Schema-Archdeacon Ambrose (Taratuchin) Reposes in the Lord

Schema-Archdeacon Ambrose (Taratuchin) Reposes in the Lord In the early hours of the morning of Sunday November 13/26, on the day of commemoration of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom Archbishop of Constantinople, after an enduring and trying illness the long-standing cleric of the Diocesan Cathedral in honor of Her Icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” Schema-Archdeacon Ambrose (Taratuchin) reposed in the Lord. Father Ambrose, of aristocratic lineage, was born Alexei Michailovich Taratuchin in England on March 22, 1961. His late father was Colonel Michael Alexeyevich Taratuchin (1912-2006), born in Kuban, Russia, survivor of the infamous repatriation in Lienz, Austria, and the Ataman of the All-Cossack Stanitsa of Great Britain (1951-2006). His mother was the late Irina Simeyonovna Princess Sviatopolk-Mirsky (+ 2015). Alexei Taratuchin, first on left, first row, 1981 Alexei Taratuchin, first on left, first row, 1981 From his youth Alexei developed a love for the Divine Services, serving in the holy altar with his younger brother Michael. At the tender age of 16 Alexei crossed the Atlantic and entered Holy Trinity Theological Seminary in Jordanville, NY, where he sought not only a theological education, but the Orthodox way of life. Upon completion of Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (1977-1982), Alexei Taratuchin was invited to San Francisco to serve as a chanter in the Diocesan Cathedral in 1983; his seminary education provided an excellent preparation for this service. Along with his natural talent for singing and a good memory for the art of liturgics, Alexei successfully performed his obedience on kliros. Soon he became the unofficial cell attendant for Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev). Under Vladyka Anthony’s tutelage, Alexei was able to sharpen his liturgical skills. The latter became a simple and accessible resource for difficult subjects, as he would answer questions concerning the order in the Divine Services without needing to open the Typikon. On the second Saturday of Great Lent in 1993 (March 13), Archbishop Anthony tonsured Alexei a ryasophore monk with the name Andronik in honor of the Holy New Hieromartyr Andronik of Perm, and on the next day – the Sunday of the Cross – Father Andronik was ordained to the deaconate. Also in 1993 he was chosen to participate in the opening of the honorable relics of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco the Wonderworker, which he described as an experience similar to Pascha. In 1997 Father Andronik was awarded the double orarion for his zealous service to the Holy Church. On September 23, 2000, Hierodeacon Andronik was present at the repose of his beloved mentor and father, Archbishop Anthony, whom he had faithfully served for many years. Soon, that same year, by Resolution of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Father Andronik was elevated to the dignity of archdeacon by His Eminence KYRILL Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America on the altar feast of Holy Virgin Cathedral. Father Andronik's monastic cell was full of books and icons and many lists of names of the people he commemorated. This was a witness of his life with God, the Saints, the holy Angels and of his love for his neighbor. Requests came to him to pray before the sacred relics of Saint John, and it has been testified that those prayers were answered. After a while, Hierodeacon Andronik began to suffer from diabetes and eventually lost his left leg to an amputation in 2012. Several weeks before the operation, His Grace Theodosy Bishop of Seattle tonsured him to the small-schema with the name Ambrose in honor of Venerable Father Ambrose of Optina. With a prosthetic leg, father remained ambulatory and able to continue his diaconal service. During Great Lent of this year, sensing the approaching of the end to his earthly life, Father Ambrose was tonsured to the Great-schema in honor of the Saint Ambrose of Milan by His Grace Bishop Theodosy. Father Ambrose with his brother, Archpriest Michael Taratuchin Father Ambrose with his brother, Archpriest Michael Taratuchin A week and a half before his repose, Father Ambrose had a stroke which hospitalized him; it was here that he succumbed to his final earthly struggles. Upon receiving Holy Communion he immediately requested the “Canon for the Departure of the Soul from the Body” be read. And cognizant right up to the very end, he was able to recognize those around him as he unceasingly moved the knots of his prayer rope between his fingers, signaling his continual prayer and repentance. Father Ambrose’s brother, Archpriest Michael Taratuchin was able to come from New York to the bedside and also read the “Canon for the Departure of the Soul.” For 34 years Schema-Archdeacon Ambrose adorned Holy Virgin Cathedral with his many talents, first as a chanter on kliros and later also as a deacon. He distinguished himself by his solemn pious practice of the Divine Services, by his reverence, his prayerfulness and his meekness. He was respected by all for his good nature, love for the Church and dedication, for his simplicity and sense of humor, which were a consolation for many around him. Many thanks and gratitude to all those who assisted and cared for Father Ambrose during his final years of illness. Memory Eternal to our dear father and brother Schema-Archdeacon Ambrose. May he find rest with the Saints. Funeral Schedule: PANYKHIDA: Tuesday November 28 at 7:30 PM, Holy Virgin Cathedral FUNERAL & BURIAL: Friday December 1 at 1:00 PM, Cathedral of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY Biographical Summery: March 9/22 (Holy 40 Martyrs of Sebaste), 1961: born in England 1977-1982: Holy Trinity Theological Seminary, Jordanville, New York 1983: chanter at Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco 1993: tonsured a ryasophore monk with the name Andronik and ordained a deacon 1997: honored with the double orarion 2000: elevated to the dignity of Archdeacon 2012: tonsured to the small schema with the name Ambrose 2017: tonsured to the great schema November 13/26 (St. John Chysostom), 2017: peacefully reposed in the Lord, San Francisco, CA [Click to view] Photographs of Father Ambrose - 11/26/17

Ukrainian leader who sheltered Jews during the Holocaust is declared venerable

The archbishop, who led the Ukrainian Church for 40 years, died four months into the Soviet occupation Pope Francis has signed a decree declaring “venerable” Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, who led the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the tumultuous period of both world wars and at the beginning of Soviet occupation. The Pope signed the decree recognising that Metropolitan Sheptytsky heroically lived a life of Christian virtue. The recognition is an initial step in the sainthood process; the Vatican would have to recognise a miracle attributed to his intercession in order for a beatification ceremony to be scheduled. Metropolitan Sheptytsky led the Ukrainian Catholic Church from 1901 until his death in 1944. During his leadership Ukraine and its people were ruled by seven different regimes: Austrian, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Soviet, Nazi, and finally, the Soviets again. Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Borys Gudziak of Paris told Catholic News Service that while the process for his sainthood opened five decades ago, it was only with the independence of Ukraine in 1991 that Church historians and theologians had access to all his archives. The study required for the sainthood process was not possible while Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union. “It was a rich file,” Bishop Gudziak said. “Metropolitan Sheptytsky was involved in everything, so it took a long time to go through it all.” “Metropolitan Sheptytsky lived in the house of the Lord and it had a high roof, open doors and open windows – he lived outside the box,” the bishop said. “He reached out to the Orthodox when ecumenism was not official Church policy; he defended the Jews during the Holocaust; and he was close to artists, poets, intellectuals and writers.” “Like Jesus, Metropolitan Sheptytsky had a very clear sense of his identity and his God-given dignity, which allowed him to be non-defensive and non-aggressive with others,” the bishop said. Born Roman Aleksander Maria Sheptytsky on July 29, 1865, in Prylbychi near Lviv, he took the name Andrey when he entered the Basilian Order. Ukrainian Catholics around the world are celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth, which Bishop Gudziak said, may explain the timing of the decree. Elected major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church at the age of 36, he quickly became recognised as a social and cultural leader in a situation of great political uncertainty. He died on November 1, 1944, just four months after the Soviets took definitive control of Lviv. Bishop Gudziak said: “The Soviets did not liquidate the Greek Catholic Church while he was alive.” The metropolitan’s stature was such that they permitted a public funeral for him, but five months after his death, they arrested all the bishops and moved toward declaring the Ukrainian Catholic Church illegal. “His social teaching, his fine, subtle and prophetic voice allowed the Church to survive,” the bishop said. Fr Peter Galadza, acting director of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at St Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, also mentioned the metropolitan’s efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust – including by personally sheltering them – and his efforts to promote reconciliation among Ukrainians, Russians and Poles. “It is also important to recall Sheptytsky’s commitment to the poor,” he said in a statement. “Born into an aristocratic family, the archbishop used his resources to create a free clinic, provide countless scholarships and help victims of famine, flooding and war. He personally lived a life of poverty.”

A press conference was held in Moscow on the forthcoming Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church mp

November 22, 2017 in the International Multimedia Press Center MIA "Russia Today" held a press conference on the upcoming Bishops Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Bishops' Council dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Local Council of the Orthodox Russian Church of 1917-1918. and the restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church, will take place at the cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia from November 29 to December 4, 2017. The press conference was attended by: Metropolitan Tambovsky and Rasskazovsky Theodosius ; V.R. Legoyda , chairman of the Synodal Department for the relationship between the Church and society and the media ; Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov) , Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; Protopriest Nikolai Balashov , Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; priest Alexander Volkov , spokesman for the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The press conference was conducted by the head of the department "Religion and Worldview" of the MIA "Russia Today" O.V. Lipich. V.R. Legoida spoke about the historical context of the Bishops' Council: "It is clear that for our peoples, the year 2017 is the year when we recall the events of a hundred years ago and what followed. Of course, this is the general context of everything that is happening now. For the Church, this is primarily the time of the beginning of persecutions against the Russian Orthodox Church. " "His Holiness the Patriarch, after a service in the Donskoy Monastery on Saturday, on the day of the election of St. Tikhon to the Patriarchal throne, said that St Tikhon once knew perfectly well what times are coming, because the hard times for the Church have already begun. By the time of the election of St. Tikhon, Father John Kuchurov, the first New Martyr of the Russian Church, had already suffered, and there was an awareness of the advancing complex times, "VR recalled. Legoida. - The holding of the Cathedral is timed to the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate and the 100th anniversary of the Local Council of 1917-18. That historical context, which I have already mentioned, will also be reflected in the speeches at the Council of Bishops, and we try to ensure that everything that is important for society as a whole, not only for the Church, not only for the believers, as the church-public agenda also will be considered at the Council, so that all this is as quickly as possible with your help to everyone who is interested in it. " Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov) said that all the countries of the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church will be represented at the Council. It can be attended by 377 ruling and vicar bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as bishops who are at rest. Archpriest Nikolai Balashov added that in addition to the bishops from Russia, the Archbishops of the Russian Orthodox Church living in 22 countries will attend the Council. In particular, all the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church , with the exception of one, confirmed their participation. Metropolitan Theodosius told about the significance of the Cathedral for the development of church life in the dioceses by the example of the Tambov diocese . Answering one of the journalists' questions concerning the topic of education, V.R. Legoeda noted: "The church, believers are concerned about the general state of education in our society, and not only by teaching the basics of religious culture and secular ethics. It is wrong to reduce church concerns in the field of education to teaching "own" (in quotes) subject. I repeat that we understand the importance of understanding the importance of development and education, and the scientific sphere. And this is something that you do not need to justify: you know perfectly well about the initiatives of the Church, about the attention that the Church and personally His Holiness the Patriarch devotes to this issue. In general, the educational theme, in particular, at meetings of the Supreme Church Council, is cross-cutting. That is, at each meeting of the Supreme Church Council, one of the governing bodies of our Church, issues related to education are considered. " The Chairman of the Synodal Department for the Relations of the Church with the Society and the Media drew attention to the positive aspects of the possible expansion of the teaching of the subjects of the module "Foundations of Religious Culture and Secular Ethics" in the cultural and practical aspect. "Let me remind you that these are six subjects today, of which parents choose - of course, in the 4th grade, not children still choose, but their parents: these are the four traditional religions for Russia, as well as the Basics of secular ethics - I recall that it was a proposal of the Russian Orthodox Church - and the Fundamentals of World Religions. It is clear that it is almost impossible to study this in one year. Imagine that our literature would be taught at school one year out of eleven. Therefore, naturally, we would like the study of the religious foundations of culture to be presented in the educational process broader. At the same time, we understand the congestion of the educational process, all this is taken into account in our dialogue with the Ministry of Education. " At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the study of the disciplines of this educational module allows us to master important basic concepts, so this process is comparable to mastering the language of culture, which is necessary for its perception. This is the culturological aspect. "The second point is purely practical. Knowledge of traditional religions, good knowledge of the foundations of traditional religious cultures, is, of course, the best vaccination against extremism. Because when you know this well, then it's harder to confuse you with some sort of pseudo-religious innovations, "VR explained. Legoida. "Therefore, we are in constant dialogue with the Ministry of Education and look forward to continuing and deepening this topic, but, I repeat, with an understanding of all the features that exist in the educational process," added the chairman of the Synodal Department. "There is no lobbying for church or religious interests, there is an understanding of what a modern young man should be like." Archimandrite Savva recalled that the last regular Council of Bishops was held in 2013, and last year's Council of Bishops was devoted primarily to a specific topic - the Council, which was then being prepared in Crete. "According to the Charter, the Council must meet every 4 years, first of all, in order to comprehend what happened during this period in the Church, in its internal life, in church-state, church-social issues, relations with other Churches, non-Orthodox community. These are the main tasks of the Council. Therefore, the coming Council will consider issues related to the whole palette of those by which the Church lives, "said the deputy administrator of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate. The Council will consider the documents prepared by the Inter-Sobornaya Presence. This advisory body, which promotes the supreme ecclesiastical authority of the Russian Orthodox Church, is working on the comprehension of various topics. For many years, the Inter-Council Presence prepared, in particular, two documents - the Regulations on Monasteries and Monasticism and On the Canonical Aspects of Church Marriage. "Regulations on monasteries and monasticism" is being processed and publicly discussed since 2010. "It included thoughts about the modern monastic life, in particular, such a moment as the Internet in monasteries. Before it was not, and monasteries now live in completely different conditions than a century ago, "said Father Savva. "The Holy Synod also submitted to the Council a question about the general church glorification of some saints who used to be glorified as local people," the priest added, explaining that this issue is the prerogative of the Council of Bishops, so he will also be included in his program. V.R. Legoyda pointed to the full openness of the discussion of documents of general church significance. "They often ask about the openness of the Church. The situation with the preparation and adoption of documents that determine the life of the Church is unprecedented not only for the practice of our Church or other Orthodox Churches, but in general for the modern world, "said the chairman of the Synodal Department for the relationship between the Church and society and the media. "The project prepares an Inter-Sobornoye Presence , then a commission with the involvement of experts works on it for a long time, then it is made public for a general, general church and public discussion. The comments collected during the nationwide discussion, if relevant, are accepted and considered by the drafting groups, and then by the Inter-Council Presence. And only then the document is submitted for discussion by the Holy Synod or the Bishops' Council. Thus, the draft is filtered through an intellectual sieve of discussion, "VR noted. Legoida. Returning to the topic of church marriage, Protopriest Nikolai Balashov noted that various aspects of the council will be discussed at the Council. "How many times is it permissible to marry and whether it is necessary to consider only marriages that were consecrated by the church wedding, or those that were made in civil order in the registry office? There is no clear answer in the existing ecclesiastical law, but how to interpret the existing canonical norms in the new conditions, when there are much more marriages than are consecrated in the Church, there are different answers. The decision will be made at the Council, "Father Nikolay said. Priest Alexander Volkov told about the work of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the report, the program of the Council of Bishops, divine services and solemn events that will take place during the Council. "As for the preparation of His Holiness the Patriarch to the Council, then, of course, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church is preparing in the most serious way, first of all, to his report, which is the core component of the entire Council, setting the whole tone for discussions and discussions. Always the Patriarch, as we know, is very attentive to his public appearances, to his appeals to fellow archpastors, "said the head of the press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. "Now he is getting ready for his report, he is already working with documents, with some texts that he is being offered for consideration before he makes his appeal." "I must say that for the Most Holy Patriarch the theme of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the persecutions, the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate, the 100th anniversary of the Sanctified Local Council is part of his personal history, because his family, his grandfather and father experienced persecution to our Church, "Father continued. - The Primate, on the experience of his family, knows the tragedy that the Russian Church encountered in the twentieth century. And therefore for him it is, of course, the theme of personal experiences, reflections and prayers. " The Head of the Press Service of the Patriarch also noted that the topic related to the organization of the internal church life, which Metropolitan Theodosius touched during the press conference, is also very significant for the Primate. "I want to say that this year the Patriarch visited 20 dioceses of the Russian Church, and for him it is so important to immerse himself in the diocesan life that on recent visits he changed their format and, when he comes to this or that metropolitanate, the Patriarch sets a task to visit not only the main city but also necessarily to come to other cities that are part of the metropolia in order to communicate with the inhabitants on the spot, to see the structure of church life in the newly created dioceses and metropolises of the Russian Orthodox Church and to see how much the decisions that s taken including the Council of Bishops, reach the flock, to those people to whom they are addressed. Therefore, the Patriarch, I think, will have something to share with his fellow archpastors regarding the practical implementation of those tasks that are now facing the Church, "Father Alexander said. The priest informed that on November 29, on Wednesday, before the Bishops' Council, a prayer service will be held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior with the participation of all the participants of the Council. Then on 29 and 30 November, on 1 and 2 December, plenary sessions will be held. "For the most part, they will be closed to all but the members of the Council of Bishops and the smallest list of admitted persons," added the head of the Patriarch's Press Service. - I must say that, according to the experience of past Soborov, very lively and open discussions take place at these meetings. All the participants of the Council have the opportunity to express themselves, formulate their point of view and present it to their fellowmen for discussion. Sometimes there is not enough time planned by the Organizing Committee of the Council for plenary sessions, because the line from the bishops standing to the microphone is quite long and they want to share their opinion on this or that document very much. " "The Patriarch insists always on this open discussion, on the fact that the Council was precisely an exchange of views," Father Alexander said. On December 4, on the Feast of the Presentation into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the one hundredth anniversary of the enthronement of Patriarch Tikhon, the Council of Bishops will end with a solemn festive divine service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, in which all members of the Council, the entire episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church, will take part. "The ministry of this festive Liturgy will be led by the Primate of the Local Orthodox Churches who will attend the celebrations associated with the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church," said the head of the Patriarch's Press Service. Archpriest Nikolai Balashov spoke about the participation of the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches in the final part of the Bishops' Council. "The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church is likely, if the Holy Synod decides this way, the meeting of which will take place on the eve of the opening of the Council of Bishops, will pass its judgment on the Council held in the summer of 2016 in Crete," the deputy chairman of the DECR also noted. - For a number of reasons, as was already noted by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, that Council did not become the All-Orthodox Council, which, of course, should be regretted. At the same time, the communion of the Orthodox Churches among themselves - and those who participated in the Cretan Council, and those who abstained from such participation - continues, and a good sign of this is the arrival of the majority of the Primates of the Local Churches in Moscow. " Participants of the press conference, responding to a number of questions from media representatives, in particular, presented in detail the alleged agenda of the Bishops' Council, which will be finally approved by the Council itself. According to Protopriest Nikolai Balashov, the Council will consider the possibility of general church glorification of saints, who before that were revered only in Ukraine. "Among the saints who, perhaps, will be glorified as a church-wide worshiped at the upcoming Bishops' Council, as we expect, a number of devotees who have worked in Ukraine," the DECR representative said. Father Nicholas also answered questions related to the intensification of persecutions against Christians. "Attraction of the world's attention to the tragic situation of persecuted and persecuted Christians in a number of countries, especially the Middle East and North Africa, during the period between the Bishops' Councils will undoubtedly be the subject of consideration at the Council," the representative of the DECR believes. "The Council must evaluate what has already been done by the Russian Orthodox Church in this area and what must be done." "In addition, the presence of the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches representing the Middle East region at the closing of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church is an additional motivation to address this very important issue for our Church," the cleric concluded.

A press conference was held in Moscow on the forthcoming Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church ft.com

November 22, 2017 in the International Multimedia Press Center MIA "Russia Today" held a press conference on the upcoming Bishops Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Bishops' Council dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Local Council of the Orthodox Russian Church of 1917-1918. and the restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church, will take place at the cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia from November 29 to December 4, 2017. The press conference was attended by: Metropolitan Tambovsky and Rasskazovsky Theodosius ; V.R. Legoyda , chairman of the Synodal Department for the relationship between the Church and society and the media ; Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov) , Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; Protopriest Nikolai Balashov , Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; priest Alexander Volkov , spokesman for the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The press conference was conducted by the head of the department "Religion and Worldview" of the MIA "Russia Today" O.V. Lipich. V.R. Legoida spoke about the historical context of the Bishops' Council: "It is clear that for our peoples, the year 2017 is the year when we recall the events of a hundred years ago and what followed. Of course, this is the general context of everything that is happening now. For the Church, this is primarily the time of the beginning of persecutions against the Russian Orthodox Church. " "His Holiness the Patriarch, after a service in the Donskoy Monastery on Saturday, on the day of the election of St. Tikhon to the Patriarchal throne, said that St Tikhon once knew perfectly well what times are coming, because the hard times for the Church have already begun. By the time of the election of St. Tikhon, Father John Kuchurov, the first New Martyr of the Russian Church, had already suffered, and there was an awareness of the advancing complex times, "VR recalled. Legoida. - The holding of the Cathedral is timed to the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate and the 100th anniversary of the Local Council of 1917-18. That historical context, which I have already mentioned, will also be reflected in the speeches at the Council of Bishops, and we try to ensure that everything that is important for society as a whole, not only for the Church, not only for the believers, as the church-public agenda also will be considered at the Council, so that all this is as quickly as possible with your help to everyone who is interested in it. " Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov) said that all the countries of the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church will be represented at the Council. It can be attended by 377 ruling and vicar bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as bishops who are at rest. Archpriest Nikolai Balashov added that in addition to the bishops from Russia, the Archbishops of the Russian Orthodox Church living in 22 countries will attend the Council. In particular, all the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church , with the exception of one, confirmed their participation. Metropolitan Theodosius told about the significance of the Cathedral for the development of church life in the dioceses by the example of the Tambov diocese . Answering one of the journalists' questions concerning the topic of education, V.R. Legoeda noted: "The church, believers are concerned about the general state of education in our society, and not only by teaching the basics of religious culture and secular ethics. It is wrong to reduce church concerns in the field of education to teaching "own" (in quotes) subject. I repeat that we understand the importance of understanding the importance of development and education, and the scientific sphere. And this is something that you do not need to justify: you know perfectly well about the initiatives of the Church, about the attention that the Church and personally His Holiness the Patriarch devotes to this issue. In general, the educational theme, in particular, at meetings of the Supreme Church Council, is cross-cutting. That is, at each meeting of the Supreme Church Council, one of the governing bodies of our Church, issues related to education are considered. " The Chairman of the Synodal Department for the Relations of the Church with the Society and the Media drew attention to the positive aspects of the possible expansion of the teaching of the subjects of the module "Foundations of Religious Culture and Secular Ethics" in the cultural and practical aspect. "Let me remind you that these are six subjects today, of which parents choose - of course, in the 4th grade, not children still choose, but their parents: these are the four traditional religions for Russia, as well as the Basics of secular ethics - I recall that it was a proposal of the Russian Orthodox Church - and the Fundamentals of World Religions. It is clear that it is almost impossible to study this in one year. Imagine that our literature would be taught at school one year out of eleven. Therefore, naturally, we would like the study of the religious foundations of culture to be presented in the educational process broader. At the same time, we understand the congestion of the educational process, all this is taken into account in our dialogue with the Ministry of Education. " At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the study of the disciplines of this educational module allows us to master important basic concepts, so this process is comparable to mastering the language of culture, which is necessary for its perception. This is the culturological aspect. "The second point is purely practical. Knowledge of traditional religions, good knowledge of the foundations of traditional religious cultures, is, of course, the best vaccination against extremism. Because when you know this well, then it's harder to confuse you with some sort of pseudo-religious innovations, "VR explained. Legoida. "Therefore, we are in constant dialogue with the Ministry of Education and look forward to continuing and deepening this topic, but, I repeat, with an understanding of all the features that exist in the educational process," added the chairman of the Synodal Department. "There is no lobbying for church or religious interests, there is an understanding of what a modern young man should be like." Archimandrite Savva recalled that the last regular Council of Bishops was held in 2013, and last year's Council of Bishops was devoted primarily to a specific topic - the Council, which was then being prepared in Crete. "According to the Charter, the Council must meet every 4 years, first of all, in order to comprehend what happened during this period in the Church, in its internal life, in church-state, church-social issues, relations with other Churches, non-Orthodox community. These are the main tasks of the Council. Therefore, the coming Council will consider issues related to the whole palette of those by which the Church lives, "said the deputy administrator of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate. The Council will consider the documents prepared by the Inter-Sobornaya Presence. This advisory body, which promotes the supreme ecclesiastical authority of the Russian Orthodox Church, is working on the comprehension of various topics. For many years, the Inter-Council Presence prepared, in particular, two documents - the Regulations on Monasteries and Monasticism and On the Canonical Aspects of Church Marriage. "Regulations on monasteries and monasticism" is being processed and publicly discussed since 2010. "It included thoughts about the modern monastic life, in particular, such a moment as the Internet in monasteries. Before it was not, and monasteries now live in completely different conditions than a century ago, "said Father Savva. "The Holy Synod also submitted to the Council a question about the general church glorification of some saints who used to be glorified as local people," the priest added, explaining that this issue is the prerogative of the Council of Bishops, so he will also be included in his program. V.R. Legoyda pointed to the full openness of the discussion of documents of general church significance. "They often ask about the openness of the Church. The situation with the preparation and adoption of documents that determine the life of the Church is unprecedented not only for the practice of our Church or other Orthodox Churches, but in general for the modern world, "said the chairman of the Synodal Department for the relationship between the Church and society and the media. "The project prepares an Inter-Sobornoye Presence , then a commission with the involvement of experts works on it for a long time, then it is made public for a general, general church and public discussion. The comments collected during the nationwide discussion, if relevant, are accepted and considered by the drafting groups, and then by the Inter-Council Presence. And only then the document is submitted for discussion by the Holy Synod or the Bishops' Council. Thus, the draft is filtered through an intellectual sieve of discussion, "VR noted. Legoida. Returning to the topic of church marriage, Protopriest Nikolai Balashov noted that various aspects of the council will be discussed at the Council. "How many times is it permissible to marry and whether it is necessary to consider only marriages that were consecrated by the church wedding, or those that were made in civil order in the registry office? There is no clear answer in the existing ecclesiastical law, but how to interpret the existing canonical norms in the new conditions, when there are much more marriages than are consecrated in the Church, there are different answers. The decision will be made at the Council, "Father Nikolay said. Priest Alexander Volkov told about the work of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the report, the program of the Council of Bishops, divine services and solemn events that will take place during the Council. "As for the preparation of His Holiness the Patriarch to the Council, then, of course, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church is preparing in the most serious way, first of all, to his report, which is the core component of the entire Council, setting the whole tone for discussions and discussions. Always the Patriarch, as we know, is very attentive to his public appearances, to his appeals to fellow archpastors, "said the head of the press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. "Now he is getting ready for his report, he is already working with documents, with some texts that he is being offered for consideration before he makes his appeal." "I must say that for the Most Holy Patriarch the theme of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the persecutions, the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate, the 100th anniversary of the Sanctified Local Council is part of his personal history, because his family, his grandfather and father experienced persecution to our Church, "Father continued. - The Primate, on the experience of his family, knows the tragedy that the Russian Church encountered in the twentieth century. And therefore for him it is, of course, the theme of personal experiences, reflections and prayers. " The Head of the Press Service of the Patriarch also noted that the topic related to the organization of the internal church life, which Metropolitan Theodosius touched during the press conference, is also very significant for the Primate. "I want to say that this year the Patriarch visited 20 dioceses of the Russian Church, and for him it is so important to immerse himself in the diocesan life that on recent visits he changed their format and, when he comes to this or that metropolitanate, the Patriarch sets a task to visit not only the main city but also necessarily to come to other cities that are part of the metropolia in order to communicate with the inhabitants on the spot, to see the structure of church life in the newly created dioceses and metropolises of the Russian Orthodox Church and to see how much the decisions that s taken including the Council of Bishops, reach the flock, to those people to whom they are addressed. Therefore, the Patriarch, I think, will have something to share with his fellow archpastors regarding the practical implementation of those tasks that are now facing the Church, "Father Alexander said. The priest informed that on November 29, on Wednesday, before the Bishops' Council, a prayer service will be held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior with the participation of all the participants of the Council. Then on 29 and 30 November, on 1 and 2 December, plenary sessions will be held. "For the most part, they will be closed to all but the members of the Council of Bishops and the smallest list of admitted persons," added the head of the Patriarch's Press Service. - I must say that, according to the experience of past Soborov, very lively and open discussions take place at these meetings. All the participants of the Council have the opportunity to express themselves, formulate their point of view and present it to their fellowmen for discussion. Sometimes there is not enough time planned by the Organizing Committee of the Council for plenary sessions, because the line from the bishops standing to the microphone is quite long and they want to share their opinion on this or that document very much. " "The Patriarch insists always on this open discussion, on the fact that the Council was precisely an exchange of views," Father Alexander said. On December 4, on the Feast of the Presentation into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the one hundredth anniversary of the enthronement of Patriarch Tikhon, the Council of Bishops will end with a solemn festive divine service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, in which all members of the Council, the entire episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church, will take part. "The ministry of this festive Liturgy will be led by the Primate of the Local Orthodox Churches who will attend the celebrations associated with the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church," said the head of the Patriarch's Press Service. Archpriest Nikolai Balashov spoke about the participation of the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches in the final part of the Bishops' Council. "The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church is likely, if the Holy Synod decides this way, the meeting of which will take place on the eve of the opening of the Council of Bishops, will pass its judgment on the Council held in the summer of 2016 in Crete," the deputy chairman of the DECR also noted. - For a number of reasons, as was already noted by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, that Council did not become the All-Orthodox Council, which, of course, should be regretted. At the same time, the communion of the Orthodox Churches among themselves - and those who participated in the Cretan Council, and those who abstained from such participation - continues, and a good sign of this is the arrival of the majority of the Primates of the Local Churches in Moscow. " Participants of the press conference, responding to a number of questions from media representatives, in particular, presented in detail the alleged agenda of the Bishops' Council, which will be finally approved by the Council itself. According to Protopriest Nikolai Balashov, the Council will consider the possibility of general church glorification of saints, who before that were revered only in Ukraine. "Among the saints who, perhaps, will be glorified as a church-wide worshiped at the upcoming Bishops' Council, as we expect, a number of devotees who have worked in Ukraine," the DECR representative said. Father Nicholas also answered questions related to the intensification of persecutions against Christians. "Attraction of the world's attention to the tragic situation of persecuted and persecuted Christians in a number of countries, especially the Middle East and North Africa, during the period between the Bishops' Councils will undoubtedly be the subject of consideration at the Council," the representative of the DECR believes. "The Council must evaluate what has already been done by the Russian Orthodox Church in this area and what must be done." "In addition, the presence of the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches representing the Middle East region at the closing of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church is an additional motivation to address this very important issue for our Church," the cleric concluded.

In Moscow, will present the Patriarchal literary award for 2017

In Moscow, will present the Patriarchal literary award for 2017 . Posted By: newsmaker 11.05.2017 © RIA Novosti . Eugene to Novostinearly in fotobanka of Christ the Savior. Archival photo The Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill on Thursday, will lead the ceremony of election and award ceremony of the literary prize named after saints Cyril and Methodius in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The award was established to encourage writers who have made a significant contribution to the assertion of spiritual and moral values in modern life and created highly artistic works that enriched Russian literature. Each year the award will be up to three writers. As the head of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, in the short list of nominees for the Patriarchal literary award of 2017, which forms the Chamber of Trustees, included eight people: Irina Bogdanova, Dmitry Volodihin, Vladimir Dvortsov, Victor Lihonosov, hieromonk Roman (Matyushin), Boris Disputes, Alexander Tkachenko, Archpriest Yaroslav Shipov. «We see it in the list of the two priests. Is father Yaroslav Shipov, he began writing being a layman; it is one of the few times when the priest-the writer began way before acceptance of a dignity. And second — hieromonk Roman Matyushin, this famous poet, his compositions are sung by many,» said Metropolitan Kliment. Just a long list of awards includes 52 people — nominees from Russia, CIS and far abroad. According to the organizers, Archpriest Yaroslav Shipov is this year one of the favourites of the competition. «In his youth he wrote about the revolution, sympathetic red. He was a long way of formation and realization of Russia’s historical path not only in one red. In the end, people came to faith, became a priest. After the adoption Sana it about five years wrote. And then he released a collection of short stories dedicated to the life of a village priest… He is one of the best candidates for the award for all the years», — said a member of the Advisory Board, laureate of the 2015 writer Alexander Segen. The award ceremony will be timed to the Day of Slavic writing and culture. Prize — 300 thousand rubles, a diploma and memorable gifts.

'A conference dedicated to the 295th anniversary of the birth of St. Paicius Velichkovsky will be held at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.' -Moscow Pat.

'A conference dedicated to the 295th anniversary of the birth of St. Paicius Velichkovsky will be held at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.' -Moscow Pat.

Internet Activity: "For" & "Against" - A Discussion with His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk

Internet Activity: "For" & "Against" - A Discussion with His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk On Tuesday, July 25, the weekly meeting of Orthodox Youth was held in the refectory of St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City. The speaker for the evening’s meeting was the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, His Grace John, Bishop of Naro-Fominsk. His Grace proposed speaking with the youth about his thoughts on the role of the internet in the life of an Orthodox Christian. To begin, Bishop John briefly shared some of his own observations. He believes that active participation in internet discussions (when time spent on social media prevails over live communication), the notion of the “here and now” – something extremely important for a Christian – is threatened. Bishop John drew the attention of the young people [to the fact] that the life of the Church was founded on the basis of the parish community. People would gather together to pray, commune from one common Chalice, and then interact with one another during fellowship. It would seem that a more individualized model of communication, where one could meet with a so-called “priest-psychoanalyst,” would be more effective. One would be able to make an appointment and be able to resolve spiritual and moral problems one-on-one. Why, then, would it be necessary to gather and pray together? Vladyka reminded [his audience] that the first Christian churches (much like the modern parish) were established on the basis that the Church is a hospital where all can come to recover. Thus, those who came to the Church were all united in their desire to be healed. We are not saints, but rather a group of penitent sinners. This is why when we come to a hospital and our leg hurts, we do not desire to point with our fingers at someone who is deaf or blind sitting near us with a more serious illness than ourselves. This is something that doesn’t concern us. “I was recently at a meeting for Alcoholics Anonymous and witnessed the many takeaways from the Church,” said Vladyka John. “A person comes and exclaims that ‘I am an alcoholic.’ He is not proud of this, but upon recognizing his own weaknesses, he begins the path to recovery. Moreover, those who participate in these meetings do not identify themselves as healed until the end, once they understand the need for God’s help, as well as the daily struggle to better oneself.” At the same time, internet communication offers “too broad of a forum.” Someone on the internet can feel the desire to “save the world,” while at the same losing sight of his own illness and the needs of his mother, friend, neighbor, the homeless – who are all near at hand. There are times where we read about problems or conflicts in churches on the other end of the Earth and get so consumed by the ensuing internet discussion that we do not notice those suffering next to us. Ideally, there should be live interaction in the parish. Members of the parish community are called to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2). It may very well be that a person may be uncomfortable sharing his problems with others. However, this depends on the rector and the atmosphere he creates within the parish. And so, if a person feels disconnected in their own parish, this is well within their right, but it also means that something in the system is not working. After expressing his own thoughts, Bishop John opened the floor to those present. One attendee stated that, thanks to modern technology, anyone is able to view the service schedule and read spiritual literature from a smartphone, and this is undoubtedly good. At the same time, the internet provides an opportunity for a person to make harsh statements under an alias without the need to answer for his actions. Someone noted that social media users attempt to present themselves insincerely in a more positive light… This in turn leads people to depression, because they try to compare themselves to these “picture perfect” individuals (those who boast about a tidy apartment, smiling children, a photograph in an evening dress or relaxing on the beach) and are unable to do so. Someone else mentioned that the internet allows someone with an urgent spiritual question to get an answer if the priest from the local parish is unavailable. The discussion surrounding interaction on the internet resulted in related topics arising. A participant asked, “Is information the same as knowledge, and if not, what is the difference?” Vladyka answered after some reflection, saying, “Information is an abstract set of facts, while knowledge is inseparable from our lives.” For example, palms grow in the south; this is information. What it has to do with me, though, is unclear.” However, concepts such as love, friendship, and mutual assistance, which we regularly practice, is knowledge. “Unfortunately, a person can have an immense amount of information on the Bible, the divine services…, and at this level, all of that is just information, unless it is implemented. But a person is capable of making true and interesting judgments on the subject matter…," Bishop John sighed. In the audience, someone asked “Vladyka, you stated that in the Church there are not saints, but sick people, and the church is a hospital. However, we are all called to become saints. So does that mean that the desire to become holy is the desire to be healed and be with God? So, in fact, is this a yearning for eternity, something that can ever be achieved? “The desire for eternity is perhaps a satisfactory formulation,” said Vladyka John. “When God ‘latches’ us on the hook, and gives us a taste of His grace, then we wish to taste it again and again as from an inexhaustible font. This why we return to the Church and continue to pray. And with God, there is after all, Eternity….Eternal Love and the source of Eternal Life.” Another participant asked “Vladyka, I always thought that the way the elders lived in Egypt is a type of express-route to God. That is, if a person were to optimize his road to God by rejecting material value and deciding to live in desert… should we not strive to imitate the Desert Fathers?” [His Grace responded,] “Holiness is not a something that occurs in an instant. Suddenly a lightbulb does not light and one realizes that they are a saint. Holiness is not the folding of hands and halos on one’s head. If a person remains with God and keeps his heart pure and simple, then this is holiness. The Holy Gospel states that ‘the Kingdom of God is within you’ (Luke 17:21). Holiness is a state of being with God, and it can be achieved right here on Earth. “Monks are a kind of special forces. Their struggles are more noticeable. And thankfully to help with this, God allows the glorification of saints – the public recognition that one has achieved certain spiritual heights, in order to serve as examples to aid us. But Judgment belongs to God. How many people are in heaven – more or less than the number we glorify? This is known only to God. There is also, though, an ordinary infantry, also capable of enduring struggles. The person’s location plays no critical role. One can sit in a cell and concoct the kind of thoughts we could not even imagine, while another can live in the world and quietly overcome the temptations that occur in every step. God does not look at the circumstances, but rather at the person’s heart. This is the only thing He needs from us – our heart.” Orthodox Youth Meetings take place in St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City every Tuesday evening. The evening begins with a moleben at 7:00pm with disucssion and interaction following immediatley after.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill met with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin moscow patriarchate

August 22, 2017 in the Patriarchal and Synodal residence in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow hosted a meeting of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of the Holy See. On the side of the Roman Catholic Church, the Apostolic Nuncio in the Russian Federation was attended by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Mesenor Visvaldas Kulbokas, Executive Officer of the State Secretariat of the Holy See, Mgr Erwin Lengel, First Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Russia. On the part of the Moscow Patriarchate, the meeting was attended by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk , Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations , Archimandrite Filaret (Bulekov) , Deputy Chairman of the DECR, DECR Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations, Hieromonk Stephen (Igumnov), DECR priest Alexy Dikarev. Greeting the distinguished guest, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill stressed that the first official visit of the State Secretary of the Vatican to Russia testifies to the "development of relations between the Russian Federation and the Holy See." "But with even greater satisfaction I note the development of our inter-church relations," said His Holiness, noting that a significant impetus to the interaction between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See was the meeting of His Holiness with the Pope of Franconia in Havana. "This fact testifies to the fact that a new stage in the development of our relations has really started, filled with very important events. This became possible, because in Havana we coordinated positions on many problems of our time. And the commonality of positions enables us to build the corresponding plans and fill them with real content. " The most significant of all subsequent events, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill called the bringing of the relics of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker from Italy to Russia. "Never in such a comparatively short period of time, for two months, so many believers did not touch the shrine, as was the case with the relics of St. Nicholas," the Holy Hierarch said. According to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, many skeptics were shocked by what happened, for people living in the 21st century, from a different social status - from the President to the simplest workers - stood in line for 6, 8, 10 hours to touch Shrine. During the time of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker in Russia, from May 21 to July 28, the shrine bowed to more than 2.3 million people, said His Holiness, noting the significant assistance of volunteers, who had worked with people. According to His Holiness, this event did not pass for any of them, "it affected both the mind and the heart." "When we saw off the relics of St. Nicholas in St. Petersburg, addressing people, I said that neither church nor secular diplomacy can do so much for the development of relations between the Catholic world and the Orthodox, as St. Nicholas did," Patriarch Kirill said. - We witnessed the living tradition of the first millennium. The common shrine of the East and West is not an archaeological shrine, but a real shrine that attracts thousands and thousands of people. Therefore, of course, this event is absolutely unique. It entered the history of relations between our churches as a very bright and bright page. This is a truly spiritual consequence of the meeting in Havana. " The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church also stressed that during the Havana meeting it was possible to coordinate positions on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa on the persecution of Christians that exist in the modern world. "Our Church takes an active part in humanitarian assistance to those suffering from the conflict in Syria and other countries of the Middle East. In this work, it is very important to rely on the broader support of the entire Christian community, "His Holiness said, stating that" the relationship between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in providing humanitarian assistance in the Middle East would be a very important factor. " The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church recalled that shortly after the meeting in Havana in April 2016, a joint working group of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church visited Lebanon and Syria. "I think that by developing cooperation in this area, we can try to develop a basis for joint projects related to the maintenance of those who suffer from tragic military events in the Middle East," Patriarch Kirill said. According to him, Russia has an opportunity to work together to help the people of Syria thanks to the Working Group established in 2017 by the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation. During the meeting, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and Secretary of State of the Holy See Cardinal P. Parolin also discussed the situation in Ukraine. According to His Holiness, the Church should become a factor of reconciliation, and not get involved in the conflict: "The church can not play any role, except peacekeeping, when people are in conflict with each other." His Holiness Patriarch stressed that this is the principled position of the Church, which is carried out by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in modern Ukraine. "Very many people with great gratitude refer precisely to the peacekeeping position of the Church. We are pleased to note the proximity of the positions of our Churches on the role of the Church in the conflict in Ukraine, "stated His Holiness. The State Secretary of the Vatican, Cardinal P. Parolin, gave the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church a greeting from Pope Francis and expressed his hope for the further development of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. "We see that the meeting in Havana, as you have already mentioned, laid the foundation for a new phase of relations between our Churches, gave new impetus to our ties," said P. Parolin, stressing that bringing the relics of St. Nicholas to Russia, about which His Holiness the Patriarch Cyril and Pope Francis agreed on the results of the historic meeting in Havana in February 2016, had a huge impact on the relationship between the two Churches. "This aspect speeds up our progress in relations," the representative of the Holy See said. - I was very glad to see how important this event was and how it was adopted by the Russian Orthodox Church. And I'm glad of his results. We can say that one of the results of the arrival of the relics is a new atmosphere that helps us communicate and move forward. " Cardinal Parolin noted the solidarity of the positions of the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church on the topic of the Middle East, stressing that the plight of Christians and other religious minorities there should awaken the conscience of the entire world community, and the Churches should contribute to the improvement of the humanitarian situation. Speaking about the situation in Ukraine, the representative of the Holy See agreed that local churches should preserve and realize their peacekeeping potential, in every possible way contributing to the restoration of peace and civil accord in the country.

http://www.pravmir.com/triumph-at-dormition

I know that the title “Triumph of Orthodoxy” is reserved for the first Sunday of the Great Fast. But that Triumph refers to the accomplishment of the comprehensive conciliar articulation of the Apostles’ teaching. It especially refers to the conciliar victory over the attempt to ignore the implications of the Incarnation of God. But this particular Triumph, as well as all the other rhetorical Triumphs of the Ecumenical Councils, did not have much to do with dominance or historic advantage. The iconoclasts would come again, and they did. The Arians were certainly not silenced. And you might have noticed that the Nestorians are back, in spades. So are the Docetists, Donatists, Eunomians, Pneumatomachians, Sabellians, Messalians (boy howdy), Voluntarists (who mutate into Atheists, inexorably). Hail, hail, the gang’s all here. Their presence doesn’t bother me so much. What bothers me is that I (and we) didn’t love enough, or speak clearly enough, or make peace enough, to prevent their intellectual bondage. So “Triumph” has lost some of its cheery umph for me, in this 21st century culture where “virtual” has replace “virtue.” “Triumph” certainly does not mean that anyone can quit the field theologically and mosey off to the victory feast. That is the way things are in this vale, where there are “wars and rumors of war,” where “the poor you will always have with you.” That said, there is a real “Triumph” that is decisive for Orthodox humans. And that would be the Dormition. No matter where culture is, or is going down its merry Babel way, the Dormition icon stands bright. Even in a civilization that is no longer civil. Even in a shared mentality where symbols are cut off from eternity and rendered opaque … where they are interrogated with queries predicated upon violent metanarratives … where sublimity has been elided with meaningless chaos … where beauty is at best a temporary respite, a convenient private illusion to protect the self until it is dissipated into the never-ending expansion of the universe … dust in the wind. Compared to this image of death, the crazy (and rather stupid) Halloween images of Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Supernatural, Penny Dreadful, American Horror Story, the Strain, the Exorcist, Chucky, etc., ad nauseum seemingly ad infinitum … all these later images that multiply like bacteria on our mental screens are rendered as meaningful as Foghorn Leghorn cartoons by the sheer aspect of the decay of matter and energy at the end. Even so, in the midst of this antichrist haunting of culture with the toxic image of meaningless sublimity, the being and/or expansion unto death … in the midst of this stands the real, abiding Triumph of Orthodoxy. In the image of the Dormition, death is transmuted into repose. The Resurrected Son is revealed as the Lord of His Mother: in glorious reversal of the manger scene, He is the one Who holds a babe in swaddling clothes — the immortal, intact, non-dissipated soul of His Mother. The Dormition is the Sign of human immortality. Its beauty is the triumph over the privatized subjection of temporary peace to the totality of violence. Its peace is the proof of the persistence of human hope. Its symbol is the analogous brightness of the absolute infinite, Who is also Person and Community. This, simply put, is Mary’s religion. How she prayed, how she realized the Beatitudes in action, how she communed in sacrament, how she recognized her Son in every phenomena, and — most significantly — how, instead of dying, she fell asleep in the flesh: this really is the Triumph that stands … … despite history … in history and through it … and simply because of history. I don’t think America (or, maybe, anywhere else) will ever really “like” this religion. But the prospect of death is really the test of the truth of religion. At death’s door, belief rises or falls. Mary’s religion soared.

Saints’ Memorials and the Feast of Our Lady of Kazan – 21 July

St Lawrence of Brindisi (Optional Memorial) — Our Lady of Kazan: This miraculous icon, also known as the Theotokos of Kazan, is thought to have originated in Constantinople in the 13th century before it was taken to Russia. When the Turks took Kazan in 1438, the icon may have been hidden. Ivan the Terrible liberated Kazan in 1552, and the town was destroyed by fire in 1579. The icon was eventually found in the ruins of a burnt-out house at Kazan on the River Volga on July 8th in 1579. According to tradition, the location of the icon was revealed during a dream by the Blessed Virgin Mary to a ten year old girl named Matrona. Matrona told the local bishop of her dream, but he did not believe her. There were two more similar dreams, after which Matrona and her mother went to the place indicated by the Blessed Virgin and dug in the ruins what had been a house until the uncovered the icon. It appeared untouched by the flames, with the colors as vivid and brilliant as if it were new. The bishop took the icon to the Church of Saint Nicholas, and immediately there was a miracle of a blind man’s sight being restored to him. A monastery was built over the place where the icon had been found. Known as the Holy Protectress of Russia, the icon was stolen on June 29th, 1904. The thieves were later caught and claimed that they had destroyed the icon after taking the gold frame and jewels attached to the image. In any event, the original has never been found, though there are many copies in existence, thanks to the popularity of the icon. Many of the copies are known to be miracle working. In 1993 a copy of the icon was given to Pope John Paul II, who kept it in his personal study before it was given to representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2004.

ICON OF ST. JOHN MAXIMOVITCH STREAMED MYRRH AS HE WAS CELEBRATED IN SKETE IN HIS HONOR IN HIS HOME VILLAGE

ICON OF ST. JOHN MAXIMOVITCH STREAMED MYRRH AS HE WAS CELEBRATED IN SKETE IN HIS HONOR IN HIS HOME VILLAGE Svyatogorsk, Ukraine, July 7, 2017

Monastery of the Archangel Diocese and Russ and Korea site

The Antonievo-Siisky Monastery of the Archangel Diocese will publish the book "Spiritual Mission on the Conversion of Samoyeds to the Christian Faith in the Nineteenth Century" Антониево-Сийский монастырь Архангельской епархии издаст книгу «Духовная миссия по обращению самоедов в христианскую веру в XIX веке» print version July 14, 2017 13:36 The Holy Trinity Antonievo-Sii Monastery of the Archangel Diocese prepares for publication the book "Spiritual Mission on the Conversion of Samoyeds to the Christian Faith in the Nineteenth Century." This edition is a story about the abbots and inhabitants of the monastery who preached Orthodoxy among the Nenets (Samoyeds) on the Arctic coast of the Arkhangelsk North. The collection consists of two parts: in the first abbot of the monastery hegumen Varlaam (Dulsky) narrates about the conversion of the Nenets in the tundra from Mezen to the Urals, in the second part of the monastery the priest Hieromonk Basilid (Lagutin) tells about the development of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and enlightenment of the local inhabitants. Founded by the Monk Anthony in 1520, the Holy Trinity Siya Monastery, even during the lifetime of the saint, became the influential spiritual and economic center of Pomorie. The monastery had fish and salt fisheries on the coast of the White Sea up to the throat: Nenox, Luda, Una, Ruchi. Together with economic activity, temples were built, and spiritual and educational work was conducted. In the 17th century, the hegumen Theodosius attempted to send missionaries to the archipelago of Novaya Zemlya to build a monastery on the island. In December 1824, a mission for the spiritual enlightenment of the Nenets (Samoyed) of the Arkhangelsk Gubernia and their conversion to Christianity was formed under the project of Bishop Neophyte (Dokuchaev-Platonov). The mission was headed by Siya Archimandrite Veniamin (Smirnov). From 1825 to 1830 he baptized more than 3,000 people. During his stay in the Samoyed tundra, Archimandrite Veniamin studied the Nenets language, made many ethnographic observations of the life of the local population, compiled the "Grammar of the Samoyed Language", "The Lexicon of the Samoyed Language," translated into the Nenets language of the catechism, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, The mission had a mobile church with picturesque icons and bells. For missionary works Archimandrite Veniamin was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir III degree. In 1827, Archimandrite Anastassy (Klyucharev) went to the Nenets tundra to "inspect the place for building churches in the Samoyed nomad camps". Two years later, the construction of three stationary temples was started there. In 1829, the leadership of the commission "on the construction of Samoyedic churches" was entrusted to the rector of Archangel Michael Platon (Agrikoliansky), Archimandrite Platon (St. For seven years he served as a dean of these churches and preached the Word of God to "idolatrous samoyeds." Archimandrite Anastassy (Klyucharev) and Platon (Agricolian) were awarded the Order of St. Anna's third degree. At the end of the XIX century on the Arctic archipelago New Earth, the priest of the Siya Monastery, Hieromonk Jonah (Platonov) preached. The publication of the book requires 170 000 rubles. The monastery asks to respond to those who are not indifferent. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a Slavic-Korean spiritual and educational center will be built in Moscow. For the construction of the Zaikonospassky Stauropegic Monastery, a site was set up in the south-west of Moscow at the address: Profsoyuznaya, ow. 65. June 12, 2017 began preparatory work for construction, new gates were installed and painted, the site was weeded and cleaned of debris. On June 17, the first moleben was held on the site, which was performed by priest Alexander Son. Currently, the center is being designed. In the near future a temporary chapel will be installed on the site. *** In 2001, under the patriarchal courtyard of the Church of the Savior of the Holy Face (now Zaikonospassky Monastery), with the blessing of the ever-memorable archimandrite Peter (Afanasyev), the Slavic-Korean Orthodox Society was established. In 2016, the Government of Moscow transferred to the Zaikonospassky Monastery a rent-free lease near the Russian-Korean Cultural Center. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, a spiritual and educational center with a temple of St. Innocent of Moscow will be built on it.

At the St. Tikhon University discussed the creation of an educational program on sectology moscow patriarchate

At the St. Tikhon University discussed the creation of an educational program on sectology В Свято-Тихоновском университете обсудили создание образовательной программы по сектоведению print version June 23, 2017 19:23 June 22, 2017 in the main building of the Orthodox Holy Tikhon Humanitarian University (PSTGU) held an international meeting on the creation of an inter-Orthodox educational program on sectology. Representatives of Local Orthodox Churches, Bishop Orekhovo-Zuevsky Panteleimon and professors of the PSTU discussed the actual problems facing Orthodox missionaries in connection with the activation of the sectarian movement. From the side of the St. Tikhon University, Vicar of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Bishop Orekhovo-Zuevsky Panteleimon, Archpriest Alexander Schelkachev, Deputy Dean of the Missionary Faculty, Professor A.B. Efimov, Professor A.L. Dvorkin , the rector of the rector I.V. Shchelkachev. The local Orthodox Churches were represented by Metropolitan Porphyry of Zagreb and Lubland ( Serbian Orthodox Church ), Bishop Christopher of Cyprus ( Cyprus Orthodox Church ), Professor Ivan Zhelev Dimitrov (former Minister of the Confessions of Bulgaria), Professor Protodeacon Dragan Radic (Serbian Orthodox Church), Professor Christos Jacob Cyprus). Opening the discussion, Bishop Panteleimon emphasized that religious enlightenment plays a decisive role in the fight against sectarianism: "His Holiness Patriarch Kirill attaches great importance to education. At each meeting of the Supreme Church Council, educational programs are discussed. " In Russia, there are many positive changes in this area, including thanks to the St. Tikhon University, Vladyka Panteleimon emphasized, reminding those present that the first defense of the thesis on theology of the theological faculty of the PSTU theological faculty of the archpriest Pavel Honzinsky was held recently in Russia. The participants of the meeting expressed concern about the destructive phenomena in the religious life of Russia. According to Bishop Panteleimon, in the "Far East, so far the number of registered sectarian organizations exceeds the number of Orthodox organizations." Bishop Panteleimon also pointed out that the low percentage of church people in Russia is largely due to the lack of priests. In Moscow, there are more than 8,000 Orthodox believers per priest. The Vladyka paid special attention to the connection between missionary and educational activities: "It is important that all our programs have an anti-sectarian direction. When a person hears a competent, qualified answer about Orthodoxy, he will have a vaccination against sects and other religious teachings, "the bishop is convinced. "Cooperation of the Fraternal Churches is especially important in the field of education," he stressed. Continuing the discussion, Bishop Christopher of Karpasia noted that confrontation with sects is important on the scale of not just one but all the Orthodox Churches. He recalled that, ten years ago, an all-Orthodox network of anti-sectarian organizations was founded by experts from different countries, which annually held conferences in various countries where it was hosted by the local Orthodox Churches. In addition, meetings of a smaller scale were held over several years to discuss current issues. In September this year, the tenth anniversary conference will be held in Poland, it will be hosted by the Polish Orthodox Church. Bishop Christopher noted with regret that the qualified and competent Orthodox experts in sect studies are sorely lacking, that is why the discussed educational program should be aimed at supporting the pastoral and missionary activity of the Ecumenical Church. "We need to understand how from the pastoral point of view, assistance can be provided to combat negative religious phenomena. This program should prepare church cadres who will be specialists in sectology, "Bishop Christopher said. Noting the special role of the PSTG in the anti-sectarian movement, the metropolitan of Zagreb-Lubland Porfiry (Perich) thanked the university for organizing the meeting and noted the special importance of Orthodox education. St. Tikhon's University, in his opinion, is a unique educational institution in the Orthodox world: "Secular education in the field of religious studies in itself can lead a person away from the goal. After all, the way of a person's life depends on what kind of a prism he looks at himself, on the world and on God. Today, wolves are operating in sheep's skins, who pretend to be kind and offer others very tempting promises about some other, special way of life. Many fall into their traps. We must give this orthodox assessment. The priceless approach, which some secular scholars of theology tell us, does not exist. In the end, it turns into a sectarian defense. " "It is important that Professor Dvorkin, whom the entire Orthodox world knows as an erudite fighter against sects, participated in this educational program. We hope for the strength of the Russian Orthodox Church, "Metropolitan Porfiry said. Professor Ivan Zhelev Dimitrov said that the countries of the former socialist camp are facing common problems, recalling the "fluidity" of a number of new sects actively moving within the Slavic countries. "Therefore, for us, the translation into Bulgarian of the already well-known book" Sectology "by the authoritative professor Dvorkin in Bulgaria is so important for us," the professor added. Professor A.L. Dvorkin, in turn, recalled the problems of sectology, the main of which is the lack of staff. He quoted the words of Bishop Christopher that "sectology is the area of ​​activity of individuals". "There was a well-known sectologist Protopresbyter Antony Alevizopulos, whose memory is devoted to the book" Sectology, "he died, and in Greece he did not find worthy successors. Now is the time for each of us to think about it. It is necessary to raise those who will continue our business, "the sectologist said. "We have to face both the opposition of many secular religious scholars, who in fact advocate an atheistic view of the study of religions, and with the misunderstanding of some Orthodox believers, or consider the critical study of sects unimportant, or under the guise of a patristic approach that actually closes with a sectarian defense. The true Orthodox theological, scientific, missionary and pastoral approach requires, acting in the spirit of the great fathers of the past, to apply it to contemporary realities and to use at the same time all the latest achievements of modern science. This was how the ever-memorable father Anthony Alevizopoulos, educated in Germany and in Athens, acted. But in addition to the fact that he actually founded modern Orthodox sectology, he was one of the most famous confessors of the Church of Greece, "said Professor Alexander Dvorkin. Professor Christ Yakov presented a plan for a new curriculum, which will be designed to teach the two main parts of the Orthodox Church - Greek-speaking and Russian-speaking parishioners. "Our task is to give them knowledge at the highest level," the professor is convinced. Participants in the meeting agreed on the need to create a general educational program on sectology for people who already have at least a bachelor's degree in theology. The program should be created in two languages ​​- Greek and Russian. The PSTU will take on the training of the Russian-speaking audience. Greek-speaking students will be trained in Cyprus. Teaching will be carried out by an international professorial staff from all Orthodox Churches. It was decided to create a committee consisting of several specialists from each side who will meet in the near future and will develop a detailed curriculum for full-time two-year missionary courses with a specialization in sectology.

A meeting of the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church with the newly elected head of the Greek-Melkit Church was held Moscow Patriarchate

A meeting of the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church with the newly elected head of the Greek-Melkit Church was held Состоялась встреча представителя Русской Православной Церкви с новоизбранным главой Греко-Мелькитской Церкви print version July 2, 2017 13:41 On July 1, 2017, the representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Patriarch of Antioch and the whole of the East, Abbot Arseny (Sokolov) met with His Beatitude Yousef I Absi, who in June was elected Greek-Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Alexandria and Jerusalem. The meeting was held at the residence of the Melkite Patriarchs in Rabiye (Lebanon). Hegumen Arseny addressed the elected head of the Greek-Melkite Church with congratulations and handed him a congratulatory message from Metropolitan Hilarion, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. During the conversation that followed, the participants discussed the situation in Syria and expressed their intention to strengthen joint efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people. Hegumen Arseny told the newly elected head of Christian Melkite about the charitable initiatives undertaken by the Russian Orthodox Church in the Middle East. The meeting was attended by the Lebanese lawyer Ziyad Farhud. In conclusion of the conversation, the representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia presented the newly elected Patriarch Yusef the book of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church "Freedom and responsibility: in search of harmony", published in Lebanon in Arabic. *** The Council of the Melkit Greek-Catholic Church, held in June 2017, reckoned for the rest of the Patriarch Gregory III Laham and elected in his place the Patriarchal Vicar of Damascus Bishop Yousef Asbi. The enthronement of the newly elected Patriarch will take place in Damascus soon after his candidacy is approved by the Pope of Rome.

The Holy Synod approved the composition of the delegation for participation in the joint conference of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Church in Germany Moscow Patriarchate

The Holy Synod approved the composition of the delegation for participation in the joint conference of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Church in Germany Священный Синод утвердил состав делегации для участия в совместной конференции Русской Православной Церкви и Евангелической церкви в Германии print version 4 May 2017 22:53 On May 4, 2017, at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, the report of the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk on the joint conference of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Church in Germany devoted to the theme of Christian martyrdom (Moscow, November 2017) was heard. The Synod decided ( Journal No. 37 ) to participate in the conference to appoint a delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate in the following composition: Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations - head of the delegation; Archbishop of Theophanes of Berlin and Germany ; Archimandrite Filaret (Bulekov) , deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Protopriest Vladimir Vorobyev , Rector of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University , Secretary of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints ; Archpriest Kirill Kaleda, rector of the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church in Butovo, a member of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints; Protopriest Alexander Ilyashenko, rector of the Church of the All-Merciful Savior in the former Holy Cross Monastery; Hieromonk Stephen (Igumnov), secretary for inter-Christian relations of the Department for External Church Relations; Priest Michael Asmus, teacher of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University; V.R. Legoyda , chairman of the Synodal Department for the relationship between the Church and society and the media ; A.G. Rar, Director of the Center for Russia and Eurasia named after Berthold Beitz (Germany), Honorary Professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; M.B. Neljubova, employee of the Department for External Church Relations; E.S. Speranskaya, consultant of the Department for External Church Relations; I.D. Kashitsin, a member of the Department for External Church Relations. The Holy Synod approved the composition of the delegation for participation in the joint conference of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Church in Germany Священный Синод утвердил состав делегации для участия в совместной конференции Русской Православной Церкви и Евангелической церкви в Германии print version 4 May 2017 22:53 On May 4, 2017, at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, the report of the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk on the joint conference of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Church in Germany devoted to the theme of Christian martyrdom (Moscow, November 2017) was heard. The Synod decided ( Journal No. 37 ) to participate in the conference to appoint a delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate in the following composition: Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations - head of the delegation; Archbishop of Theophanes of Berlin and Germany ; Archimandrite Filaret (Bulekov) , deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Protopriest Vladimir Vorobyev , Rector of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University , Secretary of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints ; Archpriest Kirill Kaleda, rector of the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church in Butovo, a member of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints; Protopriest Alexander Ilyashenko, rector of the Church of the All-Merciful Savior in the former Holy Cross Monastery; Hieromonk Stephen (Igumnov), secretary for inter-Christian relations of the Department for External Church Relations; Priest Michael Asmus, teacher of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University; V.R. Legoyda , chairman of the Synodal Department for the relationship between the Church and society and the media ; A.G. Rar, Director of the Center for Russia and Eurasia named after Berthold Beitz (Germany), Honorary Professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; M.B. Neljubova, employee of the Department for External Church Relations; E.S. Speranskaya, consultant of the Department for External Church Relations; I.D. Kashitsin, a member of the Department for External Church Relations.

Christmas of John the Baptist and the Baptist of the Lord brooklyn-church.org

Christmas of John the Baptist and the Baptist of the Lord. Preaching Orthodox Life Рождество Иоанна Предтечи Christmas of John the Baptist Now the Holy Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. The Prophet John the Baptist and the Baptist of the Lord. Today the greatest of the prophets, John , who is about to be Lord of Christ, looks with joy at those who come to celebrate his Christmas and prays to Christ in abundance to give His grace to all the prayers. According to the testimony of the Lord, no one born on earth was as great as St. John the Baptist. And when you think about the testimony of the Gospel of it, it really captures the spirit. But not only the spirit captures: you see in it the image of a man who managed so unlimitedly, so unlimitedly to be devoted to his God and his earthly vocation and who can serve each of us as an example and an image, because each of us in some sense in relation to To others is so often the forerunner of the Lord, to those whom the Lord sent ahead of Himself to bring people the word and way of life that would prepare them to understand Christ, to receive Christ. And when our life we ​​dishonor our testimony, when people look at us and stop believing in our words and in the words of Christ, then we take on a terrible responsibility. Not only do we ourselves live in the judgment of ourselves and in condemnation, but we do not attract others for ourselves to where we are called to lead them: to joy, to the joy that the Lord has left to us and which no one can take away, but to which no one, Except the Lord, can not give. Let us recall some of the expressions used by Christ or the Gospel in relation to the Baptist John. The first thing we hear about him is that he is the voice crying in the desert. The desert is not only an uninhabited place, it's a place where it's empty ; And so often in the human heart is empty, in human life is empty. Not only is there no content of the eternal, but there is not at all such content that could be lived. And in this respect we are surrounded, all, by the human wilderness. And in this wilderness we are called, like the Baptist, to testify. The testimony of John the Baptist did not begin with words: before returning to the people and speaking before demanding them to be worthy of the title of man, he himself retired to the bare, hot desert and remained alone with himself, face to face with himself In the sight of God. Sometimes we also have to remain in such solitude. It happens when our neighbors leave us, when it becomes empty around us. It happens when we are touched by illness, and then, no matter how we are surrounded by care, we feel that we are alone, because we are facing the face of life and death where every person alone will decide the issue of life and death for himself - Not only temporal, but also eternal. It happens that we will retire ourselves in order to recover, and then we know how difficult it is to be alone with oneself when it is not used to it: it becomes fearful - then our inner void opens before our own eyes, and in this Emptiness, into this desert we must enter. It will be lonely there, it will be empty, it will be difficult to live there, but only if we manage to live in this desert, with God alone, will we be able to return to people, never losing God and capable, by defeating ourselves, to conquer everything. And so John spent more than thirty years alone in the wilderness, struggled with his heart, struggled with his life and went on preaching and witnessed by God as the greatest - but not only. The Gospel calls us not a prophet, but a VOICE. He became so attached to the will of God, he became one with the life-giving word that he must pronounce to save people, to awaken people, so that life would also shine in them, joy re-emerged that he was ONLY a voice. It is no longer a man who says: it is God who speaks in his voice. So spoke the saints. One of the ascetics of Athos, who not so long ago died, said: "The saints do not speak for themselves; They speak from God, and only ... John rejected all earthly things in order to belong to God, and the Lord returned him to this land. The Lord did not leave him in the distant wilderness: when John became inseparable with Him, the Lord sent him to the people, so that people could live the life that John knew. And here the question is posed to each of us: is there such a life in me that I can light another person? Where is this life in me? When people meet me - do they catch fire? When people hear me, does their heart flutter-how does the Gospel speak of the companions of Emmaus, the "heart" burns in them? When people see our life, do they say about us, as they talked about the first Christians: How do they like each other! .. Is it amazing, hearing, seeing us, to the fact that we have something that no one has? And if it is not so, then we did not go even by the predecessor, we are not ready to bring Christ to people, we are not even ready to pave the way for Him to find some way for Himself. And we are called to be those who prepare joy for people, the joy of meeting with God, a joy that will never end and to which no one, nothing can take. Why is that? Because we want to live on our rights, we want to live for ourselves, we do not want to go to nothing. And this is what the Gospel says about John the Baptist. Witnessing to people about who he is, the Baptist says: I need to decrease, to no avail, so that He will grow to the fullest extent ... John himself is only the Forerunner; He must open the door and move away so that people no longer remember him, suddenly seeing Christ and forgetting everything in this joy. To go to nothing, preparing the way of the Lord ... Who among us can do this? Who among us, enlivening someone's soul, even with a kind word, does not want to remain in this joy of mutual communication? Who, having said the life-giving word, sometimes inadvertently when the Lord gives us, does not want to be remembered and never forgot that this word was said to them? But the Baptist himself says: I am a friend of the Bridegroom ... What kind of friend is this? In ancient times Jewish, as well as pagan, the groom had a friend who cared for everything for marriage and who, after the marriage, brought the bride and groom to the wedding room, stayed outside the door and guarded, so that no one interrupted their deep, mysterious encounter in the marital Love. He was a friend, because he knew how to stay behind the door, stay outside. His joy was that the joy of the bride and groom was now perfect, they were left alone, and he was the protector of this meeting. I will also say: who among us knows how to do this with someone else's joy? Do everything to make this joy happen, do everything to make it shine with eternal light, and move away, protect it, guard it, and remain forgotten behind a closed door? Here's another image of him, the last image. His depreciation, his convergence to nothing came almost to the limit. He was taken to prison for a truthful, honest word. Christ, however, remained at large. He preaches, John's disciples moved to Him, He is surrounded by His disciples. He grew up to the full measure of His earthly vocation. And John knows that death is upon him, that he will not come out of prison, and suddenly he is covered by doubt. He who on the banks of the Jordan River before everyone witnessed, Who is the coming Christ, he sends his two disciples to Christ to ask: Are you the one that we expected, or should we expect another? In other words, are you really the one about whom I brought my testimony, or was I mistaken? If he was mistaken, he vainly destroyed young years in the desert, in vain he went out to the people, in vain he is now in prison, in vain He will die, in vain EVERYTHING. It is in vain even that testimony that he brought to Christ, and in that case he will be deceived by God Himself ... And the strongest soul that has ever been on earth vibrates. And Christ does not answer him. He does not take away from him the fullness of the feat of faith and feat of faithfulness to the end. To the disciples who ask Him, He says: Tell John what you see: the blind see, the lame walk, the beggars preach the gospel; Blessed is he who is not tempted about Me ... - words, once, centuries before, written by the prophet Isaiah. And they come back with this word. It remains for John himself to enter into himself and put before him the question: when he was in the desert alone in front of God, - was it really all this or was it some kind of inner lie? When he came out of the desert to preach and shook people, renewed their lives, led them to a new life, to novelty, to the spiritual spring - was it true or not? When he saw Christ and saw the future in Him, - was it true or not? .. Of course, he only more deeply realized the obvious Truth and became established in it. And John died in faith and in absolute fidelity. How often does it happen that our soul hesitates that after we did everything we had to do, we said the word good, truthful, did what we could to make the other person come to life with joy and resurrected the soul and began to live The spring life of eternity, suddenly finds hesitation ... The soul is tired, the life is fading, our head is tending to the ground ... Was it worth it to do all this? I do not see the fruit, I do not know what will happen, but I've lost so much faith, so much love. Was it worth it? .. And the Lord does not respond to this with a testimony of success. He tells us: It is enough that all this was true, that all this was good, enough for you that you did what was necessary. In this - all. And now, before each of us is this image of the Baptist. Each of us is sent to each other as a Forerunner to say a word so pure, so free from itself, from self-love, from vanity, from all that makes every our word small, empty, worthless, rotten; Whether we are willing to go to nothing, if only a living person, the bride of eternal life, has grown from this man? And when all this is done, am I ready to say with joy: "Yes, let the last come to pass, let them not remember me, let the bride and groom meet, and I will go to death, into oblivion, return to nothing." Are we ready for this? If not, how weak is our love even for those whom we love! And what about those that are so often alien to us, are they indifferent? Now, we will often look into this majestic, but human image of the Baptist, and we will learn how a real, solid person lives, and we will try to live in the smallest, even if there are not many of them, but without a remnant, until the last Drops of our living power. Amen.

St. Seraphim of Vyritsa

"This was from me" is a famous letter written by saint Seraphim of Vyritsa that he sent to his spiritual child, a bishop who was in a Soviet prison at that time; this homily "This was from me" is written as a consolation and counsel to the bishop to let him know that God the Creator addresses to the soul of man. Text of the letter Have you ever thought that everything that concerns you, concerns Me, also? You are precious in my eyes and I love you; for this reason, it is a special joy for Me to train you. When temptations and the opponent [the Evil One] come upon you like a river, I want you to know that This was from Me.I want you to know that your weakness has need of My strength, and your safety lies in allowing Me to protect you. I want you to know that when you are in difficult conditions, among people who do not understand you, and cast you away, This was from Me.I am your God, the circumstances of your life are in My hands; you did not end up in your position by chance; this is precisely the position I have appointed for you. Weren't you asking Me to teach you humility? And there - I placed you precisely in the "school" where they teach this lesson. Your environment, and those who are around you, are performing My will. Do you have financial difficulties and can just barely survive? Know that This was from Me.I want you to know that I dispose of your money, so take refuge in Me and depend upon Me. I want you to know that My storehouses are inexhaustible, and I am faithful in My promises. Let it never happen that they tell you in your need, "Do not believe in your Lord and God." Have you ever spent the night in suffering? Are you separated from your relatives, from those you love? I allowed this that you would turn to Me, and in Me find consolation and comfort. Did your friend or someone to whom you opened your heart, deceive you? This was from Me.I allowed this frustration to touch you so that you would learn that your best friend is the Lord. I want you to bring everything to Me and tell Me everything. Did someone slander you? Leave it to Me; be attached to Me so that you can hide from the "contradiction of the nations." I will make your righteousness shine like light and your life like midday noon. Your plans were destroyed? Your soul yielded and you are exhausted? This was from Me.You made plans and have your own goals; you brought them to Me to bless them. But I want you to leave it all to Me, to direct and guide the circumstances of your life by My hand, because you are the orphan, not the protagonist. Unexpected failures found you and despair overcame your heart, but know That this was from Me.With tiredness and anxiety I am testing how strong your faith is in My promises and your boldness in prayer for your relatives. Why is it not you who entrusted their cares to My providential love? You must leave them to the protection of My All Pure Mother. Serious illness found you, which may be healed or may be incurable, and has nailed you to your bed. This was from Me.Because I want you to know Me more deeply, through physical ailment, do not murmur against this trial I have sent you. And do not try to understand My plans for the salvation of people's souls, but unmurmuringly and humbly bow your head before My goodness. You were dreaming about doing something special for Me and, instead of doing it, you fell into a bed of pain. This was from Me.Because then you were sunk in your own works and plans and I wouldn't have been able to draw your thoughts to Me. But I want to teach you the most deep thoughts and My lessons, so that you may serve Me. I want to teach "This was from me" is a famous letter written by saint Seraphim of Vyritsa that he sent to his spiritual child, a bishop who was in a Soviet prison at that time; this homily "This was from me" is written as a consolation and counsel to the bishop to let him know that God the Creator addresses to the soul of man. Text of the letter Have you ever thought that everything that concerns you, concerns Me, also? You are precious in my eyes and I love you; for this reason, it is a special joy for Me to train you. When temptations and the opponent [the Evil One] come upon you like a river, I want you to know that This was from Me.I want you to know that your weakness has need of My strength, and your safety lies in allowing Me to protect you. I want you to know that when you are in difficult conditions, among people who do not understand you, and cast you away, This was from Me.I am your God, the circumstances of your life are in My hands; you did not end up in your position by chance; this is precisely the position I have appointed for you. Weren't you asking Me to teach you humility? And there - I placed you precisely in the "school" where they teach this lesson. Your environment, and those who are around you, are performing My will. Do you have financial difficulties and can just barely survive? Know that This was from Me.I want you to know that I dispose of your money, so take refuge in Me and depend upon Me. I want you to know that My storehouses are inexhaustible, and I am faithful in My promises. Let it never happen that they tell you in your need, "Do not believe in your Lord and God." Have you ever spent the night in suffering? Are you separated from your relatives, from those you love? I allowed this that you would turn to Me, and in Me find consolation and comfort. Did your friend or someone to whom you opened your heart, deceive you? This was from Me.I allowed this frustration to touch you so that you would learn that your best friend is the Lord. I want you to bring everything to Me and tell Me everything. Did someone slander you? Leave it to Me; be attached to Me so that you can hide from the "contradiction of the nations." I will make your righteousness shine like light and your life like midday noon. Your plans were destroyed? Your soul yielded and you are exhausted? This was from Me.You made plans and have your own goals; you brought them to Me to bless them. But I want you to leave it all to Me, to direct and guide the circumstances of your life by My hand, because you are the orphan, not the protagonist. Unexpected failures found you and despair overcame your heart, but know That this was from Me.With tiredness and anxiety I am testing how strong your faith is in My promises and your boldness in prayer for your relatives. Why is it not you who entrusted their cares to My providential love? You must leave them to the protection of My All Pure Mother. Serious illness found you, which may be healed or may be incurable, and has nailed you to your bed. This was from Me.Because I want you to know Me more deeply, through physical ailment, do not murmur against this trial I have sent you. And do not try to understand My plans for the salvation of people's souls, but unmurmuringly and humbly bow your head before My goodness. You were dreaming about doing something special for Me and, instead of doing it, you fell into a bed of pain. This was from Me.Because then you were sunk in your own works and plans and I wouldn't have been able to draw your thoughts to Me. But I want to teach you the most deep thoughts and My lessons, so that you may serve Me. I want to teach you that you are nothing without Me. Some of my best children are those who, cut off from an active life, learn to use the weapon of ceaseless prayer. You were called unexpectedly to undertake a difficult and responsible position, supported by Me. I have given you these difficulties and as the Lord God I will bless all your works, in all your paths. In everything I, your Lord, will be your guide and teacher. Remember always that every difficulty you come across, every offensive word, every slander and criticism, every obstacle to your works, which could cause frustration and disappointment, This is from Me.Know and remember always, no matter where you are, That whatsoever hurts will be dulled as soon as you learn In all things, to look at Me. Everything has been sent to you by Me, for the perfection of your soul. All these things were from Me.