St. Procopius, the Fool for Christ of Ustiug

St. Procopius, the Fool-for-Christ of Ustiug
(Commemorated July 8 N.C. / July 21 O.C.)
Procopius (or Prokopios) became the first fool-for-Christ in Russia. Procopius was originally a German Catholic. He was forced to leave East Prussia, loaded his wealth on ships, and did business in Novgorod. In 1243, he became enraptured by the beauty of the Orthodox services, so he converted and became an Orthodox Christian. He gave his wealth to the poor and became a monk at the St. Varlaam-of-Khutyn Monastery outside Novgorod.
Later he went to Ustiug and chose to accomplish the ordeal of foolishness for Christ to attain utmost humbleness and humility. Carrying three wooden staffs he walked barefoot and was poorly dressed all year round. He slept on the ground or on church porches. He would take alms from compassionate, simple people but not from the rich, whom he considered obtaining their wealth by unrighteous ways; even though this would cause him to go hungry for several days.
One fiercely cold day when even birds got frozen in flight, the Blessed God's fool was looking for shelter, but no one let him in. He wanted to warm himself up by lying next to some dogs, but they ran away. Procopius was freezing to death.
Suddenly he felt a wave of heavenly warmth and a touch of an angel on his face. That gave the Blessed Fool-for-Christ-Sake warmth and strength. He related this miracle to a cathedral cleric Simeon and asked him not to tell anyone about it before his death.
God granted Procopius the gift of clairvoyance. Once, he bowed to a three-year-old girl and said she would be the mother of a great Saint, who turned out to be St. Stephen of Perm.
Another time in the year 1290, he was appealing to citizens to repent and pray to God for deliverance from the fate of Sodom and Gomorra (Genesis Chapter 19), but nobody believed him and they ignored him.
Suddenly a somber cloud appeared in the sky and was growing bigger and bigger, turning the day into night. A terrible storm with lightning and roaring thunder shook the walls of the buildings. It was so strong and loud that people could not hear each other. The premonition of doomsday overwhelmed people.
They rushed to the cathedral where Procopius was praying before an icon of the Annunciation (of the Mother of God). So much myrrh flowed from the icon that all the church vessels were filled. Those anointed were cured from various diseases, then the stifling air turned fresh and the sun reappeared in the sky.
At the natural boundary of Kotovalski, 20 miles away from Ustiug, the dark clouds broke out with such hail and lightning that a century old forest was demolished, while neither people nor cattle were injured. To commemorate this wonder of deliverance from death, the holiday of the Ustiug icon of Theotokos was established.
Everything the Saint did and every word he said when talking to virtuous people was full of exhortations and admonitions.
St. Procopius died at a very old age in 1303, covered in snow at the gate of the Archangel Monastery. Many miracles were witnessed to occur over his grave, and there were accounts of his apparitions.
In connection with an increase in the number of miraculous healings, the relics of St. Procopius were examined in 1696 (or 1645) and in 1739. After this a chapel in honour of the Saint was consecrated in the church where his relics rest. His icon was painted, and a service to him was composed.
In 1818, the universal celebration of the Saint was established.
(Troparion)
“Enlightened by the God's grace to heavenly wisdom, having withdrawn your mind from earthly vanity Thou were giving it adamantly through your heart to the Giver of life. Undefiled life of tolerance and purity has thou lived and passed away preserving the virtuous faith. After death let us see the light of thy life, as thou art imparting wonders from the source inexhaustible upon the believers who come to thy sacred grave, Oh, all-blessed Procopius, pray Christ our God that He may save our souls.”
St. Procopius please intercede for us!!!