The feast of the Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated during that of her Nativity. The great saint associated with Pochaiv is the Venerable Job, much-hymned in the popular as well as religious songs and poetry of Ukraine. A recent addition to the roster of the Saints of Volyn also from the Pochaiv monastery serves to highlight more contemporary struggles of Christians and how to meet the challenges they pose.

Saint Amphilokhy (Amphilochius) Varnavich Holovatiuk reposed in the Lord in 1971 at the Pochaiv Lavra in Volyn in Western Ukraine. A miracle-worker in life, he was all the more so as a heavenly intercessor for the many who turned to him for spiritual guidance and prayerful support.

Our Saint began life as James or Yakiv Holovatiuk and was born in the village of Mala Ilovitsa in 1894. His very pious family left a lasting impression on him, as his parents never even so much as left the family home without turning to God in prayer!

In 1912, Yakiv was conscripted into the Tsarist army where he was taken prisoner by the Germans. He served three years service as a POW in the Alps, working for a farmer. In 1919, he escaped this service and arrived back home.

His war experiences led Yakiv to realize the fleeting nature of this life and he finally decided to become a novice-monk at the Holy Pochaiv Lavra, the Orthodox heart and soul of Western Ukraine and the boast of Volyn!

(A "Lavra" is a title of honour for a monastery, owing to its tremendous spiritual/missionary zeal for the good of souls. The monasteries of the Kyivan-Caves and Pochaiv are both Lavras in Ukraine.)

There he became a priest-monk, taking the new name of "Yosif" or Joseph. In accordance with ancient Eastern monastic tradition, one changes one's name at each successive grade of monasticism where the new name should begin with the same first letter of one's Christian name in the world.

Living in a small cell by the Lavra's cemetery, our saint continues his spiritual development in the midst of prayer, spiritual reading, manual labour and struggles.

Soon, he receives the gift of healing and of reading the future. His prayers literally frighten "the hell" out of those possessed by demons . . .

In addition, his words of guidance provide great spiritual comfort to the depressed and those suffering from inner emptiness. People visit him from the far corners of the then Soviet Union. Most of the people living around Pochaiv could attest to having been one of "Fr. Amphilokhy's patients" as they called themselves, at one point or another during their lives.

As so many people bothered our Saint during the day, he spent his nights in prayer. Like St Jonah Otamansky of Odessa and many others, our new Saint prays Akathists and Psalms all night until the break of day. Lamps are afire before the icons all night as the Venerable Father prays with tears for his suffering clients.

St Amphilokhy was later arrested by the communists and taken to a mental institution. Communist mental institutions were unique in medical history. Whereas all others tried to rid one of mental disorders and disease, the communist ones actively promoted them in their inmates. Amphilokhy was injected with all kinds of "medicine" that never did seem to make him feel better . . .

He was eventually released and returned to the Pochaiv Lavra where, owing to his weakened state, was tonsured with the Great Schema as "Amphilokhy" after the Bishop of Iconium. His friends thought he wouldn't survive his ordeal and so afforded him this grace. But Amphilokhy recovered and, to the despair of the communists, was soon "at it" with his miracle-working powers again.

So many people were healed that they soon considered Amphilokhy a saint and told him so to his face.

But the Venerable Father's response was always, "Me - a saint? I'm a sinner! You obtain your healings through your own faith and prayers! Think what you want, I don't care . . ."

Fr. Amphilokhy fasted a great deal and insisted that those who came to him for healing fast and pray as well.

He would begin his strict fast days with a long Matins service followed by "Hail Mary's" with prostrations to the ground. That would keep him in holy thoughts for the rest of the fasting day.

As with other Saints who specialized in exorcism/healings, his friends often urged him not to receive for healing those afflicted with demon possession. The presbytera of St Jonah Otamansky was often fearful of the fires and other disturbances set off at home once the demons were freed from the souls of those who came to her husband . . .

But St Amphilokhy laughed this off, saying that demons ought not be feared.

A novice by the name of John who witnessed a number of St Amphilokhy's miracles came away convinced that without the special grace of the Holy Spirit, "such wonders could not be performed through this great saint of our Volynian land."

The people of Volyn can sometimes appear downright proud of their Saints - and with excellent reason! Another Volynian Saint is the Patron of New York City and of Patriot Day, September 11th, St Alexander Hotovitsky, the New Hieromartyr.

During the period of the communist yoke, the Starets or Elder-Monk-Confessor often counselled students. He complained that the ideological school system instilled atheism into their hearts and with that a whole series of spiritual and psychological problems, not the least of which are sexual immorality and drunkenness.

A group of university students once visited him and told Father about their "nervousness" that leads them to drinking binges etc.

"Nervousness?" Father replied. "You are too nervous?"

Father then led them to the courtyard of the Pochaiv Lavra and told them to make no less than 450 prostrations to the ground.

A "Prostration" is a formal bow where a worshipper inclines the head down to the ground, touching it to his or her hands that are on the floor or ground.

Divine calisthenics indeed . . .

As a good physician of souls, Father prescribed strict fasts, long prayers, especially the Jesus Prayer, reading of scripture and one or two other spiritual medicines.

In this way that the young people overcame their "nervousness" and sense of insecurity.

St Amphilokhy's veneration for the Mother of God, especially in her miraculous Icons of Pochaiv, knew no bounds. He especially loved the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God with its great services in which the icon was honoured.

Having received a premonition of his repose, St Amphilokhy died on 1 January 1971. His miracles of grace and intercession were unabated and these are recorded in separate volumes.

Ukraine has been honoured with yet another great Miracle-Working Saint in the person of our Venerable and God-bearing Father, Amphilokhy, Sche-Ihumen of Pochaiv.

This saint extends his monastic omophorion/scapular to all of us who may freely approach him and invoke his assistance in our lives. We may have special Molebens served to seek his intercession in Church.

By the prayers of St Amphilokhy of Pochaiv and all the Saints of Volyn, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen!