The Catalog of Good Deeds

The Svensk-Pechersk Icon of the Mother of God was written by the Monk Alypii of Pechersk (+ c. 1114, Comm. 17 August, under which see the account about him). On the icon is depicted the Mother of God, sitting upon a throne, and upon Her knees is the God-Infant. At the right side of the throne stands the Monk Theodosii, and on the left – the Monk Antonii of Pechersk. Until the year 1288 it was situated at the Kievo-Pechersk monastery, where it was glorified by miracles, and in 1288 it was transferred to the Bryansk Svensk monastery, named in honour of the Uspenie (Dormition) of the MostHoly Mother of God, in accord with the image. The Chernigov prince Roman Mikhailovich, then at Bryansk, fell blind. Hearing about the miracles worked by the icon of the Monk Alypii, the prince sent to the monastery a courier with a request to send him at Bryansk the icon for his healing. They dispatched the icon together with a priest along the River Desna.

During the time of sailing the boat came in to land at the right bank of the River Svena. After lodging for the night they went to the boat to make prayers before the icon, but they did not find it there, and they saw it upon an hill opposite the River Svena. The icon stood on an oak amidst the branches. News of this reached prince Roman, and they led him to the icon on foot. The prince prayed fervently before the icon and vowed to build on that spot a monastery, bestowing on it all the land which could be seen from the hill. After the prayer the prince regained his sight. At first he saw the footpath, then nearby objects, and finally all the surroundings. Having made an enclosure for the icon, the prince had a molieben served, and then all that were gathered made the foundations for a wooden church in honour of the Uspenie of the MostHoly Mother of God. The tree, on which the icon set, they cut up and used as wood for other icons. And then was established a feastday of the Svensk Icon of the Mother of God on 3 May.

The icon was glorified by healings of the blind, demoniacs, and was a protector from enemies.

Translated by Fr. S. Janos

Source: https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/los/May/03-07.htm

Everything that happens should lead us to God and say, “Nothing happens without God’s will; God knows what is good and profitable, and that is why it happens as it does.” — Abba Dorotheos

The orchards of Valaam… So much has been said and written about them. But the flood continues of exclamations and puzzled questions about how people can grow vegetables and exotic fruits in conditions described as “extremely high-risk agricultural”, and even produce amazingly abundant harvests. What is the secret? Do the Valaam monks know something that is hidden from the rest of the world? What gives them the strength to transform nature and create with their hands paradisal foliage on bare rocks?

Growing potatoes, making cheese, and farming trout are all vitally important, but not the most important thing for monks. As opposed to strong collective farms and agribusinesses, the brothers’ agricultural obediences have, to use modern language, different ideological foundations—nothing in the monastery is done without prayer and hope in God’s will, and everything is directed toward the acquisition of humility and peace of soul.

“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

A believing person lives with the thought that God watches after each of us, just as each of the five sparrows sold for two farthings, and firmly remembers the Gospel words, Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows (Lk. 12:7). The true Christian, and especially the monk, firmly knows and is sure that his earthly life belongs completely to the Creator: As the Lord lives, there shall not fall to the ground one of the hairs of his head (1 Kings 14:45). In the New Testament is written, Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows (Matt. 10:29-31). Without His will, not even a hair can fall from our head (cf. Lk. 21:18).

It is better not to lose the seven-eighths in order to preserve the one-eighth

Even a person who is distant from the Church has thousands of proofs that there are times when all goes not as calculated or planned; sooner or later something happens to clearly prove that it is illusion and self-deception to be sure that all plans are carried out with total control over the situation. That is why a believer always asks in prayer for God’s blessing and help before beginning every work. This hope not in oneself but in the Heavenly Father grants us unselfish joy in even the smallest victory, and gives us the strength with humility to accept defeat—even very great defeat. And this applies to any work, be it painting icons, or growing grapes on rocks and pineapples in a greenhouse.

However, prayer alone will not save us; it has to be joined with the fulfillment of God’s will—everything that is placed upon each of us in our everyday lives. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread (Gen. 3:19); some teach children, some build houses, sew shoes, or conduct a train. Valaam monks always had to obtain their daily bread through labor; after all, nothing about the nature and climactic conditions on the archipelago offered any hope of an easy life. No, there was never an easy life on the island even during the most favorable years. And tragic events in the monastery’s history are countless. Each time the brothers had to raise the monastery from ruins, carefully restoring and preserving the former and creating the new. It is not possible to walk this hard path without peace in the soul—A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a heart that is broken and humbled, God will not despise (Ps. 50:19).

As in centuries and decades ago, behind every church or skete built, or every tomato grown in the greenhouse, are everyday obediences. It is hard for a layperson to believe that the monk cutting the hay or milking the cow has a good university education, but is now joyfully and lightheartedly “spinning the cow’s tail” in a monastery. And what is most amazing is that the labors of these former city-dwellers bring forth a wide array of tangible fruits.

We repeat: Every work that a believer begins should have God’s blessing. But this blessing does not visit the stiff-necked and self-willed, but only the humble and meek. In Abba Dorotheos’s Instructions we read, “Thus, if you are doing any kind of work and wish to fulfill it completely and entirely, then strive to fulfill the work itself, which as I have said, is the eighth part of what is sought, and at the same time preserve your own state of soul unharmed, which constitutes seven-eighths. But if fulfilling your work, your service becomes distracted and you depart from the commandments and harming yourself or another by quarrelling, then it is better not to lose the seven-eighths in order to preserve the one-eighth.”

Then with a pure heart we fall down in prayer to the Lord, so that we would not depart in anything from His holy will, and that He would give us the strength to overcome difficulties. And whoever has the zeal to fulfill God’s will in everything will have bolder prayer before God.

Prayer is not a spell but a request for help

Thus, every work begins with a prayer to the Lord. In the Orthodox Church it is customary to turn in prayer to the Holy Spirit. We can pray briefly, “O Lord, bless!” But it is better not to be lazy, and spend a little time calling out for God’s help. It is good to learn these prayers by heart and repeat them to ourselves when necessary.

Having prayed before the beginning of a new work, we should complete it honestly and wholeheartedly. After all, prayer is not a spell but a request for help, and the saints will not do anything without our participation. Prayer gives us strength, but it doesn’t do away with the need to do what’s required of us in the best way possible. Even the apostles earned their own living, and endured want, heat, and cold.

After finishing the workday or completing a job, we mustn’t forget to give thanks for the help received. After all, in everyday life the words, “thank you”, are the norm. Giving thanks helps us also avoid such sins as pride. Otherwise, one might decide to ascribe success to his own strength, and this is not far from catastrophe.

Giving thanks for something good rendered is necessary, even if it didn’t all turn out exactly as we would have liked it to—after all, every God-pleasing work is simply bound to be successful. This is the very testimony of the Valaam orchards, blossoming and bearing fruit despite the climate, poor soil, and decades of neglect.

The teacher and instructor of monks, Abba Dorotheus, writes, “No matter what, I always do what I can according to my strength and render it all to God.” And, “Humility consists in ascribing your labors to God.” Isn’t this the secret of Valaam’s paradisal greenery? Isn’t this also the secret to a happy life in the world—in perfect humility, hope in God, and in a peaceful, joyful heart?

Prayer at the Commencement of Any Work

Though the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good gifts and Giver of Life, come and abide in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us. (thrice)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, wash away our sins, O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy Name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3 times.)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Only-begotten Son of Thy Eternal Father, Thou hast said with Thy most holy lips: "Without Me, you can do nothing." My Lord and my God, in faith I embrace Thy words with my heart and soul, and bow before Thy goodness; help me, a sinner, to do in union with Thee this work which I am about to begin, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer After the Completion of Any Work

Glory, both now.

Thou, O my Christ, art the sum and fullness of all that is good; fill my soul with joy and gladness, and save me, for Thou alone art all-merciful. Amen.

It is truly meet to bless Thee O Theotokos, ever blessed and most blameless and Mother of our God. More honorable than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim, who without corruption gaveth birth the God the Word, the very Theotokos, Thee do we magnify.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (3 times.)

Dismissal: O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, our holy and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Before the beginning of the workday, we can pray to the saints:

To the Mother of God, the intercessor for all mankind.

To our guardian angel; he is called to protect our body from illness, and our soul from temptation. But we mustn’t forget that bad thoughts and deeds make angels leave us.

To the saint whose name we were given at holy Baptism.

To Saint Nicholas, who was also a zealous laborer, and always helped his neighbor no matter how hard it was.

To St. Triphon, who always helps people fulfill their duties well; and to other favorite saints.

This article was prepared through the efforts of the brothers of Valaam Monastery, and their website volunteer, Natalia Rogozhina.

Translation by Nun Cornelia (Rees) from Valaam.ru

Source: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/105683.htm

Mitred Protopriest Victor Potapov of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Rector of St John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC, is renowned throughout the world, including Russia. He broadcast reports on spiritual matters over the Voice of America for 30 years.

His parish is an active one, which responds eagerly in times of need. For instance, they collected a large amount of money for “Dobrota” Fund in Donetsk, which helps children injured in the civil war. The parish celebrates Maslenitsa every year at the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, and the youth organize an annual Tatyana Ball every January.

Fr Victor has written many articles on theology, church history and human rights.

He was born on December 24, 1948, in a displaced-persons camp in West Germany to Sergei Mikhailovich Potapov and his wife Praskovia Ivanovna (nee Golik). In 1951, the family moved to the United States.

We spoke to Fr Victor in his cathedral, which was feverishly preparing for a summer scout camp.

Fr. Victor Potapov

–What is large can only be seen at a distance, they say. What can you say about Russia today?

– We closely follow Church life in Russia here, maybe not to the degree we should, for we have our own matters to tend to in America. We minister not only to Russians, but to Americans who convert to our faith. We love Russia and suffer the negative, Russophobic tendencies of the West, especially in the USA.

I am convinced that people here have a hard time understanding religious life in Russia. Western journalists emphasize the negative. There will always be problems everywhere, people are people, after all, and the Church consists not only of holy people but of sinners. They don’t notice positive aspects of Church life in Russia. I am happy about what is happening in Russia, not the external things, but the striving of people towards liturgical life.

Over a million people have venerated the relics of St Nicholas of Myra the Miracle-worker recently. People stood in line for 7-8 hours just to spend 1-2 seconds kissing the relics and pray. This says something about the spiritual life of the people who hunger for spiritual nourishment.

– It is sad that some people actually laugh at this.

– The Washington Post just had a Facebook item with snarky commentaries. For instance, Muscovites are willing to stand in line for hours just to venerate the relics of St Nicholas, who is known in the West as Santa Claus. They ask why, then answer: to be healthy, to do well on exams. They have a superficial attitude, they don’t understand what is happening in Russia.

– In your opinion, why are parts of the Russian mass media skeptical about Orthodox life in Russia?

– Man has a sinful nature: it is much easier to discuss scandals, point out evils, than to have a spiritual conversation, to regret one’s own fallen nature. The Gospel says “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” This is nothing new.

– People ask on Orthodox Christian websites: how do we respond to criticism of the Church, should we tolerate it, pay any attention?

– Some clergymen in Russia find the courage to say: let us refuse luxury, expensive cars, let us attract people to religious life through personal example, not only in word, but in deed.

Sometimes one should consider whether criticism and accusations have merit. We clergymen should avoid providing fodder for such criticism.

– Another difficult question for Orthodox Christians is Ukraine…

– Our hearts bleed for Ukraine, half of my parishioners are Ukrainians, I am half Ukrainian myself, my wife, Matushka Maria, is a great-granddaughter of Mikhail Rodzianko. We pray for peace in Ukraine at every Liturgy.

There is an artificial division in the Church, antagonism is imposed from without. We empathize with His Eminence Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, of course, he’s having a very difficult time, he is a genuine spiritual ascetic and is trying to restore peace. He keeps saying: Christ must be foremost in our minds, everything else is secondary. We also commemorate His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at every Liturgy, we pray for the strengthening of faith and of the Church in both Russia and Ukraine.

– We recently marked the 10th anniversary of the unification of our Churches; what can you say about this?

– I rejoice that ten years ago, the Primates of the Moscow Patriarchate and of ROCOR found the spiritual wisdom to overcome division between the two branches of the Russian Orthodox Church, and commence restoration of Eucharistic unity. The late Patriarch Alexy II and Metropolitan Laurus of Eastern America and New York signed the Act of Canonical Communion, healing the ninety-year division in the Russian Orthodox Church.

It is noteworthy that both hierarchs were born outside of Russia. The Patriarch was born in Estonia, of course, and Metropolitan Laurus was born in Carpathia. The Lord specifically chose them, since both likely understood the abnormality of the situation and the need for healing.

– What are the positives that you see?

– This blessed beginning has benefited the Church. It gives us the opportunity to serve together, we now have one Church, we commune of the Holy Gifts and celebrate Liturgy together.

Clerics from Russia visit us, whom we welcome with open arms; for instance, we recently had Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk celebrate services at our cathedral. We travel to Russia and they likewise welcome us with love. We celebrated that important event at a seminar in Moscow’s Sretensky Monastery titled “St John of Shanghai, the Unifier.”

The righteous man of God always strove for the unity of the two Churches, he considered the Russian Church Abroad an inseparable part of the Russian Church.

– You were a delegate at that Church Council at which the all-important decision was made; can you tell us about it?

– In May, 2006, the 4th All-Diaspora Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was held in San Francisco, at which the matter of reunification was discussed. I believe that the reunification of the Church was the result of the prayers of St John of Shanghai. The debates were difficult, not all the delegates supported unity. Many people spoke, and the optimism that I shared with some delegates faded after a few hours, it seemed we could never achieve unanimity.

At one point, it was proposed that a resolution on Eucharistic communion with the Moscow Patriarchate be drafted. Protopriest Alexander Lebedeff, the Secretary of the Council and Rector of Transfiguration of the Lord Cathedral in Los Angeles, told me that the process was difficult and at one point they reached an impasse.

Then they decided to have a recess, and to go to the cathedral and pray to St John of Shanghai before his very relics. A draft resolution was placed on his chest, along with a list of names of the delegates of the Council. Fervent prayer then instilled in us the confidence that everything will happen according to God’s will. After the moleben, the drafting of the resolution went smoothly.

Metropolitan Laurus surprised everyone by proposing that we vote not on the entire resolution, but on each paragraph individually. Most of the delegates voted for unification. I sensed that St John was with us!

In 2007, the important historic event took place, the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion.

– You have a lot of young people in your parish, how are you able to keep them engaged?

– Our parents reared us with the understanding that we must preserve the Orthodox Christian faith, our Russianness, our language. It’s not easy. It’s very easy to assimilate to American culture.

Young parents who recently immigrate to the US but never went to church in Russia want to have their kids Orthodox Christian, to speak Russian. Within the walls of the church, children come to the faith, learn to love God, they hear the Russian tongue…

The most important thing is to instill love to one’s historic Homeland, to one’s spiritual roots. To help understand our historic Homeland and the role of the Orthodox Church in Russia’s foundation.

– You are talking about parish life…

– Yes, parish life and through the scout organizations.

Our scouts gather at the parish twice a month. Every summer, the kids spend two weeks in camp in a picturesque area of Virginia. The kids erect their own tents, make an iconostasis out of branches and install icons in them. One of our priests celebrates Divine Liturgy there, under the open skies. We priests also live in tents.

– Your kids are also taught dancing.

– We have a dance troupe called “Matryoshka.” Our ladies teach Russian folk dancing, and the kids perform in traditional Russian costumes. Boys and girls are taught Russian dancing and love for Russian folk culture, and they get to know each other better.

– Your parish is bilingual?

– We celebrate two Liturgies every Sunday, in English and Slavonic. We have American parishioners, Romanians, Serbs, even some Chinese people. After early Liturgy, everyone goes to the hall to have breakfast, and after the second Liturgy, to lunch. The parishioners prepare the meals themselves.

We have Russian and English Sunday schools, where we teach the Law of God.

Source: http://www.synod.com/synod/engdocuments/enart_protvictorpotapovstjohnsf.html

Q: At present, my wife and I are seriously considering conversion to Orthodox Christianity. I, however, am concerned that my many past sins would prevent me from being accepted into the Church. I am genuinely sorry for these sins, and have done all I can to change—sometimes with success, sometimes not—but I fear that in confessing them, I would be seen as being “too sinful” to be accepted by the Church, or that the priest might soon give up on me. What can you say about this?

A: A person with a serious physical ailment should turn to a hospital and its doctors in the hope of physical healing, or at least in a genuine effort to bring about a remission in his or her ailments. It is precisely for such purposes that hospitals exist and doctors commit themselves to pursuing the “healing arts.” Only the most unreasonable of persons would say, “I would really like to go to the hospital, but I am afraid that the doctor would turn me away because I am far too ill.”

Similarly, a person with a serious spiritual ailment should turn to the “spiritual hospital”—the Church—and those who minister therein in the hope of spiritual healing, or at least in a genuine effort to bring about a remission in his or her sins. It is precisely for such purposes that the Church exists and her clergy pursue their vocation. It would be most unreasonable to say, “I would really like to go to the Church, but I am afraid that I will be turned away because I am far too sinful.” Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world precisely to heal sinners, to seek out the lost, and to restore all who would receive Him to spiritual health. As Christ reveals in Matthew 9:13, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

If you are convinced that you and your wife wish to embrace Orthodox Christianity as the fullness of Truth, then embrace it. Just as one who is physically ill should not worry that he or she is “too sick” to see a doctor, so too do not fear that you will be turned away from the Church because you are “too sinful”—and this is especially so when one is genuinely repentant and intensely desires forgiveness and reconciliation. Some of the greatest saints of the Church, such as Mary of Egypt, were quite notorious sinners, yet they repented, relied on the spiritual healing afforded by the Body and Bride of Christ—the Church—and attained holiness.

Ultimately, God does not desire the death of sinners. He rejoices when we turn from our sins and live. As Our Lord Himself plainly states in Luke 10:15, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Source: https://oca.org/questions/teaching/am-i-too-sinful-to-convert

While Christ still walked the earth, word about the Word spread far and wide. A certain Syrian king called Abgar came to hear and believe the works performed by Jesus and sent a letter to Him begging His presence in the royal court at Edessa, to cure the king of an illness he had. In some accounts the messanger was also given instructions to draw an image of this famous man, Jesus of Nazereth.

When the messanger got through the crowds thronging Christ and His disciples, the invitation was declined as Jesus had other plans. Yet the Son of God sent the messanger back with two powerfully edifying things: His word and His image.

The word was given in the form of a letter – not written but dictated by Our Lord – and the image was altogether more special. Amid the bustle, Jesus used a face-cloth which miraculously bore the image of His face. This was given to King Abgar’s courtier and, with the letter, was returned to Edessa with the promise that Christ would send one of His disciples soon.

The image of Christ preserved on the face-cloth was thus kept in Edessa, and became known variously as “The Image of Edessa”, the “Mandylion” (Gr. “face-cloth”), or “The Image Not Made With Hands”. As for Christ’s promise, naturally that too was kept, and it was Thaddeus, one of the Seventy Disciples who after the Ascension (and within a year of Ebgar receiving the mandylion) came to explain the true nature and purpose of Jesus Christ to the King. With the salvation-bearing words of the Gospel, King Ebgar was cured, and became the first Christian King in history.

The image of Christ not made with hands had a remarkable history of its own – allegedly protecting the city of Edessa from Persian invasion in 544 A.D. The mandylion was transferred to Constantinople – by then the political centre of Christendom – in the 10th century. After that it was lost in the sacking of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204. Although claims have been made as to its whereabouts since then, it is assumed to have been lost for good.

King Abgar with the Image of Edessa (10th century)

The “first” icon of Christ does what all future, “man-made”, Orthodox icons of Christ do: attest to the reality of God’s incarnation on earth. Beyond this, the Image of Edessa’s miraculous origins can be seen as a symbol of God’s authority and centrality to all true worship – because after all is said and done, the first iconographer was Jesus Christ Himself.

Source: https://iconreader.wordpress.com/2010/07/11/icon-not-made-with-hands/

If a Christian does not refer to the Holy Scripture then his prayer, which is not united with the word of God, then it is just a monologue, which will not rise above the ceiling. Prayer must be combined with the Holy Scripture readings so that it can become a real dialogue between a person and the Lord. Then we will get the answers we need through the God’s words that we read in the Scripture.

It is said in the Scripture: “Man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord does man live” (Deuteronomy 8:3). We should remember that a person needs not only physical or material food, but spiritual food as well. The word of God is the very food that our inner spiritual self needs. If we do not feed our physical self for several days, if we do not care for ourselves, then it will lead to exhaustion and dystrophy. However, spiritual self also can be in the state of dystrophy, if one does not read the Holy Scripture for a long time. And then people wonder why their faith falters. The source of faith is known: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). This is why every person should drink from this source.

The first psalm begins with the following words: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalms 1:1-2). Here we read about three conditions of a person’s body: it does not walk, does not stand and does not sit. Then it is said that a faithful person lives by the law of God day and night. It means that the Law of God tells us, with whom we should not walk together, with whom we should not stand together and with whom we should not sit together. The commandments are in the word of God. While reading the Holy Scripture, we put our conscience into the commandments of God. King David said: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105). If we do not put our conscience into the word of God, then we begin to walk in darkness.

Apostle Paul wrote in his admonition to young bishop Timothy: “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (Timothy 4:12-13). Moses, who had seen God, said when he instructed Joshua: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

So how should one study the Holy Scripture properly? I think we should begin with Gospel and Epistle daily readings, which are stated in every church calendar. Today everyone has such a calendar at home. There was a tradition earlier that after a person has read the morning prayers, he opened the calendar and looked there which excerpts from Gospel and Epistle were to be read on that day. A person read those texts, and they served him as an edification for the day. If you want to study the Holy Scripture more thoroughly, then fast is the best time for this.

It is necessary to have a Bible at home. You should choose a book for you that will be suitable for your eyes and that will be comfortable for you to hold in hands. You should also have a bookmark for this Book.

Of course, it is advisable to begin with the New Testament. If a person attends church regularly, then he needs to read the whole Bible at least once. What is more, if a person uses the time of fast for studying the Holy Scripture, this will bring him God’s blessing.

It has long been noted that no matter how many times a person reads the same biblical text, he understands it differently in different periods of his life. It is just like a precious stone: when you turn it, it shines with different colors. The word of God, no matter how many times we refer to it, will open new horizons of knowledge of God.

St. Ambrose of Optina said that it is better for the newcomers to begin to examine the New Testament with the help of the interpretations by St. Theophilactus the Bulgarian and refer to them if something is unclear. It is difficult to read the commentary itself without the biblical text, because it can serve as a reference book. A person should read commentaries when he comes across a biblical episode, which is unclear or just difficult to understand.

How can we teach our children to read the Holy Scripture? I think, parents should read the scripture together with their children. In Bible it is stated several times that it is the father who has to teach his children the Law of God. However, it is not said that children must learn. It means that although they do not want to learn, parents should teach them and read Bible together with them.

By Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev

Source: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/89806.html

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The History of the Svensk-Pechersk Icon of the Mother of God

Advice Regarding Prayer Before and After Work

Interview with a Priest: “I Believe that the Reunification of the Church Was the Result of the Prayers of St John of Shanghai”

Am I Too Sinful to Convert?

Iconography and History of the Image Of Christ Not Made By Hands

How Should Orthodox Christians Study the Holy Scripture Properly?

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