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EMULATE THEIR FAITH A sermon on the day of Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir

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By God’s good will, every country and every people, often even cities, have an enlightener in their histories. The Lord raised up His chosen from among the people and through them enlightened His people with the light of faith.

Rome praises Sts. Peter and Paul, through whom they came to believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God; Asia, Ephesus, and Patmos has St. John the Theologian; India has St. Thomas; Egypt has St. Mark; and every country, city and people honors and praises their instructors who taught them the Christian faith.

Holy Apostle Paul commands us: Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow (Heb. 13:7). Heeding the holy apostle’s call, we glorify and honor today the enlightener and baptizer of Rus’, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.

The all-merciful eye of God looked down upon Prince Vladimir—and wisdom shone in his heart; he understood the vanity and error of idolatry and sought the one God, Who created all things visible and invisible. He caught the fire of the spirit and desired with all his heart to become a Christian, and to convert his whole land to Christianity. At the good will of God’s love for mankind, this was fulfilled. Entering the holy baptismal font, Vladimir was reborn of water and the spirit, and he commanded all his people to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The sun of the Gospel illumined our land, pagan shrines were destroyed, churches were erected, the cross enlightened the towns, idols were cast down, and holy icons appeared. The Bloodless Sacrifice began to be offered, and incense raised up to God began to sanctify the air.

Vladimir not only converted to Christ himself, but as a sovereign and leader took care to convert his people. Faith cleansed the people of the crude error of idol worship, and changed their human morals. The roots of our culture are in the Christian faith. Faith laid the foundation of our written culture, our art, and architecture. Faith brought humanitarian principles into the life of our people, our families, and society. Faith, which the Lord gave us through Prince Vladimir, was a worthy sowing, which brought forth worthy fruit of the spirit. It glorified a host of holy God-pleasers—our compatriots who now intercede before God for our land, for our holy Church, and for our people.

In honoring the enlightener and baptizer of Rus’, the ceaseless prayerful intercessor before God, Grand Prince Vladimir, let us, brothers and sisters, uphold the Orthodox faith and build our lives according to the Gospel. All this requires labor and effort, but God is with us, giving us the priceless gift of faith and helping us mature according the measure of Christ’s age. The prayerful help of Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince are with us.

In order to preserve our faith, buildings alone are not enough. We can have excellent knowledge of Holy Scripture and its sacred commandments, and yet be bad Christians. A true Christian will be the one who joins knowledge of the faith, of God, and of the Church to church experience, to true Christian life.

Let us pray to the All-Good God, Who enlightens and sanctifies every person who comes into the world, that through the prayers of our enlightener St. Vladimir He might strengthen our faith and help us, in overcoming all that is vain, sinful, and worldly, to be true children of our holy Church and Fatherland, and heirs to eternal life. Amen.

Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan)

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HOMILY ON THE FEAST OF THE KAZAN ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD

Come O ye people, to the gentle, kind harbor and protection of the Virgin. Let us hasten to prayer and be diligent in repentance; and the inexhaustible mercy of the Most Pure Mother of God will come to our aid and she will deliver her upright and God-fearing servants from all afflictions.

St. Dimitry of Rostov speaks in his homily on this feast of godly and God-fearing Christians: “Be terrified, O ungodly man who does not fear God.” You’ll hear in this homily how the Mother of God only helps the godly and God-fearing, and delivers them from great afflictions and evil, while she does not deign to help the depraved who eject fear of God from their hearts. And think about it—what is so surprising about that?! Would a mother really aid people who have declared themselves the enemies of her Son? No, she would sooner be angry with them who crucify her Son again by their sins and mock Him with unlawful words. For even now every man who is a Christian in name only but passes his unclean life in sinful defilements, as if wallowing in the mire and never thinking about repentance, crucifies the Son of God in himself a second time, and mocks Him in his bodily members, which were purchased by the Blood of Christ, when he takes his body that Christ created and makes it the body of a fornicator. Can such a person be dear to the Most Pure Mother of God? In fact, what mother could love her son’s murderer? What do you, O sinful man of hardened heart, what do you hope to receive from the Mother of God, whom you who grieve day and night by your sinful (unlawful) deeds, who dishonor your body and only wear the name of Christian, but by your deeds are worse than a pagan!..

The Mother of God has mercy for sinners, too. But which ones? Those who though sometimes fall and sin out of human weakness but then immediately rise from sin, repent, and run to God with tears and fervent prayer. The Mother of God helps sinners, but which sinners? Those who try to correct their lives, and, turning away from evil, begin to do good works. The Mother of God delivers not only the righteous from great troubles and evil, but also sinners—but which sinners? Those who return to the Heavenly Father like the prodigal son, who sigh, beat their chests like the publican, weep at Christ’s feet like the harlot, wash His feet with tears, and bring their confession to Him as the thief did on the cross. The Most Pure Mother of God looks down from on high upon such sinners and hastens to their aid, and delivers them from great evils and catastrophes. But the unrepentant—she does not protect. Amen.

Metropolitan Tryphon (Turkestanov)

In the Church of St. John the Baptist on the Yauza River, Moscow, October 22, 1931

Source of information: https://orthochristian.com/125205.html

The Sunday of Holy Pentacost

“The economy of our salvation is accomplished! The operation of all the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity have now come into effect to accomplish it. What God the Father has willed, the Son of God fulfilled in Himself, and the Holy Spirit has now descended in order to impart it to the faithful. For our salvation is according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ (I Pet. 1:2). For this sake we are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, obliged, to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19–20). Those who do not confess the Most Holy Trinity cannot participate in the saving action of Its Persons and thus receive salvation. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, the Trinity one in essence and undivided, granting us confession of Itself! “O Father Almighty, and Word, and Spirit, one nature united in three Persons, transcendent and extremely divine! Into Thee have we been baptized, and Thee shall we bless throughout all ages.” (The Sunday of Holy Pentacost. [Acts 2:1–11; John 7:37–52; 8:12]. Thoughts for Each Day of the Year According to the Daily Church Readings from the Word of God By St. Theophan the Recluse).

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