May 4, 7534
By Gleb Chistyakov. The church reforms of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his son Peter Alekseevich concerned not only liturgical rites but also, more broadly, changes in the position of the Church within the state. Through the efforts of these two sovereigns, the official Church fell into complete dependence on secular authority, thereby establishing the ideology…
For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded…
May 10. Presided over by I. I. Zykov. Chairman. Honorable and devout assembly! In this session, the question of the mystery of Holy Communion will be discussed. Given the importance of the subject, I most humbly request that the public conduct itself as peacefully as possible and follow the discussion with all humility, silence, and…
To the beloved children of the one, holy, catholic, apostolic, ancient-orthodox-catholic Church, abiding everywhere and in all places, who preserve and keep the sacred dogmas of the right faith and the traditions of the holy Apostles and the holy and God-bearing fathers, pastors, and teachers of the ecumene. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the…
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…
Dimitry Urushev Bishop Pavel of Kolomna is one of the most significant figures in Russian spiritual history of the 17th century. Alas, he was not fortunate. His name failed to attract the attention of scholars. He remained in the shadow of his more famous contemporaries—Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Patriarch Nikon, and Archpriest Avvakum. Pavel and Nikon…
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…