The works of holy fathers
Elder Sylvan (1866-1938)
“There lived a man, a person of a great strength of mind”
– this way the biography of schema monk Sylvan (lay name Simeon Ivanovitch
Antonov) begins. He worked in the spiritual field in the Russian St.
Pantheleimon monastery in Athos for 46 years, was favoured with seeing the Lord
and witnessed diligently His immense love to the mankind. “People, God’s
creatures, perceive the God. He loves us. Perceive Christ’s love, live in peace
and please Him by this. He indulgently expects all of us. Peoples, perceive that
we were created for God’s glory in Heaven and don’t stick to Earth as the God is
our Father and He loves us as His dear children”. All his life was a heartily
prayer, a feat of love to people and the God. The elder foreknew the present and
foresaw the future of the mankind, revealing the deepest soul mysteries.
St. Dimitry of Rostov. About Last
Judgment
According evangelic scriptures Last Judgment will follow
the end of the world. Jesus Christ, God’s Son will come in His glory to judge
the alive and the dead. Everyone will get on their merits. Righteous man will
rejoice in Heaven and sinners will experience eternal torment.
St. Dimitry of Rostov. Sunday of
forgiveness.
This is a Sunday of the last week before the Lent when
the Holy Church stipulates that each should beg everyone’s pardon.
Piety ascetics’ thoughts
Elder Paisy (1924-1994)
lay name Arseny Esnepidis, born in Asia Minor, in Pharasy
of Kappadokiya. In 1957 he accepted a monastic cut in the Athos. He is the most
famous elder from the Athos, who helped thousands of people. He advised,
consoled, solved troubles and filled people’s souls with belief, hope, and love
to the God every day since early morning till late evening. He became a kind of
spiritual magnet that extracted grievers’ sorrow. He saved those in trouble
notwithstanding space and distance cured some infirmity, taught to resist evil
forces. “Until alive, one has a lot to do to improve one’s soul. Until alive,
one is entitled to take spiritual exams. If one dies and gets low mark, he is
expelled from the examinee list. This examination would never repeat”.
Orthodox
celebrations
About the Triumph of the Orthodoxy
This Holiday is celebrated on the first Lent Sunday. It
was established in 842 under tsarina Pheodora in memory of holy icon veneration
restoration.
About Annunciation
Annunciation is Archangel Gabriel’s proclamation to
Virgin Maria the mystery of personification of Jesus Christ. On this day the
Church rejoice with people about Our Lord coming to the world and becoming a man
because of His love to the mankind.
About the Holy Trinity
The concept of the Holy
Trinity is the basis of the entire Christian dogma. The God is single by His
essence and triple in Persons: the God Father, the God Son and the God Holy
Spirit.
About Assumption
Assumption is one of 12
great holidays. It is devoted to the Holy Mother of God and celebrated on the
28th of August to commemorate the day of Her demise.
About Ladies-chrismbringers
The Church calls so the
women who brought aromatic chrism to Christ’s grave to prepare His body for
interment, but Christ had arisen and the grave was
empty.
The Pothaev icon of the Holy Mother of
God
This is a
miracle-working icon, which is kept in the Pothaev Lavra, Ternopol region, the Ukraine. The
Holy Mother of God surrounded by flame appeared in a miracle way on a stone
before 2 monks and a shepherd. Since then there has forever remained Her right
footprint on that stone.
