Conversations about the eternal. How can a Christian woman find her place in the modern world?
“Russian Planet” and radio “Radonezh” continue the series of materials about the Orthodox view of events in the country and the world. The focus is on the role of a Christian woman in the modern world.
What could her ministry be like in the Church and people? How to build a family life? How to resist the modern way of life, when evil is declared good - abortion is called freedom? How to help women who find themselves in difficult life situations?
A conversation between catechist Sergei Komarov and the editor-in-chief of the publishing house "Pchela", the general director of the charitable foundation for supporting family and motherhood "Women for Life", mother of four children, author and presenter of the program on the Spas TV channel Natalya Moskvitina.
S. Komarov: Hello, dear brothers and sisters. Sergei Komarov is at the microphone.
We are all preparing for Lent. But a civil holiday is also coming, to which church people have different attitudes. It's March 8th, International Women's Day.
Any holiday, even a secular one, gives us a reason to talk about spiritual things. For example, on New Year's we talk about the theology of time, the meaning of time. And on the eve of the holiday of March 8, I would like to talk about the ministry of a woman in the Church, about what a woman is called to in the Church, how she lives in the Church.
As a biblical scholar, I am interested in the following topic: how are certain biblical ideas about women refracted in modern life? For example, the Bible says that woman was created as a helpmate to her husband. What does “helper” mean when talking about modern life? For example, if a woman is not married, who should she be an assistant to? Or it is said that a woman is saved by childbearing. What if she doesn't have children?
Today in our studio we have Natalya Moskvitina, editor-in-chief of the publishing house “Pchela”, general director of the charitable foundation for supporting family and motherhood “Women for Life”, mother of four children, author and presenter of programs on the “Spas” TV channel. Hello, Natalia!
N. Moskvitina: Good evening.
S. Komarov: Natalya, when you read Scripture, how do you comprehend biblical ideas about women? For example, here is a quote: “It is not good for man to be alone; let us create a helper suitable for him.” Woman was originally created as a helper. But if she didn’t get married, is she an inferior person? Who should she help, in this case?
N. Moskvitina: Many Orthodox Christians say that a woman should not work. But just when a woman goes to work, in today’s realities, she really helps her husband maintain the house. It’s one thing to raise children and cook, but the realities are different. When a woman goes to work, she is preserved and develops further, this is necessary. In the connotation of Holy Scripture, this reads perfectly. Further, perhaps, we will change the interpretation. And now this seems to be a great solution.
S. Komarov: The Apostle Paul says that a woman is saved by bearing children. What if the woman has not given birth? How is this biblical principle implemented here?
N. Moskvitina: It seems that everyone already understands that giving birth is just the beginning of the journey. We need to educate. You can serve not only your children, but also raise godchildren, go to orphanages, and serve with mercy. Elizaveta Fedorovna did not have children, but this did not cancel her as an example to all women. If this is read in the context of life, great, but if it is not read, then the woman can find more means for service. She is naturally endowed with other talents. She has a softer heart and will find a use for it.
S. Komarov: Often a woman, for a number of reasons, is embarrassed to go and offer her help and cannot find her ministry. The unfulfilled need for women's service tears her apart from the inside if she is not married and has no children. There are many single women in our Church. The paradox is that a person can be in the Church for 10-20-30 years and still be lonely. This is especially tragic in the case of a woman. What would you say to such women?
N. Moskvitina: Meekness is great. You need to preserve this in yourself, but not confuse it with false modesty, which prevents you from doing good deeds. We need to understand the roots of this. It’s good to stay within your boundaries of intelligence and modesty. It is unlikely that this will make anyone worse. But taking two steps forward towards mercy and charity, starting to talk with other people - there is nothing wrong with that. Overcoming yourself means simply doing it. It's actually easy to do. Many things are done this way. You just have to do it. They did it, and thank God. Next time you'll do better. Never again will you stand in front of a large sea of all kinds of good deeds, afraid to step foot there. When you enter, you are no longer on the shore, inside, you have to look for opportunities. Do not put off these matters of your service to the Church, go tomorrow.
I'll tell you how it was for me. After completing missionary courses on Kantemirovskaya in the church where Father Daniil Sysoev was killed, I really wanted to apply my knowledge. And there was already such a circle of communication between young churchgoers, everyone was on fire, going to do something. It’s easy for men - they can serve at the altar, but what should women do? I went to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for a year and a half and prayed at the relics of St. Philareta (Drozdova), literally saying the following: Saint, you are a missionary, a catechist, I also completed missionary courses, just what should I do, please help. That is, just like that, very simple. And I often talk about this, because relationships with God and saints are very simple. By the way, the same with people. There is no need to wrap up great verbal constructions in your head, but just do it.
I went like this for a year and a half, once or twice a week. Nothing happened. And I wanted to serve. But I didn’t sit still. I went to Kosovo and took icons with a friend. I helped the homeless at the station, those who were thinking about suicide, and abandoned children. But I felt that it was not mine. This search lasted a long time, the prayer did not stop.
Before I started working on abortion prevention, literally my words at the shrine with the relics were as follows: Saint, please, don’t be anti-abortion, because it’s very difficult there. Just not there. Women are there with their problems, dramas, these posters with dismembered babies, it’s hard, hell.
And everything turned out just like in the famous fairy tale: “Just don’t throw me into the thorn bush.” I ended up in the anti-abortion movement - and I didn’t regret it at all. In any case, you can ask God for something 300 billion times, but in order for it to come true, something must be done. It may be ridiculous, childish, but do it, and don’t dig too much into it. God Himself will begin to guide you.
S. Komarov: We can build an algorithm from your words: pray and do what is in front of your eyes, from a small point of view. Could you give practical advice about this small matter? Can women join your movement?
N. Moskvitina: They can. You need to find my foundation on social networks or on the website and write directly. We have a large volunteer movement. You can finish school to understand how to communicate with women. There are billions of options on how you can help a woman in a crisis situation. If you are a professional lawyer, you can help as a lawyer, or you can simply buy food and take it home to someone in need.
But not everyone wants to help women in crisis. Not all women even. You can ask your priest at your parish what you can do to serve. You need to indicate that you want this; it is unlikely that the abbot will look for the right person among the masses of people. The movement of man and God is always two-way. They go to each other.
And it’s the same between people. We always think that everyone understands us. We speak the same language. In fact, everyone has their own background, everyone thinks about their own, few people think about the other, and it’s impossible to save everyone in the area. You only save yourself. You can guess that you need help, but it’s easier and simpler to just voice it.
By the way, resources are not always money. This is where you work, friends, the ability to introduce someone. You have a notebook, there is a list - one person about the hospital, another about large companies, the third about a car. If you put it all together, it turns out that one will donate, another will use the car to take them, the third will bring and communicate with people. The greatest resource is people. Anyone who just has a notebook is always needed by everyone.
S. Komarov: And the topic of abortion, which you deal with. Who is usually to blame for the tragedy of abortion - more the man or the woman? How does this happen in most cases? Is there an algorithm?
N. Moskvitina: - Yes and no. Who is guilty? The man is to blame. It's always our choice. Basically, it happens that a man-father steps away from a woman, and he doesn’t necessarily tell her to have an abortion, he can simply remain silent, and the woman figures out the rest, which is very wrong, because some women have an abortion, anticipating the words of the child’s father. A considerable percentage of abortions are carried out due to the father's ignorance. We stopped such cases. But here again - you come and tell me. If the problem remains after this, then we will solve it. You cannot have an abortion to solve problems, especially if you created them for yourself. But how painful it will be to hear the real opinion of the child’s father, who will say what he would like.
Everything in life begins with a word - as in the Bible. We don't know how to talk, we don't know how to talk. The more you talk, the better you get at it. Can be dissected to simple truths. Often the child's father guides, the woman's mother greatly influences. But ultimately, the woman takes this responsibility herself.
There was a conversation just yesterday. The child's father insisted on an abortion; there are already three children in the family. And the family did not survive - the couple separated. Abortion and the conversation that the child is not needed is a consequence of a breakdown in the family. You can think ahead whether the marriage will survive. A child is not a bargaining chip. So what if you kill? You won't solve anything, but you'll also kill the child.
I’ll say a banal thing that needs to be said again and again: after an abortion it’s very difficult. If we, believers, understand at the level of spiritual truths that this is a sin, then everyone else, with rare exceptions, simply repents and cries about their abortions. Decades pass, women remember everything, it breaks them forever, this is absolutely destructive behavior even at the physiological level (not a single child survived as a result of an abortion). Often after an abortion there is oncology, which begins several years later. There won't be anything better from an abortion, there won't be. This needs to be understood.
And even if we cannot give birth, due to age, for example, understand, this is so serious that we must always keep it in our heads and broadcast it, because we never know how our word will respond. Somewhere around us it has become so ingrained into new false truths, the antithesis that abortion is freedom. And it must be said that this is an absolute lie, and evil has been made good. Have pity on yourself - preserve the person within you in every sense. And dissuade someone else from taking this terrible step.
S. Komarov: I would like to return to the conversation about biblical ideas about family and women. The biblical model of a happy family is patriarchal, when the husband is the head of the wife, and the wife is afraid of the snake. The biblical word contains a certain ontological meaning, that is, if it is said that the husband is the head, then he must be the head. What to do if the husband is not the head, if he is childish, earns little and does not earn at all, and the woman feels strength in herself and some kind of collapse occurs - both of them are believers and recognize this family model, but in fact it turns out that over time the family begins to the woman dominates, performing the function that the husband cannot for certain personal reasons.
What should a woman do then? Should I be strong and become the man in the family, or remember that there is a biblical model of happiness, and we need to make sure that the man becomes strong?
N. Moskvitina: Gain wisdom. There is such a hidden matriarchy in Russia. Our women are strong. It’s not for nothing that there is a proverb about a burning hut. But the right of the first word must be left to the man, and then the woman still controls everything. He must be given the opportunity to speak, to accept this point of view, to agree with it, so that he does not feel that he is not seen or heard, to hear him, to show that what he said was heard and learned. Next comes the stage of negotiations. This is true in large companies as well. And it’s the same with children: you have to hear what the children say, but you do it yourself, as a parent. Peace is important with children and husband. This is how children are born. Men don’t want the first, and the second, and it’s difficult to persuade them to the third, but, nevertheless, having many children is a great feminine art.
S. Komarov: How Sarah called Abraham master, but ruled him as she wanted.
N. Moskvitina: Here, here.
S. Komarov: I would like to read from the book of Proverbs, from chapter 31, about the image of a virtuous wife:
“Who can find a virtuous wife? its price is higher than pearls; The heart of her husband is confident in her, and he will not be left without profit; she rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life. He produces wool and flax, and willingly works with his hands. She, like merchant ships, gets her bread from afar. She gets up while it is still night and distributes food in her house and food to her maids. She thinks about a field and acquires it; from the fruit of his hands he plants a vineyard. He girds his loins with strength and strengthens his muscles. She feels that her work is good, and her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the spinning wheel, and her fingers take hold of the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor, and gives her hand to the needy. She is not afraid of cold for her family, because her whole family is dressed in double clothing. She makes her own carpets; Fine linen and purple are her clothing. Her husband is known at the gate when he sits with the elders of the land. She makes bedspreads and sells them, and delivers belts to the Phoenician merchants. Strength and beauty are her clothes, and she looks cheerfully at the future. She opens her lips with wisdom, and gentle instruction is on her tongue. She oversees the management of her house and does not eat the bread of idleness. The children get up and please her, the husband praises her: “There were many virtuous wives, but you surpassed them all.” Loveliness is deceptive and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord is worthy of praise. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her deeds glorify her at the gates!” (Prov. 31:10-31).
N. Moskvitina: Yes, I like everything very much.
S. Komarov: Do such women exist today? Would anyone appreciate such a woman today if she suddenly appeared before the eyes of men? Does this biblical image of beauty and family success work today, or will such a person remain alone due to the depravity of morals?
N. Moskvitina: There is nothing new under the sun. Everything is true forever and everything works. This is not a very falsely humble woman, she is very active, strong, she has everything with her, she is a manager. At the same time, she is beautiful, beautifully dressed. This is a very modern woman. The only thing that has changed is that we have to go out into the world and work in secular jobs, but I don’t think that if this were written now it would be different, except maybe the language. All the same!
We cannot afford to hide behind false humility, because it is pride hidden under humility. There is a lot of this in the Church. You often hear: they are so depraved over there, but we are clean here, because we sit at home and don’t go out anywhere. But try, go to work, you will cope with a thousand temptations, and only then will you recognize yourself as you are. Why does a man often fall into temptation? At work he copes with a lot of temptations, he cannot always overcome them. And if you just sit in the house and say that I’m so humble and modest, then you haven’t even smelled gunpowder. Therefore, today a woman should be active in righteous deeds, in giving birth to children, in helping others, in the parish. And while working, you can also convert your colleagues to the faith.
S. Komarov: From what the Bible says, it seems to me that a woman’s happiness is in humility. A woman is called by God to humble herself before a man, but tragedy arises when there is no one to humble herself to. There is a man, but he is not able to control. The woman wants to reconcile, but cannot. But a woman’s natural service is directed in the other direction.
N. Moskvitina: If there is no one in front of anyone, is it because he is not there or is he infantile?
S. Komarov: Both.
N. Moskvitina: Grow it. This is the strength of a woman. This, however, is not always possible, but more often it is available. Many of our men were raised by one mother, and if a woman is wise, quiet, modest, but at the same time strong-willed, then everything is quite possible - a lot depends on the woman. And if there is no man, then there are also many different options. No by age or not, because he hasn’t appeared yet.
S. Komarov: I would like to read a quote from St. Theophan the Recluse about the obedience of a wife to her husband: “The obedience of a wife to her husband in Christianity takes on a higher character, as one that follows from the fear of God and is equated with deeds of pleasing God, done directly to the Lord Himself.” That is, for the saint, the wife’s obedience to her husband is pleasing to God. A wife's obedience to her husband is part of the divine plan; it is a model of happiness for a person.
Don’t you think that we ourselves are killing this model of happiness today? Men because they become weak and infantile, and women because they do not want to humble themselves and build their lives self-sufficiently. The further we destroy this model, the more unhappy we will be.
Some Western biblical scholars even say today that the biblical patriarchal model is simply a tribute to the era. They say these are legends from ancient times. There is a serious shift towards the matriarchal model; happiness is seen in it. Do you think biblical meanings are forever?
N. Moskvitina: I’m sure of it. It cannot be otherwise. The woman fought for all her rights, won everything.
S. Komarov: But there is no happiness.
N. Moskvitina: You know, I don’t really understand what happiness is. Better to say - joy. It can be quiet, bright, and the Gospel is not about happiness, because it is something emotional, not always healthy, and joy is perceived at different levels. It's like love in which you grow. After years it becomes quiet, from flame turns into light.
We thought that if our rights were completely different, then happiness would come after that. And in the end? Abortions, divorces. We can vote - so what? When you say some understandable things, children often react like this - so what? But really - so what? We fought and fought, and now it’s hard for us to prove to the same doctors that we want to give birth to this child, or now it’s hard for us to prove to our spouse, who believes that the marriage needs to be destroyed, that this can be dealt with. We ourselves opened this Pandora's box, and now here we are.
Question from a radio listener: Often a strong-willed woman tries to show her will to a man, but he does not grow up, but becomes even more infantile, which often leads to divorce. It happens?
N. Moskvitina: Alas.
S. Komarov: A woman has something like this - to probe a man, find a weak spot and enslave him, manipulate him, this happens often.
N. Moskvitina: Nature is different. But there’s no telling the truth—the woman is cunning. She becomes either wise or evil and cunning. Why does everything start to work at random? In addition to everything else, it also includes anger. Where does the anger come from? Evil enters a woman as a result of abortion. The woman becomes embittered, begins to justify evil, she develops such pressure, she believes that she did everything right, there is no doubt that she is right, and she begins to suppress, to include not wisdom, but evil. The position is this: I’ve been through so much, but who are you, and my salary is higher.
There was a story when a woman had an abortion because she received more than her husband. The result is wrong - abortion. But in fact, we were dealing with the fact that the man needed to help, she really worked more, the family was on the verge of divorce. All these issues and crooked aspects of the relationship should have been resolved before this.
A man needs to constantly rebrand himself. A woman gets her bearings faster, sees faster how to raise a family, and looks for additional income, and a man, instead of trying to fit in, begins to attack her, she defends herself, and all this poison splashes out on him and everything begins to collapse. In order for a woman not to turn on the mechanism of a female praying mantis, a man must also understand that he is a protector, a provider, he must demonstrate those physiological and mental properties that were invested in him. We finally need to get involved and act. And the woman will begin to respect him.
Question from a radio listener: You conduct a conversation as if the man is a chick - do whatever you want with him. Funny at first.
S. Komarov: No, we’re just talking about what exists. Many people write that it is not always possible for a man to own a woman. This is the question. This is our reality. If you have a husband who truly owns you, you are lucky. But there are thousands of women who don't. I also wanted to ask Natalya. What is the attitude towards you in society, are you supported, are there sponsors, helpers?
N. Moskvitina: These are different things - whether you are supported and whether there are sponsors. This needs to be divided. In general, over the five years that the fund has existed, people have begun to react very adequately; rather, at all levels they recognize that the work is big and, in fact, we have taken on the function of the state. Everything that is done must, in principle, be done. It's strange why this hasn't been done before. All the same, the topic is such that everyone must decide for themselves - what would I do? If this happened in your life, then why did you do it?
Finding money is difficult. Very. This topic often divides society. If I had only thought about how to find money, then I probably would have closed it a long time ago, because this is the most difficult component, almost impossible to solve. But at the same time, there are people who are ready to donate 200, 300 rubles, and this is the only way we find money for our clients. But someone big who could donate at least one tenth of the fund, just come and cover some expenses or close all donations for the wards - there is no such thing. It's like hitting your head against the wall.
And that’s why I’m not talking about money, this is the most difficult thing. Pain point. This is the most difficult thing that the Lord has placed. It’s one thing to start talking to society about abortion, another thing is to find money for it so that all the mechanisms in the fund work. And I want there to be a man nearby - a major sponsor, the head of the company, obviously a man. Maybe the time hasn't come yet. And you need to prove to God that despite this, you trust Him.
In this hierarchy, God still comes first, and you feel like a wife, a bride, and a daughter. When you understand this well, what happens below - there is no sponsor, or I am raising children alone - is not such a serious problem, because of which I would just fold my paws and say that's it, I give up. There is always God. And He gives signs when you see that all this is needed.
When things are really hard for you, you pray incredibly because you realize that in a few days it could all just be over. And there is always, always something happening. 5 years like this. Call, SMS, or simply transfer a large amount of money. The main skill that has come to me over these 5 years is to trust, because we pray and ask so much, and when some test comes, you think that I didn’t ask for that. And it is the feeling of flight, where you can fall or fly higher, that is freedom. Because you depend on people, you may not calculate your strength, you hold something or someone like a crutch, but God - once! - and kicks him out. That doesn't happen with God. You don’t physically feel Him like a crutch, but He carries you in His arms all this time.
S. Komarov: It’s not for nothing that it was said – “fulfills your good wishes.” Well that is.
Question from a radio listener: Father Dmitry Smirnov said that in the 40 years that he had been confessing, he had never seen a happy woman who had an abortion.
S. Komarov: Thank you for your comment. Natalya, what can your foundation offer to women who are considering having an abortion, but still turn to you?
N. Moskvitina: Lots of tools. It's easier to say what we don't do. When we started doing this and seeing these women with our own eyes, we started looking for different tools. Now everything that can be imagined is available: legal, psychological, medical assistance, many doctors who not only help deal with diagnoses, but also rehabilitate special children. They even perform surgeries in utero for defects such as spino bifida.
This includes financial fees. We helped in every possible way: we bought goats and cows, repaired roofs, floors, even bought apartments, although this is an exception, of course. I am absolutely against dependency, but we have had stories where a woman had an abortion and the child survived. And we wrote an article about this; she lived with her son, who was 9 years old. We just wanted to rent her a room for a long time so that it wasn’t a dorm. And they saved enough for an apartment.
There is also a food aid project in Moscow; there are food collection boxes in Orel and Yekaterinburg. There are windows, called “Mom’s Window,” where food is given out. A woman contacts our fund, provides the necessary documents, they are simple, and can receive food twice a month. We send packages for childbirth - a project similar to the project of the Moscow City Hall, and our project is federal, throughout Russia. There is a project called “Beautiful Mom”, where we help by giving women a free haircut and manicure in beauty salons. And we have a lot of volunteers. There is a card where a woman leaves a request for help, and anyone can take it and help. And there is a project with the Moscow Employment Center - career guidance, additional education. And many other things. There were absolutely unique cases - they received citizenship, and the most difficult diagnoses were found by doctors. The main thing is that the woman finds the strength to turn around.
Question from a radio listener: Why wasn’t a law against abortion passed? We ran around collecting signatures for a year and collected as many as we needed.
N. Moskvitina: This was collected by colleagues from the For Life movement. I also participated and collected signatures. Why did it happen so? I need to better contact my colleagues who can better explain the internal mechanics, but I think that after all, the law is the initiation of the people who live in our country. Yes, a million people were found. But as a percentage, this is not even half of all people. It turns out that many people consider this untimely.
What happened to people's consciousness when abortion was legalized was completely replaced by human mentality. We began to believe that abortion is the norm. This is what the majority of our fellow citizens think. Really the most important thing now is to talk to people. What is in our heads is not clear or known to everyone. Nothing like this. The toughest debate you can imagine is the debate about abortion. And people don’t even know that abortion was first legalized in Russia, during Soviet times, by Lenin’s decree. And it would be good to voice this to everyone. Many people begin to broadcast these myths.
People believe that abortion is good and good. If we take it now and abruptly ban it... This is such a flywheel, a machine like a meat grinder that has spun up, that if we suddenly cut everything off now, many will simply crash. Like any mechanism, it must have a braking distance to get to this point.
There must be more than one generation of people who would already consider this blasphemous. To do this you need to talk. Information campaigns are needed. Everything is elementary, I’ll use the usual word without embellishment - propaganda. If the posters told us, they laid down new meanings, that keeping a child is a joy, a picture was shown of what a baby looks like at 6 or 8 weeks.
At Spas I always keep models of embryos and show them. This way you can better see which child is being killed by abortion. When they scrape it with a curette, they break his skull, pull out his legs and arms. It's very scary. This needs to be known and understood. That’s why it happened - we found a million people with initiative in the country, but more people who live next to us but don’t come to church.
Question: How are you coping now without the spiritual support of Father Dmitry Smirnov? Where can I find materials about how you work, the foundation?
N. Moskvitina: In my watch there is a photograph with Father Dmitry. I can honestly say that after he left, I don’t feel like it was leaving, although I was amazed that it happened overnight. But for some reason there is no feeling that a separation has occurred. It's like parting before a meeting. I now more consciously check my every step, thinking about what Father Dmitry would say.
When there was a program on the TV channel dedicated to Father Dmitry, the phrase that he was a man of the era was removed from the tongue. It is an obvious fact that Father Dmitry is a lump. But I tried to stop myself from saying this, because my father would hit me in the head and say what you were saying there, Natasha, what were you saying? He was so truthful and sincere, his harsh phrases sounded so natural that it was clear that he simply believed in it, in what he lived and what he did, everything was organic with him - you want not to lose it.
If you're talking about abortion, be as close to people as possible. And in my programs I turn myself inside out, tell everything that happens to me, how I went through it. They suspect that I am so active because I myself had an abortion. But I would have said this a long time ago. I can't feel what it is. I hear all these stories, I try to let them through, because otherwise they can’t understand what it’s like to go through this hellish place.
When they told me that I needed to go for a cleaning because the child’s heart was not beating, I prayed earnestly, because I was most afraid of this, and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to voluntarily part with him. I will fight to the last, so I decided. What saved me was that in the context of my mother, an obstetrician-gynecologist, I grew up, saw all this, experienced it all, and thought that this would not happen to me. And it’s harder for others.
I took the path that was given to me, I didn’t ask for it. I would like to stand on something easier, but God put me in this thorn bush. And Father Dmitry is the figure who protected all the time. At every meeting he asked who was offending and how to help. And suddenly it was gone. But I believe, I feel, I know that he is now praying on the other side, the meeting will inevitably happen. But for it to happen, I must not doubt, not be of little faith, not turn back at any moment. And here you need to understand that a woman has both strength and weakness, and both must be realized.
S. Komarov: Thank you, Natalya, for your inspirational words. Thank you for coming. May God grant to all women who are pregnant to bear and give birth, to all who want children to have them, and God forbid that any woman commit the sin of abortion. May the Lord preserve.
Great Euphrosyne
At the dawn of Christianity in the 12th century in Polotsk, a girl Predslava was born into the family of Prince Vseslav Bryachislavich, in whose veins flowed the blood of the great Rogneda, one of the wives of Vladimir the Great. Parents saw their beautiful daughter as the fulfillment of their hopes, dreaming of becoming related to a famous family by marrying their daughter to a prince or king of a small power.
Euphrosyne of Polotsk - could have become a princess, but chose the path of a nun
Predslava could even become a queen or grand duchess, but from childhood the girl knew the power of the Holy Spirit, constantly remained in prayer, and on the eve of her wedding at the age of 12, she secretly took monastic vows as a nun. At that time, the power of the Church was above secular laws; tonsure did not have retroactive effect.
Euphrosyne's steely faith, the name given to Predslava at baptism, led not only her younger sister, but also her nieces to monasticism. The devout Euphrosyne had the gift of seeing the spark of God in people, so she chose as her companions those whom God pointed to.
Until the age of 12, the princess was taught to read and write and knew languages, so she decided to rewrite Christian books, which has long been a purely male affair. Previously, the census of books required certain skills and strength; while working, scribes practically knelt all the time. Bishop Ilia heeded the girl’s requests, sending her to St. Sophia Cathedral, founded by Predslava’s grandfather Vseslav.
At the age of 20, Euphrosyne was visited by an Angel, who conveyed God’s command to build a new monastery. With a staff and bread, accompanied by a nanny and 4 sisters, Euphrosyne went to the place indicated by the Almighty and founded the Spaso-Ephrosyne Monastery there.
For information! Remaining a representative of the ruling dynasty, the nun influenced the course of political power. The Creator did not entrust every man with the founding of a monastery, a monastery and two churches.
By the will of the nun, the Cross of Euphrosyne, a great shrine, was acquired, which 700 years later Ivan the Terrible returned to Polotsk.
In 1840, the Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk was transported by Archbishop Vasily to Moscow, then to St. Petersburg, and Tsar Nicholas I himself applied it to it.
Feeling that her strength was leaving her, the abbess of the monastery, Euphrosyne, at the age of 70, went to Jerusalem, where she departed to Heaven. Only at the end of the 16th century were the nun’s incorruptible relics transferred to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, and then in 1910 they were taken to Polotsk.
The Second World War and the peak of atheism in the Union “contributed” to the loss of the Cross of Euphrosyne, and the holy relics are now kept in the Holy Transfiguration Church in Polotsk. Miracles of healings and answers to prayers directed to the holy nun, the founder of monasteries, are described by monks and stored in the church in several volumes.
More about women glorified as saints:
- Holy Great Martyr Irene
- Holy Great Martyr Catherine
- Venerable Elena Diveevskaya
Equal to the Apostles Princess Olga
Everyone has heard about the existence of Princess Olga, but few modern Christians know what her feat was. How did the princess deserve the honor of becoming the first and only Russian woman to be ranked among the saints equal to the apostles?
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga
Through love for her husband and son, Olga learned the love of God. Even before the baptism of Rus', the princess accepted Christianity as the basis of her life. From unverified sources, Olga was the daughter of the prophetic Oleg, from whom she received the gift of seeing prophetic dreams, and was then called Beautiful. According to legend, Igor named her Olga; according to another version, Olga is a derivative of Oleg.
Igor is the son of Rurik, after the death of his father he was raised by the prophetic Oleg, upon reaching the required age, Igor and Olga were married. The princess did not hide her love for her husband, who spent most of his time hiking.
Igor died at the hands of the Drevlyans, for which Olga brutally took revenge. Having become a ruler, she several times destroyed all the leaders of this people, burning them alive in a bathhouse, burying them alive and chopping them with swords, until she saw the Drevlyan prince Mal dead.
In 955, during a trip to Constantinople, the princess was baptized and named Helen. All efforts to instill Christianity in her son Svyatoslav remain in vain; Saint Olga sowed her faith in her grandson Yaropolk.
In 960, Olga became the ruler of Rus', recognized by Constantinople, who still lived according to pagan laws.
Important! Even before the baptism of Rus' by Vladimir the Great, Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga contributed to the opening of Christian churches. During her reign, persecution of Christians was prohibited.
Saint Olga died in 969 and was buried according to the laws of Christianity. In 1006, her grandson, Vladimir the Great, transferred the incorrupt relics of his grandmother to the Kiev Church of the Holy Mother of God, but they were lost in the 17th century.
About the Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess:
- Icon of Saint Princess Olga
- Akathist to the Holy Grand Duchess Olga
- Relics of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga
For the miracles performed at her tomb, in 1547 the Church canonized the once formidable ruler of Rus', a faithful admirer of Jesus Christ, calling the princess equal to the apostles.
Lessons from the life of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga
A Christian can hiccup his wife everywhere, except in places where people indulge in sin.
Where to look for a loving, caring, faithful wife? Alas, going to an Orthodox church does not guarantee a positive result. As we can observe, many people go to church who are far from the principles of Holy Scripture in their lives.
You should not force yourself into some kind of framework just because you belong to the Orthodox faith. It is wrong to search in the temple, but forget about your personal life when you go outside. Still, the church is a place of communication with God, and the rest of the world was created by Him for a reason.
The temple is not a place for romantic acquaintances, it is needed for communication with God
You can search for a wife everywhere: take a closer look at the women around you, look at their qualities, manners, and characteristics. Carefully meet girls, have casual conversations and draw conclusions about how suitable you are for each other.
Priest Igor Silchenkov claims that an Orthodox person can make acquaintances everywhere, except in places where people indulge in sinful activities, for example, drinking. He believes that such acquaintances will not lead to the formation of a good family. More details in the video:
The priest also says that the main question is not “where to meet,” but “how to meet.” He calls for humility, service, and patience. Developing these qualities, giving up sinful addictions is a cleansing of the soul. And it will bring your meeting closer to the girl who suits you.
Before meeting a girl, it is useful to cultivate your positive personal qualities
As for dating in an Orthodox environment, such situations do happen. Sometimes even the priest himself can bring two believers together. Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov, rector of the Church of All Saints in the former Novoalekseevsky Monastery, talks about this trend:
“Nowadays, priests are turning into matchmakers for babarikhas. I think this is a special topic for conversation. The priest carries a data bank within himself. On the one hand, one person came up and said: “I’m afraid to be alone in this world, where is the one to whom I could give my devoted and faithful love.”
A young man came up on the other side and said: “I’m tired of deception and lies, I don’t want to step on the same rake anymore, I want to find a life partner who would walk with me hand in hand along the path of selfless love.” You have to be very careful here.
Under no circumstances should the priest mechanically connect destinies, but rather give a little hint and push: “But tomorrow we have a tour from the church to the miraculous icons of the Mother of God in Moscow. Don't want to participate? I recommend that you sit next to this person. You will probably have some common topics to think about.”
Artemy Vladimirov
Archpriest
See also the article by Artemy Vladimirov
Particularly revered saint of Russia - Matronushka
God's healer of the 20th century, blind Matrona was marked by God from childhood.
The girl was born in 1881 without eyeballs; her parents thought of leaving the baby in an orphanage, but Matrona’s mother had a dream, after which the baby grew up in her own family.
Growing up in an Orthodox family, at the age of 8 Matrona discovered the gift of the power of healing through her great faith in the grace of Jesus Christ. Blindness did not prevent the girl from being friends with the landowner's daughter. Lydia was also a deeply religious girl; she constantly took Matronushka with her on pilgrimage trips.
St. Matrona Moscow
During his stay in the Kronstadt Church, John of Kronstadt himself called Matrona the eighth pillar of Russia. From the age of 18, after her legs were lost, a blind girl from Russia received people at home. In 1925 Matrona settled in Moscow. People came to her from all over Russia, both before and after the war. Stalin himself, who knew about the gift of seeing the future, turned to the fortuneteller for help.
Since 1950, the healer lived in the Moscow region, enjoying special respect among the monks of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Matrona received more than 30 pilgrims a day, taking communion daily and praying at night.
Matronushka died in 1952, and in 1999 she was canonized as a saint. It is noteworthy that the funeral of the healer from God, which was attended by thousands of people, took place on the day of the Myrrh-Bearing Women.
For information! Nowadays the relics of Saint Matrona are kept in the Intercession Monastery and are open to pilgrims.
Orthodox Christians do not need to be afraid of online dating, but they should approach it with caution
Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko, rector of the Church of the All-Merciful Savior in the former Sorrow Monastery, head of the Orthodoxy and Peace portal, believes that dating via the Internet is acceptable for Orthodox Christians:
“In my opinion, dating via the Internet is acceptable and can lead to a very serious relationship that can end in marriage. I know of several happy families created with the help of the Internet.”
Orthodox Christians can use the Internet for dating.
Priest Alexy Darashevich believes that the acquaintance of two people is always wonderful. Everything in the world tends to get closer. The opportunity to communicate with anyone is wonderful. However, the priest urges people not to be fascinated by the image of their interlocutor.
On the Internet, as Priest Alexy assures, one must be especially careful. Everyone can present themselves much better than they really are. This is always worth remembering. More details in the video:
Today, enthusiasts are creating more and more sites, groups and networks where Orthodox men and women can meet and get to know each other. Don't neglect this opportunity.
Orthodox Social Network - Orthodox social dating network.
The ABC of Loyalty - Our Orthodox dating service is also open to those who cannot yet call themselves an Orthodox Christian. We set ourselves the task of creating a dating service without fornication, prostitution and perversion, as pure as possible from the temptations of this world; for those who strive for godliness and true love.
Orthodox pen pal club - Many Orthodox Christians, especially young people, find it difficult to find understanding in the modern world, and would like to find sincere friendly communication with fellow believers.
This is often very lacking... There are many Orthodox sites on the Internet that have advertisements for those wishing to get married, but there are practically no such sites where you can find FRIENDS. We decided to fix this.
This idea was given to us by a girl named Alexandra from St. Petersburg. She has already left her profile and you can thank her personally.
And be sure to pray for her. But what? Orthodox! Tell us about yourself, leave your email and perhaps you will soon find a pen pal. Orthodox dating.
