Holy Right-believing Prince Daniel of Moscow (+1303)
The holy right-believing Daniel of Moscow (+1303) was born in Vladimir in 1261. He was the fourth son of Saint Alexander Nevsky (commemorated 30 August and 23 November).
In 1272 Prince Daniel inherited the city of Moscow and the lands around it. The right-believing prince built a church on the bank of the Moscow river in the name of his heavenly patron, the Venerable Daniel the Stylite (commemorated 11 December). The principality of Moscow was small and poor at that time.
In 1300, led by Saint Daniel, the people of Moscow routed a Tatar army that meant to seize the capital. This was the first victory over the Tatars. The prince did not take advantage of his victory: he did not plunder or lay waste the defeated principality, nor did he seize its lands. Not once did he take up the sword to enlarge his principality. For such piety the Lord rewarded Saint Daniel: his nephew, Prince John Dmitrievich of Pereslavl-Zalessky, handed over his principality to him in 1302. This union raised Moscow above the other principalities, and it was from this that the gathering of the Russian lands began.
In 1303 Saint Daniel fell gravely ill, took the schema, and left instructions that he be buried in the Danilov Monastery. The right-believing prince died on 4 March.
In the time of Grand Prince John III (1462–1505) Saint Daniel reminded his forgetful descendants of himself. He appeared to a certain youth and said: “Fear not; I am a Christian and the lord of this place. My name is Daniel, Prince of Moscow. By the will of God I am buried here. Tell Grand Prince John: thou hast forgotten me, but the Lord doth not forget me!” After this Prince John established that memorial services be served in the churches for the repose of the souls of his forebears. In the reign of Ivan the Terrible the dying son of a merchant of Kolomna was healed at the tomb of Saint Daniel. Shaken by this miracle, the tsar ordered the old Danilov Monastery to be restored. In 1652 the holy relics of Saint Daniel were uncovered.
