Tag: Christianity

This sermon was delivered in the St. John of Rila Convent in St. Petersburg, where the relics repose of St. John of KronstadtSt. John of Kronstadt

“>Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt.

Photo: imonspb.ru In speaking of the service of the pastor of all Russia Fr. John of Kronstadt, we involuntarily recall the words of Apostle Paul from the first epistle to the Corinthians: For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ (1 Cor. 12:8–12). The apostle shows that different gifts are given to different people. For a gift is not a reward. A gift is given for service. The measure of development of God’s gift in a person depends on how zealously and self-sacrificingly he strives toward this gift, trying to develop it in himself. Therefore, gifts are given differentially—to each his own, inasmuch as the actualization of even one of them requires extraordinary efforts and self-sacrifice.

But what is amazing is that the entirety of the gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated above were extraordinarily clearly and fully revealed in one man—in Fr. John of Kronstadt. He had fiery faith, he healed many, many people, he worked miracles, cast out unclean spirits, had the gift of clairvoyance and the gift of an inspired word. His sermons, so simple in form, bore an extraordinary homiletic message that reached to the depths of his listeners’ hearts. How could all of this have been combined in one man?

In our time, with the passing of a century, thanks to all the ever-emerging publications on the life of our dear Batiushka, we have a growing recognition of the uniqueness of his personality. Now, we have every right to speak of A Unique Phenomenon: On Righteous John of KronstadtHow did he, having begun his life as pastors of the Church usually do, become such a spiritual giant, a colossus of the spiritual life, the likes of which have been few not only in Rus’, but in the entire universal Church in general?

“>St. John of Kronstadt as a phenomenon.

Fame reached him towards the year 1883, when in the Petersburg newspaper, Novaya Vremya, an open letter was published by Batiushka’s grateful parishioners who were healed through his prayers. This was preceded by twenty-eight years of service in the priestly rank. Practically right after his ordination Fr. John began keeping a journal, and on its pages he set forth the twists and turns of his spiritual life. The fact that he kept a journal in itself presupposes a high inner culture and the capability for self-analysis. Now this journal is for us a priceless record that allows us to see at least some degree of the beauty of Fr. John’s character.

From the journal’s first pages we see before us a man of fiery prayer, a zealous pastor and benefactor. Why Is Charity Important?From the very earliest days of the existence of the Church, acts of mercy and charity were an essential part of church life.

“>Charity, if you will, was the clearest trait of the Kronstadt pastor’s first years of service. We usually consider the ability to be charitable as something proceeding from a person’s inner sacrificial attitude. But the apostle Paul (in the second epistle to the Corinthians) calls charity a grace, a charisma, a gift of God. We well know that Fr. John so cared about Kronstadt’s poverty as to take off his own boots or shirt and give them to a poor man. But the pages of the journal reveal to us how difficult it was for him to maintain a continually charitable disposition. In his childhood he suffered from poverty, and the fear of losing his last possessions, of remaining without means for existence, had stubbornly eaten their way into his soul. But remembering the Gospel call for love of neighbor, Fr. John struggled with himself, fanning the flame of the gift of grace in himself.

He ceaselessly conducted a spiritual battle. The infirmities of fallen human nature tried to subjugate him. But he took up arms against them like a warrior of Christ, not allowing himself any indulgences. He was inspired for this struggle by Holy Scripture. Fr. John related extremely seriously to the Gospel, striving to literally and uncompromisingly embody by his life the Gospel calls of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He was not alone in his struggle. The famous exclamation of Apostle Paul, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philip. 4:13), are often found in the pages of Fr. John’s journal. Communion with Christ—this was the foundation of Fr. John’s sanctity. This is precisely what lay at the source of the eucharistic revival in Russia. On the one hand, as a deeply religious man, Fr. John received in his childhood a religious education, graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, and was deeply rooted in contemporary Church traditions. But on the other hand, not everything about these traditions was ideal. Some of their aspects had taken on a clearly deformed character. We are talking here about the practice that had taken root as early as the sixteenth century of infrequent Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. This meant just once a year, or at best, four times a year.

The Church, the mystical Body of Christ, is comprised of people. And if the members of the Church rarely receive Communion, rarely partake of the Body and Blood of the Lord, the life of the Church becomes anemic, and loses its richness and fullness. Fr. John could not be at peace with this. He went against the entrenched practice not by force of “ideological convictions”. No. The call to receive Communion as often as possible became the natural continuation of his own eucharistic experience. Serving Divine Liturgy every day and partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, he felt life renewed in himself and communion with God. Life is given from above as a Gift. He simply could not be silent about this!

Historical experience shows how hard it is to change a tradition, especially a bad one; but thanks to Fr. John’s effective sermons, a change took place in Russian church piety.

Greatness is seen from a distance. There was a time when Russian society was divided with respect to Fr. John. There were those who sincerely honored him, but there were also detractors. In fact, there were quite a few of the latter, especially amongst the “educated society” that had fallen away from the Church. Fr. John’s ill-wishers condescendingly called him a “village priest”. His short stature, his provincial dialect, and of course his “over-ardent” zeal for Christ evoked perplexity in many. But history puts everything in its place. And now before us stands Fr. John of Kronstadt as a figure of historical scope, as a man who had an enormous influence on the spiritual life of his era. But the fruits of his labors lie not only in the historical past. They are extraordinarily relevant to our own times. For by his whole life, he witnessed to God, Who gives us eternal salvation; he witnesses to the truth of the Church, which is timeless in nature. He himself was a true man of the Church. Amen.

The celebration of “Holywins” (“Holiness wins“), is an initiative that originated in Paris in 2002 with the aim of celebrating the eve of All Saints on Oct. 31 in a Christian way. Over time, this Catholic celebration has been spreading to other places in the world.

On that day, parishes and Catholic communities gather to celebrate Mass, participate in Eucharistic adoration and prayer meetings, and take part in recreational activities to encourage the participation of children, young people, and their families.

It’s customary for children to dress up as their favorite saints, to discuss the exemplary lives of the saints, and to remind children of the call to sainthood. In addition, games are usually played, lively songs are sung, and food and sweets are shared.

The Diocese of Alcalá de Henares in Spain has been putting on a Holywins program for children and youths since 2009 that includes games, workshops, a procession to the cathedral, activities for the evening, and Eucharistic adoration.

Here are some ideas to celebrate Holywins with your family.

1. Dress up as your favorite saints.

A large investment isn’t needed to make a costume, and with the help of some fabrics or household items, you can create good characterizations of your favorite saints.

For example, to dress as St. Catherine of Siena, try a long white or cream-colored dress that represents the habit of the Dominican order, and a black cloth in the form of a veil used by nuns to cover their heads. In addition, a crown of dry branches can be made for the head and a cross and a small bouquet of lilies can be carried in the hand.

To dress up as St. Rose of Lima, consider using the same habit suggested for St. Catherine of Siena, but change the crown of dry branches for one of red roses.

To dress up as St. Juan Diego, all that is needed is a large white or cream-colored blanket or sheet to wrap around the body and on the front can be placed an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe with some red roses at her feet.

To represent St. Dominic Savio, the patron saint of children’s choirs, you only need brown pants, a green jacket, a white shirt, and a bow tie.

For St. Ignatius of Loyola, a black robe is all that is needed; and for St. Francis of Assisi, a brown robe.

2. Share themed foods and treats.

A Holywins celebration is usually accompanied by food, so take advantage of this day to cook with your family and prepare desserts related to favorite saints. As you enjoy the meal, share with your family stories of or quotes by these saints.

For example, for St. Juan Gualberto, the patron saint of parks and forest workers, you could make chocolate cupcakes decorated with white frosting and small trees made with chocolate or stretchy dough. In the case of St. Rose of Lima, you could make cupcakes with frosting in the shape of red roses.

For St. Anthony the Abbot, the patron saint of domestic animals, or St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and environmentalists, you could make or buy cookies in the shape of animals or leaves or trees.

3. Come up with playful activities about the saints.

In addition to the prepared desserts, you might fill large containers or cups with candy with each one wrapped in a piece of paper that has a quote from a saint written on it. You can also fill cups with candy and place a lollipop stick or a short stick inside with the image of a saint glued to it.

If you have pumpkins, draw a star or a cross on them and fill them with candy that has quotes from your favorite saints wrapped around them. In this way, the scary faces that are typically carved on pumpkins will be avoided and a more Christian meaning will be given to this activity.

Later, you could tell the story of some saints or watch movies of saints as a family — perhaps animated ones for children — and then ask questions to see how much family members understood. With those who already know various stories of the saints, you could play charades. Those who answer correctly can be rewarded with a small prize.

You could also have the smallest children in your family make a dramatization or performance of the story, episode, or anecdote of one of their favorite saints. This activity could be more fun if they have a costume or something associated with the saint.

In addition, each member of the family could be encouraged to draw his or her favorite saint or make origami or crafts representing his or her patron saint or some characteristic element of the saint. Afterward, each member could explain why he or she chose that saint and share a favorite quote of the saint with the others.

4. Decorate your home altar and pray as a family.

Set up a family altar in your home if you don’t already have one. This is an excellent place to pray the rosary as a family, and this devotional practice is better done with others than individually.

Images of saints are often placed on altars for veneration and can also be very educational.

Remembering that this space in the home should be special and encourage recollection for prayer, take advantage of this special day and decorate it as a family with images of your favorite saints and flowers for the Virgin Mary, whether natural or made with paper using the origami technique.

Then, pray the rosary with your family, asking God for holiness for every member, and dedicate a prayer to the saint or saints of your devotion. Each family member could read a mystery of the rosary, and at the end everyone could sing a Marian hymn.

The concept of Holywins

For last year’s celebration of Holywins, the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares explained that “the phonetic similarity with the word ‘Halloween’ is not accidental, since Holywins seeks to help reinforce the Christian festival of All Saints in the face of [an] increasing” pagan influence on Halloween.

The diocese pointed out that although “Halloween means ‘All Hallows Eve’ in English, currently this celebration has no relation to the Christian faith. On the contrary, its way of approaching life and death, good and evil, is completely different from that of the Gospel of Christ and the tradition of his Church.”

Holywins is an initiative that seeks to encourage breaking with “the cult of death and the exaltation of the monstrous or ugly that it brings with it, since what is proper to Christians is to celebrate the triumph of life and promote beauty and [goodness],” the diocese said.

Holywins seeks to “convey the same message: Life is beautiful and its goal is heaven, there are many who have already arrived and we are all called to share their happiness, since we can all be saints,” the diocese pointed out.

The diocese also noted that “with the costumes of the living dead that fill the streets of the cities on Oct. 31” for the celebration of Halloween, “more and more dioceses are joining the celebration of Holywins.”

“We Catholics want to return to this day its true meaning and celebrate all those who heroically followed Jesus Christ, with a luminous feast of All Saints that overflows with joy and hope,” it concluded.

As leaders of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem prepared to meet in Rome, the explosion of violence between Israel and Hamas highlighted the importance of their prayers and their material support for local Christians, leaders of the order said.

Cardinal Fernando Filoni, grand master of the order and a former papal diplomat in Iran, Iraq and Jordan, told reporters Oct. 31 that Christians of the Holy Land and those who support them are called to offer themselves as bridges, trying to get both sides to see that affirming the rights of one community does not necessarily mean denying the rights of the other.

“One cannot think that Israel has no right to exist, to be, to remain,” he said, “just as one cannot think that the people of Palestine have no right to exist, to be, to live.”

As long as people claim that the rights of one community are greater than the rights of the other, there will be tension, he said.

With the Hamas attack on Israel Oct. 7 and the ongoing Israeli siege of Gaza, the “consulta” or plenary assembly of the leaders of the knights and dames of the Holy Sepulchre, scheduled for Nov. 6-10 in Rome, has undergone modifications. For one thing, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, will address the gathering by video link rather than in person.

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem was established by the pope in the late 1800s to support the Latin patriarchate through prayer, donations and regular pilgrimages.

Valencia Yvonne Camp, lieutenant of the order’s U.S. Middle Atlantic Lieutenancy, told reporters that the order keeps members informed about what is happening in the Holy Land and the impact it is having on the local Christian community, which is Palestinian.

“We try to put a face on the Holy Land,” she said. “It is not a ‘place’ that we talk about, but home for men and women and children. The knights and dames need to know and want to know that there are mothers and fathers and children, grandchildren — very much like their own — who want to live, who want to learn and grow and advance in their lives.”

The Catholics of Gaza, whose homes have been bombed or who have been forced to flee south or to seek shelter in their church or in schools and hospitals, are “people who pray the rosary, who attend Mass, who walk their children to school, who wonder if they’re going to be able to get medicine or get food, or to send their child to college, to have any type of career or work or job,” she said.

Leonardo Visconti di Modrone, governor general of the order, told reporters that in addition to the regular donations the order’s 30,000 members send to the Latin Patriarchate — $13 million to $15 million annually — additional donations are arriving each day the violence continues. The money is sent directly to Jerusalem and the patriarchate decides where it is needed most.

Tulchin, Vinnitsa Province, Ukraine, October 31, 2023

Photo: tulchin-eparchia.org.ua     

One of the Ukrainian Orthodox hierarchs who has been personally targeted by the government has issued guidelines for his clergy on how to serve under the present persecution.

His Eminence Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and the confiscation of property Ukrainian hierarch sentenced to 5 years in prisonA hierarch of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and the confiscation of property for various supposed crimes against the state.

“>in August for allegedly justifying the war against Ukraine and inciting religious enmity. The state began to target him last October, searching his home and diocesan administration. A month later, after having been UOC Metropolitan remains calm despite state suspicion and investigationThe whole matter is an attempt to undermine the canonical UOC and create unrest among its clergy and faithful, Met. John said after his home was searched.”>officially notified of state suspicion against him, he had to Prayer request: persecuted Ukrainian bishop undergoes heart surgeryHis Eminence Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav, a hierarch of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church who has been subjected to searches and serious accusations by the Ukrainian Security Services (SBU) lately, underwent an emergency open-heart surgery today.”>undergo heart surgery.

On Saturday, the diocese published his instructions for clergy.

In particular, he blesses clergy without a church to work in civilian industry and to serve in their homes and chapels, or to serve in the nearest parish.

“Given the harsh forceful persecution of the communities of the canonical UOC and the situation around the churches and priests of the Tulchin diocese of the UOC,” Met. Jonathan blesses, if necessary, for Liturgies on weekdays and feast days to be celebrated in the afternoon or early evening, “so the faithful can pray together after work.”

He says this practice is common in the ROCOR diocese in Germany.

Vespers, with the Rule for Communion and Confession can be served before the Liturgy, and Matins with the Hours and Confession at dawn.

Priests may confess and commune parishioners with the reserve Holy Gifts in their homes.

Eucharistic fasting on the days leading up to Communion, ranging from 7 days down to 1, remains mandatory, though it can be shortened or abolished by a priest for a number of pressing reasons. However, the Gifts must still be received on an empty stomach “reverently, with faith, love, and great joy in the Resurrection of Christ.”

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Unfortunately, thanks to the internet and television, such Western “holidays” as Halloween have spread to Orthodox countries where people could never even have imagined them. Bad habits seem to be picked up much more readily than good ones, and this is no exception. Why don’t people pick up, for example, Thanksgiving Day

“>Thanksgiving Day? Why does the hapless pumpkin, a great source of beta carotene and antioxidants, have to be carved up into demonic “heads” instead of baked into delicious pies?

One Ukrainian author weighs in with his own lament over the basest westernization of his wonderful Orthodox compatriots.

    

We are on the eve of a holiday that came to us from abroad and has now become almost habitual—Halloween. Let’s talk about it. Let’s even think a little about it.

Amongst the characteristic specifics of our people, we can boldly underscore our love of holidays. Our calendar days off from work alone for holiday celebrations number no fewer than a dozen, and if we mark the professional holidays and days dedicated to everything under the sun, then you have to wonder how 365 days a year is enough to encompass them all. And in the midst of all these holidays we even manage to pick up foreign holidays.

Really, who thirty years ago here had heard of St. Valentine’s Day? We knew nothing of it then, but now—they won’t let you forget it even if you want to. It’s the same situation with Halloween. At first no one could have known about it even in his worst nightmares, and then, thanks to video salons and the outbreak of Perestroika, we found out that there is such a day in America when people dress up as all manner of imps and evil spirits, and now even schoolchildren go to classes dressed up so spookily that when you come to pick up your child you are involuntarily thrown into confusion—are you in a municipal educational institution, or is this a hallucination caused by last night’s horror film? As if we didn’t have enough of our own horrors, we are engrossed in foreign ones.

Of course, I understand that some will express their displeasure, and that these protests will for the most part be filled with very modern meaning, that we are now supposedly in step with the entire civilized world, and blah, blah, blah.

I will immediately say that I will not even try to argue with you—if you want the civilized world, then so be it. Especially since you’ll even find Christians in it.

So, I’m inviting the Christians to think a little about this.

The Cult of Evil SpiritsThe Church knows from experience that playing with demons doesn’t end well.

“>Halloween is essentially the day of unclean spirits. But wait, don’t jump to correct me or explain to me how right you are.

I know perfectly well the history and meaning of this day, but just the same this does not prevent me from saying with all conviction that this is essentially a day of unclean spirits, no more no less.

Moreover, no one actually evokes unclean spirits on this day, no one worships them, has ritual orgies or offers sacrifices. To the contrary, its celebrants regard unclean spirits with extreme unseriousness. But this is worst of all.

Probably, the enemy of mankind achieved his greatest success when secular society ceased to take him seriously. It’s like, he exists, but people aren’t thinking about him. He’s imagined as a mythological being, not frightening or dangerous. From this come the Halloween games, the scary outfits and painted faces, and from this comes the perception of spiritual realities in an ultra-playful form.

And this would all be okay, but the enemy accepts these goings on quite seriously. He knows perfectly well that even what seems to be harmless flirtation with him can lead to the fall of anyone at all. After all, if the enemy is not scary and poses no danger, then we can all just relax in his presence and feel no threat. And he will definitely make use of this.

For example, have you ever noticed how many of the enemy’s tricks Orthodox people often accept as norms of life? “Anger is a natural human emotion,” “Resentment is a normal reaction to the violation of personal space,” “Choose yourself,” “It’s harmful to keep emotions and feelings to yourself”—this is only a small portion of the stupidity that I’ve heard from Orthodox Christians or seen on their social network pages.

But they don’t just write it and say it. They live by it. After all, it’s easier to live that way—no struggle with the passions, viewing any sin as a manifestation of the natural order.

After all, we’re not alone on this path: That longed for “civilized world” has already walked it, and today it’s far ahead of us; it considers the fiercest vices and depravities to be natural.

But they’ve offered us a false substitute, and we didn’t notice it. And what is there to notice when we often do not see anything reprehensible even in our own children’s obvious imitation of unclean spirits. Meanwhile, we don’t notice how our we have stepped upon this path. Now our children are walking in our footsteps, outwardly resembling demons, while we are inwardly enslaving them.

For now, the escape from this situation is simple: We must purify our minds from sinful thought patterns and remember that the Orthodox faith is inseparable from asceticism. And turning to the ascetical traditions of the Church, we will very quickly see and understand what is natural in us, and what has been introduced and is wicked.

It is time for children to learn how to live as the odd man out. Throughout all times, faith had been inalienable to faithfulness to God. I think that the time has come to teach our children that this faithfulness supersedes all friendships, all teachers’ orders, and all social opinion. But what words to choose that will make Halloween to lose its alure to them—this is a problem that each has to solve for himself.

In general, no matter how indifferent we and our families are, it all begins with one thing—in order for our children to listen to us, we have to talk with them. And not only on the eve of Halloween, but all the time.

As Ohio’s Nov. 7 abortion referendum vote nears, a pro-abortion organization called Catholics for Choice has set up billboards throughout Ohio encouraging Catholics to support the abortion referendum, in opposition to Church leaders and magisterial teaching.

Catholics for Choice announced a “billboard blitz” this week, which set up 30 billboards across the state, including the seven largest metropolitan areas. This is the same organization that projected pro-abortion messages onto the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception during the 2022 March for Life in Washington, D.C.

The organization predicts that the billboards will make nearly 9 million impressions by Election Day.

“Pro-choice Catholics: you are not alone,” one of the billboards reads. “Vote Yes on Issue 1.”

Catholics for Choice is a national, pro-abortion organization based in Washington, D.C., which advocates for Catholics who support abortion.

Issue 1 would amend the state constitution to add a new right to “reproductive freedom,” which includes “abortion” and “contraception,” among other things. Although the language allows for some restrictions on abortion after “viability,” which normally occurs at 24 weeks of pregnancy, many pro-life organizations have warned that the ambiguous language of the measure could allow abortion up until birth and remove parental consent and notification rules for minors getting abortions.

Some Catholic leaders are criticizing the organization for promoting abortion under the label of being Catholic.

“It is sad that a group of individuals who identify as Catholics would promote a message that endangers pregnant women and vulnerable children,” Brian Hickey, the executive director for the Catholic Conference of Ohio, which represents the state’s bishops, told CNA.

“We pray they convert to Christ’s message of solidarity with the marginalized and join the Church’s commitment to accompanying migrants, the poor, and all vulnerable people,” Hickey said.

Logan Church, the political director of CatholicVote, a Catholic advocacy organization based in Carmel, Indiana, told CNA that the group is misrepresenting Catholic teaching.

“This group has done nothing more than try to grossly redefine and misrepresent the teachings of the Catholic Church on abortion,” Church said. “According to the long-standing teachings of the Church, this is not a matter of personal interpretation. This is nothing more than an out-of-state funded publicity stunt to try and confuse Catholic voters on their moral obligation to vote no. This is no different than Planned Parenthood attempting to force their crooked values on Ohio families.”

Hickey encouraged Catholics to view the language of the proposed amendment on the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s website WhereDoesItSayThat.com, which breaks down the concerns about the proposal.

“Issue 1 puts women at risk, threatens parental rights, and allows for abortion through nine months of pregnancy,” Hickey added. “The bishops of Ohio continue to urge the Catholic faithful, clergy, and all people of goodwill to speak out against the dangers of Issue 1 and vote no.”

Catholic bishops have strongly rebuked the amendment for months. In late August, Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis Schnurr urged “Catholics and all people of goodwill to oppose this very harmful amendment.”

“This amendment could harm women by eliminating safety regulations on abortion clinics in Ohio, harm families by removing the rights of parents to consent to abortion or other reproductive decisions of their minor children, and enable the abortion of preborn children in the womb up to nine months,” Schnurr said.

Catholics for Choice President Jamie L. Manson criticized Ohio’s Catholic bishops in a statement when announcing the billboard campaign.

“In the same way bishops are organizing their parishes to try to defeat Issue 1, so too must pro-choice religious groups mobilize to say: ‘Not in the name of our faith will you take away fundamental freedoms,’” Manson said. “Ohio’s Catholic bishops are pulling out all the stops to stigmatize and silence pro-choice Catholics across the state.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church expressly states that “formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense,” which causes “irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.”

“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception,” the catechism teaches. “From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person — among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”

In 2000, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said the organization is not “an authentic Catholic voice” but rather “an arm of the abortion lobby” whose activity is “directed to rejection and distortion of Catholic teaching about the respect and protection due to defenseless unborn human life.”

Much of its support comes from non-Catholic donors, including about $50 million since 2000 from the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which is associated with billionaire business magnate and philanthropist Warren Buffett, a self-described agnostic.

Moscow, October 31, 2023

    

A circular was distributed to all the diocesan hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 26, calling for special prayer for all those members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who “strive to preserve Church unity.”

The letter, written with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and signed by Metropolitan Gregory of Voskresensk, the Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, recalls all the persecution the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church have faced over the past year and a half, including discriminatory laws, intolerance and hatred, the illegal seizure of church buildings, and searches at the homes of hierarchs and clerics.

“The clergy are subjected to brutal pressure through humiliating interrogations by special services, the pressure of an excited crowd, often uniting schismatics with the most exotic pagans and people who are generally alien to any faith,” the letter states.

Met. Gregory also recalls that the state has brought criminal charges against a number of hierarchs, several of whom are under house arrest. Orthodox communities are being expelled, with the Kiev Caves Lavra, in particular, under threat of closure.

Thus, Pat. Kirill calls for prayer for those UOC members who fight for unity with the Russian Orthodox Church:

With the blessing of the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, I ask all of you, dear hierarchs, following the Russian Bishops’ Conference addresses Ukraine, Constantinople, and other issues of Church lifeThe present Bishops’ Conference was mandatory for all hierarchs on the territory of Russia, while bishops from abroad were to come if conditions allowed.

“>Bishops’ Conference held on July 19, 2023, to call upon the clergy, monastics, and laity of the dioceses under your care to offer special prayers for the right reverend archpastors, pastors, monastics, and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who, despite threats, slander, and persecution, strive to preserve Church unity, especially for those who manifest a confessional feat, courageously raising their voices in defense of this unity.

Recall that in May 2022, the UOC held a council at which its Ukrainian Church statutes no longer have any connection to Russian Church, state official confirms“In an official letter, Metropolitan Onuphry clearly indicated that the UOC is no longer governed by the decision of the Bishops’ Council of the ROC, and officially announced its disassociation from the Moscow Patriarchate,” Elena Bogdan said.

“>statutes were amended to remove all connection to the Russian Orthodox Church. Following the Council, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine Met. Onuphry changes how he commemorates—reads diptychs of Orthodox primates (+VIDEO)Met. Onuphry didn’t commemorate His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia as the hierarch over him, but rather read the diptychs of primates according to the practice of the primates of the autocephalous Local Churches.”>ceased commemorating Pat. Kirill as the primate over him. The Russian Synod has expressed support and prayers several times since then (see Russian Synod warns of danger of schism within Ukrainian Church after status changeOnly a Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (including hierarchs, clerics, monastics, and laity) has the authority to change the status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Russian Synod reminds in its resolutions from today’s meetings.”>here, Russian Synod expresses support for UOC, approves texts of prayers for soldiersThe Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church has again expressed its support for the suffering people of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”>here, and Russian Bishops’ Conference addresses Ukraine, Constantinople, and other issues of Church lifeThe present Bishops’ Conference was mandatory for all hierarchs on the territory of Russia, while bishops from abroad were to come if conditions allowed.”>here) for those in the UOC who desires to see it remain within the Moscow Patriarchate.

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This homily of St. John Vostorgov (1864–1918) was given at the Stavropol Boys’ School on October 31, 1893, marking both the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist and the anniversary of the opening of the school. Given this confluence, the New Martyr glorifies the Evangelist as a worthy example for the students to emulate.—Trans.

***

Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you (Col. 4:14).

On this day, dedicated by the Church to the memory of the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, we also commemorate the anniversary of the founding of our school, opened fifty-six years ago on this very day in the personal presence of Emperor Nicholas I, since reposed in the Lord. Thus the finger of God pointed us to St. Luke as the Heavenly patron of our school; to him, to his life and work, that we might turn to today’s solemn feast for edification.

For information about the life and activity of the Apostle, it’s most natural to turn to his sacred works—to the Gospel and the book of the Acts of the Apostles. But we would search in vain for any point where St. Luke speaks of himself or his life. The Apostle was modest and humble in heart; even in those cases where, apparently, it was impossible in the course of the narrative to ignore his own presence and participation in the event, St. Luke is able to conceal his name. But what we do know about St. Luke from the brief and fleeting remarks of his teacher, the holy Apostle Paul, and from the few traditions about him that we have in the works of the ancient Fathers and teachers of the Church, make his life and work deeply edifying.

Indeed, it’s not without reason that we were given to the Heavenly patronage of St. Luke fifty-six years ago. He is especially close to you, young students; and his life and moral qualities are fully applicable to your present situation. He, like you, was a man of learning: The Apostle Paul calls him a doctor (Col. 4:14); Church Tradition says he was thoroughly educated in the scientific center of his day in the city of Antioch, an expert in Jewish law and Greek philosophy, a linguist, and finally, an artist (according to the testimony of Nikephoros Kallistos). All of this can also be seen from his writings, which reveal a high knowledge of the language and a mastery of the literary techniques of the educated of his day.

But true wisdom is not drawn from any science, and there is no science that can make a man a man: Without religious education, it shines, but it doesn’t warm; without moral development, it makes man one-sided and brings harm instead of benefit. Thus, when a plant is exposed to the sun, and the soil in which it’s growing is deprived of the necessary moisture, then the sun, which is usually beneficial and necessary for the plant, dries it up and kills it. Similarly, if a soul has developed the powers of the mind but neglected the development of the heart, it becomes dry, callous, and selfish.

St. Luke didn’t take true wisdom from a single pagan science. He listened to the Lord Jesus Christ, and the seed of His teaching fell upon good ground. He was not chosen among the Twelve Apostles, but was sent by the Lord among His seventy other disciples. We would search in vain in the Gospel of the humble Luke for testimony about himself, for any indication of his feelings for the Lord Jesus Christ; but his loving heart, his deep devotion to the Lord, is seen from his words in the story about the appearance of the Risen Lord to the two apostles on the way to Emmaus on the first day after the Resurrection of Christ. Antiquity unanimously recognizes one of these men as the Evangelist Luke himself, although he named the other man, Cleopas, while refraining, with his usual modesty, from mentioning his own name.

Christ appears to the travelers, but they don’t recognize Him; He asks them what they’re speaking about and the reason for the grief that is written on their faces. Evidently, the Apostle was greatly sorrowed, when, with tear-stained eyes and a wrenched heart, he failed to recognize his recently departed Teacher. And what deep grief was heard in his response to Him: Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?… Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, Which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and have crucified Him. But we trusted that it had been He Which should have redeemed Israel (Lk. 24:18-21). And the Lord responds to the disciple’s love with love, and comforts him with the wonderful gift of the knowledge of the Scriptures and inexpressible joy when He made Himself known to them in the breaking of the bread.

But soon, as a result of the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem, St. Luke was sent to his hometown—to Antioch, bringing it, in gratitude for his upbringing, the greatest treasure in the world—faith in Christ. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he could have, like the other Apostles, set out on his own path of preaching Christ. But his tender, loving heart showed him a different way of life—less glorious, humble, and unknown, but infinitely exalted and precious in the eyes of God: He becomes a disciple and companion of the holy Apostle Paul—and what a disciple he was! He shared in the difficult journeys, the dangers, the terrible shipwreck of the Apostle to the Nations; he visited him in prison, first in Caesarea, then in Rome.

At that time, when the ferocious Nero raised persecution against Christians, when these innocent sufferers were accused of setting fire to Rome, when Christians were sewn up in animal skins and thrown in to be mauled, and others were wrapped in flammable substances and set aflame, making living torches out of them in the Roman gardens; at that time, when this terrible life began, which was to baptize the newborn Church of Christ with blood, when paganism reveled in this blood of the sons of God, at that time the great Paul was languishing in a Roman prison. Christians were hunted down to turn the people’s revenge on them for burning Rome; at the head of the accusers stood the emperor himself, whom popular rumor blamed for the burning of the city; one sympathetic glance at St. Paul, a conversation with him, visiting him in prison could betray St. Luke’s Christian beliefs and expose him to the terrible fate of being tortured.

At that time, everyone abandoned the aging and ailing imprisoned Apostle, whose heart longed for comfort and fellowship with loved ones, but St. Luke didn’t abandon him—his devoted St. Luke, the beloved physician, to whom it now fell to heal the spiritual anxieties of the great Apostle. Here is what St. Paul writes to St. Timothy, another of his closest and beloved disciples: For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand… Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me… [Everyone] hath forsaken me… Only Luke is with me (2 Tim. 4:6, 9-10). Thus, in all the misfortunes and bitter tribulations of the great St. Paul, the noble companionship, loyal devotion, and unchanging love of his disciple St. Luke was for him a constant consolation, and unceasing earthly joy.

He, St. Luke, became the biographer for St. Paul, without writing a single word about himself. Finally, according to the testimony of ancient tradition, he sealed his devotion and love for his teacher in Rome with his death. He perfectly assimilated his teaching, thought with his thoughts, spoke with his words, such that for a long time his Gospel was called either by his name or the name of St. Paul, without any differentiation.

Tell me now, is this not a model of a student in which all teachers of all times can rejoice and whom the best disciples of any school can imitate? And take St. Luke, dear students, as a model for your relationship to your mentors and teachers and to your school in general. And above all, learn, on the one hand, humility and modesty in judging yourself, your knowledge, your successes, your abilities, and on the other hand, respect and honor for the school that educates you. Know that just as a well-fed man doesn’t think about food, so the proud man doesn’t think about his improvement; and in the matter of mental and moral development, a man who doesn’t move forward inevitably moves backwards.

You came here to study, not to teach: Trust your directors, give them your heart, obey the school’s requirements, and don’t debate about them arrogantly. There’s nothing easier than to condemn and blame, but how often this reveals the deepest ignorance and misunderstanding! Remember that the school’s educational system didn’t appear yesterday—it is justified by experience and is entirely conceived and calculated for your benefit. Remember, blessed are the poor in spirit, that is, the humble; that only those who hunger and thirst for truth will be satisfied with it.

With this attitude to the school, we will all be like one big family—friendly, cohesive, strong, and therefore successful in our work. Then, of course, you will protect the honor of the school; you won’t say or do anything to harm it in the eyes of others. Your love for your school will remain with you for your entire life, and believe me, it will greatly benefit you and bring you much consolation both now and in the future. Those who, during their school years, didn’t have love and respect for the school that educated them simply don’t know what a precious gift they have forfeited. Every school, as a living institution, has its own style, its own traditions, its own unique, a sort of mysterious beneficial effect on its students: But this secret is revealed by love and devotion and is hidden from the indifferent and cold, and that’s why people often went out from us, but were not of us (1 Jn. 2:19)—they studied with us, but didn’t make the spirit of the institution their own.

Love for your school will help you successfully learn what it presents to you now, and in the future—to remain faithful to the precepts that it inspired in you in your school years. It’s not for me, being younger in age and less experienced among your family of teachers and educators, to define the spirit and precepts of our school, but they’re well-known: The secret lies in acquiring and assimilating them, and this mystery is, I repeat, revealed by love and devotion.

Religiosity and hard work—this is what our school bequeaths to its students; these are what it considers to be necessary conditions for the success of your endeavors in the present and a pledge of happiness and tranquility and success in the future. Keep these covenants, die with them. How hard it is, even to the point of tears, to see a young man leave us full of strength, inspiring great hope, and after some time we meet him again, only now he is no stranger to vice, indifferent to our holy faith, almost incapable of work! This is a sure sign that the young man didn’t have love and devotion to our school while he was studying here. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so quickly lost his best gifts; he wouldn’t have been so weak when faced with temptations and trials. There is great creative and saving power in love!

May you have the living image of the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke before your eyes. By his meekness, obedience, love, and devotion, he gained the love of his first Teacher—the Lord and Savior Himself, and through this he comprehended His holy teaching, which is left to us in his Gospel. He was a beloved disciple and friend of his teacher, St. Paul, and entered into the spirit of the great Apostle through his love for him. Like him, may everything with you also be done with love. Then, through love and devotion to our school and its work, you will learn all the best things it can give you!

Amen.

St. Wolfgang of Ratisbon was born around the year 934, in southwestern Germany. As a member of the nobility, he received private tutoring, and went on to study at the Monastery of Reichenau and Wurtzburg. 

In 956, his school friend Henry was sent to lead the Archdiocese of Trier. Wolfgang, tired of monastic life, followed Henry, and took up a teaching position in the school at the cathedral. After Archbishop Henry died in 964, Wolfgang joined the Order of St. Benedict, and went to live in a monastery at Augsburg. Under his direction, the school flourished, and he was ordained in 968. 

A few years later, Wolfgang was sent to evangelize the Magyars. He was quickly chosen to be the bishop of Ratisbon, but even as Bishop, Wolfgang lived as a monk, wearing his Benedictine habit and shunning worldly pleasures. He spent a great deal of time praying in solitude. 

In his reforms, Wolfgang focused on monasticism and reviving religious life, on giving to the poor, and educating the children of the Duke, including the boy who would go on to become Holy Roman Emperor St. Henry II. 

Although he enacted many reforms, Wolfgang struggled with the sheer size of his diocese, and eventually handed some of his parishes to the Bishop of nearby Prague. He ran into political conflicts as well, even leaving his diocese to live in a hermitage for a short while.

In 994, Wolfgang was in Pupping, Austria when he fell ill and died. He was canonized less than 100 years later, after many miracles and healings were reported at his tomb. He is a patron saint of stomach troubles, stroke and paralysis victims, and carpenters.