| John Anthony McGuckin Myrobletes Saints JOHN A. MCGUCKIN The term Myrobletes derives from the Greek for “emitting myrrh.” It describes a category of saint (and sometimes designates an icon, too – such as that of Christ, or the Virgin, or one of the saints) whose relics emit a sweetly and gently fragranced oil after their death. These relics (often but not solely the skull) are frequently kept separately in the catacombs (many examples are preserved in the Kiev Pechersky Lavra, for example, or at Mount Athos) and can be recognized as such by the dark brown character of the bone. The perfumed oil is not always emitted, but is so on a regular basis, and often across many generations. If a perfume only is emitted (such as on the occasion of the opening of a grave of a saint) it is technically called Euodia. The perfume from the phenomenon of myrobletes relics is quite unmistakeable when experienced, and is widely taken in the Orthodox Church as a sign of the great sanctity of the saint in question, and their bestowal of blessing on those who have come to venerate them in pilgrimage. Shrines of the Myrobletes saints are frequent sites of Orthodox pilgrimage, where pilgrims gather to seek the saint’s intercession and cures, for themselves or for family members. An icon can become a Myrobletes if it starts to emit perfume, oil, or tears. This phenomenon is often a temporary one. It is widely understood in Orthodoxy to mean that the sacred figure whom the icon depicts is giving a special blessing, or drawing attention to some notable thing transpiring, or delivering a warning to the faithful. The most notable of myrrh-gushing icons is perhaps the (Myroblitissa) icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God in the Malevi convent in Arcadia. Throughout the history of the Orthodox Church such things have been extensively recorded, understood as thaumata’(or signs to cause “wonderment” and spiritual reflection), and are still a regular feature of Orthodox life. The most famous of the Myrobletes saints is perhaps St. Dimitrios of Thessalonike, the Great Martyr. St. Charbal (Makhlouf), the 19th-century Maronite saint, is perhaps the most famous of the 20th-century Myrobletes, whose perfumed myron accounted for numerous cures all over the world, making his shrine in Lebanon one of the great pilgrimage sites of the Middle East in recent times. SEE ALSO: Anointing of the Sick; Healing; Icons; Unmercenary Saints REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS Thurston, H. (1952) The Physical Phenomena of Mysticism. Chicago: Regnery. Читать далее Источник: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity/John Anthony McGuckin - Maldin : John Wiley; Sons Limited, 2012. - 862 p. Поделиться ссылкой на выделенное |
| Statistics from Britain " s national happiness index have suggested that Christians are among the happiest people in the nation, while those who don " t identify with any particular religion generally scored the lowest life satisfaction numbers. The Office for National Statistics posted numbers pertaining to several happiness and life satisfaction questions measured between April 2012 and March 2015. The study, released Tuesday, found that Christians, with all denominations grouped together, reported an average mean of life satisfaction at 7.60. This was the highest mean in the table, alongside Hindus, who also posted the same number. The groups with the lowest average score were the non-religious at 7.41, and the " any other religion " group, at 7.31. When it came to the question of whether life is worthwhile, Jews and Christians were on an average most likely to answer yes, at 7.90 and 7.86 mean respectively. The non-religious were at the lowest end of the scale, with a 7.58 mean. Similar results were also marked in the general happiness question, with Hindus and Christians scoring the highest average means, at 7.57 and 7.47 respectively. Once again the non-religious had the lowest number, at 7.22. The detailed survey, which had a sample size of 304,740 people, explored the questions in a variety of other categories as well, including geographic locations within the U.K., age groups and health status. The statistics showed that the 65 to 79 age group was the happiest of all, while those aged 45 to 59 reported the lowest levels of life satisfaction. As for the religious group results, Dr. Paul McLaren, a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospitals, said that faith can indeed be a protective factor for many people. " With it usually comes strong social support which is a recognized protective factor against psychological trauma, " McLaren said, according to The Telegraph . Other studies in the past, such as a December 2014 release by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture, have also found that there is a strong link between happiness and religion. The results found that 45 percent of those who attend church weekly would describe themselves as " very happy, " while only 28 percent of those who never attend said the same. On the other end of the scale, 4 percent of those who never attend church said they were " very unhappy, " compared to 2 percent of those that attend weekly. " Greater levels of church attendance predict higher life satisfaction even when we account for how important religious faith is in people " s lives, " the study said at the time. " This result offers tentative evidence that actual integration into a religious support network through attendance at religious services may in part be responsible for the increased happiness observed among religious people. " The Christian Post 4 февраля 2016 г. Смотри также Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Christ the Saviour Cathedral ( Храм Христа Спасителя) is the mother cathedra or see of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate, whose current primate is His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia. The cathedral is located on the north bank of the Moskva River to the immediate southwest of the capital’s Kremlin fortress, where, inside the Dormition Cathedral (Uspenskiy Sobor) all Russian tsars and tsarinas have been crowned and anointed. Christ the Saviour is the tallest Orthodox cathedral in the world, standing at 103 metres (338 feet) above the pavement. The main sanctuary (temple) can fit over 10,000 standing worshipers. Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Moscow. On Christmas Day in 1812, Russian Imperial forces drove the last of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grand Army off of Russian territory — once 600,000 men strong, now a mere 20-30,000 remained. In thanksgiving, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Alexander I (1777-1825, r. 1801-1825) signed a Manifesto ordering the construction of a magnificent Cathedral in honor of Christ the Savior in Moscow as a thanksgiving to God and to honor the victorious Russian army. The Emperor’s Manifesto reads, in part: To signify Our gratitude to Divine Providence for saving Russia from the doom that overshadowed Her and to preserve the memory of the unheard of efforts, loyalty and love for our Faith and Homeland displayed during these difficult days by the Russian people, We hereby intend to build a Cathedral in honor of Christ the Saviour in our capital city of Moscow, wherein the appropriate Decree will be issued in due time. May the Almighty bless Our intentions. May our intentions be fulfilled. May the Cathedral stand for many centuries. Let the incense of thanksgiving, together with love and a desire to imitate the feats of our anscestoral feats, burn before the holy altar of God for many generations. After over 40 years of initial construction paid for by donations from across the Russian Empire and with imperial patronage, the cathedral was first consecrated on 26 May 1883 in the presence of Emperor Alexander III and senior members of the Imperial Family along with numerous Church and foreign dignitaries. Demolished on Soviet dictator Stalin’s orders on 5 December 1931, the site was initially envisioned to hold a colossal monument to Marxist-Leninism, a gaudy skyscraper called the “Palace of Soviets” raised to the memory of Lenin. Here is a brief video showing the cathedral’s destruction. |
| St. Mary Magdalene Church under construction in Madrid has its cupola and cross blessed Madrid, February 12, 2013 On February 7, 2013, Bishop Nestor of Chersonese blessed the first cupola and the cross for St. Mary Magdalene church under construction in Madrid, the website of the Diocese of Chersonese reports. Present at the service were Russian Ambassador Yu, Korchagin, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, V. Yakunin, President of the Russian Rail-Ways company, V. Chernyshev, director of the Transsoyuz charity, and Carlos Palacio Oriol, president of the Spanish Talgo company, which has confirmed its readiness to support the construction of the church. A Parish of St. Mary Magdalene was founded in 1761 in Madrid. It existed till 1882. In the post-war time, a domestic chapel dedicated to St. Empress Alexandra functioned in the house of the Russian imperial family. In 2001, a Parish of the Nativity of Christ was founded there. Services were held at the former furniture production facility. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a Foundation of the Nativity of Christ was registered with the Spanish Ministry of Culture. It was led by the rector of the parish, Rev. Andrey Kordochkin. The Board of Patrons included Archbishop Mark of Yegorievsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s office for institutions abroad, Bishop Nestor of Chersonese and Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, who lives in Madrid. The official permission to build the church was granted on October 5, 2011. In Autumn 2011, Archbishop Mark of Yegorievsk and Bishop Nestor of Chersonese blessed the foundation stone of the future church, and the construction work began. In Autumn 2012, Patriarch Kirill gave his blessing upon the dedication of the new church to St. Mary Magdalene Equal-to-the-Apostles so that continuity could be restored with the parish that existed in the Spanish capital in the 19 th century. According to the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate, the construction work is expected to be completed in April 2013. In addition to the Church, the parish compound includes administration facilities, a refectory, classrooms for children and housing for the clergy. DECR Communication Service 12 февраля 2013 г. ... Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Tweet Нравится Greatmartyr James the Persian Commemorated on November 27 Photo: http://days.pravoslavie.ru/ The Holy Great Martyr James the Persian (the Sawn-Asunder) was born in the fourth century into a pious Christian family, both wealthy and illustrious. His wife was also a Christian, and the couple raised their children in piety, inspiring in them a love for prayer and the Holy Scriptures. James occupied a high position at the court of the Persian emperor Izdegerd (399-420) and his successor Barakhranes (420-438). But on one of the military campaigns James, seduced by the emperor’s beneficence, was afraid to acknowledge himself a Christian, and so he offered sacrifice to idols with the emperor. Learning of this, James’ mother and wife wrote him a letter, in which they rebuked him and urged him to repent. Receiving the letter, James realized the gravity of his sin. Faced with the horror of being cut off not only from his family, but also from God Himself, he began to weep loudly, imploring the Lord for forgiveness. His fellow-soldiers, hearing him pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, reported this to the emperor. Under interrogation, Saint James bravely confessed his faith in the one True God. No amount of urging by the emperor could make him renounce Christ. The emperor then ordered the saint to be put to death. They began to cut off his fingers and his toes one by one, then his hands and his feet, and then his arms and legs. During the prolonged torture Saint James offered prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord, Who had granted him the possibility of redemption from his sins by enduring these terrible torments. Finally, the martyr was beheaded. Christians gathered up the pieces of his body and buried them with great reverence. Troparion — Tone 4 You astounded all, long-suffering James, by enduring horrible tortures with great patience./As the evil assembly performed the slaughter,/you uttered prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord./Through your sufferings you received your crown,/and came to the throne of the heavenly King, Christ God./Entreat Him to save our souls! Kontakion — Tone 2 You listened to your faithful wife/and contemplated the judgment of God, holy James;/you despised the threats and commands of the Persians,/accepting the cutting of your body as though you were a vine./Therefore you were revealed as a martyr worthy of honor. The Orthodox Church in America 7 декабря 2016 г. Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Предыдущий Следующий © 1999-2016 Православие.Ru При перепечатке ссылка на Православие.Ru обязательна Контактная информация Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Metropolitan Onuphry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina elected as new head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kiev, August 13, 2014 On August 13 the results of elections of the new Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine have been announced, reports the website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. By decision of the Council of Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Locum Tenens of the Metropolitanate of Kiev Metropolitan Onuphry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina has been elected as the new primate of UOC (the Moscow Patriarchate). 48 bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church voted in favor of him. The elections have been held in two rounds. After the first round, the leaders’ collected votes tallied: Metropolitan Onuphry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina – 36, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary – 24, Metropolitan Simeon of Vinnitsa and Mogilev-Podolsky – 9. Metropolitan Onuphry was born on November 5, 1944 in Chernovtsy Region in the family of a clergyman. He took monastic vows in 1971 and in 1988 graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a degree in theology. In 1988 he was appointed Father-Superior of the Dormition Pochayev Lavra where he served until November 1990. On December 9, 1990, he was consecrated Bishop of Chernovtsy and Bukovina. In 1994 he was raised to the rank of archbishop, and in 2000, to the rank of metropolitan. The Russian Orthodox Church has welcomed the election of Metropolitan Onuphry and is expecting him to perform his peacekeeping mission successfully, reports Interfax-Religion. " We welcome the election of the new leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, " Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, the secretary for the inter-Orthodox relations at the Synodal Department for External Church Relations, told Interfax-Religion. " The Bishops Council has demonstrated unity, which is particularly important amidst what is happening in Ukraine, " said Father Igor. He also stressed that Metropolitan Onuphry " is well known for his spiritual qualities—he is a man of fervent prayer and a true monk. " " We hope that under his leadership, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will successfully perform its peacekeeping mission aimed at resolving the situation in the country, " the priest said. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has confirmed the decision of the Council of Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and has given Metropolitan Onuphry his patriarchal blessing to assume the office of primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports the press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. 13 августа 2014 г. Смотри также Комментарии Francisco Hernandez Gamboa 14 августа 2014, 05:00 Me permito felicitar a la nueva cabeza de la Iglesia Ortodoxa en Ucrania,que Dios nuestro secor lo siga guiando en este muy dificil momento por el que pasa ese Pais,Dios lo bendiga. Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Archive His Holiness Patriarch Kirill opens first session of the Holy Synod in Yekaterinburg 14 July 2018 year 09:43 On 14 July 2018, at the ‘Tsarsky’ Religious and Educational Centre in Yekaterinburg near the Memorial Church on-the-Blood in honour of All the Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land, a session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church began under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church opened the meeting, saying: “I cordially greet the permanent and the temporary members of the Holy Synod! “For the first time a session of the Holy Synod is held in Yekaterinburg. It was through the efforts of Vladyka Vikenty that this building was constructed as a possible residence of the Patriarch and a venue for the sessions of the Holy Synod, and today we hold the first meeting in this building. “We arrived in Yekaterinburg to commemorate a tragic jubilee – the centenary of the martyrdom of the Royal family. The programme of our visit to the land of Yekaterinburg will include many events. We will have an opportunity to pray both in Alapayevsk and in Yekaterinburg, and to lead a procession with the cross to the monastery in Ganina Yama, devoting these days to commemorating one of the gravest pages in our national history. “Hereby I am opening a regular session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.” The permanent members of the Holy Synod are Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine; Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and All Moldova; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the Metropolitan area in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Metropolitan area of Central Asia; Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavsk, Patriarchal Exarch for All Belarus; and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations. Summoned for the summer session (March-August) are Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and Crimea, Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsk, Archbishop Matfey of Anadyr and Chukotka, Bishop Alexander of Daugavpils and Rzekne, and Bishop Nestor of Korsun. Patriarchal Press Service Календарь ← 7 April 2024 year |
| Metropolitan Agathangel speaks out against the gay parade in Odessa Odessa, August 13, 2015 Metropolitan Agathangel of Odessa and Izmayil together with other leaders of Christian churches of Odessa has called upon the local authority to prevent holding of the “pride parade” that was planned by the city’s LGBT-community, reports Pravlife . To what extent the authorities heeded his call or acted on exclusively on their own judgment is not known, but the parade was in fact banned. “Since the city administration has given its permission to hold a gay parade as part of the “Odessa – Pride 2015” festival on August 14-16, we the leaders and representatives of Christian churches of Odessa believe it is our duty to react and to express our clear stand on this matter (shared by all churches of Odessa),” the appeal, sent to the Mayor of Odessa Gennady Trukhanov, reads. The Odessa religious leaders stress their support of the traditional family values, which mean union only between a man and a woman. The signers of the petition are convinced that public events organized by supporters of same-sex relations undermine the foundation of family and marriage, while a society that accepts homosexuality will inevitably die out. “Homosexuality kills true love and gives rise to animosity, it leads to an inevitable personal degradation and is a source of many diseases, including incurable ones. Homosexuality is a sin,” the authors of the document note. That is why the Odessa religious leaders consider that holding of a gay parade would be “inappropriate, beyond common sense, and dishonor of the city’s reputation”. “We realize that the views of the LGBT-community are their personal choice. However, the propaganda and imposition of anti-Biblical and anti-traditional beliefs are intolerable and lead to the destruction of our society,” the Church representatives accentuate. “In accordance with the above-mentioned, we address you with the request to prevent the announced event in Odessa in order to preserve peace among the residents and guests of our city,” the document’s authors said in conclusion. Copies of the document signed by Metropolitan Agathangel and other Odessa’s religious leaders were also sent out to the Odessa region’s Governor Mikheil Saakashvili, head of the Security Service of the Ukraine Vasily Gritsak, and chief of the Odessa regional police Georgy Lordkipanidze. 17 августа 2015 г. Смотри также Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Tweet Нравится Christian Family from Syria Being Held in Detention Camp in U.S. Source: ChristianHeadlines.com December 18, 2015 A Christian family who left Syria for the U.S. has been in a detention camp for more than a month. According to Christian Today, Samer and his family left Syria to come to Texas just days after the Paris attacks. The family was taken to an immigration center near San Antonio. Samer has a wife and two sons, ages 2 and 5. " My very small children are in prison, " Samer told reporters. " I had no idea that the political climate was so against Syrian refugees. If I had known that it was so terrible here I wouldn " t have brought my family. " Christian Today reports that the family has undergone a background check but are not security threats. “They have followed every rule, completed every step in the process that results in asylum seekers being released to live with their families and told to report to court, but they are being treated differently ... the saddest thing about these cases is that these people fled from a government that singled them out because of who they were – Christians,” said Jonathan Ryan, their attorney. “They came to our country seeking protection only to find that we are doing the same thing because of their national origin.” The debate over refugee immigration into the U.S. has continued to grow. About half of the governors in the U.S. have said they oppose settling Syrian refugees in their states. U.S. evangelical leaders released a statement this week saying that “voices of fear” cannot dictate immigration policy. " Moments like these are when Christians cannot remain silent and still. In light of this crisis, we commit ourselves and our churches to actively care for and minister to global refugees with mercy and compassion, both here and abroad, based on God " s compelling concern for all people in need and especially refugees. " ChristianHeadlines.com 21 декабря 2015 г. Предыдущий Следующий Смотри также Bulgarian Orthodox Church Tells Government: Don’t Admit More Refugees Bulgarian Orthodox Church Tells Government: Don’t Admit More Refugees The Bulgarian Orthodox Church indicated that its view was that accepting more refugees from the Middle East could threaten Christianity in the country and even put at risk the existence of Bulgaria as a state. Belgrade Opens Haven For Refugee Mothers And Children Belgrade Opens Haven For Refugee Mothers And Children Serbia opened a second and Belgrade its first haven for refugee mothers and children, where they will be able to have some rest and assistance from social workers, health visitors, kindergarten teachers and translators, on Tuesday. 10,000 Syrian Refugees Headed for the United States 10,000 Syrian Refugees Headed for the United States World Relief says US churches are ready to assist refugees after Obama approves major increase for 2016. Комментарии © 1999-2015 Православие.Ru |
| Сети богословия Тема недели: Почитание мощей в православии Статья Статья Статья Статья Статья Статья Статья Статья Статья Статья Мнение Мнение Статья Статья Статья Новые материалы 1 января 18 сентября 2019 In this talk, first given at the annual Orthodox pilgrimage to the monastery of Barking, England, Fr Alexander Tefft examines the long history of Barking Abbey, a monastery that played an important role in the life of the English Church. He describes the saints connected with the abbey, and poses the question: for Orthodox Christians, living in an increasingly multi-ethnic society, what is the real England? 12 ноября 2012 This book is the first exploration of the remarkable odyssey of Thomas Aquinas in the Orthodox Christian world, from the Byzantine to the modern era. Aquinas was received with astonishing enthusiasm across the Byzantine theological spectrum. By contrast, modern Orthodox readings of Aquinas have been resoundingly negative, routinely presenting Aquinas as the archetype of as a specifically Western form of theology against which the Orthodox East must set its face. Basing itself primarily on a close study of the Byzantine reception of Thomas, this study rejects such hackneyed dichotomies, arguing instead for a properly catholic or universal construal of Orthodoxy – one in which Thomas might once again find a place. In this essay, written as a submission to the Theological Committee of the Episcopal Assembly of Orthodox Bishops for Great Britain and Ireland, Fr Gregory Hallam examines the role of the diaconate in the Orthodox Church today in the light of its historical development, and calls for its renewal for the benefit of the Church and the world. Fr Gregory is Dean of the Antiochian Orthodox Deanery of the United Kingdom and Ireland. 9 августа 2012 SYRIA: Sustaining faith amid the fighting 6 июля 2012 События 4 июля 2012 The Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, has sent a congratulatory message to Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, spiritual father of the Community of St. Egidio, on the occasion of his appointment as President of the Pontifical Council for the Family and elevation to the rank of archbishop. Below is the text of the message. |
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