The White Angel of Minsk
Children’s Camp with a History: Children Arrived to Camp “Nezabudka” for the 16th Time
On June 25, camp "Nezabudka" opened for the
sixteenth time on the grounds of the metachion of St. Elisabeth Convent. For the
next three weeks, 60 girls and boys will live in a tent camp outdoors and will
be surrounded by beautiful nature together with old and new friends because for
many of them it is not their first time.
Children love this place because they are able to interact
and an interesting program, which was developed by camp counselors.
The camp has time set aside for obedience, prayer,
reading spiritual literature, and of course there is a time for games, sports,
creativity and hikes. Here children learn to be more responsible and independent:
they help adults to cook, to clean, and to do various jobs.
Here camp counselors are open to new things and have
the utmost respect for the children’s opinions and wishes. They also honor the
traditions that have been developed in Nezabudka for the past sixteen years.
This includes processions in the evenings around the camp, the Saturday
liturgies in the Church located on the grounds of the metachion where children
are able to sing in the choir as well as Sunday liturgies in the village Church
in honor of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, a fun day fair when parents visit,
and farewell bonfires at the end of the camp.
There are many who want to come to camp! The second session
has already been formed. Nezabudka camp will be open until the end of July.
St. Elisabeth Convent,
July, 2017
How Not to Become an Accidental Iconoclast
If we are careless or unaware of an
image’s sanctity, then the image does not suddenly become unholy or “just a
picture”: instead we end up profaning the image of a holy one, whether a Saint,
an angel, or Jesus Christ Himself.
This post
offers some advice on avoiding such “accidental iconoclasm”.
Holy images in ordinary places
Usually
it is relatively easy to pay proper respect to icons of Christ and His Saints
when they are particular places: in churches, on icon stands, or our own prayer
corners at home. Such places predispose us to a prayerful attitude, so we will look
upon a picture of Christ, and will naturally pray to Him. Yet icons can be
placed elsewhere, away from places set aside for prayer or worship. It is
common for pious Orthodox Christians to place icons throughout their house: in
the living room, the kitchen, and by the side of the door. One reason behind
this is so that in all aspects of our lives we are reminded of God and the
Saints. However, what happens when, despite the icons’ presence, we forget the
Holy Ones and behave as though their image is not with us? An illustrative
story of the Icon of the Mother of God “She Who is Quick to Hear”:
[The icon was] hung in a niche on the outside
of the walls of what used to be an Athonite monastery refectory. Before the
icon was a passageway, through which the fathers generally passed on their way
to the Refectory. The steward also passed that way in the performance of his
duties, not only by day, but also by night. Sometimes, in the night, he would
pass before this icon while carrying a burning torch. Once, in 1664,this
steward, Nilos, while passing by as usual, with the torch giving off soot,
heard a voice coming from the icon, which said, “In the future, do not come
here with a lighted torch and do not blacken my Image with soot.” At first,
Nilos was afraid of these words; but then, telling himself that one or another
of the brothers had spoken to him, he wentback quickly to his cell, passing on
as before. A voice came to him a second time from the icon, saying, “Monk,
unworthy of this name! Will you go on much longer carelessly and shamelessly
blackening my Image?” At these words, the Steward went blind, and then only did
he understand whose words these were; and, sincerely confessing his sin, he
deemed himself worthy of such punishment for his inattention to the words of
the Most Holy Virgin Theotokos. The brothers of the Monastery learned what had
happened, and consequently they placed a sanctuary lamp before the icon, and
had it censed every night, while praying diligently that Nilos might receive
back his sight. One day, while he was praying and weeping before the holy icon,
he heard a voice: “Nilos! Your prayer has been heard. I forgive you and shall
give back sight to your eyes…. for which reason My icon shall be called “She
Who Is Quick To Hear;” for I shall speedily show mercy and fulfill the
petitions of all who hasten to it.” Following these joyful words, Nilos
received back his sight.
The
“punishment” of the steward was clearly given in order for the healing to take
place, and for the glorification of God who continues to work miracles through
this holy image. Nevertheless, it is a cautionary reminder of the importance of
honoring images of Christ and the Saints, even though they might not be in an
“ordinary” or “by-the-way” place.
In what
way should we honour icons hung in corridors, kitchens, utility rooms etc? St
John the Wonderworker of San Francisco did indeed venerate all the icons he
could see upon entering a house, even doing so before addressing the occupants!
This displays a proper understanding of holy images, as their prototype –
Christ and His Saints – are indeed worthy of attention before anything else.
Nevertheless, in the example of the “She Who is Quick to Hear” icon, punishment
came because of neglect that was damaging the image of Mary and Jesus, rather
than because the steward failed to bow and kiss the icon each time he passed.
Therefore it is enough to say that being aware of the holy images around us,
wherever we may be, is enough – as awareness of the icon leads to awareness of
the Saints, and a right heart, should, come from this.
Care of paper icons
Early on
as an Orthodox Christian, I was under the false notion that printed icons were
not “as good” as icons painted onto wood. This was because I felt that holy
images that had been produced after hours and hours of painstaking care, using
the “proper” materials, were somehow holier than images that are printed en
masse. This is false, of course. The ascetic care taken by an iconographer is a
greater labour of love on her part, and when producing “new” images such care
ensures the image is a true one, but otherwise the way in which an icon is
produced does not effect its holiness: the “content” of the image does.
As if to
demonstrate this, in modern times God has granted that a number of printed
icons be revealed as wonder-working. Paper icons, particularly prints mounted
on thin pieces of wood, are produced in vast quantities, allowing anyone to
have their own holy image for a relatively small cost. Among the printed icons
revealed to be miracle working (usually myrrh-streaming) are the Iveron Icon
from Hawaii, an icon of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, and one of his namesake,
the Royal-Martyr Nicholas II.
A print
icon bought specifically to be placed in a church or icon-corner will generally
be kept with care. However, if recent miracles confirm the sanctity of
mass-produced mounted print icons, then what of icons printed in books,
Orthodox greetings cards (something which is increasingly popular), or even
church bulletins? The pious custom of all corners of the Orthodox church
appears to be that printed icons should be treated with respect. Not wanting to
sound like a stuck-record, but the holiness of the image is derived from its
prototype, not the material it is printed on, nor its intended use.
In the
case of books, which increasingly have icons printed on the front, then care
should be taken so as the images are not neglected as the Mother of God’s image
was by the torch-bearing steward. This means not using them as doorstop, or as
a coaster for our cup of tea etc. Indeed, such respect should be shown to all
holy books (e.g. writings of the Holy Fathers; not just the Bible) regardless
of their front cover, as the content of the book is holy and worthy of respect.
Where it is difficult to keep the front cover in good condition, then the whole
book can be covered in paper (wrapping paper, wall-paper, brown paper…) as
exercise books at school used to be covered; and for the same reason: to
protect them.
As for
images printed on disposable items, such as leaflets or periodicals, the holy
images can be cut out before the rest is thrown away or recycled. The images
can be kept, of course, and used for veneration themselves. However, they can
also be disposed of, which lead on to…
Disposal of holy images
Most
icons will reach a point when they are beyond restoration and need disposing
of. This has long been something the Church has had to deal with, as has the
disposal of other sacramental items like vestments (which are also often
decorated with icons), and so there are canons regarding the correct disposal
of them.
Sacramental
items that are combustible, which includes icons painted on wood, are burned,
and the ashes buried in an out of the way place. Non-combustible items, which
would include glass icons found in parts of Romania, are broken up (they may be
already broken which is why they need disposing of) and then the pieces either
buried or thrown into moving water, to be carried away. However, it is the
spirit of the law that should be remembered, rather than strict adherence: the
intent in these canons is to prevent an image of Christ or His Saints being
trampled, dirtied, or in other ways defaced. Hence icons are generally burned
so the image is gone, and the ashes buried where they are not trampled; the
materials, not in themselves holy, then return to the earth.
Disposing
of paper icons is done in the same way: burned, then buried. This is also true
of holy images printed onto flyers or other ephemera, where there is no
intention of keeping them.
***
The above
is not intended to make any believers beholden to rules and regulations
regarding icons. The actual intention can be summed up the words of St John of
Krondstadt:
The icons of the Lord, of His mother and the
saints also possess the power of God for believers and may accomplish miracles
upon them. Why? Because, by God’s grace the Lord, the Holy Virgin and the
saints are present in them. They are nearer to us than the images. This is
true, as experience often confirms this.
The holy
icons remind us of the intimate closeness of those represented in them.
Therefore seeing all images of the holy as Icons, regardless of where they are
or what they’re made from, means we are more often reminded of the presence of
Christ and His Saints in our midst. Our respect for holy images benefits us
more than it benefits them, or those represented in them.
Source: https://iconreader.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/how-not-to-be-an-accidental-iconoclast/
Royal Inadequacies of the Royal Priesthood
“Behold,
how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”–Psalm 133:1
While there are many wonderful and holy
pastors who labor in Christ’s vineyard, many others seem to experience problems
of a peculiar nature. One way to identify the source of these problems to call
it the lack of mentoring or apprenticeship. The situation is really quite
simple: a newly-ordained priest gets assigned a rector and the only priest of a
parish, which may be either in a remote location or the only Orthodox parish in
a city. The dean may be too far and too busy to visit very often, the bishop may
come once a year, other priests may visit only occasionally and not for the
explicit purpose of offering any mentoring or advice. Thus, the newly-ordained
priest is left to his own devices (and vices). Moreover, a priest is the leader
of his community, and even older parishioners hesitate to play a mentoring
role, and it would certainly not be their place to offer pastoring advice. Very
few priests seem to be lucky enough to have real mentors who are actively
involved in their lives and guide them in their spiritual and professional
growth. There are some factors which could potentially mitigate the negative
effects of the lack of mentoring of young or newly-ordained priests.
First, advanced age and
Orthodox life experience may help deal with the lack of mentoring. In the U.S.,
however (and elsewhere, I presume), many priests are ordained too young–they
are not yet fully formed as individuals, they can be impulsive, idealistic, see
things in “black and white,” they have not yet had sufficient time to subdue
their passions. Another category of candidates for ordination is zealous
converts to Orthodoxy. They seem to be “on fire” for the faith, zealous for the
Typicon and the canons, attend all services and read the Desert Fathers to
their toddlers. Zeal, however, is not a good indicator of spiritual maturity.
These converts may or may not be ready to teach others the Orthodox way of life
mostly because they are not proficient at it themselves. The crux of the
problem is, perhaps, in the lack of aspirants to the holy priesthood.
Candidates are not always advanced to the holy orders based on their virtues,
but rather on the lack of obvious vices or impediments coupled with the
desperate need for more priests.
Second, fellowship with
other clergy and sharing of experience may mitigate the lack of mentoring to
some degree. Fellow priests are not senior mentors and cannot resolve all
problems, but they can offer some advice and attempt to correct the most
grievous problems if they notice them. In the U.S., however, there are too many
parishes that are too far away from any other Orthodox communities. Some
parishes are so remote that there are simply no other Orthodox priests around,
and the bishop may visit once a year at best or even less frequently. Even in
places where there may be other Orthodox churches, the frequency of clergy
fellowship meetings may not exceed one per month, and level on which priests
interact with each other may be only superficial–an occasional luncheon, a
lenten Presanctified–not true and involved mentoring.
What happens in the
absence of real mentoring is detrimental both to the spiritual life and
formation of the priest and the life of his parish. In the absence of some
system of checks and balances, the priest may be forced to “improvise”–both in
his own spiritual journey and in the way he leads the parish. Any number of
erroneous ideas, beliefs, practices, and “traditions” may creep in. Many years
ago, I have been to parishes that had only been in existence for a few years,
and yet they proudly told of their “local traditions” when asked why they
served in a way that was different from the normative way in that diocese. And
no, the parish had not been founded by a holy elder who brought with him
ancient traditions from some famous monastery.
Isolated, unformed,
unchecked priests may become their own local “patriarchs” and create their own
peculiar brand of Orthodoxy–mostly because they have no other choice. And while
I celebrate much diversity, the kind of diversity that stems from basic ignorance
or lack of formation is, perhaps, to be avoided through purposeful mentoring of
priests. In my opinion, no priest should ever begin his ministry as a rector.
Rather, he should apprentice for a minimum of five years under a much more
experienced older priest before getting his own parish.
Just as a lay person
should not be a solitary practitioner of Orthodoxy lest he go astray, in the
same way a priest should not be a solitary practitioner of pastoral ministry.
The only ones that could get away with being far away from senior clergy are
the ones who are mature as Christians, full of the Holy Spirit, and wise and
experienced as pastors. For the rest of us, it is good to stick together, help
each other, support each other, receive mentoring from those who are older and
wiser, offer mentoring to those who are younger and less experienced, be
evaluated by peers and receive feedback on our ministry.
It is a fact that in
many cases in this country, the circumstances are such that less-than-perfect
situations are what we have to work with. But I think that if these issues were
brought up to the forefront of the Church’s consciousness and discussed frankly
and openly, much could be done to improve this particular aspect of the life of
the Church. In order to do that, the Church needs to re-evaluate its chronic
condition of living in the mode of “damage control” and move toward purposeful
proactive pastoral care for pastors. We are developing models and practices for
pastoral care for our flock, and this is very good indeed. But we must not let
our pastors “slip through the cracks.” We must recognize that priests are also
humans, they are also Christ’s flock, they are also struggling to lead a
Christian life, and they are also in need of pastoral care.
Parallel to pastoral
care for parishioners, models and practices of pastoral care for pastors should
be implemented and supported by the Church. Some of the healthy practices that
come to mind are frequent (monthly?) visits and evaluations by the dean,
frequent (monthly?) opportunities for confession and edifying fellowship with
an older priest, frequent (weekly?) telephone check-ins from a dean or a
bishop, regular (yearly?) spiritual retreats for pastors (organized and
paid-for by the Church), sabbaticals every five to seven years, and many
others. Of course, these are only random ideas, and a much more coherent
approach toward this matter is desperately needed. But I firmly believe that
the efforts necessary for this project would pay off many times over by keeping
our priests and our parishes strong, stable and healthy.
Article
By:
Fr. Sergei
Sveshnikov
Source: https://frsergei.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/study-notes-royal-inadequacies-of-royal-priesthood/
Jerusalem as it Would Have Appeared During the Time of Christ
1. The Temple
2.
Southern Wall and Royal Stoa
11.
The Mount of Olives
13.
The Kidron Valley
15.
City of David (Mt. Ophel)
17.
The Pool of Siloam
18.
The Tyropoean Valley
20.
Lower City (Poor section)
23.
Upper City (Wealthy section)
24.
David's Tomb
27.
The Theater
28.
The Market Place
29.
Herod's Palace
36.
Antonia Fortress (NT - Castle)
The Temple
Mount looking from the east (Mt. of Olives) (Model, Holy Land Hotel,
Jerusalem.)
Ariel view of
the modern location of the City of David (Ophel) - Looking from South to
North. The white broken-line is where the ancient city of David was
located (which is outside the city wall today). The gold domed building
is the Muslim shrine called the Dome of the Rock. It is surrounded by
ancient retaining wall of the Herodian Temple mount. This picture gives
distance perspective. The Kidron valley can be seen on the left side.
Ariel view of
the Harem-esh-Sharif (Dome of the Rock and the Al-aksa mosque). The wall
is the retaining wall left over from the Herodian Temple mount.
The temple
mount looking for southwest to northeast. This view shows various
entryways into the temple. The southern entrance was the most frequently
used by commoners. The Temple was surround by a series of courts.
Immediately surrounding the Temple was the court of the priests (smoke can be
seen rising from the altar of sacrifice in the court of the priests). The
court of the women was a large square court to the east and front of the
Temple. The large court surrounding the Temple and its immediate courts
was known as the court of the gentiles. A balustrade separated the court
of the gentiles from the Temple and its surrounding courts. Non-Jews
could not pass the balustrade. It was in the court of the gentiles that
money changers and animals were sold. Thus, this was the place of the
Savior's cleansing of the temple (Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:41-48;
John 2:13-17). (Peter Connolly, Living in the Time of Jesus of Nazareth.)
Southern
retaining wall of the Herodian Temple mount. The stairs led up to the
court of the gentiles. The red-roofed basilica is called the Royal
Stoa. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
Actual stones of the
pinnacle of the Temple.
Painting
of the south-west corner of the temple mount as it would have appeared during
the time of Christ. (Peter Connolly, Living in the Time of
Jesus of Nazareth)
Inscribed stone
the fell from top corner of the temple mount during the Roman destruction of
Jerusalem (70 AD). The Hebrew reads, "To the place (lit. house) of the
trumpeting for . . . " (last part missing). It appears that this was the
place designated for a priest to blow the horn announcing the beginning and end
of the Sabbath. (Hershel Shanks, Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography, p.
157)
Stairs leading
up to the gates through which temple participants passed to ascend the stairs
to the temple mount (court of the gentiles). The Psalmist asked,
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his
holy place?" He answered, "He that hath clean hands, and a pure
heart" (Psalms 24:3-4). (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
Archaeological excavations
of the southern wall of the temple mount.
The stairs from
the southern wall exit through the two gates into the court of the
gentiles. The court of the gentiles is surrounded by a pillared
courts. The red-roofed structure is called the Royal Stoa. The
Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling court) met in this location. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
The Royal Stoa
was a basilica with an apse at its eastern end. It was in the eastern end
that the Sanhedrin met. The pillars stood over 30 feet in height. (Hershel
Shanks, Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography, p. 157)
A meeting of
the Sanhedrin in the Royal Stoa. (Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, Daily
Life at the time of Jesus, p. 28)
Temple and
surrounding walls enclosing the court of the women (treasury). Around the
stairs leading up into the court of the women is a balustrade. Non-Jews
were not allowed to pass beyond the balustrade. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
The walls enclose both the Temple (no. 29) and the court of the women (no. 21). (E. P. Sanders, Judaism: Practice & Belief 63 BCE - 66 CE)
The Temple and
the inner courts. The forecourt is the court of the women
(treasury). It was here that the woman taken in adultery was brought
before the Savior (John 8). The court directly surrounding the Temple is
the court of the priests. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
The Antonia Fortress (often called
"castle" in the New Testament) was located on the northwest corner of
the Temple Mount. There were stairs leading from the fortress into the
court of the gentiles. Paul was taken captive by the Roman guard and led
into the fortress up the stairs. Receiving permission from the Roman
guard, he spoke to the Jews who were in the court of the gentiles from the
stairs. (See Acts 21-21) (Model, Holy Land Hotel,
Jerusalem)
Pools of
Bethesda in the foreground. It was here that the Savior healed an invalid
on the Sabbath, leading to a negative encounter with the Jewish leaders (John
5). The Antonia Fortress (castle) is the background. The Antonia
fortress was the Roman garrison and a possible place where Christ was taken for
trial before Pilate. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
The upper city of Jerusalem where the wealthy elite lived. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
Herod's
Palace. The wise men would have visited Herod in this place (Matt.
2). This may also be the place that Pilate sent the Savior to in order to
be interrogated by Herod Antipas (the son of Herod the Great) during the last
week of the Savior's life (Luke 23:6-12). This picture also shows the
market place just out the gate from Herod's palace. Also the theater on
the left of the picture and David's tomb - the pyramid topped structure on the
right of the picture. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
Herod's palace
in the foreground. The Antonia Fortress (four towered structure) in the upper
left hand corner. These are the two possible sites of the Savior's trial before
Pilate and Herod Antipas. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
The theater
with the temple mount in the background. (Model, Holy Land Hotel,
Jerusalem)
A view of the
upper city (wealthy section). David's Tomb - the pyramid topped structure
is in the foreground. This firgures in a discourse given by Peter (see
Acts 2:29). It was probably in this area that the "upper room"
where the Savior held the last supper was located. The Temple Mount and
the Antonia Fortress are on the horizon. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
The poor section of
Jerusalem. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
This is a
view of Jerusalem looking southeast. This shows a section of Jerusalem built
after the time of Christ but before the Roman destruction in 70 AD. The
northern wall of the city as it was at the time of Christ can be seen in the
upper left. A gate can be seen in that wall with the Atonia Fortress behind and
to the left. This gate is the Damascus Gate.
Again, the section of city in the
foreground was not built until after the time of Christ. The northern
wall of the city at the time of Christ can be seen in the upper left. The
two traditional sites of Golgotha can be seen in this photo. The first
can be seen in the middle right just outside a small gate in the wall.
The other is more difficult to spot. Out the Damascus Gate and up the
road to the right can be seen a clearing. In that clearing is a hill that
some claim to be Golgotha.
One of
the traditional Golgotha's (the Church of the Holy Sepulcher stands over this
site today) is seen in the lower left hand corner.
The
Tyropoean valley. The Pool of Siloam is in the foreground. The
temple mount can be seen on the horizon. The City of David (Ophel) is the
walled city on the right. The poor section is to the left. The Pool
of Siloam played a major role in the Feast of Tabernacles and was the place
where the miracle of the man born blind washed his eyes and came out seeing
(John 9). (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
Source: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2Cv0rD/:C7z0NkNr:p7s4QGch/emp.byui.edu/SATTERFIELDB/Rel211/jerusalem.htm
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Welcome to the official blog of the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent! The blog includes recent ministry updates of the convent, sermons, icons, personal stories and everything related to Orthodox Christianity. Join our Catalog of Good Deeds and become part of the ministry of St.Elisabeth Convent! #CatalogOfGoodDeeds