Catherine's Cathedral, Krasnodar. Photo, history, on the map, schedule, how to get there

I give you useful information about holidays and Orthodox events...

Every person has periods in life when he wants to escape from everything and be alone with his thoughts, realize his actions, words and find a way out of the current situation. Most often at such moments we resort to the help of higher powers. We turn in prayer to the Lord and other saints. Often this can happen anywhere: at home, in transport, at work, on the road. But many say that our words addressed to God will have greater power in the temple. It is generally accepted that there is a special prayerful atmosphere there. There are a large number of them on our land. They all have their own unique architecture. But among them there are some that are especially unique. This can be said about the Catherine Cathedral in Krasnodar.

History of Catherine's Cathedral

Alexander III, together with members of his family, was returning to St. Petersburg from a trip to southern Russia. The train carrying the emperor suffered a terrible crash near Kharkov near the Borki station in the fall of 1888.

The royal family was not harmed. And the residents of Yekaterinograd (the old name of the city) decided to erect a temple with 7 thrones in honor of the salvation of the sovereign and his relatives on October 17, 1889. Moreover, shortly before the sad event, the monarch with his wife and sons visited the Kuban capital. The main altar was dedicated to the Great Martyr Catherine. That is why the temple has such a name.

The remaining six limits are named after the heavenly patrons of the royal family:

• Maria;
• Olga;
• Ksenia;
• Mikhail;
• Nicholas;
• George.

The site for the construction of the complex was chosen on Catherine Square. There already stood an old wooden church named after St. Catherine, built in 1814. It was moved to another area of ​​the city.

The first stone was laid on April 23, 1900. Due to the constant lack of money, the building took quite a long time to construct.

Construction highlights:

• the walls and vaults were rebuilt by 1909;
• the crosses were installed in 1911;
• façade finishing was completed in 1912.

The interior work was completed by the spring of 1914, and the central altar was also consecrated on March 24 of the same year. Other limits - later. The revolutionary events of 1917 influenced the life of the Catherine Church. A split occurred among church ministers in 1922. It was called “renovationism.”

The council passed to the priests of a new direction who supported the Soviet government. That same year, the authorities confiscated valuable church property for the benefit of the starving residents of the Volga region.

The church's belfry was closed in 1931. Most of the bells were removed and sent for melting down. The city administration intended to destroy the religious building in order to obtain bricks for the construction of other buildings.

The cathedral was saved by its creator, Malgerb. The architect was able to convince local authorities not to blow up the building. Divine services were no longer held in the church in 1934. Then, on June 26, the diocesan renovationist leadership announced the dissolution of the community. The temple was finally closed. Warehouses were set up on its premises, which operated until 1942, even when services were partially resumed.

Architecture of St. Catherine's Cathedral

Catherine's Cathedral (Krasnodar was liberated from the Nazis in 1944, and the church fully restored its work) again became fully operational after the Germans were expelled from the city. During the Soviet era, the borders were renamed.

They began to be called:

• Voskresensky;
• Uspensky;
• Sergievsky;
• Blagoveshchensky;
• Panteleimonovsky
• Varvarinsky.

Only the main throne retained its former name - Catherine's. Restoration work to revive the temple was carried out in 1988 just in time for the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'. Then, for the first time in many years, the townspeople heard the church bell ringing.

The religious complex was completely restored, and the main dome was covered with gold in 2011 - 2012. Catherine's Cathedral was designed and built by the Russian architect Ivan Klementievich Malgerb. The architect also built other churches and buildings in Krasnodar.

The base of the structure is a cross, so the building has symmetrical lines. The temple was not greatly exploited during its secular life. The original appearance of the building is well preserved.

The building was erected from red brick in an elegant Russian-Byzantine style. The building is crowned with 5 helmet-shaped domes. They rise on large drums surrounded by arcade windows.

The largest chapter is located in the center of the complex structure. There is a three-story belfry adjacent to the building. It contains the main entrance. On both sides of the portal there are 2 small chapels crowned with squat domes.

The outer walls are lined with decorative relief masonry. In some places its surface is decorated with figured crosses. The perimeter of the building is decorated with a patterned cornice and ornamental belts. Arched frames were built above the windows.

During the restoration of the cathedral - from 1980 to 2010. – many frescoes and paintings were recreated. At the same time, the temple was decorated with an ancient dome found in the city of Yeisk.

The belfry, consisting of 7 bells, was brought from Voronezh in the 90s. XX century. Then they bought 5 more. Now the cathedral has one of the best bell towers in the Krasnodar diocese.

Revival of religious life within the walls of the temple

As you know, during the war, in the territories temporarily captured by the Germans, many previously closed churches resumed operation. Catherine's Cathedral also opened. Krasnodar in those years was under occupation, and for city residents, attending services was an indispensable moral support, despite the fact that they had to pray in a room that was still used as a warehouse.

When the city was liberated from the Nazis in 1944, by decision of the authorities the temple was returned to believers with the only requirement - to rename its boundaries, which in their names resemble members of the royal family. Since then, the revived cathedral has had altars: Assumption, Annunciation, Resurrection, Sergius and Varvara. Only the main limit retained its former name, the throne of which was consecrated in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine.

Interior decoration of St. Catherine's Cathedral

The inside of the temple amazes with its luxury. The walls are painted by famous icon painters. In the lower aisle of St. Varvara's painting by Ivan Sidorovich Izhakevich has been preserved. The painter made it in 1917.

The interior walls, vaults, and domes are decorated with Biblical scenes. The images of saints are painted in the Byzantine and Kyiv traditions.

The faces are placed among skillfully depicted ornaments. The main iconostasis looks very magnificent. It is carved from marble and is a real masterpiece. Gilding is used in its decoration. The canopy and fences are covered with it.

Catherine's Cathedral (Krasnodar is proud of its unique historical and architectural monument) adorns the capital of Kuban.

Shrines of Catherine's Cathedral

The temple has a small collection of its own shrines, which is gradually expanding.

A shrine with particles of relics of various saints is kept here:

• New Martyr Alexander of Phlegin. He is considered the patron saint of Kuban;
• Great Martyr Catherine;
• Great Martyr Barbara;
• Apostle James.

The cathedral contains icons of the Mother of God, especially revered by the Orthodox:

• "Kazanskaya". It is decorated with a large number of jewelry brought by parishioners as a token of gratitude for the help provided, which they asked for in prayers from the Mother of God;
• "Iverskaya".

• The old icon of “All Saints”, confiscated during the revolutionary years, returned to the church.
• The image of John the Russian was delivered from the Greek island of Euboea in May 2021.

Life of the temple in times of democratic change

In 1988, when the whole country celebrated the millennium of the baptism of Rus', St. Catherine's Cathedral (Krasnodar) was restored, and the bell rang out from its belfry for the first time in many years. It was fully restored to its original appearance in 2011 - the domes of the temple again shone with gold leaf. Statistics show that these days the most visited in the entire Kuban region is St. Catherine’s Cathedral.

Krasnodar has long had deep traditions of spiritual life, and that is why its residents treat this monument of temple architecture with such love. Today, when you come to the cathedral, you can venerate the shrines stored in it. This is the miraculous image of the Kazan Mother of God, and particles of the relics of the great martyrs Catherine, and Barbara, and the holy Apostle James - brother in the flesh of Jesus Christ. It is gratifying to realize that the process of religious revival of the country is becoming more and more noticeable.

Interesting facts and legends

Catherine's Cathedral (Krasnodar (Ekaterinodar) had a fairly spacious church in 1914) gathered up to 4,000 visitors under its arches and was the largest in Kuban.

• 50,000.00 rubles were collected for the construction of the temple;
• To attract additional funds, 45 crypts were built under the cathedral. The tombs were sold to rich people;
• during the low tide of the Great Bell, widows and married women of Ekaterinodar threw their wedding rings into the molten metal;
• merchant I.P. Dobrovolsky built the lower part of the temple with his own money in memory of his late wife, who was buried in one of the cathedral crypts in 1911;
• the construction of the temple cost 300,000.00 rubles;
• gilded crosses were installed on the domes of the newly built cathedral. The largest and heaviest weighed 720 kg;
• the complex was equipped with electric lighting, which was rare in those years;
• the height of the majestic structure is 52 m, total length – 58.4 m, width – 48 m.
• The new temple was popularly called the “Red Cathedral” not only because of the color of the brick, but also because of its extraordinary beauty. After all, this shade in Rus' means “beautiful”.

Closing of the temple and cessation of services

In the thirties, Catherine's Cathedral (Krasnodar) was on the verge of destruction. The city authorities required significant quantities of building materials for current needs. Without thinking twice, they decided to blow up the cathedral into bricks. The explosives had already been planted, and only at the last moment the architect Ivan Malgerb was able to convince the authorities of the technical inexpediency of the plan.

The temple was saved, but soon services in it stopped, and this time not through the fault of the communists - the diocesan leadership of the renovationists abandoned it. In 1934, local authorities received an application from them to dissolve the parish community due to its small number. The cathedral was closed and the bells were melted down. Henceforth, the former shrine was used as a warehouse.

Working hours of the Catherine Cathedral and schedule of services

The temple is open daily: 7.00 – 19.00. All types of church requirements are carried out there. Details can be found on the official website or by phone.

Schedule:

How to get to St. Catherine's Cathedral by car or public transport

There are stops near the temple:

From the Krasnodar-1 railway station and the central bus station, walk along Mira Street. The journey takes 15 minutes. From railway station-2 and bus station-2, take public transport to the “Mira (Kommunarov)” stop.

Route:

• tram number 2;
• bus number 2e;
• trolleybus No. 31;
• minibus No. 15.

From the southern bus station to the same stop:

• tram number 2.4;

  
  You can get to the Catherine Cathedral in Krasnodar by tram No. 2

to the stop "City Garden":

• "minibus" No. 44.

to the stop “Mira (Oktyabrskaya St.)”:

• bus No. 1, 3, 26, 95;
• trolleybus No. 9,10;
• minibus No. 5.8.

Stops at the Catherine Cathedral (Kommunarov St.):

Hotels near Catherine's Cathedral

Catherine's Cathedral (Krasnodar has a large number of hotels on its territory) is located near hotel complexes.

Hotel "Prestige"

The building is an old mansion, which is located in the center of Krasnodar. Nearby there is a magnificent park and the Catherine Church (only 274 m). The hotel rooms are elegant and stylish. The premises are equipped with beautiful furniture, modern appliances, and air conditioning. There is also a safe. The bathroom has bathrobes, slippers, and hygiene products.

There is a restaurant at the hotel. Its menu includes dishes of European and Georgian cuisine from Belaya Dacha. Breakfast is served every morning. Guests are offered the service of delivering groceries, food and drinks to their rooms. There is also a bar. There is a Tea House where you can taste different types of tea.

The hotel provides a conference room for holding all kinds of events. Everything you need is there. Guests can relax on the hotel terrace and stroll through the garden. The complex has a massage room, billiard room, and sauna. The railway station can be reached by car in 6 minutes. The international airport is 34 min. ride.

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The hotel provides various services.
free:

• rooms are cleaned every day;
• luggage office;
• wi-fi, delivery of newspapers, magazines;
• photocopy/fax;
• fast check-in/check-out.

There is guarded parking on the hotel premises. The hotel provides car rental, laundry and ironing services. Smoking areas are provided for guests. The hotel complex has family rooms, non-smoking rooms, and suites available for newlywed couples. Children of any age are accommodated free of charge without additional beds.

The reception desk is open in the hotel lobby 24 hours a day, and there is a transfer (meeting/seeing off):

• check-in: from 12.00;
• departure: until 12.00.

Address: Krasnodar, st. Mira, 60. Telephone, 944-20-68 (the numbers are the same for all these hotels).

Hotel «Hilton Garden Inn Krasnodar»

The modern complex is located in the city center. It is 30 minutes from the international airport. ride. The rooms are bright, spacious and have comfortable beds. High-quality household appliances, internet access. There is a hairdryer in the bathroom. The rooms have heating, air conditioning, LCD TVs. There are safes. The windows offer magnificent views. The hotel delivers drinks and food to your rooms.

The restaurant offers nutritious, delicious breakfasts. There is a mini market on the ground floor next to the reception desk. For business guests there are 3 spacious conference rooms.

The hotel has its own parking lot and parking lot. A restaurant and snack bar are located next to it. The reception is open 24 hours a day and there is an ATM. The hotel provides laundry and dry cleaning services. They offer a transfer for a fee.

The complex has rooms of various categories. There is an elevator. Facilities are provided for guests with limited physical capabilities. To St. Catherine's Cathedral - 476 m.

Smoking is prohibited throughout the hotel. Free at the hotel:

• luggage compartment;
• photocopy/fax;
• business center

• Check-in: from 14.00.
• Check-out: until 12.00.

There are additional places for children. Price: RUB 1,500.00 Address: Krasnodar, st. Krasnaya, 25/2.

Hotel Golden Tulip Krasnodar

A large modern hotel is located in the Central district of Krasnodar. Guests are provided with parking spaces and wireless Internet. Under an agreement with the administration, pets can be accommodated.

The rooms are equipped with air conditioning, heating, and are cleaned every day. The interiors of the rooms are designed in light, classic shades. There is a common seating area equipped with a TV and soft sofas.

The restaurant offers hearty breakfasts, various dishes of Russian, local, and European cuisine. They also provide a diet and children's table. Upon request, guests can have food and drinks delivered to their room.

For lovers of active recreation, sauna and fitness center services are provided. Luggage can be left in the storage room. The journey to the airport takes 1 hour. The road to St. Catherine's Cathedral is 497 m.

In addition to the restaurant, the hotel has a snack bar, two vending machines with a variety of drinks and snacks. The complex has a laundry service, free Wi-Fi, and staff deliver newspapers. The elevator is working. There is a shoe cleaning service.

The hotel has different rooms: family, hypoallergenic, non-smoking. Transfer and photocopying services are provided for a fee. The hotel staff speaks Russian and English. Check in at 14.0. Discharged from 12.00. Address: st. Suvorova, 91.

Hotel Platan

The building stands next to Krasnaya Street in the middle of the Kuban capital. From here it is easy to get to the airport and railway station. Catherine's Church is located 964 m. Theaters, museums, and parks are located nearby. Just a few minutes walk.

Like many hotels, there is free internet here. The rooms are equipped with heating and air conditioning. They are equipped with TVs, refrigerators, and furniture sets. There is also a safe. The bathrooms have towels, hygiene products, and a hairdryer.

Breakfast is served as a buffet. Lunches and dinners are quite varied. Guests receive a 10% discount when ordering from the main menu.

The hotel has its own conference rooms. In autumn and winter there is a sauna and swimming pool. Free secure parking is available on site. The hotel complex has a terrace for relaxation, a souvenir shop, and smoking areas. The front desk serves customers 24 hours a day. There is an elevator.

The hotel provides concierge services, delivery of Russian newspapers and magazines, and free room cleaning. Guests can use the laundry, massage room, and gym. The hotel has soundproofed, family rooms and suites. The hotel provides rooms for people with limited mobility, non-smoking guests.

In addition, the complex offers the following services:

• orders, delivery of air/railway tickets;
• meetings/send-offs (transfers);
• payments by credit cards;
• car rental with driver;
• temporary registration for foreigners;
• delivery of luggage, flowers.

There is a medical facility "Harmony" on the territory of the hotel.

Hotel Suvorov

The Krasnodar hotel complex offers rooms of two classes: “Lux” and “Comfort”. Some rooms have balconies. The style of the interiors is simple and sophisticated. There is everything you need.

Breakfast is not always included in the room rate. They charge a separate fee for them. There are a large number of restaurants and cafes nearby where you can have a delicious lunch and dinner. Distance to the airport – 15 km. Railway station – 550 km. You should focus on the city hall, st. Red, Zhukov Square. Catherine's Cathedral is located 665 m from the hotel.

The hotel provides a standard set of services, many of them free of charge:

• cooler;
• air conditioner;
• fridge;
• room cleaning;
• Wi-Fi;
• taxi ordering;
• smoking rooms;
• elevator;
• luggage storage;
• hair dryer;
• fax/photocopy;
• rooms for non-smokers;
• reseption;
• wake-up call at the required time;
• calling an ambulance;
• information about enterprises, recreational areas, transport schedules;
• parking with video surveillance.

Additional children's places – 500.00 rub. Check-in at the hotel is from 14.00, check-out is at 12.00. Address: st. Suvorova, 107.

Hotel "Moscow"

The hotel is popular among tourists as it is located in the city center. It is characterized by special comfort and coziness. It features a high level of service.

The restaurant of the same name serves continental breakfasts and lunches of European cuisine. The international airport is 20 minutes away. riding on public transport. St. Catherine's Church - 670 m. The hotel offers a standard list of services as in all hotels.

Address: st. Krasnaya, no. 60. Catherine's Cathedral is a unique monument of temple architecture. Today, a large number of believers and tourists flock to it. This is the most visited holy place not only in Krasnodar, but throughout Kuban.

Article design: Mila Friedan

Materials for preparing for the Divine Liturgy on the fifth week of Pentecost on July 25, 2021

fifth week after Pentecost

Brothers and sisters, we are publishing materials for preparation for the Divine Liturgy on the fifth week of Pentecost, which will take place on July 25, 2021

.

There are only eight Gospel verses - and the greatest tragedy of people

calling on the Lord:
“Get away from us!”
Many limit their spiritual life to viewing short sayings of the Holy Fathers, Doctors of the Church, and contemporaries, decorated with colorful images.
Virtually... But where is the real spiritual life?
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh addresses us with heartfelt words:
“We did not say: “Crucify, crucify Him,” but perhaps when a person dies of hunger, when a person yearns in loneliness, when he is abandoned, when he has no place among people, as There was no place for Christ even to die in the city of Jerusalem - isn’t this chained to the cross, not crucifixion, not the death of abandonment, a slow, sometimes bitter death, when faith in man and faith in God dies before the body, hope dies and extinguishes, dims and love will die... Or simply, which is perhaps even more terrible, we deliberately did not see him, passed by, glanced at him, so that he knew that we had seen him, but that he did not exist for us;
they drove him out of existence into non-existence... This is what this gospel parable, so familiar to us, read today, says; This whole story leads to what was said to Christ at the moment when He showed His compassion, mercy, love, and Divine power: “Go away, You are taking away earthly things from us, but we do not need heavenly things...” Let us remember the word of the Savior and Let us remember: “Seek first the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33) - and all things will be added; and it will be added: it will not be taken away, but will find its place where heaven is on earth, and then there will be completeness.”

MATERIALS POSTED:

- Archpriest John Tolmachev (†1897)
Practical Homiletics
Volume 3. Weeks of Trinity 1-17.
5th Sunday after Trinity; — Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh: “Healing of the Gergesinian demoniacs” (1981); — Metropolitan Hilarion on the peculiarities of the Church Slavonic and Synodal translations
of the Holy Scriptures;
- interpretations
of the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church (Saints John Chrysostom, Mark of Ephesus, Dmitry of Rostov, Nicholas of Serbia, St. Ephraim the Syrian, Blessed Jerome of Stridon, Theophylact of Bulgaria, monk Euthymius Zigaben, Archbishop Nikephoros (Theotokis), Abbot Panteleimon, biblical scholar Professor A.P. .Lopukhin) for EVERY verse conceived the 28th Gospel of Matthew (8:28-34 - 9:1).

THE HOLY FATHERS REVEAL TO US THE MEANING OF SCRIPTURE IN ALL DEPTH

:
(brief overview)
- the main feature of people who are possessed by unclean spirits is
to create only abominations and evil
;
- Evangelist Luke indicates that the possessed person was “not dressed in clothes”
: i.e.
was naked of every good thing
.
Not only was his body naked, but his soul was not clothed with any good, nor with any gift of the Spirit of God, but was completely naked and empty of good, which is God's gift
;
- demons willingly settle in coffins, wanting to instill in people the harmful idea
that the souls of the dead, becoming demons, remain in the tombs of their own bodies and unite with some (people).
But they will never convince a true believer of this. If this were true, then the tormented rich man would not have asked Abraham to send Lazarus into the world to tell his brothers about what happened to him, but he would have told them himself; - no one can turn a human body into the body of a donkey, then it is even more impossible in relation to the invisible soul, which no one can turn into a demonic creature
.
So, these are the ravings of drunken old women and children's scarecrows
.
It is no longer possible for the soul, separated from the body, to wander here, because “the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God”
(Wisdom 3:1);
- the demons screamed in agony and despair, like many people who only in agony and despair open their mouths to utter the name of God
;
- the confession by demons of Jesus as the Son of God is not a voluntary confession
on the part of the demons, followed by a reward for the confessor, but is a recognition forced by necessity, which prompts them, like runaway slaves who, after a long time, see their master again, not to ask for anything, besides getting rid of blows;
— because of human sins, by God’s permission, demons enter people.
And they feel better in people than in the abyss.
For when they are in people, they torment people, and when in the abyss, they torment themselves; - a demon in the flesh, like a ladder, climbs to the soul
, clings to the human heart and mind - until it decomposes everything, disfigures it, devastates it, depriving it of Divine beauty and purity, reason and truth, love and faith, hope for good and will to the good.
Then the demon will sit in a person, as if on his throne, take both the soul and the human body in his hands - and the person will become for him a cattle on which he rides
, a pipe on which he plays, a beast through which he bites;
— the possessed do not seem to exist: they are like two dead coffins, which the demons push in front of them and drive with their whips. To heal such people means to raise the dead
, and more than that.
For a dead person is a soul separated from the body. If the soul is in the hands of God, He can return it to the body - and the body will come to life. But something worse than death happened to these possessed people. Their souls are stolen and enslaved by demons, they are held in the hands of demons. This means that we need to take the human soul away from the demon
, we need to drive the demon out of the person and return his soul to the person.
Therefore, the miracle of the healing of the possessed is at least equal to the miracle of the resurrection of the dead, if not greater
;
- if evil demons and the first creators of evil, for whose sake punishment is especially prepared and arranged, do not yet perceive the due retribution, but the free ones wander wherever they want, what argument could convince us that the souls of those who depart from here in sins are immediately consigned to fire and those torments that are prepared for others
?
- even demons, horrified by the Judgment of God
, prefer cohabitation with unclean pigs to this condemnation;
- Saint Luke says that the demons begged the Lord not to order them to go into the abyss, into the depths of a dark hell, into the prison of spirits, where eternal torment was prepared for them. From this it is clear how terrible the torments of hell are, if the demons themselves fear them
;
- the demons recognized Jesus as the Son of God and confessed it loudly in terrible fear. So that people would be ashamed who looked at the face of the Lord and could not know Him or, having known Him, did not dare to recognize and openly confess
.
The demons screamed in agony and despair, like many people who only in agony and despair open their mouths to utter the name of God
;
- deliberate
impurity already becomes a den for the robber devil!
What shall we say about what has been accomplished?
- if demons can turn people into pigs, then what worse can they do to pigs?
For the rest, and when they enter pigs or some other creature, their malice is directed against man
.
And through pigs they will try to harm a person; if nothing else, then at least by drowning the pigs and causing people to be angry with God
;
- There is not a single person for whom God does not provide. If He does not care for everyone in the same way, then this is the greatest sign of His providence. God reveals His providence in accordance with the benefit of everyone.
In addition to what has been said, we also learn from this that God provides not only for everyone in general, but also
for each person in particular
;
- the demons, who were in just two people, in a few moments took possession of more than two thousand pigs and drowned them all. But first God held them back until Christ came, to show His power and authority over them; and here God allowed them to show their strength. If God had allowed it, in a few moments the demons would have done to all the people on earth the same thing they did to the pigs
.
But God is a Lover of mankind, and His boundless love keeps us alive and protects us from the most fierce and terrible enemies; - let everyone think about himself and his own cost, and he will quickly come to the conclusion that the lesson to humanity taught through this incident with the pigs was very cheap. Because it was necessary to clearly - and almost rudely - show the stupefied human race, firstly, the devil's uncleanness
and, secondly,
the devil's power
.
No words in the world could express this as clearly as the rabies and death of pigs, which were attacked by evil spirits. And what words could convince the pagans from Gergesa and Gadara, if even such a terrible and obvious proof - not proof, but a demonstration - still could not awaken them from their sinful sleep
, stop them from the abyss into which they, like pigs, were mercilessly dragged demons, and teach faith in the almighty Christ!
- do not rush to condemn
these pig-loving Gergesinians - first take a look at today's society and count all your pig-loving fellow citizens, to whom, like the Gergesinians, their pigs are more valuable than the lives of their fellows.
Or do you think that there are few people today, even those who make the sign of the cross and confess Christ with their lips and tongue, who would, without hesitation, decide to kill two people in order to acquire two thousand pigs
?
Or do you think that there are many among you who would sacrifice two thousand pigs to save the lives of two crazy people
?
- if the Gergesinians rose from their graves today and began to count, they would count a huge number of like-minded people in Christian Europe. They, at least, asked Christ to move away from them, and the Europeans are driving Christ away from them
- just to remain alone, alone with their pigs
and with their rulers - demons
!
- the Apostle Peter once said: “Depart from me, Lord!
because I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8), but it was the voice
of humble faith, reverent fear from the consciousness of my unworthiness
.
It was not such fear that seized the Gergesinians. They seemed to reason like this: this Wonderworker is terrible for us, if only we stayed away from Him; without Him it will be more peaceful to live as we lived before, and we can still sin
;
- what a wonderful lesson for everyone who does good to their neighbor, but does not see gratitude from their neighbor for this goodness! The less gratitude you receive for good from people, the more valuable your good will be in the eyes of God
.
He who strenuously seeks gratitude from people is not a benefactor, but only a lender and even a merchant
;
- how insignificant is the victory of that commander (Caesar), who proudly wrote to his Senate: “I came, I saw, I conquered!”
Christ came, saw, conquered
and remained silent
.
And, remaining silent, he made His victory wondrous and eternal. And let the pagans learn from the example of this proud commander; we will learn from the example of the gentle Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't force himself on anyone.
But whoever accepts Him, accepts Life, and whoever moves away from Him remains in a pigsty,
in eternal madness and eternal death
;
- if demons could not enter pigs until they received permission, then even less can they enter the image of God (man) without God's permission
;
- when a voluptuous person
is captivated by all bodily beauty, then he is
in no way distinguished from a possessed person
. Being clothed with clothes, but not having true clothing and deprived of the glory befitting him, he runs everywhere naked, like a demon possessed, striking himself not with stones, but with iniquities, which are much heavier than many stones.

THE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE HOLY FATHERS HELP US CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE COMMANDMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY AND PROVIDE ANSWERS TO THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR ANY CHRISTIAN

: — what are
the differences between
the descriptions of this event in the various synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and
are there any contradictions in them?
— why did the demoniacs
love to live in coffins
?
- Why do demons, turning to Christ, emphasize
that
“before the time, to torment us”
?
- Why do demons, being proud, not ask to enter into any great and glorious animals
- lions, lynxes, elephants, deer and others, but into unclean pigs?
- Why did the Lord not forbid them, but soon commanded them
, although at first he did not want to listen to a single petition?
- Wasn’t it a pity for the Lord that, firstly, so many pigs died
, and secondly,
such damage was caused to the inhabitants
?

We strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with materials on homiletics

: they provide not only a detailed theological analysis of the gospel concept, but also
practical advice for Orthodox Christians
: how to apply Scripture in our current lives.
The titles of the chapters speak for themselves: Gospel reading:
- General character of the week.
Practical outline of the content of ordinary reading; — About the existence of evil spirits; — About the miracles of Jesus Christ; — About human suffering; - The phenomenon is strange, but it often repeats itself among us; — The darkness of spiritual ignorance; - The action of the devil in the children of unbelief; — The unfortunate blinding of many people in the face of obvious truth. Apostolic reading:
- Practical outline of the content of ordinary reading;
— The duty of Christians towards those who are mistaken in the faith; — Lack of zeal for the Orthodox Faith and the Church; —Christian teaching is consistent with the holiest requirements of our nature; — Confession of faith. Samples of church sermon:
- Sermon on the 5th Sunday after Trinity; - Christ as the conqueror of hell; — Bibliographic index of words, conversations and teachings for the 5th Sunday of Trinity.

Sermon

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill on June 27, 2010 in Tsarskoe Selo, where he led the rite of the great consecration of the Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine and the Divine Liturgy in the newly consecrated church, in which he addresses us with the most pressing questions: Those who support the dark force,
with They easily use the holy words “love”, “happiness”, “prosperity”, “freedom”, “equality”, “brotherhood”
- wonderful words that characterize the richness of a person’s inner spiritual life.
That is why our people responded to the calls that were falsely addressed to them by those who then, in the abyss of suffering and terrible torment, tested the faith of our people, including its commitment to the highest ideals. The path of lies is the path of the devil, and a person who does the will of the devil is a demon-possessed person.
When people begin to serve the devil, they become possessed, they commit crazy acts that can neither be justified nor understood from a logical point of view.
And in fact, why was it necessary to blow up churches?
Yes, it was possible to proclaim atheism as a social ideal, but why was it necessary to destroy icons, why was it necessary to blow up the greatest works of art, to desecrate those places where people, without doing anything bad, prayed for the world to become better, so that from it did anger and conflicts go away so that there was more light and happiness in human relationships?
It is impossible to explain these actions with any reason or logic. It just seems to us that demon possession is a thing of the past. It only seems to us that those from whom the Lord cast out demons are a thing of the past. We must remember that when we violate God's law, when we take the path of lies and evil, when we deliberately harm our neighbors, we follow the path of the devil, we become demon-possessed
.
And everything else is secondary. One destroys temples, another destroys families, the third destroys his own personality, the fourth corrupts children, and the fifth, having access to the media, corrupts the people. And what is the difference between those who corrupt the people and those who destroyed temples? Yes there is no difference.
There are two ways of life and two paths:
the way of life
and
the way of death
, as the Lord says in His word. The path in accordance with God's law and God's destiny, and the path along which the devil leads people.