Orthodox prayers of saints and the Mother of God

Orthodox and church holidays and fasts

Today is an Orthodox church holiday: * Great Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised (memory of the miracle by which Orthodoxy was established, 451). * Equal to the Apostles Grand Duchess Olga of Russia, in holy baptism Helena (969) and other saints whose names we remember on this day... Tomorrow:

* Martyrs Proclus and Hilary (c. 98-117).
* St. Michael Malein (962) and other saints whose names we remember on this day... Holidays are expected: 07/26/2021
- * Cathedral of the Archangel Gabriel.
* St. Stephen Savvait (794) and other saints whose names we remember on this day... 07.27.2021
- * Apostle Aquila of the 70 (I) and other saints whose names we remember on this day...
07.28.2021
- * Martyrs of Kirik and Julitta, his mother (c. 305). *** Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, in holy baptism Vasily, Baptist of Rus' (1015) and other saints whose names we remember on this day...

All Orthodox and church holidays and fasts...

Orthodox Saints of God

The holy saints of God show special love and mercy to those who honor their holy memory.

It seems to many that the saints are far from us. But they are far from those who have withdrawn themselves, and very close to those who keep the commandments of Christ and have the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The holy saints in their earthly life turned to God for help in healing their ailments, sorrows and deliverance from temptations, asking God that even after death He would honor them with the gift of helping people in various cases of life.

The saints have reached the Heavenly Kingdom and there they see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ; but by the Holy Spirit they also see the suffering of people on earth. Many holy saints of God received special grace from God, and He deigned them to be intercessors before Him for deliverance from our sorrows and bodily ailments, in which they themselves were tempted.

The saints rejoice at our repentance and mourn when people leave God and become like foolish cattle. They feel sorry that people live on earth, not knowing that if they loved each other, then there would be freedom from sin on earth: and where there is no sin, there is joy and gladness from the Holy Spirit, so that, wherever you look, everything sweet, and the soul wonders why it feels so good, and praises God. The saints hear our prayers and have the power from God to help us. The entire Christian race knows about this. We must remember: in order for a prayer to be heard, one should pray to the holy saints of God with faith in the power of their intercession before God, in words coming from the heart.

In our prayers we turn to the Lord God, to His Most Pure Mother - our Intercessor and Helper, to the holy Angels and holy people - the saints of God, because for their sake the Lord God is more likely to hear us sinners, our prayers. The Saints have different names: prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints, saints, unmercenaries, blessed, righteous, confessors. more>>

The Lord says: “When you light a candle, you do not put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to everyone in the house. So let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:15-16). Saints are bright stars that show us the way to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let us treasure the closeness of the holy saints of God to God and turn to them for help, remembering that they love us and care about our salvation. It is good to pray to the holy saints of God on those days when the Church celebrates their memory.

«Holy Saints of God, pray to God for us!»

Saints: life, memory, suffering...

BISHOP'S COMPOSITION TEMPLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL

The autumn conscription is approaching - a time when many people come to Orthodox churches to pray for their loved ones entering military service. Who should I pour out my anxiety to, whose image should I give my son with me to the army? Of course - in addition to the Savior, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel - the heavenly patrons of the army. Among them are those who are called stratilates (i.e. military leaders, since they were them in earthly life) - the Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates and the Martyr Andrei Stratelates. The memory of the latter is celebrated very soon - September 1 (new style).

To defend Syria

Martyr Andrew Stratilates was a military leader in the Roman armies during the era of Emperor Maximian. For his courage and justice, the saint was greatly loved by his subordinates and had authority among them. He had not yet been baptized, but he had in his heart an ardent love for Christ and zealously strived for what the Lord favored.

When a large Persian army invaded the borders of Syria, which at that time was one of the most important Roman provinces, Saint Andrew was entrusted with the leadership of the imperial army. At the same time, the Syrian ruler Antiochus awarded him the title of stratilate. The pious warrior chose a small detachment for himself, preferring it to larger forces. He remembered well the saying of King David that the Lord does not favor the speed of human feet, but shows mercy to those who trust in His will (cf. Ps. 146 :10). The choice of the military leader fell on those whom the grace of God showed him through a mysterious action in the heart. Having thus gathered his squad, the stratilate marched with it against the enemies.

Cross trees and hot copper

Seeing the enemy's huge locust-like regiments in front of them, the warriors were close to being afraid and losing their fighting spirit. Being pagans, they worshiped idols. Saint Andrew invited his comrades to know the Almighty One God and turn to Him in prayer. “If you reject your vain gods,” he said, “you will see your enemies disappear like smoke or dust.”

His words were so convincing that the entire detachment - consisting, according to legend, of 2593 people - accepted this passionate sermon and rushed into battle, calling on the Savior for help. A difficult battle took place, as a result of which the Roman soldiers put the numerous Persian army to flight and returned home with the glory of the victors and with faith in Christ firmly established in their hearts.

The circumstances of this victory did not remain secret to the highest military nobility and prompted envious people to inform Antiochus, who was a cruel pagan, that the stratilate Andrew honors the Crucified God. The ruler sent envoys to the military leader with exhortations and threats, and then ordered him to be brought to trial. He offered the martyr a choice: to obey the royal command or endure torture, remaining with his God. In response, Saint Andrew only confirmed his faith in Christ. He himself lay down on the red-hot copper bed brought for torture and, enduring pain, turned to the Savior with a prayer. By a miraculous act of God, the hot metal immediately cooled down. Meanwhile, the warriors from the believing squad were crucified on trees, but not one of them renounced the Lord. Having imprisoned the saint, Antiochus sent a report to the emperor, not daring to put the famous winner to death himself. Maximian, fearing disturbances, gave the order to release the martyrs, secretly ordering, under some pretext, to execute them quietly, separately.

Without resisting the executioners

Having been freed, Saint Andrew and his retinue went to Cilicia (a historical region in the southeast of Asia Minor—Ed.). The warriors stopped in the city of Tarsus, where they were baptized by the local bishop, and then moved to the area of Taxanata. Antiochus wrote a letter to the ruler of the Cilician region, Seleucus, asking him to overtake the rebellious squad and exterminate it. Seleucus overtook the martyrs in the gorges of the Taurus, where, according to the Providence of God, they were destined to suffer.

At this difficult moment, Andrei Stratilat turned to the soldiers who were with him as brothers and urged them not to be afraid of death. He prayed for everyone who would honor their memory, and asked the Lord to send people a healing spring at the place where their blood would be shed. During this prayer, the martyrs, who did not offer resistance to Seleucus’s soldiers who caught up with them, were beheaded with a sword. Immediately after this, a transparent key actually came out of the ground. Bishops Peter and Non, who secretly followed the squad of Saint Andrew, buried the bodies of the slain soldiers. Meanwhile, one of the Church ministers accompanying them, who had been suffering from an evil spirit for a long time, drank water from the spring and was healed. This was the first posthumous miracle of St. Andrew. Word of what had happened spread among the surrounding residents, they began to come to the source and, through the prayers of the martyrs who suffered there, received gracious help from God.

* * *

The image of a courageous stratilate commander leading a squad into battle against the Persians of other faiths was invariably close to the Russian people who defended the faith and the Fatherland. On the day of memory of Andrei Stratelates, Moscow was freed from the invasion of the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey; On this occasion, a wooden and then a stone church of St. Andrew was built in the capital. They pray to Andrew Stratelates, like other holy military leaders, for the needs of the Orthodox army. And also, like all saints, about intercession before God and help in spiritual life.

Prayer to the martyr Andrei Stratilat

Holy Martyr Andrew Stratelates, look down from the heavenly palace on those who require your help and do not reject our petitions, but, as our constant benefactor and intercessor, pray to Christ God, that He, loving and merciful, will save us from every cruel situation: from cowardice, flood , fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare. May he not condemn us, sinners, according to our iniquities, and may we not turn the good things given to us from the All-Bounteous God into evil, but into the glory of His holy name and into the glorification of your strong intercession. May the Lord, through your prayers, give us peace of mind, abstinence from destructive passions and all defilement, and may He strengthen throughout the world His One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, which He acquired with His Honest Blood. Pray diligently, holy martyr, may Christ God bless our power, may He establish in His Holy Orthodox Church the living spirit of right faith and piety, so that all its members, clean from superstition and superstition, worship Him in spirit and truth and diligently care about keeping His commandments May we all live in peace and piety in this present world and achieve blessed eternal life in Heaven by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him belongs all glory, honor and power, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prepared by Elena Sapaeva

Peter and Paul leaflet, No. 17 August 2016

Orthodox prayers and icons of the Mother of God and saints

The word “icon” comes from the Greek language and means “image”, “image”. The image of the icon is consecrated with holy water and special prayers, through this consecration the grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted to the icon, and the icon is already revered by us as holy. According to the Orthodox dogma of icon veneration, approved by the VII Ecumenical Council, “the honor given to an icon relates to its prototype, and the one who worships the icon worships the hypostasis of the person depicted on it.” The Council especially emphasizes that we give veneration to icons, and not the worship that is due to God alone. “The icon mysteriously contains within itself the presence of the one whom it depicts, and this presence is the closer, more grace-filled and stronger, the more the icon corresponds to the church canon.”

All Icons of the Mother of God and Saints

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Martyr Andrei Stratelates.
Menaion icon (TsAK MDA). Fragment. Andrew Stratelates was a military leader in the Roman troops during the reign of Emperor Maximian (285-310). For his courage, invincibility and justice, the future saint was loved by the Roman troops. When a large Persian army invaded the Syrian borders, the ruler Antiochus entrusted Andrew with the leadership of the Roman troops, giving him the title "Stratilate", that is, commander-in-chief. Saint Andrew chose a small detachment of brave warriors and set out to meet the enemy. His warriors were pagans. Saint Andrew himself had not yet been baptized, but he believed in Jesus Christ. Before the battle, he convinced the soldiers that the pagan gods were demons and could not provide assistance in the battle. He preached to them Jesus Christ as the omnipotent God of Heaven and earth, who gives help to all who believe in Him. The warriors entered the battle, calling on the Savior for help. A small detachment put a large army of Persians to flight. Saint Andrew returned from the campaign in glory, having won complete victory.

But envious people informed the ruler Antiochus that he was a Christian who had converted his subordinate soldiers to his faith. Saint Andrew was summoned to trial, and there he confirmed his faith in Christ. For this he was tortured. He himself lay down on a hot copper bed and, as soon as he turned to the Lord for help, the bed cooled down. The soldiers were crucified on trees, but not one of them renounced Christ. Having imprisoned the saints, Antiochus sent a report to the emperor, not daring to put the famous winner to death himself. The emperor knew how much the army loved Saint Andrew, and, fearing outrage, sent an order to release the martyrs, and secretly ordered, under some pretext, to execute each one separately.

Having freed himself, Saint Andrew, together with a squad of soldiers, came to the city of Tarsus. There they were baptized by the local bishop Peter and Bishop Non of Veria. Then the warriors moved to the Taxanaty area. Antiochus wrote a letter to the ruler of the Cilician region, Seleucus, so that, under the guise of chasing those who had left the banners, he would overtake the squad of Saint Andrew and kill them. Seleucus caught up with the martyrs, who stopped in the gorges of the Taurus Mountains, where, according to revelation, they were to suffer. Saint Andrew, calling the soldiers his brothers and children, urged them not to be afraid of death. He prayed for everyone who would honor their memory, and asked the Lord to send people a healing spring at the place where their blood would be shed. During this prayer, the martyrs who did not resist were beheaded with swords (+ c. 302). At that same moment, a spring flowed out of the ground. Bishops Peter and Non, who with the clergy secretly followed the squad of St. Andrew, buried their bodies. One of the clerics, who had been suffering from an evil spirit for a long time, drank from a source of water and was immediately healed. The rumor about this spread among the surrounding residents, and they began to come to the source and, through the prayers of Saint Andrew and the 2593 martyrs who suffered with him, received gracious help from God.

Prayer in the Christian life. What is prayer? About prayer

Prayer is the most important part of the spiritual life of every believer. Through prayer, a person turns to God, asks him and asks for forgiveness from him. In other words, prayer is nothing more than a person’s way of talking with God. About prayer...

The basis of the life of an Orthodox Christian is fasting and prayer. Prayer, said Saint Philaret of Moscow, “is a conversation between the soul and God.” And just as in a conversation it is impossible to listen to one side all the time, so in prayer it is useful to sometimes stop and listen to the Lord’s answer to our prayer.

Prayer does not require a specific time, place, circumstance or form. It can be verbose - long, and laconic - short. The prayer can be said at any time of the day or night, and anywhere. A person can pray under all circumstances of his life: when he is sick or healthy, when he is happy or sad, when he succeeds or fails, when he is in the company of his enemies or in the circle of his friends, when he is abandoned by everyone, or when he in the midst of your beloved family. But God’s temple serves as a special place of prayer. On Sundays, as well as on weekdays, if time permits, we should go to church to pray, where our brothers and sisters in Christ - Christians - gather to pray together, all together. This kind of prayer is called church prayer.

Every Orthodox Christian must pray daily, morning and evening, before and after eating food, before starting and at the end of any task (for example: before teaching and after teaching, etc.).

In the morning we pray to thank God for preserving us last night, to ask for His Fatherly blessing and help for the day that has begun.

In the evening, before going to bed, we also thank the Lord for a successful day and ask him to keep us during the night.

Before and after meals we pray to thank God for His gifts and ask Him to bless and sanctify the food.

In order for the work to be done successfully and safely, we must also, first of all, ask God for blessings and help for the upcoming work, and upon completion, thank God.

Unfortunately, many people forget about the necessity and importance of prayer, and resort to it only in cases of feeling hopeless. However, even in these cases, as practice shows, God does not forget about the person and gives him his love and support. But not a single prayer will bring anything good to a person if he simply reads it without thinking about what is said. Therefore, it is extremely important, when turning to the Creator in prayer, to truly feel every word.

God is the best of interlocutors; he will always hear a person and help him. You should not be embarrassed to talk to God even about the most secret things that are in your soul. The main thing is to do it with true faith in God.

“True prayer does not consist in words and saying them, but true prayer consists “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). When we pray to God, we must stand before Him not only in body, but also in spirit; and say prayer not only with your lips, but also with your mind and heart; and not only bow our heads and knees, but also our hearts before Him; and raise our intelligent eyes to Him with humility. For all prayer must come from the heart; and what the tongue says, the mind and heart must say.” Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk.

And no matter what happens during the day, everything happens according to the will of God; all, without exception, are circumstances in which the Lord wished to place you, so that you could be His presence, His love, His compassion. His creative mind, His courage... And, besides, whenever you encounter this or that situation, you are the one whom God put there to carry out the ministry of a Christian, to be a part of the Body of Christ and the action of God. If you do this, you will easily see that sometimes you will have to turn to God and say: “Lord, enlighten my mind, strengthen and direct my will, give me a fiery heart, help me!” At other times you will be able to say, “Oh my God, thank you!”

In the Christian catechism, that is, in the instruction on the Christian faith, it is said about prayer this way: “Prayer is the offering of the mind and heart to God and is a person’s reverent word to God.” Prayer has extraordinary power. “Prayer not only defeats the laws of nature, not only is it an insurmountable shield against visible and invisible enemies, but it even holds back the hand of the Almighty God Himself, raised to defeat sinners,” writes Saint Demetrius of Rostov.

In the New Testament, prayer is a living connection between the children of God and their infinitely good Father, with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Kingdom is “the unity of the entire Holy Trinity with the entire spirit.” Thus, prayer life is a constant and natural presence in the presence of the Trisagion of God and in communion with Him. Such vital communion is always possible because through baptism our being has become one with Christ. Prayer is Christian because it is communion with Christ and grows in the Church, which is His Body. Its dimensions are the dimensions of Christ's love.

“Prayer is not telling God our needs. Prayer is the condition under which Divine power can contact our spirit and act in us. God is omniscient and knows us better than we know ourselves.” Archimandrite Rafail (Karelin) (XX century).

ANDREY STRATILAT

Mch. Andrey Stratelat. Menaion icon. Con. XIX century (CAC MDA). Fragment

To Byzantium. art existed several times. types of image of A.S. The most common iconography of him is as a young warrior-martyr in armor, with dark hair and a small beard, for example, in c. Our Lady of Studenica (Serbia), ca. 1235; in c. Ascension in Mileshevo (Serbia), before 1228; in c. Our Lady of Perybleptas in Ohrid (Macedonia), 1294-1295; in c. Holy Trinity Monastery of Resava (Manasija) (Serbia), until 1418; in Greco-cargo. manuscript (RNB. OI 58. L. 125; 15th century) - full-length, in chain mail and a cloak, with a sword in his right hand, holding a shield with his left. In the chiton and himation A.S. is represented, as a rule, in the Byzantine period. wall minologies: in the narthex c. Forty Martyrs in Tarnovo (Bulgaria), 1230, on July 13; in c. Vmch. George in Staro-Nagorichino (Macedonia), 1317-1318, - under July 6 - a single image and under August 19 - an old man along with those who suffered with him (4 figures); in c. Dormition of the Virgin Mary at Gracanica Monastery (Yugoslavia, Kosovo and Metohija), ca. 1320, - on August 19, together with those who suffered with him; in c. St. Nicholas in Pelinovo, 1717-1718.

The beheading of A.S. with a sword and the victims with him is presented (under August 19): in the wall minology of the narthex c. Trinity Monastery of Cozium in Wallachia (Romania), ca. 1386; one A.S. - in c. Vmch. George in St. Budimle (Djurdjevi Stupovi, Yugoslavia, Montenegro), 2nd half. XIV century; in the narthex the archbishop. Daniel II, Patriarchate of Peć (Yugoslavia, Kosovo and Metohija), c. 1337

In Old Russian in art A.S. was usually depicted in military armor and a cloak, with a cross in his hand, with a short beard and curly hair streaked with gray; in temple paintings - usually on a pillar, full-length, as in a con fresco. XVI century c. Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Sviyazhsk; in painting con. XVI century Smolensky Cathedral of the Novodevichy Monastery in Moscow (on the southern edge of the north-eastern pillar, in the 2nd register) - with a spear, bow and shield; in the painting of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, 1642-1643. (on the north-east pillar in lower case). His images are available in the diakonnik ts. Simeon the God-Receiver of the Animal Monastery in Novgorod, con. 60s - early 70s XV century; on the icon “Martyrs Andrew Stratelates, Florus and Laurus” 1st half. XVI century (GMZRK); on the icon “St. Evdokia and martyr. Andrey Stratilat" beginning XVIII century (GIM); in the Stroganov icon-painting original, last. third of the 18th century; on the icon “Martyr. Andrey Stratilat, with the hallmarks of the life and history of the Don Icon of the Mother of God,” probably written for the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo in 1880 (GMZRK); on the mosaic of N. P. Shakhovsky in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Savior on Spilled Blood) in St. Petersburg 1894-1907. together with the military Panteleimon and MC. Thekloy.

In "Erminia" by Dionysius Furnoagrafiot, beginning. XVIII century, about the appearance of A.S. it is said: “curly-haired old man” (Part 3. § 10. No. 69); in the description of the martyrdom of the saint and those who suffered with him, it is noted that the latter were “different in appearance” (Part 3. § 22. August 19). Rus. The iconographic original of S. T. Bolshakov, 18th century, reports that he is “gray-haired, with curly hair, the braid of John the Evangelist, in armor, wearing greens, checkered armor, a robe of greens, azure underside, nagavits hook, in his right hand a cross, and in the left there is a spear, behind the left shield” (Bolshakov. P. 129).

A stone church has been preserved in Moscow. in the name of Andrew Stratilates (1675/89) over the east. the gates of the St. Andrew's Monastery in Plennitsy, where there is an icon of the martyr. XX century In the name of A.S. in 1818 the chapel of the church was consecrated. Resurrection of the Word in Monetchiki (1750); in 1892, a church at the Teachers' Institute on Bolshaya Polyanka (architect A. A. Nikiforov).

Lit.: Bolshakov. The original is iconographic. P. 129; Kaster KG // LCI. Bd. 5. Sp. 159; Evseeva. Athos book. P. 324; Mijoviě. Menologist. pp. 257, 281, 284, 307, 342, 361, 376, 390; Erminia DF. pp. 65, 214; Forty forty. T. 1. P. 380. T. 2. P. 606, 620-621.

E.A.L.

Holy Fathers on Prayer

“Prayer is a great weapon, an unfailing treasure, wealth that never runs out, a serene haven, a foundation of peace; prayer is the root, source and mother of countless blessings and is more powerful than royal power.” St. John Chrysostom.

“Prayer in its rank is higher than alms.” St. Isaac the Syrian.

“Prayer is the emergence in our hearts of one after another reverent feelings towards God.” St. Feofan, the Recluse of Vyshensky.

“During prayer, let our speech and supplication be combined with decorum, calmness and modesty. Let us think about the fact that we stand before the face of God and that we must please the eyes of God both by the position of the body and the sound of the voice.” Sschmch. Cyprian of Carthage.

“You must abstain from marital affairs in order to engage in prayer; to abstain from worries about wealth, from the desire for earthly glory, from the enjoyment of pleasures, from envy and every evil deed against our neighbor, so that when our soul is in silence and not disturbed by any passion, in it, as in a mirror, God’s purity and uncloudedness will be insight." St. Basil the Great.

“When starting a prayer, leave yourself, your wife, your children, part with the earth, pass through heaven, leave every creature visible and invisible, and begin by praising Him who created everything, and when you praise Him, do not wander your mind here and there, do not talk about fabulous things. pagan, but choose words from the Holy Scriptures.” St. Basil the Great.

“Every place and every time is convenient for us to pray.” St. John Chrysostom.

Orthodox prayers to the holy saints. Holy saints of God.

Orthodox prayers for those in need for various needs and infirmities.

Life

What a Christian Should Remember

There are words of Holy Scripture and prayers that it is advisable to know by heart.

1. The Lord's Prayer “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4). 2. The main commandments of the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18). 3. The main gospel commandments (Matt. 5, 3-12; Matt. 5, 21-48; Matt. 6, 1; Matt. 6, 3; Matt. 6, 6; Matt. 6, 14-21; Matt. 6, 24-25; Matthew 7, 1-5; Matthew 23, 8-12; John 13, 34). 4.Symbol of Faith. 5. Morning prayers and evening prayers according to a short prayer book. 6. The number and meaning of the sacraments.

The sacraments must not be mixed with rituals. A ritual is any outward sign of reverence that expresses our faith. A sacrament is a sacred act during which the Church calls on the Holy Spirit, and His grace descends on the believers. There are seven such sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Communion (Eucharist), Repentance (Confession), Marriage (Wedding), Blessing of Anointing (Unction), Priesthood (Ordination) ...