Russian language original article, found on internetsobor.org:
http://internetsobor.org/
http://internetsobor.org/
Christmas reading. A trip to the Men's Monastery of the Theophany.
Author: Rev. Eugene Korjagin incl. January 12, 2015. Published in the ROCA
Memorable Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Argentine Athanasius (Martos) (1904-1983) wrote that: "It
is the duty parishioner is: to participate on Sundays and public
holidays as much as possible in the liturgy in his parish church,
confession and communion ... the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of
Christ, to participate in the affairs of charity, Christian education
and mutual aid. Here in this form seems the life and work of good
parishioner Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, jealous of his
personal salvation and the development of the parish to which he belongs
...
Here
we are, jealous of fraternal communion between our arrival after
Svyat.Ioanna and Epiphany Monastery near Pskov, as planned January 8
went on a long journey to spend the Twelve Days of Christmas in
communion with the brothers and sisters of the Holy Monastery.
As you can see, the way from Moscow to the destination is approx. 650 km. and takes about 9 hours.
And, as in our last trip, we arrived late at night, but this time the road looked quite different.
Special fear betrayed tracks in the snow - can wolves?
But
the glory of God and the prayers of the sisters, who knew that we
already kilommetrah 10 from the monastery, we arrived and we had not
eaten by wolves ...
What is our surprise when we stopped at the monastery courtyard, where the usual gallery transformed here into a decoration ...
Like
all visitors dear guests: we were fed, watered monastery tea and put to
bed. In the morning I went out of habit to walk around the monastery
and its surroundings. All night which went snow turned the world into a
Christmas tale.
Firewood, the only hope for warmth during the long winter days and nights.
Today is Friday and in the monastery bath day.
After
seeing the winter attractions of the monastery and its surroundings,
looked into the kitchen, where already in the boiler boils-cooked
delicious soup monastery, and in pans - fraternal meals, pancakes.
Sister kindly provided me the opportunity to spend a little and cook.
After
lunch, the monastery "budilschik" summoned all on Christmas reading. In
his opening remarks, Bishop Sophronius, said it was the first
experience of such readings in the winter, and wished God's help in
their implementation and continuation in the future.
The
first report read r.B.Georgy Kuznetsov from Moscow to joining New
Martyrs and Confessors Russian. The theme of his report was the
biography o.Meletiya (Demin).
Since
the first day of hearings began late around 16:00, it was decided to
move the next day read. Although the discussion of the report
r.B.Georgiya, lasted for a long time ...
At the evening meal was "ruling the" feast of the cellarer, pancakes with smoked salmon!
A
little more poobsuzhdat reports already true in secret, all gathered
for the evening service, which begins at 22.00 h. The abbot of the
monastery, he blessed me to serve night service. And probably for my
sins, like the last visit - no electricity in the village! And again had
to serve by candlelight ...
"Always,
now and ever" .., the voice of the priest: Remember Lord Orthodox
Bishopric Persecuted Church Russian and our lord ... First Hierarch
Metropolitan Agafangel ..
After serving, we again saw the hospitality of the monastery ....
Master, ready in all the "honest men" - these dumplings!
On the morning of our surprise was even more snow poured so much that we did not know if will be able to go back.
On
Saturday, all guests were offered breakfast at 9:00 am (as well as for
the whole fraternity) to continue listening and reading reports, which
began at 10.00 hours.
On
the eve arrived from St. Petersburg, o.Igor Dubrov and RB Konstantin
Glazkov, read their reports. Father Igor - New Martyrs of the Earth
Pskov: skhiep.Makarii (Vasiliev) and cons. Vladimir Ladin - celebrated
in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in 1981.
Konstantin Glazkov, offered listeners a new vision of "Creed" as applied to parish life.
Discussion
of the report of Constantine made some new impetus to the debate
discussion ... which did not cease after the completion of reading and
reports ..
Hieromonk Sergius, read a biography of o.Nila, Pskov ascetic who died in 1924.
After discussion of the reports.
Without exaggeration, we can again quote the words of the Lord Athanasius (Martos) applied to read the report that:
The
church has a double meaning: on the one hand, it is "God established a
society of people connected by the Orthodox faith, God's Law, and the
hierarchy of sacraments" (Catechism), and on the other hand, in
practice, is usually called an Orthodox church church. Orthodox
Christian belongs to one and another name with reverence and respect.
The
Word of God teaches that the Church as a society of Orthodox believers,
is a living mystical body of Christ, whose Head is Christ Himself. The
Church as the Body of Christ, full of the grace of God, the saving and
sanctifying power of God. So anyone who abides by his faith in the bosom
of the Orthodox Church, saved to everlasting life. As a symbol of the
Orthodox faith, we read the following definition: "I believe in One,
Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church." With these words, we express our
belief that the Orthodox Church is one throughout the world; it survives
itself to the end of this century. Since the Orthodox Church exists in
the world and it owns all peoples professing the Orthodox faith, it is
called the universal. Existing individual so-called Orthodox
Autocephalous Church, such as: Greek, Russian, Romanian, Serbian,
Bulgarian, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria and other
autocephalous Churches, did not violate the unity of the Orthodox
Eastern Church. All these Churches have their own management,
independent of the other, but to keep the unity of the Orthodox faith,
the unity of the sacraments, the unity of the charismatic gifts of the
Holy Spirit, the unity in communion of prayer. We are the children of
the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and through it belong to
the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church Universal.
Lord
Jesus Christ, founding his church, established in her sacred hierarchy,
ie. E. The bishops, priests and deacons. Selected to serve the Church
in each of these sacred powers are dedicated or set apart, and not
become so self-styled. And it should be ordained is perfectly legal, t.
E. Canonically. Without the dedication of the canonical ordination is
not valid. Through the law ordained priesthood in the sacrament of the
Holy Spirit communicates grace ordained to the priesthood. This grace
gives him the right to a priest to teach and manage in the Church of
Christ. Lay people do not have these rights and can not perform any
rites. Self-appointed pursuant to the sacred action is not a religious
rite, and blasphemous act, deeply offensive to the Lord Himself.
Of
the three degrees of the priesthood Bishopric has the highest according
to the gift of the Holy Spirit. Bishop has a successor or heir of the
Apostles by grace. It has full apostolic authority. The Holy Fathers of
the early Christian Orthodox Church and the sacred canons of the
Ecumenical Councils, based on Scripture, put bishop is very high in the
church hierarchy. "No bishop no Church," "Who is not with the bishop,
who is not with Christ" - this is the teaching of the Orthodox Church.
Without the will and the blessing of the bishop of one of the clergy and
laity are not allowed to do anything in the Church. Priests and deacons
perform their sacred duties only under the authority and with the
blessing of the bishop. Thus, the establishment of Jesus Christ, the
bishops, and through them, and the priests are the organizers and
stewards in the Church of Christ, the church workers in the field.
Archpastors and pastors the Lord has entrusted the souls of the faithful
lead to the obedience of faith, to lead them to eternal life. They are
the masterminds and organizers, as the whole Church, and some small
churches or parishes. With them the Lord will ask for the fate of the
Church, for the fate of the parish, they headed for the fate of
individual Orthodox Christians, entrusted to their spiritual guidance.
Priesthood is service and terrible responsibility before God. At this
early build up life in the parishes of sanctifying grace living in the
Church of the Savior Jesus Christ.
Inspired
by faith, of course, moves all parishioners to live an active part in
church life. Here each parishioner bears and should bear their
obedience, entrusted to him pastor. From this obedience, no one can
escape without causing damage to his soul. Evasion of individual
parishioners entrusted to it by obedience removes it from the hope of
achieving salvation of his soul. Conversely, the conscientious
performance of his obedience, or of his ministry in the Church is the
work of salvation, bringing great benefit to the soul. Every good deed
is executed with zeal for the good of the Church in the parish, and the
Lord takes as it adds to the scale of Christian virtues doer. Happy is
he who in the course of his earthly life has accumulated a lot of
virtues. In every parish opens a wide field for making and provide great
opportunities for accumulation of Christian virtues.
Serving
the Church, it is impossible to make an upset in the life of the
Church. Any disorder in the life of the Church, introduced by
individuals or groups of individuals, there is a great sin, nasty God,
strictly condemned by St. Paul (1 Cor.1: 10-12). Separation of church
life in the Church or hostility destroys saving work of Christ. In his
church activities everyone should act accordingly edification of God's
Word, which says: "Do not think of himself more highly than he ought to
think, but to think soberly, according to the measure of faith God has
given ... And as for the grace given to us, we have different talents:
Do you have the service, continue in service, whether the teacher -
teaching, whether warner - exhort the distributors of whether - Let Him
in simplicity, head whether - with diligence, whether benefactor -
mercy, with kindness, love, let it be not feigned; Abhor evil, cling to
what is good, be brotherly love to one another with mutual affection; in
honor preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in
spirit; Serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation;
constant in prayer; to the necessity of saints; covet of hospitality ...
Be like-minded among themselves; not philosophize high things, but
condescend; do not dream about themselves; Repay no one evil for evil,
but Recompense (worry) about the good unto all men. If possible, on your
part, live at peace with all men "(Romans 12: 3, 6-18).
This
exhortation of the Apostle shows us the path that we must march to
achieve eternal salvation. On a strictly Christian principles were
arranged the whole church life of the first centuries of Christianity.
Christians are those centuries were highly moral in their private and
family life. On the strictly orthodox principles should suit our life
today. If high piety of the first Christians seems unbearable now,
everything is to their ideal we need to aspire to. Ancient and new
Russia embodied in his life Christian ideals. Host saints, Resplendent
in the Russian Land, testifies to this. All of them are our heavenly
intercessors and prayer before the throne of God. By their intercession
we must often deal with fervent prayer. Their heavenly assistance is
always effective. Russian Orthodox people deeply believed in it, and
have served tens of thousands of prayers went up to worship the relics
of the saints, revered the memory of their heavenly patrons whose names
received in baptism, they wore. And their faith does not remain a vain
... The people loved their churches and many sacrificed their decoration
and content. At every church life was in full swing. Russian people
carried back his grief and his joy. In his prayer, the Lord helped him
and gave strength to carry your cross everyday, which for many was very
heavy. Unbelievers did not exist in Russia, and all belonged to his
parish church, as his parishioners. Rector of them was not only a
priest, but also a true spiritual father. He knew his parishioners,
calling them by name, and parishioners were his children, who treated
him with respect and love.
Our
people are respected and able to respect their clergy. As such, and in
such forms evolved church life in Russia from the date of her baptism at
the Grand Prince of Kiev St. Vladimir, and before him, from the day of
holy Princess Olga.
Following the reading, all the participants were photographed.
irodiakon Theophane (Liping)
Father and daughter.
monks as children.
Dug out of a snowdrift our car, received a gift "to the city" from Mother Rufina, we went back.
Comments
# RE: Christmas reading. A trip to the Monastery of the Epiphany. - Metropolitan Agafangel 12/01/2015 16:58
By the way, it turned out that about. Igor Dubrov with us and never left. Thank God!
# RE: Christmas reading. A trip to the Monastery of the Epiphany. - Hieromonk Nicander 12/01/2015 16:35
Still better than any "open letter" to write.
# RE: Christmas reading. A trip to the Monastery of the Epiphany. - Metropolitan Agafangel 12/01/2015 15:14
Congratulations
on a successful venture! God forbid that this initiative passed into
tradition! I wish you success in the future!
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