Pustozersk

Hello, I am not going to post during the Nativity Fast. Sometimes my work on blog posts distracts me from spiritual works, and I am attempting to conquer a terrible sin. Lord have mercy on me. Posting will resume January 7th. I will be adopting a 400 Jesus Prayer a day rule, amongst other things. I encourage anyone reading to do this. Prayer conquers death and sin.

This post is about the legitimacy of the Orthodox hierarchy, and the life of St. Ambrose. He was born in Maistra, then Turkey, in 1791. He attended a theological school, later becoming ordained as a priest by the local Greek Metropolitan He married in 1811, his wife dying in 1814 after giving him his son, George. He was very skilled in theology and asceticism, and so was appointed Abbot of Trinity Monastery. After being appointed Abbot of another monastery, he was appointed Protosyncellus for the Patriarchate of Constantinople, a post often given to people with spiritual gifts. Later, St. Ambrose was appointed Metropolitan of Bosnia. He left for Sarajevo, where instead of kowtowing to the Turkish authorities, he stood up for his people. His people theorized that he must be a Bulgarian, for Greek bishops usually hung out with Turkish officials and collaborated with them, smoking together. One Bosnian chronicle records: This lord was a holy man, he cared a lot about the poor....

This article is on the Nikonian saint and westernizer Bishop Peter Mogila (Lord have mercy on him). It will also discuss the situation in Western Russia prior to Patriarch Nikon's schism. I am using the research and studies of Fr. Georges Florovsky (Not an Old Believer). The next article will be a contrast to this one, and will be about the Holy Hierarch Ambrose. Western Russia in the 16th century was characterized by Polish domination, with Poland-Lithuania controlling both western, mostly Latin Catholic citizens, and east Slavs who were Orthodox or Uniates. The Orthodox there were under the omphorion of the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, despite living under Poland. Occasionally, Lithuanian Metropolitans were put in place by Constantinople, but typically had a liking for the Uniate churches One such Metropolitan was a strong supporter of the robbers' council of Florence. He ended up returning to Lithuania and entering into a semi-union with Rome, from which h...

Today we will discuss a Nikonian saint who spent his life forging documents to slander the Orthodox Church. Dmitri of Rostov. I am not seeking to slander him (Lord have mercy on him), but rather present the facts. I am going to assume familiarity with the 17th century Nikonian schism. We will begin with some biographical information. Dmitri of Rostov was born in 1651 moved to Kiev at an early age, often venerating Saints in Uniate churches in Ukraine. He was strongly against Peter the "Great", but was a strong advocate for Nikonianism and Tsar Alexei. He was generally westernizing, given that he was from Ukraine, where the Uniate influence was strong. He wrote an opera, as well. Beyond that, he was very against the Old Believers. He wrote a polemic, "Investigating the Bryansk Faith", against the Old Believers. So the above isn't egregious. It isn't contrary to Sainthood, per se, in the Nikonian church. But Dmitri also wrote "The Synodic ...

Today, we will look at an icon style and an icon characteristic of pre-Nikonian Russia and the Old Believers. The copper cast icon. These icons were forbidden by the Nikonian Church, but not for their composition, but rather their medium - the Nikonians believed wood carvings and copper casting came from paganism in pre-Christian Russia. Above: Orthodox Christians show Nikonians the ancient traditions This is, of course, untrue. Carvings and castings are Orthodox, and originate in Ancient Judaism. In Kings, it is stated about the Temple: And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work. Additionally, the holy Stoglav Council states that during the Mystery of Baptism, a cast crucifix should be immersed in the baptismal font. So let's look at this icon itself. Those depicted In the center is the Theotokos, holding Christ. He is blessing the viewer with a two-fingered sign of the cross. ...

From a translation of the Old Russian book "The Emerald" ( измарагд ) which includes many of St. John Chrysostom's sermons, as well as original texts. I thought it relevant for the upcoming Nativity Fast. Above: Pious meal vs. gluttonous and drunken meal Not to drink at all- this they prohibit greatly. For the holy fathers did not forbid this to drink and eat at the lawfully fit time but forbade gluttony and drunkenness. 'The devil did not eat or drink, yet plummeted down; whereas Paul ate and drank, yet ascended to heaven'. For to not drink at all, happens to be sadness to creatures. Drink  is  from  God  -  onto  pleasure:  that  is  -  to  the  smart,  onto  pleasure.  But  to  the senseless,   who  frequently  quass  themselves  into  drunkenness, -  onto  inexorable evil  sin.  For  the  Scriptur...

For the next in our series of icons condemned by the Nikonian church (and even some Old Believers personally, for this one) we will be doing the All Seeing Eye of God, or  Всевидящее око Божи. A brief history - this type of icon developed approximately 300 years ago in the Vladimir region of Russia amongst Old Believers, first appearing in that style. Analyzing the text and details At the top is God the Father in a symbolic depiction, the Ancient of Days. We've previously discussed  the canonicity of this depiction. Surrounding God the Father in most of these icons are the words " Святъ , святъ, святъ Госпóдь Саваóѳъ…" This means "Holy, holy, holy Lord of Hosts". Surrounding the darker ring where the Theotokos is depicted is usually the Magnificat. Around Christ Immanuel in the central ring is the sentence " Очи мои на верны, чтобы земли посадить и с собою ". Four rays emanate from Christ to show the light that comes from Hi...

Above: Icon of Christ "Holy Silence" This post will be regarding the two images of Christ condemned by the Nikonian church and widely used by Old Believers, the icon of Holy Wisdom (Со фия Премудрость Божия ) and Holy Silence ( Спас «Благое молчание»).  The first we will discuss is the icon of Holy Wisdom. The Icon of Holy Wisdom This icon first appeared in Novgorod in the 15th century. Note that the angel is entirely red (To denote it as Holy Wisdom) and that Christ is present above it. This is very important to the canonicity and non-canonicity of the icon. We can see that the empty throne (Sometimes used to symbolize the Father or the Holy Spirit) is present at the top of the icon. The Theotokos and St. John the Baptist stand flanking Holy Wisdom. So, let's begin. This icon is alarming. When I used to see one, I crossed myself, prayed an Our Father, and closed the tab. I thought it a Gnostic icon, asserting a fourth hypostasis - Sophia, a...

The following is sourced from rpsc.ru On November 14th, a gathering of priests of the Belokrinitskaya metropolis and the Moscow metropolis prayed together in Belaya Krinitsa, in the Church of St. Cosmas and St. Damian. Above: Belaya Krinitsa Christians from the area and Russia also attended this. During it, they also venerated the relics of the Persian martyrs Dada, Hagedday, Kazdoi, and Gargal. These relics are fragrant and well known amongst Old Believers. Above: The priests and deacons who attended the gathering A liturgy was also held. Afterwards, the prayer service to the holy Saints was done. Above: Christians pray to St. Cosmas and St. Damian Above: Relics of the Persian martyrs

Many are unaware of the story of some of the greatest Martyrs that the Church has seen: the holy Saints of Solovetsky Monastery. Above: Family tree of Denisov brothers I here tell the story of the Solovetsky Martyrs with illustrations from the "Sufferings of the Solovetsky Fathers" by Simeon Denisov (Симeон Денисов ), a famous writer who, along with his brother Andrei Denisov ( Андрей Денисов ) wrote the Pomorian Answers, which was an apologetic for Old Believers. They also founded Vygotsky Monastery, which was based on Solovetsky's charter. This monastery remained priestless, a sect that maintained that there was no more earthly liturgy, and split into multiple more branches, many of which practiced self-immolation. Luckily, Simeon and Andrei refrain from defending that tragic and sinful practice. They are often considered Saints by priestless. The book was handwritten, due to the ban on giving printing presses to Old Believers, and due to simple tradition...