When the Drevlians brutally murdered her husband Igor, Olga unleashed vengeful terror on them, taking their land to further expand the principality of Kiev.
A visit to Constantinople became for both the pagan Olga and her land, a road to redemption. She was moved by the Christians she met at Constantinople and soon received Holy Baptism. In what is now Ukraine and Russia, she exerted her royal influence to begin missionary efforts. She invited Orthodox clergy to come from Byzantium, she set up hospitals, and provided welfare for the poor. Even after her pagan son had ascended to the throne, St Olga’s efforts to heal the violence in her realm and spread Christianity were unmatched.
A generation after Olga’s death, her grandson, St. Vladimir would continue the task of bringing Orthodox Christianity to what is now Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
A visit to Constantinople became for both the pagan Olga and her land, a road to redemption. She was moved by the Christians she met at Constantinople and soon received Holy Baptism. In what is now Ukraine and Russia, she exerted her royal influence to begin missionary efforts. She invited Orthodox clergy to come from Byzantium, she set up hospitals, and provided welfare for the poor. Even after her pagan son had ascended to the throne, St Olga’s efforts to heal the violence in her realm and spread Christianity were unmatched.
A generation after Olga’s death, her grandson, St. Vladimir would continue the task of bringing Orthodox Christianity to what is now Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
After the death of their father, Prince Vladimir, the baptizer of the Russian people, the power-hungry brother of the Holy Passionbearers Boris and Gleb (July 24 / Aug 6), sent assassins to kill them. Boris already knew of his brother the Prince of Kiev’s intentions but vowed not to lift a hand against him. He prayed to the Lord to strengthen him for the suffering to come, and that God would not count Sviatopolk's sin against him. Before stabbing him, St Boris' assassins found him chanting psalms and praying before an icon of Christ.
St Gleb was lamenting the deaths of his father and brother when his assassins arrived. However, it was Gleb's cook who killed him with a knife.
Righteous passion-bearers, pray that those who honour your memory may be pleasing to God.
St Gleb was lamenting the deaths of his father and brother when his assassins arrived. However, it was Gleb's cook who killed him with a knife.
Righteous passion-bearers, pray that those who honour your memory may be pleasing to God.
Myrrh began streaming from the miracle-working icon of the Holy and Righteous Anna, Mother of the Theotokos (Dormition Feast July 25 / August 6) at St Tikhon's Monastery in Pennsylvania in 2004. Her icon exudes a sweet fragrance continues to work healings.
The Righteous Anna was of the tribe of Levi, and the daughter of Matthan the priest. After a long life pleasing to God, she entered into rest at a great age.
Divinely-wise Anna, you carried in your womb the pure Mother of God, who gave life to our Life. Therefore, you are now carried joyfully to the inheritance of heaven, to the abode of those who rejoice in glory, where you seek forgiveness of sins for those who faithfully honour you, ever-blessed one.
The Righteous Anna was of the tribe of Levi, and the daughter of Matthan the priest. After a long life pleasing to God, she entered into rest at a great age.
Divinely-wise Anna, you carried in your womb the pure Mother of God, who gave life to our Life. Therefore, you are now carried joyfully to the inheritance of heaven, to the abode of those who rejoice in glory, where you seek forgiveness of sins for those who faithfully honour you, ever-blessed one.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. And I bless them and do not curse them.
My enemies have driven me into Your arms more than my friends have.
My friends have bound me to the earth;
My enemies have loosened my bonds from the earth and have torn up all my hopes in the earth.
They have turned me into a stranger in the kingdoms of this earth and into a superfluous inhabitant of this earth.
Like an animal that finds a safer shelter when hunted down rather than when not, so have I, hunted down by my enemies, found the safest shelter by hiding under Thy tent where neither friend nor foe can slay my soul.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. And I bless them and do not curse them.
They, instead of me, have confessed my sins before the world.
☦️ St Nikolai Velimirovich, Prayers by the Lake
My enemies have driven me into Your arms more than my friends have.
My friends have bound me to the earth;
My enemies have loosened my bonds from the earth and have torn up all my hopes in the earth.
They have turned me into a stranger in the kingdoms of this earth and into a superfluous inhabitant of this earth.
Like an animal that finds a safer shelter when hunted down rather than when not, so have I, hunted down by my enemies, found the safest shelter by hiding under Thy tent where neither friend nor foe can slay my soul.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. And I bless them and do not curse them.
They, instead of me, have confessed my sins before the world.
☦️ St Nikolai Velimirovich, Prayers by the Lake
Rejoice! First flower of the Alaskan wilderness! Rejoice! First son of the Aleut nation called to the Holy Priesthood! Rejoice! Joy of the Pribilof Islands!
St. Jacob (Netsvetov), Enlightener of the Peoples of Alaska (July 26 / Aug 8) served the sick even while barely well enough to care for himself. St. Jacob was a gifted storyteller who created an alphabet for the people of Atka so they could learn to read the Gospels and the services. As a priest of the Kvikhpak Mission on the Yukon River, Father Jacob sometimes baptized hundreds of people at a time.
Righteous Father Jacob, pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved!
Icon written by Dmitri Andreyev, parishioner St Jacob of Alaska Orthodox Church, Springfield, Vermont
St. Jacob (Netsvetov), Enlightener of the Peoples of Alaska (July 26 / Aug 8) served the sick even while barely well enough to care for himself. St. Jacob was a gifted storyteller who created an alphabet for the people of Atka so they could learn to read the Gospels and the services. As a priest of the Kvikhpak Mission on the Yukon River, Father Jacob sometimes baptized hundreds of people at a time.
Righteous Father Jacob, pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved!
Icon written by Dmitri Andreyev, parishioner St Jacob of Alaska Orthodox Church, Springfield, Vermont
His body was stretched on a rack, thrown into a cauldron of boiling tar, and cast into the sea with a stone around his neck. Greatmartyr and Healer Panteleimon (July 27 / Aug 9) survived all these attempted executions. With each one of them, and more and more people came to believe in Jesus Christ. Finally, God's purpose was achieved when Panteleimon was tied to an olive tree and beheaded. The tree became covered with fruit. Many who were present at the execution were also converted to Christ. To this day, St Panteleimon is a wellspring of healing for those afflicted by diseases and suffering.
Holy Passion-bearer and healer Panteleimon, entreat the merciful God, to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.
Holy Passion-bearer and healer Panteleimon, entreat the merciful God, to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.
At the supper Christ took the bread and the wine and called on his disciples to eat and drink it as his own Body and Blood. This is the belief and practice of the early church. It became the centre of the Christian life, a life of "eucharist," which means "thanksgiving."
No evidence exists that the Holy apostles of Christ, nor their successors taught that the bread and wine of the eucharist were "mere symbols" as Protestants teach. Nor did they fall into rationalistic errors of Rome, which led to the dogma of "transubstantiation."
The Orthodox Church, as the ancient catholic and apostolic church, calls the Eucharist a “mystery” and the whole eucharistic liturgy a “spiritual and bloodless sacrifice.” These terms are used by the holy fathers themselves to describe the mystical communion of men with God, with each other, and with all men and all creation in Him through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
No evidence exists that the Holy apostles of Christ, nor their successors taught that the bread and wine of the eucharist were "mere symbols" as Protestants teach. Nor did they fall into rationalistic errors of Rome, which led to the dogma of "transubstantiation."
The Orthodox Church, as the ancient catholic and apostolic church, calls the Eucharist a “mystery” and the whole eucharistic liturgy a “spiritual and bloodless sacrifice.” These terms are used by the holy fathers themselves to describe the mystical communion of men with God, with each other, and with all men and all creation in Him through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
"Eucharist" applies not only to the elements of bread and wine, but to the whole act of gathering, praying, reading the Holy Scriptures and proclaiming God’s Word.
"We knew not whether we were in Heaven or on Earth, for surely there is no such splendour or beauty anywhere upon earth. We cannot describe it to you, only this we know, that God dwells there among humans, and that their service surpasses the worship of all other places. For we cannot forget that beauty."
- Envoys of Vladimir the Prince of Kiev (July 15/July 28), after witnessing the celebration of the Eucharist in the Great Church of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople (10th century)
The great prince took to his whole heart the word of his envoys and had himself and his nation baptized into the Orthodox Church. St. Vladimir changed completely after his baptism. He destroyed all the pagan statues and replaced them with churches.
He also attempted to live in peace as much as possible with his neighbors and had only one wife. He is described as a wolf who became a lamb.
Holy baptizer and enlightener, Holy Equal-of-the-Apostles, Vladimir, pray to Christ our God for our salvation!
- Envoys of Vladimir the Prince of Kiev (July 15/July 28), after witnessing the celebration of the Eucharist in the Great Church of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople (10th century)
The great prince took to his whole heart the word of his envoys and had himself and his nation baptized into the Orthodox Church. St. Vladimir changed completely after his baptism. He destroyed all the pagan statues and replaced them with churches.
He also attempted to live in peace as much as possible with his neighbors and had only one wife. He is described as a wolf who became a lamb.
Holy baptizer and enlightener, Holy Equal-of-the-Apostles, Vladimir, pray to Christ our God for our salvation!
In 2007 Father Panagiotis Tsiolis was digging in his garden and crying for a blasphemous movie that was going to be played in the cinemas. Then he heard a voice from the sky telling him: “Why do you cry priest and wail, I am too high, their arrows don’t reach me, they are going to fall on their heads.”
Kimon Mpallas
—from Ask About the Orthodox Faith
Kimon Mpallas
—from Ask About the Orthodox Faith
"All images reveal and make perceptible those things which are hidden. For example, a man does not have immediate knowledge of invisible things ... Therefore the icon was devised that he might advance in knowledge, and that secret things might be revealed and made perceptible. Therefore, icons are a source of profit, help, and salvation for all, since they make things so obviously manifest, enabling us to perceive hidden things. Thus, we are encouraged to desire and imitate what is good and to shun and hate what is evil."
☦️ St John of Damascus
☦️ St John of Damascus