February 20, 7534
By Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov) In secular art, following a tradition that nonetheless has its roots in ancient Christian iconography, the Holy Virgin or the angel in depictions of the Annunciation is often shown with lilies. The lily is a beautiful symbol of the chaste purity of the Holy Virgin—a fragrant, snow-white flower, joyfully opening itself…
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15) Have you ever noticed how frequently the Holy Gospel speaks of the commandment of forgiveness? In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask that the Lord…
By Bishop Mikhail Semyonov Today we commemorate Saint John of the Ladder. He was a holy ascetic, enlightened with a deeply Christian spirit and great wisdom. He was a man who placed the Lord at the very center of his life in all its aspects—for him, “God is the object and goal of all endeavors, for…
(Printing House of the I. D. Sytin Partnership, Pyatnitskaya Street, own house. Moscow, 1907) I. The First Stage The title of the article may seem pretentious. It recalls Herr’s pamphlet How I Became a Social Democrat. We confess: we deliberately repeated the title of the German Christian socialist who became a social democrat, believing that…
By Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov) “O Lord and Master of my life, drive away from me the spirit of despondency, negligence, avarice, and idle talk…” There is hardly a prayer (after the Lord’s Prayer) that moves the soul more than the Lenten prayer of St. Ephraim. But how strange, it seems, are its petitions. To ask…
I. The Publican and the Pharisee Old Believers have a much deeper understanding of their divine services, their order, than adherents of other confessions. Old Believers diligently (though relatively speaking), seriously, and attentively preserve the ancient order, remaining faithful to the Ustav (Typikon) and traditions of the past. Here, there is no question of the…
Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov) For seven weeks we fast and mourn, awaiting the great joy—the coming of the Risen Lord. And now the Radiant Bridal Chamber has opened before us. Are we not, even now, in the golden halls of the Lord? What joy surrounds us! Are not the angelic choirs singing the triumphant hymn together…
-Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov) There is a holy silence. But there is an even holier Christian blessed silence. The ability to guard one’s lips from sin, to respect the gift of speech. The word is a great gift from heaven. “What power the word has,” writes St. John Chrysostom, “an almighty power: all things were made…
By the Example of the Holy One Who Called You, Be Holy Yourselves (1 Peter 1:15). Are the lessons of this day meant for us? Be holy. Be transformed into the “image of Christ.” Change your sinful life to one modeled after the One who called us—Christ. Exchange the dirty, stained garments of the soul…
On the summit of a hill stands a dark, weathered Cross. And below lies a village—poor, impoverished, and weary. In moments of deep sorrow, it stretches upward toward that blessed tree. A line of wretched and broken people climbs the steep path, clinging to the rocks, bearing the full burden of their suffering. Whoever has…