FROM THE FATHERS

“WHEN GOD in His love condemned Adam to death after his transgression, he first experienced this death in his soul (cf. Gen. 3:19): his spiritual and deathless organs of perception, de- prived of their celestial and spiritual enjoyment, were quenched and became as though dead. Later, after 930 years (cf. Gen. 5:5), came death of the body. Similarly, now that God has reconciled mankind through the Cross and death of the Saviour, He restores to the truly believing soul its enjoyment of spiritual light and mys- tery while it is still in the flesh, and once more enlightens its spiri- tual organs of perception with the divine light of grace. Later He will invest the body also with deathless and incorruptible glory.” Ven. Macarius of , + ca. 390 A.D.

“WE ARE THE BODY of Christ, says Paul, and each of us is one of its members (cf. 1 Cor. 12:27). And elsewhere he says, Ye are one body and one spirit, even as you have been called (Eph. 4:4). For as the body without the spirit is dead (James 2:26) and insensate, so, if you have been deadened by the passions through neglecting the commandments after your Baptism, the Holy Spirit and the grace of Christ cease to operate in you and enlighten you; for though you possess the Spirit, since you have faith and have been regenerated through Baptism, yet the Spirit is quiescent and inactive within you because of the deadness of your soul.” Ven. Gregory of Sinai, + 1346 A.D.

1 Venerable New Martyr Elizabeth of Russia (Celebrated 5th / 18th July)

by Metropolitan Anastassy (1873 - 1965) NOT every generation is destined to meet along its path such a blessed gift from heaven as was the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fe- odorovna for her time, for she was a rare combination of exalted Christian spirit, moral nobility, enlightened mind, gentle heart, and refined taste. She possessed an extremely delicate and multifaceted spiritual composition and her outward appearance reflected the beauty and greatness of her spirit. Upon her brow lay the seal of an inborn, elevated dignity which set her apart from those around her. Under the cover of modesty, she often strove, though in vain, to conceal herself from the gaze of others, but one could not mis- take her for another. Wherever she appeared, one would always ask: Who is she who looketh forth as the morning, clear as the sun (Song of Solomon 6:10)? Wherever she would go she emanated the pure fragrance of the lily. Perhaps it was for this reason that she loved the colour white—it was the reflection of her heart. All of her spiritual qualities were strictly balanced, one against another, never giving an impression of one-sidedness. Femininity was joined in her to a courageous character; her goodness never led to weakness and blind, unconditional trust of people. Even in her finest heartfelt in- spirations she exhibited that gift of discernment which has always been so highly esteemed by Christian ascetics. These characteristics were perhaps in part due to her upbringing, which she received un- der the guidance of her maternal grandmother, Victoria, Queen of England and Empress of India. An unmistakable English stamp was placed on all her tastes and habits, and English was closer to her than her native German.

2 The Grand Duchess herself acknowledged that a great influ- ence on the formation of the inner, purely spiritual side of her char- acter was the example of a paternal ancestress, Elizabeth Turingen of Hungary, who through her daughter Sophia was one of the found- ers of the House of Hesse. A contemporary of the Crusaders, this remarkable woman reflected the spirit of her age. Deep piety was united in her together with self-sacrificing love for her neighbour, but her spouse considered her great beneficence squanderous and at times persecuted her for it. Her early widowhood compelled her to lead a life of wandering and need. Later she was again able to help the poor and suffering and completely dedicate herself to works of charity. The great reverence which this royal struggler enjoyed even during her lifetime moved the Roman in the thir- teenth century to number her among its . The impressionable soul of the Grand Duchess was captivated in childhood by the happy memory of her honoured ancestress which made a deep impression on her.

Her rich natural gifts were refined by an extensive and wide education which not only satisfied her mental and aesthetic needs but also enriched her with knowledge of a purely practical nature, essential for every woman with household duties. “Together with Her Majesty (i.e., Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, her younger sis- ter) we were instructed during our childhood in everything,’’ she once said in answer to how she became acquainted with all the de- tails of housekeeping.

Chosen as the future wife of the Grand Duke Sergei Alex- androvich, the Grand Duchess arrived in Russia during the period when the country, under the firm rule of Alexander III, attained the blossoming of its might in a purely national spirit. With her moral sensitivity and inborn love for knowledge, the young Grand Duch- ess began an intense study of the national characteristics of the Rus- sian people and especially of their Faith which placed a deep mark on both their national character and upon all of their culture. Soon Orthodoxy won her over by its beauty and inner richness which she often would contrast with the spiritual poverty of Protestantism.

3 “And they are so self-satisfied about everything!” she said about Protestants.

Of her experiences in the Roman Catholic world, the Grand Duchess sometimes recalled a trip to Rome which she had taken together with the late Grand Duke soon after the jubilee of Pope Leo XIII. The latter knew well the unshakable firmness of Sergei Alexandrovich’s Orthodox convictions and regarded him highly, having first made his acquaintance when the Grand Duke, still a child, was visiting Rome. This long-standing acquaintance allowed them to converse informally. Between them there even arose an ar- gument about how many popes were named Sergius. Neither of these exalted disputants wanted to give way to the other and the pope had to withdraw into his library to check. He returned a bit upset. “Forgive me,” said Leo XIII, smiling, “although they say the pope is infallible, this time he fell into error.”

The Grand Duchess, of her own volition decided to unite herself to the Orthodox Church. When she made the announce- ment to her spouse, according to the account of one of the servants, tears involuntarily poured from his eyes. The Emperor Alexan- der III himself was deeply touched by her decision. Her husband blessed her after Holy Chrismation with a precious of the Sav- iour, “Not Made by Hands” (a copy of the miraculous icon in the Chapel of the Saviour), which she treasured greatly throughout the remaining course of her life. Having been joined to the Faith in this manner, and thereby to all that makes up the soul of a Russian, the Grand Duchess could now with every right say to her spouse in the words of the Moabite Ruth, Your people have become my people, and your God my God (Ruth 1:16).

The Grand Duke’s extended tenure of office as Governor- General of Moscow, the true heart of Russia, where he and his wife were in living contact with the ancient, holy and the im- memorial Russian national way of life, must have bound the Grand Duchess even more to her new homeland.

Even during these years she dedicated much time to philan- thropic activities, though this was considered one of the main obli-

4 gations of her high position and therefore did not earn for her much public merit. As part of her social obligations the Grand Duchess was forced to participate in social life which was already begin- ning to oppress her because of its frivolity. The terrible death of the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, who was torn apart by a bomb in the holy Kremlin itself (near the Nicholas Palace where the Grand Duke had moved after he left his position as Governor-General), be- gan a decisive moral change in the soul of his spouse which caused her to forsake her former life once and for all.

The greatness of spirit with which she endured her trial evoked for her the deserved admiration of everyone. She even found in herself the moral strength to visit Kaliev, the murderer of her husband, in the hope of softening and healing his heart by meek- ness and complete forgiveness. These Christian feelings she also expressed, through the person of the slaughtered Grand Duke, by having the following touching words of the Gospel inscribed upon the memorial cross, erected according to the plans of Vasnetsov, at the site of his death, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do...

However, not everyone was capable of understanding the change which had taken place in her. One had to live through such a staggering catastrophe as this, in order to be convinced of the frailty and illusory nature of wealth, glory and the things of this world, and about which for so many centuries we have been warned by the Gospel. For the society of that time, the decision of the Grand Duch- ess to dismiss her court in order to leave the world and dedicate herself to serving God and neighbour, seemed a scandal and mad- ness. Despising both the tears of friends, the gossip and mockings of the world, she courageously set out on her new path. Having ear- lier chosen for herself the path of the perfect, i.e. the path of ascetic struggle, she began with wisely measured steps to ascend the ladder of Christian virtues.

The advice of wise instructors was not foreign to her, guid- ing those starting out on the path of Christian activity to learn from others the way of life so as “not to teach oneself, not to go without a

5 guide along a path which one had never travelled and hence quickly lose one’s way; not to travel more or less correctly, nor become ex- hausted from too swift a run or to fall asleep while resting” (St Je- rome, A Letter to the Rusticus).

Therefore she strove to understand nothing without the di- rection of spiritually experienced elders, especially the elders of the Zosima Hermitage under whom she placed herself in total obedi- ence. As her heavenly guides and protectors she chose St Sergius and St Alexis of Moscow. She was entrusted to their special protec- tion by her late spouse whose remains she buried at the Chudov in a magnificent tomb, styled after those in the ancient Roman catacombs. The extended period of mourning for the Grand Duke, during which she retired into her interior world and was con- tinually in church, was the first real break to separate her from what up until then had been her normal everyday life. The move from the palace to the building she acquired at Ordinka, where she allotted only two very modest rooms for herself, signalled a full break with the past and the beginning of a new period in her life.

From now on her main task became the building of a sister- hood in which inner service to God would be integrated with ac- tive service to one’s neighbour in the name of Christ. This was a completely new form of organized charitable church activity, and consequently drew general attention to itself. At its foundation was placed a deep and immutable idea: no one could give to another more than he himself already possessed. We all draw upon God and therefore only in Him can we love our neighbour. Natural love so- called or humanism quickly evaporates, replaced by coldness and disappointment, but one who lives in Christ can rise to the heights of complete self-denial and lay down his life for his friends.

The Grand Duchess not only wanted to impart to charitable activities the spirit of the Gospel but to place them under the pro- tection of the Church. Thus she hoped to attract gradually to the Church those levels of Russian society, which up until that time had remained largely indifferent to the Faith. Highly significant was the very name the Grand Duchess bestowed upon the institution she

6 established: the Martha and Mary Convent, which name contains within itself the mission, the life of its holy patrons.

The community was intended to be like the home of Lazarus which the Saviour so often visited. The sisters of the convent were called to unite both the high lot of Mary, attending to the eternal word of life, and the service of Martha, to that degree in which they found Christ in the person of His less fortunate brethren. In justify- ing and explaining her thought, the ever-memorable foundress of the convent said that Christ the Saviour could not judge Martha for showing Him hospitality, since the latter was a sign of her love for Him. He only cautioned Martha, and in her all women in general, against that excessive fussing and triviality which draw them away from the higher needs of the spirit. To be not of this world, and at the same time live and act in the world in order to transform it - this was the foundation upon which she desired to establish her convent. Striving to be an obedient daughter of the Orthodox Church in all things the Grand Duchess did not desire to make use of the advantages of her position, fearing lest even in the smallest way she take liberties and depart from obedience, from the rules or specific statutes established for everyone by the Church authority. On the contrary, she fulfilled with complete readiness the slightest desire of the latter even if it did not coincide with her personal views. At one time, for example, she seriously thought about reviving the ancient institution of deaconess, in which she was zealously sup- ported by Metropolitan Vladimir of Moscow. Germogen (at this time of Saratov, later of Tobolsk where he was martyred), be- cause of a misunderstanding, stood up against this idea, accusing the Grand Duchess without any foundation, of Protestant tenden- cies (of which he later repented), and counselled her to abandon her cherished dream. Having been misunderstood in the best of her strivings, the Grand Duchess did not stifle her spirit because of this trying disappointment, but rather put her whole heart into her beloved Martha and Mary Convent. It is not surprising that the convent quickly blossomed and attracted many sisters from the aristocracy as well as the common people.

7 Nearly monastic order reigned within the inner life of the community and both within and without the convent her activities consisted in the care of those who visited the sick who were lodged in the convent, in the material and moral help given to the poor, and in the almshouse for those orphans and abandoned children found in every large city. The Grand Duchess paid special attention to the unfortunate children who bore within themselves the curse of their fathers’ sins, the children born in the turbid slums of Moscow only to wither before they had a chance to blossom. Many of them were taken into the orphanage built for them where they were quickly revived spiritually and physically. For others, constant supervision at their place of residence was established.

The spirit of initiative and moral sensitivity which accompa- nied the Grand Duchess in all her activities, inspired and impelled her to search out new paths and forms of philanthropic activity, which sometimes reflected the influence of her first, western home- land, and its advanced organizations for social improvement and mutual aid. And so she created a cooperative of messenger boys with a well-built dormitory, and apartments for the girls who took part in this activity. Not all of these establishments were directly connected with the convent, but they were all like rays of light from the sun united in the person of their abbess, who embraced them with her care and protection.

Having chosen as her mission not only to serve one’s neighbour in general, but also the spiritual re-education of contem- porary Russian society, the Grand Duchess wanted to speak to the latter in a closer, more understandable language about church art and Orthodox liturgical beauty. All the churches founded by her, especially the main church of the convent, built in the Novgorod- Pskov style by the famous architect Shchusev and painted by Nest- erov, were distinguished by their austere style and the artistic unity of the interior and exterior ornamentation. The crypt located under the arches of the convent church also evoked general admiration for its peaceful warmth. The church services in the convent were always outstandingly well performed, thanks to the exceptionally capable spiritual father chosen by the abbess. From time to time

8 she attracted other fine pastors from Moscow and all parts of Rus- sia to serve and preach. Like bees gathering nectar from all flowers, according to the words of Gogol, for her, as a true Christian, there was no ultimate course of study and she remained a conscientious humble student all her life.

All the external decor of the Martha and Mary Convent as well the internal structure, and in general all the material creations of the Grand Duchess were stamped with elegance and culture. This was not because it bore for her some sort of self-satisfying signifi- cance, but because this was the spontaneous action of her creative spirit. Having concentrated her activity around the convent, the Grand Duchess did not sever her ties with those other social orga- nizations and institutions of a charitable or spiritually enlightening nature with which she had been bound by close moral ties ever since her first years in Moscow. Among these, the Palestine Society occu- pied the first place, so close to her because it called to life the deep Russian Orthodox feeling of her spouse, Grand Duke Sergei Alex- androvich, for the Holy Land. Having inherited from him the chair- manship of this society, she imitated him in holy zeal for Sion and in tireless concern over Russian pilgrims heading for the Holy Land. Her cherished dream was to go with them, though she already had earlier visited the holy places together with the late Grand Duke. The unbroken chain of activity and responsibilities, becoming more complicated with every year, prevented her for a long time from leaving Russia for the Holy City. Alas! No one then foresaw that she would arrive in Jerusalem only after her repose, in order to find there a place for eternal rest.

Her mind was always in harmony with her heart, and in the Palestine work she exhibited not only love and zeal for the Holy Land but a great working knowledge, as if she directly controlled all the institutions of the Society. During the last years before the war she was occupied with plans for the construction of a metochion to , in Bari, with a church worthy of the Russian name. The proj- ect and model of the building, executed by Shchusev in the ancient Russian style, was permanently exhibited in her reception room.

9 Countless papers and callers, the examination of various types of petitions and entreaties which were presented to her from all parts of Russia, as well as other affairs, usually filled her whole day and frequently brought her to the point of total exhaustion. This did not hamper her from spending the night at the bedside of suf- fering patients or from attending services in the Kremlin and at the greatly loved churches and in all parts of Moscow. The spirit strengthened the weakened body. (Her only rest was pilgrim- ages to various parts of Russia for prayer. However, even here the people took away the possibility of her finding seclusion and quiet. Greatly honouring her royal birth and great piety, the people ecstat- ically met her everywhere. The trips of the Grand Duchess to various cities of Russia, against her will turned into triumphant marches).

Concealing her struggles, she always appeared before people with a bright, smiling face. Only when she was alone or with a few close people, her face and especially her eyes reflected hidden sor- row - the mark of a great soul languishing in this world. Having de- tached herself from almost all earthly things, she even more brightly radiated an inner light, especially by her love and tenderness. No one could do an act of kindness more delicately - to each according to his need or spiritual temperament. She was not only capable of weeping with the sorrowful but of rejoicing with those who rejoice, which is usually the more difficult. Though not a in the strict sense, better than any nun she observed the great law of St : “Blessed is the monk who honours every man as god after God.” Find the best in every man and, “Have mercy on the fallen,” was the continual striving of her heart. A meek spirit did not pre- vent her from blazing with holy wrath before injustice. Even more strictly she judged herself if she made some mistake, however invol- untarily. Allow me to present a fact which witnesses to this facet of her character, as well as how her sincerity won out against an inborn reserve and the demands of social etiquette. Once during the time I was vicar Bishop of Moscow she offered me the chairmanship of a purely secular organization, not having any activities connected with the Church. I was involuntarily embarrassed, not knowing how

10 to answer her. Understanding my position, she immediately said decisively, “Forgive me, I made a foolish suggestion,” and thus led me out of a difficult situation.

The high position of the Grand Duchess along with her open- ness attracted many and various organizations and individual peti- tioners to her for her help, protection, or authoritative influence in the higher echelons of both local Moscovite and the central author- ity. She carefully replied to all petitions except for those which bore political overtones. The latter she decisively rejected, considering dealings with politics to be incompatible with her new calling.

She paid special attention to all institutions of ecclesiasti- cal, charitable or artistic and scientific character. She also zealously worked to preserve the more important daily customs and tradi- tions which made life so rich in old, beloved Moscow.

The centenary holiday of 1912 gave her an unexpected chance to exhibit her zeal in this direction … During the elaboration of the programme for the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the War for the Homeland [i.e., 1812], there arose in the special com- mittee organized in Moscow a heated debate over how to celebrate the 30th August, the final day of the anniversary festival in Moscow, where the Emperor, according to ceremony was supposed to arrive from Borodino. The representative of the ministry of the court of- fered to place at the centre of the festival day a visit by the Emperor to the Zemsky Kustarny Museum, which had absolutely nothing to do with the historical recollection of 1812. Others supported my pro- posed offer that this memorial for Russia, Saint Alexander Nevsky’s Day, be noted with a festive service of thanksgiving on Red Square. The ceremonial officialdom refused to put aside its plan, protecting itself with the impenetrable iron plating of “imperial order,” a thing whose existence no one, of course, could verify. As for me, a rep- resentative of the clerical department, and those who were of like mind, all we could do was submit to the inescapable. At my meeting with the Grand Duchess I told her all about the conflict that had come to pass. Having heard out my tale in much distress she said, “I will try to write about it to the Emperor. It’s true,” she added with

11 a reserved smile, “for us women, all is permitted.” Within a week, she informed me that the Emperor had changed the programme according to our desires. When the 30th August arrived it presented a magnificent picture of a genuinely national, Church and patriotic festivity which will never be forgotten by the participants. For this fête Moscow was indebted to the intercessions of the Grand Duch- ess who exhibited in the present circumstance not only her devo- tion to the Church but a deeply historical, purely Russian devotion.

At the beginning of the war she gave herself over with com- plete self-sacrifice to the service of the sick and wounded soldiers whom she visited not only in the hospitals and sanatoriums of Mos- cow but also at the front. Like the Empress, she was not spared the slander which accused them of excessive sympathy for wounded Germans, and the Grand Duchess bore this unwarranted, bitter of- fense with her usual magnanimity.

When the revolutionary storm broke out she met it with amazing self-control and calm. It seemed that she stood on a high, unshakable cliff, and from there fearlessly looked out at the waves storming around her and raised her spiritual vision to eternity. She did not harbour even a shadow of ill feelings against the madness of the agitated masses. “The people are children, innocent of what is transpiring,” she remarked quietly. “They are led into deception by the enemies of Russia.” Nor was she depressed by the great suffer- ing and humiliation that befell the royal family who were so close to her: “This will serve for their moral purification and bring them nearer to God,” she noted once with radiant gentleness. She suf- fered deeply for the royal family only when the thorns of grievous slander were woven around them especially during the war. In or- der not to give impetus to new evil gossip, the Grand Duchess tried to avoid conversations on the subject. If it so happened that be- cause of idle people’s tasteless curiosity the subject was broached in her presence, she immediately killed it by her expressive silence. Only once after returning from Tsarskoe Selo, she forgot herself and remarked, “That terrible man (i.e., Rasputin) wants to separate me from them but, thank God, he will not succeed.”

12 The charm of her whole temperament was so great that it automatically attracted even the revolutionaries when they first ar- rived to examine the Martha and Mary Convent. One of them, ap- parently a student, even praised the life of the sisters, saying that no luxuries were noticeable, and that cleanliness and good order were the rule, which was in no way blameworthy. Seeing his sincerity, the Grand Duchess struck up a conversation with him about the out- standing qualities of socialist and Christian ideals. “Who knows,” remarked her unknown conversationalist as if influenced by her ar- guments, “perhaps we are headed for the same goal, only by differ- ent paths,” and with these words left the convent.

“Obviously we are still unworthy of a martyr’s crown,” the Abbess replied to the sisters’ congratulating her for such a success- ful end to the first encounter with the Bolsheviks. But that crown was not far from her. During the course of the last months of 1917 and the beginning of 1918, the Soviet power to everyone’s amaze- ment granted the Martha and Mary Convent and its Abbess com- plete freedom to live as they wished and even supported them by supplying essentials. This made the blow even heavier and unex- pected for them when on Pascha the Grand Duchess was suddenly arrested and transported to Ekaterinburg.

His Holiness Tikhon attempted with the help of Church organizations to take a part in her liberation, but was un- successful. Her exile was at first accompanied by some comforts. She was quartered in a convent where all the sisters were sincerely involved. A special comfort for her was that she was not hampered from attending services. Her position became more difficult after her transfer to Alapaevsk where she was imprisoned in one of the city schools together with her ever-faithful companion, Sister Bar- bara, and several grand dukes who shared her fate. Nevertheless she did not lose her abiding firmness of spirit and occasionally would send words of encouragement and comfort to the sisters of her convent who were deeply grieving over her. And th th so it continued until the fateful night of 5 /18 July. On that night together with the other royal captives striving with her and her val-

13 iant fellow-struggler Barbara in Alapaevsk, she was suddenly tak- en in a car outside the city and apparently buried alive with them in one of the local mine shafts. The results of later excavation there has shown that she strived until the last moment to serve the grand dukes who were severely injured by the fall. Some local peasants who carried out the sentence on these people whom they did not know, reported that for a long time there was heard a mysterious singing from below the earth.

This was the great-passion-bearer, singing funeral hymns to herself and the others until the silver chain was loosed and the golden bowl was broken (cf. Eccles. 12:6) and until the songs of heaven began to resound for her. Thus the longed-for martyr’s crown was placed on her head and she was united to the hosts of those of whom John, the seer of mysteries, speaks: After this I be- held, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;... And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribu- lation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:9, 14). Like a wondrous vision she passed over the earth, leaving behind radiant traces. Together with all the other sufferers in the Russian land, she appeared simultaneously as a redeemer for Russia and as a foundation for that Russia of the future which is being raised up on the bones of the new martyrs. Such images have a timeless significance; their memory is eternal on earth and in heaven. Not in vain did the voice of the people de- clare her a saint during her lifetime. …

As though in reward for her earthly struggles and special love for the Holy Land, her martyred remains, which according to eyewitnesses were found in the mine shaft completely untouched by corruption, were destined to rest at the same place where the Saviour suffered and rose from the dead. Exhumed on the orders of Admiral Kolchak, together with the bodies of other members of the royal house killed at the same time (the Grand Duke Sergei

14 Michailovich, the Princes John, Igor, and Konstantine Konstanti- novich, and the son of the Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, Prince Paley), their remains and the bodies of the Grand Duchess and Sis- ter Barbara were taken first to Irkutsk and then to Peking where they remained for a long time in the cemetery church of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission. From there, through the concern of her sis- ter, Princess Victoria, the Marchioness of Milford-Haven, to whom she was closely bound during life, her coffin and Sister Barbara’s were transferred from Shanghai and sent to Palestine.

th On the 15 January, 1920, the bodies of both sufferers were triumphantly met in Jerusalem by the English authorities, the Greek and Russian clergy, as well as crowds of the large Russian colony and local inhabitants. Their burial took place the next day and was officiated by the head of the Church of Jerusalem, the Blessed Patri- arch Damianos, together with a host of clergy.

As if destined for the purpose, the crypt below the lower vault of the Russian church of Saint was adapted as a sepulchre for the Grand Duchess. This church, built in memory of the Empress Maria Alexandrovna by her august children, was not unknown to the deceased, for together with the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich she had been present at its consecration in 1888. … The martyr herself could not have chosen a better resting place as if, having foreseen that she would have to repose for a time outside her convent, she had earlier prepared a grave for herself.

Here, everything reflects her spirit: the golden domes of the church, sparkling in the sun amidst green olive trees and cypresses … Even closer and dearer to her heart is the fragrance of the holy places, which breathes upon her sepulchre from all sides. Below, beneath the tomb stretches out a unique view of the Holy City with the great cupola of the Life-Giving Tomb rising on high; at the foot of her tomb, the Garden of Gethsemane where in agony the Divine Sufferer prayed until drops of blood appeared. Further on, Geth- semane itself, the place of the Mother of God’s burial and to the left one can discern half-concealed by the folds of mountains, Bethany,

15 that true Convent of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, whom the Lord called forth from the grave; and above, the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene joyously crowns Mount Olivet, whence the risen Saviour rose gloriously to heaven in order to crown from there all those who amid temptations remained faithful to Him until death. Jerusalem, 5th /l8th July, 1925 Originally from “Orthodox Life,” vol. 31, no. 5 (Sept.-Oct., 1981) Slightly abridged in this edition. g g g g g g g g g How to live in accord with the Gospel A translation of a Booklet published by the Synodal press in Russia in 1905, somewhat adapted to meet the needs of our times.

Continuation CONSEQUENTLY, having placed this unending objective [self-perfection] before himself, a person, by the power of this en- deavour alone, is already setting out on the path to eternal life. But that such an endeavour actually lead to eternal life, he must not leave the unique path to that life and must not revert back to the ways of temporal life, because to travel two contrary paths si- multaneously, is, it goes without saying, completely impossible. In view of this, even unavoidable requirements, such as, for example, requirements for food and for clothing, will cause the heir of eter- nal life anxiety only regarding the urgent necessities of the pass- ing day (Matt. 6:25, 34). The person’s desire [for eternal life] sup- plies him with the means to quell the demands for the coming day

16 through his sense of purpose with regard to the equally strong pull of his journey towards inevitable death, and this counter-balanc- es the demands of this temporal life. Bear in mind, if in fact a man is anxious about the day ahead, and then tomorrow will be anxious about another day ahead, then it is self-evident that in reality he will only exist through days shortened by material concerns, and thus he will achieve nothing of what essentially affects eternity.

Thus, the path to eternal life inevitably requires physical hardship of a man. Besides the fact that material good things only have an everyday value and are unable to carry a man to eter- nal life, they can also exercise a positively destructive influence on a person’s attainment of the eternal purpose in life, because they are able to bind him to themselves, and present him with seemingly much more compelling purposes than the true value of moral perfection.

In view of all this, first and foremost the transformation of the old man demands of him that, without fail, he change his false relationship with the material good things of this temporal life. A person must take on board that there is no over-riding purpose in his gaining anything, even if it be the whole world, if he himself should then perish (Luke 9:25). He must come to understand, not only as concerns himself but also generally, that it is because of its own particular and indisputable worth that the human soul is immeasurably more valuable than the whole world (Matt. 16:26; Mark 8:37), because by one man alone God’s name might be hal- lowed in the world, and through him might the kingdom of God be revealed, and, by an authentic and efficacious manner of life, by him God’s will might be done on earth even as it is now mani- fest that it is done only in heaven (Matt. 6:9-10; see Luke 11:2).

Of course, being convinced of this truth cannot of itself re- generate a person and cannot make him a true man of God; but, all the same, it can compel him to regard his desire for material good things as a temptation, and consequently, at the very least, it might compel him to condemn himself on account of those de-

17 sires. He who arrives at understanding the necessity of submit- ting his life to the of true life, cannot but force himself to engage in a moral battle with himself, so that by the strength of his own will he steers himself on the path which leads to the heavenly kingdom, because, on account of human sinful- ness, that kingdom is only achieved through force, and only those who resort to force achieve it (Matt. 11:12; Luke 16:16). … to be continued. g g g g g g g g g The Coming Month JULY is a particularly blessed month; there are no Great Feasts and no periods of , and so in mid-Summer we have period that is “normal” - something we all yearn for, and yet seem never to achieve, in the hubbub of our day-to-day existence. There is, however, a multitude of greatly beloved saints that are celebrat- ed in this month: St Athanasius of Athos, St Sergius of Radonezh, the Martyred Imperial Family and the Venerable Martyr Elizabeth of Russia, the Great Martyr Marina, the Prophet Elias, Anne the mother of the All-holy , the Great Martyr Paraskeve, the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, and the venerable Eirene Chrysovalantou.

Among the lesser known Saints, we have:-

Our Venerable Father Theophilus the Myron- th st Streaming (8 / 21 July) was born in the mid-fifteenth century in New Zikhne, Macedonia, to devout and virtuous parents, who raised him in piety. After his studies, he renounced all the things of the world and took up the monastic life, and shortly thereafter he was ordained priest. He was a of the virtuous Bishop Acacius of Rendine, who had been consecrated by Saint Niphon of Constantinople when he was still Metropolitan of Thessalonica. Saint Niphon sent Bishop Acacius and the venerable Theophilus

18 to Egypt to ascertain the truth of two great miracles that took place there, in 1486, when the Patriarch Joachim of Alexandria, to dem- onstrate to the Muslim ruler of that land the truth of the Saviour’s words, had moved a mountain and drunk poison with no ill effect. The saint returned to Constantinople, where the new Patriarch, Pachomius, appointed him to serve at the Patriarchate, in which post he remained for a long period. Later he retired to the Holy Mountain, where he lived in true ascesis, humility, and obedience at the Monasteries of Vatopaidi and Iveron, and later in the des- ert of Kapsala. He was distinguished for his great piety and his love for the All-holy Theotokos. The renown of his holiness drew many to him, seeking guidance and consolation. When Thessaloni- ca was widowed of her Bishop, Patriarch Pachomius went to the city, and from there he wrote to the Elder Theophilus, inviting him to come so that their acquaintance might be renewed - his aim, of course, being to consecrate Father Theophilus Bishop of the city. The Saint realized this plan and, wisely avoiding the dangers aris- ing from the glory of honours, was tonsured to the Great Schema, having first retired from his priestly ministry. Having cultivated virtue and at a time when he was advanced in years, the blessed one foreknew his death. He received Holy Unction and the Sacred th Mysteries and, on Sunday, 8 July 1548, he reposed, saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit!” On account of his great humility, he had instructed his disciple, , not to bury him, but rather to drag him out to the woods and to throw him down there to be eaten by wild beasts. However his sacred relics were later found unharmed and reverently placed in the Church of Saint Basil in Kapsala. They began to steam a fragrant myron as an indication of his God-pleasing way of life and his angelic chastity and purity. Thus the Lord glorified His faithful servant, and he is honoured by the Orthodox Christians to this day. g g g g g g g g g

“A DOG is better than I, for he has love and does not judge.” Abba Xanthias

19 POINTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE

“X suggested that I should make a list of questions for the children to help them prepare for the confession. I am not sure if this is a good idea. I remember I listened to an Orthodox programme about confession for children and some priest was saying that children should come for confession when they are ready, that is when they did something wrong, realized it was wrong and repented. It shouldn’t be simply listing the sins out of the textbook. Because the main lesson is repentance so parents must be very patient with their children, mustn’t force them or nudge them if a child isn’t ready. And one or two obvious sins like lying and not obeying my mother are good enough. Please, let me know if you disagree. I can make a list of questions, of course, if you think it would be useful. - B.M. Woking.

FIRST of all, who on earth is X? Is this person someone who is (spiritually) intelligent enough to be answering your questions? Generally it is best not to talk about such things among yourselves - you are just as likely to exchange ill-founded opinions and spread temptations rather than clearing them up, or, as in this case, get- ting your wires crossed. I say the wires were crossed because there is a massive difference between a parent helping a child to make a list of sins before confession and listing sins out of a textbook. Of course, listing textbook sins is little use, and the priest you heard was right on that, but how wrong he was to suggest that one should just wait until they feel they have done something wrong! How out of touch he must be with the children of our times! How many children he must have unwittingly directed towards perdi- tion. Children need nudging, they have to be instructed, guided and corrected, especially those who have been baptized and are thus liable to a severer Judgment. Where on earth did you hear this priest speaking? Not only is he leading the children astray but the parents also for giving them an excuse not to be diligent in the upbringing of their children.

20 NEWS from the Richmond Diocese of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece

BISHOP SOFRONIE’S VISIT HIS GRACE, Bishop Sofronie of Suceava stopped over in England on his way to Australia, where he participated in the consecration of Bishop Christopher of Brisbane. On the Sun- th th day of the Holy Fathers of the First Council, 27 May / 9 June, Bishop Sofronie celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Convent of the Annunciation in London.

BAPTISMS AT BROOKWOOD

Saturday, 19th May / 1st June: Alexandru, the infant son of Petru and Elena Turcu of Harrow, was baptized here. His godparents are Vasile and Teodorina Turcu, and Alexandru is named after Saint Alexander of Constantinople.

Saturday, 26th May / 8th June: Constantin, infant son of Iulian-Georgian and Maria-Magdelena Bunduc of Not- tingham, was baptized at Saint Edward’s. His godparents are Constantin and Dumitrita-Mihaela Boca, and he is named for the holy Peer of the Apostles Constantine the Great.

On the same day: Patrick, infant son of Kujdesi and Maria Magdalina Bytyci of Edgware, was baptized here. His godparents are Andrei Adomnicai and Dumitru Magdalina, and he is named after Saint Patrick the Enlightener of Ireland.

Saturday, 9th / 22nd June: Alexandru, infant son of Con- stantin and Paulina Gavriloae of Harrow was baptized. Constantin and Nina Toma are his godparents, and his name saint is the Holy Martyr Alexander of Tiberiani.

The Baptisms were celebrated by Fr Nicolae Capitanu.

21 CLERGY VISITS FROM THE ROCA-MP CHURCH IN LONDON THREE MEMBERS of the clergy serving at the Russian Or- thodox Church on Harvard Road, West London, have recently vis- ited. On Sunday, 2nd June, Archpriest Vitalii Serapinas came with a number of people to bless the grave stones of Kira Miller and her son, George, and to offer prayers at some of the other graves in our cemetery. On the following Tuesday, Archpriest Peter Baulk paid us a visit, bringing with him Archpriest Yaro- slav Hudymenko, who has recently been appointed to the Lon- don parish, and who comes from Ukraine. The two Archpriests were shown the church and exhibition room, and given lunch. Fr Peter kindly gave Fr Sabbas a set of green priestly vestments and a sticharion. Of course, before the majority of the clergy of the Rus- sian Church Abroad in this country submitted to the Patriarchate of Moscow in 2007, Fr Peter had served at Brookwood as a priest for several years, and indeed had been both baptized and ordained at Saint Edward’s.

CAFE BLESSED

ON FRIDAY, 21st June, the Brotherhood clergy travelled to Hemel Hempstead for the blessing of the Domik Café there, in the Marlowes pedestrian shopping precinct. It is, indeed, the very best café we have visited in Hemel Hempstead, and we would recommend our readers to use it as often as possible. Please pray for the proprietors: Ioan, , Daniela and Georgette.

GIFT OF AN ICON

OUR parishioner, Simon Teague of Church Crookham, recently gave our church an icon of his name saint, the holy Apos- tle . The icon was painted for Simon by the

22 sisters of the Convent of St Philothei in Sweden. St Simon is the only one of the Twelve Apostles about whom we have reliable evidence that he visited Britain, and according to some traditions he was martyred here.

BROOKWOOD CEMETERY SOCIETY A.G.M.

th THE 27 Annual General Meeting of the Brookwood Cemetery Society, chaired by Kim Lowe, was held in our Mor- th tuary hall on Wednesday, 19 June in the evening. Mrs. Lowe gave a report on the activities of the society in the past year and, after the acceptance of the minutes of the last AGM and of the accounts and the election of officers, refreshments were served for the thirty or so people who attended. After the break Avril Kirby, the man- ageress of the cemetery, introduced us to Marilyn Scott, the Di- rector of the Lightbox, the museum and gallery in central Wok- ing, who gave us an illustrated talk about the master plan which is being drawn up for the future restoration and enhancement of the Brookwood Cemetery.

GROUP VISITS TO THE CHURCH Tuesday, 4th June: About fifty pupils from Horsell Ju- nior School visited unexpectedly while making a tour of the cem- etery. Having seen the church and been taken round, they obvi- ously reported back to the school, and a week later a second group from the school came to visit us.

Friday, 7th June: A group from Farnham Womens’ In- stitute, led by Lydia Zbinden, visited.

Tuesday, 18th June: A group from the University of the Third Age in Cranleigh visited.

23 Wednesday, 19th June: The Surrey Hills Society visited. There were about thirty people in their group, led by their chair- man, Gordon Jackson, and the visit had been organized by Kim Lowe of the Brookwood Cemetery Society. g g g g g g g g g PRACTICAL TIP

IN THE GOSPELS, our Saviour rebukes the leaders of the Jewish people of His time, saying: Ye lade men with burdens griev- ous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers (Luke 11:46). However, in our days, it often seems that the boot is on the other foot! At a time when we have very few priests, people often show little or no consideration for the ones we have and for what they have to do. Some will simply turn up for confession, for instance, just before the Liturgy, when in fact the priest is serving the proskomidi (the preparation of the holy gifts); they will bring various things to be blessed (, cars, coliva, pha- nouriopitta, etc.) with no prior consultation. They will want indi- vidual services for their needs, when it is convenient for them, but with no thought about what is consistent with church practice or what the clergy are able to do. If it is suggested that this is done at some other time, they will declare it is too difficult for them as they are intent on limiting their church observance to the couple of hours a week they have allotted to that. The world and its concerns have enslaved them, and to make some sort of Orthodox observance fea- sible, without unduly upsetting the demands of the world, they are forced to lade the clergy with heavy burdens. Instead, at least try to show the consideration that you would grant to your doctor, law- yer, or accountant, and make arrangements beforehand and keep to them. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

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