| Countless miracles occurred at the relics of St. Aidan after his repose. First he was buried in a grave on Lindisfarne and soon afterward his relics were translated to the main monastery church of Lindisfarne. In the 660s a portion of his relics was translated by St. Colman of Lindisfarne to his native Ireland. In 793, Vikings plundered the monastery on Lindisfarne, which is why a portion of St. Aidan’s relics in the early ninth century was translated far to the southeast: to the famous Glastonbury monastery. From that time veneration of St. Aidan (who was widely venerated throughout northern England and Scotland) extended to Mercia or central England. It is quite possible that his relics were also kept on Iona in Scotland. In a word, the veneration of the holy hierarch became national. As for Lindisfarne, the raids of Norwegians and Danes on England and Scotland in the ninth century became frequent and nearly permanent, so that monastic life on the Holy Island stopped until the eleventh century, when a Catholic priory was founded there in about 1093. This monastery existed till the Reformation and was dissolved in the 1530s. Now only ruins survive of the monastery. St. Aidan " s Church in Billinge, Merseyside. Tireless in his preaching of the Gospel, St. Aidan is truly one of the most beloved early saints of England and Scotland, he is often called “the Father of Northumbria” or “the Father of Northumbrian monasticism.” Owing to St. Aidan along with the holy kings Oswald and Oswin, the kingdom of Northumbria became a spiritual stronghold of the Anglo-Saxon lands. The saint’s activities yielded considerable results. St. Bede loved Aidan and appreciated him for his love of prayer, wisdom, peacefulness, purity, humility, and care for the sick and needy. Bede even pointed to the example of Aidan in order to reprimand some of the negligent bishops of his age. Let us note that Aidan was an adherent of Irish practices in the ascetic life and the preaching of the Word of God. There were two active Christian missions at the time of St. Aidan: the so-called Roman Orthodox mission consisting of disciples and successors of St. Augustine of Canterbury in the south and the Celtic mission of St. Aidan and (later) his disciples in the north, which quickly moved further to the south, to Mercia and other regions. Thanks to both these missions, all England was brought to Christ within a relatively short period of time; and later in the same seventh century such saints as Cuthbert of Lindisfarne united in themselves the “Roman” and “Celtic” traditions—the contemplative ascetic life with brilliant practical abilities. Remarkably, adherents of both (Roman and Celtic) Orthodox traditions —which, it should be said, did not contradict each other, but, rather, supplemented each other—respected Aidan and admired him for his inexhaustible missionary works. |
| The great spiritual abilities of the young monk were evidenced in the Church reading and singing. He was musically talented and possessed a voice that “in church singing and reading was like that of a swallow and wondrously harmonious, delighting the hearing of listeners, as much as anyone anywhere.” St Paphnutius made Joseph ecclesiarch in church, so that he would observe the fulfilling of the Church rule. Joseph spent about seventeen years in the monastery of St Paphnutius. The strict efforts of monastic obedience under the direct guidance of the experienced abbot was for him an excellent spiritual schooling, having educated him into a future instructor and guide of monastic life. Towards the end of the life of St Paphnutius, Joseph was ordained hieromonk and, in accord with the final wishes of St Paphnutius, he was appointed Igumen of the Borov monastery. St Joseph decided to transform the monastic life along strictly coenobitic principles, following the example of the Kiev Caves, Trinity-St Sergius, and St Cyril of White Lake monasteries. But this met with strong opposition from a majority of the brethren. Only seven pious monks were of one mind with the igumen. St Joseph decided to visit Russian coenobitic monasteries, to investigate the best arrangement for monastic life. He arrived together with the Elder Gerasimus at the St Cyril of White Lake monastery, which itself presented a model of strict asceticism on the principles of a coenobitic monastery rule. His acquaintance with the life of these monasteries strengthened St Joseph’s views. But, after he returned to Borov monastery at the wish of the prince, St Joseph encountered again the former staunch resistance of the brethren to change from their customary rule. Therefore, he resolved to found a new monastery with a strict coenobitic rule, so he took seven like-minded monks to Volokolamsk, his native region, to a forest known to him since childhood. In Volokolamsk at the time, the prince was Boris Vasilievich, the pious brother of Great Prince Ivan III. Hearing of the virtuous life of the great ascetic Joseph, he gladly received him and allowed him to settle on the outskirts of his principality, at the confluence of the Rivers Struga and Sestra. The selection of this spot was accompanied by a remarkable occurrence: a storm blew down the trees before the eyes of the astonished travelers, as though clearing the place for the future monastery. Here the ascetics set up a cross and built a wooden church in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God in June 1479, which was consecrated on August 15, 1479. This day and year stand in history as the date of the founding of the monastery of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God as “volok’ lamsk” [“broken-up peninsula”], later named after its founder. |
| St. Raphael of Brooklyn – born in Lebanon to Syrian parents, educated both in Damascus and Russia, 1st Bishop consecrated in America (by St. Tikhon), served as auxiliary bishop of Russian Church, based in Brooklyn, traveled constantly serving the Arab Orthodox throughout North America (visited St. George Church in Vicksburg!) St. Alexis Toth – married Uniate Greek Catholic priest in Slovakia, he came to America as a missionary priest after his wife’s repose, the Latin bishop refused to receive him, he knew his heritage was Orthodox and had considered conversion before and so now he entered the Russian Orthodox Church in America, through his ministry over 20,000 uniates were re-united with the Orthodox Church Hieromartyr St. John Kochurov – married Russian priest who came to America as a missionary in 1895, served in Chicago, built the parish and founded other parishes in the Chicago area, translated texts into English, returned to Russia in 1907, martyred by Bolsheviks in October 1917 becoming the protohieromartyr (1st priest martyr)of the Soviet yoke St. John Maximovitch, Wonderworker – life is far to amazing to detail here, spent the last years of his life as Archbishop of San Francisco (1962-1966) and was known far and wide even during his lifetime as a holy man and great worker of miracles St. Nikolai Velimirovich – came to America from Communist Yugoslavia as a refugee in 1946 (spent time in Dachau, imprisoned and tortured by Nazis), ended his life as rector of St. Tikhon’s Seminary in 1956 Lesser known (4) Hieromartyr St. Basil Martysz of Poland – married Polish priest who was a missionary in North America from 1900 to 1912, was in charge of Orthodox affairs for Polish army for 25 years, martyred in closing days of WW2 by bandits who tortured and killed him in 1945 St. Seraphim of Uglich – Russian monastic priest who was a missionary under St. Tikhon from 1902-1908 where he served as a teacher, deacon, and priest, consecrated bishop of Uglich in 1920, refused to cooperate with the Bolsheviks to form a new Synod, eventually exiled in 1928 from which he never returned (possibly martyred in 1937) |
| The years passed. The monastery flourished with the construction work and efforts of St Joseph, and as he got old, he prepared himself for life eternal. Before his end he received the Holy Mysteries, then summoned all the brethren. He gave them his peace and blessing, and peacefully fell asleep in the Lord on September 9, 1515. The funeral oration to St Joseph was composed by his nephew and disciple, the monk Dositheus Toporkov. The first Life of the saint was written in the 1540s by a disciple of St Joseph, Bishop Sava the Black of Krutitsa, with the blessing of Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow and all Rus (+ 1564). It entered into the Great MENAION Readings compiled by Macarius. A second redaction of the Life was written by the Russified Bulgarian writer Lev the Philolog with the assistance of St Zenobius of Otensk (October 30). Local celebration of St Joseph was established at the Volokolamsk monastery in December of 1578, on the hundred year anniversary of the founding of the monastery. On June 1, 1591, the church-wide celebration of his memory was established under Patriarch Job. St Job, a disciple of the Volokolamsk saint, tonsured St Germanus of Kazan, and was a great admirer of St Joseph and was author of the Service to him, which was included in the MENAION. Another disciple of Sts Germanus and Barsanuphius was also the companion and successor to Patriarch Job, the Hieromartyr Patriarch Hermogenes (February 17), a spiritual leader of the Russian people in the struggle for liberation under the Polish incursion. The theological works of St Joseph comprise an undeniable contribution within the treasury of the Orthodox Tradition. As with all Church writings inspired by the grace of the Holy Spirit, they continue to be a source of spiritual life and knowledge, and they have their own theological significance and pertinence. St Joseph’s chief book was written in sections. Its original form, completed at the time of the 1503-1504 councils, included eleven sections. In the final redaction, compiled after the death of the saint and involving a tremendous quantity of scrolls, The Book against the Heretics or The Enlightener includes sixteen sections, prefaced by An Account of the Newly-Appeared Heresies. The first section expounds the Church teaching about the teaching of the Most Holy Trinity; the second, about Jesus Christ, the True Messiah; the third, about the significance within the Church of the prophecies of the Old Testament; the fourth, about the Incarnation of God; the fifth through seventh, about the veneration of icons. In the eighth through tenth sections, St Joseph expounds on the fundamentals of Christian eschatology. The eleventh section is devoted to monasticism. In the twelfth the ineffectiveness of the anathemas and sanctions imposed by heretics is demonstrated. The final four sections consider methods of the Church’s struggle with the heretics, and the means for their correction and repentance. |
| The Life of St. Seraphim of Sarov: A Musical Tribute A Conversation with Robert Sirico of the Orthodox Christian Music Project Jesse Dominick , Robert Sirico Robert Sirico is the founder of and composer for the Orthodox Christian Music Project (OCMP) which has as its purpose " proclaiming the eternal truth through sacred music. " The OCMP was founded in the summer of 2009 when Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff, Rector of St. John the Theologian Orthodox Church in Shirley, NY commissioned a sacred composition to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the sounding of St. John’s church, which was premiered on December 5th, 2009 on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas. Since that time, Robert, a professional educator and the choir director at St. John's who has been a student of music for twenty years, has been studying advanced composing techniques under the tutelage of Dr. Nicholas Reeves, who is the conductor and artistic director for the OCMP. Since September 2012 Robert has been diligently and patiently working on his most ambitious project yet —a cantata in honor of the great Russian elder, St. Seraphim of Sarov. Incorporating official liturgical hymns as well as new hymnographic-style compositions, this piece, a first of its kind, seeks to vivify several scenes from the life of St. Seraphim through the rich spiritual heritage of the Russian Orthodox musical tradition. Robert has known the blessing of St. Seraphim in his own life, which inspired him to undertake this artistic journey. In his communications with OrthoChristian.com, Robert's love for St. Seraphim and for our Lord Jesus Christ, and his zeal for sharing the riches of Orthodox Christianity with the public and especially the younger generations whom he educates has been palpable and inspiring. In honor of the Uncovering of the Relics of St. Seraphim, commemorated on July 19/August 1, Robert shared more of his personal history with St. Seraphim and the course of his work on this devotional cantata in an email interview with OrthoChristian.com: |
| Nevertheless, the ancient, apostolic and biblical practice of baptizing infants and children has been challenged by some in recent times. Let us look at the background and arguments of this debate before we turn to what it means for the Orthodox Church to baptize children. BACKGROUND Infant baptism was not controversial in the Church during the first two centuries after Christ. St. Polycarp described himself as having been in devoted service to Christ for 86 years in a manner that would clearly indicate a childhood baptism. Pliny describes with amazement that children belong to the Christian cult in just the same way as do the adults. St. Justin Martyr tells of the “many men and women who have been disciples of Christ from childhood.” St. Irenaeus of Lyon wrote about “all who are born again in God, the infants, and the small children . . . and the mature.” St. Hippolytus insisted that “first you should baptize the little ones . . . but for those who cannot speak, their parents should speak or another who belongs to their family.” The first recorded opposition to the practice comes from Tertullian in the third century. He objected to the practice of baptizing infants because of the heretical idea that sin after baptism was nearly unforgivable. His dissention should be understood within the larger debates of his day, centered around perceived laxity in church morals and government. Many of the greatest Fathers of the third and fourth centuries were not baptized until they were adults, despite having been born to Christian parents. Among them were St. Basil the Great, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome. The later baptism of these men reflects a larger crisis in the newly legalized Church under St. Constantine. One reason postponing baptism became popular was the desire of some Christians to counteract the new wave of baptisms of pagans wishing only to belong to the faith of their emperor. While not yet a requirement of Roman loyalty or citizenship, baptism ensured that one was on the right side of Rome. Postponing baptism emphasized the significance of the rite, and was an attempt to preserve the genuineness of the life for which baptism served as the initiation. Postponement had nothing to do with the validity of a child’s baptism. Many of those Fathers whose baptism was postponed insisted later on that families baptize their new born children, notably St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose, and St. Cyril of Alexandria. |
| St. Piros of Breti, called the “Divine Image of Repentance,” founded a monastery in Breti, on the bank of the Jvaristsqali River. His holy relics are buried in the church at that monastery. St. Isidore of Samtavisi preached the Christian Faith in Kartli for many years, in accordance with his teacher’s instruction. On the eastern bank of the Rekhula River, he founded Samtavisi Monastery of the Icon of the Savior “Not-Made-By-Hands.” He reposed and was buried at that monastery. St. Tadeos of Stepantsminda first preached in Mtskheta, and later he founded a monastery at the foot of Zedazeni Mountain. After St. Ioane’s repose, St. Tadeos continued to preach throughout Kartli and erected many new churches. Among them, the Church of the Protomartyr Stephen in Urbnisi is a glorious example. Near the end of his life St. Tadeos withdrew to a cave at Tsleva Mountain not far from the city of Kaspi. He reposed peacefully and is buried in that place. St. Stepane of Khirsa and his companions preached throughout the region of Kakheti in eastern Georgia. Later St. Stepane founded Khirsa Monastery near Kharnabuji Castle. He is buried in the sanctuary of the Church of the Protomartyr Stephen at Khirsa. St. Zenon of Iqalto preached the Christian Faith in northern Kakheti and founded Iqalto Monastery. He reposed peacefully, after accomplishing many good works on behalf of the true Faith. St. Zenon is buried at Iqalto in the Church of the Icon of the Savior “Not-Made- By-Hands.” St. Mikael of Ulumbo preached the Christian Faith in northern Kartli and Ossetia. He founded a monastery in the Ulumbo area, where his wonder-working relics were later buried. Many Georgian children have been raised at the monasteries founded by the Thirteen Syrian Fathers. For centuries the Divine grace of the holy ascetics has spread among the Georgian people and throughout their land. These monasteries and the holy fathers who founded them continue to protect the Georgian people against all manner of sin and unbelief. |
| Cadfan as Abbot of Bardsey). Perhaps the most amazing relic of Bardsey is its miraculously-surviving 1000-year-old apple-tree which was discovered in 1998. It is twisted because of old age but it is still fruit-bearing. Experts from the National Fruit Collection in Brogdale (Kent) have ascertained that it is a unique and long-forgotten variety—the “Bardsey apple”—which is exactly 1000 years old! The apple is now being successfully spread by grafting. Thus this very apple-tree was looked after by Orthodox monks in the monastic orchard 1,000 years ago, and it is a true miracle that it has stood until today. After the Reformation, some precious relics from Bardsey were rescued and removed to mainland Wales. The first post-Reformation service on Bardsey was held over 300 years after the dissolution. There has been a Methodist chapel on the island since the 1870s. A stained glass image of St. Cadfan (source - Stainedglass.llgc.org.uk) One of the greatest and most venerated “insular saints” of Wales is St. Cadfan (c. 490-c. 542; according to another version: c. 530-590). Other forms of his name are Catamanus and Caiman. According to tradition, the mother of St. Cadfan was the saintly woman named Gwen Teirbron (feast: October 18/31), who reputedly was a sister of St. Nonna, the mother of St. David of Mynyw. St. Gwen may have had other children who are listed among the saints; one of them is St. Cybi . 1 An icon of St. Winwaloe of Landevennec Born either in Brittany or south-eastern Wales, St. Cadfan studied under St. Hywyn of Aberdaron and also probably under his relative, St. Winwaloe of Landevennec. It is possible that the Venerable Paternus (Padarn) of Llanbadarn Fawr was a distant relative of his. Young Cadfan was destined to become one of the first preachers of the Orthodox faith in Wales and one of the chief founders of monasticism in the west of this country. Already as a young man, Cadfan erected churches and established monastic communities in the Finestere and Cotes-d-Armor departements of Brittany and later moved to Wales, and, at the head of a group of ascetic missionaries (among whom was his saintly disciple Maelrhys of Bardsey and others), he proceeded to the west. |
| 712 Подробн, см. у проф. И. Корсунского , Перевод LXX, стр. 354–356; Cremer , Bibl.-theolog. Wörterb. S. 999–1003. 715 Кажется искусственною связь ν τοτ с ν καταγινσκ μν καρδα (проф. А. А. Некрасов , Чтение греческого текста Деяний и посланий апостольских, стр. 28): Что мы от истины и что должны смирять пред ним сердца наши, узнаем потому, если станет зазирать нас сердце наше, потому что Бог больше сердца нашего и знает все . Какое же значение при этом объяснении имеет τι в начале 20 стиха? 716 Проф. И. Корсунский , Перевод LIX, стр. 360; ср. Cremer , Bibl.-theolog. Wörterb., S. 522–529. 718 Необходимость дополнения признана и русским переводом (ср. Труды митрополита.... Филарета по переложению Нового Завета на русский язык, стр. 159–160). 719 Ср. бл . Августин : caritas ipsa gemit, caritas ipsa orat; contra hanc aures claudere non novit, qui illam dedit. 724 Cp. Schultz , Alttestamentliche Theologie, S. 239. 240; Cremer , Bibl.-theol. g. Wörterbuch, S. 979– 980; Grimm , Lexicon graeco-latimim, р. 385. 725 Gerh. Heine, Synonymik des Neutestamentlichen Griechisch, S. 188. Необходимо, впрочем, заметить, что Апостол Иоанн как будто не полагает различия между этими двумя глаголами: ср. Апк. II, 2, где та же мысль выражена посредством περασεν. 726 Св. Иоанн Златоуст , на 1Кор. ч. II, стр. 122. Русск. перев. СПб. 1858. Ср. Διδαχ τν δδεκα ποστλων, XI, 8: ο πς λαλν ν πνεματι προφητης στν. 730 Cremer, Bibl.-theolog. Wörterbuch, S. 871; Grimm , lexicon graeco-latinum, p. 397; проф. И. Корсунский , Перевод LXX, стр. 483; проф. В. Мышцын , Учение Апостола Павла о законе дел и законе веры, стр. 25–30. 732 Прот. С. К. Смирнов , Особен. нов. греч. языка, отри. 26. 27; Grimm , Lexicon graeco-latinum, p. 256; Trench , Synonyms of the N. T., p. 275. 735 Westcott, The Epistles of St. John, Additional Note on IV, 9; p. 169–172; Cremer , Bibl.-theolog. Wörterb., S.230, Grimm , Lexicon graeco-latinum, p. 290. 743 Ни в каком случае μεϑ’ μν не может означать: между Господом и Его последователями (проф. А. А. Некрасов , Чтение греческого текста Деяний и посланий Апостольских, стр. 28). |
| While Moses had to veil his face “because the people were afraid to come near him” ( Ex. 34.30 ), “When a man turns to the Lord, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another” ( 2Cor. 3.17–18 ). The experience uniquely given to Moses in the Old Testament is offered to all Christians. In the passages examined above, Orthodoxy understands the “splendor” or “glory” to be a real light with a physical manifestation, rather than metaphors for inward experiences – even though the light is at the same time supernatural: St. Gregory Palamas cites St. Basil of Caesarea to this effect, making clear that the manifestation of divine light had a specific historical moment which was at the same time an eschatological moment – the apostles on Mount Tabor “Were privileged to see with their eyes a foretaste of his advent” (Palamas 1988:252–3); that is, of his coming in glory at the end of the world. Most closely associated with deification in Orthodox teaching is the transfiguration or metamorphosis: when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, the dazzling light emanating from him was experienced by the three apostles, St. Peter, St. James, and St. John ( Mt. 17.1–8 ; Mk. 9.2–8 ; Lk. 9.28–36 ). On the mountain (in Orthodox tradition, Mount Thabor), Christ was transfigured, shining with a supernatural brilliance ( Mt. 17.1–8 ; Mk. 9.2–8 ; Lk. 9.28–36 ). He manifested God’s glory, the uncreated light, to three chosen disciples. It continued to affect them throughout their lives, transforming them. St. Peter and St. John wrote in their own words, in their epistles, of their experience of the glory, an experience which marks their writings. The persecutor Saul was transformed into St. Paul the apostle through a manifestation of this same uncreated light (Acts 9.3–7; 22.6–8; 26.13–18). The liturgical poetry of the Feast of the Transfiguration bears witness to the historical circumstances of the event. The disciples, especially St. Peter, had been scandalized at the prospect of the Messiah, his master, submitting to death. Christ allowed the divinity to shine through the flesh in order that the disciples might be able to bear the crucifixion, by knowing Christ’s divinity (Ware 1990: 477–88). It brings together the texts relating to the history of salvation, by which God revealed himself to the human race. In the biblical texts for Vespers, the events prefiguring and prophesying the transfiguration are read. They are the texts about Moses and Elijah in which their encounters with the divine glory are narrated (Ware 1990: 472–4; see Ex. 24.12–18; 33.11–23; 34.4–6, 8; I Kgs. 19). |
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