St. Prohor Pchinski was born in Macedonia, in the region of Ovche
Pole, by honourable parents Ivan and Marija. Those noble, Godfearing people
also had great estate, but always put the divine before the secular matters,
the spiritual before the material and were helping the poor as much as they
could, however they couldn’t have children. For that defect they were
constantly saying God’s prayers. And God heard their hearty prayers and gave
them a baby boy, and they named him Prohor.
When Prohor grew up, his parents wanted to find him a woman and marry
him, so that they could have heirs and leave their estate to them, but
Prohor taught by them to seek the Kingdom of Heaven in the first place,
didn’t like it and therefore went to the Church to say prayers to God in
order to find the way to salvation. That day at the liturgy the Holy Bible
was read, when Christ says: *One who loves his mother and father more than
Me, is not deserving Me. One who leaves … either wife or children … because
of My name will receive a hundred times more and will have eternal life! (Mt
10, 37) *
Saint Prohor was affected by those words and started to cry within his
soul and prayed to God to let him continue the way to salvation.
And once he went out of the Church he made for the mountain. As the
deer strives for the water springs (Ps. 41, 2), Saint Prohor strived and
made for the mountain desert where he could drink incessantly from the
everlasting spring of living water. He settled in the mountain desert of
Nagorichane in the region of Zegligovo, where he found a cavern and a small
spring and it was a royal palace to him. His food was wild fruits, grass and
roots, eating only once in the week. And who could describe all his feats,
in his constant pray, tears and efforts, in winter cold and summer heat
lying on the very ground instead of soft bed. Real hermit, real prophet,
real martyr, lying over a cold stone! Then he shone with his virtues as a
bright star from East and West with his blessing of a hermit. At that place
Saint Prohor passed 32 years, without seeing a single man and living with
the mountain beasts.
Once upon God’s allowance, when the old man was sitting before his
cave, one frightened doe ran up to it and the old man asked her: *My dear,
why are so weary*. Diogenes the hunter was chasing the doe. When he came
close to the man and saw the doe lying calmly in front of the saint, he felt
ashamed and got frightened by the old man and ran away. Then the saint
called upon him: *Diogenes, don’t run away, come back, because I am a man
just like you*. Diogenes was even more frightened when he heard his name and
fell down in front of the old man’s legs asking for blessing. The old man
blessed him and told him these words: *Diogenes, go to Carigrad to become a
king. But when you reach the throne, remember me, the old man, that I have
foreseen it!*
After that Diogenes left admiring the holy old man, but soon he forgot
those words. And the doe stood up and went deep in the forest and the saint
came after her. Wandering across the forest, he found another narrow cave
and settled there, saying: *God bless this place*. Here the holy man
continued with his exploits seeking for God’s cognition and constant unity
with God. On that way towards the spiritual perfection and deity he met many
satanic temptations. Once while the saint was sitting in his cave saw a
lion. The saint got scared, but one God’s angel stood in front of him and
the lion disappeared at the same moment. Saint Prohor thanked God for
sending him his angel to help him.
The saint lived at that place for another 30 years. Upon God’s
blessing the saint foresaw his last day, he crossed; he saw the holy angels
coming inside the cave after his soul, prayed for the world and presented
himself before God on 14 October/ 1 November. And his non-disintegrating
body rested there.
Then Saint Prohor showed to Diogenes, who was already a king under
the name of Roman Diogenes (1067-1071), and he told him: You have forgotten
the previous position, just as you forgot me, the old man! Defeated by that
dream, the king sent people to find the place and to bring the relics of the
saint. The people found the relics, transferred them to the river of
Pchinja, made a “kivot” (casket), decorated it with gold and thought of
taking it to Carigrad. But the relics could not be moved. The saint showed
to the king in his sleep and told him: *You won’t be able to take me away
from here!*
*After that the emperor founded a monastery on that spot dedicated to
saint Prohor, sanctified it and put the relics of the saint on the right to
the altar, where now there is a wayside chapel. Chrism flowed right away
from the relics of the saint; it made blind to see again, crippled to walk
again and ill to get well. Diogenes sent one abbot in the monastery, along
with priests and monks. He gave them “metohs” (lands) so that they could
survive. *There was a miracle, from the tomb of saint Prohor chrism was
still flowing and healing all the ill, who approached with faith to admire
his holy relics. Let us also honour with healing and salvation of the soul,
as well as with bodily health. Thank God! Amen
