Why go to the shrine? If God is a Spirit, why apply, is it not possible to pray from afar, what, God will not hear? How is grace “transmitted”? And is it possible to carry photos of loved ones?
Priest Maxim Krizhevsky, Senior Lecturer, Department of Cultural Studies, PSTGU
Meeting with the saint
- There are many great shrines in the churches of Moscow. But if they bring, like now, the relics of St. Nicholas, one of the most famous and beloved saints in Russia, whose relics are in many Moscow churches, everyone runs away. What for?
Well, look: here comes a person who is very dear to you. You can probably wave to him from afar. Or you can come up and shake his hand.
The shrine is not just remains, things, miraculous icons or some objects that the saints used during their lifetime.
Everything related to the shrine is event connected with the life of a saint in the Kingdom of God, and perhaps with my life on earth.
And in this light, the question of why go to one shrine, the particles of which are in other temples, gets a new meaning.
I myself, to some extent, succumbed to this temptation and began to reason in the same "technological" way: there is in one place, why run to another?
When in 2011 the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was brought to us in Moscow, I also thought so at first: well, I serve, take communion, I regularly apply to a particle of the Robe of the Virgin in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. And when I was sent from the Patriarchate to obedience to talk with those standing in line at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and I touched the Belt, I realized: the Mother of God had arrived! The Most Holy Theotokos herself has come to us! How not to go, not to meet with Her?
The fact that Her Belt was brought to Russia, and for the first time, is a story from Her life, a completely new story, an event that takes place here and now! Yes, She is present in Moscow and in other shrines, but for the first time Her Belt was removed from Vatopeda, Mount Athos, Her inheritance. It was She who took care of us so much today, so expressed her love!
I think the same with the relics of St. Nicholas.
For a Christian, time is a non-linear category. When we celebrate the Annunciation, we do not just remember how the Archangel Gabriel brought the Good News to the Virgin Mary and the whole world more than 2000 years ago. We celebrate this as the Good News that the world receives over and over again!
Like other holidays, like the Resurrection of the Lord, we do not just remember at each Liturgy, but we partake of His Resurrection.
For example, there are a lot of icons of the Mother of God, but each of her images is an event in Her historical life, Her participation in the life of a person.
And a person feels this, although he cannot always explain why he so wants to come, like there are no specific requests. But there is the joy of meeting.
Later I thanked God very much for being sent there these days. I looked at people and thought that I myself would be too lazy to come, I would sit and be smart, and when I saw everything, I realized what was happening, how insensitive I am.
Many sincere believers are frightened off by the very thought that they will have to "make their way" to the shrine, in a crowd, in a rush, and they want to pray in silence and "without witnesses."
And at the liturgy, we also pray "without witnesses"? The word "liturgy" in translation from Greek means "common cause." And on it, by the way, there is a line for communion, sometimes a long one.
Of course, when at the Liturgy you are crowded from all sides, this does not contribute to prayer. The desire of Muscovites tired of crowds to be with God in silence is also understandable. But therefore, there are no guides and instructions in this matter: when, to whom and which shrine should be visited.
If a church person has doubts, he can ask the confessor, if not, he acts as his heart prompts.
When a man visited Jerusalem, venerated many relics, and here they also brought a relic to Moscow - should we go to “renew grace”?
Do we not regularly pray, confess, receive communion? When we sin after the sacrament and lose grace, we with regret for our sins bring repentance and are strengthened by the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
There is repetition in all of this. All life in the Church is built in a certain circle: daily, yearly. Services and holidays are repeated.
Our human nature is entropic, it is human nature to forget, to cool down.
We now remember, we are worried, and at some point, in order to strengthen and support, we again need to return to the same symbolic environment in order to understand again how to communicate with God.
We need to restore and renew our strength, to clear our memory. It is no coincidence that the holy fathers call confession the second baptism, when peace of a person is restored with God, with the Church.
And if a person does not have a personal relationship with the saint whose relics were brought, there is no special feeling of closeness? But this saint is great, everyone goes. Can a person keep their distance or will it be somehow impious?
It will be sincere. God sees our heart and understands better what is in our soul than we ourselves. It is not always possible to understand whether or not it is necessary to go to the shrine.
Communication with God occurs on a deeply personal level, and each person is unique. And what exactly happens in the secret of communication of the soul with God, no one knows.
What is the stage of a person's relationship with God now - who will answer this exactly? No diagrams are suitable here, they can only be guidelines.
One of my acquaintances considered the arrival of the Belt not only as a PR, but nevertheless as a kind of action. But he went to the Belt, while maintaining skepticism.
And when he venerated, an incredible thing happened to him: he felt such peace in his soul and the love of the Most Holy Theotokos for him that he could not express almost anything in words, except exclamations: “How good!”.
This is what we, the Orthodox, are sometimes afraid of, remembering the preservation of feelings, sobriety, etc. And here the protection did not work, struck this skeptic, then he was so happy as a child. This man has been in the Church for many years.
But it is also good that we do not know everything, because otherwise there would be a temptation to reduce everything to a scheme, to turn it into technology. The Lord keeps a secret because he respects our freedom.
"Orthodox paganism was divorced"
Pilgrims in line at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to receive the gifts of the Magi. Photo from rtvi.com
One can often hear the accusations of believers striving to venerate the shrine by all means, to consecrate some objects on it, in paganism, magism. Indeed, why bother? God won't hear any other way?
God will hear in a different way. One priest who was on duty in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior during the stay of the Belt of the Virgin, told me that healings were in the queue, that is, those who had not yet touched the Belt, but were just getting ready. And there were more such healings than the shrine itself.
But there is no paganism in the very desire to touch the shrine.
Is it possible to reproach a bleeding wife for paganism, who touched the clothes of the Lord, who immediately received healing, and even praise from Him? (“Dare, daughter, your faith has saved you.” Matt 9: 20-22).
The shrine was left to us by God so that we could physically, and not only speculatively, mystically, spiritually, participate in communion with God.
God created the world out of matter, sanctifying it with the spirit, our Savior was a God-man, the Church itself is the Body of Christ, - on this basis our attitude to shrine stands.
The nature of the shrine is based on the actions of those divine uncreated energies, about which St. Gregory Palamas said that they are not the Essence, but come from It.
These energies are present at every point in the historical existence of God and his saints. Actually, we call these points shrines.
For the believer, they remain sources of grace.
Saint John Damascene wrote that “the saints were also filled with the Holy Spirit during their lives, but when they died, the grace of the Holy Spirit is present both with souls and with their bodies in tombs, and with figures, and with their holy icons, - not in essence but by grace and action. "
Why don't shrines “help” everyone?
Christ praised the bleeding wife for her strong faith, by which she received healing. But many come with very strong faith and even with the last hope, but not all receive help. Why?
Because faith is needed not only bold, but also humble. Not only that the Lord is able to heal us, help us, but also that He knows better what a person needs: to get sick or be healed, to receive something or wait.
This humble faith helps to accept His will, not to insist on your own. After all, God helps to be healed if it helps our salvation, that is, it is important not only in earthly life, but also in eternal life.
“Thy will be done” - this is the true motive of any Christian petition, in this the agreement of two wills, Divine and human, is manifested - synergy, as theologians say.
The Savior Himself gives us such an example of agreement with the Divine will and obedience to it, and obedience not out of duty, much less selfishness, but out of love.
Only in Christianity is the relationship between creation and the Creator a relationship of love. Of course, an unselfish relationship with God, when there is no longer fear, according to the word of ap. John, and there is only love - this is our goal, in fact, it is holiness. But we are called to this, and God gives us this opportunity, condescending to our weakness, infancy, offering to follow the path of a mercenary first, and then a son.
It is trust in God, the recognition of His will greater than one's own, that opens for a person a true relationship with God, a relationship of co-existence, a communion of His divine life.
And this is precisely the fundamental difference with paganism.
Christian philosophers see this difference in two modes of man's relationship to God and the world: to have or to be?
A Christian, approaching a holy thing, wants not to have, but to be, that is, he wants not just to receive something from God, but he wants to be “together with God,” communion with God. For him, this is what is most important.
A pagan, approaching a shrine, wants to have it. There is a certain introverted tendency to “have”.
For a pagan, an idol is a means, using which, according to a certain instruction (ritual), you can get what you ask for. This is a relationship of pure benefit, self-interest. At the same time, the idol itself may be completely uninteresting to the asking person; for him it is the source of what can be taken.
When approaching a shrine or what he considers to be a shrine, a pagan assumes that he must know a special code, a password. Thus, he already initially assumes his ability to control it. A pagan prayer can end with some kind of legal definition, like: give me this and I will give you this and that. And this is the best case.
There are rituals when you need to dance around the fire a certain number of times, and everything will work out. But if it doesn't work out, then you can get even with “God”.
For example, the Yakuts in some ancient traditions of shamanism have such a form as punishing the "gods" if they do not help.
I did everything that was supposed to be done! Honestly fulfilled all the instructions, but if the "god" did not help, I will whip him, I will even throw him out and carve a new one (from wood, bone), since the old one has deteriorated.
Of course, in these practices there was still no concept of monotheistic Revelation, so for them the question of where the divine power would come from the new idol was not. The principle worked: there is a password, I typed it in and entered, and if I did not enter, something must be done.
This principle works in pagan religion today, despite the fact that some of its cults strive for a monotheistic consciousness. But the balance of synergy is always disturbed in paganism.
As a worldview, attitude to the world, albeit unreflected, paganism is very widespread. It is no secret that many people who go to Christian shrines today go with purely pagan motives. Maybe unconsciously.
And then, if they do not receive what they ask for, disappointment, resentment arises: how is it that he was, stood, applied, but what he asked for, he did not receive. Means, in vain I went? Did not work?
And why didn’t get it, is it for his good - a person doesn’t want to understand all this, because it involves work, an honest look into oneself, and you can find something that you don’t like, and this will bring anxiety to life. But it is precisely such a look at oneself that could be the first step towards the truth.
But, in fact, a person who asks always receives something from the Lord, yes, not always what he himself asks, but what he needs more in this moment... And it is very important to listen so as not to miss - what does the Lord want to give you right now?
And between the two poles: to have and to be, in general, we all are, someone is closer to some pole, someone is further. Probably, Dennitsa is located at the absolute point of the “have” pole.
Does the saint need photographs of our loved ones?
It was noticed that Orthodox Christians attach photographs of loved ones who cannot come to the shrines. It is not right? Why? There is good will: a person believes, really wanted to come, and a loved one thinks: let him also touch the shrine. He does this out of love, the motive is good.
It all depends on what meaning a person fills this action with, how he explains this connection to himself: why did he decide to bring a photograph? And a lot depends on this connection. As church people, we must understand that just a prayer is enough, I approached, prayed from the bottom of my heart, why else would I attach a photograph?
- It turns out that if I apply myself, this is normal, but a photo of a loved one is already magic? Unclear.
If, by attaching a photograph, I hint to the saint so that he "remembers" in the face of my neighbor who needs to be healed, I insure the saint, just in case, from mistakes, then I build, albeit unconsciously, a magical connection, manipulate the shrine.
The very term holy - holiness - means separated from the ordinary, the profane. And if we attach some object to a shrine, then it must also be no longer profane.
It must mean something in our relationship with God, have a liturgical symbolic meaning... You can apply crosses, icons, rosary beads, you can even use a scarf that you put on in the temple for prayer. And by applying an object that has nothing to do with our spiritual life, we are trying to bring non-sacred meanings into the area of the sacred. There is a tradition that the baptismal shirt is not then worn.
There is also a tradition that objects, things from the temple cannot be used in simple everyday life. For example, if the carpet was in the altar, it cannot be laid either in the refectory of the temple or in the narthex. That is, there is a certain hierarchy of objects in our relationship with God. There is no going back - it is impious.
- If a person goes to a shrine without even clearly understanding his own motives, will it benefit him?
We know very little about how and with what a person goes to the shrine. In the queue for the Belt, I saw children who did not go into the children's queue, but were still small for many hours of standing, their mother brought them, put them and they stood for 10 hours, not understanding what they were participating in, and not having to to that of a personal relationship. Maybe it's cowardice, but it still hurts me to remember them. I do not know if it would be necessary to lead them? I could not myself answer this question.
Of course, a child can receive mercy from God through the mother's faith, even if she is not a church mother, but she came, brought the child, which means that she was hoping for something, this is an effort and direction of will. Do not know.
But in the queue there were also those who came not even for pagan reasons, but according to the principle: everyone goes and I must, because the larger the crowd, the more psychological magnetism it possesses. And if a person does not understand the meaning of what is happening, it is easier for him to fall under the effect of mass psychosis. And then such a person came, so what? We don't know. The Lord sees the heart of a person. Maybe he, having stood in line, suddenly felt some feelings of compassion for the people around him, and the Most Holy Theotokos touched his heart too. It's a secret.
There is an opinion that if there were no preliminary announcements that, for example, Spyridon of Trimifuntsky helps in solving financial problems, and the Belt of the Virgin - to be healed of infertility, and St. Nicholas - in general "in everything", there would be much fewer pilgrims.
Perhaps the majority of people who come to shrines that are in recent times brought to Moscow - these are non-church people. And they really lack clarification: what is a shrine, why go to it? I think the Church needs to start such work even before the shrine is brought. And not in the church media, where all this is, but on the central TV channels to conduct several programs with an explanation in understandable formulations for people, perhaps with a direct link in questions and answers.
This will help prevent both ridiculous situations that happen and accidents. And many would approach the shrine with a completely different attitude. Of course, you always need to weigh your strengths. If a person is unable for health reasons or other reasons, for example, to stand in a long queue, there is nothing reprehensible in this. During an exacerbation of the disease, there are other opportunities to pray to God than to stand for 20 hours in the cold, heat or wind.
Shrine "in circulation"?
Today there are a lot of copies of shrines, for example, copies of the footprint of the Mother of God, the Holy Sepulcher. Does this replication of the sacred threaten piety?
- Because there are many crosses, our attitude towards the Cross does not change. Copying is one of the ways of expressing meaning, an instrument of human memory. Repetition for religious cultures is the most common form of such meaning transfer. There are "exclusive" repetitions - the footprint of the Most Holy Theotokos in Pochaev, on the Ascension Mountain, other shrines associated with direct physical contact of the saint. But any icon is already a copy. The principle of copying was understood at the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787).
Although one cannot but agree that there is a problem of replicating shrines. We see calendars with icons hanging on every corner along with calendars with kittens.
But the main danger of the devaluation of the shrine is in its disdainful attitude. If you are unable to maintain healthy spiritual tension, attention and love for shrines, it is better not to attach to them, not to buy their image.
You need to measure your actions and your capabilities. After all, the veneration of icons is also a spiritual work. Icons are needed in order to pray to them. They make it possible to feel oneself in the presence of God, the Mother of God, and the saints. And if you do not feel the ability to pray to those icons that you hung at home, it will be more pious to even leave only those to whom you pray, read the troparion, and put the rest one after another, than ignore them altogether.
“A special flight from the Italian city of Bari delivered the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to Moscow. Believers of Moscow parishes gathered at the Vnukovo airport to greet the shrine, some of them hold flowers and icons depicting the saint, ”TASS said.
On the airfield, the relics of St. Nicholas were met by a company of the guard of honor and the clergy. Upon arrival, Metropolitan Arseny of Istra served a prayer service to the saint at the plane's ladder. In the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where the relics were delivered to the evening service directly from the airport, the shrine was solemnly handed over to Patriarch Kirill.
The capital greeted the cortege with the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker with a bell ringing. The bells of all Moscow churches rang simultaneously at 18.00. From the airport, the sacred relic will be delivered to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia performed a festive service.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia noted that the arrival of part of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to Russia will affect both the life of the country and the Russians, and the life of Russia. Orthodox Church.
- The event that is now taking place before our eyes and with our participation is truly a historical event. It is full of many meanings, and, perhaps, not to the full extent we can perceive these meanings today. But surely this historical event will affect the life of our Fatherland, the life of our people, the life of our church.
He noted that the relics of the saint arrived in Moscow on the eve of May 22, the day when the church glorifies the transfer of the grave of Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra in Lycia, a city in Asia Minor, to the Italian city of Bari, which took place 930 years ago.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia:
- Today we really need the presence of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. So that not only in our people faith will be preserved, but so that great, divine truths do not leave the life of a modern person. Therefore, before the relics of the saint, we will pray not only for ourselves and not only for our countries, united by the Russian Orthodox Church into a single Orthodox family... We will pray for the whole world.
He also recalled that the delivery of part of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker became possible after a meeting with Pope Francis, which took place on February 12, 2016 in Havana. In addition, he expressed heartfelt gratitude to His Holiness Francis, as well as to all those who made efforts to ensure that the relics arrived in Russia.
Wheelchair users will be able to walk to the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on a preferential basis
Preferential access to the shrine will be organized for disabled people who cannot move without technical means (wheelchairs and crutches). A wheelchair user is allowed with one accompanying person.
The primary entry point for these categories is at the intersection of Ostozhenka Street and Soymonovskiy Proezd (at the corner near the Vanil restaurant). Other privileged categories of citizens go to the shrine in the order of the general queue.
7 interesting facts about Nicholas the Wonderworker
Two Saints Nicholas
According to the portal pravmir.ru, there are very few testimonies about the life of St. Nicholas, and they are inaccurate. The facts of the biography of Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, are often confused with the life of another saint - Nicholas of Pinars, abbot of the Sinai monastery. Both were originally from Lycia, both archbishops and venerated saints, but lived in different time- in 3-4 and 6 centuries AD, respectively.
Persecution
Young Nikolai did not leave the church for days on end, carried away by prayer and books. This zeal was noticed by his uncle, Bishop Nicholas of Patarsky, who eventually appointed his nephew a reader, and then elevated him to the rank of priest and made him his assistant.
The time of the ministry of Saint Nicholas fell on a difficult period of persecution against the followers of Christ. Roman emperors Diocletian and Maximian, and then Galerius in the late 3rd - early 4th centuries A.D. NS. legalized the systematic persecution of Christians. Then Bishop Nicholas from Myra of Lycia personally destroyed pagan temples and places of worship, actively developed Christian communities.
Santa Claus
Nikolai was from a wealthy family, and after the death of his parents he became the sole heir to the fortune, but chose to become a benefactor. Thanks to his generosity, St. Nicholas became known in Western culture as Santa Claus.
Once Nicholas the Wonderworker learned about a poor family in which the father of three daughters could not marry them off due to lack of a dowry and almost decided to take a terrible step - to make money on their beauty. Then the archbishop secretly threw a bag of gold into the window of the house, which became a dowry for the eldest of the sisters. The same thing happened twice, and the last time the grateful father managed to track down the benefactor. According to legend, Nicholas accidentally fell into a bag in a stocking, which was hung out to dry by the fireplace - hence the Catholic tradition of putting gifts in socks.
Patron saint of travelers and brides
Nicholas the Wonderworker is considered the patron saint of wanderers, prisoners and innocent convicts, children and brides, farmers and grooms. He helped representatives of all classes. The sailors turned to him with a request for prayer for their peaceful voyage when they were afraid of an impending storm or shipwreck, and once on the way from Mira to Alexandria Saint Nicholas resurrected a sailor who had fallen from the mast.
There is also a known case when Nicholas the Wonderworker stopped the execution of innocent convicts. At that time he was already about 70 years old, and when he heard the news that an execution would be organized on the square, the elder shielded the victims of the unjust trial.
Stealing relics
According to various sources, Saint Nicholas died in the period between 345 and 351, being a deep elder. His relics remained incorruptible, exuded myrrh and were kept in the local Cathedral of Myra until 1087. The Turks constantly raided the monastery, and only by a miracle the hidden relics remained intact.
The peace was disturbed by merchants from the Italian city of Bari, who were returning from a voyage. They took the relics of St. Nicholas, especially revered among sailors, from Mir Lycia to Italy. In the absence of a sarcophagus, they had to be transported wrapped in outerwear. In fact, the theft of the holy relics was the salvation of them from being plundered by the soldiers of the Ottoman Empire. On the way to Bari, people who were near the miraculous relics were healed of all ailments.
In Bari, sailors were greeted with honors. The news that on May 9 the relics of St. Nicholas were transferred to the Church of St. Stephen, spread around the world and began to be widely celebrated.
Nikola the Pleasure
Nicholas the Wonderworker became the most beloved Russian saint. The glory of the miracles of the Archbishop of Lycia came to Russia from Greece at the time of baptism. People knew about the healing of the sick and the revival of the dead, the protection and patronage of the suffering, which Nicholas performed both during his lifetime and after his death.
For their reliability and sensitivity to the sincere requests of the faithful, Saint Nicholas in Russia was nicknamed the Pleasant. According to legend, Saint Nicholas heard the prayers of his parents for the drowned baby, took him out of the water and revived him, seating him in the choir of St. Sophia of Kiev.
It is not surprising that just a few years after the transfer of the relics to Bari (according to various sources, in the period from 1077 to 1098), this event began to be celebrated in Russia as well. May 9 is a memorable date popularly nicknamed Nikola Veshny. There is another especially revered day - St. Nicholas in winter - the day of the death of the saint on December 6 (19).
Almost immediately throughout Russia, one after another, churches dedicated to St. Nicholas were opened, images were created. There are icons of the Pleasant in every city and every temple. There are two widespread versions of the image of Nicholas the Wonderworker: "winter" with an episcopal miter on his head, and "spring" - without it. According to legend, Tsar Nicholas I drew attention to the fact that a bishop is not supposed to appear on images with his head uncovered, and then a newer version of the icon with a miter appeared.
Miracles of Nicholas in Russia
On some icons of the Russian Orthodox Church, next to Nicholas the Wonderworker, icon painters depicted Christ and Holy Mother of God... Among the illiterate peasants, there was a version that the Holy Trinity is Christ, the Mother of God and St. Nicholas. Another story tells how Nicholas the Wonderworker became "ruler": supposedly the golden crown itself fell on the saint's head during earnest prayer.
Foreigners who were in Russia noted that here they call Saint Nicholas no other than "Russian God", and the miraculous power of his images is limitless. So, in 1113, an icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker appeared on Lake Ilmen near Novgorod, healing the local prince Mstislav, and in the XIII-XIV centuries, Mozhaisk near Moscow was saved from the raids of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, when the image of a saint shining over the army shone defending the city with a sword in his hand.
Regardless of whether the prince prayed to Nicholas the Pleasant or a peasant, they believed unconditionally in the saint's grace. That is why he is called an "earthly saint" - kind, peace-loving and especially merciful to Orthodox believers.
We prayed and drove off
“Children,” I said in the morning, “today we will be pilgrims, let's go to venerate the relics of St. Nicholas.”
“Oh, I know,” Yasya perked up. “I saw on TV what the queues were in Moscow!”
We thought to go to Moscow from Tver. But we decided that we could meet Saint Nicholas in St. Petersburg.
“We, in St. Petersburg, will also have a queue,” I explained. - We'll have to stand. For a long time. Many people want to bow to the relics of St. Nicholas. "
"Can I get a toy phone?" - Gosha asked busily.
“You can't,” I say. - You can take some kind of quiet toy.
At 16-30 we left the house. Gosha took the typewriter. Yasya - a map of the center of St. Petersburg. We prayed, asked for help from our saints and drove off. Gosha fell asleep on the subway in a wheelchair.
At 17-20 we went to Alexander Nevsky Square. The voices of the beggars at the metro formed a sly polyphony. The beggars were familiar - from the Smolensk cemetery and metro crossings. The line from the metro was not visible. We boldly crossed Staronevsky, approached Chernoretsky lane and ...
... and silently walked along the line. Farther and farther from the entrance to the Lavra. Further and further. Gosha was asleep. Volunteers handed out memos to pilgrims and notes about health and repose. We walked forward. When the tail of the line became visible, Yasya said with tears in her voice: “I didn't think it would take so long. I didn't know there was such a queue. "
A little ahead there was a girl - in shoes with neat heels, a skirt, a kerchief, with an akathist in her hands. I read the akathist and was baptized. A woman in green who was walking home from work took a queue behind us. She reported in a businesslike manner: “On Friday, there were almost no people at all. Nobody knew yet. I was told that at 8 pm in 7 minutes it was possible to walk. And today my colleague came at 6-50, and at 10 she was already at work. That is two and a half hours. "
Yasya looked around - the line for us was coming before our eyes. Five minutes passed, no more. Yasya went to the end of the line, returned, reported: “Plus 73 people. But it is not exactly. They come up all the time, and I get confused! "
Buns were sold nearby. Yasya went to the kiosk, came back, reported: “There are three varieties left. Will be over soon. We must buy already! "
I gave Yasa 100 rubles. Gosha stirred. The children went to get some buns together. Bought puffs topped with canned peach. They brought 5 rubles of change. They began to eat.The sun was not shining, but it was good.
Umbrella sky
We are standing (Yasya and I are standing, Gosha is sitting in a wheelchair). We eat rolls (children eat rolls). We read the Life of St. Nicholas. From time to time we go forward. Real pilgrims. Summer, Peter, sustained 18 degrees. So the first hour passed.
Then a girl in high heels with an akathist called someone: “Oh. Are you pouring? This means that we have it now. "
And then the clouds came running and flew in. Instantly. And it gushed from the sky. Umbrellas flew over the crowd. Formed an umbrella sky. Umbrella to umbrella - but dry below. Immediately, the stable 18 degrees turned into 14 with the wind. I scolded myself for the fact that the children are in sandals, not boots. And that I could take both the children and myself spare warm jackets. Eh.
Sitting under the umbrella sky Gaucher was bored. And Yase, in general, too. They ran out and hid under a canopy by a roll stand. At another kiosk with rolls.
The girls-volunteers - probably schoolgirls, stood in the very rain - without umbrellas, without raincoats, announcing in a megaphone where the line began. If only they could hide, I thought.
There were no more rolls in the kiosk. The kiosk now sold tea and coffee. I wanted hot tea, but somehow passively - it was clear that if you go away, you will destroy the harmony of the umbrellas. I looked at the girls volunteers: they were already in their raincoats.
Suddenly everyone ran forward. Long away. I managed to catch Gosha by the hand, and Yasya (I have Gosha in one hand, a stroller in the other) got lost in the crowd. And we ran and ran. And Yasya was running somewhere behind.
We ran for a long time - until the very entrance to the monastery. Not the main entrance through which everyone usually enters the Lavra, but to the nearest one - which I did not even suspect - a service one: for cars, employees, wholesale buyers of literature, and so on. And when everyone stopped, I heard - there, behind, a squish-squish. She shouted: "Yasya!" She looked around - Yasya ran up to me - wet, grown up - as if you don't see a child for 3 minutes, and he matured for them, and just matured a lot. But before I saw an adult Yasya, I saw a short man in a blue raincoat behind us.
Yasi had two memos to the pilgrims in his hands. She began to read one, and handed the second to me. About 5 minutes later she said admiringly: “These are the ribs. There are the ribs of St. Nicholas! " Gosha climbed through the fence into the laurel. The policeman gave it back to me: "Keep the child, he will be lost." The rain poured, then dripped, then thrashed with renewed vigor. When he slowed down a little, the children and I read the life. The man in the raincoat stood next to us - when we read the Life, he listened. When I stopped and paused, he took out an akathist, took off his cap, crossed himself.
I understood who he looks so much like! Over.! If I didn’t know Brother D., I would have thought it was him. Well, yes, lower by 10 cm. But how similar it is!
Soon!
We have been standing in front of the entrance to the monastery for half an hour. Everyone stood and stood. The woman in green looked around, was indignant: “But this one, with glasses, climbed ahead of us. And stood in the back. See? " The girl spoke to her mother on the phone: "I'm standing at the entrance, come over." Arranged with the guard that he would let her mother in. And then the iron fence was pushed aside - and we entered. And it was as if it were zeroing - we entered, we are in the laurel. Soon!
... I did not know this road, so I thought that soon. A truck full of military men drove by. Another rode out to meet him. The guardsmen of the Russian Guard were replaced. Only coffee was left in the kiosks with rolls.
A female volunteer approached me again: “How old is your boy? Up to two years without a queue! "
“Thanks,” I nodded. - Five".
Yasya clarified: "How much do we cost?"
Two hours. Almost two and a half.
Yasya asked: "How to keep warm?"
I said: “Run with Gosha in a race. To the trash can and back. "
Inside I was shaking.It seemed impossible to leave.Stay - in this wetness - too.A man in a blue raincoat was carrying a stroller with Gosha as we walked forward. Nearby, dad and mom took turns carrying four-year-old Vasilisa on their shoulders. They did not lower her to the ground so that her shoes would not get wet. Vasilisa's ten-year-old brother was wearing a T-shirt and sleeveless jacket. The sleeveless jacket was warm. But the sleeveless jacket. I shivered, looking at the boy. He squatted. He warmed himself as best he could. There were no more children around.
The girl with the akathist lagged behind, waiting for her mother, and never came back to us. The crowd was getting denser - and it, apparently, did not find us. Although it was impossible to find us - Yasya and I are wearing red jackets, Gosha's red stroller, children's voices in the quiet adult crowd. The crowd was getting denser, expanding - that's the point.
Yasya and I wrote notes. She listed those who had departed to the Lord: “So. They wrote to Grandmother Galya. Did you write your grandmothers, Alexander and Tamara? Then write: Boris, Tamara. This is a grandmother praying like that. Also write to grandfather's grandmother Yulia, she was in charge of the church after the priest, she was responsible for everything there. Write to Dima, to whom we go to the grave. Who else? Write to the girl Alina, who died in our school. "
We crossed the Monastyrka, approached the ancient walls.
At the walls of the monastery, candles, handkerchiefs with the image of St. Nicholas, crosses were sold, and notes were accepted. Gosha asked when he saw a handkerchief with an icon of St. Nicholas on the woman in front of us: "Why didn't we buy one?" “He's dear, Gosha,” explained Yasya as an adult. - 300 rubles".
I didn't even look at the prices. The man from behind was driving Gosha's stroller, I carried Gosha through the puddles. Then (the inner tremor seems to have become external) they read the Life. I remembered the Turkish city of Demre and the Church of St. Nicholas - built on the very place where Nicholas the Wonderworker served. We read about three sisters married off by their father in a happy marriage (“Mom, what does it mean that that uncle“ decided to turn his home into a house of fornication ”?) After he received three bags of money from Saint Nicholas. We read about a storm at sea ...
... And we felt ourselves in the same storm. Suddenly Gosha began to sing low voice: "Oooooooooooooooooooooooo our!" People looked in our direction. Gosha thought for a moment and continued: "Essi in heaven!" And he fell silent. Yasya picked up and finished the prayer to the end.
Gosha sang in a bass voice again: "Oooooooooo ours!" Yasya picked up, and together they sang to the end. A temple appeared ahead.
Yasya and I wrote notes about health. “So, write to Father Nikolai. Then our whole family. Marina with Ira, Sonya and Valerik. Did you write daddy Valerik in a black note? So, now write here to Arsyush, where about health. And, she's still a baby, then write "Inna with a child."
…"What is your name? I asked the man in the raincoat. “You have been driving our stroller for so long that it’s time to get to know each other.”
"Fedor" - said Raincoat a little surprised. He seemed to be surprised that I did not know this.
Gosha said in a businesslike manner: "And I have a grandfather, Yuri Fedorovich."
Come on through, don't stop
In those moments when the rain stopped, it even became warm. All the time I clung to people: a woman in green from the office, a young man in a women's jacket (he gave his warm one to his girlfriend), Vasilisa's dad with his daughter in his arms - not to lag behind, not to lag behind, not to lag behind.
I had no idea that it was two hours to walk along the monastery to the temple.
“The carriage must be folded,” Fyodor said. "You won't be able to take her further."
I folded it. Came out of the crowd. I took the carriage to the path near the main entrance to the temple. Has returned. Gosha was not there. Only Yasya stood where I left her. I looked closely - Gosha flashed in front, near the steps of the temple. I said to Fedor: "Stay here ...". And I could not find how to finish. Either "stay here, we will be right back", or "stay here, the children and I will go forward."
We climbed up with Yasya on the steps of the temple, I turned to the policeman: "A little boy in a gray jacket ..." - at the same moment the policeman caught Gosha in the crowd, like a fish: "Get it. I was eager to go to the temple. " Gosha handed me over the fence.
Gosha grieved, almost crying, complained: “I want to go to church! I saw candles burning there! "
People silently moved, Yasya, Gosha and I stood in front of the last fence. Fyodor remained very, very far away. And then they let us into the temple.
It was warm in the temple. At the entrance, a female volunteer handed out paper icons and said: "Attach the side of the tomb." Gosha looked at me with huge eyes: “She! Said! To me! Attach to the side! Where is that side? Where to put? My icon! "
I saw the icon of the Quick-Hearted, went up the steps to venerate, and called out to me in shock: “Mom! There is glass! The icon behind the glass! Why?"
Yasya asked Saint Nicholas about everything. “To keep everyone healthy. Everything. And little Arsyusha too. So that our dad is calm and not at all nervous. So that the harvest ripens at the grandparents and they have time to collect everything. To…"
“Why are you so small! - the volunteer girl turned to me. Children under two years old ... "
"He's five," I smiled.
"They would say two."
"No," I smiled, "I wouldn't say."
I raise my eyes and see how Gosha is being lifted over the tomb of St. Nicholas by a man in a "Volunteer" vest. Gosha kisses the tomb. The man lowers Gosha to the floor, and he falls to the side of the tomb - he falls and so freezes. And my cheeks are getting wet. And Yasya walks forward, and I follow her, and everything is as in a dream, and the tomb smells of myrrh, everything is as it was said in the Life, and there are no words, and people follow me, and I stop to take the children in both hands , and I hear a volunteer whisper: "Woman, come in, come in, don't stop."
And we are baptized, and we find ourselves on the street. And the rain has stopped outside - but there is a huge icon of St. Nicholas, and my children themselves stand in line and kiss it twice, and then two more times to the icon of Alexander Nevsky. And then they go and stand in line for holy water. And I don't want to leave. And I don’t want to talk. And I don't want to spill it. And then I remember about the stroller - I look around - and I don't understand where I am. I went up to the National Guard. I ask: “From which side is that entrance where I entered? I left the stroller there. "
Rosgvardia waves to me at the entrance nearby: "Here he is!"
I smile: not him. This is a social queue. Where are children under two years old. Now, at ten in the evening, all the children are in it - five, seven and ten. I am a little worried - what if we get sick before the road to Tver? But there is something inside that is understandable - we will not get sick. And the feeling that everything is right. Everything turned out right today.
Quiet and festive
I go around the temple, I find a carriage, Gosha runs in front, Yasya, quieted down, walks alongside.
“We’ll meet Fedor now,” I say. - We will definitely meet you.
I look around. Fedor is coming to us.
- Fedor, to the subway? - I smile at Fyodor, as if he were a dear.
- I'll take you to the metro, - Fedor smiles. - Where are you going?
- To Parnassus.
- Oh, then, go to the church to see Father Maxim? He reads catechesis in our courses. By the way, the best teacher. Give him my best regards. He remembers me.
- Where are you going?
- I'm in Gatchina.
- You are going somewhere, call me, - says Fyodor. - When I help someone, the journey takes on meaning. And then he went himself - as if he had done nothing. And so - he did it. I myself do not yet know where to go in the summer, - as if answering Yasi's question, Fyodor says. - I can get on a bike and go wherever they look.
- Then go to Razdolye, to father Boris, - I say. I began to talk about Father Boris and stopped short: Fyodor was smiling.
- Yes, I know, I remembered! I have already been called to Expansion, I'm going to August!
On the subway, a volunteer rushes to me: "Do you need help with your children?"
I smile: no thanks.
The phone was discharged while we were reading the life. 2% charge left. I call Maxim and arrange that he will meet us at the Parnas metro station. I am writing my phone number to Fedor. We go down to the subway. On the escalator, Yasya takes off his wet tights and puts on leggings. Gosha takes off his wet pants and socks. I do not have time to put on Gaucher's sandals - I bring his barefoot into the subway. Yasya is bringing a stroller.
It's raining on Parnassus. A real icy September downpour. Dark. At the crosswalk there is a car on the emergency gangway, and Maxim is near it.We jump into the car without saying a word.The words ended. And strength too. At home we drink tea with ginger and lemon. Everything.
I rub the children with a warming ointment.There has been no hot water at home for a week. What to do. It's half past eleven. It's quiet and festive inside.
Father Nicholas, pray to God for us!
That on this day 99 years ago was killed royal family, I realized already at home.
In the morning we woke up healthy, all three. Gosha asked: “Shall we go to that temple again? Only for three hours? "
Fedor sent a text message: “Give thanks to Yasa. I looked at her yesterday and it was easier for me to walk. "
The pilgrimage to the relics of St. Nicholas is associated with considerable exertion while being in line. In order to try to get benefits for your soul, it is important to properly prepare for it, to understand how everything will happen.
- Being in line is a given that can bring spiritual benefits to the pilgrim. Do not waste your time: take with you the text of the akathist to St. Nicholas, a prayer book, and the Gospel. While you are waiting, you are already doing the work for the sake of getting closer to the Holy Hierarch, and he sees and hears you, rejoices in your love and faith. Already in line on the embankment, you can read the akathist, pray in your own words and ask for those who are dear to you and for yourself. As experience shows, so time will pass faster, and you will have time to thoughtfully ask for everything and everyone.
- The queue runs along the Moskva River embankment, it is protected by a fence and divided into compartments. This allows people not to stand in the back of each other's heads and not rush: when moving from compartment to compartment, it does not matter whether you are at the beginning of the group or at the end.
- While in the compartment, you can sit down in a bus specially standing here, lean on the embankment fence. Some take folding chairs and foam mats with them.
- With the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, everyone who stood in line before it closes (as a rule, at 18.00), will go to the relics on this day. Accordingly, having joined the queue, you can take your time and not worry.
- When we come to the temple (as, indeed, at any other time), we should have on our chest pectoral cross... It is desirable that the clothes correspond to the traditions of Christian piety: for women - a scarf (a hat, a hat - it does not matter), a skirt below the knees, closed shoulders. Men have closed shoulders and knees. However, no special control on this matter is carried out, everyone is allowed to see the relics. If you come to worship the shrine, and are not dressed in accordance with the above canons, ask God for forgiveness and boldly go to the temple. More important, of course, is not the form, but your mental attitude.
- Take care of your well-being as well. If the day is sunny - bring a hat or panama, sunglasses, sunscreen... In view of the capricious nature of this summer, do not forget an umbrella or raincoat, windbreaker. IN cold weather dress appropriately. If necessary, take any medications you are taking regularly with you.
- In order to ensure safety, we will not allow passage into the queue with: liquids in glass containers, flammable liquids (including perfumes and deodorants), piercing and cutting objects.
- If you go kicking with children - think about how to keep them busy while waiting. The kid cannot stay in prayer concentration for a long time or just wait. It is important that the pilgrimage remains in his memory as a bright, good milestone in life. Take a book for the child, a notebook with pencils. Prepare him: retell the life of St. Nicholas, explain what is happening. Explain what he sees in the temple: who are the priests, why they wear such vestments, who is depicted on icons, etc.
- You should be prepared for the fact that they are attached to the relics very quickly. This is justified: if you give each pilgrim at least two or three seconds more time, standing in line for others will last twice as long. That is why it is worthwhile to devote the waiting time in line to prayer.
- If you want to attach icons or a pectoral icon to the relics of St. Nicholas, take them in your hand in advance and attach them to the side of the ark in which the relics rest, at the moment when you yourself will apply your lips to its upper part.
- It is better to write notes for the prayer service performed by the clergy at the relics of St. Nicholas in advance (at home or while standing in line). You can submit them in the temple - the points for receiving notes and selling candles are located in such a way that you can approach them both before and after worship.
One of the most important helpers for believers is Nicholas the Savior, who, during his lifetime, answered the requests of those in need. After his death, people pray in front of his image, and the main place of pilgrimage is the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker. You can ask the saint about solving various problems.
How did you get the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker?
After his death, the saint was buried in a city called Mira. In those days, wars took place in these lands and people tried to leave the cities, moving to more secluded areas in the city. The Barians decided to take advantage of this, who wanted to get the relics of the saint, since in their city he was considered the main patron saint. In the history of how the relics of Nicholas were taken out, it is indicated that in 1097 a detachment attacked the temple and stole most of the relics of the saint. According to the new style, the relic was delivered to the city of Bari on May 9.
Where are the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker?
After the abduction of the remains, part of the relics remained in the city of Mira, but they also did not remain in their homeland and were stolen. As a result, they ended up on the island of Lido in Venice. The bulk of the remains of the saint are in Bari. After the transportation of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, they were located in the local Cathedral, and after a while a temple was built, which received its name in honor of the saint. In 1989, the shrine was housed in an underground chapel in the Basilica. Every year the clergy collect myrrh from the relics, dilute it with holy water and distribute it to the pilgrims.
How do the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker help?
The saint helps people in different situations, so near his relics you can ask for many things:
- He is the patron saint of wanderers and sailors, so if loved ones are on the way, then you can ask the Wonderworker for their well-being and a successful return home.
- The worship of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker can be done in order to protect children from problems, to strengthen their health and direct them to the righteous path.
- The saint is an assistant in the reconciliation of warring people.
- Lonely girls and guys turn to the Wonderworker to help them find a soul mate and find them.
- There is a lot of evidence that the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker were healed of various diseases.
- The saint helps people who want to reform and embark on a righteous path. Relatives pray for the innocently convicted people, asking for their release.
How to properly bow to the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker?
Sometimes the relics are transported to other churches so that believers in other cities can venerate the shrine. There are certain rules that apply to visiting the temple in which the relic is located. Use the following tips on how to worship the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker:
- After a person enters the temple, he must be filled with deep faith. The relic must be approached without haste. It is important to remember that this is a holy place, so there is no need to push.
- Before bowing to the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, approaching the ark, mentally read a prayer addressed to the saint.
- In front of the shrine, bow twice in the belt, crossing yourself. After that, you can kiss the relics, and then, step aside, and cross yourself a third time and bow.
- The pilgrimage to the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker has not stopped for a long time and people with different corners worlds come to relics, even though worship does not take a few seconds.
What do they ask of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker?
If a person managed to touch the relic, then he can ask for the most cherished, for example, healing, the birth of a child, the search for a robot, marriage, and so on. It is important that admiration for the relics is accompanied by sincere prayers, and every word should be spoken from a pure heart. The priests claim that the saint helps everyone who deserves it, but first of all, you need to pray that he will help to enter the eternal kingdom of the Lord.
How to pray to the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker?
When visiting the temple where the relic is located, it is imperative to read a special prayer addressed to the saint. There are several prayer texts and they are all approved for use. A visit to the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is an important event in the life of believers, therefore it is recommended to memorize the text. There is short prayers and one of them is presented above. After visiting the temple, it is recommended to pray in front of the image of the holy house.
The relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker - miracles
There are many stories that prove God's strength and power of the relic, so a huge number of believers strive to bow to the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker in order to experience all the benefits.
- When the second part of the relics was taken out of the city of Myra, the bishop placed next to them a palm branch, which had been brought from Jerusalem. After a while, people noticed that she gave shoots.
- Pilgrims come to the shrine with terrible diagnoses, for example, many women dreamed of a child, but doctors talked about infertility, and a year after the application to the relics, women came to the temple again to baptize their babies. There is evidence of healing for cancer and other serious illnesses.