a Unique occasion. Because this Sunday the Church remembers all the saints, born Russia, born not upon the residence of their fathers or national origin, no! Among the Russian saints were immigrants from other countries, and not only Russian – Greeks, Germans, Jews, poles, Tatars… it’s not the origin, not nationality. The fact that they showed us the heroism of sanctity it is on Russian soil, epitomising the best of that great Truth, which embraced Christianity in our homeland. Therefore, the Russian Orthodox Church especially honors the memory of these saints, including their protectors, defenders and patrons of the Russian land. And the point of reference – moral, spiritual – which needs to save the nation. Keep, constantly comparing ourselves with him – to remain a nation, not the biomass of separate individuals concerned with the attainment of momentary well-being.
Surgeon Archbishop Luke Voino-Yasenetsky, now glorified among the saints, saying that if we inner eye surveyed all people who have ever lived on earth and living it all so many souls could be divided into three categories. The first, most numerous group, can be called “people of the land” – those whose main purpose, whose ambitions always directed towards earthly goods. The benefits that man gets from the material world. And here’s the paradox, it does not matter whether a man greedy tycoon-millionaire with just a lucky man or impoverished, his whole life fighting for a piece of bread. Ironically, the success in achieving earthly wealth here does not matter: God looks not on the size of your wallet, It sees the condition of your heart.
a Hardened predator, seize all that is bad, forgetting shame, conscience and caution, is no worse than Rob them of a poor man, if he allows envy and hatred for the abuser to capture your heart, burning your soul. Sin is the weapon dual purpose: it kills not only those who commit this sin, but those who sin are so affected – ruining, trying to pull the offended Hells funnel anger, despair, hatred and thirst for revenge.
so, what is decisive, what the focus of all your thoughts, all the effort, all the impulses of the soul. So for the people of the land, the spiritual is not something essential, these people – the prisoners are continuous worries about living well being the hostages of the eternal struggle for its earthly existence. If they are interested in spiritual, not deep, not changing their physical nature. This is the people of the earth – people are emotional and not spiritual. The bulk of the human race.
“From fear and pain – we read further in St. Luke Voyno-Yasenetsky, – we see on the left humanity far worse and even the worst people. See people, beasts, people-animals, people, monsters and even humans-demons”. St Luke had every right to be that harsh: the betrayal, denunciation, loss of loved ones, torture in the camps, where a great surgeon and a great man spent a total of eleven years, deprived of health. But not losing faith in God and love for people. By the way, the measure of Holiness is the ability to love. The ability to perform miracles, to see at a distance something special to feel or to exercise any other powers that psychics boast, namely, the gift of love – an indicator of Holiness. Yes, and the Supreme miracle in the world. To love even those who hate and abizadeh you. When a person rises to such heights of spirit, he is likened to Christ. This phenomenon is called “theosis”.
“And on the right flank of the people of earth – we continue to read of St. Luke Voyno-Yasenetsky, – observe the color and glory of the human race, those of the blessed and God-blessed people whom the great St. John the Theologian calls the children of God, friends of Christ.” Who are the friends of Christ?
Among the saints were people of all classes from kings to emperors to homeless and rootless poor. The saints were those who from his childhood was distinguished by righteousness, was born and brought up in a family of sinless people, but the robbers who inspire fear and horror on others for their brutality. Were the saints, who kept the chastity and virginity as the Apple of his eye, but remember the Church and the repentant harlot. Victorious generals and quietest monks retired from the world. Most educated people of his time and quite illiterate fools, which, however, listened to the kings. Engineers, merchants, soldiers, poets-hymnography, painters, theologians, priests, monks terroristy… They are all so different – in origin, social status, temperament, life experience, education – have one thing in common: at one time the Lord called them, and they responded to this call.
by the Way, it is very important that our saints are so different: the Lord never breaks people, not equal one size fits all. He doesn’t need a faceless, obedient puppet, He respects the human individuality, is much more careful than we are. The Lord won’t be taking anyone by force. He stands and knocks at the door of our hearts and patiently waiting for us to meet Him and open our hearts.
“There are people who wrote in the last year of his life Alexander Pushkin – do not have any concept about the life that the Saint whose name was given from the baptismal font to the grave, and whose memory is celebrated annually. Not allowing himself any reproach, you can’t, at least not to marvel extreme their neuporedivo”. The Alexander, named in honor of St. Alexander, Archbishop of Constantinople, not only POM��Il of his Holy, revered, but also carefully studied hagiographic collections (hagiography means biographies of saints). This reading inspired the poet, has preserved the statement made by Pushkin from “Lives of saints” Dimitry of Rostov. Will these words have already translated into Russian: I’m afraid that we’re all so far removed from the origins that we cannot, after the genius, delighting in the music of the Church Slavonic style. So, “the life and worship of the saints such grace stars: as approved at the sky the stars Shine in the whole of China, so they are visible to the Indians and not hidden from the Scythians, lit up the land, you Shine in the sea and control the ships floating, and although we do not know their names because of their multiplicity, however, marvel at their bright beauty. And with the grace of the saints, though their remains are hidden in coffins, but their strength in China is not limited by earthly limits, and we marvel at their lives and marvel at the glory which God glorifies caught him.”
lives of the saints for our ancestors was not only a landmark of the Christian life, tells you what to do in any given situation, they enrich readers understanding of the continuity of communication between past generations and you, the connection between the earthly life and Gornja, the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the Holiness was the ideal, the model of behavior to which aspired. Now let’s think, what kind of heroes we often impose on the media, for some specimens I propose to build their lives? Whose names all the time at the hearing?
Maybe one of the advantages of coronavirus pandemic is that society begins to appreciate the work of physicians, doctors, nurses, nurses, scientists… They are the heroes of the day. And there is a profound symbolism in the fact that today the two holidays coincided. “To give his life for Christ means not only a Martyr to shed his blood: for all of us that opportunity, which was followed by the great saints. There is an opportunity to give his life for his friends, is considered by St. Luke Voyno-Yasenetsky. The Lord laid down His life for sinful humanity, and we are all commanded to reach such a pinnacle of love that we his soul felt for his friends. To put a soul not only means to give his life as given to martyrs. To put a soul does not mean only to die for their neighbors; to lay down his life means to deny themselves, to renounce their aspirations to wealth, to pleasure, to the honor and glory, to renounce all that requires our flesh. This means the purpose of your life to put service to others as my own.” Isn’t it about those who risk life, forgetting themselves, their families, pulls all of us out of the abyss pandemic? Holy we pray. For physicians too, and frequently. But today they should be sure to say thanks. With a holiday!
