Moreover, electronic physics has established that atomic nuclei, despite their difficult to imagine smallness, are also composite bodies. Atomic nuclei consist of so-called protons and neutrons, connected to each other in certain combinations and numbers. Some unknown force connects them and holds them together!
Thus, the discovery by science of the structure of the atom turns into the discovery of perfection in the creation of the world by the Wise Creator and radically and completely changes the concept of matter. Such matter, as materialists understand it, does not exist.
Modern science has established that the primary basis of matter is energy, and the primary type of energy is light energy. Now it becomes clear why God created light at the beginning of the formation of matter.
Thus, the first lines of the Bible for our generation are the best evidence of the Inspiration of the Holy Bible. For how could Moses know that the creation of the world should begin with light, when this became the property of science only in our 20th century?
Thus, the writer of everyday life Moses, according to Divine Revelation, revealed the secret of the structure of matter, unknown to any of the people in those distant times. So opening atomic energy, “the life of the atom,” these days is only new proof of Divine truth!
“Wonderful are Your works, O Lord, You have done all things with wisdom!”
Discourse on the second day of creation
On the second day of the world, God created the firmament - that vast space that extends above us and surrounds the earth, that is, the sky we see. The second creative command forms the firmament. “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate water from water: and it was so. And God created the firmament, and God separated the water that was under the firmament from the water that was above the firmament. And God called the firmament heaven. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning: the second day” (Genesis 1:6-8).
The firmament is air space, or the visible sky. The origin of the firmament, or visible sky, can be represented as follows. The immeasurably huge mass of primordial watery substance disintegrated, at the behest of God, into millions of individual balls, which spun on their axes and rushed each in their own separate orbit. The space formed between these balls became firmament; for in this space the movement of the newly created worlds is approved by the Lord on certain and unchanging laws of gravity, so that they do not collide with each other and do not in the least interfere with each other in their movements. The water above the firmament is the essence of the newly created watery balls, which then became stronger and from the fourth day of creation shone and sparkled above our heads; and the water under the firmament is our planet Earth, spreading below our feet. All this was still called water because on the second day of creation it had not yet received a durable structure and strong forms.
The instruction of the greatest teacher of the Church, St. John of Damascus, who lived in the 8th century. In the Irmos of the 3rd song of the 5th tone, he says: “He who set up the earth on nothing by Thy commandment and hung up the uncontrollably heavy one...”. So St. John of Damascus revealed scientific truth many centuries before the time when it became the property of science.
Discourse on the third day of creation
On the third day of the world, God gathered the water that was under the sky into one place, and dry land appeared. And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of waters seas. And he commanded the earth to grow greenery, grass and trees. And the earth was covered with grass, and all kinds of plants, and trees of different species.
Further, the earth receives such a structure that life already appears on it, although it is still only lower life, namely plant life. “And God said: Let the waters that are under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear. And so it became. And God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, grass yielding seed according to its kind and in its likeness, and a fruitful tree bearing fruit according to its kind, in which is its seed on the earth.”
And so it became. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning: the third day.” (Gen. 1:9-13).
The separation of water from land on the third day should not be thought of as simply, so to speak, straining the already prepared water from the solid earthy parts. The water was not yet in that form and chemical composition, as we now know it. So, firstly, by the creative word of the Lord, the ugly and disordered substance of our planet was transformed on the third day of the world into two types: water and dry land were created, and the latter immediately formed on its surface various water reservoirs: rivers, lakes and seas. Secondly, our planet has dressed itself in a thin and transparent veil atmospheric air, and gases with their numerous combinations appeared. Thirdly, on the land itself, the subject of creative work was not only the surface of the land with mountains, valleys, etc., but also in its very depths - different layers of the earth, metals, minerals, etc. Fourthly, by a special command of the Creator, all kinds of plants appeared on earth.
The creative action of the third day can presumably be imagined more clearly in the following form. The land was still a sea. Then God said: “Let the water that is under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear; and it became so.” “And God called the dry land earth, and called the gatherings of waters seas: and God saw that it was good.” But the earth did not yet possess what was the purpose of its creation: there was no life on it yet, only bare dead rocks looked gloomily at the reservoir of waters. But when the distribution of water and land was completed, and the necessary conditions for life were formed, then, according to the word of God, the first beginnings of it were not slow to appear - in the form of vegetation: “And God said: Let the earth produce greenery, grass yielding seed ( according to its kind and likeness), and a fruitful tree, bearing fruit according to its kind, in which its seed is on the earth, and so it was. And God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning: the third day.”
Science knows the remains of this vegetation, and it amazes with its majestic size. What is now an insignificant blade of grass, like our fern, for example, in primitive times was a majestic tree. The threads of present-day moss in primitive times were about a fathom in circumference. But how could this powerful vegetation have occurred without the influence of the sun's rays, which illuminated the earth only on the next fourth day? But scientific research here, as in many other cases, with all the irresistibility of immutable truth, confirms everyday life. Experiments were made with electric light for the development of greenery. One scientist achieved important results in this regard even with the help of the intensified light of a simple kerosene lamp.
Discourse on the Fourth Day of Creation
On the fourth day of the world, at the command of God, the heavenly lights shone over our land: the sun, the moon and the stars. Since then, periods of time have begun to be determined - our present days, months and years.
The formation of the earth is followed by the formation of the heavenly bodies. “And God said: Let there be lights in the expanse of the heaven (to illuminate the earth and) to separate the day from the night, and for signs and seasons, and days and years; and let them be lamps in the firmament of the heaven to give light on the earth. And so it became. And God created two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars; and God set them in the firmament of heaven... And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning: the fourth day” (Gen. 1:14-19).
The creative command: let there be lights, obviously equivalent to the previous commands of the Creator: let there be light... let the water be gathered, and just as there is not meant the initial creation, but the creative formation of objects, so here we must understand not a new creation, but only the complete formation of bodies heavenly.
How should one imagine the origin of the celestial bodies? According to their internal and fundamental matter, the heavenly bodies already existed before the fourth day; They were the water above the firmament from which countless spherical bodies were formed on the second day of creation. On the fourth day, some of these bodies were so constructed that the primordial light concentrated in them to the highest degree and began to act in the most intense way - these are self-luminous bodies, or luminaries in the proper sense, such as, for example, the sun and the fixed stars. Others of the dark spherical bodies remained dark, but were adapted by the Creator to reflect the light that poured onto them from other luminaries - these are luminaries in the improper sense, or the so-called planets, shining with borrowed light, for example, the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and others planets.
St. John of Shanghai. Save, Lord, Your people
Why are prayers for kings combined with prayers to the Life-Giving Cross?
The Cross of the Lord, as an instrument of our salvation, began to be revered by Christians even in Apostolic times. However, during the persecution of Christians, his veneration could only be secret. “Christ crucified” was a temptation for the Jews, and madness for the pagans. Therefore, Christians did not openly express their veneration of the Cross, so as not to expose Him to mockery. They hid the image of the cross or depicted the cross in such a way that the pagans could not guess that this drawing covertly depicts a cross.
In 312, Tsar Constantine the Great, during his campaign against Rome, saw in the sky an image of a cross with the inscription - NIKA, that is, conquer. Having made a military banner in the form of a cross, Constantine entered the battle, defeated the enemy and took Rome. In memory of that victory, Tsar Constantine ordered that his image with a cross in his hand and the inscription “With this saving sign I freed Rome from the tyrant” be placed in Rome. Soon after this, the Christian profession was declared permissible by the Edict of Milan; Tsar Constantine himself set an example of veneration of the cross, ordering to depict himself with a cross even on coins.
King Constantine's vision of the cross in heaven was repeated two more times during his further campaigns, which further strengthened his veneration of the Holy Cross.
At his request, his mother, St. Queen Helena took a trip to Jerusalem and there she found the removed Life-Giving Cross. She brought part of it to Constantinople, and the Byzantine kings, going on a campaign, took it with them, trusting in God’s help given through the Cross.
That is why, in wonderful chants glorifying the Holy Cross, he was also praised for the help that Orthodox kings received through him.
At the same time, the Orthodox Church, fulfilling the instruction of the Apostle Paul to pray for kings, even pagan ones, since they are defenders of order and not persecutors of the Faith, has always offered prayer to God so that the power of the Cross will help the kings who trust in the Cross. Services of the Holy Cross on Wednesdays and Fridays, on which days the sufferings of Christ are remembered, and on other holidays of the Life-Giving Cross are full of such prayers. They say: “The cross of kings is a power,” “our most faithful kings boast about You, because by Your power the Ishmaelite people are powerfully punishing,” “the faithful king grants victories to the resistance and Yours preserves residence by Your Cross,” “the tree of honor gives victory to the king to the barbarians.” “... The service of the Cross is filled with such and similar expressions.
It is remarkable that many of these hymns were written by the Holy Fathers, who themselves suffered cruelly from the iconoclast kings; they did not stop praying for the kings, firmly believing that after the evil kings there would be pious kings.
The Orthodox Greeks and Southern Slavs did not change those prayers even when under the rule of the Turks or other foreign authorities, even if they were of other faiths.
What is the meaning of praying for kings in prayers to the Holy Cross when any Orthodox people do not have their own king?
Firstly, Orthodox peoples must pray not only for their Sovereigns, but as members of one body - the Church, also for other Orthodox Sovereigns. Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians and Romanians enslaved by the Turks prayed for the then only Orthodox Russian Tsar. It is the duty of Russians to pray not only for their own people, but also for their sovereigns, especially since Russian refugees living in their countries enjoy their protection.
Secondly, when offering prayers for kings, we pray not only for current kings, but also for future Orthodox kings, for according to the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom, Orthodox rulers will hold power until the coming of the Antichrist, restraining the spread of evil. This is why the Orthodox Church does not stop praying - victory by the blessed king against the resistance, granting. These words are found in the prayer to the Life-giving Cross, which is especially often used, since it is a troparion, that is, a kind of hymn, for the days of the Holy Cross.
The first words of that prayer are verse 9 of Psalm XXVII of David, and the words that follow are taken from Psalm 143, written by David regarding the fight against Goliath.
It was first composed as a sedalion of the octochoic (octoecho) for singing on Wednesdays and Fridays of the 1st tone between the reading of the kathismas of the Psalter. Then it began to be used also as a troparion of those days, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and other days dedicated to the Holy Cross.
It is also read at the beginning of every daily Matins, sung at the small blessing of water and on many other occasions.
In Russia and in some other Slavic countries, the name of the reigning Sovereign was also inserted into that prayer, but the main content always remained unchanged and its original text is what the Holy Fathers wrote:
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories to the blessed king against the resistance, and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross.
With V. John of Shanghai
Religious reading: prayer God save your people and bless your property to help our readers.
Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy
Prayer to the Life-Giving Cross
Save, Lord, your people and bless your inheritance; giving victory to the Orthodox Christian against the resistance, and preserving Your residence by Your Cross.
Bless- make you happy, send mercy; Your heritage- Your possession; to resistance Your residence preserving by Your Cross
Bookitut.ru
Troparion to the Cross and prayer for the fatherland
Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories against resistance, and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross.
Prayer for the living
(Name), my parents (names), relatives (names), bosses, mentors, benefactors (names) and all Orthodox Christians.
Prayer for the departed
Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (names) and all Orthodox Christians and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.
Remember, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Thy mercy and generosity from all eternity, for whose sake Thou didst become man, and Thou didst deign to endure crucifixion and death, for the sake of the salvation of those who believe in Thee; and rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father, and listens to the humble prayers of those who call upon You with all their hearts. Incline Your ear and hear the humble prayer of me, Your indecent servant, into the stench of the spiritual fragrance that is brought to You for all Your people. And in the first place, remember Your Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, which You have provided with Your venerable Blood, and establish, and strengthen, and expand, multiply, pacify, and preserve the insurmountable gates of hell forever; Calm the tearing of the Churches, quench the pagan vacillations, and quickly destroy and eradicate the heresies of uprising, and turn them into nothingness by the power of Your Holy Spirit. (Bow.)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on our God-protected country, its authorities and army, protect them with peace, and subdue under the nose of the Orthodox every enemy and adversary, and speak peaceful and good words in their hearts about Your Holy Church and about all Your people: yes and We Let us live a quiet and silent life in orthodoxy and in all piety and purity. (Bow.)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on the Great Lord and Father of our most holy Patriarch Alexy, Your Eminence metropolitans, archbishops and Orthodox bishops, priests and deacons, and the entire church clergy, who You have appointed to shepherd Your verbal flock, and with their prayers have mercy and save me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (Name) and with his holy prayers forgive my sins. (Bow.)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on my parents (names), brothers and sisters, and my relatives according to the flesh, and all the neighbors of my family, and friends, and grant them Thy peaceful and most peaceful goodness. (Bow.)
Save, O Lord, and have mercy, according to the multitude of Your bounties, all the sacred monks, monks and nuns, and all those living in virginity and reverence and fasting in monasteries, in deserts, in caves, mountains, pillars, gates, rock crevices, and sea islands, and in every place of Thy dominion those who live faithfully, and piously serve Thee, and pray to Thee: ease their burdens, and comfort their sorrow, and grant them strength and strength for exploits from You, and through their prayers grant me remission of sins. (Bow.)
Save, O Lord, and have mercy on the old and the young, the poor, and the orphans, and the widows, and those who are in sickness and sorrow, troubles and sorrows, conditions and captivity, prisons and imprisonments, and even more so in persecution, for You for the sake of the Orthodox faith , from the tongue of the godless, from the apostate and from the heretics, Thy present servants, and remember me, visit, strengthen, comfort, and soon by Thy power I will weaken, grant them freedom and deliver. (Bow.)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on those sent to the service, those traveling, our fathers and brethren, and all Orthodox Christians. (Bow.)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on them who I tempted with my madness, and turned away from the path of salvation, and led me to evil and inappropriate deeds; By Your Divine Providence, return again to the path of salvation. (Bow.)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on those who hate and offend me, and those who create misfortunes against me, and do not leave them to perish for my sake, a sinner. (Bow.)
Those who have departed from the Orthodox faith and are blinded by destructive heresies, enlighten with the light of Your knowledge and bring Your Holy Apostles to the Catholic Church. (Bow.)
About the deceased
Remember, Lord, the Orthodox kings and queens, the noble princes and princesses, the most holy patriarchs, the most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops who departed from this life, who served You in the priesthood and in the clergy, and in the monastic rank, and in Your eternal settlements with the saints rest in peace
Remember, Lord, the souls of Your departed servants, my parents (names) and all relatives according to the flesh; and forgive them all their sins, voluntary and involuntary, giving them the Kingdom and the communion of Thy eternal good things and Thy endless and blissful life of pleasure.
Remember, O Lord, and all in the hope of resurrection and eternal life, those who have fallen asleep, our fathers and brothers and sisters, and those who lie here and everywhere, Orthodox Christians, and with Thy saints, where the light of Thy face shines, have mercy on us, for He is Good and Lover of humanity. Amen (bow).
Grant, Lord, remission of sins to all who have previously departed in the faith and hope of resurrection, our fathers, brothers and sisters, and create for them eternal memory. (Thrice.)
End of prayers
It is worthy to eat as truly to bless Thee, Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.
From Easter to Ascension instead of “Worthy. " reads the irmos and the chorus of the 9th song of the Easter canon: "Angel crying with the Most Grace: Pure Virgin, rejoice! And again the river: Rejoice! Your Son has risen three days from the grave and raised the dead, people, rejoice!
Shine, shine, new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is upon you. Rejoice now and be glad, O Zion. You, Pure One, show off, O Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.” The same remark applies to the section “Prayers for the future sleep.”
Prayers for the future
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice.)
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice.)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Perplexed by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.
Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, do not remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies; For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.
And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.
Prayer
Part two
Prayer to the Life-Giving Cross
Save, Lord, your people and bless your inheritance; giving victory to the Orthodox Christian against the resistance, and preserving Your residence by Your Cross.
Save, Lord, Your people and bless everything that belongs to You. Grant victory to Orthodox Christians against their enemies, and preserve by the power of Your Cross those among whom You dwell.
Bless - make happy, send mercy; Your heritage- Your possession; to resistance- over opponents, enemies; Your residence– Your dwelling, that is, the society of true believers, among whom God invisibly dwells; preserving by Your Cross- preserving by the power of Your Cross.
In this prayer we ask God to save us, His people, and bless the Orthodox country - our fatherland, with great mercies; He gave victories to Orthodox Christians over their enemies and, in general, preserved us by the power of His Cross.
QUESTIONS: How is the prayer to the Holy Cross read and is it for the fatherland? What do the words mean: save, O Lord, Thy people? And bless Your heritage? Granting victories to Orthodox Christians against resistance? And preserving Your residence by Your Cross?
Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories against resistance, and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross.
Property- property, that is, believers in Christ. Resistive- opponents, enemies. Residence- home, society, Church.
In this prayer, we ask that the Lord deliver us, Orthodox Christians, from troubles and misfortunes, grant us prosperity in life, give us the strength to defeat all violators of the peace and security of the state, and protect us with His Cross.
Translation: Save, Lord, Your people and bless those who belong to You, helping Orthodox Christians defeat their enemies and preserving Your holy Church by the power of Your Cross.
Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (his name), my parents (names), my relatives according to the flesh, and all the neighbors of my family, and others (their names) and grant them Your peaceful and supreme blessings.
Spiritual father- the priest from whom you confess and whose advice you accept; others- Friends; peaceful- earthly; premium- heavenly, unearthly, supermundane.
Translation: Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (his name), my parents (their names), brothers and sisters, and my relatives, and all my neighbors, and friends (their names), and give them Your earthly and heavenly blessings.
Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your departed servants: my parents (their names), relatives, benefactors (their names) and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.
May you rest in peace- place it in a quiet place, that is, together with the saints in an eternal blissful home. Deceased- fallen asleep; this is what we call the dead whose souls, having separated from their bodies, moved from this life to another, heavenly, where they remain until the time of the general resurrection, which will be at the Second Coming of the Son of God. Sins freestyle- sins committed of one’s own free will; involuntary- against one's will, through coercion or ignorance. Grant them- give it to them. the Kingdom of heaven- eternal, blissful life with God.
In this prayer, we pray to God that He would place our deceased relatives, neighbors and all Orthodox Christians together with the saints in the Kingdom of Heaven, where there is no suffering, but only bliss, having forgiven them all their sins out of His ineffable mercy.
Translation: Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your departed servants: my parents (their names), relatives, benefactors (their names) and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins committed by their own will and against their will, and give them the Kingdom of Heaven.
The writing is on the wall
This short hymn expresses not only faith in the all-conquering power of the Cross, but also an indication of its sign in the sky with the Greek inscription “hereby conquer” (touto nika), which St. Constantine the Great and his soldiers. In the Greek text and the ancient period in Rus' it was sung by the king (unnamed). In Russia, during the period of the Christian monarchy, they sang: to our pious emperor (name). After the end of Christian statehood, the troparion changed: Orthodox Christian.
Sometimes these words are omitted without proper reason. There has also been a change in the prayer of those who hate and offend us.
Prayer God save your people and bless your wealth
16. Prayer for the Fatherland
Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories against resistance, and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross.
Children, how is it better for you to live: each separately, alone or together with your parents, brothers and sisters? Of course it's better with family. Which is better for you: when your house is alone or when many houses make up your village or city, in which there is a church and where to get everything you need for life; in case of illness or misfortune, is there someone to turn to for help? Of course, in the latter case it is better. Finally, I ask you: is it good for us to live with people when they are poor, or sick, or in need of the bare necessities? Of course not. Because then we will have to watch how people suffer, and it will be sad and difficult to see their suffering.
And on whom, children, does happiness on earth primarily depend? First of all, it depends on God. If God grants heat and cold in due time, there will be no different diseases on earth, there will be a lot of grain and all kinds of fruits of the earth, there will be many domestic animals. People will only have to use what God sent to make food, shelter and clothing for themselves. In a word, when God blesses people with His mercies, then they will feel good, they will have everything they need for a prosperous life in abundance.
But here, children, is our grief. People love to live in society, they build large villages and cities for themselves, but they do not always live in peace and harmony among themselves, they often oppress one another, offend one another, envy one another, so that only that village, that city, that land is happy, where there is a good ruler who knows how to justify the innocent and punish the guilty. It would seem that people should just live on earth and calmly enjoy the fruits of their labors; it doesn't turn out that way at all. And the people who are closest to each other, who profess the same faith in God, speak the same language, are called by the same name, for example, just as we Russians still do not live in complete harmony and love and thereby incur the wrath of God: sometimes He stops to keep people who disagree with each other, gives them over to the power of other peoples, who bring with them a lot of grief and oppression.
In order, children, so that no misfortune befalls our Russian land, so that God does not become angry with the Russian people, deprive them of His blessing and deliver us into the hands of enemies, we need to pray to God. And this is the prayer for the Fatherland given to us by the Holy Church. Cross yourself and say this prayer with me in conversational speech.
Save, O Lord, Your people, and bless Your possession, giving victories to your enemies, and preserving Your home with Your Cross.
In this prayer we say to the Lord: save Your people and bless Your dominion, because the Lord invisibly owns and controls the Orthodox Russian people on earth. When He blesses His possession, that is, rewards people with earthly blessings and healthy air, then everyone will live well. But if God deprives people of His blessing, then there will be pestilences, droughts, floods, famines and other misfortunes with people on earth, which is why many of us may die prematurely. Therefore, we ask God to bless us with an abundance of earthly fruits and save us from destruction.
But if people have a lot of all good things, and they themselves are sick, or there is no agreement and order between them, they offend each other, or, worst of all, their enemies defeat them, how can they then be happy? Of course not. So we continue in prayer and ask God to give strength and strength to our Orthodox people to pacify their enemies, that is, all evil people who, jealous of happiness and well-being, dare to harm us in obvious, and especially secret, ways. We say: Save. giving victory to enemies.
But people can only live in harmony among themselves when they firmly believe in the Divine teaching of Christ and act in everything as the Holy Orthodox Church teaches. Therefore, further in prayer we ask the Lord this way: Save, preserving Your home with Your Cross. The word dwelling means Orthodox Russia and the Holy Church of Christ, that is, all Christians in whom God Himself dwells and invisibly lives. (Remember, children, we prayed to the Holy Spirit: come and dwell in us.) God protects the Holy Church from visible and invisible enemies for the sake of the sufferings of the Cross; Because the Savior shed His Most Pure Blood on the Cross for people, God forgives people’s sins and gives everything for a prosperous life on earth.
In church terms, this prayer is read differently than in colloquial speech: Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your possession in church it says: Save, Lord, Your people and bless Your heritage. Serving victories on enemies in church style: granting victories to the resistance. Preserving Your home by Your Cross in church it says: Preserving Your residence by Your Cross.
When is it good for people to live on earth? On whom does the happiness of people on earth depend? Do people always live in harmony with each other? How does God punish people who disagree? What must we do for God to save us? What do we say in prayer for the Fatherland? How does God own us? What do we ask God to save people from? Why are people unhappy even when there is an abundance of earthly fruits? Why do we ask God for victory over our enemies? When can people live in harmony? What is meant by housing? How God Preserves His Church Cross?
How is a prayer for the Fatherland read in a church way? What Words in prayer sound different in church style than in colloquial speech? Which ones only have variable endings? How the word is said in church possession? And so on until the end. Repeat the first part of the prayer, the second, the third, the entire prayer in the church style.
Prayer God save your people and bless your wealth
At the litia (and at the prayer singing, and at Matins) prayer
Save, O God, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, visit Thy world with mercy and bounty, lift up the horn of Orthodox Christians and send down upon us Thy rich mercies, through the prayers of our All-Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross, the intercession of the honorable, incorporeal heavenly Powers , the honorable glorious prophet, the Forerunner and Baptist John, the glorious and all-praised Apostle saints, like our holy father and the great universal teachers and saints: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, like our holy father Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, wonderworker, Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius and Cyril, Slovenian teachers, Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir and Grand Duchess Olga, like our holy fathers, Saint Michael, First Metropolitan of Kiev, High Hierarchs of Moscow and All Russia: Peter, Alexy, Jonah, Macarius, Philip, Job, Hermogenes and Tikhon, Metropolitans of Moscow Philaret, Innocent and Macarius, holy glorious and victorious martyrs, our venerable and God-bearing fathers, venerable father of the elders of Optina, saints righteous John of Kronstadt and Alexy of Moscow, holy blessed Xenia of Petersburg and Matrona of Moscow, ( saints of the temple), Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev, Benjamin Petra, Metropolitan of Krutitsa, Hilarion Nicholas, Empresses Alexandra, Tsarevich Alexia, Grand Duchesses: Elizabeth and nuns Barbarians, Further see below
Saints and righteous Godfather Joachim and Anna and all the saints, we pray to Thee, O most merciful Lord, hear us sinners praying to Thee, and have mercy on us.
Prayer at litia
In it all the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia are mentioned by name:
Most merciful Master, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, through the prayers of our All-Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross, the intercession of the honorable heavenly Powers without flesh, the honorable glorious prophet, the Baptist and Baptist John, the glorious and all-praised Apostle saints, like the holy father our and ecumenical great teachers and saints: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, like the saints of our father Nicholas, Archbishop Myra of Lycia, the wonderworker, saints Equal to the Apostles Methodius and Cyril, Slovenian teachers, holy Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir and Grand Duchess Olga, etc. in the saints, our father, Saint Michael, the first Metropolitan of Kiev, the High Hierarchs of Moscow and All Russia: Peter, Alexy, Jonah, Macarius, Philip, Job, Hermogenes and Tikhon, Metropolitans of Moscow Philaret, Innocent and Macarius, holy glorious and victorious martyrs, reverend and our God-bearing fathers, the venerable father of the elders of Optina, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt and Alexy of Moscow, the holy blessed Xenia of Petersburg and Matrona of Moscow, ( saints of the temple),New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev, Benjamin, Metropolitan of Petrograd, Petra, Metropolitan of Krutitsa, Hilarion, Archbishop of Vereisk, Holy Royal Passion-Bearers: Emperor Nicholas, Empresses Alexandra, Tsarevich Alexia, Grand Duchesses: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, Venerable Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth and nuns Barbarians, Further see below
and all the holy archpastors, shepherds and faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church in a time of persecution from fierce atheists for the faith, our Church and Fatherland were tortured and killed, died in chains and suffered persecution, which we now commemorate,
saints and righteous Godfather Joachim and Anna and all Thy saints, make our prayer auspicious, grant us forgiveness of our sins, cover us with the shelter of Thy wing, drive away from us every enemy and adversary, pacify our lives, Lord, have mercy on us and Thy world and save Our souls are like Good and Lover of Humanity.
New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia
Hieromartyrs and Hieroconfessors metropolitans: Seraphim Nikolai Evgeniy Anatoly Kirill Agafangel
archbishops: Luke Thaddeus Mitrophan Jacob Alexius Nicholas Nicholas Tikhon Peter Zechariah Sergius Augustine Nicodemus Damian Onuphrius Paulinus Dimitri Alexius Sylvester Andronicus John Juvenalius Alexander Alexander Seraphim Vassian Seraphim Alexander Procopius Basil Antonia
bishops: Ambrose Ignatius Herman Lavrentius Arkady Nicodemus Anthony Nikita Iona John Nicholas Pimen Herman Victor Seraphim Arkady Amphilochius Boris Basil Barsanuphius Athanasius Huara Leonidas Joasaph Niketas Macarius Theodore Methodius Ambrose Basil Plato Veniamin John Ephraim Porphyry Damascene Hermogenes Onesimus Macarius Simon Theophan and others like him killed 2 priests and 5 lay people
bishops: Parthenia of Gregory Theodosius Germanus
Schema-Archimandrites Eleutheria Sebastiana Ignatius
archimandrites: Sergius Sergius Varlaam Matthew Innocent Veniamin Tikhon Ignatius George Ambrose Nikon Tikhon Ioannikios Leo Benjamin Kronidas Mauritius Herman Gregory Basil Mina Gabriel Isaac Vladimir Theogen Seraphim Alexander Sergius Gabriel Leontius Seraphim Nikanor Pavel Theodosius Rodion
abbot: Evgenia Nikolai Seraphim Arseniy Athanasius Eutykhios Joasaph Varlaam Philaret Pachomius Panteleimon Leonid Vladimir
hieromonks: Pachomius Gabriel Gregory Niphont Michael Mardarius Danakt John Gennadius Macarius Hilarion Basil Bartholomew Macarius John Vladimir Paul Nile Joasaph Nicephorus Nikon Theodore George Cosmas Seraphim Anthony Hierotheus Methodius Lawrence Seraphim Stephen Sophronius Anatoly Peter Hilarion Nicholas Joasaph Mac Aria of Gerasim Theognostus Vyacheslav Sergius Joasaph John Sergius Hilarion Gabriel Antipas Moses Plato Seraphima Macarius Apollinarius Cyprian Iona Sergius Seraphim Apollos Meletius Josephus Nicander Michael Galaktion Patricius Gerasimos Arefas Anatolia Alexius Ilia Maximus Meletius Sergius Pachomius Aristarchus Ilias Xenophon Valentinus Euphrosynus Cosmas Andronikos Euthymius Nicodemus Seraphim Raphael Basil Paphnutius Laurentius Seraphim Raphael Guria Ignatius
Hieromartyr Protopresbyter Alexander
holy martyrs and holy confessors archpriests: Ioann Nikolai Mikhail Alexander Nikolai Nikolai Gregory Sergius Peter Phlegont Nikolai Peter Nikolai Vikentius Pavel Dimitri Arseniy Karp Mikhail Nikolai Alexander Vladimir Vasily Alexander Alexander Nikolai Mikhail Nikolai Dimitri Alexiy Leonid Mikhail Mikhail Konstantin Mikhail Ioann Alexiy Nikolai Ioann Alexiy Ioann Nikolai Nikolai Alexiy Ioann Sergius Constantine Euphemia John Nazarius Philip Elijah Alexander Vladimir Nicholas Nicholas Michael Paul John Andrei Ephraim Evgraf Alexander Sergius Vladimir Boris Eugene Dimitri Vladimir Nicholas Nicholas Nicholas Macarius Sergius Victor Dimitri Michael Theodore Alexander George Nicholas Andrei George Matthew Sergius Nicholas Dimitri Theodore Dimitri Vladimir Neophyte Peter John S ergy of Vladimir Roman Nikolai Sergius Konstantin Vladimir Alexy Alexy Mikhail Philosopher Dimitri Nestor Alexander Vladimir Iakov Vladimir Mikhail Nikolai Stefan Theodore Alexy Nikolai Anatoly Sergius Leonidas Paul Alexander Peter John Constantine Gregory Sergius John Dimitri Nikolai Nicholas Nicholas Sergius Porfiry Dimitri Alexi Yaroslav Alexander Alexander Paul Alexander Alexander Theoktistus Vsevolod Vasily Joseph Vladimir Ioann Feofan Alexandra Basil Vasily Peter Ioann Alexy Nikolai Ioann Nikolai Zosima Alexandra Konstantin Alexy Sergius Evgeniy Vladimir Vladimir Peter Theodore Alexander Philip John Alexander Vasily Alexander Vasily Peter Alexy Mikhail Sergius Dimitri Gregory Peter Nicholas Ilia Sergius Vasily Alexy Pavel Vasily Basil Peter Michael Nicholas Nicholas Nicholas Nicholas Ioan Simeon Vasily Demetrius Peter Demetrius Nicholas Sergius Alexander Ilia John Victor Nicholas Basil Sergius John Alexius Leontius Alexander Sergius Basil Boris Michael Alexander John Nicholas Nicholas Gregory Nil Peter John Adrian Veniamin Andrei Basil Constantine and with him the slain martyr and martyr
archpriests: George Nicholas Nicholas Ioann Basil Theoktistus Sergius Nikolai Alexander Nikolai Vasily Nikolai Nikolai Vladimir Sergius Pavel Alexander Mikhail Mikhail Alexander Dimitri Nikolai Alexander Nikolai Alexiy Alexander Paul Mikhail Leonid Ioann Varlaam Alexiy Peter Nikolai Miron Nikolai Peter Vladimir Mikhail Ioann Sergius Alexander Vasily Alexander Dimitri Mikhail Arkady Nikolai
Mitrofan and many martyrs like him
protodeacons: Nikita Nikolai Sergius Matthew Seraphim Nikolai Alexiy Sergius
deacons: Peter Alexy Gregory Constantine Boris Michael Peter Arkady John Elisha Alexander Basil Ioann Nicholas Ioan Veniamin John Simeon Nicholas Basil Alexy George Nestor Vladimir Nikolay Alpheus Simeon Vyacheslav Alexander Ioann Nikolai Gregory Vasily Joseph Peter Nikolai Sergius Paul Nicephorus Nikolai John Michael Demetrius Paul Nicholas Eugene Tryphon Theodore Gabriel Sergius
venerable martyrs and venerable confessors
hierodeacons: Theodosius Matthew Andronicus Anthony Euthymius Vissarion Micah Innocent
monks: Stephen Jeremiah Michael Nikephoros Hermogenes Alexius Leontius Vitaly Savbas Barnabas Theodore Arcadius Callistus Joacinthos Demetrius Taurion Marcellus Euthymius Eutychius Avenir Savva Mark Vincent Agapit
novices: Fedora Alexander Theodore John Peter Sergius Sergius Alexy Sergius Hilarion Peter John George Jacob Jacob
venerable martyrs and venerable confessors Abbess: Margarita Arsenia Ioanniki Athanasia Eva Seraphim Tamara
schema-nuns: Raphael Augusta Michael Anna Alexandra
nuns: Evdokia Anna Maria Evdokia Elena Tatiana Anna Seraphim Maria Matrona Pelagia Margarita Fevronia Anastasia Agafia Paraskeva Evdokia Tamara Maria Macaria Anfisa Ksenia Nina Elizabeth Mstislav Matrona Maria Sebastiana Antonina Maria Hermogenes Eugenia
nuns: Barbarians Evdokia Matrons Anna Alexandra Martha Pelagia
novices: Evdokia Anastasia Tatiana Anna Olga Darius Catherine Anna Nadezhda Evdokia Maria Vera Antonina Sofia Evdokia Natalia Tatiana Irina Ekaterina Paraskeva Maria Vera Natalia Ksenia Anna Anastasia Maria Evdokia Tatiana Alexandra Martha Euphrosyne Alexandra Varvara Matrons
blessed Matrons Evdokia Daria Daria Maria
103 New Martyrs of Cherkasy
holy martyrs and confessors: psalm-readers Sergius John Michael Michael Boris Dimitri Theodore Alexy Pavel Vladimir John Stefan Dimitri Mikhail Nikolai
Holy Martyr Eugene the Doctor
laymen: Alexy Andrey Basil Ioann Cosmas Nahum Paul Paul Philip Athanasius Alexander Michael Nicholas Boris Isidore Maximus Peter Peter George Cyprian Basil Cyprian Michael Apollo Gregory Peter Paul Dimitri Alexy Peter Arefios Theodore Dorotheus Laurentius Basil Valentinus John Victor John Alexander John Demetrius John Eusebius Alexander Vas Ilya Mikhail Nikolai John Peter Sergius Demetrius Vladimir Constantine Nicholas Simeon Joseph Nicholas Stefan Anatoly Leonidas Andrei John Sergius Auxentius Nicholas Sergius Peter Prokhor Nicholas Peter Peter Gregory Sergius Peter Euthymius Iakov Alexy Mikhail Anatoly Nikolay Philip Alexander Basil Peter Stefan Basil Sergius Spiridon Alexy Nikolay Alexy Nikolay Iakov and Gabriel Ananias Michael Michael Basil John Demetrius Nicholas Paul John Theodore Basil Euthymius Nicholas Timothy John John John Matthew Michael Victor John John Nicholas Boris Paul Eugene Basil Paul George Victor John John Peter Simeon John Andrei Michael Theodore Ignatius Peter John Matthew John Andrei Basil Nicephorus John Dmitry Nikita Gabriel Boris
holy martyrs: Akilina Euphrosyne Alexandra Maria Alexandra Anna Domna Irina Iustina Ksenia Marfa Natalia Natalia Tatiana Anna Elisaveta Anisia Elisaveta Elisaveta Evdokia Natalia Anastasia Vera Elizaveta Natalia Ekaterina Anna Elena Paraskeva Antonina Alexandra
holy confessors Tatiana Thekla
holy martyrs and confessors: Tatiana Domna Anna Irina Euphrosyne Martha Natalia Natalia Tatiana Anastasia Thekla Evdokia Iustina Iustina Xenia Elisaveta Anna Natalia Maria Agathia Maria Tatiana Olga Moors Lyudmila Evdokia Theoktists Anna Vera Alexandra Anna Anna Natalia Evdokia Euphrosyne Varvara Agrippina Matrons Evdokia Anne s Natalia Natalia Maria Evgenia Anna Irina Nadezhda Anastasia Anna Nina Maria Nadezhda Elizabeth Anna Anisia Catherine Pelagia Tatiana Matrona Elizaveta Militsa Elizaveta Agrippina Barbarians Cyrus Iraida Appolinaria Chionia Faith Elizabeth Olga Paraskeva Olga
Note: in bold The names of the ascetics included in the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in 2005-2016 are indicated.
See also the second option (shorter, if it is impossible due to weakness to master the above list - selected names, with the obligatory inclusion of the glorified in Lately(not mentioned by name last year)
Cathedral of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
“Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories against resistance and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross.”
Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. So why do the Orthodox reverence the Cross so much, since it was the instrument of execution of the Savior? - Because this is the key that opened paradise, which was closed to each of us because of Adam’s original sin. Every Sunday you and I sing: “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ... joy came through the Cross to the whole world.”
And on today’s special day - the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, one is supposed to sing “The Resurrection of Christ,” although today is not Matins on Resurrection Day. Why? - So that we know that behind Calvary, the Crucifixion and the death of the Savior was His Resurrection and that this will happen to each of us, no matter what sorrows, illnesses and trials each of us endures in our lives. This holiday is both joyful and sad for us, because we remember the suffering and death of our Savior, thanks to which you live and I live. If it were not for the Cross of the Lord, it is unknown whether there would be hope of eternal life for each of us. But we saw the Resurrection of Christ, albeit not with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of faith, which the Lord gave us as a priceless treasure. In the Gospel He says: “Walk while there is light, lest darkness overtake you” (John 12:35) - i.e. walk in the light of love, the light of grace, faith, in the light of good deeds, so that darkness does not overtake each of us. And when the Cross of the Lord is erected, let each of us think about our lives: are we not crucifying our Lord with our deeds and sins. So let's repent, because hardly anyone will say that he has not sinned. Each of us must also learn one seemingly small, but in fact the greatest truth.
One day a friend of mine, a hieromonk, came to see me, who had gone through a difficult ordeal in his life - he was slandered, he was demoted from the abbot of the monastery, vile articles appeared in the newspapers. He said: “I barely survived it all, because an incredible change happened, literally the whole city turned away from me. But at one fine moment I realized that neither prayer, nor church, nor the Gospel, nor our inner desire in life to become better can change us. As the Apostle wisely said in his epistles, we must have the character of Christ. If a person does not have the spirit of Christ, then he will not see Christ Himself. But character and disposition are developed not by our thoughts, not by some of our efforts and aspirations, but by circumstances. “So if sorrow comes, know that it is the Lord who takes you to heaven.” This is what my friend concluded from what happened to him.
Elder Anatoly Optinsky said: “At the end of your life, you will thank God not for joys, but you will thank God for sorrows.” If you suddenly found yourself in heaven, you would see that the saints are holy with humility, and you would say: “Lord! Bring me back to earth, because I do not yet have the character of Christ,” which is nurtured, created and grows in our soul only through sorrows. But sorrows with God, with the Cross, with the Gospel, with faith are surmountable and victorious. They do not have the same power over us that they have over people without faith and trust in God.
And on this holy day may our hearts respond at least a little to God's love, and we will love sorrows, we will love the Cross, faith, our own soul. And then we will be Christians not only in name, but everyone will see that we are children of a loving Father, we are children of the God of Love. And help us all with this, Lord!
Amen.
Archimandrite Melchizedek
