Which saints patronize athletes?
In sports, only victory is considered the result. Athletes know that this depends not only on their level of training, but also on the circumstances. Therefore, the overwhelming number of athletes believe in God or are superstitious. Modern Orthodoxy encourages people to ask their Heavenly patrons for victory in sports.
Athletes do not hide their relationship with God when they cross themselves before a fight, jump, race or start. The famous hockey goalie Vladislav Tretyak admitted that in the last years of his career he regularly prayed in church before competitions, asking God for help.
High-class athletes experience enormous stress, not only physical, but also psychological, before important performances. Prayer in church helps them calm down, focus on their tasks and believe in themselves.
Before important competitions, teams visit temples to pray for success.
Prayers help you win competitions:
- Lord;
- St. George the Victorious;
- Nicholas the Wonderworker;
- Archangel Michael.
St. George was a brave warrior during his lifetime and was noted for his military successes by Emperor Diocletian. George grew up in a Christian family and did not renounce his faith when the persecution of Christians began. She was tortured and executed for her religious beliefs.
Believers turn to Saint George the Victorious to help them win the competition.
The Lord reacts sensitively to the prayers of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. During his lifetime, the saint became famous for his mercy and love for his neighbors. Prayer at the holy image gives strength and confidence. Archangel Michael leads the heavenly host to confront the forces of evil. He is also the one who is called upon to control his emotions during a sporting match.
On your marks! Attention! With God blessing!
Father Nikolai is an experienced Olympian. Athens, Turin, Beijing, Vancouver... It all started back in 1980, when Moscow hosted the Olympics. Not every athlete has such a track record. A conversation with the confessor of the Russian Olympic team, rector of the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolchachi, Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov, about priestly service at the Olympic Games, the care of athletes, and spiritual assistance to them.
Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov with members of the Olympic team. Sochi. February 7, 2014
– Father Nikolai, please tell us how it happened that you became the confessor of the Olympic team? Maybe you yourself have been involved in some kind of sport?
– I was involved in sports, but amateur. Rowing, swimming, shooting, skiing. This is a kind of triathlon. But without a rank. As all young people did back then, “for themselves.” In the army, we skied and shot.
And I became the confessor of the Olympic team thanks to the blessing of the hierarchy - His Holiness the Patriarch, who blessed me to participate in the preparation of our first Olympic Games - in Moscow. Back in 1980, when I was his referent, I took part in the preparation of the Games in a purely technical sense: I organized a prayer room, bought equipment, etc. Then, starting from Athens, I now had the responsibility of the confessor of the Olympic team. And all the spiritual nourishment of our team, with all the religious requests of the athletes, was carried out by me during the subsequent games: Athens, Turin, Vancouver, Beijing...
– I can’t even believe that in the eighties, during the Moscow Olympics, our team had a confessor! It seems unthinkable.
– No, no, at that time I, of course, was not a confessor. I was a representative of the Patriarchate and organized a prayer room in the Olympic Village. Because the Olympic Charter provides for the presence of a prayer room for the performance of prayer rituals of all faiths. Otherwise, the Olympic Games would not have taken place here. The Soviet government, despite its atheistic beliefs and assurances that all our athletes are atheists, had to make an exception for foreign athletes, and therefore organized this confessional center, where there was room for Christians, for Muslims, for Jews, etc.
Before a prayer service in the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Sochi on February 5, 2014.
– Which of our athletes came there to pray during the 1980 Olympics?
– I think that during those games no one from the Soviet athletes came. How could they come if they were sent on a Komsomol and party ticket, and there is no “religious beliefs” column at all? Although anything can happen... Perhaps they did come, I don’t know. No one was watching, no one controlled it, and no one can confirm it. Our priests were not there. Thank God, at that time 48 churches were opened in Moscow - anyone who wanted could come there; There were priests there, of course. Priests, the Patriarch, members of the Synod came to the opening and closing of the Olympics, to some ceremonial events, but there was no duty or spiritual support for our Soviet athletes during those games. And now, when we are hosting the Olympics for the second time - we are accepting them as a free and multi-religious country, we look at these games as one of the successful projects that can raise the prestige of our country, our people and our sport, so we must ensure all religious denominations have the opportunity to pray at the Olympics under equal conditions. For this purpose, three religious centers have been established in the Olympic Village in Sochi, in which there are four directions: Christianity with all Christian denominations, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam. And everyone has their own room, their own representative, not even one, who will accompany the athletes during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Each athlete prays to his saint after whom he is named. They also often pray to the Apostle Paul.
– Do athletes have special heavenly patrons?
– Firstly, every athlete prays to his saint, after whom he is named. If Alexander, then Alexander Nevsky, for example, Daniil - Prince Daniil. Girls: Olga - to Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, Natalia - to the martyrs Adrian and Natalia... And they often pray to the Apostle Paul, because he mentions the “lists” in his writings. That is, the Olympic Games. Then they were called that - “lists”. He wrote that he knew about these games, knew that people compete, and cited them as an example to follow in the spiritual struggle: just as they try to win there, so one must try to win in the spiritual struggle. Therefore, the Apostle Paul is also remembered. They also serve prayers for every good deed, turning to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov
- Father, you said that prayer services are held, does that mean that some traditions have already developed?
– Yes, before the start of the Olympic Games there is always a prayer service. And this time it will be headed by Patriarch Kirill, and it will be served not in Moscow, as before, but in Sochi. All teams gather there, and before the start of the games, His Holiness the Patriarch will be present at the ceremonial events; he will lead this solemn prayer service, serving for all Orthodox teams. This refers to Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. For everyone where there are Orthodox athletes.
– In the time of the Apostle Paul, sports were encouraged, so the apostle cited them as an example of diligence, long-suffering, self-sacrifice, but initially the games were dedicated to the most “influential” of the pantheon of Olympian gods - Zeus. These were pagan games...
– The modern Olympic Games have nothing to do with this cult. It’s just that some paraphernalia remains from ancient times - lighting a fire, for example. But there is no longer any religious worship here. And, of course, there is no longer any faith in the gods - Zeus or any other patrons of certain sports. Games are now perceived as an action that came to us from time immemorial and during the period of which, according to the conditions of those years, all wars ended. Do you know that this was one of the conditions of the Olympic Games in ancient times? If only it were like this now, so that when people gather for these games, peace reigns throughout the globe! At least for this time. That would be good. A few days without war. Joy!
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' addresses the athletes after a prayer service in the Church of the Holy Image of the Savior in Sochi. February 5, 2014
– But now this condition is not met, unfortunately.
- Unfortunately. But we will try. That is why we are making every effort to ensure that peace, tranquility, order, prosperity, joy and success are maintained during the Olympic Games.
– What else does your service and obedience consist of as the confessor of the Olympic team?
– Firstly, this is the establishment of spiritual life in the Olympic Village. We notify athletes through announcements, in personal meetings, that they have the opportunity, if they wish, to pray at a service that is held at a certain time for them in the Olympic chapels. They can come there, talk with the priest, order a prayer service, participate in other services, even memorial services and funeral services. Such cases also happened.
- Really?
– Yes, if athletes or journalists die. Sometimes participants died for various reasons - both from heart attacks and accidents. And in Beijing the Olympics generally began with a general funeral service. Do you remember what day it was? It's a terrible thing. The beginning of the war in Abkhazia. How it was specially done. Here we say: the Olympics are peace, but here it’s the other way around. And the first action that the priests, and I personally too, performed was a memorial service for the entire Olympic Committee and for all our representatives, including the President. This was the situation.
Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov with members of the Olympic team about to leave for Vancouver
– Father Nikolai, you talked about serving during competitions, during the Olympic Games. The interval between the Olympics is four years. How are you working with athletes during this time?
– Unfortunately, we only have individual connections, only with a small number of athletes, because they all mostly go to their own regions. There are very few people left in Moscow. They train at bases in different parts of the world - some in South America, some in Australia, some in Europe, some in Siberia. Therefore, we can meet them as our Olympic team only when they all gather before the start of the competition.
– Maybe you managed to develop a strong relationship with one of the athletes during this time? Has anyone become a parishioner of your church?
- Some were baptized. Some baptized their relatives. The people were different. I can't name names. Maybe they don’t want to be talked about - they need to be asked. I can name those who do not live in Russia now. For example, my famous spiritual children are Katya Gordeeva and Seryozha Grinkov, Olympic champions, whom I met when I was already a priest. They came to me, and we spent a lot of time with them, then I even buried Seryozha, who died tragically. And Katya is my parishioner, although she now lives in America.
There are other athletes who also come. But it’s not enough: almost everyone, as I said, lives in their own regions - they have their own confessors there.
We arrive, and the police: “No, no!” But we are not going for ourselves, but for the sake of our team. Then we moved to the side a little, thinking about what to do...
– Is it possible, without naming names, to tell interesting stories that happened during your such unusual obedience?
– Please, it’s possible, there are such stories. For example, the Olympics in Turin. Then it was urgently necessary before the start of the competition to consecrate the Sestriere base in the mountains on the border of Switzerland and France, where the competition was held. It’s about 150 kilometers from Turin, probably into the mountains. We were asked to come there and bless all the ski equipment: poles, skis, uniforms - absolutely everything that our ski team has. We went there, and, imagine, we forgot to take our accreditation with us - that is, we don’t have a pass. And without a pass, who will let us go there? Of course, we arrive, and the police: “No, no!” We realized that they wouldn’t let us through, but we couldn’t turn around and leave: we weren’t going for ourselves, but for the sake of our team. Then we moved to the side a little, thinking about what to do. And I had an icon with me, and I said: “Let’s give the policeman an icon.” I took out the icon, again we approached the checkpoint, and suddenly at that very moment the police turned away and looked in a completely different direction. And the driver says to me: “Listen, no one is stopping us. And look where he’s looking: there’s nothing there at all.” And all this time I’ve been holding the icon in my hands to give it to the policeman in case he lets me through. And we rushed off! - Five minutes later we were at the base. We blessed all the equipment, and our athletes received bronze. Of course, we were very grateful. So there were different situations.
The athletes sat on massage mats, and I laid out the Gospel on the massage table and placed holy water...
– Please tell us more, because these examples greatly strengthen people.
– Once during the Olympics in Vancouver we were asked to hold a general meeting for all the teams that took part in the competition. There was a place called Winster, in the mountains, where they came. We went there. And our team is big! Where should the meeting be held? As a result, whole teams came to the hall where the massage was performed. The athletes sat down on massage mats, and I laid out the Gospel on the massage table, put holy water, and then almost everyone began to ask me to consecrate crosses and icons for them. And so they come up, put the icons on the table, and everyone tells their own story: “my grandmother blessed me with this icon,” “my father gave this to me, he was also an athlete”... That is, here it is, spiritual life - it continues during sports , a person does not go through these trials on his own, but with God. And I would especially like to emphasize that we help those who, for various reasons, were unsuccessful in their performance. After all, a tragedy begins in a person: a person breaks down, sometimes he simply becomes hysterical. Where can I find solace? In this state they come to the temple, and we find words of consolation and peace. We explain that the very participation in such games indicates that you have reached a very high level with your hard work.
At a prayer service before the Vancouver Olympics. Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Moscow. January 28, 2010
We help those who have failed in their performance for various reasons. After all, a tragedy begins in a person: a person breaks down, sometimes he simply becomes hysterical.
- Father, can this really console you? After all, each of these people is striving for victory. After all, it is for this reason that he subordinates his entire life to such a strict routine. This is a daily battle, this is a constant overcoming of oneself. And in the end...
– Sport is sport. And everyone wins to the extent that he can win. And even if you performed unsuccessfully, but could have done better, it means that it was some kind of lesson - punishment or admonition. And you should never despair or get upset. If only I had health. That’s why I say: “Always rejoice, pray unceasingly, give thanks in everything!” These are the words of the Apostle Paul.
– Father Nikolai, what do you think: such daily, hard labor, one might say, and the fact that a person sacrifices his whole life on the altar of sports...
- Yes, my whole life for one jump...
“...so, does all this make sense?”
– You know, the point is to show and remind that a person is endowed with enormous energy potential! Both physical and spiritual energy. Which we, due to our sinfulness and our foolishness, have lost over these millennia. And so, we still show that in each of us there is this spark that can open the height to which a person is capable of rising. He can fly like a bird on skis, he can cover distances that others cannot, he can lift weights that are simply impossible for others to lift, but he lifts these half a ton calmly. You see, athletes show that man’s possibilities are inexhaustible, that man is the image and likeness of God. And I believe that before sin a person could do all this in reality. But today these are only individual small dots, like stars. But all this is needed. And if a person sets himself up correctly, this does not interfere with his spiritual life and does not turn him away from God. The main thing is that there is no pride.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with athletes from the Olympic teams of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova after a prayer service in the Church of the Holy Image of the Savior in Sochi. February 5, 2014
– Yes, you touched on a very important point. How does the coach most often set things up? "Show them that you are the best!" But this slogan is intended to incite vanity in a person. And there is also such an eloquent expression: “sports anger.” It turns out that we always appeal to sinful feelings.
- Undoubtedly.
- How to deal with this?
- How? Repent. This is why a priest exists—a confessor or spiritual leader—to set a person up correctly—so that he can see in both victories and defeats that this is the will of God, good and perfect.
– What about rivalry? How should a person deal with this?
- No way. We have it everywhere. And everywhere there is an opportunity to be happy for another, if you are in the right mood. If you are on a team, then the team wins; if not you, then your teammate next to you won. And you have the opportunity to perform even better. I believe that a healthy spirit of competition is not evil, a healthy spirit - it helps. Only on the condition that there is no anger, that there is no rejection or contempt from the other person, and then competition is normal.
Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov with members of the Olympic team. Sochi. February 7, 2014
– And just before the athlete starts the competition, how do you give him some parting words?
– More often than not, it’s the coach who gives advice. In the entire history of “my” Olympics, during all these five or six games, athletes approached me only twice: “Father, bless me, now there will be an important performance.” I blessed him, gave him a cross to kiss, and that’s it. In my opinion, they were figure skaters - ice dancers. But basically the coach gives instructions.
– You expressed a very interesting idea that the incredible physical capabilities that athletes now demonstrate were originally – before the Fall – inherent in man...
- This is my guess...
– But the fact is that the modern Olympic Games have long been a demonstration of not just a person’s physical abilities, but his abilities, multiplied by the use of some kind of chemical auxiliary drugs. It’s not always even doping... How to evaluate this?
Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov
– As a tribute to a certain level of human life on earth. Because all these drugs, if they are not prohibited or some kind of doping, are designed to strengthen a person during heavy loads. If you read the book “On Tasty and Healthy Food”, everything is written about this. To maintain himself in a certain shape, an athlete must strictly limit his food intake, but at the same time, in order not to lose his qualifications and so on, he must take certain vitamins, medications - that’s all. Everyone does this unless it is prohibited by certain rules. If these are approved drugs, then taking them is normal. If not allowed, disqualification.
– But sometimes these drugs can affect hormonal levels, for example...
– I am not a doctor and cannot speak competently on this topic. Yes, I heard that hormonal levels are changing. Anything can happen, uncharacteristic signs appear, but, from my point of view, these are costs, excuse me, of sport. After all, when people stop exercising intensively, then they either gain weight or lose weight - in general, there are all sorts of changes.
– Father, what do you think about the fact that an athlete must sometimes identify his gender before competitions in order to be allowed to participate?
- The fact is that our time is like this. Now there are a lot of things that were not known before. Now people perform operations on themselves - plastic, some other, and then it suddenly opens up... Therefore, I think that getting checked, taking tests is acceptable.
– How do athletes differ from ordinary parishioners?
– In church life? Nothing! Maybe only with great diligence and perseverance.
– So they are stronger in spirit than most ordinary people?
- Yes, mostly.
– What about the Paralympic Games participants?
– The Paralympic Games are an incredible event that is designed to show the greatness of the human spirit. When people who even in ordinary life face difficulties that we have no idea about, demonstrate to us, healthy people, what a person is capable of... These are people of colossal physical and creative potential!
– Father Nikolai, thank you very much for being able to pay attention to us and finding time for a conversation literally before leaving for Sochi. What would you like to wish our athletes now, on the eve of the Olympic Games?
- Calmness, patience, God's help.
Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov with members of the Olympic team. Sochi. February 7, 2014
Texts of strong Orthodox prayers for victory in competitions
Prayers for victory in sports can be read both for athletes and for their loved ones.
St. George the Victorious
Nicholas the Wonderworker
Maternal
Archangel Michael
Helpers in difficult situations
As the proverb says, you shouldn’t swear off scrip and prison. Let's see what saints help people who have encountered troubles along the path of life. In such situations, the patron is not determined by date of birth, but a candle is lit for someone who helps in such a misfortune.
So, it is believed that Kaztan Tiensky helps Catholics find a new job, and Ksenia from St. Petersburg helps Orthodox Christians.
Agnell in Catholicism, in Orthodoxy - Boris and Gleb, Alexander Nevsky, Nil Sorsky and the Mother of God support and help those affected by the war to recover.
Those captured are patronized by Peter of Athos and Simeon the God-Receiver. If nostalgia has crept into your soul and your heart is filled with longing for your family and loved ones, they pray to John Kushchnik.
The Mother of God (icon “Savior of the Drowning”) and Iakinthos from Krakow protect from death on the water. Rescue in a shipwreck is protected by Yudok.
The patron saint of children is Sergius of Radonezh. They pray to him if the offspring have poor academic performance.
If you feel despair, they say that placing a candle to St. John Chrysostom will help. Of course, this is a matter of faith, especially in our enlightened age, but there are situations when this remains the only way out. As the saying goes, “there are no atheists in foxholes.”
How to pray correctly
It is best to pray for athletic achievements in places of prayer: churches and monasteries. At major competitions outside of Russia, such an opportunity is rarely provided. In such cases, prayers are read in front of holy images in a specially prepared place.
For prayer to be heard, the believer must remember three basic conditions:
- sincere faith in God and the power of prayer;
- sadness about sins (internally or in confession to a priest);
- absence of evil thoughts towards rivals.
A candle is lit in front of the icon, and while it is burning, a prayer is said. We pray for victory whenever we can be alone and focus on the content of the sacred text. After a good performance, you should thank the Lord or a holy person for your help.
Who is the patron
The easiest way to determine personal patron saints is by date of birth. We will figure out how to do this at the end of the article.
It is also interesting to know that in the process of the formation of Christianity, the lives of saints were studied and professions similar to their occupations or abilities received them as patrons.
So Levi Matvey, being a tax collector during his lifetime, became the defender of employees of financial departments. Clara of Asiz had the gift of seeing and hearing the Christmas Mass in the church, even while lying sick in bed. Therefore, she is assigned the role of patron of television.
If necessary, take a look at the icons and pictures. Guardian angels, saints, and martyrs usually hold in their hands attributes that show their belonging to some type of activity.
Patrons of educational institutions
Often the name of a large educational institution, especially in the Middle Ages, was crowned with the name of the patron saint. The patron's name was used to judge the status of a school or university. Separately, all schools in Catholicism are patronized by Thomas Aquinas, and universities by Contardo Ferrini.
And here the supporters of the Catholic confession were more prominent. The Orthodox mainly recognize only that the Apostle Andrew is the patron saint of the University of Patras in Greece.
In Western Europe, many universities have acquired holy protectors.
At the Bologna Academy of Arts - Ekaterina Bolonskaya.
Edeltrude is considered the patroness of Cambridge, and Fredeswinda in Oxford.
For greater success, the University of Paris considers four saints as its patrons. These are Catherine from Alexandria, Nicholas from Myra, Ursula from Cologne and Charlemagne.
Thus, some of the oldest educational institutions have patrons. The problem is that, according to the canons, they protect the universities themselves, and do not help students study. So in exams you will still have to rely only on your intellect or a friendly cheat sheet.
