The Catalog of Good Deeds

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians, 5:14).

The social outreach to the elderly and disabled program of St.Elisabeth Convent marks its two year anniversary. In July 2014 sisters Anna Kovalevskaya and Zenaida Lobosova were blessed to begin this virtuous and essential service – to take care of the severely ill people and people advanced in years living alone at home. Two years is quite a short period of time, but it is long enough to bear fruit and to look at the recently done work.

So what was done during that time? Sister Anna, as a head of the service, will answer all the questions better than anyone else.

For all these years that the Convent has existed, the topic about home-care service was mentioned quite often. Minsk is a large city, and there is a lot of people who need such help. But it is hard to organize the casework service and take care even about several people, especially when you start from nothing. Sister Anna faced that problem for herself. Despite the fact she was well-experienced in staff management (before the Convent she worked for big commercial organizations), that very work seemed new to her and required much more attention to detail. Two years ago she had to find out how to organize this service, where to find sisters and what qualities the sisters need to have to fullfill this obedience.

Sister Anna, how did you manage to solve those problems?

We began our service via written notes in churches, in small church shops. We told about it at the meetings of the sister of charity, during father Andrew’s discussions with the parish. And, of course, we used the internet. I asked the editors of the Convent’s website to create a separate page for the casework service. We wrote an article for this as well, called “We are learning how to love”. In the newspaper an interesting article was published, too. I was talking to the journalist for 3 hours. This article helped me to explain those who came to apply, what our service would look like. I just asked them to read it to find out what we are dealing with. What is more, Anna Yakimovich, the author of the article, became a volunteer.

And of course Father Andrew prayed for us, and we all felt that. Now I do not have to search for new people, because when we get new requests from people, a new sister applies as well and vice versa. It truly feels like God sends us these sisters to help and support.

People need a calling for such ministry, don’t they?

Yes, and this is the main requirement. When people call us because they just cannot find a job and think “Why do not to try to work in casework service?”, then I know that it would not pan out. At first, we send a sister on the existing post to watch how we take care of the the elderly and disabled individuals. We had several training sessions in a hospice facility, and some people left after that. It seems they understood that it was not for them.

What do you mean by “post”?

By this we mean a sister’s presence by the bed of a person in need. But we do not send untrained sisters to such people. At first they help those people, who just need household help.

God helped us to start. When we had no experience, He guided us, He literally took a sister by the hand… now we have a structure, documentation, and the staff of trained sisters, many of whom have already proved to be true sisters of mercy.

What do you mean?

Being by the bed of an ill person, they showed sacrifice of their souls and mercy of their hearts, their patience and humility. Another important trait is obedience. Artistic approach like “I do what I want” is not unacceptable in this case. And blaming relatives, going into family problems and situations is not an option for us.

What does the sister’s work start with? You get a request for help – and what's next?

We come to the new post and create a plan: we decide how much time and care each particular person needs. On that basis I can do further analysis and decide whose character, knowledge and abilities will fit better with that particular person.

The approach is quiet personal, isn’t it?

Yes, it is. We have created a structured plan of our service, in which it is stated how our work should be organized. For example, which documents each sister should fill out. It can be the time schedule, or a blank with general information about a person, which includes the description of the illness and the list of necessary actions.

How many sisters do you have now?

There are 25 casework sisters and 13 volunteers. There are also 3 brothers among them. At the present time we are working with 60 people. For all the time the service exists, we have got more than 300 requests. Thank God, we can help most of them by speaking to them regularly and giving advice.

Is there any difference between the volunteers’ work and the work of casework sisters?

Volunteers have a permanent job and help us in their free time. They visit the elderly people who need household help or just conversation.

So they work not for profit, don’t they?

Or course. But for the sisters this ministry is their main obedience. And if you deal with elderly or sick people, it means you have to be near them most of the time. You have to visit them 3 or 4 times a week, but sometimes sisters do it even every day. In this case a visit includes sanitary-hygienic care: to wash a person, to change the clothes, to help with other needs. All these things need accuracy. If there is a doctor’s recommendation for physical therapy, then the sisters can help with some exercises against bed sores or change bandages and dress the wounds. Household help may include: cooking, feeding, and shopping for groceries… Sometimes it may also include help with utility payments, taking the person to the hospital, or calling a doctor.

How can people find you? Where are you getting requests most of all from?

They find our page when they search for such services on the internet. All the sisters who work in small shops know about our service and provide people with my contacts. Sometimes people, whom we have helped, refer our service their relatives and acquaintances. We have got some requests, for which there is no resources now. People say they want to work only with the sisters from our Convent, and that is why it is a a very important responsibility. I always say to our sisters, that we are not just attendants. People look up to us and have high expectations from us. They think that if we are from the Convent, then we are faithful, responsible, fair and merciful. Actually, all these people are former accountants, lawyers, and psychologists. Of course, at first it was really difficult, because we did not know how to take care about such people…

How did you train it? We know that the Belorussian Orthodox Church has a special sisterhood union, which organizes the courses for casework sisters.

14 of our sisters finished these courses. We were taught how to interact with such severely ill people. And well-skilled attendant gave us lessons just near the bed of her patient. Natalya Zhuk, one of our sisters, was in Moscow and visited special seminar on transportation of the severely ill people. Now she can teach this technique our new sisters. So you see that we have managed to prepare our own specialist. Moreover, I have finished ten-month of courses of social service organized by Moscow Patriarchy. Then I went to Moscow to go through the practical training. The skills are important, but Father Andrew once said that we will learn how to change diapies, but what is more important, is to take care of the people's souls.

Does it mean that you have to help these people not only physically, but also spiritually?

This is the most important thing. We visit different people. Some of them have never have confessed or communion. Some of them have family problems, the others are spiritually weak. And we try to make some first steps, try to show our care and mercy. Then we began to pray together, to read the Holy Gospel.

If they do not mind this?

Of course, we cannot force them. We should do it without constraint and be very tactful. Sometimes we just read some books or talk. And it is a real joy for us, when a person who was baptized many years ago, in childhood, who lived for many years without confession and knew nothing about all those things, decides suddenly to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries.

How can the sisters foster their spirit? Their work is really difficult and demands much responsibility!

You are right, the spiritual life is very important for them. We should be united in our ministry, and support each other, be interchangeable and trust each other. God helps us a lot in this.

Home-care service is not just care for the severely ill and elderly people. The sisters are linked to their patients both spiritually and physically, and each of them has his own character. This ministry is impossible to serve if there is no Christ between a sister and her patient. That is why we decided to organize the meetings during which we can discuss some questions that arise in our work, and pray all together.

Father Andrew took part in our meetings sometimes and guided us as well, answered our questions. But we needed a priest, who could be with us all the time and strengthen us spiritually. Finally, Father Andrew blessed Father Sergius to help us. The first thing we did together was a moleben served in our cathedral.

Your ministry is expensive enough. How do you find funds?

The relatives of the people we care of make some donations. But often we have to deal with people of low income, who cannot afford to pay for our services. That is why we decided to take part in the grant contest called “Orthodox initiative”. And we have won the prize! The money we got was spent for office equipment, some means of care and medical supplies for severely ill people, and sisters’ trainings and uniform.

Recently the information about our patients and our service has been published on some popular local web-sites, and this allowed us to get donations for the low-income families. That was quite surprising: more than 215 people responded and transferred us more than 5500 belorussian rubles (approx. $2700). This finance allows us to support six low-income patients. What is more, two volunteers joiner our team. It is really great that people are ready to help those who are in need! Before Easter and Christmas we organize the campaign “Mercy” in some big shopping malls of Minsk, and people are glad to donate. We pack the gifts and send one to each of our patients. The part of everything what we got, we send to the private rest home “Family port”.

Sister Anna, what are your next plans? Do you have any expectations about your further work?

You know, people call us almost each day and ask whether it is possible to place their old relatives with us. So that is why we need a true “mercy home” for elderly and disabled people. At the present moment it is our dream.

Help support the home-care service for the elderly and disabled of St. Elisabeth Convent

Visit the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent

After the Ascension of Christ, Mary Magdalene was among the woman who was praying together with the apostles and the Mother of God in anticipation of the Holy Spirit to come down. The Church tradition preserved the story about her feats made in the capital of the former empire.

First of all it is important to note that when Mary came to Emperor Tiberius I, she gave him a red egg and said the words we say each year on the day of Easter: “Christ is risen!” Then she told him the truth about the crucifixion of Christ and His sufferings. The tradition of giving the emperor some fruits or eggs was quite usual at that time. And today we continue this tradition on the day of Easter. However, some Church historians state that the Roman emperor already knew from Pontius Pilate everything about the events which had taken place in the Canaan, and heard from the people about the Resurrection of Christ. It is assumed that the words of Saint Mary made the emperor offer the Roman senate to include Christ into the list of Roman gods. An offer tht was naturally rejected.

The Saint Myrrh Bearer also knew Apostle Paul, and it is quite possible she helped him in his missionary work. That is why he wrote later in his message to the Roman people: “Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us” (Romans, 16:6). Later Saint Mary lived in Ephesus, where Saint John the Apostle worked on his version of the Holy Gospel. Moreover, his book gives more details about the resurrection of Christ and the episode of His appearance to Saint Mary Magdalena. The life of Saint Equal-to-the-apostle Mary ended there, in the city of Ephesus.

With acceptance of Christianity, people of Rus began to honor Saint Mary as well. There is a wide range of various iconography presenting her. The image of Saint Mary can be seen on the icons depicted during the passions of Christ: the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Descent from the Cross, Burial of Christ, the Myrrh Bearers and on other similar icons. One of the Moscow icons of Saint Mary depicts her with a white cross in her right hand and a gold alabaster in the left one.

There is also an interesting story about the relics of the Saint Myrrh Bearer. It seems that during the crusades they were taken to Rome and put under the altar in the Lateran Cathedral. A part of the relics which are now in France, near the city of Marcel. Another few parts are kept in the monasteries of the Mount Athos and in Jerusalem. As a result of the crusade of 1204, when Constantinople was conquered and pillaged, many of the saints’ relics were moved out of the city to the West.

In the Western historiography there is a theory, that Mary Magdalene was the very sinner who washed the Christ’s feet with her tears in the Simon’s house (Luke, 7:38). Also she is identified with Mary – the sister of pious Lazarus. But the Eastern fathers think that these are three different persons. This point is quite important as the sense of the Saint’s feat and apostolic work depends on it. According to the Western tradition, Saint Mary was the sinner, and those seven demons which were cast out by Christ were her reckoning for all her sins. That is why in the sermons of Western clergy Saint Mary is honored as the example of the true repentance. The Eastern tradition differs: it says that these were two different women and Saint Mary was the one who demonstrated “the works of God” (John, 9:3). She was obsessed by the demons not for her sins or the sins of her parents, but God let that happen, so that Christ could show people the work of God – the healing of Mary Magdalene, the enlightenment of her mind and her conversion to the true faith and life eternal. She was honored much in the West, and her care about Christ inspired people to do good and help the people in need. That is why in the middle ages a lot of asylums were built in honor of Saint Mary of Magdalene.

She was always faithful to her Divine Teacher. The transportation of her relics fostered the spreading of her fame all over the world, and thus even more people began to worship her. At the present time people pray to her throughout the word in many countries and churches. The name of the Saint Myrrh Bearer and her feats proclaim the resurrection of Christ. There are the following words about her in the Synaxarion on the week of the Saint Myrrh Bearers: “Many were the Myrrh-Bearers, but the Evangelists mentioned only the important ones, leaving the others aside. First of them all was Mary Magdalene, from whom Christ had cast out seven demons; after the Ascension of Christ, she went to Rome, as the story has it, and delivered Pilate and the High Priests to an evil death, after relating to the Emperor Tiberius the events surrounding Christ; she later reposed in Ephesus and was buried by Saint John the Theologian; her holy relics were translated to Constantinople by Emperor Leo the Wise.”

Once a preacher said: “Saint Mary Magdalene is a great example of honoring love to God. And each Christian soul should be full of the same firm feeling of to our Lord. Due to His sufferings which brought us redemption you can get free from sin, corrupting the souls from the inside and having the power over people since the time of the original sin, through the sacrament of baptism, just as Magdalene did”.

Source: http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Makarij_Veretennikov/svjataja-ravnoapostolnaja-marija-magdalina/

Hanpainted Icon #1

Handpainted Icon #2

Laquered Icon on wood

Crushed Stone Icon in full height

Help support the ministry of St. Elisabeth Convent

Visit the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent

In the history of Old Russian iconography Simon Ushakov is associated with the last period of art of the Moscow Russia. Both his creativity and personality are typical for the epoch of basic changes that took place in the second half of the 17th century. Collapse of the medieval outlook lead to serious changes in understanding and interpretation of icon-painting images.

Simon (Pimen) Fyodorovich Ushakov was most probably born into the family of tradespeople, and, apparently, quite early received thorough training for his trade, since at the age of 22 he was already employed as a full-fledged master of the Silver Chamber at the Armoury Department. His direct duties there were to make drawings for various items of church utensils and palace utilities, mainly for gold, silver and enameled ones, paint church banners, design patterns for needlework, draw maps, plans, etc. Apart from assiduously performing these duties, Simon Ushakov painted icons for the court yard, for churches and private customers, and pretty soon gained fame as the best Moscow icon painter.

After Ushakov's transfer from service in the Silver Chamber to the Armoury in 1664 the area of his activities expanded and accordingly his glory grew even more: he came to head other tsar’s artists and even generated a school of icon painters. He was in favor of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich and his successors to the throne, executed all their orders in the art field and was in clover till the end of his life.

Quite a number of icons painted by Simon Ushakov have come down to us, but unfortunately most of them have been deformed by later over-paintings and restorations. Ushakov's works testify that he was a person very well developed for his epoch, and a gifted artist who had mastery in all the art techniques of that time. As opposed to the prescribed rule of painting icons according to ancient samples, Ushakov wasn't indifferent to the western art, the tendencies of which were already widely spread in the 17th century in Russia. Standing firmly on the ground of authentic Russian- Byzantine style of icon-painting he painted both following the old manner and the new style, invented new compositions, looked closely at the western samples and nature, and aspired to impart distinctness and movement to the depicted figures.

The area of Ushakov’s activities included preparing drawings for engravers. Dmitry Rovinsky in his “Detailed dictionary of Russian engravers” showed two etchings created by Simon Ushakov.

Of all Ushakov's iconographic scenes the most famous are his icons of the Savior, the Trinity, and the series based on Scriptural history in the Moscow St. Trinity Church in Nikitniki.

Simon Ushakov was one of the first Russian artists who starting introducing elements of realistic perspective into iconography, though keeping up the canons of icon-painting. However, as M. B. Alpatov mentions “in his works he allowed fewer innovations than in his statements about art”.

Simon Ushakov made a strong impact on Russian church art (among his students and followers there were George Zinovev, Ivan Maksimov, Tihon Filatev, Cyril Ulanov and other icon-painting masters), having anticipated its new course during the epoch of Peter the First’s reforms.

In addition to a multitude of frescoes for the churches of the Kremlin and palace buildings, icons for the imperial family, and portraits of them, Ushakov painted icons for his local church, the aforementioned Church of the Trinity in Nikitniki, throughout his life. He also worked at times for other churches, monasteries, and private patrons. In the spirit of the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, who strove to bring the Russian church in line with the traditions of Greek Orthodoxy, Ushakov in his icons chose to reflect the countenances of Greek icons, many of which had been brought from the Orthodox east, and of old Russian icons that had been painted in the Greek style. Ushakov believed, like many other icon painters, that the saints in icons should look revived and illuminated, and indeed, critics agree that he did manage to fill his icons with feeling and light. But he did this while uniting traditional Byzantine formulas (flattened figures in hieratic poses) with the chiaroscuro and perspective of Western painting, as was also done in the Greco-Italian iconography that Ushakov favoured. This style, however, ultimately worked counter to his intentions. By inspiring his icons with life and strength, Ushakov was unable to withstand the secularization of his iconography.

Source: http://russia-ic.com/people/general/u/505

Help support the ministry of St. Elisabeth Convent

Visit the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent

Humankind searched for God, its Creator, for a long time. Submerged by the darkness of sin, it called upon the Heaven. Moans, cries, screams, suffering and illnesses filled the face of the earth; blood, sweat, and tears soaked it through. People were trying to find the rescue from death. However, when the Lord came to them and opened His embrace, people were frightened at the sight of such proximity of God, of such divine love and beauty.

People had wanted to find a God in order to tremble at His sight and serve Him as slaves, but the Lord came to them as a defenceless Baby, and His entire life on earth was devoted to serving people. Man was looking for God on the throne of earthly rulers but he found Him in a poor cowshed. In His last minutes on earth, the Lamb of God, who appeared to people in order to teach them to live with God, takes all our pain, sorrows, and wounds on Himself. The world did not accept God; the world crucified Love. But Love won because Love never dies. The world turned its back on God but the Lord was praying for those who crucified Him, “They are not aware of what they are doing, forgive them.” The Lord never ceased to love us humans, and He made a miracle before His Passion — through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist during the Last Supper, He united with each one of those who were with Him. This moment of Communion is impossible to perceive. Everything that a person can embrace with his or her reasoning is situated on earth. Here the Lord gives us eternal and imperishable love that tramples down death, that triumphs over the world and the sin. This heavenly gift makes us immortal, if only we believe that we are God's kin, that we are immortal, if only we are not afraid of the road that lies beneath the feet of those who are eager to fight with sin inside their hearts and to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

That road means constant suffering due to the sin that dwells inside our souls and does not want to die out. It is alongside with that sin that our passionate, corrupt and transient old self dies. Its death may take years. Not just great ascetics but each Christian who professes Christ, joins the Church, and becomes a part of the Body of Christ, is bound to die. This death is painful and this life is an ordeal which only courageous, humble, and pure souls can pass. By dying for the sin, we are born for God. As she gets closer to God, the person distances herself from the world, and her soul that has seen the Light of the Love of Christ feels that the world of sin, the world that is violent in its core, the world that considers love to be insane, is alien to her. Once God's grace finds its way into a person's heart, it makes it ache forever. That person's heart can no longer be immured by the sin; it suffers as it encounters the sin, and can only be comforted by the Heaven, not the earth. The life of a person who has encountered God changes; all joys, lures, and attractions of this world turn into a prison for the heart that yearns for God. We lift up our hearts, but there is sin inside our hearts, and it is this sin that we have to cut off with a knife of faith and repentance, with a knife that tears us apart. We have to bid farewell to the sinful part because it is temporary and cannot go into the Kingdom of Love ruled by the Eternal God.

When a person receives the Communion, she burns down the sin but there is the devil hiding behind the back of every communicant and waiting for the moment when he can take revenge on the person. The devil does his best to trick us and lead us astray, using our bodily infirmities, so the life of a Christian becomes a struggle, an “invisible war” against the “prince of this world”. The world attracts the person, while God calls us into the Heavenly Kingdom that begins inside one's heart when, in spite of the horror of the sin that is revealed to those who come to know God, a person breaks free from the darkness. Our souls knock at the door of the Kingdom of Heaven, looking for the Saviour. It is the Lord who is the Saviour of souls. The more one can see her sinfulness, the more one can see her impurity, the more love her soul may accommodate, because it longs for salvation.

During every Liturgy, a church is filled with grace; Angels and Saints take part in this Feast of Love. However, it is so difficult sometimes for a person to get to the Holy Chalice; it is hard to put up with the fact that it is not her own merit but God's Love, God's forgiveness and humility that rescue her from death. Time relentlessly flies forward to the point at which the Eternity starts. We have met God, and this fact has to change our lives, our world outlook, our blood and flesh, and make us able to love, hope, trust, to be patient, humble, and grateful. We cannot forget about our encounter with God; we cannot un-learn that there is a different kind of life, that is pure and beautiful. Our souls feel sad, and everything without God becomes useless. The person starts to seek for the meaning of her life only in God.

We escape death and we see life but this life demands our choice. God is waiting and calling each one of us, which is why we will never be able to justify ourselves with our ignorance or unpreparedness. We will be held responsible for our decision either to live for God and follow in the footsteps of Christ, or turn our backs on Him and pursue our own ways that lead not to the Heaven but into the depth of the earth, into the grim grave. A soul that did not get to know God, did not humble herself down, and did not answer the call of her Creator, will be buried in darkness forever.

Help support the ministry of St. Elisabeth Convent

Visit the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent

Saint Prophet Elijah is one of the greatest prophets and the first Old Testament’s celibates – was born in Galaadian Fesvia and was from Leviin’s tribe, lived 900 years before Christ’s birth.

Saint Bishop Epiphanius of Salamis tells such a legend about Prophet Elijah’s birth: “When Elijah was born, his father Sovah saw in a vision that fine-looking men greeted him, swaddled him in fire and fed him with flames”. The name Elijah (God’s strength), given to the child, defined his entire life. From his early years he dedicated himself to the one true God, settled in a desert and spent his life in strict fast, contemplation and prayer. Being called being called to be a prophet at the time of Ahab, king of Israel, he became a devout defender of the true faith and piety. At that time the people of Israel forgot their fathers’ faith, stopped honoring the True God and worshipped pagan idols, whose veneration was originally started by by an unholy king Ierovoam. Pagan Jezebel, king Ahab’s wife especially supported worshiping idols. Worshiping idol Vaal led the people of Israel to total moral corruption.

Seeing these events as the beginning of the end of his nation, Elijah started to denounce King Ahab’s mischief, persuading him to repent and return to God. The king didn’t listen to him. Then Elijah the prophet announced him that as punishment there will be no rain or dew on the earth and the drought will end up only upon his prayer. Indeed the sky concluded by his prayer and the drought and hunger started along the earth. Folk suffered from unbearable heat and hunger. Merciful God seeing people’s suffering was ready to spare everyone and to send rain on earth, but he didn’t want to break Prophet Elijah’s word that was willing to turn Israeli hearts to repentance and lead them back to God-reverence. Saving Prophet Elijah from Jezebel’s hands, God sent him to a secret place near Horaf stream. God enjoined predatory ravens to bring food to the prophet, inspiring him for compassion to suffering people. When the Horaf stream dried out, God sent Prophet Elijah to Sidonian Sarepta to one poor widow, who was suffering together with her children awaiting hunger-death. By the prophet’s request, she cooked him an opresnok from the last handful of mill and the rest of oil. Then by Elijah’s prayers, neither oil nor mill ever ended in the widow’s house during all hunger time.

On the end of three years of drought the Merciful God sent the prophet to King Ahab to end up the disaster. Prophet Elijah told to collect whole Israel and Vaal’s priests at the hill Karmill. When the people gathered, Prophet Elijah suggested building two altars: one from Vaal’s priests and one from Prophet Elijah to serve the True God. “The altar, which will gain fire from the sky will be a sign whose God is Real God,- said prophet Elijah,- and everyone will have to worship Him and not accepting him will have to die. Vaal’s prophets were first to bring their sacrifice: they called on their idol from the morning till evening, but in vain – the sky was silent. Up to the evening saint prophet Elijah erected his altar from 12 stones in number of Israel tribes, put his sacrifice on firewood, he ordered to dig a trench around the altar and commanded to poor the sacrifice and wood with water. When the trench was filled with water, the fiery prophet turned to God with a hot prayer and a petition to God for a benediction of fire from the sky to reason the fooled and fierce people of Israel and turn their hearts to Him. By the prophet’s prayer fire came out of the skies and burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and even water. People fell down on earth, calling: “Truly God is One and there is no other God beside Him!”. Then Prophet Elijah slained all Vaal’s priests and started to pray for the rain. By his prayer the heavens opened and showers of rain watered the thirsty land.

King Ahab realized his misconception and bemoaned his sins, but his wife Jezebel was threatening to kill God’s prophet. Prophet Elijah fled to the kingdom of Judah and grieving about the impossibility of idolatry eradication, he asked God for death to himself. Lord’s angel appeared to him, strengthened him with food and commanded to go on a long journey. Prophet Elijah went forty days and nights and when he reached Mount Horeb, he settled in a cave. Here, after a fierce storm, earthquake and flame the Lord appeared "in a quiet wind" (3 Kings. 19, 12) and opened to the grieving prophet that He had saved seven thousand loyal servants, not having worshipped to Vaal. God enjoined to Prophet Elijah to anoint Elischa for the prophet service. For his fiery zeal for the glory of God, Prophet Elijah was taken to heaven alive in a fiery chariot. Prophet Elischa witnessed Prophet Elijah’s rise to the sky and got a gift of prophecy Spirit (together with his fallen coat) twice as big as prophet Elijah had.

Iconographic tradition depicts the Prophet Elijah ascending on the chariot with fiery wheels, which is surrounded by flames on all sides, and driven by four winged horses.

Source: http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/910383.html

Help support the ministry of St. Elisabeth Convent

Visit the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent

“The Originator of faith” and “the Root of Orthodoxy” – that is how people called Saint Princess Olga many years ago. Her baptism was marked with the prophetical words of the patriarch, who baptized her: “You are blessed among the wives of Rus, as you rejected darkness and turned to light. The sons of your land will honor you till the last family line”. There are a lot of storiesabout her in the chronicles, but most of the facts about her life cannot be doubted.

The name of the future Princess and the first information about her can be found in the most ancient chronicle called “Primary Chronicle” in the episode of marriage of Prince Igor of Kiev: “From Pskov they bring the bride for him, called Olga”. After the marriage Igor went to war on the Greeks, and when he returned he was already a father, as their son Svyatoslav was born. Soon Igor was killed by ancient tribe of Drevlians. Being afraid of revenge for the murder of the Prince, they set their ambassadors to Olga, asking her to marry their leader called Mall. The princes pretended as if she agreed. She lured with a ruse two groups of ambassadors to Kiev and sentenced them to painful death. Then her warriors killed 5,000 of Drevlians near their capital – Korosten. Next year she attacked the city again. That time they burnt the city to ashes, when they sent there the birds with burning tows. Those of Drevlians who survived were later sold into slavery.

At the same time the chroniclers say she contributed a lot to the development of political and social life in the state. She managed to strengthen the power of the Prince and centralized the government. The chronicles note that along with her son and their army, she came across the Drevlian lands and set up a taxation system. The princes annexed some of their villages and hunting areas to the territories of Kiev.

In her life story it is said: “Princess Olga was reigning not just like a woman, but like a strong and wise man. She was tought when it came to her ruling power and protected her land from the hostiles. The enemies were afraid of her, but her people loved her, as she was kind and fair. She had mercy upon the guilty and rewarded the pious. She gave all credit where credit is due, but she always was wise and prudent”.

As a wise ruler she could see based on the example of the Byzantine Empire, that it was not enough to develop social and political spheres. It was necessary and more important to care about the spiritual life of her people. “The main feat of her was that she could behold the true God. She knew nothing about Christian rules, she led a pure and virtuous life. She wanted to be a Christian by her own will. She felt God with her heart and went to Him without hesitation”. Saint Nestor the Chronicler wrote that “Saint Olga was striving for wisdom since childhood, which is the best thing in the world, but she found much more precious treasure – she found Christ”.

The great Princess made her choice and left the throne for her son, who was old enough to rule. She went to Constantinople. And in her life story it is stated: “Olga went to the Greeks to see their service in her own eyes and make sure, that their faith is the true one”. Here she decided to become a Christian. She was baptized by patriarch Theofilact of Constantinople, and Emperor Constantine VII become her godfather. Olga brought to Kiev the icons, the literature and thus her apostolic ministry began. She built the Cathedral in the name of Saint Nicholas on the grave of Askold – the first Christian prince of Kiev, and turned many of people to Christianity.

Her apostolic ministry faced strong pagan resistance. A lot of people among the boyars (nobility) and warriors hated the new faith and their Princess, and the fact that it was spreading all over the land. The adherents of paganism hoped that the young Prince Svyatoslav, who rejected his mother’s offers to accept Christianity. In the “Primary Chronicle” it is said: “Olga lived with her son Svyatoslav and persuaded him to get baptized, but he ignored her. But if someone wanted to be baptizes, he did not prohibit. Olga said often: “Son, I knew God and now I am happy. So would you, if you open your heart for Him”. But he said: “How can I do this? My warriors will laugh me down!” She answered: “If you do this, then they will follow you and do this as well”.

He did not listen to her and lived by the pagan traditions, But he did not know, that one who does not listen to his parents will land in trouble. People say: “He, who does not listen to his father or his mother, will meet his death”. Olga loved her son no matter what and said: “Let it be by God’s will. If He want to have mercy upon my ancestors and my land, the He will make their hearts turn to Him, as He did it for me”.

At the end of her life she faced a lot of sorrows. Her son moved to the city of Preslavets, which he wanted to made the capital of his pagan land. Living in Kiev, Olga taught Christianity to her grandchildren, but she did not dare to baptize them being afraid of her son’s wrath. In 968 Kiev was sieged by the Pechenegs. The Saint Princess and her grandchildren were at grave danger. But Svyatoslav found out about it and came to rescue them and the city. The enemies were sent running in defeat.

Saint Olga was seriously ill and asked her son not to leave Kiev untill she died. She hoped still to turn her son to God. On her deathbed she exhorted: “Why do you leave me, son? And where are you going? Looking for something foreign, who do you ask to lead what is yours? Now I want you to do what I ask for: do not leave us till I am dead and buried. Then you can go wherever you want. When I die, do not perform any pagan ritual, but allow for my priest and clerics to bury my body in accordance with the Christian traditions”.

Svyatoslav was in pain, and promised to comply with all her requests, but he refused again to be baptized. Three days later her condition got worse. The Saint Princess partook of the Holy Sacraments and began to pray to God, that He would illuminate the Russian land. She foresaw that God would bless her land and many of its people would become saints.

When Prince Vladimir took over the throne, the relics of Olga were moved to the Church of the Tithes and kept in a sarcophagus, like it was customary in eastern orthodoxy at that time. Under the grave there was a small window in the wall, and when believers came there they could see the Holy Relics. Some people could even see a light there, and the others were healed from diseases. But those who did not believe, could not see the relics, but only the coffin.

The prophecy about her son came true: his death was terrible. Svyatoslav was killed by the prince of the Pechenegs, called Kurey. He cut off Svyatoslav’s head, covered the skull with gold and made a bowl, from which he drunk at the celebrations. The prophecy about the Russian land was proved by Olga’s grandson – Saint Prince Vladimir, who became the baptizer of Rus. The images of Saint Olga and Vladimir complement each other, as they were the originators of Russian spiritual history. Saint Equal-to-the-apostle Olga became the “spiritual mother” of the Russian people, who began the illumination with the true light of Christianity.

Source: http://azbyka.ru/days/sv-olga-v-kreshchenii-elena

Help support the ministry of St. Elisabeth Convent

Visit the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )

Search This Blog

featured Slider

Ministry Update: Home-care service for the elderly and disabled celebrates its 2 year anniversary

Mary Magdalene: An Apostle to the Apostles

Famous Icon Painters: Simon Ushakov

On the proximity of God

Saint Prophet Elijah

The path to orthodoxy: Saint Olga

Partners

Search This Blog

featured Slider

Ministry Update: Home-care service for the elderly and disabled celebrates its 2 year anniversary

Mary Magdalene: An Apostle to the Apostles

Famous Icon Painters: Simon Ushakov

On the proximity of God

Saint Prophet Elijah

The path to orthodoxy: Saint Olga

About Our Blog

Most Popular Posts

Partners