One of the main directions in Christianity is Orthodox.His professed by millions of people around the world: Russia, Greece, Armenia, Georgia and other countries.The Holy Sepulcher is considered the guardian of the major shrines in Palestine.Orthodox churches exist even in Alaska and Japan.In the houses of Orthodox believers hang icons that are painted images of Jesus Christ and all the saints.In the XI century, the Christian church split into Orthodox and Catholic.Today, the majority of Orthodox people living in Russia as one of the oldest churches is the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by the Patriarch.
Priest - who is it?
There are three degrees of priesthood: deacon, priest and bishop.Then the priest - who is it?So-called priests of the lowest rank of the second degree of the Orthodox priesthood, who with the blessing of the bishop is allowed to self-management of the six sacraments, except the sacrament rukoprilozheniya.
Many are interested in the origin of the title of priest.Who is it and how does it differ from the priesthood?It is worth noting that the word from Greek translated as "priest" in the Russian Orthodox Church - the priest, who was called to the monastic rank of hieromonk.The official or solemn speech to the priests made contact "Reverend."Priests and monks have the right to lead the church life in urban and rural parishes and they are called abbots.
Feats priests
priests and monks in the era of great upheaval for the sake of faith and sacrificed all that they had.That is the true Christians were holding a saving faith in Christ.Their real selfless heroism Church never forgets and honors with all the honors.Not everyone knows how the priests, the priests were killed during the terrible trials.Their feat was so great that it is impossible to even imagine.
Martyr Sergius
Priest Sergius Mechev born September 17, 1892 in Moscow in the family priest Mechev Alexis.After graduating from high school with a silver medal, he went to study at Moscow University's Faculty of Medicine, but then transferred to the History and Philology and graduated from it in 1917.In his student years he attended the theological circle the name of St. John Chrysostom.During the 1914 war Mechev worked in the hospital train the Brothers of Mercy.In 1917, he often visited the Patriarch Tikhon, who pays special attention to it.In 1918, he received a blessing from the priesthood take Optina elders.Then, when he was already father, Sergius, never abandoned his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the most difficult of times, passing camps and exile, even under torture did not abandon it, for which he was executed on Dec. 24, 1941 in the walls of the Yaroslavl NKVD.Sergius Mechev canonized martyrs in 2000 Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Confessor Alex
Priest Alexey Usenko was born in the family of the cantor Dmitry Usenko March 15, 1873.Having seminary formation, he was ordained a priest and began to serve in one of the villages of Zaporozhye.So he would have worked in his humble prayer, if not the revolution of 1917.In 1920-1930-ies it is not particularly concerned the persecution of Soviet power.But in 1936, in the village of Timoshovka Mikhailovsky district, where he lived with his family, local authorities closed the church.He was already '64.Then Fr Aleksey went to work at the farm, but the priest continued his sermon, and everywhere there were people who were willing to listen to him.The authorities did not put up with it and sent it to the long exile and prison.Priest Alexey Usenko meekly endured all the hardships and humiliation to the end of days was faithful to Christ and to the Holy Church.Probably he died in BAMlag (Baikal-Amur camp) - It is not known the day and place of his death, he probably buried in a mass grave camp.Zaporizhia diocese appealed to the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to consider identity as a priest Alexey Usenko a locally venerated saints.
Martyr Andrew
Benedictine Priest Andrei was born Oct. 29, 1885 in the village Voronin Nizhny Novgorod province in the family priest Nikolai Venediktov.
it together with other clergy and laity of the Orthodox churches were arrested August 6, 1937 and accused of anti-Soviet conversations and participation in church counterrevolutionary conspiracies.Priest Andrei his guilt did not recognize and against other testimony did not give.It was a real feat of the priesthood, he died for his unwavering faith in Christ.A saint was canonized Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.
Vasily Gundyaev
He was the grandfather of the Russian Patriarch Kirill and also became one of the brightest examples of the ministry of the Orthodox Church.Basil was born January 18, 1907 in Astrakhan.Later his family moved to the Nizhny Novgorod region, the city Lukyanov.Vasily worked in the railway depot mechanic-engineer.He was a very religious man, brought up in the fear of God and his children.The family lived very modestly.One day, the Patriarch said that as a child, asked his grandfather, where he cases the money, and why did not saved, either before or after the revolution.He said that all funds sent to Mount Athos.And when the patriarch was on Mount Athos, he decided to check this fact, and that, in principle, it is not surprising it was true.The monastery Simonometra have old historical records of the early twentieth century in perpetual commemoration of Priest Basil Gundyaeva.
During the revolution and the cruel testing priest defended and preserved their faith until the end.He spent the persecution and imprisonment for 30 years, during which time spent in prison 46 and 7 camps.But the years have not broken faith Basil died octogenarian elder October 31, 1969 in the village pay tribute Mordovia region.Patriarch Kirill, being a student of the Leningrad Academy, participated in the funeral of his grandfather with his father and relatives, who also became priests.
"Priest-san"
very interesting feature film filmed Russian filmmakers in 2014.Its name - "Priest-san."The audience immediately got a lot of questions.Priest - who is it?Whom will be discussed in the film?The idea of the film prompted Ivan Okhlobystin, who once saw in the temple among the priests of the Japanese.This fact has plunged him into deep thought and study.
turns out to Japan in 1861, during the persecution of foreigners from the islands, risking his life, he came to the mission to spread the Orthodox monk Nikolai Kasatkin (Japanese).He spent several years studying the Japanese culture and philosophy, to translate the Bible into that language.And a few years later, more precisely in 1868, the priest waylaid Samurai Takuma Savabe who wanted to kill him for what he preaches things alien to the Japanese.But the priest did not flinch and said, "How can you kill me if you do not know for what?" He offered to tell about the life of Christ.And imbued the story of the priest, Takuma, as a Japanese samurai, became an Orthodox priest - Father Paul.He passed many tests, lost his family, his possessions and became the right hand of his father Nicholas.
In 1906, the Holy Synod of Nicholas of Japan raised the rank of archbishop.In the same year was the foundation of the Kyoto vicariate Orthodox Church in Japan.He died February 16, 1912.Sts Nicholas of Japan canonized.
In conclusion, we note that all the people that we conducted in the article, keep the faith as a spark from a large fire and spread it around the world, the people know that there is more truth than Christian orthodoxy.
