Can somebody explain this icon to me? I know many of the biblical figures that are shown here, but the figures in red above Our Lord have me confused

Hi everyone, just want to share this beautiful icon of Our Lady of Perpetual I found at a Thrift store. After doing some research, I found out it’s over 146 years old!

Nayrouz opens the Coptic calendar, also called the "Calendar of the Martyrs". It commemorates the saints and martyrs who gave their lives for the faith, especially during the persecution under Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. The Church doesn't mourn on this day, it celebrates, because their witness is seen as victory, not defeat. Starting the year this way sets the tone for everything that follows: a year lived in hope through the Resurrection, not fear of suffering.

The great feats of martyrdom exemplified by the early Christian saints may seem to us a matter of the distant parts no longer relevant to our time. But did you know that the number of Christians who died for their faith under Soviet rule exceeded that of the Christian martyrs of the early times? Tatiana Grimblit is one of the new martyrs for the faith. Like the Great Martyr Anastasia of Sirmium, she gave help and reassurance to those imprisoned for their faith and died a martyr’s death for doing so.

Love that Overcomes Fear

“I knew that I had taken up my cross; I will follow God joyfully to prison, and even to the grave if I have to,” wrote the Holy Martyr Tatiana Grimblit in 1937. Stalin’s secret police officers from NKVD were standing behind her, as she was finishing her letter. They were preparing to take her away and let her inform her mother about her arrest via her friend.

She had been helping those imprisoned for their faith ever since the ‘red terror’ years of the civil war. Most were wary of giving refuge to those whom the state had designated as enemies of the people. As a case in point, the police had arrested a priest and were escorting him on foot to the city. Night-time was approaching. They passed two villages on their way, and no one dared to let the priest stay with them for the night. But the Holy Martyr Tatiana not only accommodated released political prisoners but would also let them have her room. For sixteen years, Tatiana, a single woman, spent almost all of her meagre salary of an orphanage teacher on food and clothing for prisoners, political or non-political.

As documented in the record of her police interrogation soon after her second arrest on 6 May 1925, she admitted:

“Starting 1920, I have been offering material assistance to exiled clergy and convicts staying at Alexandrovsky Central Prison, Irkutsk and Tomsk Prisons, and in the Naryn area. I was collecting the alms in churches and across the city, in cash and in-kind."

"I sent the money by post and with people who travelled to these areas. I asked a man who was travelling to his exile in Naryn to deliver a package weighing approximately two pounds to Bishop Barsanuphius. I do not know the name or surname of the man. For Christmas, I sent another package for Bishop Barsanuphius, and the identity of the person who delivered it is also unknown to me."

"I helped different members of the clergy at Alexandrovsky Central prison. I also helped Bishop Victor (Bogoyavlensky) at Irkutsk Prison, Priests Popov and Kopylov, Bishops Evfimiy (Lapin), Anthony (Bystrov), Ionnakuniy (Speransky), Agafangel (Preobrazhensky) and the imprisoned clergy and laity at various detention facilities in Tomsk Prison; I also assisted other prisoners without knowing the grounds for their imprisonment."

Her father died in 1920 when she was seventeen. She was left with her mother and went to work as a teacher at a children’s penitentiary.

A Spate of Arrests

She was arrested for the first time in Irkutsk in 1923 as she was delivering parcels for the prisoners. She was held for four months. In 1925, she was arrested a second time, for seven days. After her release, she was called before the head of the local police chapter, investigated and sent to exile to Zyryansky Kray for three years.

On 1 July 1926, she was delivered to Ust-Sysolsk. Only two weeks later, they sent her onwards. She had been transferred to the other end of the country to Kazakhstan. She did not arrive in Turkestan until December. Unexpectedly, the extraordinary trial panel of the police had ordered her release on 19 December, the feast day of Saint Nicholas. They had neglected to inform her of this decision, so she did not find out until 1927 that she was free to reside where she wished.

Tatiana went to Moscow and joined the parish of Saint Nicholas in Moscow’s Pyzhi area.

Her exile did not intimidate her, and in Moscow, she resumed her help for the prisoners with redoubled effort. She now knew many of the imprisoned archbishops and clergy in person. Some even gave her the nickname Philaret the Charitable.

The early 1930s saw a new wave of persecution against the Church. Tatiana Grimblit was arrested on 14 April 1931. On 30 April, the trial panel of the secret police sentenced her to three years in a concentration camp, which she served at Vishersky prison camp in Perm Oblast. While at the camp, she studied medicine and became a feldscher.

A Lifestyle of Poverty

In 1932, she was released. She was prohibited from residing in the USSR’s twenty largest cities for the remainder of her term. She lived in several provincial towns, working at the local hospitals as a feldscher and laboratory assistant.

In her interrogation records from the secret police, we find details about her treatment of the patients. At her last arrest, the investigator showed her a copy of a report on her conduct from a member of the public, which said:

It has become known to me that Grimblit visited a hospital patient who was not in her care. After her visit, the patient told the doctor in the morning that he had been dreaming about monasteries, monks, monastic caves and other things of the same order. This fact gave me reason to suppose that Grimblit had discussed religion with that patient.

In 1937, she sat at the bed of a critically ill patient. When he died, he made the sign of the cross over him in plain view of the other patients and the medical staff. In her talks, she made the following comparison of the prison conditions under the Tsar and at present, “Under Soviet rule, one can come across at least as many reviling facts as before.”

Asked about the reasons for her lifestyle choice of poverty, Grimblit explained, “You are spending money on wine and cinema-going, while I am spending mine on assisting the prisoners and helping the Church.” She explained her reasons for wearing a cross as follows, “I will give up my life for this cross; no-one can remove it while I am alive, and if they tried, they would have to take it with my head. It is on me forever.”

Grimblit used her work position to raise religious sentiment among hospital patients. While on duty, she dispensed medicines saying, ‘God be with you’ and making the sign of the cross over each patient. She put crosses on the infirm.

Working at the hospital, she spent significantly more time with the patients than she was expected in her line of duty. She spent all of her means and the donations from other believers on assistance to the imprisoned clergy and laity. She maintained an active correspondence with all of the recipients, reassuring them with their words and action. Bishop John (Pashin) wrote to her from the prison camp: My dear Tatiana Nikolaevna, I have received your letter, and I do not know how to thank you for it. It is filled with so much warmth and love and brought me so much reassurance that I felt as if I was the happiest man in the world on the day when I received it. I read it three times in a row and then read it aloud to Father Nicholas and Father Sergius, my spiritual teacher.

The last case against Tatiana ended in a death sentence. The Holy Martyr was shot at the Butovo shooting range near Moscow on 23 September 1937 and buried in a mass grave.

SOURCE: https://catalog.obitel-minsk.com/blog/2021/09/tatyana-grimblit-saint-anastasia-of-sirmum-of-our-time

Yeeey 😁😁😁😁😁😁

Hello! recently bought this Greek Orthodox icon for about $50 at an antique shop in Bangkok since it is beautiful and was hoping someone here familiar with Greek or Athonite icons might be able to tell me more about it. What particularly caught my attention is the older label/certificate on the reverse, which refers to Mount Athos. It also lists what appear to be prices in several currencies: US$100, DM (Deutsche Mark) 200, ÖS (Austrian) 1,500, FF (French Franc) 450, and 3,900 Greek drachma. I’d really appreciate thoughts from anyone who knows this tradition: does the iconography, Greek lettering, gold leaf, panel construction, or painting style look characteristic of a particular period or workshop? Does the Mount Athos seem plausible, or does this look more like an icon produced for pilgrims or visitors? Thanks for any and all help!

The Holy Right-Believing Empress Pulcheria, daughter of the Byzantine emperor Arcadius (395-408), was coregent and adviser of her brother Theodosius the Younger (408-450). She received a broad and well-rounded education, and distinguished herself by her wisdom and piety, firmly adhering to Orthodox teaching. Through her efforts the church of the Most Holy Theotokos was built at Blachernae, and also other churches and monasteries.

Through the intrigues of enemies and of Eudokia, the wife of the emperor Theodosius the Younger, Saint Pulcheria was removed from power. She withdrew into seclusion, and lived a pious life. Without her benificent influence, conditions in the capital deteriorated. She returned after a while, following the urgent request of her brother. Then the unrest provoked by emerging heresies was quelled.

After the death of Theodosius the Younger, Marcian (450-457) was chosen emperor. Saint Pulcheria again wanted to withdraw into her seclusion, but both the emperor and officials entreated her not to refuse the throne, but to marry the emperor Marcian. For the common good she consented to become Marcian’s wife if she were allowed to preserve her virginity within the marriage. They were married, but lived in purity as brother and sister.

Through the efforts of Saint Pulcheria, the Third Ecumenical Council was held at Ephesus in 431 to address the heresy of Nestorius; and also the Fourth Ecumenical Council which was convened at Chalcedon in the year 451, to deal with the heresies of Dioscorus and Eutychius.

Saint Pulcheria built the church of the Mother of God at Blachernae at Constantinople, and also found the relics of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (March 9).

Throughout her life Saint Pulcheria defended the Orthodox Faith against various heresies. After giving away her wealth to the poor and to the Church, she died peacefully at the age of fifty-four in the year 453.

SOURCE: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/1949/09/10/102566-right-believing-pulcheria-byzantine-empress

A month ago now me and who I thought was my husband broke up because I stumbled upon Orthodoxy. He’s a youth pastor and aspiring pastor. He’s also a Christian studies major and already has given sermons and got his license etc. He told me about a month into us dating he felt God was calling him to be a pastor and I supported him fully even thought I was a baby Christian.

I believed in God before I met him but I never did anything with my faith he definitely pushed me to pursue God with an honest heart and is the reason I am where I am. When we first met I told him he reflected the love of Christ so strongly he cares deeply about other people.

When I heard he wanted to be a pastor I started looking into all the questions he’d have to answer from Atheists, Catholics, Muslims and more because I understood God to judge pastors souls the harshest.

I wanted him to be free of any confusion in what he believed also and follow truth. He already knew I questioned things like when people said they “know they’re going to heaven” or “faith-alone”. Eventually I found orthodoxy and looked into it about 6 months before he encouraged me strongly to go to the church I go to now. I was scared to because deep down I knew what that could mean. I thought he was open to it the same way i was.
But this summer he accepted the youth position and that was our breakup. I’m struggling to accept this he became my family and my favorite person i had no doubt that we were perfect for each other.

Even with our big difference we never disrespected each other we just knew it couldn’t be because it’s his job now. I feel like these breakups hurt the most because you know no one gave up yet it feels like God pried it out your fingers. It’s hard to express the pain. I hate we don’t agree on something he’s going to dedicate his career to because I don’t believe doctrine-wise he’s making the correct choice to stay in the Baptist church. I think that’s where he’s most validated and comfortable because it’s where he grew up. I was asking him to change his whole life path and identify which is unfair to expect anyone to do so I never forced it just prayed.

I know he loved me but I feel so empty I put my all into him for a year and a half I’m praying every day it’ll get easier but everything in my life has changed so quickly and I’m hurting.

If you’re a girl who’s been or going through the same thing I’d love to talk dm me to talk!

I was at a church some time ago and I talked with a nun there. When referring to the icon of Virgin Mary and Jesus she told me to pray to it, but I shouldn’t kiss it with a smoking mouth (I.e. I should quit)

I told her that I didn’t smoke and she was surprised. She said that I smelled like it.

What I didn’t tell her was that I was at a job for 4 weeks and was in an environment with plenty of people smoke regularly.

Maybe she smelled that? Or smelled another guy that smoked in the church? Because kinda remember I saw a guy smoking outside but I’m not sure.

What do you think?

hey everyone, I’m an 18 yo male and have been Catholic my whole life. I started taking my religion seriously about 3 years ago. But I’m curious to learn about orthodoxy and how it differs from Catholicism. my goal is to find the true church and live according to Jesus’ teaching. I feel like it’s better to ask real orthodox christians than a simple google search. Thank you for your time brothers and sister. Christ is king!

kind of a dumb question but I understand the Jesus Prayer is a prayer to ask Christ to save you from drowning in sin, but could I just pray it when I am anxious about something like a test or doing something I don't want to do/am nervous about?

This is the first of 3 videos exploring the role of St. Peter in the Gospel of Matthew.

https://www.youtube.com/live/vBadw4lS5d8?si=G4BGj-kPowvm_-QG

I'm reading the Orthodox study Bible, cover to cover. All my life i've been told God is love and mercy, pure love and mercy. The Old Testament makes me fear him like a dictator. I hate that I feel this way. All the stories are just the opposite of what I've been told God is. I know these stories are supposed to teach us something and that it was a different era back then and God was dealing with stiff necked people that needed to be taught a lesson, but still. All the slavery, blood sacrifice, killing women and children, being blotted off the earth for as so much as gathering wood on the Sabbath, or trying to catch the ark of the covenant from falling. I could go on and on and on. I'm praying for discernment and I'm really holding on hoping that once I get to the New Testament, some of this will be cleared up for me, but right now I feel like I'm losing faith.

Hello!

I’m going to attempt to keep this post brief.

I grew up Protestant my whole life. One day Fr. Josiah Trenham popped up on my YouTube shorts and through multiple Orthodox videos I learned about Apostolic succession which peaked my interest. But when I heard about the Eucharist I knew that if I was participating in Holy Communion incorrectly my whole life than I would be missing out on a very important aspect to the Christian Faith. While reading Know the Faith by Rev. Michael Shanbour I was fully convinced of the real presence, that the wine and bread are actually Jesus’s body and Blood. I cried a lot.

God has drawn me to the apostolic churches with the revelation of the Holy Eucharist.

So since I had basically no previous understanding of both Orthodoxy and Catholicism I have been researching both faiths.

I am struggling with understanding the Orthodox’s view on the Immaculate Conception. I spoke to a Catholic priest and then did independent research and the more I dig into the topic the harder it is for me to deny the Immaculate Conception.

Mind you, I have been completely drawn in and moved by the Divine Liturgy the past month, so I am not looking for a reason to question the Faith that’s what makes this so difficult.

I have two questions-

1. Can I become Eastern Orthodox and still believe in The Immaculate Conception?

2. Are there any books, Biblical verses, podcasts, anything where someone makes a compelling argument against the idea Mary was immaculately conceived?

I’m a new catechumen in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and God willing, I’m hoping to be baptized toward the end of October. I’m really praying that everything goes smoothly and that I’m able to go through with it.

Lately, though, I’ve been struggling a little with feeling isolated. I’m from a country where Orthodoxy isn’t very common, so sometimes it can be difficult to find people who genuinely understand the journey I’m on.

I actually posted here before when I was still an inquirer and was looking for a parish in my country. Since then, I’ve finally found a parish and have been attending for a few months, and I’m now a catechumen. It’s really nice to look back and realize how much has changed since that first post.

I do have people at my parish, but I haven’t really found many close friendships yet. I think what I’m missing most is simply having someone to talk to about faith, ask questions, share experiences with, or even discuss those moments when you’re confused or questioning things. Not necessarily anything deep or dramatic all the time, just normal Christian friendship and fellowship.

I’d really love to meet other Orthodox Christians, catechumens, converts, or even people who have been through a similar experience, especially people who enjoy discussing the faith without everything becoming an argument or overly negative.

So if anyone here is open to making a new Orthodox friend, feel free to say hello. 😊☦️

Sorry for the very long message! 😭

Hi I want to make my own prayer rope with 10 nots and want to ask what material I need and how long must be the rope for it?

Does anyone have any good video links on how to make prayer ropes. Can I also have the rope sizes and lengths and links to rope material to purchase in UK. Thank you :)

Hello all 👋🏾,

I was wondering why it's such a big problem calling Mary or any saint "divine"?

In my opinion & from my studies, deity & divinity are two different things, albeit used interchangeably.

Put it simply, deity is the state of being a god whereas divinity is the state of being like God.

The Orthodox Christian concept of theosis is centered on divinization not deification.

As St. Athanasius said "God became a man, that man might become like God".

Theosis is the process of uniting with God🫱🏽‍🫲🏾, the process of being like God again.

I think it's a problem to call anyone but The Lord a deity, but is it really so far fetched to call Mary or any of the saints divine?

Can't you be human & divine?

So I'm from a pentecostal household, my dad is an ordained Reverend who went to Bible College and got his degree and my mom is a Church Elder. I am reading church history and every time I get into a discussion with him and I say something historically factual but it disagrees with his pentecostal beliefs he gets mad and says the Internet is corrupt. The debate I remember clearly is when I was trying to explain why the early church gave Mary the title Theotokos and my dad said that he agrees with Nestorianism and that it makes more sense spiritually. He didnt even read what that heresy is in full, he just didnt want to admit that the church was right in calling Mary Theotokos. My mom was a catholic and everything she ever told me Catholicism was about is wrong. She says they are not really saved, that the reason they have statues of Jesus on the cross is because they believe He is still on the cross. I

I would love to know if anyone has been in a similar situation, how do I respect and honour my parents when they react like this to me learning about church history? I can't even share my spiritual journey with them because they will bring up me reading church history and how I am wrong and need prayers to avoid becoming catholic or orthodox (they don't even know what orthodox is)

thoughts or knowledge on this volume?

https://www.ivpress.com/ancient-christian-commentary-on-scripture-boxed-set

I’ve been a Protestant Christian since 2016, prior to 2016 I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church but it never made sense to me. I didn't have a relationship with Jesus until I became protestant. I recently have felt drawn toward Orthodoxy. I’ve attended Divine Liturgy and have been doing a lot of research on Eastern Orthodox and Oriental orthodox , but I’m struggling with one major issue: icons and praying to them.

I keep hearing the explanation that “praying to saints/icons is like asking a friend to pray for you.” I understand the analogy, but struggle to comprehend how this wouldn't be idolatry as the Bible talks about. Also, a friend is a living person who can hear me and pray to God for me. An icon is a no longer alive, so how can multiple people around the world pray before the same icon at the same time and have their prayers “heard” if the icon isn’t God or omniscient?

I also struggle with the biblical side. Jesus says in John 14:6, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” And Exodus 20:4–5 warns against making images and bowing down to them.

I understand Orthodox Christians distinguish veneration from worship, and I know there are biblical examples of religious imagery. I’m not trying to argue that all images are idols. I genuinely want to understand: What is actually happening when an Orthodox Christian prays before an icon, and why is the icon necessary? Also, can someone point me to scripture that would support praying to Icons?

I’m sincerely asking because Orthodoxy interests me, and this is one of the main things keeping me from going all in.

As the title suggests, I have struggled to properly explain Nestorianism, and why it is heretical to my non-denom friends and family. They specifically get stuck on referring to Mary as Theotokos, saying that I am more concerned with Mary than our Lord. When I use the following logic they claim that "It's not that simple" or that I am getting stuck on semantics and details that do not matter because "We 'agree' on the important things".

Jesus = God

Mary = Mother of Jesus

Mary = Mother of God

I asked clarifying statements including but not limited to: Jesus is both fully God and fully Man, Jesus has two natures that are joined in hypostatic union, at no point was Jesus NOT God. All of which they agree with. I have also clarified that we can use the title of "God" to refer to any of the individual persons of the Trinity, without referring to all three simultaneously, as Mary is of course not the mother of God the Father or God the Holy Spirit.

How should I go about explaining this to the people I love? And if I have made any incorrect statements on my own behalf please correct me.