Reverence for the relics. How to venerate relics correctly? Church rules and traditions

Archpriest Igor Fomin on how to respond to criticism of the queue to the relics of St. Nicholas, whether it is necessary to “torment young children by standing at the shrine” and whether there will be any sense in standing if a person does not care about Christ.

Why did we “privatize” St. Nicholas?

– Father Igor, the most frequent one about the queue to the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker: why stand there if in Moscow alone there are 25 churches with pieces of the relics of the same saint. What to answer to this?

– The Church is an organism, a community, and we are a part of this big, big single organism. The Church unites us in the Eucharist, in prayer, and it gives us the opportunity to all participate together in one great celebration - this is the veneration of the relics of St. Nicholas.

Moreover, we know that there are many local Orthodox churches in the world. But it is the Russian Orthodox Church - as it happens - that especially resorts to St. Nicholas. What is this connected with? It is very difficult to say, maybe we are very similar to him, although he has never been to Rus'.

- With what?

– Perhaps, with his ardor, and in any issue, even in such as strangling Arius, and in mercy too. In a word, we have “privatized” St. Nicholas and are only benefiting from this. The Church gives us the opportunity to all touch the shrine together, overcoming certain difficulties: difficulties in the form of a queue to see the relics.

– Is there a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in your church?

- Yes! By the grace of the Lord, we received this piece from the man who built us a temporary temple - the Church of St. Nicholas. This was a great gift for us. But I still urged all my parishioners to definitely go to the relics in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

I will serve there, but my family and I will definitely also go into line, we will stand like everyone else: we will not have a VIP passage on the left, right, above, below. Because standing in line is a small feat.

– Can you explain in what sense this is a feat?

– The relationship between the saints and us, the still militant Church (“The militant Church” is the name given to Christians living on earth today, “The victorious Church” is Christians who have reached the Kingdom of Heaven - ed.), This, in my opinion, is always a parent-child relationship. And the relationship between God and man is parent-child. We see how the Lord shows mercy to us, and we must understand how to show gratitude in return.

It seems to me that here lies the answer to the question, why stand for many hours at the relics in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Because a parent always does something extraordinarily good for his child, and the child, brought up and taught, wants to somehow say “thank you” for this. How will he do this? He can make mom and dad a sandwich; can draw the parent some kind of scribble; or make something absolutely stunning, wonderful from your wallpaper, so that you then have to do the renovation all over again.

The child thanks the parent completely ineptly, but from the bottom of his heart, in such a way that it is much more expensive than some diamond earrings or luxury cufflinks or Swiss watches. That’s why parents and grandmothers keep our children’s drawings, not Picasso, but something terrible and incomprehensible, or clay crafts, which if you don’t say that they are a vase, you won’t even understand. But it was made by a child for his mother’s birthday at the age of 5-6, and it is valuable!

Anyone who has somehow, even a little, been connected in prayer with St. Nicholas understands that the saint fulfills petitions. No matter how terrible, strange or joyful it may be, he fulfills our requests...

- Why is this terrible?

– Because we do not always ask for what is necessary and necessary, but St. Nicholas almost always fulfills these requests, this is an amazing moment.

- It's your personal experience?

– This is a pastoral experience, let’s say, what I see, what both the parishioners and the people around me are begging for, and then they don’t know what to do with it...

Not capable of a feat - not capable of a good deed

– But no matter what we ask, standing in line is our small feat! Does St. Nicholas need him? No, not needed. Does God need him? Probably not needed either. When a child plays with blocks, parents do not need this game. But when the baby calls you to play with him, you go, although you would rather lie down to rest and read a book, or prepare for tomorrow. You play and understand: really, what a wonderful game! Now we have built a house out of cubes for some Cheburashka. And this Cheburashka, it turns out, plays very cutely with Gena the Crocodile. For parents, this is touching, wonderful and wonderful. And if suddenly a parent sees that in this house Cheburashka is “selling” drugs to Crocodile Gena, then, naturally, he will tense up and think: “Or maybe he should take care of the child, come to his senses?”

The Lord sees what we play here on Earth. Are we playing smart and reasonable philosophers who say that we should or should not stand in line? Are we playing those simpletons who are standing in this line? Or some super-duper theologians? The Lord is watching all this.

Our “game” of standing in line will probably not be condemned by God, but will be an addition to St. Nicholas’s prayer for us.

Therefore, I think we need to stand. You need to look at yourself: will you experience irritation, or, conversely, tenderness, will you have patience or sacrifice to help someone in this line?

I remember when we stood to the waist Holy Mother of God, the people around were completely different. They stood in the same place where they stand now - where ships sail with music and dancing people. Some drank energy drinks, others played games on the phone, cards and the like. And... it was wonderful.

- Why?

“Because it would be better for young people to stand here than to sit on the backs of benches and spit through their lips.” And then, we don’t know how this standing at the shrine will touch their hearts. Maybe this memory, someday and somewhere, will have such an impact on them that it will become a decisive, turning point in their life. Let's say a person starts getting married to some beautiful girl and will suddenly mention that he was standing in line for the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, and this will be the last and decisive argument to strike her heart. We don't know how this will respond. But what is it positive point- undoubtedly.

– There is another important objection: that it would be better if people spent the hours spent on the queue visiting hospices, hospitals, orphanages and some other useful activity. What can I say?

– By the way, we can hear this not only from the lips of opponents of the Church and atheists, but also from the lips church people. It seems to me that a person who is not capable of the feat of standing in line is not capable of the feat of going to a hospice. If he is not able to prove himself here, then he will not show himself in another, more difficult area, such as caring for the seriously ill and helping in an orphanage. Moreover, I want to make a distinction: the help in the orphanage is active, and not with gifts, not handouts that no one needs.

Believe me! It’s a completely different thing to come and give at least a small part of yourself to a specific child who most needs attention, and not sausage or a toy. I say this responsibly, because we not only go to orphanages in Moscow and the Moscow region, but also outside the Moscow region, where children wear different shoes. Even there, they still need, first of all, communication.

And I think that it is very good for city residents. With us, everything is scheduled in seconds: sleep in seconds, food in minutes. Probably, only unlimited time is allocated to social networks, which disappears, and everything else is very seriously regulated. We are never left alone with ourselves, we are afraid of it! We arrive at the dacha, and until the TV is turned on, it seems to us that the silence surrounding us is killing us. We city dwellers don’t know how to wait, give us everything at once! If the clinic closes 2 minutes earlier or opens a minute later – that’s it, we start shouting in panic: “Where is the justice?!” « How long will this continue?!” We have no patience.

And the queue stops you very well: wait for an indefinite amount of time - some stand for an hour, some for three hours, some for five. You don't know how long you'll be down. Be alone with yourself, pray! Yes, let’s say you’ve already read all the akathists, all the prayers, you’ve already been on social networks, you’ve taken a selfie. Now just wait and pray. Don’t even pray, just keep quiet, be alone with yourself.

You probably remember the wonderful story about how a nun came to Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh and said: “Father, I have been praying for twenty years, and God does not answer me.” He said: “Have you tried to be silent to hear the answer? You don’t give God the opportunity to speak to you.”

The queue also predisposes us to this. Be alone with yourself in the crowd - it will bring untold benefits!

Parents are active, but children cry?

– Father Igor, many people put children on the waiting list – children over one year old who cannot qualify for benefits. Some kids get tired, they cry, it’s hard for them. But they didn’t choose this standing - they just came with their parents! It turns out that parents are active, and children cry. How to be here? Should I take children or not?

– I think that we should definitely take it. Even small children. But they need to be prepared for this.

- How?

“We need to explain to them where and why we are going, what will happen, what you can pray for.” Moreover, this is not done right the day before, while you are tying your shoelaces. This is done in advance. You need to say: “We go to pray for this and that. Maybe you have some need, maybe you have something to thank God for and show such a feat?

We also stood in line for the belt of the Virgin Mary with small children. Everyone was very inspired and determined to survive to the end. But it became cold and wet, and we still left the line. However, we thanked the children in every possible way for going, showing their feat, and even giving them a gala dinner at home. The child survived as long as he could! Some adults can’t stand it, they start to get nervous, capricious, and hysterical, and what can we say about children!

Thank God, our Lord is not a bureaucrat, that is, it is not necessary to defend from the very beginning in order to receive grace. Remember the story of how one saint reached Jerusalem, but considered himself unworthy to enter the holy city, and only took three pebbles from there and left. And suddenly the Jerusalem Patriarch Sophrony says: “Stop the pilgrim from Georgia! He took away all the grace!” It's the same here. God looks at our intentions. He understands that everyone has limited strength. The most important thing is what we are striving for.

Next time the child will go not for 30 minutes, but for an hour and a half. And, God willing, when he grows up, this event will remain in his memory. So there is no need to approach the queue in a chastising manner: stand, kiss, read the akathist - and that’s it, I will be happy! Not always. If you approach it in such a mechanical, market-based way – I’ll tell you, you’ll tell me – then nothing will happen.

– How should we react to the words of critics of this line that many people are standing without really knowing why? Or do they treat the relics in a pagan way: “I will venerate myself, the saint will fulfill my desires, and then I have nothing to do with the Church”?

– “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans” - we know this saying very well. Now you don’t care about the Church, but you can venerate yourself, everything you ask will be fulfilled, and after that you won’t be able to live without the Church! You will come to a place where everything you have accomplished will be filled with life and meaning.

Critics who say that there are pagans there... Well, now they are pagans, and tomorrow they will be believers. Now they are in a state of consumption, like small children - they eat, put on, wear, tear, scratch, spoil everything, and the like. And then they grow up and begin to treat your work with such respect that you are amazed. It’s the same here: a person stands, stands, and then in life he will definitely meet God.

– Do you know such examples among your parishioners? Whose lives changed after coming into contact with the shrine.

– One of the first benefactors of the Foma magazine, who financed the magazine for several years and gave it life, and at the same time undertook absolutely incredible feats: when he did not have the means to pay for the magazine, he sold his apartment and gave money.

So he organized a pilgrimage trip to Jerusalem, and not the first one, but on all the previous ones he went, rather, as a skeptic: he looked at our faith. Arriving at Jerusalem Temple, he venerated the Stone of Anointing, like everyone else, so as not to stand out from the crowd. But, according to him, he rose from this Stone of Anointing as a completely different person! He rose as a believer.

There are many such cases. Human rebirth is a real miracle. As it was with the Apostle Paul: today he was still a persecutor, and suddenly after three days he turns from Saul to Paul, to an apostle. I am completely sure there will be a lot of people in the queue who will completely change their lives.

Will there be those who have fallen away from the Church? There will definitely be, and this is not surprising. IN last chapter The Gospel of Matthew tells about the Ascension: how many saw this, turned around and left, fell away from the Church. Only a handful of students remained.

And for others - that’s it, the “feeding trough” is over: He stayed with us, we tumbled in miracles, ate some bread, ate our fill of fish, it was interesting, educational, intellectual, fun, good for us, but we are not able to go further. Yes, there will be those too. That's life! They will disappear for a while, then they will come, and there is nothing terrible here for the Church. This is painful for God as a loving Father, but the Lord gives us free will, and we have the right to use it as we please.

Traffic jams, blocked streets and poor organization...

– Let's go back to the critics again.

- With pleasure.

– You’re talking about free will. The free will of some people is to stand in line on the Moskva River embankment to see the relics, while the free will of others is to drive around the city center as usual. They don't want to stand. But they are forced to endure inconvenience because of those who want to. Even some church people are indignant at this, they say, couldn’t they have brought the relics to the temple on the outskirts of the city. What can you answer here - about traffic jams, about streets blocked for two months?

– Yes, it is really inconvenient for some people. But if previously some streets were completely blocked, now this is no longer the case: traffic is partially blocked. And even if this creates inconvenience for someone, I think it will also count as some kind of feat.

And then, pay attention: it’s summer, the children have gone on vacation, the adults have gone on vacation. So everything was very cleverly planned in bringing these relics.

There is another point: we are always dissatisfied with something. There will always be those who are dissatisfied: why did they block it, why didn’t they block it, why is it raining, why is it not raining?..

– How do you feel about what they say “they make money from shrines”? Starting with the fact that along the line there are tents where they sell oil, icons, akathists, and ending with the fact that imaginary beggars and scammers often gather around such lines? That is, that bringing a shrine becomes a reason for someone to earn money.

– Firstly, there is no forced purchase of a ticket. There is no such thing that you will not go to the temple if you do not buy a candle or icon. The person chooses himself. He can make sandwiches at home, take a thermos and come. And the other knows that he cannot live without comfort, and therefore is ready to pay 500-1000 rubles for the food that will be offered to him on the embankment.

But in addition to all kinds of paid dishes, there are also free ones: tea is free on buses, volunteers deliver water and food, free literature is distributed. The youth department of the Moscow diocese, together with the Commission for Missionary and Catechesis, printed almost half a million leaflets for free distribution. Currently, 50 thousand books about St. Nicholas are being prepared for printing. So there will not only be profit from the outside, but also very serious work of the Church among the people who will come.

There will definitely be some professional beggars. How else can we be moved to mercy? You probably won’t be able to do it any other way! After all, beggars do not appear where there is good food, but where people need it.

– Do you mean that givers themselves need to give?

- Yes, to at least show mercy in this way, to deprive yourself of something! Mercy is always deprivation. I was always very impressed by Sarov in this regard. I've been there several times, it's a closed city where everyone knows each other. And even there is a beggar! Where did it come from and why is it there? No one knows. Beggars are the litmus test of society. We think that we are corrupting them with handouts, and, probably, thoughtlessly paying off beggars is a truly illiterate approach. But when you approach alms wisely, then the beggars immediately become necessary for you.

– Do you think it’s worth entering into discussions about the queue to the relics at all? Let's say you are standing, and your parishioner demonstratively refuses to do so - is it even worth arguing about, proving something?

– No, I think that if a person asks such a question, of course, he should try to answer. For example, one could make the following argument. Lord in Holy Scripture says to the friends of Job the Long-Suffering: “I will not listen to you, but if your brother Job asks for you, I will listen to him, My saint.”

Yes, I cannot directly turn to God for one simple reason - I am bad, I am very correct, like Job’s friends, who can be called religious dogmatists. Personally, I am bad, I need the intercession of the saints, I want to make friends in them who would say: “Lord, let’s listen to him, fulfill his request.” And the Lord will definitely listen to His saint, Saint Nicholas.

But if a person is trying to humiliate you in the form of a question, it’s probably not worth discussing. You have to say: “Brother, that’s how it is - I’m a fool, you’re smart” - and walk away.

Be happy with everything!

– Father Igor, what is your personal attitude towards this saint? Do you have any stories related to his help?

– Firstly, the temporary temple that we built was consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas. Until 1979, the skeleton of the old Church of St. Nicholas remained on this site - it was demolished just before the 1980 Olympics so that it would not spoil the view for the Olympians who were supposed to walk here. The temple was demolished, the cemetery was razed to the ground, the village was destroyed and a park was built. It turns out that before the 1980 Olympics the temple was demolished, and before the 2014 Winter Olympics we began to restore it.

And probably everyone has events in life that are connected with St. Nicholas. It’s too early for me to talk about anything here, actually... But I mentioned that I would like to become his friend. Not because I am so selfish, I want the Lord to hear me, but still I listen to folk wisdom: “Tell me who your friend is, and I will tell you who you are.”

- Last question. What would you wish for those people who will be standing in line?

- What do you wish? You can wish everyone to become better.

I wish that all your wishes come true - but not even those that you ask for, but those that are really necessary. And so that you see God’s providence in this. Someone, perhaps, will find a job, someone will find friends, someone will find their “half,” someone will give birth to their first child, and someone will simply say: “Lord, I want to learn your language, in which You spoke in earthly life,” and another will ask for the opportunity to build a temple and so on. You can ask for absolutely anything! And another person will say: “I don’t need anything. I just want to be next to you, Saint Father Nicholas. Everything is fine with me, I have everything. I am happy with everything!".

So I wish, first of all, that all our requests will be fulfilled, but at the same time, that everyone will be content with what they already have. So that everyone is satisfied with everything that happens in his life.

Interviewed by Valeria Mikhailova

In order to have time to venerate the relics, you must get in line before it closes at 18:00. By blessing His Holiness Patriarch everyone who managed to get in line will go to the relics on this day.

“Being in line is a given that can bring spiritual benefits to the pilgrim. Don’t 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 work to get closer to the Saint, 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 Church calls.

The queue runs along the embankment of the Moscow River, it is protected by a fence and divided into sections. This allows people not to stand behind each other and not to 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 you are in the compartment, you can sit down in the bus specially parked here and lean on the embankment fence. Some take folding chairs and foam mats with them,” the message says.

Visitors to the Temple must wear a cross on their chest.

“It is desirable that clothing correspond to the traditions of Christian piety: for women - a headscarf (cap, hat - it doesn’t matter), a skirt below the knees, covered shoulders. Men have covered shoulders and knees. However, no special control is carried out in this regard; everyone is allowed to see the relics,” the Church warns, but they note that “if you come to venerate the shrine and are not dressed in accordance with the canons given above, ask God for forgiveness and go boldly to the temple.”

If the day is sunny, you should take a hat or panama hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen with you.

“Due to the capricious nature of this summer, don’t forget an umbrella or raincoat or windbreaker. Dress appropriately in cold weather. If necessary, take with you medications, which you constantly take,” the message says.

To ensure safety, we do not allow entry into the queue with liquids in glass containers, flammable liquids (including perfumes and deodorants), or sharp objects.

“If you go to have a kiss with children, think about what to do with them while they wait. The baby cannot remain in prayerful concentration for a long time or simply wait. It is important that the pilgrimage remains in his memory as a bright, good milestone in his life. Take a book, a notepad with pencils for your child. Prepare it: retell the life of St. Nicholas, explain what is happening. Explain what he sees in the church: who the priests are, why they wear such vestments, who is depicted on the icons,” the Church advises.

You should be prepared for the fact that the relics are applied very quickly.

“This is justified: if you give each pilgrim at least two to three seconds more time, the queue for others will last twice as long. That is why it is worth devoting time to prayer while waiting in line. If you want to attach icons or a body image to the relics of St. Nicholas, take them in your hand in advance and apply them to the side of the ark in which the relics rest, at the moment when you yourself apply your lips to its upper part,” the message says.

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 accepting notes and selling candles are located in such a way that you can approach them both before and after worship.

Despite the fact that Saint Nicholas died 17 centuries ago, the question of where he was buried and where the relics of the Wonderworker are now located worries Orthodox believers. Researchers continue to write books about this amazing Saint of God.

But in the life and miracles that are attributed to the great Bishop of Myra, there are many discrepancies.

This is not surprising, because many churches and monasteries where shrines and icons were kept do not exist today.

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Biography

The birth of the future Wonderworker around 270. The family into which he was born was wealthy and lived in Lycia, in the city of Patara. Orthodox parents believed in the teachings of the Savior Christ. They saw their purpose in helping those in need.

Nicholas spent a lot of time in the church with his uncle, rector Nicholas of Patarsky. When he grew up, he was a reader, then a priest.

When his parents died, he gave his fortune to the poor and decided to continue his church service. Soon he became the bishop of Myra in Lycia (today Demre, Antalya in Turkey).

The parishioners liked the new bishop due to his responsiveness and fairness. But he fought against paganism and was irreconcilable towards heretics.

Many legends have been preserved, and all the miracles that the Saint performed cannot be counted. For example:

1. A terrible famine began in the city of Mir. The saint began to pray fervently, the city was saved.
2. The saint always helped those at sea. Many sailors whose ships were wrecked were rescued.
3. If there were people in prison who did not deserve punishment, he helped them with prayers. Somehow they found themselves free.

Nobody can name the exact date of death. It is only known that he was a very old man. Date of death between 345 and 351. By watching the film “The Miracle Worker” by Arkady Mamontov, which tells about the Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, you can learn a lot of useful and interesting things.

Relics

He was revered in many places globe, wanted to get a piece of the remains into their temples.

After his death, the Saint was buried in the city of Myra. Lycia was attacked by the Seljuks in the 11th century. The Lycians decided to go to the mountains and take with them the remains of St. Nicholas. When the Italians from Bari, who revered the Saint, found out about this, they decided to steal the remains.

note: the history and fate of the remains of the great Pleasant of God, like his whole life, turned out to be difficult.

This happened in 87 of the 11th century. The Italians attacked the temple under cover of darkness. The robbers did not commit sacrilege; they did not kill the monks, but only tied them up. Thus, most of the remains were stolen. The relic was taken to Bari and a big celebration was held on May 9 (new style).

Current location of the remains

At first, it was planned to choose a local place for storing the stolen relics. Cathedral. But then a temple was specially built. Two years later, in 89 of the 11th century, the shrine was placed in an underground chapel in the Basilica.

Every year on the same day, the clergy enter the Basilica to collect myrrh. The remains exude it. Myrrh is diluted with holy water. Pilgrims from different parts of the world take it with them. Blessed oil helps in healing people.

In the city of Mira, after the abduction by the Italians, some of the relics still remained. But they were not destined to stay in their homeland. Soon she was kidnapped and taken to. Now the shrine is located in two tombs. That they are genuine has been proven by anthropologist Luigi Martino.

Today the remains of the Saint rest in two different churches with the same name:

• in Bari the main part;
• on the Lido Island in Venice.

Pilgrims try to get to these churches every year to pray to the saint.

How to pray

Orthodox people pray in front of the icon of the Holy Saint or at his relics. Believers have been coming from different parts of the world for several millennia. Whatever request Christians make, they always receive help.

Most often they call on the righteous to:

1. Helped children, people who were far from home and in trouble.
2. Prosperity came to the house.
3. The daughters married successfully.
4. St. Pleasant is considered the patron saint of children; people pray to him for wisdom in upbringing and help in their studies.
5. The innocently convicted were freed.
6. Patronizes sailors and travelers.

People who turn to prayer need to have pure and good thoughts. Then the Miracle Worker helps you survive difficult situations that happened in life.

You should draw a cross on sore spots with holy oil and pray. As a rule, it must be said, discarding unnecessary thoughts, while standing in front of the icon at home or in the Temple.

You should get up as early as possible and in silence give praise to God’s Pleasant. And prayer words at night calm you down, you can sleep easily and peacefully. If you wish, you can pray as much as your heart desires.

It is important to know: in Russia, a piece of the relics of the great Saint are located in the Danilov Holy Trinity Monastery in Moscow. In St. Petersburg, in the St. Nicholas Cathedral, there is an ancient 17th-century icon of the Wonderworker with a particle of relics.

Prayer then helps when a believer with a pure soul attends church, prays fervently, and lives a Christian life. Many parishioners know by heart the seven types of prayers dedicated to the Saint.

But you don’t need to limit yourself to prayers only. Many more miracles happen after reading the akathist. It contains special words that help you cope with any difficulties.

Many women were able to give birth to long-awaited children by turning to the Saint in prayer. There are people for whom reading the akathist and fervent prayers to the Wonderworker helped them overcome serious illnesses and terrible diseases.

How to get to the relics

The relics of the Holy Saint of God are located at the address: Italy, Bari, Basilica of St. Nicholas. It was built in the 11th century. People from all over the world find every opportunity to touch the shrine. There are also believers from Russia here.

As for pilgrimage, it became active in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas was built in Bari. The Old Town of Bari is three kilometers away. New Church has a wide courtyard that can accommodate big number

believers from all over the world.

1. You can join a pilgrimage group by arriving in Bari in an organized manner. If you decide to get to Bari on your own, then transport links here are well developed:
2. There is no direct air connection with Italy, so first you will have to fly to some Italian city or Germany, and only then to Bari, where the relics of the Wonderworker lie. It’s easier for Europeans because there are seasonal flights.
3. Another way is rail transport.
4. You can also travel from Italian cities by bus.

Ferries run from Croatia and Albania. Take note : V Orthodox calendar three important dates

. The Nativity of the Holy Saint is celebrated on August 11th. Remembrance Day is considered December 19 - this is the date of death, and May 22 - the day of the transfer of holy relics. These days, all men bearing the name Nikolai celebrate their name day.

Despite the fact that Nicholas the Wonderworker lived and performed miracles many centuries ago, people continue to believe in him. Faith brings positive results. Many experienced the miracles that the holy saint gave them.

Watch how the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker myrrh stream in the following video:

The word “icon” is translated from Greek as “image, image.” Since ancient Christians did not yet have canons for the image of the Savior, the Mother of God and the Holy Fathers, any image of Jesus Christ or Christian symbolism in miniatures on stone, bone, or paintings on wall catacombs was considered an icon.

Kissing icons is a greeting and expression of love to the one depicted on it. Believing in the omnipresence of God, which He bestows on the saints, we kiss the icon, without doubting that they immediately accept our love. The same thing happens with relics.

Having walked deeper into the church, you should first venerate the main, festive icon (as a rule, it stands in the middle, decorated with fresh flowers), then to the most revered shrines of the temple and the Cross. Before this, you can purchase candles to light for health and repose.

You need to venerate icons, the Cross, the Holy Gospel, and relics like this: When approaching the shrine, it is better to leave bags and packages under someone’s supervision. You can't rush and push. Those who approach the shrine impatiently simply pass by, but those who approach the shrine with reverence and patience receive God’s grace.

It is unacceptable to venerate a shrine with painted lips. Before applying, you must make two bows from the waist, crossing yourself while doing so, and after making the sign of the cross, one bow from the waist. If the saint has a priest who will anoint the believers, then the third bow (with the sign of the cross) should be performed not after kissing the shrine, but after receiving the anointing. When venerating relics and icons, you cannot kiss the saints on the face.

The Church has its own, in secular terms, etiquette. When worshiping God and the saints glorified by Him in front of holy icons, it is customary to kiss the icons, touching the images of hands, feet and clothes. Thus, the Christian is called to realize his sinfulness and unworthiness to act differently, to practice humility and reverent attitude towards the depicted saints.

The Patriarchal Official of the mid-17th century indicated that when kissing icons of the Savior, one should kiss the foot (in the case of a half-length image, the hand); Mother of God and saints - in the hand; The miraculous image of the Savior and the icon of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist - in the hair.

An icon may depict several saints, but large quantities Believers need to kiss the icon once, so as not to delay others and thus not violate piety in the temple.

Before the image of the Savior, you can say the Jesus Prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or: “I have sinned without number, Lord, have mercy on me.”

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, you can say the following prayer: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us.” Before the Honest Life-giving Cross The prayer “We worship Thy Cross, O Master, and glorify Thy Holy Resurrection” is read to Christ, followed by a bow.

IN Lately a new “tradition” arose of kissing only the frame of the icon, explaining this as their unworthiness. However, this practice cannot be recognized as Orthodox, since it contradicts the church understanding of the essence of icon veneration. According to teaching Orthodox Church, the icon represents the Kingdom of Heaven - a world of light, joy and forgiveness. Focusing our attention on the dignity and greatness of human vocation, we are reminded that man can become god by grace. That is why a Christian who kisses only the frame of an icon involuntarily pushes away the Forgiving Lord Himself.

It must be recalled that the iconoclast heretics raised the icons so high that it was impossible to venerate the field. Christians who kiss the frame of an icon unwittingly support the heresy of iconoclasm.

It should also be said that you should not pay attention to church-related prejudices about the possibility of infection when kissing holy objects, centuries-old history The Church did not allow even militant atheists to use this “argument.” In the house of God no one becomes infected by touching holy things, by taking Holy Communion, but on the contrary - he is cured of ailments. Science has also proven that there are no germs on the icons.

Disgust is one of the manifestations of pride and is cured by time, especially since kissing icons is only a pious custom, an expression of reverent love, and not an obligation.

Laudatory honor is raised to the depicted face. Touching a shrine, we are able to move to a living awareness of our own unworthiness and hope that its grace-filled power will cleanse us from painful passions and give us healing power. Through such actions people testify to the majestic Orthodoxy.

Those who venerate the icon without sincere faith will not gain any sanctification for the soul: “These people draw near to Me with their lips, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; but in vain they worship Me, teaching doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt. 15:8-9).

Orthodox teaching has always perceived the image-icon as a shrine through which people can enter into mysterious communication with the saint depicted on it. The VII Ecumenical Council justified the veneration of icons: “The honor given to the image is elevated to the original, and the one who worships the icon worships the being depicted on it.” This dogma establishes that icons should be given “reverent worship” and only the One God - Divine. St. Joseph Volotsky said: “Therefore, it is fitting for us to honor and worship the image of God on the icon as He Himself, and not another.”

Worldly people often confuse an icon - an image indicating the union of a person with God - with a portrait - an ordinary depiction of a human image. The Fathers of the VII Ecumenical Council draw a clear line between these concepts: “An icon differs from a portrait in its content, and this content determines the language of the icon, its special forms of expression, which distinguish it from any other kind of image. Therefore, the flesh is drawn significantly different from the ordinary, corruptible flesh of a person. Holiness is not implied or complemented by our thought or imagination, it is obvious to bodily vision.”

An icon, in its ideal, is a sober, based on spiritual experience, transmission of a certain spiritual reality. For example, there is a characteristic lack of directional lighting and shadows; light creates all forms; special, immaterial volume of figures and the entire composition; increased attention to complex, varied internal rhythm, linear and color.

Only grace is the reason for the holiness of the depicted face, it is also the possibility of communication with the saint. The icon directly participates in his holiness, through which we participate in prayerful communication.

The significance of the icon in the temple is great. It organically merged with Divine services and the Sacraments. During times Ecumenical Councils, The Church was clearly aware that the dogma of the Incarnation was affirmed in sacred images.

An icon is a book about faith. Through the so-called “theology in color” the experience of the fathers and teachers of the Universal Church, who achieved grace-filled dispassion and communion with God, is revealed. According to church regulations, icon painters must be deeply pious people and have a special regard for the acquisition of Christian virtues.

The purer and higher the life of a believer, the more accessible to his soul is the language of the icon. In our world, where there is a lot of sin and temptation all around, a look at the image of saints can keep a person from doing evil.

About the veneration of relics: “And after death the saints act as if they were alive: they heal the sick, cast out demons, and by the power of the Lord they reflect every evil influence of their tormenting dominion. For holy relics are always characterized by the miraculous grace of the Holy Spirit.”

St. Ephraim Sirin

Holy relics are capable of working miracles. Many Orthodox Christians know that after death, people who have been called saints do not dissolve into the earth in the usual way, but remain intact and exude grace. How to properly venerate the relics according to? What traditions exist for this?

Holy relics and church etiquette

When the relics of a saint are brought to a city where such events have not happened before, a whole line forms in the church to see them. Many sufferers want to touch the remains of saints in order to be healed or receive a blessing.

According to church rules, the relics can be venerated as follows:

• approaching the saint’s tomb, it is necessary to make two bows to the ground;
• usually applied to the head, leg or hand of the saint;
• after a single application, they move away and make another bow to the ground.

When an Orthodox Christian has the need to venerate the relics more than once, he must repeat the entire above ritual again. It is unacceptable to kiss the relics with painted lips or to have any cosmetics on the face. It is also required to strictly adhere to the queue. It is still forbidden to swear and push other parishioners. Now you know how to apply the relics correctly. It remains to understand the meaning of this action.

By venerating the remains of a saint, a person shows respect for his life’s feat. He also asks the chosen saint for a miracle, for the cure of an illness, for the preservation of the family and similar things.

The relics are a conductor of the energy and will of the saint. In themselves they are not idols or cult objects of worship. They simply bring grace into our world and broadcast the requests of believers to where they are directed.

In addition, there is a version that the relics retain part of the holiness of a person who accomplished a spiritual feat during his lifetime. And all those who line up to see the relics want to touch this special substance and be imbued with it to change their lives for the better.

The saints are asked for strength to overcome difficulties, they pray for the health of loved ones, parents and spouses. They contact them about the absence of children in the family. They pray for worldly wisdom and spiritual strength.

Is it worth reading prayers in front of the relics?

When standing in line to see the holy relics, you can read prayers to the saint to whom the relics belong. It is not forbidden to ask the saint for help in your own words.

Before going to church, you can also read prayers in advance in front of the home iconostasis. And when you come home from church, it will be useful to end the day by reading holy texts and holy books, especially if they are dedicated to the biography of the saint to whom you turned for help.

Christians call any remains of holy people relics. Whether it is ashes or whole bones, they are all called holy relics. The incorruptibility of the relics is explained by God's will. The remains of the saint are, as it were, removed from the natural cycle of things and phenomena physical world by God himself. Their decay is stopped in the most miraculous way.

In Orthodoxy, the incorruptibility of the remains of saints is perceived as a living lesson about the resurrection of bodies after the Last Judgment. But the absence of decay in the body of a saint is not a prerequisite for his canonization.

Detailed teaching on the importance of venerating holy relics was documented in 787 at the Second Council of Nicaea. This message from the Second Council contains information that the relics themselves do not perform miracles. All miracles happen at the will of power, and only with the help of relics, but not with their direct participation.

Initially, in the Christian faith, all the dead were interred. But Emperor Constantius in 337 ordered that his father’s coffin be placed in the apostolic church. This tradition became widespread in the second half of the 4th century.

Now you know how to apply the relics correctly and what needs to be done after that. Holy relics are revered by Orthodox Christians no less than icons and crucifixes, among which there are also miraculous ones.