Venerable Moses of the Kiev Caves, a Hungarian by birth, was the brother of Venerable Ephraim of Novy Torg (+ January 28, 1053) and George. Together with them he entered the service of the holy Prince Boris (+ July 24, 1015). After the murder of Saint Boris in 1015 on the Alta River, with whom George died, Saint Moses fled and hid himself in Kiev with Predislava, the sister of Prince Yaroslav. In 1018, the Polish king Bolesław captured Kiev, and Saint Moses, along with others, went to Poland as a prisoner.
A tall and slender handsome man, Saint Moses attracted the attention of a wealthy Polish widow who was aflame with passion for him, and wanted to make him her husband, after she ransomed him from captivity. Saint Moses firmly refused to exchange captivity for slavery to a woman. His long cherished dream was to receive the angelic Schema. The Polish woman, however, ransomed the prisoner despite his refusal.
She tried in every possible way to seduce the young man, but he preferred pangs of hunger to magnificent feasts. Then the Polish woman rode with Saint Moses through her lands, thinking that he would be impressed by her power and wealth. Saint Moses told her that he would not exchange spiritual riches for the perishable things of this world, and that he would become a monk.
An Athonite Hieromonk who was passing through the area tonsured Saint Moses in secret. He spoke to him and taught him many things about spiritual and physical purity. When the woman found out about this she had Moses tortured. Father Moses was stretched on the ground, and he was beaten with iron rods until the earth was saturated with his blood. She obtained permission from Bolesław to do whatever she wished with her prisoner. The shameless woman ordered that the Saint be placed in bed with her by force. Then she kissed and embraced him, but she achieved nothing by this. Saint Moses said, "Out of the fear of God I despise you as unclean." Hearing this, the Polish woman commanded that the Saint be given a hundred blows every day, and then to be emasculated. Soon Bolesław began a persecution against all the monks in the country, but unexpectedly he died. A rebellion broke out in Poland, during which the widow was also killed.
After recovering from his ordeal Venerable Moses came to the Monastery of the Caves, bearing the wounds of a Martyr and the crown of a Confessor, as a brave and victorious soldier of Christ. The Lord also gave him strength against the passions. A certain brother was possessed by an unclean passion and came to Saint Moses, begging for his help saying: "I promise to keep until death everything you tell me to do.” Saint Moses said: “As long as you live, do not speak a word to any woman.” The brother promised to obey the Saint's counsel. Father Moses had a staff in his hand, without which he was unable to walk, because of the wounds which he had received. With this staff Saint Moses struck the chest of the brother who had come to him, and immediately he was delivered from temptation.
Saint Moses engaged in ascetical contests (podvigs) in the Monastery of the Caves for ten years. He reposed around 1043 and was buried in the Near Caves. By venerating the holy relics of Saint Moses and praying fervently to him, the monks of the Kiev Caves were delivered from their carnal temptations.
Troparion — Tone 3
O great lover of purity and chastity, we sinners praise you with sacred hymns as another Joseph, / O Moses, / revered by all, and equal of the Angels. We pray diligently to you: / “Entreat Christ God that He may heal all our passions and grant us great mercy.”
Kontakion — Tone 3
Seeking God alone in Heaven, you despised all earthly things. / You did not care for your body, but valiantly gave yourself up to torments, hunger, thirst, and bonds; / in prison you endured beatings, shedding your blood, / and having parts of your body cut off, for the sake of purity. / You preserved your virginity courageously, / and now with the assembly of virgins you stand before the Most Holy Trinity. / Entreat Him to deliver from all their temptations those who cry out to you: / “Rejoice, Most Blessed Father Moses.”