Brief information about the sermon and the fate of the holy apostles. Message of St. Paul to the Philippians. ap. Paul to the Ephesians and Colossians. Council messages. Epistle to the Hebrews Joint works and friendship with the Apostle Paul
Holy Apostle and EvangelistMark
Following the Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark
After singing the doxology (dismissal) of Agripnia, the priest, preceded by the priests, goes to the pulpit and blesses the people: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon or Reader: Let's pray.
Chorus, drawn out: Kyrie, eleison (three times).
Priest (quietly):
We thank You, and again we thank You earnestly, Lord our God, Father of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ for all Your good deeds in all times and places. You protect, save, help, and instruct us all the days of our life. You have brought us to this hour, deigning us to appear before You in Your holy temple, so that we may ask for forgiveness of our sins and mercy for all Your people.
We ask and pray to Thee, merciful God, grant us, by Thy goodness, to pass this holy day and all the days of our life without sin, in perfect joy, health, without any harm, in Thy holiness and reverence. All envy, all fear, all temptation and action of Satan, and all deceit of evil people, O Lord, drive away from us and from Your Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Grant us, Lord, all that is good and righteous. Every sin we have committed either in word, or in deed, or in thought, forgive us according to Your great mercy. Do not forsake us, O Lord, who trust in You, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one and his slavery, through the grace, mercy and love of Your Only Begotten Son,
(Exclamation)
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Priest: Let us pray for the authorities of our Russian state.
Chorus, drawn out: Lord have mercy(three times).
Priest (quietly):
Master, Lord God, Father of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. We ask and pray to You: grant the Head of our Fatherland to remain in peace, and may he be fair and brave. Subdue to him, O God, all his enemies and adversaries. Take the weapon and the shield and rise up to help him. Grant him victory over his enemies, O God, establish his heart in peace, so that he may praise Your Holy Name. We, under his peaceful reign, will live a quiet and silent life in all piety and fear of God, through the grace and mercy and love of Your Only Begotten Son:
(Exclamation) Through Him and with Him(and in Him)
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Priest: Let us pray for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness Patriarch ALEXIA and for our Lord, His Eminence Archbishop... .
Chorus, drawn out: Lord have mercy(three times).
Priest (quietly):
O Master, Lord God, Father of God and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We ask and pray to Thee: protect with Your mercy the Great Lord and Our Father ALEXIY, His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', and our Most Reverend Lord..., Archbishop..., and keep them in peace for many years.
By Your holy and blessed will, grant Your sacred presbyters the right to fulfill their ministry and right to rule the word of truth together with all Orthodox bishops, presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, singers and laity in the fullness of the body of Your saints and the one catholic Church. Mercifully grant them peace, health and salvation.
Accept, O Lord, the prayers offered to You for us and for them, to Your holy, heavenly and mental altar. Soon subdue all the enemies of Your Holy Church through the grace, mercy and love of Your Only Begotten Son,
(Exclamation) Through Him and with Him(and in Him) Power and glory befit you with your most holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon or reader: Rise to prayer.
Chorus, drawn out: Lord have mercy(three times).
The priest (quietly) reads the prayer of entry and incense:
O Master Lord our God, who chose the twelve apostles as twelve lamps and gave them the power of the gospel, teaching the whole world the Gospel of Your Kingdom, to heal the sick and weak among men. Who breathed into their faces and said: Receive the Holy Spirit of the Comforter, and whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven; those whose sins you leave, will remain with them. Who also breathed the Holy Spirit into us, Thy servants, around those standing before Thy shrine, awaiting the entrance to Thy holy service, together with bishops, presbyters, deacons, readers, singers and laity throughout the whole earth - the fullness of the body of Thy Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
From excommunication, and curse, condemnation, prison bonds and exile, and from the fate of the devil, Lord, deliver us. Cleanse our lives and hearts from all filth and malice, so that with a pure heart and conscience we will offer You this fragrant incense for the remission of our sins and the sins of all Your people, through the grace, mercy and love of Your Only Begotten Son(puts incense into the censer and burns incense at the holy gates),
(Exclamation) Through Him and with Him(and in Him) To You is the power and glory due, together with Your Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Deacon or Reader: Arise.
The choir sings the anthem " Only Begotten Son..."
The deacon or reader presents the Gospel to the priest on a plate (cover). The priest censes it, gives the censer and accepts the Gospel. After singing, the priest makes the cross with the Gospel and says: Let's pray to the Lord. (Wisdom forgive me.)
The choir sings the troparion of the holiday. The priests enter the altar.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon or reader: Let's pray to the Lord.
Chorus: Lord have mercy.
The priest (quietly) reads the Trisagion prayer:
O Master Lord Jesus Christ, co-eternal Word of the Eternal Father, who created everything without sin. For the salvation of man, He sent His holy disciples and apostles to preach, teaching the Gospel of Your Kingdom and healing every disease and every ulcer among people. Be merciful now, O Lord. Send Thy light and Thy truth and enlighten the eyes of our minds to the understanding of Thy divine words. Grant us to be hearers, and not only hearers, but also doers of Your word, so that we may bring worthy gifts and good fruits from a flock of thirty to a hundred, and may we be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
(Exclamation) May Your mercy come soon to us, O Lord. For You are the evangelist, the Savior and Preserver of our souls and bodies, and to You we send glory, thanksgiving and the Trisagion, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen. and Trisagion.
Then the priest blesses: Peace to all.
Chorus: And to your spirit.
Reader: K (name) Reading the epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul.
Priest: Let's take a look.
The Apostle is being read. The deacon or altar server, presenting the censer, quietly says: God bless.
The priest, adding incense, quietly blesses the censer:
May the Lord bless us with His mercy and help us now and ever and forever and ever.
Receive to Your holy, heavenly and intelligent altar, O Lord, the censer that we offer to Your sacred glory. Send us the grace of the Holy Spirit, for blessed art thou, and may Thy glory protect us.
He takes the censer and burns incense according to custom.
After the reading, Hallelujah is sung immediately.
Deacon or reader after singing:
God bless.
Priest: May the Lord, blessed God, bless and strengthen us, and make us hearers of His Holy Gospel, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Priest: Wisdom, forgive me, let us hear the Holy Gospel. Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Priest: From (name) Reading of the Holy Gospel.
Chorus:
Priest: Let's listen and read the Gospel.
Chorus after reading: Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee.
A sermon is being preached.
Priest: Let's pray to the Lord.
Chorus: Lord have mercy.
The priest quietly:
Look with merciful compassion, O Lord, and heal the sick among Your people. Grant to our traveling brothers in our Fatherland and beyond its borders, without any harm, to do every good deed they need in good time. Bring down generous rains on the thirsty lands, and make the rivers full of water, according to Your mercy. Fill the fruits of Your land with seeds and multiply them in every abundance.
In peace, courage, justice and tranquility, preserve the power of Your servant(Name) , whom you also appointed to rule our country. From evil days, hunger, illness, invasion of foreigners, protect, Lord, this Christ-loving city, humble and unworthy of Your compassion, just as You spared Nineveh of old. For You are full of mercy and compassion and will not remember the iniquity of Your people. You declared through the prophet Isaiah: “I will protect this city, I will save it for My sake and for My servant David’s sake.” For this reason, we ask and pray to You: mercifully protect this city, for the sake of the martyr, apostle and evangelist Mark, who showed us the path of salvation through the grace, mercy and love of Your Only Begotten Son,
(Exclamation) Through Him and with Him(and in Him)
Chorus: Amen.
Deacon or Reader: Let's pray.
Chorus: Lord have mercy.
Priest, quietly:
O Master, Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! We ask and pray to You: fill our hearts with the peace of heaven, and most of all, grant peace to our lives.
Preserve for many years the Great Lord and Father of ours, His Holiness Patriarch ALEXIY and our Lord, the Most Reverend Archbishop..., and according to Your holy and blessed will, peacefully grant them to fulfill their ministry and the right to rule the word of truth together with all Orthodox bishops, presbyters, deacons, readers, singers and laity - the fullness of the body of Thy Saints, the Catholic and Apostolic Church. Bless those gathered here, Lord. Grant us to continue to gather according to Your holy will. Be merciful and grant us and Your future servants temples of praise and prayer forever.
Arise, Lord, and may Your enemies be scattered, and may all who hate Your Holy Name flee. Bless Your faithful and Orthodox people. Multiply them by thousands and tens of thousands. Do not let mortal sins overcome Your holy people. Through the grace, mercy and love of Your only begotten Son,
(Exclamation) Through Him and with Him(and in Him) To You is the power and glory due, with Your All-holy, good and life-giving Spirit forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon or reader: Yes, no one from the catechumens.
Then the Cherubic Song is sung "Let all flesh be silent...". The priest censes the altar and prays:
O Lord, our God! Having no need for anything. Accept this censer, offered to You by my unworthy hand, lead us to Your venerable altar and make us worthy of Your blessing, for You are our sanctification and we send glory to You.
If there was no proskomedia before the liturgy, then the priest here, with the usual prayers, places a large prosphora on the paten and pours wine and water into the bowl. Then, with censing, he covers everything with covers.
The proposal is transferred with the usual commemoration to the altar, then the priest prays:
O holy, supreme, awe-inspiring God, rest in the saints. Sanctify us and make us worthy of Your honorable presbytery. Grant us to approach Your honest altar with a good conscience, and cleanse our hearts from all filth. Drive away from us every unclean thought and sanctify our soul and mind. Grant us to perform the service of our holy fathers in veneration and pray to You at all times.
For You bless and sanctify all things, and to You we send glory and thanksgiving.
Deacon or reader after singing the Cherubim:
Greet each other.
The priest greets those standing at the altar and in the temple with the words: Christ is in our midst.
Everyone answers: And there is and there will be.
Priest: We confess with one mind.
Chorus: Father and Son and Holy Spirit, Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible.
The priest quietly reads the prayer of greeting:
O Master, Lord Almighty! Look down from heaven on Your Church, on all Your people, and on all Your flock. Save us all, Your unworthy servants, the sheep of Your flock. Grant us Your peace, Your help and Your love and send us the gift of Your Holy Spirit, so that with a pure heart and a good conscience we greet each other with a sacred kiss, without hypocrisy and enmity, but in simplicity of soul and purity in one spirit, in a union of peace and love, in one body and spirit, in one faith crying out in the one hope of our calling, that we may be united in divine and immeasurable love in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom thou art blessed.
Then the priest censes the altar and prays:
We bring the censer to Your name. Let it ascend, we pray to Thee, from the hands of Thy poor and sinful servants to Thy heavenly altar as a fragrance and propitiation for all Thy people.
Exclamation: For all glory, honor, worship and thanksgiving is due to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.(gives the censer).
Chorus: Amen.
Then the deacon or reader says: Arise and make a due offering.
The priest baptizes the paten and the chalice, beginning to sing the Creed with the people.
Then the deacon or reader: Rise to prayer.
Priest: Peace to all.
(Chorus: And to your spirit).
Deacon or reader: Let's pray for those who bring them.
Chorus: Lord have mercy.
Priest:
O Master Lord, Christ Jesus, the Word, equal in power to the Originless Father and the Holy Spirit, the great Bishop, the bread who came down from heaven and saved our souls from corruption, who gave Himself as an immaculate Lamb for the life of the world.
We ask and pray to You, Lord. By Thy mercy abide in this bread and this cup, who sit on Thy holy throne, even as angels and archangels stand around now, and Thy priests, serving Thy glory for the renewal of our souls,
Exclamation: through the grace, mercy and love of Your only begotten Son, through the Unworthy and with Him, glory and power are due to You forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
The priest blesses the people:
The Lord is with you all.
Chorus: And with your spirit.
Priest: Let's lift up our hearts.
Chorus: Let us lift you up to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord.
Chorus: Dignified and righteous.
Priest:
Lord, God, Master and Almighty Father, it is truly worthy and righteous, holy and necessary and good for our souls to praise You, bless You, thank You, to confess day and night with a tireless voice, lips and heart to You, who created the heavens and what is in them, the ground and on it. The sea, springs, rivers, lakes and everything in them. To you, who created man in your image and likeness, you also granted him the sweetness of Paradise. And Thou didst not despise those who sinned against Thee and did not forsake him, O Blessed Lord, but Thou didst call him by Thy law, instructed him through Thy prophets, raised and renewed him with Thy terrible, life-giving and heavenly sacraments.
And you created all this through Your wisdom and the Light of truth, Your only begotten Son, Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, through Him we thank You with Him and with the Holy Spirit, and we offer this intelligent and bloodless sacrifice, which all nations from the east to the west of the sun, from the north and south, they bring it to you, Lord. For Your name is great among all people, and in every place incense, sacrifice, offering and thanksgiving are offered to Your Holy Name.
We ask and pray to You, most loving and blessed Lord, to mercifully remember the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church throughout the world and all Your people and all the sheep of Your flock. Honor the hearts of all of us with heavenly peace and calm our lives.
Guide and direct in every world the authorities, the chamber, the army, the judges, the people and our neighbors, and all our entrances and exits.
O King of peace, grant us Your peace in unity and love. May we be Yours, O Lord, for there is no other God except You, and by another name we will be saved except Yours. Grant life to our souls and do not allow mortal sins to take possession of us and all Your people. Look down in mercy and compassion, O Lord, and heal the sick among Your people. Deliver them and us, O Lord, from all sickness and infirmity and drive away from us the spirit of evil and wickedness.
Rise those who have suffered for a long time from their sickbeds, and heal those overwhelmed by evil spirits.
Have mercy on those who are in prison, mines, temptations, condemnations, exile and bitter labor and tribute. Deliver them, O Lord, for You are our God, freeing captives, raising up the downtrodden, giving hope to the hopeless and helping the helpless, raising up the fallen, giving refuge in shipwrecks and vengeance on the oppressed.
Have mercy, alleviate and return every suffering and wandering Christian soul. Himself, Lord, Physician of our souls and bodies, guardian of all flesh! Look down and with Your saving power heal all those who are sick in soul and body.
Guide and assist our brothers traveling in our fatherland and beyond. Bring those who walk on earth or water or sky to a quiet and calm haven. Be merciful to them on land and sea and return each of them healthy and joyful to their joyful and prosperous homes.
Always protect, Lord, our path through this entire life from excitement and storm.
Rich and plentiful rains fell on the dry and thirsty land.
Rejoice and renew the face of the earth with springs and rejoice with drops of rain and overflowing water. Make the rivers full of water. Fill the channels with streams and multiply the fruits of the earth. Bless, Lord, the fruits of the earth, and keep them safe and unharmed. Fill them with seeds and increase their harvest.
Bless now, O Lord, the crown of the summer of Your blessing for the sake of Your poor people - widows, orphans and strangers, and for the sake of all of us who trust in You and call on Your holy name. The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good time.
Giver of food to all flesh! Fill our hearts with joy and gladness at all times, grant us every abundance, so that we may be ready for every good work in Christ Jesus our Lord.
O King of kings and Lord of lords, protect the reign of Your servant, our Orthodox and Christ-loving Head(Name) He was honored to rule this country in peace, courage and justice. Subdue under his feet, O Lord, every enemy and adversary in our fatherland and beyond. Take the weapon and the shield and rise up to help him. Take out your sword and help him overcome those who fight him. Protect him on the day of battle. Be merciful to him, Lord, for the sake of Your holy and Apostolic Church and all Your Christ-loving people, so that during his peaceful reign we may live a quiet and silent life in all piety, holiness and purity.
O Lord our God! Grant peace to the souls of our fathers and brothers who have fallen asleep in Jesus, remember our ancient forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, bishops and the souls of all the saints and righteous who died in the Lord.
Remember the saints well(Name) , whose memory we now commemorate, and the holy apostle, and evangelist, and our father Mark, who showed us the path of salvation.
A deacon or sexton, presenting funeral diptychs (notes) and censer to the priest:
God bless us.
Priest, blessing: May the Lord bless you with His grace now and ever and unto ages of ages. Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your departed servants...
And reads memorial notes about the deceased.
The choir sings protractedly: Lord have mercy (three times).
Then he bows and prays, censing:
Grant peace, O Master Lord our God, to the souls of all who dwell in the village of Your saints. Mercifully grant them the promised bliss in Thy Kingdom, which no eye has seen, no ear has not heard, nor entered into the hearts of men, which Thou hast prepared, O God, for those who love His holy name. Grant peace to their souls, and honor them with the kingdom of heaven.
Grant us a Christian end to our life, pleasing to You and without sin, and give us a share and inheritance with all Your saints.
Receive, O God, through the archangels who serve You, to Your holy, heavenly and mental altar in the Heaven of Heaven, the thanksgiving of those who brought sacrifice and offering to You, and of those who wanted to offer more or less, secretly or openly, but were not able to. Accept the offering of the blessed wine of those who have departed and the thanksgiving of those who intercede for them on this day, just as you accepted the gifts of the righteous Abel. As you accepted the sacrifice of our father Abraham, the censer of Zechariah, the alms of Cornelius, and the widow’s two mites, accept also their thanksgiving and give them heavenly gifts instead of earthly ones, and eternal ones instead of temporary ones.(gives the censer).
Save, O Lord, our Great Master and Father ALEXIY, His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', whom You have appointed to shepherd Your Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, and our Most Reverend Lord..., Archbishop..., to whom grant many years of peace according to Your holy and blessed will. Grant them the right and truth to preach the word of Thy truth.
Remember, Lord, all Orthodox bishops, presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, singers, monks, virgins, widows and laity(names).
Remembrances of the living are read here.
The choir sings protractedly: Lord have mercy (three times).
Remember, Lord, the holy City of our God Jesus Christ Jerusalem, and our reigning city Moscow, and this city..., and all the cities and countries, and grant peace and serenity to the Orthodox Christians living in them.
Remember, Lord, the return of those who have fallen away and every Christian soul, embittered and oppressed, and in need of Your divine mercy and help. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers. Grant them to find mercy and compassion from those who captivated them.
Remember us, Lord, Your sinful and unworthy servants, and blot out our sins according to Your goodness and mercy.
Remember me too, Your humble, sinful and unworthy servant, and by Your mercy blot out my sins. Be, Lord, with us who serve the holy and me to Yours.
Bless our Church, Lord. Completely eradicate idolatry from the face of the earth. Subdue Satan and all his unclean actions under our feet. Humble now, as before, the enemies of Your Church. Take away their power soon. Shame their pride. The evil slander of those who resist is not to be taken into account.
Arise, Lord, may Your enemies be scattered and may all who hate Your holy name flee. Bless the thousands of thousands of Your faithful and Orthodox Christians who do Your holy will.
Deacon or reader: Rise up, you who sit.
Priest: Free the captives, save the needy and hungry, comfort the faint-hearted, convert the lost, enlighten those in darkness, raise the fallen, comfort the wavering, heal the sick and lead us all, O Blessed Lord, onto the path of salvation into Your holy flock. Deliver us from our iniquities, protect and preserve us at all times.
Deacon or reader: Look to the east.
The priest bows and prays:
For You are above every kingdom and power and authority and dominion, and every named name, not only in this world, but also in the next. Surrounding you are dozens of holy angels, archangel spirits, most honest and many-eyed cherubim and six-winged seraphim. With two wings covering their faces, with two legs covering their feet, with two flying and crying one to the other, the eternal voice of praise and glory to You, O Lord, loudly singing the victorious and thrice-holy song to Your great glory:
(Exclamation) For You continually sanctify every person, and with all who glorify You, accept, O Master Lord, our sanctification, with them celebrating Your praise and exclaiming:
Chorus: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, fill heaven and earth with Your glory. Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.
The priest makes the sign of the cross with an asterisk over the Holy Mysteries:
Truly heaven and earth are full of Your glory through the appearance of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. Fill this sacrifice, O God, with Thy blessing through the influx of Thy All-Holy Spirit.
For the Lord Himself, our God and King of all, Jesus Christ, at the supper of the night, gave Himself in sorrow for our sins and died in the flesh for all, took bread into His holy, most pure and immaculate hands, and lifted up His eyes to His Father, our God and God. He gave thanks, blessed, consecrated and broke bread, and gave it to His saints and blessed disciples and apostles, exclaiming:
(Exclamation) Take it, eat it.
Deacon or reader: Pray earnestly.
The priest, pointing his hand to the Holy Bread: This is My Body, broken for you and divided for the remission of sins.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest:
In the same way, after supper, the Lord accepted a cup of wine mixed with water, raised His eyes to You, His Father, our God and the God of all, gave thanks, blessed and filled the cup with the Holy Spirit, gave it to His saints and blessed apostles, saying:
(louder) Drink everything from her
Deacon or reader: Again, pray fervently.
The priest, pointing his hand to the Holy Chalice: This is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed and distributed for you and for many for the remission of sins.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Do this in My remembrance. Every time you eat of this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim My death and confess My resurrection and Ascension until the day of My coming.
O Lord and Almighty Lord, Heavenly King! Now proclaiming the death of Your only begotten Son, Lord, and God, and our Savior Jesus Christ, and confessing His blessed resurrection from the dead on the third day, we boldly proclaim His ascension into heaven and His seat at the right hand of You, God and Father, awaiting His second and terrible coming, when you will come to judge the living and the dead righteously and reward each person according to his deeds.
O Lord, our God! We bring You Yours from Your mercies. We ask and pray to Thee, O good and merciful God, to send down from Thy holy heaven, from Thy holy habitation, and from Thy endless bosom, the Comforter Himself, the holy, powerful and life-giving Spirit of truth, who spoke through the law, the apostles and prophets. Who is everywhere and who fulfills everything, abundantly sanctifying, will abide in Him according to Your great mercy. One in nature, manifold in gifts, source of divine blessing; consubstantial with You and coming from You, sitting with You on the throne of Your Kingdom, and with Your Only Begotten Son, Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Send down upon us, and upon this Bread and upon this cup, Thy Holy Spirit, that by omnipotent and divine action He may sanctify and transform them, and make this bread a body(blessed by Holy Bread)
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: And this cup with the Blood of the New Testament of the true Lord and God and Savior and All-King Jesus Christ(blesses the Holy Chalice).
Deacon or Reader: Bow down.
Priest:
Confirm all of us who partake of it in faith, health, sobriety, moderation, sanctification, renewal of soul, body and spirit, participation in the bliss of eternal life and immortality, the glory of Your most holy name and the remission of sins, yes, Your holy, precious and glorious name He will be praised and glorified in this, as in all things.
Chorus: As it was and is.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon or Reader: Let's pray.
Chorus: Lord have mercy.
The priest quietly: O God of light, Father of life, Author of grace, Creator of worlds, Source of knowledge, Giver of wisdom, Treasure of holiness, Teacher of pure prayer, Benefactor of our souls. Who has given us, the faint-hearted, to place our trust in Thee, partaking of the mysteries that the angels look forward to contemplating. O Master Lord, who brought us from the depths of darkness to the light, who brought us from death to life, who mercifully granted us freedom from slavery, who dispelled the darkness of sin in us, through the coming of Your Only Begotten Son, now also through the visitation of Your All-Holy Spirit, enlighten our minds eyes, that without fear of condemnation we may be partakers of Your heavenly and immortal food, and completely sanctify our souls, bodies and spirits.
(Exclamation) And grant us, O Master Lord, by Thy mercy, with Thy holy disciples and apostles, without coercion, without fear of condemnation, with a pure heart and an enlightened soul, with an unashamed face and sanctified lips, dare to call Thee, the Holy God who is in heaven, Father ours, and say:
Everyone reads (sings) the Lord's Prayer.
Priest, quietly: Truly, Lord, Lord, do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for we see, by Your abundant mercy, our great weakness and we cannot resist him. Grant us the path on which we will be able to resist temptations, as you have given us the strength to trample on the snake and the scorpion and all the power of the enemy.
(Exclamation) For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon or reader: Bow your heads to the Lord Jesus.
Choir, drawn out: To you, Lord.
Priest, quietly: O Master, Almighty God, sitting on cherubim and praised by the seraphim, who created the heavens from water and worshiped by the choir of stars; who placed the disembodied souls of angels in the highest heavens to sing Your praises evermore. Before You we bow our souls and bodies, freed from the burden of passions. We pray to You, turn away the dark misfortunes of sin from our minds and rejoice our minds with the divine radiance of Your Holy Spirit, so that, filled with Your knowledge, we may be worthy of the communion of the mercies given to us: the Most Pure Body and the precious Blood of Your Only Begotten Son, Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Forgive all our sins according to Your abundant and ineffable goodness, through the grace, mercy and love of Your Only Begotten Son,
(Exclamation) Through Him and with Him (and in Him) power and glory are due to You, with Your Most Holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon or reader: With the fear of God.
Priest:
O holy, supreme, terrible God, rest in the saints. Sanctify us with the word of Your grace and the invasion of Your All-Holy Spirit, as You said, O Lord our God: “Be holy as I am Holy.” About the Word of God, the age revealed before all, Consubstantial and Co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, co-dominant. Accept the pure song of the cherubim and seraphim, victoriously sung by the unworthy lips of Your sinners and unworthy servants.
Chorus: Kyrie, eleison (three times).
The priest exclaimed: Holy to holies!
Chorus: One Father is Holy, One Son is Holy, One Holy Spirit, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Deacon or reader: For salvation and help.
Priest: The Lord be with you all.
Chorus: And with your spirit.
Then the priest breaks the Holy Bread with the words:
Praise the Lord.
The choir sings Psalm 150.
(Here you can close the gate and curtain)
The priest divides the Holy Bread according to the number of communicants, saying: May the Lord bless us and help us according to His great mercy.
Deacon or altar server: Lead.
The priest, pouring warmth into the cup: The Holy Spirit commands and sanctifies.See what is consecrated and transfigured.
Deacon or altar servers: One Holy Father, One Holy Son, One Holy Spirit, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The priest at the throne blesses those standing in the altar and in the temple: The Lord is with you all.
Deacon or altar servers: And with your spirit.
The priest prays according to custom: Your secret suppers... or
Just as the tree thirsts for springs of water, so my soul, Lord, yearns for You and trusts in You. Grant to me, an unworthy priest(Name) , Master, according to Your great love for mankind, it is worthy to partake of Your holy and life-giving mysteries, not into condemnation, nor into heaviness, nor into torment, but into the remission of sins and into eternal life, amen.
And he receives communion according to custom, or with the ancient prayer: Holy Body. Amen And Honest Blood of our Lord and God and Savior. Amen.
The priest goes out to the pulpit with a chalice (if there is a deacon or a second priest, then he comes out with a paten) and prays: God Himself, bless this.
Chorus: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, God the Lord, and He has appeared to us.
The priest reads a prayer before communion and then gives communion to the laity separately or with a spoon.
When he teaches Bread, he says: Holy Body. Or: Servant of God (name) partakes of the holy body of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ.
And when he gives the Cup, he says: Honest Blood of our Lord and God and Savior.
The choir sings during communion: Taste the bread of heaven and the cup of life and see that the Lord is good.
After communion: Alleluia (three times) and the 33rd Psalm. At this time, the priest takes the cup and paten to the altar, consumes the Holy Mysteries, returns to the altar and folds the antimension according to custom.
After singing, the deacon or reader proclaims:
Rise to prayer.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon or Reader: Let's pray.
The priest reads a prayer of thanksgiving:
O Master, Lord our God! We thank you for accepting Your holy, pure, immortal and heavenly sacraments, which You have granted for our good, and for the sanctification and salvation of our souls and bodies. We ask and pray to You, Lord, grant us, by Your good mercy, through the acceptance of the Holy Body and the honest Blood of Your Only Begotten Son, unshameful faith, unfeigned love, full of holiness and strength to avoid evil and keep Your commandments. May it be for us the food of eternal life and the hoped-for intercession at the Terrible and Last Judgment of Christ.
Loud: Through Him and with Him (and in Him) power and glory are due to You, with Your Most Holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
The priest turns to the people and says:
O omnipotent King, co-eternal with the Father, with Your power you crushed hell, and trampled death with death, who bound the strong, and with Your miraculous power and the brilliant radiance of Your ineffable Divinity raised Adam from the grave. Send Your invisible blessing hand and bless us all. Have mercy on us, Lord, and strengthen us with your divine power. Drive away from us the sinful and unclean action of carnal desires. May light shine in our souls and disperse the surrounding darkness of sin. Unite us into the all-blessed Church, favorable to You.
For through You and with You all praise, honor, power, worship and thanksgiving is due to the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Deacon or reader: Let yourself go in peace.
Choir: In the name of the Lord.
Priest: May the love of God the Father, the grace of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion and gift of the All-Holy Spirit be with you all, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
The priest prays at the altar:
O Lord, who gave us sanctification through the acceptance of the All-Holy Body and precious Blood of Your Only Begotten Son! Grant us grace and the gift of the All-Holy Spirit. Grant us the privilege of living holy lives and leading us as sons and heirs into the eternal joy of the coming kingdom.
For You are our sanctification, and to You we send glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
The priest dismisses the people, saying:
May God bless you, who blesses and sanctifies, protects and preserves us all through the acceptance of His holy Mysteries. God blessed forever!
Chorus: Amen.
Priest pronounces a parting word and teaches the Cross to those praying,and the reader reads prayers of thanks. Then the priest makes the sign of the cross over the people and returns to the altar. The royal doors and the curtain are closed.
© 2006, Abbot Siluan (Tumanov)St. Supreme Apostle Peter(Simon) preached first in Judea, then in Antioch, in Bethany, in Asia, in Ilipitsa, as well as throughout Italy and in Rome itself. In Rome he was crucified upside down under Emperor Nero. Apostle Peter, together with the Apostle Paul, as those who labored most in preaching the faith of Christ, were named the Holy Church supreme.
St. Supreme Apostle Paul(Saul) preached in many countries, from Jerusalem to the capital of the world, Rome. In Rome he was beheaded by Emperor Nero.
St. ap. Andrew the First-Called, was within our Fatherland, he erected a cross on the Kyiv mountains, predicting the future enlightenment of Russia with the faith of Christ. He preached along the shores of the Black Sea and in other countries. In Byzantium he ordained Stachys, one of the seventy disciples, as bishop. In the city of Patras, in Achaia (Greece), the pagans crucified him on a cross of a special shape, in the likeness of the letter X, which therefore became known as St. Andrew's Cross.
St. ap. Jacob Zavedeev- preached in Jerusalem, and the first of the apostles suffered for Christ. By order of the Jewish king Herod Agrippa, he was beheaded in Jerusalem.
St. ap. Evangelist John the Theologian, after suffering in Rome, was exiled to Fr. Patmos. St. ap. John lived longer than all the apostles and died peacefully in Asia in the mountains. Ephesus. According to legend, St. The apostle, at his own request, was buried alive by his disciples. When, soon after the burial, the Christians who came dug up his grave, the bodies of St. ap. John was not there.
St. ap. Philip- preached in Asian countries together with the Apostle Bartholomew and his sister Mariamia. In Phrygia (province of Asia Minor) in the mountains. Hierapolis, suffered martyrdom - he was crucified upside down.
St. ap. Bartholomew(Nathanael) - first preached together with the apostle. Philip in Syria and Asia, then was in India and translated the Gospel of Matthew into the Indian language; then he preached in Armenia, where he suffered martyrdom in the mountains. Alvane: according to some information, he was crucified upside down, according to other information, he was flogged to death.
St. ap. Thomas(Gemini) - preached in many Asian countries, reaching India, where he suffered martyrdom for Christ. He was pierced by spears and then beheaded by a sword.
St. ap. evangelist Matthew- preached for a long time in Judea, and then throughout Ethiopia (present-day Abyssinia, Nubia, Cardafan, Darfur, etc.). He was killed with a sword in one of the cities of Ethiopia.
St. ap. Jacob Alfeev- preached in Syria, Egypt and other various countries. In one of them, he was crucified on the cross, accepting martyrdom for Christ.
St. ap. Judah Jacob(Thaddeus or Leveus) - preached in Judea, Galilee, Samaria and Idumea, Arabia, Syria and Mesopotamia. In the Ararat country he was hanged on the tree of the cross and shot with arrows.
St. ap. Simon Zealot or Canaanite - preached in Mauritania and Africa. Was also in England (formerly called Britain). For preaching the faith of Christ, he was crucified on the cross, according to some sources in Georgia, by order of the Iberian king Aderkiy, and according to other sources, in Persia.
St. ap. Matthias, chosen from among the 70 to replace the fallen Judas. He preached in Judea and outer Ethiopia. Returning to Judea, he suffered for Christ, being first stoned and then beheaded.
St. ap. Evangelist Mark- from among the 70, companion and employee of the ap. Petra. He also preached on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. He accepted martyrdom in Alexandria.
St. ap. Evangelist Luke- from among the 70, companion and employee of the ap. Pavel. He then preached in Libya, Egypt, Thebaid and Thebes. He ended his exploits with martyrdom.
St. ap. Jacob (from among the 70),
brother of the Lord, first bishop of Jerusalem
St. ap. Jacob, the Righteous, out of 70. The first Bishop of Jerusalem, appointed by the Lord himself. He is called the Brother of the Lord. According to legend, he was the son of Joseph the Betrothed, from his first marriage. St. James was thrown by the Jews from the roof of the Jerusalem Temple, and then killed by a blow to the head. This was around '62.
St. ap. James was the first to set out the rite of the Divine Liturgy, which forms the basis of the Liturgies of Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom now celebrated.
Liturgy of St. ap. Jacob and is now performed in Jerusalem on the day of his memory.
Holy Apostle Luke
The holy evangelist Luke was not one of the twelve apostles, the innermost circle of Christ. He belonged to the seventy, the next group of disciples. But his life developed in such a way that he often found himself an eyewitness to all the most important events in the birth and development of Christianity.
Of course, each of the apostles was a bright personality in his own way. But even against this background, Luka stood out for his extraordinary diversity of talents. By first profession he is a doctor. Then, finding himself surrounded by Christ, like the other apostles, he became a preacher, missionary, and theologian. And a Christian writer. It was he who wrote one of the four Gospels. And also the famous Acts of the Holy Apostles, which, among other things, make for fascinating plot-based reading. Especially when it comes to chases, wanderings and shipwrecks, described by an eyewitness very vividly, with precise and unexpected details. Finally, he essentially became the founder of Christian icon painting. It was he who was the author of the first icons of the Mother of God, as well as the apostles Peter and Paul. Moreover, it was a unique icon painting from life.
Saint Evangelist Luke was born in the Syrian city of Antioch, famous for the flourishing of sciences and arts, where there was no shortage of knowledgeable teachers. His parents did not belong to the Jewish tribe: this is evidenced in part by the very name Luke, abbreviated from the Latin word “Lucan”, “Lucian”, and in particular one place from the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians, where Saint Paul clearly separates Luke from "those of circumcision", i.e., Jews. However, from the works of the holy Apostle Luke, it is quite obvious that he was very well acquainted with the Jewish beliefs - the Law of Moses and customs. This allows us to think that even before converting to the faith of Christ, Saint Luke accepted Judaism.
From a young age, Luke devoted himself to science. Having fully studied Jewish law, he also learned the art of healing and became acquainted with Greek philosophy, and knew the Greek and Egyptian languages perfectly. He could become a famous speaker or writer, doctor or artist, and could achieve wealth and honors in Antioch. However, having heard about the Savior, to the surprise of everyone who knew him, Saint Luke neglected his “brilliant career”, left his relatives and friends, left his hometown and went to Galilee - in search of the Teacher of Righteousness who had appeared there. Here I warmly accepted the saving teaching from the Lord Himself. Among the 70 disciples, Saint Luke was sent by the Lord to preach the first sermon about the Kingdom of Heaven during the Savior’s life on earth.
In the last days of the Savior’s earthly life, when with the defeat of the Shepherd the sheep of His flock were scattered, Saint Luke was in Jerusalem, lamenting and crying for his Lord, who suffered freely. Probably, during His crucifixion, among others who knew Jesus, Luke stood “afar off” and looked with sorrow at the Crucified One. But soon his sorrow turned into joy, for the Risen Lord, on the very day of His resurrection, consoled Luke, worthy of him with His appearance and conversation even earlier than in the meeting of the closest chosen ones, which Luke himself reports with particular detail and vividness in his Gospel. The Lord appeared to Luke and the Apostle Cleopas on the road to Hamaus. They talked for a long time without recognizing Christ. And when they found out, they lost sight of it. This is one of the most mysterious and profound situations described in the Gospel. A person’s meeting with Christ, recognition, transition from the visible world to the invisible - all this is so important for everyone who comes to faith. And the Apostle Luke is a good travel companion here. Therefore, people turn to him for help in their spiritual search.
After Christ’s ascension into heaven, Luke and the other apostles received the Holy Spirit, who descended in tongues of fire. When, after the murder of the first martyr Stephen, persecution of Christians began, and the apostles, except for a few, left Jerusalem to preach the Gospel in other countries, then Luke went to his homeland, to Antioch. On the way, he preached through the city of Sebastia, where the incorruptible relics of John the Baptist and the Baptist of the Lord were located. The Apostle wanted to take them with him, but the local Christians, diligently honoring the Baptist, did not allow them. Then Luke took from the relics only his right hand, under which Christ had once bowed his head, receiving baptism from John. With this priceless treasure, Luke arrived home, to the great joy of the Christians there. (At the end of the 18th century, the right hand of St. John the Baptist became the property of Russia: having been brought here from Malta, this great shrine of Christianity consecrated our land.)
Saint Luke never sought to excel; his best fate was to become a student of a worthy mentor. He remained in Antioch, in the circle of brethren in Christ, until the feat of the supreme Apostle Paul, the enlightener of the nations, began to be accomplished. Beginning with the second evangelistic journey of the Apostle Paul, Saint Luke became his constant companion, and together with him endured trials and tribulations for the faith of Christ.
The Almighty, preparing the highest Heavenly crown for the Apostle Paul, allowed him to have a thorn in the flesh in his earthly life - serious illnesses of the body. That’s when the art of medicine he mastered in his youth came in handy for Saint Luke: he used medicines to alleviate the suffering of his great mentor. Such a companion was a true gift from God for the supreme Apostle Paul, who called Saint Luke his beloved physician.
Saint Luke was not only distinguished by his talents as a healer: he was the most loving and faithful of those who followed the Apostle Paul. When the great evangelist was sent in custody from Palestine to the court of the Roman Caesar, Saint Luke remained with him. Later, when the Apostle Paul, tormented by imprisonment, illness, and torture, was awaiting his execution in a Roman prison, only Saint Luke did not leave him. And the holy Apostle Paul wrote from prison: “I am already becoming a victim, and the time of my departure has come... For Demas left me, having loved the present age, and went to Thessalonica, Criscent to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia; Only Luke is with me."
In Rome, Saint Luke accomplished the main work of his life: at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the Gospel and the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles. The reason for this accomplishment seemed insignificant: a certain noble Antiochian Christian, sovereign Theophilus, asked Saint Luke to write about the life of the Savior. Saint Luke came for advice to his mentor, the Supreme Apostle Paul, and he encouraged the student, blessing him for the feat of the Evangelist.
With humble words, Saint Luke opens the gospel he wrote: many have already begun to compose narratives about events that are completely known among us (Luke 1:1). Indeed, in those days more than a hundred attempts were made to create books about Christ the Savior. However, from all this sea of early Christian literature, the Catholic Church of Christ singled out and recognized as truly divinely inspired, free from false human speculation, only a few creations, among which are the works of the humble Apostle of the Seventy, Saint Luke.
Among modern researchers and interpreters there is no consensus: which of the evangelists wrote his work earlier - Matthew or Mark? But we can say with confidence that Luka was third in time. Surely he was well acquainted with the text of Mark, and perhaps also of Matthew; He also used other sources. These three Gospels are often called synoptic; this Greek word does not in this case refer to a weather forecast, but means that the three authors “looked together.” Their texts are much closer to each other than to the Gospel of John, written much later and in a completely different way - he just sought to complement the weather forecasters and talk in detail about what they were silent about.
The two-part work of Saint Luke - the Gospel and the Acts of the Holy Apostles - is a conscientious and clear account of events in their sequence; it is made in accordance with all the requirements of the historical genre. He carefully researched the facts, made extensive use of the oral tradition of the Church and the stories of the Most Pure Virgin Mary Herself. He is characterized by precision and attention to detail. It is his Gospel, the only one of the four, that tells in such detail the story of Christmas and even one episode from the childhood of Jesus: how He and his family went to Jerusalem for a holiday and how he then stayed in His Father’s house, that is, in the Temple. Only he talks about a prudent thief who turned to Christ already on the cross.
Just as Matthew cites Old Testament prophecies in detail, just as Mark emphasizes the power and greatness of Jesus, so Luke speaks in particular detail about His sacrificial death and its saving significance for humanity. That is why its symbol, borrowed from the prophecy of Ezekiel, is a winged calf holding a Gospel.
But the main difference between this Gospel and the rest is its literary grace. Luke combines different styles: here we see exquisite Greek prose, and poetic hymns (the only ones in the entire New Testament), and solemn narration in the style of the Old Testament, and aphoristic sayings. Luke clearly wrote for a discerning and educated Hellenistic public, which had to not only be surprised with new thoughts, but also present these thoughts to them in an elegant form, otherwise they would not listen. Saint John Chrysostom, who was a connoisseur of the beauties of literary style, notes the purity and elegance of the Greek language in the books of the New Testament written by Saint Luke. Here the holy evangelist put at the service of the divinely inspired narrative the brilliant worldly education that he received in Antioch.
As you know, the New Testament was written in the Greek dialect “Koine”, that is, in such an everyday Greek dialect, which was then the language of international communication (as it is now English). However, Luke's writings are a remarkable work of literature, written in excellent classical Greek, and especially his prologue. It turns out that Academician Averintsev asked his students: “Where in the New Testament can one see classical ancient speech?” Answer: “at the beginning of the Gospel of Luke.”
The pinnacle of his literary mastery is, perhaps, parables. It is in Luke that we find those stories that are very familiar even to people who have not opened the Bible: for example, about the prodigal son or about the rich man and Lazarus. We see a series of everyday scenes that are easy to remember, but it is not always possible to draw clear conclusions from them. Why, for example, did Christ praise the unfaithful steward who wrote off part of the debt to his master’s debtors? Until now, interpreters have offered different answers.
Or, for example, parable of the prodigal son. Is this son her main character? Everything about his behavior is clear. The father's behavior seems completely illogical. He does not prevent his impudent son from leaving, patiently waits for his return and accepts him as soon as he sees him. He has the right to punish him severely, but forgives him without even letting him finish, and returns him to his former dignity. Is this not how Heavenly Father expects our repentance? So it turns out that the parable is not about the prodigal son at all, but about a patient and endlessly loving father. Or maybe it’s also about his older brother? He carried out all orders so diligently, he was an exemplary son. But it turns out that you can only be your father’s son if your most dissolute brother remains a brother to you.
I would like to dwell on the book in a little more detail. Act of the Holy Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles is a book that is part of the New Testament, in which the Apostle Luke leads through many countries and cities, mountains and seas. This is the geography from Jerusalem to Rome. The apostles, who were commanded to testify for Christ, walked thousands of kilometers. If you look at the route of their journey, you will see how many countries they passed through. These are Israel, Syria, Türkiye, Cyprus, Greece, Italy. And what cities: Jerusalem, Antioch, Damascus, Corinth, Athens, Rome!
The Acts of the Apostles reflects the activities of mainly two apostles - Peter and Paul. In the first chapters, next to Peter, John is also spoken of, but the main role is assigned to Peter, as the head of the Jerusalem church. He preaches, heals, resurrects, stands boldly before the court of the Sanhedrin, baptizes a Roman officer. After a miraculous release from prison, he is forced to leave Jerusalem.
In the second part of Acts, the main character becomes Paul, the once furious persecutor of Christians, who was instantly transformed by the power of Divine love and became His most devoted and fruitful servant. It was he who began his Gospel sermons from Antioch, walked around all of Asia Minor, then reached Europe, founding churches in Greece. By chapter 20, the voice of Christian preachers was heard throughout the Mediterranean. In the person of Paul, Christianity reached the capital of the then world.
Evangelist Luke, in writing the Holy Gospel and Acts, set himself a grandiose task - to tell how the Church of Christ arose, began to grow and develop, converting new countries and peoples to faith, in which His Spirit continues to act.
It is quite possible that the holy Apostle Luke had the opportunity to see and experience with his own eyes the martyrdom of the holy Apostle Paul. And after all the chief apostles had gone to the Lord, the holy Apostle Luke left Rome and preached the faith of Christ in Italy, Gaul (now France), Dalmatia (now the territory of Croatia and Montenegro), and again in Macedonia, which was familiar to him.
Already in old age, the holy Apostle Luke visited Achaia, Libya, and Egypt. This journey brought him many hardships, associated not so much with the sea voyage, but with the difficulties of missionary activity, especially in Egypt, where he converted many to the faith of Christ. In the Church of Alexandria he ordained Avilius to the episcopate, before whom Annianus had been bishop. He was ordained by Saint Mark the Evangelist and served here for 22 years.
After his campaign in Egypt, the holy Apostle Luke returned to the region of Greece Boeotia, establishing churches, ordaining their future abbots and ministers to the priesthood. He did not forget his mission as a doctor, healing the sick in spirit and body - some with the word of God, and some with the word of God, and his medical craft, the knowledge of which, obviously, was greatly replenished by him during the years of his apostolic wanderings. Researchers of his works, both ancient and modern, noted that in his works there were many medical terms contemporary to that period, and believed that he happened to be a ship’s doctor. This is very likely, given his sea voyages and the inevitable ailments of sailors and travelers on difficult sea crossings.
"Evangelist Luke painting the Virgin Mary", Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri), 1652-53
Tradition says that Evangelist Luke was the first in the world to paint the image of the Mother of God holding the Eternal Child in her arms on a board from the table at which Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother dined with Righteous Joseph. And then, having painted two more icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, wanting to find out whether this pleased the Mother of God, he brought them to Her. The Mother of God, seeing her image, said with her most pure lips: “Let the grace of Him who was born of Me and Mine be with these icons.” Several icons of the Mother of God are attributed to his authorship, including Vladimirskaya icon of the Mother of God (kept in the Tretyakov Gallery), Częstochowa icon of the Mother of God, Sumelskaya icon of the Mother of God (kept in the temple in the village of Kastanya, Greece), Kikkos icon of the Mother of God, or "Gracious"(kept in the Kykkos Monastery, Cyprus), and Tikhvinskaya icon of the Mother of God.
The holy Apostle-Evangelist Luke ended his earthly journey as a martyr in Achaia for 84 years, being hanged, for lack of a cross, on an olive tree. However, the ancient historian Julius Africanus, in his story about the life of the holy Apostle Luke, says nothing about his martyrdom, mentioning only that he died filled with the Holy Spirit. His honest relics were buried in the capital of Boeotia, Thebes, in an ancient marble tomb, and many wonderful healings were performed with them. According to Theban legend, the tomb exuded a certain substance in the form of a paste, the name of which in Greek sounds like “kolidio”, and in Latin - “kallurium”, and all eye ailments were healed with it.
In the second half of the 4th century, the Greek emperor Constantius, the son of Constantine the Great, having heard about the healing relics of the Apostle Luke, sent his commander for them. The holy relics were transferred with great honor from Thebes to Constantinople. And a miracle happened. One of the royal bed-guards, Anatoly, who had been lying on his sick bed for many years, hearing that the relics of the Apostle Luke were being brought into the city, fervently prayed to the saint and ordered himself to be carried to him. As soon as he, having bowed with faith, touched the ark with the shrine, he instantly received healing and, together with others, carried the relics to the church built in the name of the holy apostles. The relics remained there until the Turkish conquest, after which they, like many other shrines, fell into the hands of the Venetians. Today they are kept in the Italian city of Padua, and a part of these relics was returned to Thebes in the 1990s. There, in the ancient cemetery, there is a church, where to the right of the altar stands the same marble tomb, which became the first tomb of the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke. She is revered, and every year on October 31, according to the new style, on the day of remembrance of St. Luke, the full rite of festive services is performed here, a religious procession and general celebration are held.
Church of St. Justina in Padua
The Basilica of St. Justina Martyr is located in the city center in the beautiful Prato della Valle square. The huge area (88,620 square meters) - Prato della Valle - has seen a lot over the centuries of its existence. In the Roman era, the imperial theater was located here; in the Middle Ages, church festivals and performances, palios (horse races), exhibitions and fairs were held.
Currently, the basilica is part of the abbey and belongs to the order of Beneditine monks.
Inside the basilica rest the relics of many saints: the holy martyr Justina, the two first saints of Padua - Maximus /San Massimo/ and Prosdocimo//. the holy martyrs Daniele /San Daniele/ and Fidenzio/, part of the relics of the holy Apostle Matthias /San Mattia Apostolo/.
In the basilica, on the left side, there is the chapel of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, where his holy relics rest in the throne, with the exception of the head. Above the throne is an icon of the Mother of God, which was painted by the Evangelist Luke himself. The chapel is decorated with frescoes by the artist Giovanni Storlato, which tell the story of the life of the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke.
The Basilica of the Holy Martyr Justina was built on the site of the martyrdom of the first saint of the city of Padua, who suffered martyrdom in 304. In the 16th century, the basilica was decorated with nine domes. And many Italian craftsmen worked on the interior of the basilica.
According to ancient tradition, St. Luke, a native of Antioch in Syria, who died at an old age (84 years), was buried in the city of Thebes, the capital of the Greek region of Boeotia. At the beginning of the 4th century, his relics were transported to Constantinople, to the Basikica of the Twelve Apostles.
In the Middle Ages, more precisely in the 11th and 12th centuries, in the territory of the cemetery adjacent to the monastery of St. Giustina in Padua. One after another, the relics of various saints were discovered. Manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries, based on older hagiographic texts, recount the latest discovery in 1177, identifying the name inscription and the symbol of three bulls on the sarcophagus containing the relics. This fact prompted the Abbot of the monastery, Domenico, and the Bishop of Padua, Gerardo Ofreduchi, to turn to Pope Alexander III, who was in Ferrara at that time, with a request to establish that these relics belonged to St. Luke.
Some manuscripts speak of the transfer of holy relics from Constantinople during the reign of the Roman emperor Julian Alpostatus (361-363). Others mention the date of the transfer in the 8th century during the Iconoclasm, the authenticity of both versions is still being analyzed by historians.
The fact remains that the Benedictine monks of the monastery of St. The Justinians, starting from the 10th century, venerate the holy relics of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke with special rituals. In 1313, the monks created a marble tomb to store a lead sarcophagus, from which in 1354, at the insistence of the Luxembourg Emperor and King of Bohemia, Charles IV, the head was donated to the city of Prague, which at that time was the capital of the empire, in whose Cathedral it is still kept.
For centuries, in the monastery of St. Justina created many literary works, liturgical texts, and scientific works confirming the authenticity of the shrine. The chapel containing the holy relics was painted in 1436 by the painter Giovanni Storlato, who decorated it with scenes from the life of the Evangelist and a series of fragments telling about the transfer of the holy relics from the East and its discovery in Padua.
By the time the construction of this temple was completed in 1562, the marble tomb from the chapel was installed in the left nave of the basilica, where it remains to this day.
Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox Church Ieronimos from Thebe, making a pilgrimage to the shrines of Padua in 1992, expressed a desire to acquire for his Church “part of the holy relics to put in the tomb of the original burial, which is still revered to this day, despite the fact that it is empty.” , Bishop of Padua Antonio Matiyatso granted the metropolitan's request.
Honest Chapter of St. Luke rests in the Cathedral of St. Vitus the Martyr in Prague.
Particles of the relics of St. Luke the Apostle there are in three monasteries of Athos - Iveron, St. Panteleimon and Diosiniata.
Looking at the feat of the life of the Apostle Luke, every Christian must understand: God does not endow a person with intelligence and talents for entertainment, waste, or, especially, turning them into evil, a source of pride or a temptation for others. As a writer, Saint Luke became a spirit-bearing evangelist. As an artist, he became the founder of sacred icon painting. As a doctor, he alleviated the illnesses of the suffering Apostle Paul, and subsequently healed and is now healing the physical and mental ailments of many people. So let us follow his holy example, devoting all our strength and abilities to serving the Lord, so that they do not bring us destruction instead of salvation.
Troparion, tone 5:
The apostolic acts of the narrator / and the Gospel of Christ is a luminous writer, / Luke is praised, glorious is the Church of Christ, / with sacred hymns let us praise the holy apostle, / as a physician of human infirmities, / healing the ailments of nature and the ulcers of souls / and praying unceasingly for our souls.
Kontakion, voice 2:
Let us praise the true piety of the preacher, and the unspeakable mysteries of the rhetorician, the ecclesiastical star, the divine Luke: for his word was chosen, with Paul the wise teacher of tongues, the only one who knows the heart.
The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our salvation through suffering and death on the cross. He took on our flesh and blood so that “by death he might destroy him who has the power of death” (Heb. 2:14). He became like the brethren in everything, so that “just as He Himself... endured being tempted,” He could help those who were tempted” (Heb. 2:18). By suffering, Christ “learned obedience” (Heb. 5:8) “and became the author of eternal salvation for all who obeyed him” (Heb. 5:9).
Therefore, suffering in a person’s life is not meaningless. First of all, they are the way of a Christian, by which he becomes like Christ, unites with Him and, thus, participates in His salvation. Suffering should be perceived as imitation of the Lord Jesus Christ and following Him (1 Pet. 2:21; James 1:3-4).
In order to endure suffering and sorrow with constancy, “you must have patience and strong faith, looking to the future reward, as all the Old Testament righteous did” (Heb. 11). We, having so many witnesses, should follow the indicated path, looking to “Jesus, the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2).
Through sorrow, suffering and punishment we become children of God (Heb. 12:7). As a loving Father, God disciplines the one He adopts. Suffering and sorrow are the path to correction and purification. By suffering, a person “ceases from sinning” (1 Pet. 4:1-2). Now it seems to us that punishments are a cause for sorrow, but then they will “deliver the peaceful fruit of righteousness” to those who are taught through him (Heb. 12:11). If a person suffers for the evil deeds he has committed, this, of course, cannot be perceived as a reward, but as a completely fair retribution. Innocent suffering makes a person like Christ, since He also suffered death on the cross, being sinless (1 Pet. 2:19-20,22-24; 3:17-18; 4:14-19). St. ap. Peter calls for patiently and meekly to endure undeserved suffering, reminding believers of Isaiah’s prophecy about the meekness of Christ, by whose stripes we were healed (1 Pet. 2:19-25). Everyone has their own measure of suffering and their own responsibility for it (James 1:9-12). The consolation for us in suffering is the future joy and triumph at the appearing of Christ (1 Pet. 4:13).
The suffering of Christians is evidence of the truth of the faith they profess, since they inspire others to confess Christ. So the bonds of St. ap. Paul contributed to the success of the gospel preaching (Phil. 1:14).
Just as the Son of God, having voluntarily accepted suffering, humbled Himself, “taking on the form of a servant, humbled Himself, becoming obedient even to death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:7,8) “learned obedience” to the Father, and us ours suffering teaches humility and obedience (Heb. 5:7-9).
The sufferings of Christ served for His glory (Phil. 2:9). A believer in the Lord needs to participate in the sufferings of Christ, “being conformed to His death” (Phil. 3:10), in order to achieve resurrection and eternal life with Him. The Lord will in the future “transform our humble body so that it will be conformed to His glorious body, according to the power by which He works to subject all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:21).
Social issues of interest to the first Christians, but relevant for all generations, are given quite a lot of attention in the messages of the holy Apostles. One of these can be called the question of the attitude of Christians to secular power.
According to the teaching of the Apostles, Christians must show respect (1 Pet. 2:17; Rom. 13:7), favor, obedience and fidelity (Titus 2:9-10; 1 Pet. 2:13) to civil authorities:
ü since any power, especially one that punishes evil and encourages good, must be perceived as given from God, due to which obedience to it is a sign of reverence for God and, on the contrary, resistance to it is resistance to the will of God (Rom. 13:1-2);
ü out of fear of punishment for evil, unwanted deeds, without forgetting that one should truly fear only God’s punishment (Rom. 13:3-4; 1 Pet. 2:14);
ü for moral reasons, i.e. at the request of the Christian conscience for the sake of the Lord (Rom. 13:5; 1 Pet. 2:13; 1 Tim. 2:3–4), remembering that “if the Christian conscience... resists fulfilling the demands of the authorities that go against this conscience, then a Christian obliged to obey the voice of conscience more than the demands of the authorities... The right to disobey the commands of the authorities is granted... exclusively in matters of religion, when state power begins to eradicate the true faith by despotic measures";
Christians should pray for those in power, for the peaceful course of our lives largely depends on them (1 Tim. 2:1-3).
Message of St. Ap. Paul to the Philippians
Message of St. ap. Paul to the Philippians can be called a “letter of joy,” since in it the Apostle repeatedly expresses his joy about the success of the gospel preaching and the faith of his brothers in Christ, and also calls all believers to joy in the Lord, to unanimity in the faith (Phil. 1 ,25; 2 ,1–2; 3 ,1). The Holy Apostle says that he himself joyfully offers prayer to the Lord for the participation of the Philippians in the gospel (Phil. 1:4-5) and rejoices at their faithfulness to the Lord and His service (Phil. 2:2; 4:1).
The Philippians were sincerely devoted to the Apostle Paul and tried in every possible way to promote his ministry. The Apostle rejoices at this, since by showing mercy to him, as a servant of Christ, his disciples serve the Lord (Phil. 2:17-18) and responds to the Philippians with ardent love and joy for them (Phil. 4:10). The Philippians devoted to the Apostle Paul were concerned about his imprisonment and the Holy Apostle encouraged them, saying that his bonds also served to benefit the cause, for “most of the brothers in the Lord, encouraged by the bonds... began to preach with greater boldness, fearlessly The Word of God". (Phil. 1:14).
Bishop Cassian, mentioning that in modern science the last. to the Philippians was called a “message of joy,” expresses the opinion that the Apostle, seeing something that could interfere with the joy of his beloved disciples (probably, we are talking about the preaching of the Judaizers, since Philippians 3:3 speaks of circumcision), decided to warn them ( Phil. 3:2).
Sv.ap. Paul says about himself that he left all his previous education and position in society for the sake of knowing the Lord, believing in Christ, participating in His suffering and achieving the resurrection (Phil. 3: 8-11). And he calls on all believers in Christ to think the same way, to strive to imitate Christ in His humility and suffering. Like all Christians, “the Philippians should imitate Paul. His path of following Christ must become their path."
One must follow Christ through the path of His humility and obedience to God, leading to glory (Phil. 2:5-11). Having assumed the human form, Christ, in His utmost obedience to God the Father, reached the utmost humiliation - the shameful death on the cross. But this was followed by glorification from the Father, which consisted in bestowing upon Him the name “above every name” (Phil. 2:9).
The cause of the incarnation, and therefore the humiliation of Christ, was served by the Most Holy. Mother of God. The path “that led the Virgin Mary to the mystery of unmarried conception was boundless humility... Those who follow Christ along the path of His humility must enter glory with Him.”
Message of St. Ap. Paul to the Ephesians and Colossians
According to the teachings of St. Apostle Paul:
v Christ is the true God (Col. 1 , 15–17; 2 ,9).
v In the Lord Jesus Christ the mystery of eternal predestination to salvation was revealed (Eph. 1 , 4,9; 3 , 9,11).
v Redemption is a revelation of divine love. (Eph. 3 , 18–19).
v Salvation is accomplished by the entire Holy Trinity - according to the good pleasure of the Father, Christ in the Holy Spirit (Col. 1 , 19).
v Redemption is accomplished without any merit on our part (Eph. 2 , 8).
v The death of the Savior on the cross is a Sacrifice that was offered to the entire Holy Trinity (Eph. 5 , 2).
v Through this sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ reconciled man with God (Col. 1:20), “having killed the enmity” (Eph. 2:16).
v In the humanity of Christ, humanity, dead in crime, is quickened, recreated, and taken up into heaven (Eph. 2 ,5–6; Col. 3 ,10–11).
v Christ absolved from sins, broke the oath, delivered from the power of the devil, redeemed with His Blood (Eph. 1 , 7; Col. 1 , 12–13, 2 , 14–15).
v Christ became the guarantee of our resurrection. (Col. 1 , 18, 3, 3,4).
v The Church was founded on the Cross (Eph. 1 , 22–23; 5 , 25–27), in which the barrier between Jews and Gentiles was destroyed. (Eph. 2 , 14–16,18. Col. 1 , 21–22).
v For salvation it is necessary to remain in the Church. (Eph. 5:23; Col. 2:18–19).
v Salvation is universal (Eph. 1 , 10; Col. 1 , 20,23).