Children are the Kingdom of God on earth. If children were to lead us, we would have long ago been led into the Kingdom of God. And the Kingdom will not be given to us as long as we are led by bookworms and letter-eaters. Children justify us before God — children and flowers…
Acquire within yourself the spirit of a child; for only the spirit of a child seeks the Spirit of the Father, that He may lead and uphold him. Hence: "Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven."
+ St. Abba Justin (Popović)
Ephesians 5:9-19 (Epistle)
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Matthew 18:10-20 (Gospel)
10 Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?
13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’
17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
18 Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
St. Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria (444)
Saints Athanasius and Cyril were Archbishops of Alexandria. These wise teachers of truth and defenders of Christ’s Church share a joint Feast in recognition of their dogmatic writings which affirm the truth of the Orthodox Faith, correctly interpret the Holy Scripture, and censure the delusions of the heretics.
St Cyril was the nephew of Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria, who educated him from his youth. He succeeded to his uncle’s position in 412, but was deposed through the intrigues of the Nestorian heretics. He later resumed his See, however.
St Cyril presided at the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, which censured the Nestorian blasphemy against the Most Holy Theotokos. His wise words demonstrated the error of their false doctrine.
St Cyril departed to the Lord in the year 444, and is also commemorated on June 9 (the day of his repose).
Help from the Mother of God
A miracle in the life of the Vakhrushev family after praying to the “Inexhaustible Cup” Icon
She prayed, begged, and suffered much for his sake. And the miracle did happen… After so many tears and sleepless nights… Her eyes were heavy with sleep, her legs grew weak from sorrow and weariness, but, standing before the icon of the Mother of God, Elena continued to whisper with her last strength: “Rejoice, O Mother of God, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst.” And She interceded for her husband who was about to perish. Oleg, whose drinking sank him completely, gave up drinking. Overnight. After he venerated the miracle-working icon of the Most Holy Mother of God.
These events unfolded at the beginning of the twenty-first century. I met the Vakhrushevs ten years later. And all that time I knew them, not a drop of alcohol has passed Oleg’s lips. I remember how I visited them for the first time, in a small township of Sokolskoye of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. A small two-room apartment, bunk beds and icons in the icon corner. There were a lot of children’s books, including the Orthodox ABC’s, the Life of the saints with colorful illustrations, and also The Joy of Pascha—a collection of stories and poems by Russian writers.
As the family gathered in the evening, mom would read and draw with her kids, while their daddy worked with wood. He was busy making homemade iconostases, icon-cases, folding icons, and models of churches. His handicrafts were selling like hot cakes at craft fairs, and some even went abroad.
His models really impressed me then. They were made with precision, using the correct proportions; they weren’t some imaginary churches—these were miniatures of real structures. Even the interior was as it should be—icons, analogions, even candle stands. Sometimes Oleg made illuminated iconostases. Pale, calming light radiates from behind the icons and it seems as if they are give off light themselves.
Oleg Vakhrushev is a musician by profession. He’s very talented. He can play the piano, guitar, accordion, balalaika, double bass, and so many other instruments that it is easier to say what he can’t play… He met Elena during his studies at the Ivanovo music college. She was studying in the city of brides (that was Ivanovo’s nickname before.—Trans.) to be a public events producer.
Elena’s parents worked in the Ivanovo Circus, so Lenochka traveled with them all over the country, and her family was often invited to appear on television. She used to be very proud of this fact. Her father taught her acrobatics and balancing acts, saying, “This will be your livelihood.” Indeed, when Elena got married and came to live in Sokolskoye, there was no job for her as a producer, so she began to teach a circus art class at a local art center. Her husband worked at the community center.
Then they celebrated a happy event—their daughter was born. It was followed by sorrow. Oleg took to drinking. Life was hard during the tumultuous 1990s, and to earn money, he began to perform in restaurants and at dance events. And so it all has simply spun out of control…
Healing
Oleg couldn’t go a day without alcohol. Kicked out of the community center, he found another job only to be fired soon again. It got to the point where he started working at a morgue, and the reason why he held on there was because they offered him a 100-gram daily ration of vodka.
Caring for a young child, no money to live on, her husband a drunkard… Out of utter hopelessness, Elena started going to church
Caring for a young child, no money to live on, her husband a drunkard… From utter hopelessness, Elena started going to church. She ended up attending a Sunday school for adults organized in Sokolskoye by Rev. Fr. Michael Akinfin, at that time the rector of the Ascension Church in the Tsykino village.
“People came there for various reasons,” Lena recalled. “Some came simply out of curiosity. Others, like me, came there grieving. Batiushka said then: “To help others, you should begin with yourself. Try to live righteously, to take communion, and to pray.” So, I decided for myself—no matter what happens, I will do as I was told. And so I took to reading the akathist to “The Inexhaustible Cup” Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God. No matter what…”
She read it for a whole year. Oleg continued to drink and it seemed like there was no end to this nightmare. But then, one day… Oleg was lying at home during one of his awful drinking sprees, the TV working in the background. Lena was quietly reading the akathist. Suddenly they saw a news story that the “The Inexhaustible Cup” icon of the Most Holy Mother of God was being brought to Moscow from Serpukhov. That very same icon, its original image. Somehow, this news really hit a nerve with Oleg. He suddenly told his wife that he wanted to venerate this icon.
“I began to rush about and ran to Father Michael,” said Elena, “asking him to take Oleg to Moscow, but batiushka (truly, by Divine Providence!) was already planning a trip there. Oleg was in a deplorable state… But he still took him along. All the time my husband was away, I prayed. Dasha, my daughter, also prayed and batiushka also prayed while on the road. As he arrived in Moscow, he asked all priests he knew to pray for him as well. Oleg made it on time to venerate the icon. On the very last day, just before it was returned to its home. And then he immediately traveled back home... My husband told me later: ‘I went through hell…’ He was tormented by demons all the way home. It’s known as the ‘delirium tremens,’ but in fact it was an attack by demons… They knew that this fellow was about to escape from their clutches. He he was seeing mafiosi everywhere in his delirium, as if he was about to be killed. When he arrived home, he said, ‘I am here to say goodbye.’ My daughter and I got so scared that we locked all the windows and doors and began to pray right away. But he was thrashing around in delirium. And then suddenly I saw a completely different person in front of me. As if one thing had separated from another… He cried all day long. After that he was serene the whole week.”
This week’s calendar reminders:
Monday 6/9: Matins 8:30 a.m.; Stewards Meeting 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday 6/10: no services or events
Wednesday 6/11: no services or events
Thursday 6/12: Matins 8:30 a.m.
Friday 6/13: Matins 8:30 a.m.
Saturday 6/14: Women’s Group 9 a.m.; Catechumen Class 4:30 p.m.; Great Vespers 6 p.m.
Sunday 6/15: Hours & Divine Liturgy, Bryce Chrismation 9 a.m.
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Christ the Savior Orthodox Church is located in Southbury, Connecticut, and is part of the New England Diocese of the Orthodox Church of America.
Mailing address: Christ the Savior Church, 1070 Roxbury Road, Southbury, CT 06488
PLEASE DONATE to help our parish do the work of the Lord, thrive and grow, and extend the Kingdom of God. May the Lord bless your generosity!
Fr. Moses Locke can be reached at frmoseslocke@gmail.com