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The venerable Anatoly of Optina lived to be 70 years old, his days intersecting with those of the revered Optina elders.The Lord's design was evident in the passing of knowledge and guidance from one generation of Optina monks to the next.
His teachings and his own life supported the unity of the Church at a time when it was ravaged by influential and powerful heresies.
The Belarusian Orthodox Church is glorified by the names of many local saints. February 6 is the Feast day of not only the Blessed Xenia of St Petersburg, but also of another prominent saint, almost her contemporary, Blessed Eldress Valentina…
The blessed Xenia was not a monarch or an army commander. She prayed, fasted and humbled herself, and ultimately left a deeper trace in human history than many prominent statesmen.
Blessed Valentina's relics, resting in a cemetery near the village of Krysovo in the Minsk region, draw Sister Yana and fellow devotees on a sacred journey each weekend.
Saint Clement dedicated himself to service at church. He served as a reader, then a deacon. He received ordination as a priest at eighteen, and two years later he became bishop.
Archimandrite John Krestyankin was, no doubt, among these chosen luminaries who brought comfort and gave guidance to many a human soul.
Not much is recorded about the time when St Theodosius was the head of the Chernigov diocese, though many churches and monasteries were founded or restored during his leadership. It was a period of flourishing monastic life.
The Holy Disciple Timothy received baptism from the Holy Apostle Paul. Since then, Apostle Paul has held his companionship in high regard.
The name of the icon of the Mother of God "Seeker of the Lost" bears witness that even a soul adrift and on the verge of utter ruin still finds a safeguard in the Very Mother of the Lord.
The Orthodox Church approaches the Great Lent which will start on March 3rd according to the Julian calendar. In order to prepare for the Lenten journey, the Church gives us four pre-lenten weeks to help us understand why we fast.
One of the best-educated people of his time, a high-ranking civil servant in good standing and with brilliant career prospects, he renounced a life of luxury and worldly dignity to uphold the truth of God.
"After the emperor, no one was better known throughout Japan than him. In the capital, one did not need to ask where the Russian Orthodox Mission was; it was enough to say the name 'Nicholai'..."
He was a monk renowned for his asceticism and strong faith, bringing the truth of the Christian faith to nonbelievers and converting them to Christ by his example of a virtuous life.
