Today (September 25) we celebrate St Sergius of Radonezh (1314 –1392), a spiritual leader and monastic reformer of medieval Russia. Together with Seraphim of Sarov, he is one of Eastern Orthodoxy’s most highly venerated saints in Russia. St. Sergius was known for his ascetic lifestyle, which included strict fasting and a simple diet (probably plant-based).
During his time as a hermit in the wilderness, various animals would approach St. Sergius, but they would leave him undisturbed when they saw him praying silently. However, there was one bear that caught his attention because it appeared very hungry.
An early account of the saint’s life gives the following description:
‘St. Sergius regularly shared his food so that he could feed the bear. Often St. Sergius did not have much food as there were times when the wilderness did not offer much, especially after the long cold of the Russian winter. Usually he had only dried greens and herbs, some bread and water from a nearby spring, but at times even these were scarce. Many times there was no bread at all. When this happened, both he and the bear went hungry. Sometimes, when there was only one piece of bread, the Blessed Sergius did not please himself, but rather gave the entire piece to the bear, and would be pleased not to eat that day. “Better I be hungry,” he said, “than to offend the bear by dismissing him without eating.” To the reproaches of his brother monks, he replied, “the bear does not understand fasting.”’
Article link: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/st-sergius-of-radonezh-shares-his-only-bread-with-the-bear-by-dr-chapman-chen
Source:
Pachomius the Serb (aka Pachomius Logothetes) (n.d.) The Life of Saint Sergius, translated by M. Klimenko, pp. 109-110. https://www.orth-transfiguration.org/st-sergius-radonezh-1314-1392/
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