FORGIVENESS IS BETTER THAN REVENGE
NO ONE HEALS HIMSELF BY WOUNDING ANOTHER
29.8.2022 00:00 99\187 #συνοδικός #synodikos SATURDAY
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• συνοδικός • August 29 / August 17 • συνοδικός •
2022 (7530)
dedicated in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos .
Let God’s will abide in everything, but we shall ask for His mercy towards us who are sinful.
Afterfeast of the Dormition : 宿舍斋戒 : sùshè zhāijiè
In today’s hymns at Vespers, the Mother of God is praised as “only created being to pass from earth to heaven in the flesh.”
Troparion — Tone 1
In giving birth you preserved your virginity, / in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos. / You were translated to life, O Mother of Life, / and by your prayers, you deliver our souls from death.
Kontakion — Tone 2
Neither the tomb, nor death could hold the Theotokos, / who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions. / For being the Mother of Life, / she was translated to life by the One who dwelt in her virginal womb.
FEASTS and MIRACLES of OUR GOD LORD JESUS CHRIST
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Translation of the IMAGE NOT-MADE-WITH-HANDS OF OUR LORD AND GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST from Edessa to Constantinople (Holy Mandelion) (944)
主伊伊穌。斯耶穌合[利爾]斯托。斯基督的圖簽，“沒用手做”
The Third "FEAST OF THE SAVIOR" in August
Μνήμη εἰσόδου τῆς ἀχειροτεύκτου μορφῆς τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
On the sixteenth of this month [August], we commemorate the entrance of the acheiropoiton (made without hands) image of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, brought from the city of Edessa to the God-protected Queen of cities (Constantinople). The Feast of the Transfer of the Icon Not-Made-by-Hands, made together with the Afterfeast of the Dormition, they call the third-above Savior Icon, the “Savior on Linen Cloth.” The particular reverence of this Feast in the Russian Orthodox Church is also expressed in iconography, and the Icon Not-Made-by-Hands was one of the most widely distributed.
According to the Prologue, there are four known Icons of the Savior Not-Made-by-Hands:
- at Edessa, of King Abgar (August 16)
- the Kamulian, — Saint Gregory of Nyssa (January 10) wrote of its discovery, while according to Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain (July 14), the Kamulian icon appeared in the year 392, but it had in appearance an icon of the Mother of God (August 9)
- in the time of Emperor Tiberius (578-582), Saint Mary Syncletike (August 11) received healing from this on ceramic tiles (16 August)
This third Feast of the Saviour in August is in honour of the Holy Face of our Lord imprinted on a cloth. The tradition behind it is that King Abgar of Edessa, who lived in the time of our Lord’s sojourn on earth, was becoming progressively blind when he heard about the great miracle-worker of Israel. He wrote a letter to our Lord inviting Him to come to live with him in Edessa. Our Lord wrote back to Abgar thanking him but declining his offer. Our Lord told the king that He would send him one of his disciples to cure him of his malady. After our Lord’s Ascension into Heaven, St Thaddeus went to Edessa with the cloth on which was the Image of our Lord’s Face (by tradition made when Christ washed His Face and then wiped it with that cloth, miraculously transferring His Image onto it). When the cloth touched King (Saint) Abgar’s eyes, he received his full sight back and enshrined the cloth above the main gate of his city.
在吾主宣講了好消息並且愈合的時間人的每病和體弱, 在幼發拉底河王子 Abgar 的岸上生活在了 Edessa 的城市在那裡完全與敗壞被感染。他聽說了合[利爾]斯托。斯基督, 每疼痛和疾病的醫生並且送了一個藝術家, 亞拿尼亞, 到與他在其懇求了主來到 Edessa 並且敗壞治好他的合[利爾]斯托。斯基督的一封信的巴勒斯坦。結果主是不能的來, 王子命令了亞拿尼亞描繪他的相似並且把它帶到他, 相信這相似將能恢複他的健康。被回答了他是不能的來的主, 因為他的熱情的時間正在來臨拿了一條毛巾, 擦了他的臉並且, 在毛巾上，他的都純的臉完美地被畫。主與王子將被它愈合的消息把這條毛巾給了亞拿尼亞, 然而並非全部，並且晚些時候, 他將送他一個使者將擦掉他的疾病的剩余物。收到毛巾, 它和敗壞完全從他的它的正文但是一些掉落了的吻的王子 Abgar 在他的臉上留下了。后來, 宗徒 Thaddaeus ，宣講主條, 來到了 Abgar 並且秘密地愈合了並且給某人施洗禮他。然後破壞了在城市並且在門上面的門前站了的聖像他放了的王子與合[利爾]斯托。斯基督的相似的毛巾納入了木頭, 在一個金框架裝裱了並且用珍珠佩戴了。另外, 王子在門上在圖簽下方寫了︰“ O 合[利爾]斯托。斯基督上帝, 沒有人將是慚愧的在你希望。”后來, Abgar 的大孫子之一恢複了 Edessa 的聖像崇拜和主教在門上在那根圖簽上面獲得了晚上和 walled 。世紀從那以後過去了。在皇帝東[羅爾]瑪帝國皇帝的朝代期間，波斯的國王 Chozroes 攻擊了 Edessa 並且城市在大艱難。碰巧 Eulabius , Edessa 的主教, 有了都神聖的 Theotokos 的視覺揭示了封上的牆和忘記的圖簽的謎到他。圖簽被發現並且, 由它的電源，波斯的軍隊被打敗。
Troparion — Tone 2
We venerate Your most pure image, O Good One, / and ask forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ God. / Of Your own will You were pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh / to deliver Your creatures from bondage to the Enemy. / Therefore with thanksgiving we cry aloud to You: / “You have filled all with joy, O our Savior, / by coming to save the world.”
Kontakion — Tone 2
Uncircumscribed Word of the Father / as we behold the victorious image of Your true incarnation, / not made by hands, but divinely wrought / in Your ineffable and divine dispensation towards us, / we honor it with veneration!
FEASTS and MIRACLES of OUR VIRGIN MARY THE HOLY THEOTOKOS
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• Icon of the Mother of God of Saint THEODORE (1239) 圣德奥多若圣母像
On August 16 is commemorated the miraculous finding of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Saint Theodore. According to Tradition, the Theodore Icon of the Mother of God was written by the Evangelist Luke, and resembles the famous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.
This icon received its name from Saint Alexander Nevsky's father, Great Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who in holy Baptism was named Theodore in honor of St Theodore Stratelates. According to Tradition, his elder brother, St George, had found the icon in an old wooden chapel near the city of Gorodets. Later, the Gorodets Monastery of St Theodore was built on this spot. When the citizens of Gorodets fled the city at the approach of the Khan they did not have time to take the Icon with them. In 1239, the residents of Kostroma saw the Icon being carried through their city by a radiant figure who resembled Saint Theodore Stratelates. The next day the Icon was found in a tree by Prince Basil of Kostroma, Saint Alexander Nevsky's younger brother, while he was hunting in the forest. The Icon was placed in the church of Saint Theodore Stratelates, and many miracles took place before it. Prince Yaroslav-Theodore became the Great Prince of Vladimir after his brother, Saint George, died in battle against the Mongols at the Sita River. He gave the icon which he inherited from his brother to his own son, Saint Alexander Nevsky. The wonderworking Theodore Icon of the Mother of God was constantly with St Alexander Nevsky, and he often prayed before it. After St Alexander Nevsky died on November 14, 1263 at the monastery founded by his father, the icon was taken by his younger brother, Basil.
Numerous copies of the Kostroma Theodore Icon were made, and one of the first was commissioned and brought to Moscow by Tsar Michael's mother, the nun Martha. From the second half of the seventeenth century, various copies of the Theodore Icon were enlarged with scenes depicting events from the history of the wonderworking icon.
The Theodore Icon is two-sided. On the reverse side is the image of the holy Great Martyr Paraskeva, depicted in the splendid attire of a princess. It is believed that the image of Saint Paraskeva on the reverse of the icon is connected with the wife of Saint Alexander Nevsky.
The first Romanov tsar, Michael, was acclaimed as sovereign before the Theodore Icon in 1613.
The Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Saint Theodore is also commemorated on March 14.
• Triumph of Holy Theotokos of PORT ARTHUR (1904)
It is not given to us to perceive what is awaiting the Church ahead. Woes and persecutions often accompany the life of a Christian. But the miraculous reappearance of the icon of the most Holy Theotokos proves her gracious Intercession for all Orthodox Christians. This will give us courage and selflessness in bearing our own cross.”
This icon is also unique because it was the first image of the Most Holy Theotokos to be revealed to Christians in the 20th century. A sailor named Theodore Katansky who visited Kiev Caves Lavra in 1903 told other believers about it. He had been a hero of the defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War.
Theotokos of Port Arthur (Our Lady of Port Arthur, also known as Theotokos upon Swords and the Far Eastern Gatekeeper) is an Eastern Orthodox icon, representing the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) with the Mandylion and God the Father, flanked by two angels. The icon's dimensions (without frame) are approximately 124×77 cm. The icon is associated with the vision of an old veteran sailor, who came to pray in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra on December 11, 1903. In his dream, the sailor reportedly saw the Virgin Mary, who warned him about the upcoming Russo-Japanese War. Mary instructed to make an exact depiction of the vision and deliver it to Port Arthur (now Lüshunkou District) so that the Russians would gain her patronage and protection in the war.
Brought to the walls of the distant city and naval base, the holy image was meant to help the Orthodox triumph over the pagans and inspire soldiers and sailors to fight bravely.
Following the onset of the Russo-Japanese War, the devotees donated money for materials needed for making the icon.The image itself was painted free of charge by icon painter Pavel Shtronda in 1904 according to the sailor's vision. The icon, however, was not delivered to Port Arthur in time and the Siege of Port Arthur, as well as the war in general, ended with Russian defeat (for this reason the icon is also called the Unachieved Victory). Nonetheless the icon continued to be venerated and six copies were made. The icon was considered lost for more than 90 years. In 1998 Christian pilgrims from Vladivostok came to Jerusalem and fortuitously saw the icon in an antique shop. Expert examination confirmed its identity and the icon was bought and brought back to Russia. The original icon can be found now in Vladivostok in Pokrovsky Church (44 Okeansky Ave.). The feast day of the Theotokos of Port Arthur is 29 August (16 August in the Old Style calendar).
FEASTS of GROUPS OF SAINTS and CONFESSORS of DAY before the 20th century
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• 33 Martyrs of Palestine (303)
Οἱ Ἅγιοι 33 Μάρτυρες ἀπὸ τὴν Παλαιστίνη
• MARINUS and ANIANUS
• New Martyrs King CONSTANTINE 君士坦丁 Brancoveanu of Wallachia and his four sons CONSTANTINE 君士坦丁, STEPHEN 斯特梵, RADU 拉铎 and MATTHEW 玛特泰, and the loyal Counsellor of the holy Prince Constantine Brancoveanu IANACHE 雅纳赫 Vacarescu (1714)
• Martyrs ISAAC and JOSEPH of Karnu, Georgia
• Discovery of the Relics of Newly-Revealed Six Martyrs of Megara: SERAPHIM 塞拉芬, DOROTHEOS 多若德奥, IAKOVOS (James) 雅科弗, DEMETRIOS 迪弥特里, VASILIOS (Basil) 瓦西里 and SARANTIS 撒兰提斯 (1798)
Οἱ Ἅγιοι Σεραφείμ, Δωρόθεος, Ἰάκωβος, Δημήτριος, Βασίλειος καὶ Σαράντης
NEW MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS in the 20th century
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• Hieromartyr STEPHEN priest (1918)
• Hieromartyrs priest VLADIMIR and his brother BORIS (1931)
• Hieromartyr ALEXANDER Sokolov, presbiter, priest (1893-1937)
• Virgin Martyrissa Venerable ANNA Jezhova, nun (1885-1937)
• Martyr JACOB Gortinsky (1937)
MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS before the 20th century
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• AKAKIOS Bishop of Liti and Rendini (15th c.)
• Martyr ALCIBIADES
Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀλκιβιάδης ὁ Μάρτυρας
• Sainted ALTFRID of Hildesheim, bishop (874)
• Martyr AMBROSE of Ferentino (303) centurion put to death under Diocletian in Ferentino in central Italy
• ANTHONY 圣安托尼 the Stylite of Martq'ophi, Georgia (6th c.)
• Great New Martyr APOSTOLOS 阿颇斯托洛 of the town of St Laurence, martyred in Constantinople (1667-1686)
Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀπόστολος ὁ Μάρτυρας ὁ Νέος
• ARSACIUS (Ursacius) of Nicomedia (358) a Persian soldier of the Roman army during the reign of Emperor Licinius
• ARMAGILLUS (Armagilus, Armail, Armael, Armahel, Armel, Arthmael, Arzel, Ermel, Erme, Ermin, Ermyn, Hermel, Thiarmail) (550) of Brittany; invoked to cure headaches, fever, colic, gout, and rheumatism and the patron of hospitals
Cousin of St Samson of York and St Cadfan. Monk. Abbot. Founded Saint-Armel-des-Boscheaux and Plou-Ermel monasteries in Brittany in coastal France. The church of Saint Erme in Cornwall in England is dedicated to him.
• Translation of the Relics of BERNWARD Bishop of Hildesheim (1022)
• Venerable CHERIMON (Chaeremon) of Egypt (395)
Ὁ Ὅσιος Χαιρήμων
Saint Cherimon was an ascetic in Egypt in the Skete desert monastery, either at the end of the fourth century, or the beginning years of the fifth century. His name is remembered in the Lausiac History of Palladius and in the alphabetic Paterikon.
His cave stood at a distance of 40 stadia from church and 12 stadia from a spring of water. The saint died at handicraft at more than 100 years of age. Saint Cherimon is remembered by Saint Theodore the Studite (November 11) in the Lenten Triodion, in the Service for Cheesefare Saturday, in the 6th Ode of the Matins canon.
• Martyr CHRISTOPHER of Guria, Georgia
• CONAN
• DANIIL of Metheora
Ὁ Ὅσιος Δανιὴλ ὁ Μετεωρίτης
• Translation (966) of the Relics of Sainted DAVID of Wales, bishop of Mynyw (587-601)
• Martyr DIOMEDES 迪奥弥迪 the Physician of Tarsus in Cilicia (298)
Ὁ Ἅγιος Διομήδης
Diomedes 有從跗骨的突出的出生和一位醫生。愈合的人民, Diomedes 關於合[利爾]斯托。斯基督的費思教了他們。皇帝 Diocletian 訂了他在一年 298 在 Nicaea 斬了 A.D 那些斬了他並且把他的頭帶了到皇帝被使失明並且當他們放回了頭至正文並且祈禱時, 他們再被使整個。
The Martyr Diomedes was born in Cilician Tarsus. He was a physician, and a Christian, and he treated not only ills of the body but also of the soul. He enlightened many pagans with belief in Christ, and baptized them. The Church venerates him as a healer and mentions him during the Mystery of Holy Unction.
Saint Diomedes traveled much, converting people to the true Faith. When he arrived in the city of Nicea, the emperor Diocletian (284-305) sent soldiers to arrest him. Along the way from Nicea to Nicomedia, he got down from the cart so as to pray, and he died.
As proof of carrying out their orders, the soldiers cut off his head, but became blinded. Diocletian gave orders to take the head back to the body. When the soldiers fulfilled the order, their sight was restored and they believed in Christ.
• Sainted ELEUTHERIUS Bishop of Auxerre in France 532-561 (561)
• 艾弗斯塔提 EUSTATHIUS II archbishop of Serbia (1309)
• FRAMBALDO (Rasbaldo, Rasbaldus) (650) Hermit and monk in the area of Cenomanian Gaul (around modern Le Mans, France)
• VM GEMMA at Saintes (Saintonge) in France (2nd cent.)
• GERASIMOS 革拉西默 the New Ascetic of Kefalloniaand Mount Athos (1579)
Ὁ Ὅσιος Γεράσιμος ὁ νέος ἀσκητής ὁ ἐν Κεφαλληνίᾳ
• Righteous JOACHIM (7 B.C.) Father of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary
• Venerable JOACHIM 约雅敬 monk, of Osogovo and Sarandapor (11th cent.)
Joachim 生活了在在在在一個地方的一個洞的 Osogovsk 山上的第 11 個世紀的第二一半的禁欲主義的生活調用了 Sarandopor 。后來, 在這個地方, 禁欲的另外一個, 從綿羊的欄位的悉奧多, 到誰聖 Joachim 在一個夢出現了, 造了一個教會。在整個世紀，許多奇跡在可敬的 Joachim 的遺物上發生了並且今天仍然做。
Saint Joachim of Osogov was one of four great hermits of Bulgaria. He inspired hundreds and thousands of people to Christian asceticism by his ascetic efforts. He lived in the eleventh century, unknown by anyone, in a cave on a mountain of Osogov.
• LUGHAN (or Lugain)
• Sainted MAKARIUS I Archbishop of Jerusalem (333)
Ὁ Ἅγιος Μακάριος ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος
• Repose of Venerable MATRONA Popova (1851) disciple of Tikhon of Zadonsk
• Translation (1791) of the Relics of Sainted MAURILIUS of Angers, bishop (453)
• Hosiosmartyr Monk NICODEMUS 尼科迪默 of Meteora (1551)
Ὁ Ἅγιος Νικόδημος ὁ Ὁσιομάρτυρας ὁ Μοναχός
• Venerable NILUS 尼尔 of Hericuseia, monk (1350) brother of Emperor Theodore Laskaris, who rebuilt the monastery of the Mother of God at Epirus
Ὁ Ὅσιος Νεῖλος ὁ Ἐρικούσιος
• Venerable RAPHAEL of Banat, Serbia (17th cent.)
• Venerable ROMAN 罗玛诺 the Sinaite of Djunisa, Serbia (14th cent.)
• SERENA Matrona at Rome (3rd cent.)
Married to emperor Diocletian, and a secret Christian. Through she was certainly unable to stop the massacre of Christians, she worked to help where she could to ease their persecutions and improve their lot.
• Sainted SIMPLICIANUS Bishop of Milan (401)
• New Martyr STAMATIUS 斯塔玛提 of Volos, Thessaly (1680)
Ὁ Ἅγιος Σταμάτιος ὁ Μάρτυρας
Stamatius 是在 Volos 在出生的一個農民 Thessaly 。甚麼時候一無人性的 Agha [ 統帥 ] 從人民收集了皇家的獻禮並且極大地虐待了他們, Stamatius 與若干個他的同伴為土耳其都市分離了抱怨到高官 [ 從前回教國的高官 ] 。由他的 Agha 的鋒利的批評， Stamatius 冒犯了蘇的高貴人並且他們逮捕了他。最初, 他們想要由謅媚變換他到回教, 有希望他富人，光榮和榮譽。但是殉教者驚呼了︰“我的富人，光榮和榮譽;那是我的合[利爾]斯托。斯基督。”然後土耳其人折磨了他並且最後, 在神聖的智慧的教會前 [ Hagia Sophia ], Stamatius 在一年被斬是合[利爾]斯托。斯基督的這位戰士怎麼與殉教者的花環被使圓滿的 1680 A.D 。
• STEPHEN King of Hungary (935-1038)
My beloved son, delight of my heart, hope of your posterity, I pray, I command, that at every time and in everything, strengthened by your devotion to me, you may show favor not only to relations and kin, or to the most eminent, be they leaders or rich men or neighbors or fellow-countrymen, but also to foreigners and to all who come to you. By fulfilling your duty in this way you will reach the highest state of happiness. Be merciful to all who are suffering violence, keeping always in your heart the example of the Lord who said, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Be patient with everyone, not only with the powerful, but also with the weak. Finally be strong lest prosperity lift you up to much or adversity cast you down. Be humble in this life, that God may raise you up in the next. Be truly moderate and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be gentle so that you may never oppose justice. Be honorable so that you may never voluntarily bring disgrace upon anyone. Be chaste so that ;you may avoid all the foulness of lust like the pangs of death. All these virtues I have noted above make up the royal crown, and without them no one is fit to rule here on earth or attain to the heavenly kingdom. - from Saint Stephen's advice to his son.
• THEODULE (Theodulus, Theodore) of Grammont (4th cent.) First bishop of Valais, Switzerland; Fought against Arianism and enshrined the relics of the Theban Legion
• TIMOTHY 提摩泰 of Chalcedon, Bishop of Euripos, founder of the monastery of Pendeli (1510-1590)
Ὁ Ὅσιος Τιμόθεος Ἐπίσκοπος Εὐρίπου κτίτορας τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Πεντέλης
• Hieromartyr TITUS deacon (410) martyred during the sack of Rome by the Goths while he was distributing alms to the half-starved population
• VM THEODORA of Vasta in the Peloponnesos, Nun (10th cent.)
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• Commemoration of the Great Earthquake at Constantinople (542)
On this day (August 16) we commemorate our compassionate assailing in the days of old, of the fearsome threat of an earthquake, from which the All-Compassionate God, in whom is all our hope, redeemed us.
On August 16, 542 an earthquake caused considerable damage in Constantinople: churches and houses collapsed and the wall was damaged, particularly in the area around the Golden Gate. The spear fell from the statue of Constantine, and apparently the hand of the statue of Xerolophus fell off too. Many people were killed and there was a state of general panic. The sole primary source for this earthquake is Theophanes (222), who wrote: 6034. And on the 16th of August in the same indiction, the 5th, there was a great earthquake in Constantinople, and churches and houses and the wall fell, especially the part of the wall around the Golden Gate. And also the spare which the statue in the Forum of Constantine holds, fell down, and the right hand of the statue of Xerolophus. And many people died and there was great fear.
• Triumph of Holy Theotokos of PORT ARTHUR (1904)
Port Arthur was a city named for the captain of the English vessel Algerino, founded s'in Manchuria in 1858 on the site of a former Chinese settlement, Lao Shun. Forty years later China leased this city (along with its nearby territories) to Russia because of the Japanese threat. Russia thus became the protector and defender of these Far East territories. In 1902, the Saint Nicholas Orthodox garrison church was built there.
The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was fought on account of competing claims to dominion in northeast China and Korea. In February of 1904, Japan initiated the war by attacking Port Arthur, the defense of which lasted into the beginning of 1905. The Japanese defeated the Russian Army at the Battle of Mukden, and the Russian Navy at the Battle of Tsushima Strait. The war marked the first modern defeat of a great European power by an Asian nation.
In December 1903, an aged sailor, who was one of the last defenders of Sevastopol during the Crimean War, came to the city of Kiev to pray before the holy relics of the Lavra of the Caves. One night, a strange noise woke the old man, and he saw the Mother of God surrounded by angels, among whom were the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The Theotokos stood upon two discarded and broken swords on the shore of a bay, her back to the water. She also held a white cloth with blue fringes, upon which was an Image of the Savior, “Not-Made-By-Hands.” Angels in clouds of blinding light bore a crown above her head, while the Lord of Sabaoth sat higher still on a throne of glory, compassed about by the brilliant radiance.
The old man was astonished and seized with great fear, but the Mother of God calmed him and said, “Russia will soon be involved in a very difficult war on the shores of a far sea; many woes await her. Paint an icon showing my appearance as you see it now, and send it to Port Arthur. If the icon is in that city, Orthodoxy will triumph over paganism, and Russian warriors will attain my help, my patronage, and their victory.” The blinding light filled his room, and then the vision disappeared.
Upon hearing the old sailor’s story, the people of Kiev took heed, and just two months after the appearance of the Theotokos, it was spoken of throughout all the lands of Russia. The appearance was the first revelation of its kind in Russia during 20th century, the time of the Russian Golgotha. Yet this period has also been called the age of the Glory and Triumph of the Most Holy Theotokos, for in it, the Mother of God also manifested many miracles, signs, and revelations. The Most Pure Mother was always present with her Son during His crucifixion, and she likewise did not forsake the Russian people when they were on the Cross in that sorrowful time.
The people of Kiev expressed their hope that the admiral would make every possible effort, losing no time to deliver the icon safely and swiftly to the fortress of Port Arthur. But though the icon was in the admiral’s house by Pascha, he did not hurry to send it to the Far East. For several days, his home became like an artist’s salon. Generals, senators, and representatives of the local authorities dropped by to catch a glimpse of the icon. Metropolitan Anthony of St Petersburg also paid a visit, and reminded the admiral that the icon ought to be delivered to Port Arthur, and that he should have made haste to fulfill the bidding of Our Lady.
Soon afterwards, Admiral Nikolai Skrydlov was appointed to the position of the fallen Makarov. When he was preparing to set out for the battlefield of Port Arthur, the Dowager Empress Maria (mother of Nicholas II) decided to take responsibility for the icon. After a short moleben, the icon was delivered to the carriage-wagon of Admiral Skrydlov. He promised personally to bring the icon right to the cathedral of Port Arthur. But the admiral’s train did not go immediately to the Far East, as he himself was busy sorting out domestic and family affairs. By the end of April of 1904, Port Arthur was under siege by Japanese land forces, and as a result, Skrydlov came to Vladivostok instead of Port Arthur.
On March 31st (O.S.), the Russian war effort suffered a grievous blow. The commander of the Russian Navy, charismatic Vice Admiral Stepan Makarov, perished in an attempt to break through the Japanese blockade of Port Arthur. During those grim days the Emperor Nicholas II wrote in his journal, “All the day long I could not come to myself because of this heartbreakOne of his contemporaries commented in a written account of what came to pass: “The miraculous icon the Triumph of the Theotokos was temporarily placed in the Cathedral of Vladivostok on August 2, 1904.” This indicates that it was not placed in the Church for public veneration until ninety days after Admiral Skrydlov’s arrival. Occupied with affairs, he simply forgot about the icon. It was only after a decree of Empress Maria that the icon was finally taken from the admiral’s house to the Dormition Cathedral. An eyewitness wrote: Kneeling people in tears and with deep faith were praying before the icon. Those from the navy and the infantry, from soldiers to the admiral and general, fell down before the icon and were asking in their zealous prayers for the consolation, encouragement, and intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Bishop Evsevy of Vladivostok spoke these words August 6th before serving the first moleben before this miraculously revealed icon: Though the icon has not reached Port Arthur, let not the heart of the old sailor who was made worthy of this vision, nor the hearts of those who raised money for the icon be troubled. The Lord is Almerciful and Almighty, and though the icon of His Most Pure Mother is in Vladivostok she is able to help the warriors of Port Arthur, and all Russian warriors. Let us, citizens of Vladivostok, leap for joy to have such a holy thing.
But almost everyone felt that some wrong had been done. The publishing house of the Orthodox News and the military authorities received scores of letters daily. This one summarizes the people’s opinions: As the icon has not come to the point of its final destination, it cannot give the grace-filled help and protection of the Mother of God. Now, it is high time we asked for heavenly intercession, and if this help was promised upon the fulfillment of certain conditions, we ought not to leave things half done. Let every means of delivering the icon be attempted, however hazardous; it being the will of the Mother of God, her icon is sure to get to Port Arthur. Even if it does not happen, we will submit our will to the Mother of God, and our conscience will not reproach us for our negligence concerning that which the Heavenly Queen has told us through the old sailor.
A group of young Orthodox officers tried several times, but failed to deliver copies of the icon to Port Arthur, which was blockaded and beleaguered by Japanese forces. In the Dormition Cathedral, molebens before the icon did not cease. An eyewitness wrote that there were always many people weeping and praying, and one could hear the oft-repeated question: “Why did they not send the icon to Port Arthur, after all? Why was there no one who out of sheer love for the Motherland could take on the perilous but noble quest of delivering the icon of the Theotokos?”
It was then that a person appeared who would attempt such a noble deed—retired officer, Nikolai Fyodorov. He was in his fifties, and suffered from rheumatism and stomach disease, and surely never thought of any daring feats, living as he did in Gatchina (near St. Petersburg), such a long way from the Far East. But then he came across a newspaper article expressing the view that nobody was able to fulfill the mission of taking the icon to its destination.
Nikolai Fyodorov told his wife about his intent to make a dangerous journey to the Far East, and immediately made for the city of Kronstadt to ask the blessing of the great pastor of the Russian land, Saint John of Kronstadt. Later, he recounted that during his travels, many small miracles occurred, and any difficult problems were somehow easily solved. He said that this was not surprising, since he had Ssint John’s blessing.
On October 7th, Nikolai arrived in Vladivostok. That same day, Admiral Skryidlov received from Copenhagen a telegram from the Dowager Empress, which said that he should let Mr. Fyodorov take further care of the icon. Delivering the icon by land was out of question, due to the ongoing Japanese siege, so Nikolai decided to take it first to the city of Shanghai, China. The Norwegian steamer Eric was to take the icon on November 22nd. The Diocese News wrote that during the entire time before the appointed date, Fyodorov fasted, made confession, and took Holy Communion. The steamer left, and the believers waited hopefully for some news, but it did not come. On December 20th, Port Arthur fell.
At last on January 11th, a letter came to Vladivostok, wherein Fyodorov related that there had been no sail wind for some time, and he had had to stop at Chifu. At that point four torpedo boats had returned from Port Arthur with the most grievous news—Port Arthur had surrendered. But the ways of God are unfathomable, and so it was not God’s will for Fyodorov to reach the city.
Yet his effort remains nonetheless praiseworthy. As the head of the Russian Orthodox mission in Korea, Archimandrite Pavel, said: Glory to God that there was a man in Russia who manifested the Christian courage and faith that we lack. Alas! The history of the icon of the Triumph of the Theotokos was a test for our faith, and the fact of its having been painted in Kiev is as unusual as the lesson which Port Arthur taught us.
All of these events left a sorrowful memory, and a painful wound in the Russian heart. And though we find ourselves in the 21st century, far removed from them in time, we should not forget the desire of our Immaculate Lady revealed to us a century ago, and how it was left undone because some military officials lacked faith in her intercession.
Saint John of Kronstadt used to say that Russia was defeated precisely because of the indifference towards the holy icon, which was symptomatic of the general spiritual decline occurring in Russia at that time: Let us consider: is it not because Russian people have left their religious unity, and forsaken the ancient holy things and testaments of their forefathers, that woes and disasters now torment Russia? The Lord bestowed upon our nation the role of keeper and protector of holy things. These holy things are the religious and moral foundations for establishing one’s personal, family, and social life so as to draw away the evil and give an ample space for the good.
History itself bears out the truth of Saint John’s words. At the end of the war, Japan’s military resources were running short, while Russia was only just beginning her military deployment. Nevertheless, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty left Port Arthur and half of Sakhalin island to Japan, brought Korea under Japanese influence, and completely liquidated the Russian Pacific Navy. In 1925, American historian Tyler Dennett wrote: Now very few suppose that Japan was deprived of the fruits of its forthcoming victories by concluding the Portsmouth peace treaty. The contrary opinion predominates: Japan had already been exhausted by the end of May, and only that very treaty saved it from complete defeat in its collision with Russia.
God’s inscrutable providence thus allowed a humiliating defeat to befall Russia, in spite of her material advantage over Japan, because of the negligence shown with regard to the bidding of the Mother of God.
After the war, Nikolai Fyodorov gave back the icon to his military commanders. Having stayed for a time in the itinerant church of the commander-in-chief, it then returned to Vladivostok in May 1905. Following the Revolution of 1917, the Dormition Cathedral was closed and demolished, and the icon of Port Arthur was lost in the storm of tragic events that befell Russia in the 20th century. There was great deal of speculation as to where the icon might be, but for many years its whereabouts remained unknown.
Then, in due time, the Lord was pleased to reveal another of His miracles. Though many attempted to erase the memories of the past, a command of the Mother of God cannot be rescinded. So it is that on February 18th, 1998, pilgrims from Vladivostok came across the icon of Port Arthur in an antique shop in Jerusalem!
On May 6th, 1998, the Port Arthur icon of the “Triumph of the Theotokos” returned to Vladivostok. The joyful believers welcomed it with a Cross Procession and triumphant bell ringing. At present, the original icon resides in the Cathedral of the Protection, the main church of the Vladivostok diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. On Pascha of 2003, the doors of a new church in honor of this icon opened in Vladivostok. The church began holding services in the year of the 100th anniversary of the Mother of God’s appearance.
At that time, a public movement began called “Blessing the Far East.” Thanks to their efforts, at last, in 2004, the frigate Pallada delivered the icon to the city of Port Arthur (now known as Lushun, China). A triumphant service was celebrated in the Russian cemetery of Port Arthur, with penitential prayers for those who had denied the will of the Mother of God. Thus, the Russian warriors who perished there received the icon after one-hundred years of waiting.
In January 2004, two visitors from the St. John Orthodox Community in Alaska, Dan Kendall and Gale Armstrong, visited the Church of the Port Arthur Icon in Vladivostok, and became acquainted with the history of the icon. A copy, with inscriptions in English, was given to them after the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of the Nativity. Thus began the triumphant glorification of the icon within North America.
In September 2006, the St. Innocent Orthodox Missionary Society of Toronto delivered a miracle-working copy of the icon to Canada, which had been made exclusively for the Orthodox Christians of North America. The Bishop of Anchorage, Sitka, and Alaska was the first to welcome the icon on its way to Canada, in his blessed land which is the spiritual kin of Russia. The akathist for the icon was also translated into English by St. John’s Cathedral in Eagle River, Alaska at this time. From there, the Port Arthur Icon of the Triumph of the Theotokos began its triumphal tour across North America. In 2003 and 2014 the icon, together with another significant Theotokos Derzhavnaya icon, were brought to the Portuguese city of Fátima, where the famous Catholic Fátima Marian apparition occurred in 1917.
Today, this miracle-working copy has found a permanent home at Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV, where in 2014 a complete church service was composed in honor of the icon and published with the blessing of His Grace, Bishop George (Schaefer).
“I am absolutely certain that during my journey I both physically and spiritually felt the grace of God proceeding from the icon.” — Nikolai Fyodorov
Troparion - Tone 4
Today, O Mother of God, the city of Vladivostok rejoices, and with it all the reaches of the earth in beholding Thine Icon, which bears the historic name of Port Arthur. For blessed and glorious provision was offered to the devout forces of the far Russian realm and is offered to us today as we gaze on Thy holy image and cry: O Orthodox Christians of North America preserve the Orthodox Faith for this Faith is your firm foundation.
Kontakion for the Icon
Our Lady, we Thy servants in North America raise a hymn of thanksgiving to Thee, our Intercessor and Queen, chosen from all generations, Who dost defend us by the veil of Thy grace. We beseech Thee, O most Merciful Lady, to deliver us from all calamity and torment, as we bring Thee this glad song: Rejoice, Most Glorified Queen, Whose prayers cover our land with mercy!
Akathist to the Port Arthur Icon Of the Triumph of the Theotokos : https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1322/7943/files/Akathist_-_Port_Arthur_Icon_rev3.pdf?1336006654847058251
Serve to the Port Arthur Icon Of the Triumph of the Theotokos : https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1322/7943/files/Service_to_the_Port_Arthur_Icon_May_13.pdf?1336006654847058251
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
愿上帝怜恤我罪人
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
for the sake of the prayers
of Thy most pure Mother,
our holy and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us.
Amen.
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Blessed be God.
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