Holy Righteous Alexei Mechev “He was a modest and clairvoyant man.” That is what they wrote about about a great saint of the twentieth century, Holy Righteous Alexei Mechev (1859–1923), almost 100 years after his repose. And perhaps it is hard to find more precise words to describe the spiritual feat of this saint. He was neither a strict ascetic nor a solitary man of prayer; he did not take monastic vows, but he was close and loving to everyone. “Put yourselves in the place of each person; take into account who is in front of you, worry together with others, and try to take on some of their burdens,” the righteous man used to teach those who came to him. And he did not teach by words, but by his life. He lived the way, as many would say, one should not live... He lived in the Gospel spirit: simply, sharing in his neighbors’ hardships of family life, misunderstandings of loved ones, insults, offences, and the indifference of others. Batiushka did not exceed the limits of the modest life of an ordinary priest, in which the Lord ordained his spirit to grow. He was kind to his neighbors and grateful to God. Later he would teach others to be the same way. “With tears I ask and beseech you: Be like suns that warm those around you; if not everyone, then the families of which the Lord has appointed you to be members.”
For eight long years, almost no one came to the small St. Nicholas Church in Klenniki to Fr. Alexei for services. And he humbly fulfilled his duty, accepting both the circumstances and his life as given by God. Then there followed the death of his beloved wife, when he was left with four children to care for. But Fr. Alexei still lived in a way that “should not be lived”—at the advice of Righteous John of Kronstadt, he took his tribulations as a visitation of God, a call to share in someone else’s grief and take it upon himself.
Having experienced the power of humility, later batiushka would say to his spiritual children: “You keep thinking, ‘Oh, I have such trials and the misfortunes as no one else has! There is no way out of the circumstances that I’m in!’ But this is God looking at you with love, this is God drawing near you.”
Fr. Alexei lived during tough times. The Revolution, the godless government, the corruption of society, the beginning of persecutions... It would seem that it was the right time to come out with a heated denunciation of society and the regime that was established in it. But the saint again lived in a way “one should not live”: He lived without demanding anything from others. Despite everything, he spoke simply and clearly: “When you see something bad around you, look at yourself right now—aren’t you the reason for this?” Quite often he would totally amaze those who came to confession with the power of his sincere humility, saying, “Remember that there is no one worse than you and me in the whole world.”
“It was not the saint’s nature to lecture anyone, to denounce, to sort out someone’s bad deeds. Coming to a family that was about to break up, batiushka would bring them peace, love and the all-forgiving understanding by everyone of everyone. He did not blame anyone, did not reproach anyone, but tried, citing vivid cases of mistakes and misconceptions, to bring listeners to the consciousness of their guilt, to impel them to feel remorse.” And in this the power of the righteous man’s faith was manifest. He did not undertake to judge the world, did not try to understand everything or to develop the right attitude. Fr. Alexei simply understood that the world does not need our analysis, opinions, or judgment—it is dying from a lack of love, mercy, and trust in God.
When all the foundations of society were collapsing around him and the world seemed to be going crazy, batiushka proved only one thing: that it was possible and even necessary to live in these conditions according to the Gospel! “You shouldn’t get annoyed... Wish happiness to everyone and you’ll be happy yourself.” That’s what people outraged by what was happening around heard from the saint’s mouth.
Holy Righteous Alexei Mechev
“He was a modest and clairvoyant man...” And that’s enough! And there is no greater honor for a righteous man than these words. It remains only, after asking for the saint’s prayers, to recall the loving voice of the gentle pastor: “Be warmth and light to others; try to warm your family first; make an effort, and then these labors will so carry you away that the family circle will be too narrow for you; these warm rays will eventually embrace more and more people, and the circle you illuminate will gradually expand. So, try to make your lamp burn brightly…”
