outskirts of Ufa. In our regional library, I discovered the classical works of R. Descartes, G. W. Leibniz, G. Hegel and other philosophers and became very interested in them. After graduating from high school, I wanted to enter the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow University, but they only accepted people with at least two years of work experience. My mother persuaded me to enter the history department of the Bashkir State University. There I completed four courses and moved on to the fifth. But my desire remained unsatisfied, because it was impossible to obtain a second higher education in the Soviet Union. Unexpectedly for me, the rector of the university, who knew about my passion for philosophy, suggested that I try to transfer to the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow University. Everything went without any difficulties, and I was accepted into the third year. A very busy life began; during the academic year I had to pass exams and tests for three courses.”

In 1969 he entered graduate school, which he graduated in 1972. He prepared a Ph.D. thesis on the topic “System analysis of the mechanism of change in social organization,” which he defended in December 1973.

After completing his postgraduate studies, in July 1972 he worked at the Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences (INION) of the Academy of Sciences. From June 1976 to December 1990, he worked as a senior researcher at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for System Research (VNIISI) of the Academy of Sciences. During these years, he met the Russian sociologist Valentina Chesnokova, in whose social circle his professional vision was formed.

On April 17, 1984, with his entire family (wife and three children), he received holy baptism with the name Athanasius (in honor of St. Athanasius the Great).

From September 1989 to 1997, he taught basic theology at the Moscow Theological Seminary and the Holy Scripture of the Old Testament at the Moscow Theological Academy. In May 1990, he graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary as an external student, and in 1991, also as an external student, from the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1991 he defended his dissertation for the degree of candidate of theology.

On April 5, 2005, he was tonsured by the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), into monasticism with the name Job in honor of the righteous Job the Long-Suffering.

In 2003-2011, he led the “Questions to a Priest” column on the website “Orthodoxy.Ru”.

On April 10, 2017, during the Liturgy in the Small Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' elevated him to the rank of archimandrite.

Family

Work on the canonization of saints

In 1997-2002, on behalf of the clergy, he prepared materials for the canonization of saints. Among them are canonized saints: Righteous Matrona of Moscow, Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky), Archbishop Seraphim (Samoilovich) of Uglich, Bishop Gregory (Lebedev), Archpriest John Vostorgov, Martyr Nikolai Varzhansky, Bishop Nikita of Belevsky (Pribytkov), Archpriest Priest Neophyt Lyubimov, Archpriest Sergius Goloshchapov, Archimandrite Ignatius (Lebedev), Hieroschemamonk Aristoklei (Amvrosiev), Mikhail Novoselov, Anna Zertsalova, schema-nun Augusta (Zashchuk) and others.

He also collected materials for the canonization of Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov, the ascetic of piety of the Moscow St. John Monastery nun Dosithea, the elder of the Novospassky Monastery Hieroschemamonk Filaret (Pulyashkin), Grand Duke Sergius Alexandrovich, the spiritual writer Evgeniy Poselyanin. However, the Synodal Commission for Canonization did not make a decision on their glorification.

Publications

Books

Gracious Shepherd. Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov. M., publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1998, 63 p.
The trial of Jesus Christ. Theological and legal view. M., publication of the Sretensky Monastery, 2002, 112 pp.; 2nd ed. M., 2003, 160 pp.; 3rd ed., M.., 2007, 192 p.
Questions for the priest. M., publication of the Sretensky Monastery, 2004, 255 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 2. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2005, 207 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 3. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2005, 238 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 4. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2006, 256 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 5. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2007, 272 p.
Questions for the priest. Book 6. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2008, 272 p.
A thousand questions for the priest. M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2009, 896 p.
The Sacrament of Anointing (unction). M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2009, 32 p.
Holy baptism. - M., 2011. - 32 p. (Series “Sacraments and Rites”).
What is marriage? - M., 2011. - 64 p. - (Series “Sacraments and Rituals”).
Cross power. - M., 2011. - 48 p. - (Series “Sacraments and Rituals”).
Sacrament of repentance. - M., 2011. - 64 p. - (Series “Sacraments and Rituals”).
The spiritual life of a modern Christian in questions and answers. Volume 1., M., Sretensky Monastery, 2011, 496 p. Volume 2.. M., Sretensky Monastery, 2011, 640 p.
Law of God, M., Sretensky Monastery, 2014, 584 p. (co-authored with priests Pavel and Alexander Gumerov)

Articles

The truth of faith and life. The life and works of the Hieromartyr John Vostorgov. M., publication of the Sretensky Monastery, 2004, 366 p.
“If we want to be the salt of the earth...” John of Kronstadt. - Siberian Lights, 1991 No. 5, p. 272-278
Three quarters of academic theology (Spiritual heritage of Additions to the works of the Holy Fathers" and "Theological Bulletin") - Bogoslosky Bulletin. M., 1993. [T.] 1. No. 1-2, pp. 21 - 39. .
Right and Truth [the trial of Jesus Christ]. - Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1993. No. 5. p. 57 - 74.
Good sowing. Russian writer Alexandra Nikolaevna Bakhmeteva. - In the book: A. N. Bakhmeteva. Stories for children about the earthly life of the Savior and Lord our God Jesus Christ, M., 2010.
The keeper church tradition. - In the collection: “The Lord is my strength. In memory of Archbishop Alexander (Timofeev)", Saratov: Saratov Metropolitan Publishing House, 2013, p. 88 - 93.
Image of Heavenly Fatherhood. - “Orthodoxy and Modernity”, 2014, No. 27 (43).
A clergyman's handbook. M., 1994. (Articles in the section “Dictionary of Preachers”):
1. Archbishop Ambrose (Klyucharyov)
2. Archpriest Valentin Nikolaevich Amfitheatrov
3. Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky)
4. Archpriest Alexy Vasilievich Belotsvetov
5. Professor Archpriest Alexander Adreevich Vetelev
6. Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev)
7. Archpriest Pyotr Viktorovich Gnedich
8. Metropolitan Gregory (Chukov)
9. Archbishop Dimitri (Muretov)
10. Bishop John (Sokolov)
11. Archpriest John Vasilievich Levanda
12. Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov)
13. Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky)
14. Archbishop Nikanor (Brovkovich)
15. Archbishop Nikolai (Ziorov)
16. Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich)
17. Archpriest Vasily Ioannovich Nordov
18. Metropolitan Platon (Levshin)
19. Archpriest Rodion Timofeevich Putyatin
20. Priest Mikhail Dimitrievich Smirnov
21. Archpriest Petr Alekseevich Smirov
22. Archpriest Pyotr Aleksanrovich Sollertinsky
23. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
24. Metropolitan Filaret (Amphitheaters)
25. Archbishop Filaret (Gumilevsky)
Great Soviet Encyclopedia :
1. Koenig R.
2. Quetelet A. (together with A. Kh. Khrgian)
3. Znnetsky F.V.
4. Mills C.R.
Encyclopedia “Russian writers. 1800-1917" (Encyclopedia Publishing House):
1. Albertini N.V.
2. Ambrose (Grenkov A.M.), teacher.
3. Antonov A.V.
4. Aristov N. Ya.
5. Babikov A. Ya.
6. Basistov P. E.
7. Bakhmeteva A. N.
8. Bakhtiarov A. A.
9. Belyankin L. E.
10. Bludova A. D.
11. Boborykin N. N.
12. Bulgakov M. P. (Metropolitan Macarius)
13. Bukharev A. M.
14. Valuev D. A.
15. Vasilchikov A. I.
16. Vekstern A. A.
17. Gavrilov F. T. (author's edit - A. A. Ufimsky)
18. Glinka G. A.
19. Glukharev M. Ya. (Archimandrite Macarius)
20. Govorov G.V. (Bishop Theophan the Recluse)
21. Gorbunov I. F. Gorbunov O. F.
22. Danilevsky N. Ya.
23. Delvig A. I.
24. Elagin V. N. (jointly with A. L. Varminsky)
25. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)
26. Innokenty (Borisov)
27. Iriney (Falkovsky) (jointly with M. P. Lepekhin)
28. Ismailov F. F. Karsavin L. P. Kashkarov I. D.
29. Kotzebue O. E.
30. Koyalovich M. I.
31. Kurch E.M.
32. Leonid, Archimandrite (Kavelin)
33. Menshikov M. O. (with the participation of M. B. Pospelov)
34. Nikodim, bishop (Kazantsev N.I.)
35. Passek V.V.
36. Pobedonostsev K. P. (together with Sergeev)
37. Poletika P.I.
38. Radozhitsky I. T. (together with M. K. Evseeva)
39. Ricord L. I.
40. Romanov V.V.
Orthodox Encyclopedia:
1. Avarim
2. Avdiy
3. Haggai
4. Absalom
5. Aviafar
6. Adonisedek
7. Aquila and Priscilla
8. Amphitheaters V. N.
9. Theological Bulletin

Co-authored with priest Pavel Gumerov

Everlasting memory. Orthodox rite burials and commemoration of the dead. M., Russian Publishing House Orthodox Church, 2009, 160 p. - 2nd revised edition, M.. 2011.
Christian's house. Traditions and shrines. M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2010, 63 p.

Scientific publications

Systemic-semiotic invariants of culture. - In the book: System Research. - M., 1982, pp. 383-395.
Methodological problems of system analysis of an organization. In the collection: "Philosophical and methodological foundations of system research. System analysis and system modeling. M.: Nauka, 1983. P. 97-113.
Development and organization. In the collection: “System Concepts of Development”, M., 1985. Issue 4., pp. 70-75.
Global tasks and problems of “universal ethics”. - In the collection: Concept global problems modernity. - M., 1985.
Ecological values in the cultural system. In the collection: System research. Methodological problems. Yearbook, 1988. -M.: Nauka, 1989. - P.210 - 224.
Philosophical and anthropological problems of ecology. - In the collection: Ecology, culture, education. M., 1989. P. 96-100.

Hieromonk

By origin - Tatar. In 1966 he graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University, then graduate school. He defended his PhD thesis at the Institute of Philosophy on the topic “System analysis of the mechanism of change in social organization.” For 15 years he worked as a senior researcher at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for System Research of the Academy of Sciences.

He graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary, and then the Moscow Theological Academy. He defended his dissertation for the degree of candidate of theology.

He taught basic theology at the Moscow Theological Seminary and the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament at the Theological Academy.

In 1990 he was ordained a deacon, and the same year a priest. Served in the Church of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir in Starye Sadekh, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki, Ivanovo Monastery.

Since 2003 he has been a resident of the Sretensky Monastery.

Conversation with Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) about pastoral ministry

— Father Job, please tell us how you became a priest?

“I became a priest out of obedience. At first I was an ordinary parishioner. Our whole family joined the church on April 17, 1984. I remember well: it was Maundy Tuesday. Then I became the spiritual child of Priest Sergius Romanov (now he is an archpriest). He entrusted me with the obedience of priestly service.

When I was baptized and became an Orthodox Christian, a special world opened up before me, into which I entered with great joy and hope. Fulfilling what my spiritual father told me was an axiom for me. Five years after I began my life in the Church, Father Sergius once told me: “You need to teach at the Theological Academy.” This was completely unexpected for me. Teaching at the Theological Academy seemed so different from my scientific studies at that time that even the thought of it never crossed my mind. Now I have no doubt that this was in accordance with the will of God, His plan for me.

Under Bishop Alexander there was a mandatory requirement: teachers who came from secular institutes and did not have theological education had to graduate from the Seminary and then the Academy as external students. I graduated from the seminary in May 1990, and passed the exams for the Academy the following academic year. In the fall of 1991, he defended his dissertation for the degree of candidate of theology. Since September 1990, I began teaching the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament at the Academy, and Basic Theology at the Seminary.

At the end of May 1990, Father Sergius Romanov said that I needed to submit a petition for ordination as a deacon. Again, without any hesitation or doubt, I answered: “Okay.” Soon after this, I met Archbishop Alexander in the corridor and asked to see me. He asked: “For what reason?” - “About ordination.” He set a day. When I arrived, he immediately said without any introductory words: “On the day of the Holy Trinity.” Then he added: “Come in three days. Live in Lavra. Pray.”

In September, my second year of teaching at the Academy began. Father Sergius says that it is time to file a petition against the priest. And I agreed with the same readiness. Some time has passed. And then one day (it was on Saturday around noon) the Vice-Rector for Educational Work, Archimandrite Venedikt (Knyazev), called me. He said: “Come today to the all-night vigil, tomorrow you will be ordained.” I immediately got ready and went. On Sunday, the week before the Exaltation, between two great holidays (the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross) - September 23, I was ordained. So, out of obedience, I became a priest. I see God's will in this. I didn't include mine.

— How did it happen that you came to the Church from a non-Orthodox family? After all, this was also of great importance for your subsequent pastoral ministry.

— I think that the greatest influence on me was my mother, who was baptized in old age, but in terms of her soul (abundance of love, desire to live in peace with everyone, responsiveness to everyone) she was always very close to Christianity internally. She did not miss a single opportunity to say some kind word to us. This was her need. She never scolded us. Already in her old age she told me that her mother, my grandmother, forbade her to do this. We had to leave because dad was often transferred to different cities. When the grandmother last saw her daughter, she said: “I ask one thing - don’t hit the children or scold them. If you hit your hand even once, my mother’s blessing will leave you.” But mom would never have done that: she was simply incapable of it.

My mother was born in 1915 in Urda, Astrakhan province. She said that when she was a teenager, she regularly had to take an old woman to church. It was probably a neighbor.

Mom was seven years old when she was given a special test. And she turned out to be capable of sacrificial love. Her father Hasan fell ill. I think it was typhus. When they discovered signs of a fatal illness in him, they built a hut for him in the garden so that he could lie there. This was a harsh but necessary measure to protect the rest of the family from illness (he had six children). Since he needed care, it was decided that my mother would live in a hut, feed him and look after him. They brought food and placed it in a certain place. Mom took and fed father, washed clothes, changed clothes. She was old enough to understand the mortal danger of the disease and realize what awaited her. However, she did not give up and did not run away, but showed that sacrifice that has always distinguished her. Her father died, but the Lord God preserved her, although they lived in the same hut and communicated closely.

My mother repeatedly told me this amazing story, in which the action of Divine Providence was so clearly manifested. She said that her father appeared to her several times and suggested this or that decision when she was in danger of death.

The story I have told may seem incredible to some and may be viewed with distrust. But we also have to admit that it’s “incredible” that out of all six of Hassan’s children, only my mother became a Christian—she took communion and received unction. She lived to see the ordination of her eldest grandson Paul (now a priest) as a deacon. I sent her a photograph where he was photographed with us on the day of his consecration in the courtyard of the Lavra. Then, when I talked to her on the phone, she said: “Solid!” Now the priest’s two grandsons and the priest’s son constantly remember her at Liturgy.

Someone might say that she came to Christianity because her son became an Orthodox priest. This is a superficial explanation. Its main drawback is that cause and effect are reversed.

Undoubtedly, I myself came to Christianity solely thanks to the education that she gave me. Her moral influence on me was decisive.

— What else contributed to your coming to Christianity, which happened back in the Soviet years?

— Russian and European culture. Since childhood, my education and upbringing took place in a culture that is genetically connected with Christianity: Russian and Western European literary classics, painting, history. Therefore, in the years of the birth of my religiosity, I did not face the problem of choice. For me, no religion other than Christianity was possible. I remember back in the late 60s I wore a pectoral cross. I can't remember how I got it. It was an ordinary church cross made of light metal with the image of the crucified Savior and the inscription “Save and preserve.” I wore it for so long that the image was partially erased and became barely noticeable.

— How much knowledge of culture does a priest need?

- If a person is cultured, then it is easier for him to understand and communicate with everyone - both simple and educated people. For a priest, this opens up greater opportunities for missionary work. We are talking about an internal mission, since our society is a society of mass unbelief. Culture makes it possible to deeper and more fully understand the greatness of Christianity. It reveals a vision of Christianity in history, its spiritual and moral uniqueness. Based on historical material, one can see the differences between the lives of Christians and representatives of non-Christian societies (for example, pagans).

— What qualities is necessary for a clergyman in the first place, without which he is completely unthinkable?

— It is obvious that the most important spiritual qualities, both for a priest and for any Christian, are faith and love. However, it is known that no virtue is autonomous. The Monk Macarius the Great says: “All virtues are connected with each other like links in a spiritual chain, they depend on one another: prayer - from love, love - from joy, joy - from meekness, meekness - from humility, humility - from service, service - from hope, hope comes from faith, faith comes from obedience, obedience comes from simplicity” (“Spiritual Conversations”, 40.1).

And I’ll add one more thing: a priest must be absolutely free from greed. If there is even a small grain, it can imperceptibly begin to grow and manifest itself detrimentally.

— If we talk about the current situation, what worries you most about young priests?

— What worries me the most is the isolation from the church-priestly tradition. It feels very painful. Until the end of the 80s of the last century there were few churches. After his ordination, the young priest came to serve in the temple, where there were ministers not only of middle age, but elderly and even very old. They were the custodians of the experience of previous generations. Serving together with such fathers is priceless. When I was ordained in 1990, I found two archpriests in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - Dimitry Akinfiev and Mikhail Klochkov. Both were born in 1928. They had vast priesthood experience. Father Dimitri served for 54 years. He knew the Divine Service Rules perfectly. I learned a lot from him.

You can successfully study at the Seminary and even at the Academy, but the lack of experience of generations cannot be compensated for by any knowledge. Over the past twenty years, the number of churches in the country has increased several times. For example, in the Moscow region - 10 times. This means that almost 90 percent of the priests began serving alone - in newly opened churches. They turned out to be really cut off from the experience of previous generations and from tradition, and do not have the opportunity to perceive the living experience of many generations.

I can clearly see how seriously this affects the ministry. The point is not only the lack of liturgical experience, but also of pastoral and ethical experience.

Another reason for many painful phenomena in modern church life is that clergy are part of modern society. Young men do not enter theological schools from any special tribe. They are supplied by our morally sick society. At the age of 18, a person already has a fully formed spiritual appearance. After five years of study, it is not easy to re-educate him. Many grew up in non-church families, some of whose parents are still not churchgoers. Many came to faith at school. Some people lack normal upbringing. All this leads to the fact that some seminarians very easily fall under the influence of the spirit of the times. This then affects their service. Most often, this manifests itself in the desire to combine high service to God and people with service to oneself, without missing the opportunity to acquire something or make friends among wealthy people. This is where I see the serious consequences of the destruction of traditions.

— Father, what would you like to wish to the seminary graduates?

“You have to constantly and hard work on yourself. I advise you to thoroughly study the life and pastoral feat of such grace-filled priests as Saints John of Kronstadt, Alexy Mechev, Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov, etc. It is necessary to take their service as a model and work hard throughout your life in order to approach perfect service. We must not forget for a minute about our chosenness: “A great person is a worthy priest, he is a friend of God, appointed to do His will” (Righteous Saint John of Kronstadt).

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Job Humer's biography. “A worthy priest is a friend of God. — What was your path to the monastery like?

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Biography

Family

Work on the canonization of saints

Publications

Books

Articles

Co-authored with priest Pavel Gumerov

Scientific publications

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