The Catalog of Good Deeds

Our Saviour has taught us: Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth (Matt. 7:7-8).

Therefore, when we are in pain we must pray for understanding of our malady, patience to bear it, and deliverance from it, if such be God's holy will. We are also expected to ask for the prayers of others and especially of the Church, for the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).

"Anyone who is sick should seek the prayer of others, that they may be restored to health; that through the intercession of others the enfeebled form of the body and the wavering footsteps of our deeds may be restored to health....Learn, you who are sick, to gain health through prayer. Seek the prayer of others, call upon the Church to pray for you, and God, in His regard for the Church, will give what He might refuse to you" (St. Ambrose, On the Healing of the Paralytic).

The great public prayer of the Church for those who are ill is the Service of Holy Unction. This Service, which is long and exceedingly rich in readings from Scripture, and contains numerous allusions to biblical figures who were healed by the power of God, gives, in concentrated form, the Church's teaching about healing.

This Service identifies Christ as the "Physician and Helper of the suffering," and invokes upon the sick person, through anointing, the grace of the Holy Spirit, Who heals both souls and bodies. Since God "mercifully gave us command to perform Holy Unction upon Thy sick servants," Christ Himself is spoken of as the "incorruptible chrism" Who in old times had chosen the olive-branch to show Noah that the Flood had abated. (From ancient times olive oil was used in the making of Holy Oil.) At the time of the Flood, the olive-branch symbolized tranquility and safety; so now the priest prays that the Saviour will, through the "tranquility of Thy mercy's seal [the anointing with oil]," heal the sufferer.

Acknowledging that illness sometimes comes through the activity of demonic powers, the priest asks: "Let no interposition of malignant demons touch the senses of him who is marked with Thy divine anointing." Showing that the Church also understands the connection between sin and suffering, the priest prays that through this anointing the "suffering of him who is tormented by the violence of passions" may be washed away.

This healing service explores many aspects of sin, suffering and healing; it is a profound and very exalted service of prayer and intercession. One very important point should be made here: during Holy Unction we beg God to remove the sickness — but, in place of illness, we ask Him to give "the joy of gladness" (anointing itself is spoken of as the oil of gladness in the Psalms), so that the formerly sick person might now "glorify Thy divine might." Therefore, one of the purposes of healing is to enable the sufferer to resume his healthy and active service to God. In token of this, the Saviour's healing of Peter's mother-in-law is spoken of: whereupon the fever left her, and she arose and ministered unto them. This is very important for us to remember: when we are set free from the torment of bodily sickness, we are expected to fill our mouths with praise of God and serve Him by amending our sinful ways and living from henceforth only for God and the world to come, counting this world as nothing.

Many do not discover prayer until they are on a sickbed. And those who have all of their lives piously participated in the public prayer of the Church, discover during illness that they have sadly neglected the treasures of private or interior prayer. St. Gregory Nazianzen, a great man of prayer even when his health was good, exclaimed during his last illness: "The time is swift, the struggle is great, and my sickness severe, reducing me nearly to immovability. What then is left but to pray to God?" (Letters).

During illness, prayer is capable of revealing true and lasting treasures, "for if you have bodily strength, the inroads of disease stop any joy you may have had from that source...because anything that belongs to this world is liable to damage and is unable to give us a lasting pleasure. But piety and the virtues of the soul are just the opposite because their joy abides forever....If you pour out continued and fervent prayers, no man can spoil you of their fruit, for this fruit is rooted in the heavens and protected from all destruction because it is beyond mortal reach" (St. John Chrysostom, On the Statues).

Two incidents from the lives of the saints show how simple yet incorruptible this prayer can be. In the life of Elder Hieroschemamonk Parthenius of the Kiev Caves Lavra we learn that in his final illness, even after he had been given Holy Unction, he continued to perform his daily prayer rule of reading the entire Psalter. The day before his repose he said to his spiritual children:

"Soon, soon I shall leave. Yesterday I already could not complete my Psalter — only half of it."

"Is it possible, Father, that until yesterday you said all of your customary rule?"

"Yes, the Lord helped me; after all, I now do it by memory; I cannot do it with my lips; there is nothing to breathe with; but yesterday I could not complete it even by memory, for my memory is leaving me. Only to the Jesus Prayer and to the praises of the Mother of God do I cling unceasingly" (Orthodox Life, no. 3, 1969).

And in the life of St. Abba Dorotheus we read about the touching death of his disciple, St. Dosithe-us, who had been in the monastery only five years, but "died in obedience, at no time and in nothing having done his own will and having done nothing out of attachment." He had always practiced the Jesus Prayer, and when his illness became severe, St. Abba Dorotheus said to him:

"Dositheus, take care over the Prayer; see that you be not deprived of it."

"Very well, Father," replied the monk, "only pray for me."

When he had become still worse, St. Abba Dorotheus said to him:

"Well, Dositheus, how is the Prayer? Does it continue as before?"

He answered him: "Yes, Father, by your prayers."

When, however, it became extremely difficult for him and the illness became so severe that he had to be carried on a stretcher, Abba Dorodieus asked him:

"How is the Prayer, Dositheus?"

He answered: "Forgive me, Father, I cannot keep it up any longer." Then Abba Dorotheus said to him:

"And so leave the Prayer, only keep God in mind and represent Him to yourself as if He were before you" (The Orthodox Word, vol. 5, no. 3).

Finally, we see a glorious and inspiring example of the place of prayer in times of illness in St. Gregory Nazianzen's account of his own father's illness:

"He suffered from sickness and bodily pain. The time of my father's sufferings was the season of the holy and illustrious Pascha, the Queen of Days, the brilliant night which dissipates the darkness of sin. Of what kind his sufferings were, I will briefly explain: his whole body was on fire with a great and burning fever; his strength failed him, he could take no food, his sleep had departed from him, and he was in the greatest distress. His whole mouth was so ulcerated that it was difficult and even dangerous to swallow even water. The skill of physicians, the prayers of his friends, earnest though they were, and every possible attention, were alike of no avail. In this desperate state his breathing was short and fast and he had no perception of present things.

"The time of Divine Liturgy was come, when all due order and silence is kept for the solemn rites. At this moment my father was raised up by Him Who quickens the dead. At first he moved slightly, and then more decidedly. Then, in a feeble and indistinct voice, he called a servant by name to bring his clothes and support him with his hand. The servant came in alarm and gladly waited upon him while he, leaning upon the servant as upon a staff, imitated Moses on the mountain and arranged his feeble hands in prayer...

"He retired again to his bed and, after taking a little food and sleep, his health slowly recovered so that on the first Sunday after the Fest of Pascha he was able to enter the church and offer thanksgiving...

"During this sickness he wan at no time free of pain. His only relief was Divine Liturgy, to which his pain yielded, as if to an edict of anishment" (On the Death of His Father).

The acknowledgment of oneself as deserving temporal and eternal punishment precedes the knowledge of the Saviour and leads to knowledge of the Saviour.

By Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov

There are events seemingly out of season, but holy. Thus, St. Seraphim of Sarov foretold that Pascha would be celebrated in the summer at the transfer of his relics. And truly, bringing the saint’s relics to Diveyevo, the thousands of pilgrims in the crowd could not help giving voice to the Paschal hymns filling their hearts. Similarly, now, in the midst of March, we must move in thought to August 19.

And while the crowd was proceeding,

All of a sudden, someone stirred:

It was the sixth of August, meaning,

—the Transfiguration of Our Lord.

We are compelled by the memory of St. Gregory Palamas, celebrated on the second Sunday of Lent, to reflect upon the Transfiguration. The life of St. Gregory can attract interest by its various details and events. For example, he was elected to the See of Thessaloniki by the direct intercession of the city patron—the Great Martyr Demetrios. “I take him as archbishop of my city,” St. Demetrios said to Great Martyr George, and the future archbishop was honored to hear the conversation of the glorious great martyrs in a nighttime vision. St. Gregory represented the part of the hierarchy that had more desire for a cell and books than for glory and vanity. It is only out of obedience and for the good of the people of God that such people take upon themselves with sorrow the yoke of administering their flock and the responsibility for many. Archpastorship was a cross all the heavier in that bishops, just as kings, were often deposed, banished, and confined in prisons. St. Gregory had to spend a year in captivity to Turkish pirates, where he preached to them the Gospel and came to the conclusion that the Greeks must immediately (!) begin to convert the Turks to Christianity. But all of this and many other sacred facts of his sacred biography fade into the background when we become acquainted with the main work of St. Gregory’s life—the dogma of the deification of man and the Taboric light.

Nobody specially prepared this question; it arose as if on its own, gradually signifying the genuine chasm between the distinct goals of life within Christianity and the various types of piety. It was precisely the feast of the Transfiguration that became the point of focus and the shield upon which their spears broke. What happened on Tabor? What did the Apostles see, and why did they see what they saw? Gregory’s opponents said that the light seen by the apostles is a special, enlightening light, but it is created light, like the sunlight that gives life to all nature.

St. Gregory, expressing the from thenceforth Orthodox dogma, and clothing in words the previously accrued but unformalized experience, spoke of the Uncreated Divine light. The Taboric light is not created, he said, but it is the light and grace of God Himself, manifested so that those communing of this light would not die, but be sanctified. Christ was not so much transfigured, says the Church, as Christ transfigured the vision and senses of the disciples, that they would be able to see Christ, as He is. This contemplation is a foretaste of the future Kingdom, of which is said, The glory of God did lighten it [the Heavenly Jerusalem], and the Lamb is the light thereof (Rev. 21:23). Therefore, it was said before the Transfiguration that there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God (Lk. 9:27). There is nothing in all of created nature like the vision of the Kingdom of God that the apostles saw on Tabor. And therefore Moses, from Sheol, and Elijah, from Heaven, appeared to Christ, that the Law and Prophets would bow down to the Word become flesh, and this flesh deified at that.

In meaning and value, the feast of the Transfiguration is far beyond the bounds of being just one of the feasts, but gives meaning to all of life and communicates a purpose. The purpose is theosis. St. Peter says, Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine nature (2 Pt. 1:4). St. John says, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is (1 Jn. 3:2). St. Peter and St. John were with Him on the holy mountain. St. John’s brother St. James was there as well, and he would have written about it too had he not become an early victim of Herod’s wickedness.

Thus, we will see Him and will be like unto Him, changing because of this very vision and feeding upon grace, just as the angels feed upon it even now. To bring this feast to naught, to give it a private, local character instead of its semantic value, is, it would seem, impossible. However, Western religious thought does precisely that, not giving due deference to the Transfiguration and to the very idea of theosis. The Transfiguration is barely noticeable in the Catholic liturgical year, the teaching of St. Gregory is considered heretical, and the abyss in worldviews, which we spoke of in the beginning, has become practically impassable over time. The West tread the path of intellectualism. St. Gregory’s opponent—Barlaam—said that the vision of God is a mental perception of the Godhead, but in no way partakes of the eternal light or Uncreated energies. The East and West took different paths from this point.

The West, trusting the mind and for reasoning forsaking the main value, philosophized, speculated, and pondered questions until it lost faith itself and replaced grace with syllogisms. And we, being in a long Western captivity, absorbed and embodied all its mistakes. We can criticize the West only as we rid ourselves of the disease of the West. Otherwise, such criticism will be suicidal. For centuries our seminarians and academics, priests and bishops neither heard nor spoke about what St. Gregory taught. That his memory was regularly celebrated on the second Sunday of Great Lent only emphasizes the bitterness of this. Hesychasm and the prayer of the heart, not finding a place in academies and seminaries, nestled into humble monasteries, where they continued to live the apostolic experience of the Taboric contemplation. This often happened without books, as the oral transfer of personal experience—that is, as genuine Tradition. St. Job of Pochaev spent many days in prayer in the stone caves, and the monks saw the tongues of flame, which did not burn, bursting forth from the entrance to this natural cell. St. Seraphim, beloved of all, the transfer of whose relics once brought Pascha in the middle of the summer, also partook of the Taboric light. He revealed this grace, as the fruit of long prayers and wise silence in God, to the eyes of Motovilov, and few are those Orthodox Christians who have not heard about it. St. Sergius would stand at Liturgy as if in fire, and fire would enter the chalice as he served, and of this fire he would partake. The best sons of our Church were practical exponents and fulfillers of Orthodox dogma, although few of them could theoretically interpret this dogma.

In conclusion, we can say that the divide between the East and West on the question of salvation is the difference between intellectualism and human righteousness on one side, and genuine holiness and a basic change in fallen nature on the other. But let’s note a few dangerous traps.

First, not all Orthodox participate in God’s grace in due measure. Confession of true doctrine is only an indication of the true path. But we must walk this path, not just point to it. Therefore, we do not need to boast. Second, the Western path of mental speculation is not that of an absolute impasse. They have discoveries and useful knowledge there. It is another matter that this path has an end and boundaries, beyond which it is not within their powers to go, and there begins the time for other labors and other podvigs. Just to disregard their knowledge, books, and reflections is a sin. St. Gregory, expressing the most exalted dogmas of the Church, was a very educated person. Those sciences, which he did not take as salvific, were respected by him and he was familiar with them to a due degree. In his youth he studied Aristotle, and at one of his lectures, read at the court, shouts rang out, “Aristotle himself, were he here, would not fail to praise it!” That is, it’s not rejecting external knowledge, but pointing to its limits that is characteristic of Orthodoxy.

Therefore, being at such a great distance from personal theosis, and in need firstly of cleansing, correction, and learning, we still know that the final purpose of human life is the transfiguration of our nature by grace and communion with the Divine life. On earth it is partial, in seed form, but in eternity it is different. Thus, to speak about it now is impossible.

An article by Archpriest Andrei Tkachev

Translated by Jesse Dominick (Pravoslavie.ru)

Source: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/101767.htm

By Father Andrew Lemeshonok

I would like to congratulate all of you with the feast day of our church in honor of the Reigning icon of the Mother of God! The Mother of God takes a scepter in her arms, which is exactly what a queen is supposed to do. The earthly kingdoms fall, and She offers us to come to the Kingdom which Her Son has told us about: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John, 18:36). No matter how good and fair are the laws of the earthly kingdoms, they are still imperfect, and this is why these kingdoms are temporary. And we all hope that we will manage to enter the Kingdom, which is not based on fair or unfair laws, but on love. Blessed Augustine talks about this love: “Love God, and do whatever you want”.

However, we really need laws, for we are used to this temporary kingdom. We are used to be pushed, watched and guarded… We need to feel this human fear, without which we just cannot live in this world. However, "perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John, 4:18). And we all did not come to church in order to set up our life in this temporary world, but to prevail over it and to enter a new world. The world, where the King becomes a servant; where He is not surrounded by an entourage of his subjects and warriors, but instead with love and grace. Who will discover this path of love, the path of service? We see that in this Kingdom of Heaven the last ones become first, and the one who is great should serve others. The laws and the rules of living are completely different there. We always try to conciliate the Church with this world, but they would not conciliate: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's” (Matthew, 22:21).

It is important that we recall at least sometimes that our homeland is in Heaven, but not on earth.

Do not look for earthly justice, for love is above it. And we learn through this love, that Christ is bringing us up with it. He believes that we will manage to defeat our flesh and blood, which do not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. The Spirit of God will enter us and we will become the church of the Holy Spirit. “Ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Corinthians, 3:16) – this is what Apostle Paul says about the life of a Christian, about the Kingdom which begins inside a person. These words may sound unclear to us, while God gave us an opportunity to build the very church we are standing in now. And this church is beautiful, because Orthodox Christians believe that nothing is too good for God. Just look how great the Holy Rus’ was! It was really holy, because people lived humbly in small houses, but at the same great churches were built in villages. How could that be? The reason is that people gave their best to God. And today people want to make Church equal to this world. But it is not about wealth: gold symbolizes the light of God’s love. The murals, the icons painted with the paints made from real precious stones – all these things are to inspire a person. To direct his mind and heart up high, but not to the ground.

March 15, 2017

St. Elisabeth Convent

In Honor of one hundred years since the appearance of the "Reigning" Icon of the Mother of God please find the following article as originally compiled by Compiled by Father Nektarios Serfes on 29 July, 1998:

The "Reigning" Icon of the Mother of God revealed itself to the Russian Orthodox people on 2/15 March 1917, exactly eighty years ago, in the village of the Kolomna, near Moscow.

Now concerning the revelation of the icon (also spelled ikon) of the "Reigning" Mother of God. This account was according to personal reflection of Professor Ivan M. Andreyev.

"Soon after the tragic abdication of the Throne by Tsar Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich, which took place on March 2, 1917, throughout Russia extended the news, that namely on this day, in the village of Kolomskoye in the vicinity of Moscow (at 6 versts from the Daniel entrance) there took place the miraculous revelation of a new icon of the Virgin Mother of God, called the "Reigning One", for the reason that the Queen of Heaven was depicted on this icon as the earthly Queen.

Shaken by the news, at the beginning of the summer of 1917, I decided to go to Moscow attempt to make my way into the village of Kolomskoye in order to pay homage before the newly revealed icon and personally ascertain the circumstances of its revelation.

The Lord helped me to realize my intention, although at the time pilgrimages of the type were extremely difficult to carry out. One good friend of mine, servant of God Mary (a collaborator at the University of Moscow, a big specialist on ancient Russian iconography), having constantly resided in Moscow and already having succeeded in visiting the village of Kolomskoye, - she undertook to help me, and together with her we proceeded with our journey. We went from Moscow to the village of Kolosmkoye village Ascension Church, Father Nicholas (the parish priest). He me us friendly and warmly, gave us food, showed us numerous icons in his home and related the following:

One elderly, pious woman, a peasant of Borovichy main district, Ziroshkino local district, village of Pochinok, Evdokia Andrianova, having lived in the village of Pererva during the month of February in the year 1917, thrice in a dream saw the most Pure Mother of God and heard Her voice, telling her to depart into the village of Kolomskoye, where in a church, amidst furniture, abandoned utensils and dust, was to be found a large old black icon. It was the icon of the Heavenly Queen commanded to be found, and incidentally, she said that from the "black one" it would be transformed into a "red one".

The apparition was unclear, she was unable to recall the details of the icon on awakening, but the general impression of an especial quality of the Reigning grandeur of the Mother of God depicted on the icon - this remained in her consciousness. Father Nicholas recounted how he did not immediately believe Evdokia Andrianova, and was even inclined to judge her for her having had faith in dreams: however, three repetitions of the dream, the meekness of the pious woman, and likewise the indications, that the icon was "large", "black", and remains amidst old furniture and dust somewhere in the church namely of the village of Kolomskoye - compelled him to go together with Evdokia Andrianova to the church, and to show her all the icons, both those that were hanging on the walls, as well as those that were laid up in various commodious places.

Not one icon was found to be in suitable accordance with the description. Then according to the advice of the church warden and also one church member who happened accidentally to come in, Father Nicholas started to earnestly seek for the icon everywhere: on the belfry, on the staircase, in closets, and, finally, in the basement. And now it was namely here, in the basement, amidst old boards, various cloths and old used utensils, in the dust, that the large, narrow, ancient black icon upon which at first nothing could be distinguished - was found. But when this "black" icon was carefully wiped off and washed off the dust and soot that had accumulated in the course of many years, - here to all present appeared the image of the Mother of God, sitting as a Queen on a throne, with a crown upon her head. Evdokia Andrianova immediately clearly recalled and recognized her last dream vision, fell face downwards, and with tears began to ask to serve a moleben service (a supplication service) of gratification with an akathist to the Mother of God (this was a general akathist hymn to the Mother of God). Father Nicholas immediately fulfilled her request.

The news of the revelation of the new icon on the day of the Tsar abdication of the Throne, on March 2, 1917 - quickly spread through the neighboring vicinities, penetrating into Moscow, and started to spread throughout all of Russia.

A huge number of pilgrims started to accumulate in the village of Kolomskoye, and before the icon miracles of healing of both physical and mental infirmities were manifested, according to the witness of those had received this help. They started to carry about the icon in the neighboring churches, factories, manufacturing plants, the icon remaining in the Ascension Russian Orthodox Church in Kolomskoye only on Sundays and holidays. I and servant of God Mary came to page homage before this icon namely on Sunday.

His recital concluded, Father Nicholas led us into the church. On entering the church I immediately noticed on the right, next to the kliros (right hand choir area), a big (to me it even seemed immense) narrow dark icon. The Heavenly Queen was depicted as the earthly Queen, sitting on a royal throne, in a dark red royal robe with a green lining, a crown upon Her head and with scepter and imperial globe in hand. Upon her lap was the blessing of Christ child. Unusual for the countenance of the Mother of God was stern, severe, and commanding gaze of her sorrowful eyes, filled with tears.

With trembling and fear, with prayer for forgiveness, I fell to the ground in homage, and, following three prostration's, I kissed the holy icon. For a long time, silently, with concentration, attentively, heart tensed with bitter tears of repentance and sweet tears of tenderness of feeling and gratefulness, I looked at the wondrous icon which was gracefully bedewed with the spiritual fragrance and with a fine physical odor of rose oil.

I together with servant of God Mary, became as if benumbed: we silently left the church, with tears we thanked the priest and silently went to Moscow afoot...

Following several weeks I again had occasions to be in the village of Kolomskoye, and I was profoundly shaken by the alteration in the appearance of the icon: by itself it had undergone a miraculous renewal, she had become bright, clear and ... "red", since it was with especial striking that the royal robe now impressed itself upon one's vision, as if it were soaked with blood.

Knowing the exclusive strength of faith and prayer of Tsar Nicholas II and His particularly reverent honoring of the Mother of God (let us recall the Sobor-Church of the Theodore icon of the Mother of God in the Tsarskoye Selo), - we may not doubt that it was he who succeeded through prayer in having the Mother of God take upon Herself the Supreme Royal authority over the people, who renounced their Tsar Anointed one. And the Mother of God came into the "Home of the Virgin Mother of God" that had been prepared for Her by the whole of Russian history, in the most difficult moments of life of the God chosen people, in the moment of its greatest fall, and took upon Herself the succession of authority of the Russian empire, when the idea itself of the Orthodox Supreme National Tsardom had been trampled in favor of satanic tyranny. It is for this reason that the gaze of Her wondrous eyes, filled with tears of Divine wrath and maternal love, are so stern, severe and filled with such sorrow: it is for this reason that Her royal robe is soaked with Russian martyr blood and the jewel tears of innocent Russian martyrs decorate Her crown.

The symbolic meaning of this holy icon is clear for spiritual eyes: through uncountable suffering, blood and tears, after repentance, the Russian people would be forgiven and the Supreme power, preserved by the Heavenly Queen Herself, would without any doubt be returned to Russia. Otherwise why should the most holy Mother of God preserve this power.

With joyful fear and repentant trepidation the Russian people began to pray before the "Reigning" icon of the Mother of God throughout Russia, and the icon itself, in innumerable reproductions, started to embellish all the Russian churches. A marvelous akathist and canon dedicated to this holy icon appeared, listening to which the whole church was to fall upon its knees. (Editors notes: The New Martyr And Confessor Patriarch Tikhon [1917-1925] wrote this akathist to the "Reigning" icon of the Mother of God. St. Tikhon was the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia at the time. This Venerable Patriarch said this Akathist frequently).)

Several years passed and then the most cruel persecution set in upon the heads of the pious reveres of this holy icon, who prayed before its copies throughout all of Russia. (Editors Notes: Please note a copy on my web site: "Bury Me And Mention My Name Tsar Nicholas II And Family".)

Where the original of the "Reigning" icon of the Mother of God is at the present time - is unknown. Soon after the appearance of this holy icon in the village of Kolomskoye, the Ascension convent in Moscow, according to reports in its books, ascertained that this icon belonged to it, and in 1812, before the invasion by Napoleon, this icon together with other icons, at the evacuation of the monastery from the Kremlin, was given over to be cared for into the Ascension church of the village of Kolomskoye, later not being returned and at the convent they forgot about it. Apparently the icon was given over to the Ascension convent. Later the icon was present for a period of time in the Ss. Mary & Martha Convent in Zamoskovorechje, where the prioress, up until her holy martyrdom, was Grand Duchess Elizabeth. (Editors notes: the Holy Royal Martyr Grand Duchess Elisabeth loved this "Reigning" icon of the Mother of God in which she and her sisters, as well as those at the hospital convent found it to be a great spiritual comfort). Information given by one nun "from there" (Orthodox Russia, 1947, No. 16), that this "Reigning icon of the Mother of God at the middle of the 20's was located in the church of St. Alexis man of God Russian Orthodox Church, at the Petrograd side of the city of Petrograd - does not correspond to reality. At the middle of the second decade I also was a parishioner of the Church of St. Alexis, man of God, I saw the icon and not once was present at the the akathist that were then served by Archpriest Michael Prudnikoff and by the sacristan of the church, Archpriest Paul Vinogradov. According to the interpretation of the the latter sacristan, this was not the authentic icon, but only a very good and exact reproduction of the original."

(Source: Orthodox Life, Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, New York., Vol. 4/76, July & August, 1962., 4-8).

Source: http://www.serfes.org/royal/miracle4.htm

Introduction

“Ashes to ashes and dust to dust” is a common phrase we hear associated with funeral practices. This first appeared in the Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer in 1549. The phrase “dust to dust” has some biblical origin from Gen. 3:19 and Ecclesiastes 3:20 but the words “ashes to ashes” do not appear anywhere in the bible. As we will see from Alvin Schmidt’s book, “Dust to Dust or Ashes to Ashes? A Biblical and Christian Examination of Cremation”, the scriptures never instruct people to burn dead bodies turning them into ashes (p.67).

History of Cremation

Cremation comes from Latin word “cremare” meaning “to burn” (p.6).
Some historical reasons for cremating the dead were (p.7):

1. To cope with fear of the dead.

2. To enable easy transportation of bones back to homes or other places.

3. To prevent bodies from being stolen by thieves and miscreants.

4. Belief that fire freed the soul from wandering and searching.

5. Belief that fire purifies the departed person’s soul.

By the latter part of the fourth century, the burning of human corpses had become increasingly rare in the Roman Empire. Likely, the consistent Christian rejection of cremation, long before Christianity became legal, was having an empire-wide impact (p.18-19).

Cremation begins reappearing in the West following the efforts of Prussian pro-cremationists in 1855, when an international congress of medical experts met in Florence in 1869 contending that earth-burial was unhygienic (p.19). Cremation appealed not only to atheists and freethinkers but it was commonly requested—usually as an act of rebellion by Spiritualists, Theosophists, Unitarians, Universalists, anti-clerics and anti-church types (p.30). In 1875 the Cremation Societys in England and New York are formed (p.20).

Cremation rates in United States have increased dramatically over the last several decades, from .003% in 1900, .04% in 1920, 3.5% in 1960, to 27% in 2001 and are expected to rise to 40% by year 2010 (p.21).

What is Cremation?

Cremation is not a completely accurate term for the burning of a departed person. Human bones do not burn because they contain about 60% inorganic, non-combustible matter (p.23). Thus, the unburned bone portions are pulverized in today’s crematoria by a grinding process that reduces them to small granules resembling dried fertilizer pellets, the latter comprising at least half of the total remains. Sometimes a white colored substance is added to make the ashes look more attractive (p.24). As a result of package leakages, UPS and FedEx refuse to transport ashes of cremated bodies. Sometimes, human ashes are mixed with ashes from another person or other sources.

Burial in Ancient Judaism

The Hebrews/Israelites in the Old Testament era lived and were surrounded by pagan societies: Canaanites, Amorites, Edomites, Hittites, Philistines and others. Through the prophets, God frequently warned the Israelites not to adopt the pagan values, beliefs, or practices of those societies such as worshipping pagan polytheistic gods, marrying pagan wives, engaging in homosexual practices, eating unclean food, sacrificing infants, and making graven images of pagan idols (p.31).

In the OT, earth burial was the norm for treating departed persons. Cremation was used only as punishment and humiliation for those who engaged in grievous, sinful acts as recorded in Joshua 7:15; Leviticus 21:9; 20:14. Cremation was also an instrument of God’s wrath as He destroyed certain peoples by fire as recorded in Numbers 11:1-3; 16:35; Joshua 7:15,24-26; 2Kings 1:10-12 and famously the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:24 (p.35-36).

The Lord says through the prophet Amos, “For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath, because he burned, as if to lime, the bones of Edom’s king” (2:1-2). This is argued as a clear denunciation of cremation. (p.37)

The Israelites treated the body of a dead person with great respect by closing the eyes (Gen.46:4); washing the body (Acts 9:37); draping a napkin over the dead person’s face (John 11:44); anointing with aromatic spices (Lk.23:56; 24:1; Jn.19:40) and wrapping with linens (Mt.27:59; Mk.15:45; Lk.23:53; Jn.19:39-40).

Christian arguments against Cremation

1. Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ died on the Cross and was buried. (Nicene Creed) We should imitate Jesus.

2. Everyone will be bodily resurrected in the Second Coming of Christ. Cremation is a denial of the bodily resurrection.

3. The human body is a sacred sanctuary even after physical death.

4. Cremation with God’s blessing is never mentioned in the Old Testament

5. We must not be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2) especially as cremation becomes more common.

Benefits of Earth Burial

Cemeteries provide consecrated ground for survivors to visit the graves and honored loved ones. These visits reminded survivors of the brevity and uncertainty of their own lives and our inevitable destination to leave this world and meet our Lord (p.28). Studies show that survivors of the departed who are cremated express less grieving and weeping at time of funeral, rarely visit the site where their relatives or loved ones are kept, especially with those whose ashes are scattered.

Relics of the Saints

It is well known among church historians that the early Christians fervently opposed infanticide, child abandonment, abortion and suicide because they believed in the sanctity of the human being. In their minds, the sanctity of the human body did not come to an end when a person died. They saw the human being as the crown of God’s creation, for man was made in the image and likeness of God (Gen.1:27) (p.49). “The saints, during their earthly lives, were filled with the Holy Spirit. And when they fulfill their course, the grace of the Holy Spirit does not depart from their souls or their bodies in the tombs” (St. John of Damascus). Cremation denies and deprives us of the sacred tradition and benefits of the presence of saintly holy relics.

St. Paul emphasizes this in the Epistle reading from the 9th Sunday of Matthew: “16Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy and you are that temple” (1Cor.3:16-17). He repeats this again later, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which have from God? You are not your own” (1Cor.6:19). So, even though we may not have attained a level of saintliness like some of our spiritual predecessors, nevertheless, God’s Holy Spirit lives and dwells within us.

Conclusion

Cremation is the denial and purposeful destruction of God’s human temple. As follower’s of Christ, we are not dualists or spiritualists who believe that the material world is inherently evil and to be despised. Rather, as Christians, we believe in the inherent goodness of the material world, especially our human bodies. Together, our body and soul, are created in God’s image and likeness. We are called to redeem and transfigure the creation to its original glory and beauty by continually resisting sin and temptation, repenting of our transgressions, and opening our hearts, minds and bodies to the indwelling presence of God’s divine grace through His only-begotten Son and live-giving Holy Spirit.

The only fire we should submit ourselves to is the fire of God’s love and holy presence. St. Paul also says, “Each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done… If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved but only through fire” (1Cor.3:14,15). Amen!

Because the Orthodox Faith affirms the fundamental goodness of creation, it understands the body to be an integral part of the human person and the temple of the Holy Spirit, and expects the resurrection of the dead. The Church considers cremation to be the deliberate desecration and destruction of what God has made and ordained for us. The Church instead insists that the body be buried so that the natural physical process of decomposition may take place. The Church does not grant funerals, either in the sanctuary, or at the funeral home, or at any other place, to persons who have chosen to be cremated. Additionally, memorial services with kolyva (boiled wheat) are not allowed in such instances, inasmuch as the similarity between the "kernel of wheat" and the "body" has been intentionally destroyed.

Source: http://www.stgeorgegoc.org/pastors-corner/cremation

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