Ambrosius of Optina
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Reverend Ambrose of Optina (Russian: преподобный Амвросий Оптинский; properly Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Grenkov - Александр Михайлович Гренков, December 5, 1812, Bolshaya Lipovitsa settlement, Tambov guberniya—October 23, 1891) was a starets and a celibate skhima priest (iyeroskhimonakh), canonized in 1988 by the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Aleksandr was born in the family of sexton Mikhail Fyodorovich Grenkov and Marfa Nikolayevna Grenkova. At the age of 12 Aleksandr entered the Tambov clerical school and later the Tambov theological seminary. Then he became a teacher in the Lipetsk clerical school and in 1839 entered the Vvedensk monastery of the Optina Monastery in Kaluga guberniya. Few years leater he has been imposed on hierodeacon and was named Ambrose in honour of Saint Ambrose of Milan. Two years later Ambrose became a celibate monk. When Reverend Macarius died in September, 1860 Ambrosius became a superior of the monastery.
Ambrose died in the Shamordinskaya cloister and was buried in the Optina desert. His relics were placed in the Vvedensk monastery.
[edit] Quotes
- "One should live unhypocriticaly and behave exemplarily then our cause will be right otherwise bad" (Russian: «Нужно жить нелицемерно и вести себя примерно, тогда дело наше будет верно, а иначе будет скверно»)
- "To live and not to grieve, condemn no one, bother no one and my respect for everyone" («Жить - не тужить, никого не осуждать, никому не досаждать, и всем мое почтение»)
