40th Anniversary of the Canonization of the New Martyrs – article by Bishop Andrei

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

On November 1, 1981, the feast day of St. John of Kronstadt, the canonization of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia took place in New York.

It was a historic event of tremendous spiritual significance.

At that time – 40 years ago, there was a live premonition in the Russian Church Abroad that the persecutions that befell the Church in Soviet Russia must eventually arrive in the free part of the world as well.

This expectation is reflected in the prayer to the New Martyrs, composed for their canonization:

“And since at any time unexpected trials may come upon us, beseech ye the Lord to send us the gift of courage, which is so necessary in the life of man” (Prayer to the New Martyrs).

Also, in the kontakion to the New Martyrs there are the following words:

O ye new passion-bearers of Russia … beseech Christ Who strengthened you that, whenever the hour of trial find us, we also may receive the gift of courage from God. For ye are a model for us who venerate your struggle for neither tribulation, nor distress, nor death could separate you from the love of God. (Kontakion)

And finally, the “hour of trial” has come, about which over the past forty years we prayed to the New Martyrs, asking them to implore God on our behalf to send us the gift of courage.

The gift of courage is needed by all, but it is especially essential to those of us who, due to their refusal to take an injection, may lose, or have already lost their jobs. You are worried about the future: how to live? how to support the family?

 The Lord Jesus Christ answers you in the Holy Gospel:

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Mt 6:26)

We believe in God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth. Everything – even the smallest particle of matter is under His almighty command at any given moment. His providence is extended over all His creations; with us, “even the very hairs of our head are all numbered” (Luke 12,7).

One should not think that evil, which is so noticeably at work in the world today, is omnipotent. This is an illusion. In reality, it is very weak because it hasn’t got God on its side – the source of power. Nobody can inflict upon us any harm if it’s not God’s will.

Difficulties don’t come to us by themselves; they happen, because God allows them for our spiritual benefit. The Lord has placed us into such a situation that we, as if involuntarily, will have to change our life.

Ordinary human life is over – a banal life for the sake of life’s gratifications; and a new life has begun, filled with deeds in prayer, faith, hope and love – a truly Christian life.

For what reason do monastics take a vow of poverty? Because a person that has accumulated wealth, relies on them and not on God.

The Lord shows us how insecure it is to rely on the blessings of this world. We thought we were living in a prosperous country, that our future was assured, we had houses, our savings. Now we can see that all this is very unreliable. What cannot be taken away from us are our spiritual riches: our God.

The early Christians and the New Martyrs of Russia stand before us as examples. During the first Christian Apostolic Church, everything was shared by everyone. “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” (Acts 2, 44–45).

“Christian life – it’s a life for others”. This is how St. Jonah of Hankou defined the Christian life. Let’s check ourselves if we are living a Christian life. Let us analyse our intentions, our plans: at what are they directed? Toward self-gratification or for the benefit of your neighbour? Are we living for ourselves or others? If we seek benefits for ourselves only, then we are not leading a Christian life.

Let us imagine that someone has lost their job and doesn’t have sufficient resources to cover life’s expenses, while you live in a large, spacious house. Is it possible that you will be indifferent to his hardship?

Quite a number of years of our life have been spent in the turmoil of worldly cares, without any spiritual fruits. It’s time we examined our life and direct it by the example set by the first Christians and the New Martyrs of Russia.

The majority of the New Martyrs were ordinary people, just like us. Why is it that our lives differ to theirs? Because faith in Christ was the driving force that guided all their desires, all their activities. That’s why when the moment of truth arrived, they withstood the test.

Let us learn not to hold dear anything in this world and focus all our wishes to the future, eternal life. Faith has to become the cardinal component of our life and not just an addition to it. The purpose of a Christian life is the accumulation of grace of the Holy Spirit by way of spiritual deeds. We must rally around the Church: help one another and support one another.

We are standing on the threshold of great trials. If we don’t change and amend our life according to the Gospel, we will not be able to endure these trials.

Through the prayers of the holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia may the Lord help us to emulate them in this terrible time!

Amen.

Bishop Andrei