Venerable Michael of Klopsko, of Novgorod (+c. 1453–1456)

The Venerable Michael of Klopsko came of a boyar family and was related to the Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy (1363–1389). He took on the labour of foolishness for Christ, left Moscow, and came clothed in sackcloth to the Klopsko monastery near Novgorod. The saint was appointed singer and reader in the church; at meals too he read the lives of the saints to the brothers, and with his beautiful, God-inspired voice softened everyone’s heart. Once, on the feast of the Transfiguration, Dmitry Donskoy’s son Constantine came to the Klopsko monastery. When the Liturgy was over, he and his wife were invited to the meal, where an unknown monk was reading the Book of Job. The voice sounded familiar to the prince; he went up to the reader, recognised in him his kinsman Michael Maximovich, and bowed down to him. The fool answered: “Only God my Creator knows who I am,” but he did confirm that his name was Michael. The venerable father lived in the monastery for forty-four years; for his tireless labours the Lord granted him the gift of clairvoyance. He exposed people’s failings and was not afraid of the mighty of this world.

Once the Venerable Michael wrote in the sand: “‘I will take the cup of salvation’ (Ps. 115:4); in this place a spring will rise.” And indeed, water gushed out of the ground. During a famine, through the holy father’s prayer, the wheat in the monastery granary did not run out, though the monks gave it out generously to the starving. The Venerable Michael died on 11 January (+c. 1453–1456). He was buried in the place he himself had pointed out.