Tag: Christianity

In the year 2024, the ancient Russian city of Toropets officially celebrates its 950th anniversary. There will be events scheduled to celebrate it throughout the year. And today, on the commemoration day of Isaac of Toropets, we publish a note about this saint, from whose hagiography it became known that Toropets existed since 1074, perhaps earlier.

Thou didst shine like a lamp,
from the city of Toropets, and even to Kiev,
Amazing the whole world with thy honorable life…
From the Akathist to St. Isaac, recluse of the Caves

Venerable Isaac of Toropets. Kiev Caves Patericon. 1661 February 27 is the commemoration day of the remarkable saint, Venerable Isaac of Toropets. His hagiography was recounted to us by the most famous chronicler of Ancient Rus’, St. Nestor, who wrote:

“There was also another monk named Isaac; he was wealthy while living in the world, for he was a merchant, a Toropets native born… and his secular name was Chern.”¹

This passage in the “Primary Chronicle” is dated to the year 1074 (according to our calendar). The date of the first mention indicates that Toropets is the oldest city in the entire Tver region.²

Although this date is accepted as the “official year of foundation,” it is clear that by this time Toropets was already a well-established medieval city. It is noteworthy that while St. Nestor often added geographical clarifications when mentioning other place names, in this case, he simply used the word “Toropets native.” This may suggest that during St. Nestor’s lifetime in Kiev, there was no need to explain who a Toropets native was – the city on the Toropa River was sufficiently known to those living on the banks of the Dnieper.

Toropets. Photo: Zelengarden.ru     

This prominence can be explained by advanced trade connections. Let us remember that Isaac was a merchant in the secular world (and a wealthy one at that!). Toropets stood on the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks”.³

In the book, Ancient Toropets. Archaeological Excavations, a theory is suggested that it was the princes of Kiev, interested in establishing control over the waterway to Novgorod, who “built the powerful fortifications of the Small Settlement (Toropets), and stationed a military detachment here.”⁴

The name Toropets was likely derived from the river on which it stood. This version is confirmed by the renowned specialist in Russian toponymy, the author of the book, Names of Ancient Russian Cities, Doctor of Philological Sciences Vladimir Petrovich Neroznak.⁵

As for St. Isaac’s secular name, Chern [Russian for “black”], it may indicate that a wealthy merchant could emerge from the common classes—the “black folk.”⁶

Black on metal work     

“Chern” was also the name of a very expensive type of artistic metal engraving.

“In the twelfth to thirteenth centuries, Suzdal craftsmen made lightweight steel axes with engraved blades, decorated with gold and chern; they were worn at the belt by noble warriors.”⁷

Parents could name a child Chern for a special shade of hair. This version is the most likely. In chronicles and birch bark documents, personal names based on hair color often appear: Chernysh, Chernyay, Chernyava, Bel, Belyay, Belyak, Belukha [White]…⁸ The familiar Christian names we all know today became commonplace several centuries later.

So, the wealthy merchant, “a native of Toropets,” sets off to Kiev, presumably on business matters.

When the phrase “ancient Russian city” is mentioned, a contemporary often associates it with Pushkin’s lines:

“Brightly shine the cupolas of churches,
And of holy monasteries…”⁹

In reality, such splendor did not exist in Kiev in St. Isaac’s times. St. Anthony of the Kiev CavesBefore his departure, St. Anthony called his monks together and comforted them with the promise that he would always remain with them in spirit and would pray the Lord to bless and protect the community. He also promised that all those who stayed in the monastery in repentance and obedience to the abbot would find salvation. The saint asked that his remains be forever hidden from the eyes of men. His desire was fulfilled. He is said to have been buried in the cave where he reposed, but his relics have never been found. However, multitudes came to pray in his cave, and there, many who were sick found healing.

“>St. Anthony of the Caves had only just founded the first Russian monastery—the future The Kiev Caves Lavra, the Monastery of Sts. Anthony and TheodosiusOn the right bank of the Dnieper River, the unsurpassed Kiev-Pechersk Lavra shines from afar, in the Pechersk district of Kiev, which is the oldest district of the capital.”>Kiev Caves Lavra.

We can only speculate on the path of the merchant Chern and what struck his soul.

Perhaps, having settled all his affairs, he decided to visit the Desyatynna Church in Kiev and attended the reading of the Gospel:

One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me (Mk. 10:21).

Venerable Nestor the Chronicler of the Kiev CavesSaint Nestor the Chronicler, of the Kiev Caves, Near Caves was born at Kiev in 1050. He came to Saint Theodosius (May 3) as a young man, and became a novice.

“>St. Nestor the Chronicler describes what happened:

“And he decided to become a monk, and distributed his wealth to the needy and to the monasteries, and went to the great Anthony in the cave, asking to be tonsured as a monk. And Anthony received him, and gave him the monastic garment, and gave him the name Isaac…”¹⁰

From this moment begins the path of spiritual ascent, which is neither easy nor smooth. The former merchant underwent many trials. For seven years, he confined himself “in a small cell, four cubits in size… without going out into the light.”¹¹

Despite the warnings of his spiritual father, Elder Anthony,

“Isaac led a strict life… He prayed to God with tears. His only food was prosphora, and that only every other day, and he drank water in moderation… When he grew tired, he sat on his chair, never lying on his side, but sleeping a little while sitting…”¹²

After seven years of such ascetic labors, Isaac’s cave was once filled with unearthly light. Two angels appeared before him, and said, “Isaac, you have pleased God! Behold, Christ is coming to you – bow down to him!”

Demonic cavorting in St. Isaac’s cell. Miniature from the Radzivillov Chronicles, late 15th c.     

The dazed, Isaac, without even making the sign of the cross, obeyed the command… The “bright angels” took on the appearance of demons and shouted:

“You bowed to us, now you are ours!”¹³

This event is described in the akathist to the Venerable Isaac:

“The dark enemy appeared in the guise of light, obscuring you with ignorance, troubling you with songs and dances, frightening you with beatings, wounds, and ringing in the ears, leaving you barely alive. But you, O venerable one, remained firm and unshaken. Strengthened by the prayers of the Cave saints, you firmly resisted all the enemy’s cunning…”¹⁴

Exhausted by the demons, Isaac could neither walk, speak, nor eat… For several years, the holy fathers Anthony and Theodosius cared for the weakened monk.

Having tormented the body, the devil could not take away the prayers of the saint, and eventually strength returned to Isaac. For enduring trials with steadfastness, sincere prayer, and feats, he received the gift of miracles.

“And the brotherhood began to honor him. But not desiring human glory, he began to act as a fool and play pranks on the abbot, the brethren, and even laymen, so that some even beat him. And he started wandering around, acting like a fool…”¹⁵

Foolishness for Christ is a particular form of sanctity where spiritual gifts and virtues are consciously hidden behind external, ostensible madness. Holy fools, or, as they were also called, “blessed for Christ’s sake,” performed many miracles and typically walked around in rags and barefoot regardless of the season.

So did Isaac.

Coming to Matins earlier than everyone else, he stood firm and immovable. When severe winter frost set in, he stood in boots with worn-out soles, so that his feet froze to the stone, and he did not move his feet until Matins was over. Then he went to the kitchen and prepared fire, water, and firewood…”¹⁶

The first holy fools appeared in Byzantium, but this form of sanctity truly flourished in Russia, where holy fools were especially beloved. Such a person could say anything, even to the Tsar.

It was Isaac of Toropets who became the first Russian fool for Christ!

Describing the miraculous events that occurred with Isaac, the Chronicler Nestor testifies: “I myself was an eyewitness to other events.”¹⁷

St. Nestor’s attitude toward Isaac is evident from the fact that in the Primary Chronicle, Isaac of Toropets is allotted four chapters, whereas many other people, even Grand Princes, are only given a couple of lines!

The funeral of St. Isaac, served by Abbot John and brothers. Miniature from the Radzivillov Chronicle, late fifteenth c.     

A monastic saint, a recluse, a fool for Christ – Isaac was a bearer of so many forms of sanctity. For his humility and ascetic labors, the Lord endowed His chosen one with special gifts. In the akathist to St. Isaac, he is called “a quick helper and a glorious wonderworker.”¹⁸

In 2015, in the village of Stary Toropa (near Toropets), a church was consecrated in honor of the Venerable Isaac, recluse of the Caves. Parishioners recount numerous instances when, through prayer to Isaac of Toropets, difficult life circumstances were resolved, requests were granted, and unexpected help arrived. According to the testimony of a person who experienced a critical situation where a human life was saved, “Help came in a completely unexpected way, immediately after the fervent plea: ‘Saint Isaac, help!’”¹⁹

The Church of St. Isaac, Recluse of the Kiev Caves, in the village of Old Toropa.     

In the church in Old Toropa, there is an icon with a particle of the saint’s relics.

The relics of St. Isaac in the near Caves of the Kiev Cave Lavra.     

The relics of St. Isaac himself still reside in the Near Caves of the Kiev Caves Lavra to this day, alongside the relics of St. Nestor the Chronicler, who described his life, and the legendary hero, St. Ilya Muromets.

St. Isaac remains a special patron of his native land, the city of Toropets and the ancient Toropets land.

Growing up, the only atheist I remember knowing was “Junior,” the resident bully who lived five or six houses down our street. He was older than the group I ran with, and he towered over us with his crew cut red hair and his menace. 

When I got a little older, I realized Junior probably said outrageous things just to get a rise out of the adults, and to further intimidate the more timid block residents who would always walk a little faster or pedal harder when passing by his house.

For the greater part of my life, atheism was relegated to a cultural ghetto, something not discussed in polite company unless a Junior the bully-type wanted to make his fellow adults uncomfortable.  

But today, atheism is out and proud. According to the most recent polling data, approximately 4% of the American populace identifies as atheist, not to mention the more substantial percentage who claim agnostic status. Meanwhile, research shows the number of “nones” — those who reject any formal religious association but hold on to some form of spirituality — is growing rapidly. 

According to Pew Research, Europe, the continent where the Church once flourished and from where our country inherited so much rich spiritual sustenance, is even further along the road to disbelief. Nearly one-quarter of the population of France, once called the “Daughter of the Church,” identifies as atheist. Things are not much better for Spain, responsible for bringing Christianity to California, Mexico, and so much of the Southern Hemisphere, which has a nonbelieving population double that of the United States.

You would be right to qualify these statistics as a crisis, but the upheaval may be less about the rise of atheism than it is the shrinking of Christianity/Catholicism. 

The situation here in our own backyard is all the more urgent when considering the majority of American journalists are self-identifying as irreligious and a poll of American academics revealed 9.8% of college professors are avowed atheists. 

Spend some time Googling famous people who are atheists, and you’ll find a virtual who’s who of powerfully influential people who likewise deny the existence of God: A-list movie stars, social media moguls, and cultural influencers with seven-digit followings. 

The bad news is the data shows our popular culture is over-represented by those who have excised God from their moral compasses. This could explain the confusion over things like gender and the value of human life at any stage of beginning or end. But these unhappy facts also reveal a great opportunity to engage in spiritual warfare. Not talking about battalions, weapons of mass destruction or any other kind, but rather the radical example of holiness the Church has been calling on us to embrace for so long.

It sounds like a fool’s errand, but it actually works miracles. Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990) was a brilliant Christian/Catholic writer and thinker. He did not start out that way. For a good portion of his long life, he was a devout atheist and apologist for Joseph Stalin. But when he discovered a frail old nun working in the slums of Calcutta, his life was transformed. He entered the Church at 79 years of age.

Dorothy Day may, much to her eternal chagrin, be on her way to official sainthood. She did not begin that way. Nominally spiritual, her early life was basically atheist-adjacent with a bohemian lifestyle, atheist husband, and spiritual emptiness. The miracle of her child’s birth led her into the Church in 1927, but there is no question that her interactions a few years later with Peter Maurin, a French Catholic theologian, solidified the faith she held closely for the next several decades of her life.

The biggest hurdle to overcome the “problem” of atheism is not the atheist, but us. It is not heaven, but hell that resides behind fortified gates, and it was Jesus’ promise to Peter and the Church that it is hell which will yield to the force of sanctity. 

With so many hardened hearts ensconced behind spiritual gates it may seem like an insurmountable task, but what is a call to holiness but a big ask? Since God never asks the impossible from us, we know that each and every one of us has the ability to let him change us and in the process, maybe let God change someone else, too. 

Prayer is the Meeting of Two MysteriesToday we’re going to talk about a deep existential question that is of vital importance and has many dimensions in our lives.

“>Part 1

    

In order to encounter God, we must be sincere in prayer. Some time ago I wrote the following: “Know that the road we travel in our spiritual life in order to encounter God and come to know Him is not straight, but winding.” In other words, there will be times in your life when you’re moved, and there will be times when you spiritually dry up. There will be times when you’re happy to go to the Divine Liturgy, but there will also be times when you’re reluctant to go to church. If you ask priests, they’ll tell you the same thing, that they have times where they weep during the Divine Liturgy, moments of deep spiritual emotion due to the presence of the Holy Spirit, and times when they don’t feel it, but only weariness. These changes are natural, because we’re mutable: You wake up happy and in the evening you’re sad; in the morning you’re happy, but by noon you’re in a bad mood. That’s how we are. It’s the same in prayer: There are times when we don’t really want to pray. What should we do? Should we give up praying? No. The first thing God requires of us is that we be sincere.

There’s a wonderful case that happened with The Theology and Memory of Elder Sophrony (Sakharov)”Coming into contact with Father Sophrony was always an event of a most especial kind. His monastics, first and foremost, but also those who made up his wider spiritual family, ‘lived,’ as Father Zacharias put it, ‘in an abundance of the word of God.”’

“>Elder Sophrony. A woman came to his monastery and told him:

“You speak well in your talks, Father, about how we must pray and communicate with God. But I have one sin. I have some disagreements with God, and I can’t tell Him, ‘Thank you.’”

Pay attention to this woman’s problem. She says:

“I can’t say, ‘Lord, thank you,’ because I have a disagreement with God at that moment.”

And this is how Elder Sophrony answered her:

“Don’t be afraid to ask God for something; don’t be afraid to be sincere with God. Tell Him how you feel: ‘Lord, I don’t agree with you about this, or I have a complaint.’”

Look at the difference between a saint and those who give people advice that fills them with a feeling of guilt and destroys their relationship with God.

Many say:

“I’m in pain and grumbling.”

Don’t be afraid! Tell God about it; turn this problem of yours into a relationship with God.

Or mothers who have lost their children say they have no desire to pray; they’re overwhelmed with anger. Anger is the main stage of grief. I mean any grief, including the grief of love, that is, the grief from parting. Therefore, in the spiritual life, man experiences anger towards God:

“You took my baby!”

Or something else. These are extreme psychological and spiritual states. And how does the Elder react to them? He says:

“No problem—express your anger before God!”

​Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov)     

God is not a pitiful and malicious man—it’s we who imagine Him to be that way, as if He were someone who could hold a grudge against a mother because she complained to Him.

I remember how it used to be in villages. When a woman lost a child and wanted to express her grief and say something about it, her relatives would slap her in the face and say:

“Stop it! Don’t say anything! Don’t you fear God?! Aren’t you ashamed?! God will punish you!”

They wouldn’t let her express her feelings until this expression of feelings was sensible. If you don’t express the anger you’re feeling, and everything you’re feeling, it won’t be of any benefit to you. So as not to quote psychologists who explain this very well, let’s look at what Saint Porphyrios, Wonderworker of KavsokalivaAt the age of twelve he left for the Holy Mountain in secret, desiring to emulate Saint John the Hut Burner, whom he loved very much, after he had read his Life.

“>St. Porphyrios says about it: “Feelings that aren’t expressed become diseases.”

One of our main problems today is that spouses don’t regularly communicate with each other. The husband is at work all day, he comes home late, the wife is waiting to talk with him, and he says:

“I was very busy at work today and I’m very tired!”

After dinner, he tells his wife:

“Let’s talk tomorrow.”

And he goes to sleep. There’s no communication between spouses. It’s a huge problem because if your wife can’t talk with you, she’ll find someone else she can talk with, because the need for communication and self-expression can’t be side-stepped or stifled.

    

When we find ourselves, we’ll be honest with God and we’ll turn everything, including our problems, into a relationship with God. Then our next step will be to understand—Who is the God Whom we’re addressing. Look, it’s not enough for someone to say he’s Orthodox and believes in God. Which Christ do you believe in? Which God do you believe in? Because often we say we believe in the Orthodox God, but in fact this god is anything but the Orthodox God. This happens when from an early age you form an idea of God as vengeful, and if you don’t fulfill His will then He’ll punish you. IIf you sin then He can punish you, He can send you a disease, maybe kill you on the highway, maybe set fire to your tires, maybe let your child get cancer, and so on.

This is what most people believe, isn’t it? That’s why they say:

“The Lord let one man get cancer and another died in a car accident—God allowed all of this.”

This is one side. The other, similar side, is the idea that God loves me when I’m good. Isn’t that what we’re taught?

“If you eat your breakfast, the Theotokos will love you, but if you don’t eat it, she’ll cut your tongue out!”

One day I was walking down the street and I saw a woman I know, feeding her child. I went over to pat the boy’s head, and she said:

“Eat, eat, little boy, or Father will eat you!”

This child is from our parish, and he still can’t get used to me. I try to tell him that I don’t eat people, and every time I try to explain it to him, he hides.I won’t even mention the offensive words he said to me last time. I pretended not to hear him.

Unfortunately, there are also clerics who cultivate such thinking in people. So if you’re brought up with ideas like this, you’ll form a distorted concept of God. How will you encounter the living and true God if He isn’t the way you imagine Him to be? It’s like you have the wrong address and phone number. You’ll never come to God, because you believe in a “God” who is quite unlike the real, living, and true God, Who loves you.

Do you know how many people are tormented by a sense of guilt and say:

“Father, does God love me now, when I’m so sinful, when I’ve done so much evil?”

Do you know how many people are tormented by such thoughts? Many people. These are very deep layers that aren’t so easily removed. It requires much work from the spiritual father for the soul to regain its balance.

Metropolitan Anthony Has Been an Epoch in the Life of the Russian Orthodox ChurchWell-known Moscow hierarchs, who personally knew the reposed Metropolitan of Sourozh, share their reminiscences of their meetings with His Eminence, speak about the significance of the recently departed eparch of God.

“>Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh spoke about how a man met him, asked him for Confession, and said: “I’ve been praying for twenty-five years now and I don’t feel God at all!”

​Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh     

Metropolitan Anthony said to him:

“Tell me about your favorite passage from the Gospel, please.”

“I really like the part with the woman caught in adultery, when everyone comes, condemns her, and starts throwing rocks at her, but Christ says, ‘Let he who is without sin throw the first stone,’ and all her accusers leave. And then Christ tells her: Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (Jn. 8:11).”

Metropolitan Anthony said:

“Tell me, if you were there now, whose side would you be on—on Christ’s side, on the side of the woman, or on the side of those with rocks in their hands?”

And the man told the Metropolitan:

“To be honest, Vladyka, I wouldn’t have put down my rock so easily.”

Do you know what that means? That this man is very far from Christ. In essence, he wants to see a Christ Who throws stones, like the majority of us want a Most Holy Theotokos who cuts off hands, cuts out tongues, or “stones” people—but that wouldn’t be the Most Holy Theotokos. It would be the worst of persons. That is, if the Most Holy Theotokos cuts off the hands of someone who steals, understand that this is not a virtue. Pay attention to the lives of the saints. Thieves went to rob St. Myron. He went into his cell, and seeing thieves there, he said to them:

“My children, don’t tire yourselves, I’ll help you!”

That’s what a saint is like. If the Most Holy Theotokos cuts off people’s hands, blinds them, and so on, know that this is not the Most Holy Theotokos. She’s the Most Holy Theotokos precisely because she is the face of holiness and purity, imitating Christ Who forgives everyone on the Cross.

    

The question is, if I’m like this, then what god will I meet? How often we wish that the Lord would punish someone who annoys us or causes us harm:

“God will repay him!”

Don’t we say that? First, it’s a curse; second, it’s revenge; third, it’s a psychological projection of ourselves, our vindictiveness, onto God.

We ask God to harm another. Don’t we secretly exult when something bad happens to our mother-in-law or our neighbor? We say:

“Oh, serves her right! Look how she’s paying for her sins!”

We think the Lord punished her because we’re always right. We haven’t the slightest doubt that we could be guilty of anything. The other person is always to blame, so he’ll be punished.

The next step is to always tell God the truth in our prayers. Prayer is the exposure of our “I.” In prayer, I don’t want to show how much higher I am, how good I am, as we unfortunately do in Confession.

We’re all “sinless people.” I created a “school for sinless people” in my city [laughter in the audience]. People from this school come to me and say:

“Everything’s fine. I haven’t sinned in any way!”

“You don’t have any sins?”

“Absolutely no sins, Father!”

Some people, not just one, two, or three, even say:

“Father, there’s no one better than me!”

To which I say:

“I see.”

Once I asked one person:

“Tell me, do you pray at all?”

“How could I not pray?! Every morning, when I stand before the mirror, I say to myself: ‘You won’t find someone as good as you in the whole world!’”

These are real stories; I’m not exaggerating.

Do you remember the case with Fr. Epiphanios (Theodoropoulos), when a woman went to him for Confession and spent a whole hour reproaching her daughter-in-law?:

“My daughter-in-law has such a sharp tongue! My daughter-in-law has this flaw, and this and that sin! My daughter-in-law has this and that passion…”

​Archimandrite Epiphanios (Theodoropoulos)     

Then she stood up and said to him:

“Father, read the prayer of absolution over me.”

“No, I’m not going to read it. First call your daughter-in-law for me to read the prayer over her, because you didn’t confess your sins—you only confessed the sins of your daughter-in-law!”

Not to mention that in the village where I live, Confession is a hospital bulletin. People come and say:

“What can l tell you, Father? Ah, what can I do? My bones hurt! My back hurts! I have varicose veins!”

Be blessed! They even show me the ointments they use. Even standing in line waiting for Confession, they exchange medicines with each other. If, for example, one woman found some good blood pressure medicine, she shares it with another parishioner.

You’re laughing now, but this is our life. The same thing happens with prayer. However, prayer isn’t boasting before God, but exposing our own weakness, shortcomings, and torments. With its help we say:

“My God, I want to be with You; I need You to come into my life; I want to feel Your presence, Your blessing, Your grace; I want to feel Your living, active presence!”

Then I name my passions and infirmities in prayer—not with any special or complicated expressions, but speaking simply and sincerely.

To be continued…

Blessed Maria Caridad Brader was born in Kaltburn, Switzerland in 1860. Her family was extremely pious, and when her mother, a widow, discovered that Maria was extremely intelligent, she made every effort to give her the best education.

Against her mother’s wishes, Maria entered a Franciscan convent in 1880, and made her final vows two years later. She taught for several years at the convent school. At the turn of the century, cloistered nuns became permitted to work as missionaries, and Maria volunteered to be the first of six sisters to go to Ecuador.

In Ecuador, Maria was a teacher and catechist, until, in 1893, she was transferred to Columbia. That same year, she founded the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate in Columbia, in response to the great need for missionaries. She was super until 1919, and then again from 1928-1940.

Maria encouraged her sisters to combine contemplation and action with great care for those they ministered to. She also placed an emphasis on the value of education, for both sisters and the students.

Blessed Maria died in 1943 in Columbia, and her grave became a popular pilgrimage site. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003.

hramnevskogo.ru     

Lord be merciful to me a sinner.

Luke 18:10–14

There are two men before us: the Pharisee, a strict fulfiller of the law, and the publican, the tax-collector, a sinner. The Pharisee, as can be seen from his words, did not offend anyone, respected other people’s property, was morally strict, fasted twice a week and gave a tenth of his earnings to the church.

Nothing is said of the good deeds of the publican. He is an obvious sinner before God and people. Why do we hear from the mouth of the Savior that the publican came out of the temple more justified than the Pharisee? After all, the Lord did not condemn the Pharisee’s strict observance of the law! Yes, dear ones, he did not condemn it, because good deeds, such as obedience to the voice of the Church, observance of the dictates of the Law of God and the statutes of the Church, are vital to our salvation. However, our deeds are not saving in and of themselves, but they have value in the eyes of God. They acquire a renewing and spiritually strengthening power from the content that we put into our deeds, from our inner disposition.

The Pharisee froze in the letter of the law. He froze in the formal fulfillment of the Lord’s commands. In him we have a model of a heartless doer of good, a model of soulless work, and it is no wonder he crowned the dryness of his heart with arrogance. He dares to present his faithfulness to the law as something special. He decided that by the works of the law he had acquired, as opposed to others, the right to be heard in prayer. The Pharisee is a true mirror of the good deeds surrounding us in the West.

The Publican came out of the temple more justified than the Pharisee. For us to understand this more fully, the Lord draws our attention to the state of the hearts of these two sons of the Old Testament Church. Without condemning the Pharisaic fulfillment of the law, the Lord points out to us the main thing in our spiritual labor. Those who thought they could become like God stood before God proudly. The pride of Lenin’s burning furnaces¹ plunged Russia into the abyss of sins, both on an individual, as well as societal and national level. The example of the proud man is given to us in the present evangelical Pharisee. With pride and vanity, we destroy our good deeds. Goodness, pure and fruitful goodness, is built up in humility and simplicity of heart. Without humility, a person can’t grow morally or spiritually.

The experience of the spiritual life of our brothers in Christ, who achieved knowledge of the purpose and meaning of life, provides examples of the attitude with which we must enter the opening gates of the Holy Lenten days. “Tell me, elder, how should one repent?” the disciples asked the dying elder Agathon, who attained holiness and performed wondrous miracles in the name of Christ. The elder replied, “I myself have not yet begun to repent.” And another righteous man was asked: “Tell me, who are the righteous and who are the sinners?” This elder replied, “I am the chief sinner, but the Lord knows the righteous.” “Know thyself,”, said the Optina elder Ambrose. And in today’s gospel reading, the Lord instructs us to pay more attention to our personal shortcomings. May our Guardian Angel and the saint whose name was given to us at baptism, whom we call upon in our daily prayers, help us in this. Amen.

Piraeus, Greece, February 26, 2024

    

In response to the Greek Parliament’s scandalous decision to legalize gay marriage earlier this month, the Metropolis of Piraeus has excommunicated those MPs who voted in favor of the relevant bill.

An extraordinary clerical assembly was held within the Metropolis at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Piraeus on Thursday, February 22, reports Romfea.

His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim spoke about the “overturning of human ontology and physiology and the introduction of the ‘woke’ agenda for the reconstruction of Christian doctrine, morals, and culture,” after which a thorough discussion was held.

The Assembly adopted three resolutions.

In the first, the clergy declare that Piraeus is a city that has been greatly blessed by the Most Holy Theotokos, and that in becoming ministers of the Church, they are obliged to precisely observe the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3) and “safeguard and transmit by deed and word the unchanging faith of the Apostles, the God-bearing Fathers, and the Holy Ecumenical Councils.”

The second resolution states:

The passing of the above law by our national Parliament alters and distorts the anthropology and physiology of God’s Creation, blasphemously attempts to nullify the Divine law, which is expressly delivered to us through the Old and New Testaments, by the command of the “woke” agenda, and is maniacally opposed to the Canonical framework of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, which by the Holy Spirit was given to It.

Thus, those who voted to legalize gay marriage “prove themselves by deed and word as despising the Divine law and opposing the salvation and eternal perspective of the human being” and thus make themselves co-laborers with satan in his attacks on the Gospel, which not only destroys their own Christian identity, but poses a threat to all of society.

Finally, the Assembly excommunicates within the Metropolis of Piraeus the offending politicians:

To protect our ministry and respect our responsibility before the Holy God, while adhering to the provisions of Article 4, Paragraph 9 of the Constitution of the Church of Greece (Law 590/1977 – FEK A’ 146), we sever our communion with those who voted against the Divine law, with all that this entails, not inviting them to any event of our Parishes, until their practical repentance through the annulment by the national Parliament of this most disgraceful legislation.

The resolutions are signed by Met. Seraphim and the presidents of diocesan councils and administrative committees.

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Heraklion, Crete, Greece, February 26, 2024

Photo: orthodoxia.info     

The Eparchial Synod of the Church of Crete has adopted new, stricter guidelines concerning the Sacrament of Baptism.

The Church of Crete, though territorially within Greece, ecclesiastically falls under the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The Synodal circular, sent to the parishes and monasteries of Crete last week, stipulates that the relevant diocese must give its approval before any Baptism can be celebrated. Journalist Dimitrios Alikakos, who published the new guidelines, notes that this was not previously the case.

Before the Baptism of a child, a number of documents must be submitted:

• Child’s birth certificate

• Photocopies of the parents’ and Godparents’ IDs

• A notarized declaration by the Godparent: a) that they are an Orthodox Christian, and b) if married, that the marriage was conducted through a religious ceremony, certified by the state

• A notarized declaration by which each parent separately agrees to the Baptism, the choice of Godparent, and the name of the baptized child, as well as the holy church and the location where the Mystery will take place.

Additionally, couples who have undergone a civil marriage ceremony but not a Church crowning cannot serve as Godparents.

The priest must submit all the above documents to the relevant diocesan authorities and may celebrate the Baptism only once approval is granted.

The Eparchial Synod’s circular is dated February 9—just a week before the Greek Parliament voted to Greece becomes first Orthodox country to legalize gay marriageGreek Parliament voted late last night, despite the fierce and persistent resistance from the Church and society, to legalize gay marriage and adoption by gay couples.

“>legalize gay marriage.

It also reminds me of the international scandal that arose when Archbishop Elpidophoros of Constantinople’s Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America baptized the adopted child of a famous gay couple in Greece two years ago, which the gay couple publicly hailed as the “Abp. Elpidophoros praised for serving “first openly gay baptism”In the midst of the ongoing scandal involving the Archbishop’s plans to consecrate a defrocked former priest as a bishop for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which other hierarchs have characterized as a serious threat to Orthodox unity in America, the GOARCH head has made headlines by baptizing the children of a gay celebrity couple.

“>first openly gay Baptism” in the Greek Church. In that case, the couple chose a Greek and an Italian woman to serve as Godparents.

The incident was in the news again recently, when the Archbishop Elpidophoros traveled to Mt. Athos last month, where he visited several monasteries, but was Abp. Elpidophoros on Athos: Visits several monasteries, not given customary reception by monastic governing bodyThe Archbishop and his fellow pilgrims visited five monasteries, serving at some of them, but he was not afforded the customary reception of a hierarch by the Epistasia.

“>not afforded the usual formal greeting of a hierarch specifically in protest of the anti-evangelical impression that was created by the PR surrounding the “Gay Baptism.”

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Bolkhov, Orel Province, Russia, February 26, 2024

Photo: orel-eparhia.ru     

The relics of a 19th-century archimandrite and missionary to Altai were recently uncovered in the Orel Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.

St. Makary (Glukharev) of Altai (†1847) founded the Altai mission in 1830. He was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000 and is commemorated on May 18/31.

The relics of the missionary saint were recently uncovered in the crypt-tomb of the Holy Trinity Church of the Holy Trinity-Nativity of the Theotokos-Optina Convent in Bolkhov, Orel Province, and on Saturday, February 24, His Eminence Metropolitan Tikhon of Orel celebrated the Divine Liturgy there, before the relics, reports the Orel Metropolis.

Holy Trinity-Nativity of the Theotokos-Optina Convent in Bolkhov, Orel Province     

Before the All-Night Vigil that evening, the relics were washed, adorned in new vestments, and placed in a specially made reliquary.

After the All-Night Vigil that evening, the relics were transferred to the Holy Theophany Cathedral in the city of Orel, where Met. Tikhon celebrated the Liturgy the next morning.

The relics will remain in the cathedral until May, after which part of his relics will be given to the Altai Metropolis. His right hand will be given to the monastery.

Relics of 15th–16th-century Russian saint uncoveredUpon completion of the archaeological work, architectural-historical, anthropological, isotopic and medical-forensic studies were carried out, by which it was established that the remains reliably belong to St. Jonah (†1534).

“>OrthoChristian reported earlier this month that remains found at the Holy Trinity-Klimetsk Monastery on Bolshoy Klimetsk Island in the Russian Republic of Karelia in 2022 were confirmed last month to be those of St. Jonah of Klimetsk, an ascetic saint of the 15th–16th century who founded the monastery where his relics were uncovered.

***

Photo: orel-eparhia.ru     

St. Makary, born in 1792, is known as a missionary and translator. His translation of the Old Testament was used in the work of the Synodal translation of the Bible into Russian. He has already mastered Hebrew, German, and French by the age of 20.

He graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, was tonsured a monk, and appointed rector of the Kostroma Seminary. In 1821, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and appointed abbot of the Kostroma Holy Theophany Monastery.

St. Makary was later blessed by St. Philaret of Moscow for missionary work, and in 1830, he arrived in Altai, where he began educating the local population. During his 13.5 years of missionary service there, he baptized 700 adult Ataians and more than 700 of their children.

After serving in Altai, he was appointed abbot of the monastery in Bolkhov. Finding the knowledge of the Orthodox faith to be dismally low in the Orel Diocese, the outraged St. Makary ordered all to come to the monastery to learn.

At the same time, he continued to raise funds and find new employees for the Altai mission.

In 1847, he became ill and died in the monastery, and was buried in the crypt-tomb of the Holy Trinity Church.

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A New York Times/CBS poll some years ago found that 2 out of 3 adult American Catholics didn’t believe that at Mass the consecrated bread and wine truly became Jesus’ body and blood. Instead they supposed these were merely “symbolic reminders” of Christ. The Times headlined its story “Future of Faith Worries Catholic Leaders.”

And so it did. There was much hand-wringing and crying of woe in response to this disturbing finding. But time passed, as it will do, hand-wringing and woe-crying ceased, as they will, and nothing was done about the problem.

A couple of years ago another widely noted poll produced nearly the same result — according to the Pew Research Center, only 31% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence. Nothing had changed since the earlier poll — except that then 26% of American Catholics attended Mass every Sunday, whereas by now the figure was 17%. Weekly attendance is of course the norm set by the Church.

Fresh hand-wringing ensued, but now with a difference. The American bishops launched an ambitious program called the Eucharistic Revival to face up to the problem and bolster faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament — body and blood, soul and divinity, as an old formula has it.

Already the Eucharistic Revival can point to some success — 8,000 volunteer “parish point persons” committed to promoting the program, more than 12,000 guides to steps to take distributed. The national program will culminate at a National Eucharistic Congress next July 17-21 in Indianapolis. Its program will feature presentations and liturgical events meant to motivate and train attendees who, planners hope, will return home full of zeal and know-how to spread the message of Eucharistic faith in their parishes.

While the planners say hopefully that as many as 80,000 people will be there for some or all of the program, the level of commitment is clearly more important than the numbers. The Eucharistic Congress will be followed by a “Year of Going Out on Mission,” continuing to Pentecost 2025.

Headed by Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, the Eucharistic Revival folks maintain a resolutely positive approach to messaging. Rather than directly refuting erroneous thinking, they focus on the beauties and joys of Eucharistic faith. The Eucharistic Revival website says, “We all need healing, yet many of us are separated from the very source of our strength. Jesus Christ invites us to return to the source and summit of our faith — his real presence in the holy Eucharist.”

But even so, the problems are substantial, as pointed out by Mark Gray of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). Summing up findings of CARA’s own survey of adult Catholics, Gray reports that 38% know what the Church teaches and believe in the Real Presence, while 5% believe without recognizing this as Church teaching. Another 48% don’t know what the Church teaches and consider the bread and wine symbols only, while 9% do know the teaching but don’t believe.

Plainly, then, a good deal of nonbelief in the Real Presence has its origin in simple ignorance. Seen in this light, the Eucharistic Revival’s positive approach makes excellent sense.

Responding years ago to the bad news in that New York Times/CBS poll, the distinguished theologian Germain Grisez and I co-authored an article pointing to “the pervasive secularization of Western culture” as a central cause of the dropoff in faith in the Real Presence. The Eucharistic Revival is tackling a fearsome opponent in seeking to turn things around. One can only hope — and pray — for its success.

Job and his friends. Artist: Vladimir Borovikovsky. Around 1810   

“Thy will be done”—everyone is familiar with this saying. Christians use it in a broad context, both to the point and beside the point. In the majority of cases, this saying is used when we speak about a specific situation. For example, someone has been diagnosed with cancer. He says, “God’s will be done.” With this, he admits that his illness is a part of God’s Providence about him and he humbly accepts it. But if it is more or less clear with illnesses, how about the evil deeds committed by man? For example, can we say, “Thy will be done” upon learning that five thousand three hundred Palestinian children were killed during the fifty days of bombing? Because it would be the same if we said that God wanted it to happen. But does God really want this? And if not, why does it happen?

The Holy Fathers were always careful about separating the concepts of the will of God and permission of God

Let’s start by saying that the Holy Fathers were careful about separating the concepts of God’s will and the permission of God.

“We ought to believe with firm faith that nothing at all happens in the world without God, but that everything happens either by His will or by His permission, namely: All good things take place by His will and with His assistance, while the opposite happens exclusively because He permitted it to happen, when God’s protection forsakes us due to our impurity and hardness of heart, and permits (but never favors.—Fr. R.) the devil or unrighteous fleshly passions to play the tyrant over us,” writes St. John Cassian the Roman.

Therefore, John Cassian strictly separates the will of God and His permissive will. St. John Damascene holds to the same view:

“Of those things which are subject to Divine Providence, one is by benevolence (by will), the other through condescension (by permission). What is by benevolence (will) is unquestionably good; as for condescension (permission), there are many types of it.”

Next, he enumerates many examples of the God’s permission: the righteous suffering of afflictions, the tribulations of saints, trials that excite envy in the soul of another man, falling into ungodly acts, etc.

Besides, who would dare to attribute the sins and all kinds of evil things going on in the world to the will of God? God Himself says that He hates the lawless deeds of men (Revelations 2:6). Here we inevitably come across such an important factor as man’s free will. Why did Adam succumb to sin? Is it possible that the Lord really wanted this to happen, and did He really will it so? No! Adam willed it to happen, not God. However, God allowed it to happen by virtue of the inviolability of man’s free will. St. John Damascene says of this:

“Of that which is in our own power, God firstly wishes and approves good deeds. But He does not wish evil deeds, either before they are committed or afterwards, but leaves it to the free will (of man).”

God allowed evil to happen by virtue of the inviolability of man’s free will

If we admit that God deigns evil to act in the world, He inevitably seems to us to be a terrible being Who rejoices at the suffering and death of His creation. For God made not death: neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living (Wisdom of Solomon 1:13). While the Apostle John the Theologian explicitly states that the principles this world is based on, namely, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life exist not because of the will of the Father, but according to the will of the sons of men: It is not of the Father, but is of this world (1 John 2:16).

True, the Lord has said: In the world ye shall have tribulation (John 16:33). But one thing is tribulation for the sake of Christ and His teaching, and another the destruction of the soul. In view of this, temptations must also be discerned. The Apostle James said of the temptations that harden our faith: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (James 1:2). It is quite another thing when the temptations threaten the death of the soul. Even the Lord Himself commanded us to pray for deliverance from these dreadful temptations: “And lead us not into temptation…”

Nevertheless, the world is replete with grim examples of the manifestation of the so-called “will of God.”

• Why do monks perish: when they are seduced, when they hang themselves, throw themselves into cliffs, fire, or wells? Can this truly be the manifestation of God’s will?

• Why do millions of unbaptized babies die before being born? Is this the will of God?

• Why do huge numbers of people, including children and civilians, perish in countless wars, and so-called social evils? Is this the will of God as well?

• Why do corrupt judges condemn the innocent to death and acquit the guilty, thus allowing wide room for countless acts of evil? Could this, and so many other things, happen according to the will of God?

Certainly, there is no will of God in all this whatsoever nor can there be, as many saints have told us. Still, all this does happen. It means that it happens according to some other principles and spiritual laws. What we have here is the permissive will of God. Someone may recall here the words of the Savior: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father (Matthew 10:29). However, this is not about God favoring the death of birds, but about Divine Providence. He counts all hairs on our head and He is aware of every bird’s death, no matter how small it is. St. John Chrysostom supports this thought:

“Thus, lest they should think, when killed and maimed, that they suffered this as men forsaken, He introduces again the argument of God’s Providence. For what is viler than they? says He; nevertheless, not even these shall be taken without God’s knowledge. Yet even they cannot be caught without the knowledge of God. He does not say that they fall by the assistance of God (that is unworthy of God); but only that nothing happens that is unknown to Him.”

“And yet not one of them (sparrows) falls into the net without God—certainly not by His assistance, but by permission” (Euthymius Zigabenus).

Whoever admits that there is the will of God in the destruction of men’s souls and bodies forgets the words of Christ: Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish (Matt. 18:14). There is no will of God for this to happen, said the Lord. But it happens anyway.

A Chosen Vessel of God also confirms the idea that there is not only God’s will, but also satan’s, which the Lord allows to act in the world. He writes in his Epistle to the Thessalonians: Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us (1 Thess. 2:18). Now let’s hear how Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria interprets this passage:

“What are you saying? That satan forbids? It is true, for it wasn’t the work of God. In the Epistle to the Romans it says that God hindered (Rom. 1:13, 15, 22), and Luke says that they were forbidden of the Holy Ghost (Acts 16: 6, 7) and in the Epistle to the Corinthians he says that it was the work of the Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22). Here, however, it is simply said that it is the work of satan, who brings powerful and sudden temptations, certainly by the permission of God.”

One seemingly can’t be more convincing. We can read about satan’s doings in the world in greater detail in the Book of Job.

Therefore, we find in the Holy Scriptures and the holy fathers that these two concepts must be strictly separated and never confused with each other. Based on the above, we can formulate two definitions:

The will of God is what God favors, what He wants and desires and what He promotes. It is generally the good deed and the right thing. This is the will of God, even your sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3).

The permission of God is what God doesn’t wish, but He allows to happen by force of certain circumstances (usually it is the free will of man).

God never favors evil. Ye shall be holy; for I am holy… For I am the LORD your God (Lev. 11:44). But He can ever wisely turn evil into good and make evil work for good. However, be that as it may, He always remains an enemy to evil. The patriarch Joseph had confirmed this: But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass (Gen. 50:20). In other words, God allowed it to happen. For what Joseph’s brothers were doing when they wanted to kill him (they threw him into a well and sold him into slavery) cannot ever be the will of God. Joseph called these actions of his brothers evil, and evil cannot ever be attributed to the benevolence of God. “God will never allow evil to happen unless much good can come out of it” (St. Paisios the Athonite). At the same time, it by no means removes responsibility from men: Woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matt. 18:7).

As a result, let us not be dim-witted people, who upon learning about a certain act of evil, will automatically say, “God’s will be done.” The concept of sin prevailing over the world can in no way be identified with the will of God. The will of God, the good and perfect (Rom. 12:2), has never positioned itself behind a wicked or criminal guise. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning (1 Jn. 3:8). The world lieth in evil not because God wants it, but because sin-loving man wants it.