People really want to believe in a miracle, especially if its source is in front of their eyes. A vivid confirmation of this is the expectation of miraculous healings from the relics of the saints. When the opportunity arises to venerate the holy relics, people line up in thousands of people in the hope that all the most secret thoughts will be heard. How can this be explained? Why do people sometimes go to great distances, making pilgrimage trips, sparing no effort, time, or money. But before answering this question, you need to understand what holy relics are and why they are sometimes also called “honest”.

So, the relics are the remains of Christian saints, who are especially revered by believers. The Church sees in them temples of the Holy Spirit, in which God's grace abides even after death. The imperishable bodies of saints, skulls, bones, as well as small particles of the body can be used as relics (it is known from history that many Christian martyrs were torn to pieces by animals, during torture they crushed bones and chopped off various parts of the body).

Marking the bodies of Christian martyrs began at the dawn of Christianity, when martyrdom was perceived as evidence of the resurrection of Christ and victory over death. On the graves of the first martyrs, a divine liturgy was necessarily held, and the believers by all means and means sought to take possession of the relics, most often simply by ransoming them.

A few words must also be said about such a concept as myrrh-streaming. Many of the remains of saints exude a fragrant oil called myrrh. The anointing with the world also heals from ailments.

It is to that early time that the first evidence of miraculous healings that took place at the relics of the saints belong. The chroniclers described various cases of healing and the help of saints. Many of these stories have come down to our time and are published along with the biographies of this or that saint.

For many centuries, skeptics have tried to prove to everyone that the remains of saints are nothing more than corpses, and myrrh is the most common falsification. It acquired a special scope in Soviet times.

However, modern research technologies make it possible to study even such things that are inexplicable from a logical point of view, like the relics of saints. So, in particular, studies were carried out in the Kiev-Pechersk lava, which proved that the air around the relics of the saints has a healing aura, in which pathogenic microbes and bacteria dissolve in an absolutely incomprehensible way. During the scientific examination of the world, it was found that it contains proteins, and this is not a product of the decay of dead tissues, but an organic product. It is noteworthy that even with the help of the most modern technologies this protein cannot be synthesized.

In every temple where the relics are kept, all cases of healing and other miracles are carefully recorded. In this regard, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is the most popular, where people from all over the world annually go for healing from diseases, depression and other ailments. Such a number of relics of saints, as collected in the Lavra caves, is nowhere else in the world. There are 122 of them here. Most of these relics are imperishable. Since the 17th century, scientists have tried to find an explanation for this phenomenon and figure out what is Magic power relics. In order to find a clue, what has not been done: water was infected with microbes, wheat grains were irradiated. However, each time after therapy with holy relics, neither microbes nor radiation remained.

Each saint was responsible for a certain part of life, that is, roughly speaking, each of them had his own specialization. So, for example, St. Erasmus relieves depression. According to the monks of the Lavra, the saint himself experienced despondency, but the monks begged him. Of course, at first glance it may seem that despondency cannot be called sins in the traditional sense of the word. But on the other hand, despondency is the path to despair, and despair leads to suicide.

Saint Erasmus during his lifetime was a rather rich man, but he donated all his wealth to decorate the temple of the Assumption of the Mother of God. But in the field of this, the evil spirit inspired him that he made this donation in vain, but could use them with much greater benefit (as an option, give alms).

After all this, Erasmus fell into a real despondency. But once he had a dream in which the Mother of God told him that in gratitude for decorating the temple, she would decorate his life. The next day, Erasmus took the monastic vows, and a few days later he died.

Those who want to be healed of the sin of fornication turn to Moses Ugrin with a prayer. The saint himself underwent a similar test. By origin, he was a Hungarian, combatant of Prince Boris. In 1019, he was captured and became a prisoner of a Polish widow. The woman was so struck by his beauty that she wanted Moses to become her husband, so she began to persuade him to marry. However, the young man was a monk in his heart, so he refused the widow's offer and secretly took the veil as a monk. The woman in anger ordered to mutilate and mutilate Moses. In 1025, he nevertheless managed to free himself from captivity, after which Moses came to the monastery and lived here for about 10 years.

There is also the relics of Ilya Muromets in the Lavra. Despite this, many historians still question the very existence of the famous epic hero. However, back in 1988, after research, scientists confirmed that it was quite a real man. By the standards of those ancient times, Ilya was of heroic growth - 177 centimeters. Scientists claim that he had a very well developed muscular system, which is proof that in life he often used physical strength. In addition, the researchers were able to establish that Ilya Muromets had big problems with his spine. These data completely coincide with the epics, which say that until the age of 30 he could not walk at all. And scientists also saw traces of numerous battles - fractures of the collarbone and ribs. Forensic experts tried to reconstruct the appearance of the hero - a man of about 50 years old (he died at about this age) with a large beard and bald head.

As for the studies of other relics, scientists came to the conclusion that during their lifetime, most of them were too exhausted by hard work and fasting. Some of the saints had problems with the musculoskeletal system.

Not without funny situations, and sometimes even fraud. So, for example, in the middle of the 19th century, a book appeared in France called Curiosities of Traditions. Its authors claimed that 26 heads and 20 bodies of St. Julian, 9 heads of St. Luke, 12 hands and 18 heads of St. Philip, 15 hands of John Chrysostom, 13 hands of St. Sebastian, as well as 11 fingers, 9 hands, 4 shoulders are kept in European churches. , 7 jaws and 12 heads of St. John the Baptist.

The clergy of the Lavra say that such incidents did not happen to them, since the relics of saints are not taken out of the temple. And only particles of saints go to “travel” around the world.

Another place of storage of the relics of saints, where people go not only from all over Ukraine, but from all over the world, is the Pochaev Monastery. There is kept, in particular, the icon of the Pochaev Mother of God.

Such relics require careful care. Once every three months, the relics are necessarily “dressed”, that is, their vestments are changed, and once a year they are taken out to air. All this is done with the blessing of the governor, all the clothes in which the relics of the saints are dressed are sewn from natural fabrics.

The relics of saints are treated with great reverence. So, in particular, in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra there are special cave keepers who closely monitor the humidity and temperature in the premises. In addition, special equipment operates in the same rooms, which allows you to control the climate. In addition, there are monks who look after the relics directly.

It should also be noted that the very concept of "imperishable relics" has changed its meaning over the centuries. At one time, it was understood as undecayed brushes, then - a dried up body. In the Lavra, for the first time, the monks noticed that the bodies of the saints were very well preserved, only after they opened the burial niche of one of the founders of the temple, St. Theodosius. His body lay immured for 18 years, and when it came time to transfer him to the Assumption Cathedral, it turned out that his hair had dried up to his head, and his joints had not disintegrated.

Experts assure that in order to become a saint, it is not at all necessary to take monastic vows. The most important thing is pure thoughts and confirmation of the miracles performed during life after her. In the Church, even over the centuries, a certain procedure has been developed for raising a righteous person to the rank of saints. Initially, a special commission is created, consisting of bishops, priests, theologians, historians, physicians. All these people study in detail the life of a righteous person, establish how pure he was in his faith and spiritual life. After that, the facts of the miracles of the candidate for canonization are collected. In the event that there is enough evidence, all the collected documents are sent for consideration by the Synod, which decides whether the righteous man deserves to become a saint or not. However, there are exceptions, for example. Xenia of Petersburg. People began to honor her and ask for help during her lifetime, long before her canonization. And in most cases, the righteous pass the test of time - up to a hundred years.

But people, as a rule, all these details are completely unimportant. For them, the main thing is to get the necessary help, get rid of diseases and problems. It is noteworthy that people who consider themselves atheists also turn to the relics of saints. In particular, they talk about the fact that next to the relics of the saints and they have headaches. And there is nothing to say about believers: they are sure that the saints will definitely help them. And miracles do happen.

Thus, we can confidently say that miraculous healings from the relics of saints are a reality. And this is confirmed not only by the centuries-old experience of the church, but also by scientific research in recent years.

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« God, he says, divided the martyrs with us: He Himself, having taken their soul, He gave us, as it were, their bodies, so that their holy bones would be with us a constant reminder of their virtue. «

Why and how are the relics of saints divided into particles?

First of all, you need to understand:

What is relics?

Relics, according to patristic tradition, are the various remains of saints, to one degree or another preserved after their death. The relics of God's saints are venerated as holy things and are preserved with reverence by believers in churches and monasteries.

Why do we honor relics?

The tradition of venerating relics dates back to Old Testament times (). It continued into the New Testament era. Christians from the first centuries reverently treated the remains of the righteous, and in their decisions made the final formulation of veneration of relics: “Our Savior Christ gave us saving sources, the remains of saints, pouring out blessings on the worthy in various ways. And this is through Christ, who dwells in them.”

Every Orthodox Christian He knows that the righteous, who have been honored with the glorification of God, are present among us after their earthly death and help us. Spiritually aspiring to God, bodily, they continue to be in our material world. Having consecrated themselves during their lives with deeds, after death, they pour out Divine grace into our world through their relics or remains (from the Greek ta leipsana, leipo - I leave).

The question often arises, how important is the size of the holy remains?

The immediate size of the remains is not important, because Divine grace in its entirety is present in every particle of them. The source of grace is not the body of the saint in itself, but exclusively the power of God, manifested through it. This power is indivisible, it cannot decrease or increase, depending on the size of the remains. “Holy relics are inexhaustible treasures and incomparably higher than earthly treasures precisely because these (earthly treasures - author's note) are divided into many parts and decrease through division; and those from division into parts not only do not decrease, but even more reveal their wealth: such is the property of spiritual things that through distribution they increase and through division they multiply ”(St. John Chrysostom).

What is the connection between holy relics and the Eucharist?

In early Christian times, when the Church was persecuted, it was customary to celebrate the Eucharist in secret, in the catacombs. The tombs (relics) of the first martyrs served as the throne. In modern practice, an indispensable attribute Divine Liturgy is an antimension (a special cloth cloth), into which particles of the relics of a deceased saint are sewn. The basis for this custom is an excerpt from the Revelation of John the Theologian “And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who were slain for the word of God and for the testimony that they had” (). “The souls of the righteous who suffered for Christ, as can be seen from this, are under the altar of the heavenly temple, just as on earth since the time of the martyrs it has become a custom to place particles of the relics of St. martyrs. The prayer of the righteous is explained, of course, not by the desire of their personal revenge, but by the acceleration of the triumph of God's truth on earth and that reward to each according to his deeds, which should take place at the Last Judgment and make them partakers of eternal bliss, as those who gave their lives for Christ and His Divine teaching ." Archbishop Averky (Taushev).

The presence of the relics of the saints at the Liturgy is intended to indicate not only their invisible, spiritual participation in the Sacrament, but also their visible, bodily unity with the Earthly Church, with the faithful who are at that moment in the temple.

In addition to the liturgical presence of the relics of saints in the Sacrament, the remains of the ascetics are usually placed under the altar of each church when it is consecrated by a bishop. In addition, in almost every temple, there are shrines with particles of the relics of our favorite saints.

Where does the number of relics necessary for all churches come from?

In some cases, the holy particles of the relics are transferred from the old antimension to the new one. But in dioceses where there are few old antimensions, and there are not enough own relics, there is a need for holy remains to illuminate new churches. In these cases, the ruling bishops request that the relics be provided to them in another diocese. If possible, these requests are granted, the particles of the relics after separation are transferred with a trustee to the diocese from which the request was received.

How are the remains of saints divided into particles?

The priest is engaged in the direct separation of the holy particles. With the reading of prayers, "Lord, have mercy" or troparia to the saints, usually in the morning, in the altar on the altar of the temple, the priest separates the particles. The separated particles are placed on white paper, then filled with wax and put into a special reliquary sealed with a church seal. After that, the reliquaries are handed over to the dioceses, where the particles of the relics are spent as needed, for investing in antimensions or under the altars of temples during their consecration.

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Journal of the Moscow Patriarchy

Pavel OSTROV

On the veneration of holy relics. Prof. I. V. Popov

I. What are relics

The word "relics" in the Slavic language translates the Greek word "lipsana" and the Latin "relic", which literally means "remains" in Russian. Therefore, this word denotes all the remains of the deceased, everything that remains of the human body after his death. The word "relics" has always been used in the same sense in the Church Slavonic language. In the rite of “burial of worldly people, priests and babies” we constantly encounter expressions: “the relics of the deceased lie in the house”, “having taken the relics of the deceased, we go to the church”, “prayer is read near the relics”, “putting the relics into the coffin” and so on. If we pay attention to the origin of the word "power" from the root "power" - strength, then it becomes obvious that the word "power" in the Slavic language refers not to the bodies of the dead, but only their bones, because the strength, the strength of the human body, according to the general belief, lies precisely in the bones of a person, and not in his body (flesh); we call strong strong addition, whose bone composition is highly developed, who has a strong, well-developed rib cage. In our Russian chronicles of the 15th and 17th centuries, bones were called relics. In one chronicle of 1472, this is how the opening of the coffins of Moscow metropolitans resting in the Assumption Cathedral is described: “Jonah has been found whole, Photeya is not everything, the “relics” are one” (Collection of Russian Chronicles. T. VI. P. 195). In 1667, Metropolitan Pitirim of Novgorod was informed of the discovery of the relics of the Monk Nil Stolbensky: “The coffin and body of his holy land were betrayed, and the relics of his saint are all intact” (Acts collected in libraries and archives Russian Empire archeographic expedition of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. SPb. T. IV. S. 156). Obviously, in both cases, only bones were called relics. In general, “in the language of ancient church literature, incorruptible relics are not incorruptible bodies, but preserved and undecayed bones” (Canonization of the Saints, pp. 297-298).
The history of both the ancient Christian Church and the Russian Church also tells us that relics have always been called and among believers all the relics of the holy martyrs, great ascetics, preserved at least in the form of bones and even just dust and ashes, were reverently revered. Saint Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, was thrown to the mercy of wild animals(under Emperor Trajan), who devoured his entire body and left only a few of the hardest bones, which, like sacred remains, were reverently picked up by believers. In 156, the Hieromartyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was killed with a sword and burned, but the bones that survived the fire and the ashes were for Christians "more honest than valuable stones and more expensive than gold." The writer of the Latin Church, Prudentius, says: “Believers collect the ashes from the burnt holy bodies of the martyrs and their bones washed with pure wine, and all vied with each other trying to get them for themselves, store them in their homes, wear holy ashes on their chests as a sacred gift and a guarantee of well-being.” St. John Chrysostom writes about the relics of the Antiochian martyr Babyla: “Many years have passed since his burial, only bones and ashes remained in his tomb, which were transferred with great honor to the tomb, on the outskirts of Daphne.” The Blessed Lucian tells the following about the relics of the holy Archdeacon Stephen he found: “Very small particles remained of his bones, and his whole body turned to dust ... With psalms and songs they carried these relics (remains) of Blessed Stephen to the holy church of Zion ...” Blessed Jerome says that the highly revered relics of the prophet Samuel existed in the form of dust, and the relics of the apostles Peter and Paul - in the form of bones (Decree. op. C. 35, approx.).
And the history of the Russian Church also testifies to the fact that all the relics of saints, preserved even in the form of bones, were called holy relics and reverently revered. In 1031, about the discovery of the relics of the monk, the chronicler writes: “I saw his bones, but did not open them up”; about the relics of Andrei Smolensky in the annals it says: "His body is involved in corruption, but both together make a biakh." The relics of St. Olga, according to the new chronicle, consisted of only bones. The relics of Prince Vladimir were discovered in 1635 by the Metropolitan of Kyiv in the Church of the Tithes in the form of bones. Its head is now in the great church of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the bones of the hands - in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, the jaw - in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral. At the present time, during the opening of the relics of the monk (1903), St. Pitirim of Tambov and the Hieromartyr (1914), only the bones of the saints were also found, which serve as an object of reverent veneration for believers.
From all the foregoing, it is clear, therefore, that from time immemorial in the Church of Christ all the relics of saints have been venerated as holy relics, even in the form of surviving bones and even dust and ashes. But it would be a complete injustice to say that in the holy relics there are always only bones, and nothing more. Both historical data, and eyewitness accounts, and, finally, even modern examination of the relics by civil authorities convince us that there are holy relics with flesh preserved to a greater or lesser extent and dried to the bones. Of course, the origin of such incorruption of the flesh can be explained in various ways. For some, this may seem like a natural thing, it may depend, for example, on the properties of the soil in which the body of the deceased lies, or on some other external influences of the atmosphere, others are inclined to see in this a miraculous phenomenon that is sometimes inherent in the remains of the deceased saints. And without even discussing which of these views should be recognized as more correct, we only assert that, although in itself the incorruption of the body cannot be proof of the holiness of the deceased person, nevertheless such incorruption of the flesh was more or less detectable. sometimes also at the opening of the relics of the holy saints of God, as the testimonies of historians and eyewitnesses undoubtedly confirm us. The compiler of the Life of St. Peacock tells with surprise about the discovery of the relics of the martyr Nazarius: “His head, cut off by the wicked, lay so whole and undamaged, with hair on the skull and beard, that it seemed as if it had just been washed and today was placed in a coffin.” The historian Sozomen says about the relics of the prophet Zechariah: "Despite the fact that the prophet lay underground for a long time, he was found intact: his hair was shaved, his nose was straight, his beard was not long, his eyes were slightly sunken and covered with eyelashes." In Russia, the relics of Metropolitan Jonah were found in 1472 (11 years after his death, which followed in 1461) in the form of a withered body adhering to the bones: him "(Golubinsky E.E. Decree. Op. P. 79, note 2). The relics of Prince Gleb Andreevich (son of Andrey Bogolyubsky) resting in the city of Vladimir are especially famous, which is not refuted by the recent examination of these relics by the civil authorities (the protocol of inspection was not published in the press). The relics of St. Joasaph (Gorlenko) in Belgorod and St. Theodosius in Chernigov also turned out to be more or less preserved (nothing is known about the examination of these relics by the civil authorities). We all look with reverence at the flesh-covered hand of the holy Archdeacon Stefan (in the Trinity Cathedral of the Sergius Lavra) and kiss it. In the protocol on the examination of the relics of the Yaroslavl princes Theodore, David and Konstantin (also not published), representatives of the medical science of the city of Yaroslavl, certifying that not only bones, but also cartilage were preserved in these relics, most of the skin and muscles were preserved in a dried state , tendons, refuse to explain the reasons for such a phenomenon and in conclusion directly state that “ the last word about the reasons for the preservation of the bodies of princes Theodore, David and Constantine belongs to the mind and religious conscience of the people.
So, both in the ancient Christian and in the Russian Church, the relics of the saints were equally venerated, preserved both in the form of bones alone, and with incorruptible flesh sometimes dried to the bones.

II. Why did the Orthodox Church establish the veneration of holy relics

In the works of the holy fathers Christian Church we find a threefold basis for establishing the veneration of the holy relics of those or other saints of God.
1. The remains of saints have an irresistible religious and moral effect on the soul of a person, serve as a living reminder of the personality of the saint and excite believers to imitate his pious deeds. John Chrysostom says: “The sight of the tomb of a saint, penetrating into the soul, strikes it, and excites, and brings it to such a state, as if he himself lying in the tomb prays together, stands before us, and we see him, and thus a person experiencing this, filled with great zeal, and descends from here, having become a different man.
If in the ordinary worldly life portraits of great people, their busts, statues, and especially tombs and graves are able to make a strong impression on the admirers of their memory and awaken in them an enthusiastic reverence for their life feat, then the tombs of martyrs and ascetics of faith and piety in the Church of Christ should naturally produce an irresistible, strong , a powerful impression on all believers and those who honor their holy memory. Next historical fact confirms the validity of the previous statement.
In the Church of Antioch, the decline of morals developed to its extreme limits: in the forests, with which pagan traditions about Apollo and Daphne were associated, immoral orgies, cynical games were arranged; no prohibitions, no admonitions of the pastors of the Church helped. But finally, the nephew of Emperor Constantius came up with the idea to build a basilica (temple) on the outskirts of Daphne, to transfer the relics of the especially revered martyr Babyla into it, and since then the orgies have ceased. St. John Chrysostom says: “Indeed, as if a light breeze blows from everywhere on those present at the tomb of the martyr, the breeze is not sensual and strengthens the body, but is able to penetrate into the very soul, arranging it in all respects and overthrowing any earthly burden from it.” The ancient feasts at the relics of the saints speak most eloquently of how high the Church placed their moral and edifying goal. All means were used in order to use the feeling of closeness of the saint, aroused by his remains, for the purpose of edification: narrations about the sufferings of the martyrs were read, acts of martyrdom were composed and then read, which had a tremendous effect on the listeners ...
2. Along with the moral and edifying veneration of relics in the Church of Christ, there is also a liturgical significance.
With the earthly Church, the Heavenly Church is also in communion of love, and such communion between the Churches on earth and in Heaven is expressed in prayer, the crown of which is the offering of the Most Holy Eucharist: “Now the powers of heaven serve with us invisibly, behold, the King of glory enters, behold, the secret sacrifice is made and offered… » One of the teachers ancient church() says: “There is a twofold society in prayer meetings: one consisting of people, the other of celestials ...” The relics of the saints are the key to their participation in our prayers. That is why the ancient Church of Christ predominantly celebrated the Eucharist on the graves of the martyrs, and their very graves served as an altar for the Sacrament. When the persecution weakened, the Christians hurried to erect a temple over the tomb of the martyr. So, in Rome, a church was built on the site where, according to legend, the body of the Apostle Paul was buried (Eusebius. History of the Church. 11, 25, 3). In Carthage there were two churches in honor of the martyr Cyprian: one at the place of his murder, the other over his grave. Here, at the remains of the martyr, his invisible presence was especially vividly felt. Therefore, the temple itself in honor of the martyr was called his “home”, “dwelling”, and the martyr himself was called his householder. John of Thessalonica, in his work on the miracles of the holy martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, says that this martyr has two houses: one in Heavenly Jerusalem, the other in Thessalonica. By the end of the 7th century, the custom of celebrating the Eucharist only on the relics of the martyrs had become almost legal: the Frankish Council decreed that the throne could only be consecrated in a church that contained the relics of the saints, and the 7th Ecumenical Council (787) determined that “for the future, every a bishop who consecrates a church without relics must be deposed” (Rule 7). Since then, antimensions have been introduced everywhere in churches, into which particles of holy relics are necessarily embedded and without which it is impossible to celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Thus, in every church there are necessarily the relics of saints, and these relics, according to the faith of the Church, serve as a guarantee of the presence of saints during worship, their participation in our prayers, their intercession before God, reinforcing our prayers. With the position of the relics in the antimension (or under the throne, if it is consecrated by the bishop), the following prayer is read: “Vladyka himself, the giver of good things, with the prayers of the saints, you also favored the position of the relics in this honest altar of Your being, vouchsafe us unjudgmentally bloodless to You on it make a sacrifice."
3. The third basis for the veneration of holy relics is the teaching Orthodox Church about the relics as carriers of grace-filled forces. “Your relics are like a vessel full of grace, overflowing on all who flow to them,” we read in prayer. Reverend Sergius. And this foundation stands in connection with the deepest tenets of the Orthodox faith, with the tenets of the Incarnation and the Redemption.
Even if people manage to arrange an earthly paradise of satiety and material well-being, they will not save themselves from illness, old age and death by any effort, and therefore, suffering, the bitterness of outgoing forces, the pain of losing loved ones and loved ones, the horror of death - such disasters will remain on earth. human life before which all others turn pale... Where can we seek deliverance from them, if not by the grace of God? And this grace is taught to mankind through the mediation of those or other holy people who, during their lifetime, worked miracles, and after death imparted this miraculous power to their remains. First of all, Christ Himself, as God, poured out the Holy Spirit on His body, and it, in itself incapable of working miracles, was all imbued with the life-giving powers of the Divine. Therefore, the God-man performed many of His miracles through the medium of His body: stretching out his hand, he touched a leper (see:). Knowing the miraculous working of the body of Christ, the people always crowded to Christ in order to touch at least only His clothes (see:); so, through touching only the edge of the Savior's garment, a wife who suffered from bleeding for 12 whole years, who fruitlessly spent all her property on the treatment of her illness, suddenly received healing. And Christ the Savior Himself felt at the same time the miraculous power that came out of His body (see:).
So, undoubtedly, “the very body of Christ,” as the saint says, “was life-giving, for it was the temple and habitation of God the Word…”. That is why we are now united with the Divinity of Christ, partaking of His Body and Blood for the remission of sins and eternal life in the Mystery of the Eucharist.
But Christ is the head of a renewed humanity. Through His incarnation, the Divinity was united with all human nature, with the whole human race, and therefore people who are worthy to become the temple of God become, to some extent, partakers of His Divine glory (see:). Saint Gregory the Theologian says: “The human mind is like a mirror. If he is turned to God, then the body, this mirror of the mirror, obeying the mind, bears in itself a reflection of his Divine beauty. God, according to John of Damascus, indwells the bodies of the saints through the mind. If the holy apostle Paul called the body of every Christian the temple of the Spirit of God living in it (see:), whose actions can be in ordinary people more or less hidden, then in the saints these actions can manifest themselves with especially striking force ... “As fire enters into all the pores of red-hot iron,” says the monk, “so the Holy Spirit completely penetrates with His power both the soul and the body of the saint. But this is not an incarnation both in essence and in the power of grace. In Christ, with two natures (Divine and human), there is one divine hypostasis; in the saints, the human hypostasis is preserved ... Christ is the flesh-bearing God, and the saints are God-bearing or spirit-bearing people ”( Reverend Macarius Egyptian). As a result of such a close union with God, the saints become bearers of miraculous power, acting through their body. Who closed heaven under Elijah the Prophet? God who dwells in it. By whose power did Moses divide the Red Sea, stretching out his rod over it? By the power of God that belongs to him. By the same miraculous Divine power, the prophet Elisha resurrected the dead boy (see:), the apostle Peter healed the lame from birth (see:), raised the paralyzed Aeneas, chained to a bed of sickness for eight years, and all this by the name and power of Jesus Christ (see. : ). And this power of Christ was so inherent in the holy Apostle Peter that even his shadow, which overshadowed the sick, miraculously healed them of illnesses (see:). But the grace-filled forces that act through the bodies of the saints during their lifetime continue to act in them even after death. This is precisely the basis for the veneration of holy relics as bearers of grace. For the sake of the Holy Spirit and righteous human souls, who once inhabited the bodies of holy men and women, their very dust and bones retain their miraculous power. The deceased, touching the bones of the prophet Elisha, came to life and rose to his feet (see:). And this, according to Cyril of Jerusalem, in order to show that in the body of the saints, when there is no soul in it, some kind of power is put into it, for the sake of the righteous soul that lived in it for many years, which it served. Dead saints, says the prophet, act like living ones: they heal the sick, cast out demons, for the grace of the Holy Spirit is always in the holy remains. John Chrysostom says: "Do not speak to me about dust, do not imagine the ashes and the bones of the saints decayed from time to time, but open the eyes of faith and look at the power of God inherent in them."
It is clear from the foregoing that the veneration of the relics of saints in the beliefs of the Church is not an accident, but is connected with the fundamental truths of the Orthodox faith, and that the basis for such veneration of the relics is not their incorruption, but the grace-filled power of God inherent in them. In the same way, the basis for the canonization of the saints is not the incorruption of their remains, but the striking manifestation of the Spirit in the holiness of their lives and in miracles from their relics. That is why the Orthodox Church canonized some ascetics of faith and piety, whose relics have not been discovered to this day and about whose incorruption we know nothing at all, but who were known for their holy life and after death provided miraculous help with faith to those who turned to him. Such, for example, are Anthony Pechersky, Kirill Belozersky, Joseph Volokolamsky, Pafnuty Borovsky and others. Or some of the saints were canonized even before the discovery of their relics - mainly because even before this discovery, numerous and amazing miracles were performed at their tombs; such are the reverend, the reverend Nil Stolbensky, the saint, and others.
Thus, the presence of the incorruption of the remains of the deceased cannot be considered a necessary sign of his holiness, just as the corruption of the body is not a sign of lawlessness. According to the testimony of church history, there have been and still are encountered the incorruptible bodies of some of the dead, which, in the absence of miracles, were not recognized and are not recognized, however, as the relics of the holy saints of God. In August 1479, the body of Metropolitan Philip was found, which lay open for 12 days, there were no miracles, and it was again interred. In 1546, the bodies of six unknown deceased were found intact in the Pavlovsky Obnorsky Monastery and were again buried in the ground. In 1596, when the relics of Saints Guriy and Barsanuphius of Kazan were found, the bodies of two other monks were found together with them in an incorrupt form, but the bodies of Guriy and Varsanuphii were recognized as relics and remained open, and the bodies of the monks were buried again (Golubinsky E.E. Decree. cit., pp. 522-528). In the great Kiev-Pechersk Church, Pavel, Metropolitan of Tobolsk, who died in 1770, almost completely incorrupt and openly rests, everyone can see, for example, his brush right hand, well preserved, not even very dark in color and not very dry. And despite incorruption, he is still not numbered among the saints.

A well-known historian and researcher of the issue of the canonization of saints, Professor E. E. Golubinsky says: “The Church from the most ancient times began to recognize those or others among the ascetics as saints on the same basis on which it recognized them in later times and on which it recognizes them to this day. Since then, precisely on the basis of the testimony of God Himself about them, Who honored one or another among them with the gift of miracles - either during life or after death ”(Golubinsky E.E. Decree. Op. P. 16). But, while taking upon itself the right, in the presence of miracles, to rank one or another ascetic of faith and piety as a saint, the Church has always treated testimonies about miracles with extreme caution: she examined all testimonies impartially and with full attention, and only after undeniable data was a well-known ascetic ranked to the saints.

In any temple you can find pieces of the relics of various saints. They symbolize the special prayerful presence of the deceased righteous man, to whom a person who comes to church turns with a request or gratitude.

Who ever dealt with the division of relics? Can you confirm their authenticity, find out about their origin?

Timothy Katnis, historian and director of the Apostle Thomas Pilgrimage Center in Europe, answers these questions and not only.

Why are powers needed?

The relics are the remains of the saints, that is, those whom God glorified after their death and whose presence in the world, believers constantly feel. The sanctity of the Earthly Church is manifested in the human veneration of these people, the manifestations of the living, in the miraculous events associated with this participation, healings and help that come after praying to them. The remains of the saint become a source divine power or, speaking in church language, grace. The exact formula for the veneration of relics, which the Church still adheres to, we find in the decisions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787): And this is through Christ, who dwells in them. Evidence of the veneration of relics can be found already in Old Testament(2 Kings 13:21). Written documents of the 2nd century confirm the presence of this tradition in the Church since ancient times.

The Church adamantly affirms that Christ was resurrected not only spiritually, but bodily, therefore Christian theology has always said that a person must be holy to the fullness of his being. Not only the soul, but the body is sanctified. From this follows the rationale for the veneration of the relics - the human flesh of the righteous is also sanctified by grace, as is his soul.

Since early Christianity, the sacrament of the Eucharist and Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ was celebrated in the catacombs, the tombs of the martyrs, that is, on their relics. In the modern Church, this Sacrament is also performed on the holy remains. The so-called Antimins, a quadrangular board into which a particle of relics is sewn, is always present on the altar table of any Orthodox church without fail. Without it, the main Christian service, the liturgy, cannot be performed. Thus, the Church points out that each liturgy takes place both with the visible participation of the living, that is, the faithful, who are present at that time in the temple (Earthly Church), and with the participation of the departed, that is, the saints (Heavenly Church), who are present not only in an invisible way, but visibly and tangibly - with the help of altar on the holy throne

The incorruptibility of the relics is an optional condition. The sanctity of a person is first of all evidenced by his life and the miracles that occur through his prayers. On Athos, for example, relics are the bones of the deceased. Moreover, if the body of a monk does not decay after his death, this is considered a bad sign - for such a person they begin to pray intensely.

Why do powers separate into particles?

The phenomenon of the division of relics consists in the fact that, in itself, the body of a saint is a source of healing and miracles, namely, the power of God that lives in it, as indicated by the Seventh Ecumenical Council " ... And this is through Christ, Who dwells in them ..» . This power is indivisible.

Any even the smallest particle allows you to touch the most holy and all the fullness of that divine grace that dwells in the righteous man himself. Therefore, in order to be as more people got the opportunity to touch this Power, Christians share the relics. Many of those who are surprised by this tradition do not give much thought to what happens at the Liturgy. When a priest breaks the Body of Christ into particles before Communion and lowers them into the Chalice, the believers partake of a non-part of Christ, but accept Him in their entire lives, and in their fullness, become part of the one, indivisible Body of Christ.

When did the tradition of sharing relics begin?

This has been happening since ancient times. Documentally, we can trace this tradition as early as the 4th century, by reading the written sources that have come down to us. Here, for example, is what St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) says in a sermon: The divisions not only do not diminish in part, but they show their wealth even more: such is the property of spiritual things that through distribution they increase, and through division they multiply.

Shrines were hidden, transferred, lost, found. There are relics that still remain incorruptible (St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, St. Alexander of Svirsky), and there are some that have decayed in modern times. The greater the glory of the deceased saint, the more churches and monasteries will be, who will want a piece of his relics. However, the relics of not all saints remained. Sometimes it happened that after the death of the martyrs, the pagans destroyed their bodies, burning them or throwing them away.

Is there a procedure for the transfer of relics?

Exists. This order has changed over time. In Byzantium, in Russia, and in our time, as a rule, this was done at the request of the bishop. He sent an official letter to a temple or monastery of another diocese (church administrative-territorial unit) with a request to separate part of the relics. This request was considered and, if there was such an opportunity, the particle was separated, after which, through a trusted priest, or in a solemn religious procession, they brought it to the place where the request came from. Then the relics were inserted into the vicon, or the so-called reliquary or reliquary (a container for storing valuable relics that have religious sacred significance) was made for them, and kept in the temple with reverence.

Were there cases when the relics were stolen?

Sarcophagus containing the relics of St. Nicholas

Yes, there are such examples. The most textbook of them is the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from the World of Lycian to Bari. Nadele- it was a real kidnapping. At the same time, the kidnappers were guided by quite pious goals. During the epoch, Byzantium was under the constant threat of occupation by the Turks, and Italian Christians feared that the relics of the saint might eventually be desecrated. In addition, all the navigators of the Mediterranean basin revered Nicholas the Wonderworker as their special patron. Hence the desire arose to receive the relics of the saint hometown. In 1087, a trading ship by the Sbarians moored to the port of Mir Lycian. The sailors made their way into the temple where the relics of the saint rested, and, seizing the monks there, began to interrogate them where the tomb of the saint was located. One of the sailors, Matteo, saw a mosaic on the floor of the temple, began to break through it with a breaker and soon discovered an empty space under it, where the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker lay. Having quickly loaded their treasure onto the ship, the sailors set off back home. Already in Bari, particles of the relics of the saint were sent to different places. One is now in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Rome, the other in France - in Saint-Nicolas de Port, the third in Venice. A similar story happened with the “transfer” of the relics of the Apostle Mark from Alexandria to Venice (829) by the stele of Spyridon of Trimyphus, which was stolen from Constantinople and brought to the island of Corfu (1456).

Are there scientific methods for verifying the historical authenticity of relics?

Exist. One of them is the radiocarbon method, which can be used to date the age of the relics. Any organic contains carbons, which, from the moment of death of a biological being, begin to decay at a certain rate - the so-called half-life. Scientists measure the amount of carbon that is left in the studied object and then compare it with the stem, how much it should have been originally. Thus, it is possible to determine the approximate date of death, according to the amount of decayed carbon. This method was successfully applied during the study of the head of John the Baptist in the city of Amiens. He showed that the age of the skull is about 2000 years. There is an anthropological (Anthropology is a set of disciplines that studies a person, his origin, existence and development in natural and cultural environments. - Ed.) analysis, which was also used during these studies. He determined that it was the head of a man between 35–45 years old, the type of skull is Semitic, which additionally indicated the authenticity of the Head of John the Baptist.

In addition, individual historical-canonical analysis. It is carried out on the basis of a complex of various historical documents and archaeological artifacts. In particular, such an analysis is required in order to confirm that this particular city, place or diocese has special rights to preserve the relics of this or that saint. For example, through such historical-canonical The analysis confirmed that the relics of the apostles Peter and Paul were indeed found in Rome, which means that this city is the “homeland” of these holy relics. Such an analysis is not always possible. Over the 2000-year history of the existence of the Church, quite and upheavals, the fall of empires, crusades and other events, it is sometimes extremely difficult to determine the path of a particular shrine. Sometimes researchers have only shreds of indirect information, with the help of which one can at least somehow restore the history of the relics.

However, it is important to note that the church consciousness has always relied on the evidence of its Tradition, and such trust was justified. All data scientific research have always been considered as auxiliary arguments, in no way determining the question of the authenticity of the relics. In academia for a long time many characters and places from Scripture have been questioned. Archaeological discoveries in the 20th century dispelled most of these doubts. And what will be revealed tomorrow is unknown, but the Church knows its saints better than anyone else, let them hold a magnifying glass or a measuring device in their hands. For the Church, only one evidence remains fundamental - the recognition of the authenticity of the relics by the Church itself through the decisions of church councils and popular veneration.

Do Christians themselves research relics?

Yes. Catholics, after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), created a whole commission that was supposed to determine the authenticity of all the relics and relics stored in ihram monasteries. For 10 years, all documents were rechecked, the history of each shrine was restored, if possible. As a result, the work carried out separated the relics and shrines, whose origin and authenticity are documented, from those that we can honor only by faith.

The Orthodox Church also knows such studies. For example, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the second acquisition of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, who were stolen by the authorities during the Soviet period. Then there was almost no hope of finding his holy remains. When information was received in 1990 that these relics were still found in the Museum of Atheism and Religion, a commission was created that conducted an anthropological and historical-canonical analyses. As a result, it was reliably established that the found remains were the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Constantly there are contradictory evidence about the study of the remains of the Royal family.

It is important to note that neither in the case of the well-known Catholic commission, nor in the case of scientific research of the relics at the request of the Russian Orthodox Church, their results were and cannot be the basis for resolving the issue of the authenticity of the relics. The last, defining word always remains with the Church itself, only She herself preserves holiness and can recognize it.

Among Orthodox shrines, a special place is occupied by the holy relics of the saints of God. Thanks to them, many miracles are performed, the hopelessly ill, the possessed are healed, life's difficulties are resolved, and other grace-filled help is given to believers. It happens, however, that the excitement around a sacred subject goes beyond the bounds of prudence, acquires the features of a magical cult. We are going to talk about the proper veneration of the remains of the righteous in this article.

What is called relics in Orthodoxy?

Relics in the Orthodox world are the remains of saints that have been preserved in one form or another. They are given due veneration, and through the prayers of the faithful, miracles are often performed before them. Most often, these are cases of healing from any illness or unusual intercession. This tradition also exists among Catholics.

After death, the body of God's saints can be preserved in different forms: sometimes only bones remain, sometimes skin(the so-called "miracle of incorruption"), undergoing only some changes. Often, an inexplicable fragrance emanates from holy relics, in some cases a fragrant liquid is released - miro.

Honest remains are stored, as a rule, in a special ark, resembling a decorated coffin. It is called cancer . Sometimes the body of a deceased ascetic may not be found, providentially hidden under a bushel, that is, underground. Then, at the supposed location of their location, a special empty tomb is built, which is called cenotaph .

There is also the practice of dividing the relics into particles to increase their number. Then they are placed in reliquary or an icon. Each particle of the remains of saints has the same beneficial power, there is also the practice of adding them to paints for writing icons.


How is assistance provided?

The miraculous power of relics is recognized by many people, and even not particularly believers. For example, when they see what happens to those possessed by an evil spirit when they approach the holy remains. What force makes the possessed behave like this? Obviously, this power is the grace of God, which acted in the saints and during their lifetime. The name itself indicates the source of miracles, it comes from the word "power", that is, "strength".

Consequently, it is not bones in themselves, not matter, that are the source of grace, they are only its conductor. The Lord Himself, through the holy relics belonging to His saints, sends this invisible help, grace-filled power. Ephraim Sirin said this about it:

And after death, the saints act as if they were alive: they heal the sick, cast out demons, and by the power of the Lord repulse all the evil influence of their tormenting dominion. For the miraculous grace of the Holy Spirit is always inherent in holy relics.

Orthodox veneration of the shrine

The above is the explanation of the tradition of veneration of relics by the Orthodox. As in the case of icons, we do not worship the object itself, matter, but prayerfully turn to the righteous, we honor the grace-filled power of God that dwells in them. About the veneration of the remains of saints, Professor A. I. Osipov says this:

“And graciously venerating the holy relics of the saints, the Church venerates the temples of the Holy Spirit, the temples of the living God, in which God lives by His grace even after the bodily death of the saint, and, according to His wise good pleasure, works miracles - from them and through them.”

Already in the Old Testament there is some evidence of a reverent attitude towards the bones of the dead righteous. This is the transfer by Moses from Egypt of the remains of the righteous Joseph (Ex. 13:19), and the resurrection of a person after touching the bones of the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 13:21). However, the main reason for the veneration of holy relics is, of course, the fact of the Incarnation.

By His incarnation, the Lord exalted the human body to an unprecedented height, being taken with it even to Heaven and showing that the body, along with the soul, can be the receptacle of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, not only the body becomes a conductor of grace, but also clothes, objects belonging to the saint of God. Let us remember that even from the shadow of the Apostle Peter there were healings (Acts 5:15).

Already in early period Christianity, among the Orthodox shrines, the bodies of the murdered martyrs were honored. First Eucharist ( agapes ) were performed on their graves. And today, an indispensable condition for the celebration of the Liturgy is the presence of an antimension - a special payment into which a piece of holy relics is sewn.

As an obligatory veneration of the remains of the saints of God, it was justified in the 8th century on seventh Ecumenical Council . Its ruling reads:

Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the relics of the saints as a saving source, pouring out various blessings on the weak. Therefore, those who dared to reject the relics of the martyr: if bishops, let them be deposed, if monks and laity, be deprived of communion.

Is the incorruption of the remains necessary for their veneration?

A fairly common occurrence that happens to the remains of saints is their complete or partial preservation after death. This miracle is called incorruption. Most often, in the case of incorruption, the skin of the saint of God shrinks somewhat and acquires a brown tint, while the body itself does not decompose. Usually also at the same time, a pleasant, incomparable fragrance emanates from the deceased.

You need to understand that all this happens without any external influences or interventions, has nothing to do with mummification or embalming. It is scientifically impossible to explain such a phenomenon, despite numerous attempts, which is why it belongs to the category of miraculous. The body temperature of a righteous person who died in Bose also corresponds to the temperature of a living body.

The imperishability of holy relics, at the same time, is not a prerequisite for their veneration. This erroneous idea came to us in the 18th century, apparently under the influence of catholic church. Let us recall that the honest remains of many martyrs were separate fragments, or even not preserved at all, for example, during burning. However, due to the fact that only a skeleton remained from the remains of St. Seraphim of Sarov, while the body of Alexander Svirsky was preserved almost as if alive, it cannot be concluded that one righteous man is “holier” than another.

The main material, which is usually perceived as a shrine, is bone. In addition, it is necessary to take into account different traditions and climatic conditions. On Mount Athos, for example, there is a completely different idea from the Russian tradition of the incorruption of holy relics.

The burial custom of monks on Mount Athos

Athonite custom prescribes the following practice of burial of monks from among the brethren. The body of the deceased is not washed or re-clothed, it is sewn into a mantle, a cockle (monastic headdress) is placed on the head. Burial is accepted immediately, preferably on the same day. As a rule, honest remains are lowered into a pre-prepared grave, covered with soil.

After that, all the brethren fervently pray for the deceased for three years, commemorating him daily at the proskomedia, and ... dig up the bones. If the skin is completely decayed, then they are transferred, if not, then they are buried back - it means that “the earth did not accept them” due to some sins. Strengthen the prayer, pray until the skin completely decays.

The remains of saints, monks who pleased God are determined by the color of the bones, skulls. The yellowish hue (and often the fragrance) of the skull testifies to the righteous life of its owner, White color says that the monk honestly labored, thanks to which he was saved, but the dark bones expose the sinful soul of the deceased.

Next, the following rite is performed with the remains: they are washed in water with wine and placed in ossuary . This is a special crypt, resembling a chapel in appearance, where the skulls of monks are laid out in rows on the shelves, and bones along the wall. The skulls usually bear the name of the monk and the date of death. The grave, in which the body of the brother was located, is used for the burial of the next deceased from among the monastic brethren.

As you can see, the tradition of venerating the relics on Mount Athos is somewhat different from our practice. Many of the remains that are revered in our country, according to the ideas of the Athonites, should have belonged to sinful people, since for them incorruption is a sign of a life that is not pleasing to God. But such differences in the practice of identifying the remains of saints are explained only by the climatic features of the continent and nothing more.

How to venerate a shrine

As with any shrine, a reliquary or reliquary should be approached, first of all, consciously and reverently. If we want to receive grace-filled help from a saint of God, then it will not be superfluous to inquire about his life in advance.

Unfortunately, it often happens that people, seeing a long line to the temple, go there “just in case” or “for company”, not even knowing whose holy relics and why they are approaching. “But suddenly it will help!” Such “standing”, of course, cannot bring any benefit. It is impossible to perceive the shrine as some external means independent of us, as magic.

to approach Orthodox shrine you need to calmly, unhurriedly, without embarrassing anyone or pushing, praying to yourself. If the queue turns out to be large, then it can be perceived as a kind of procession, then there will be great benefit from the joint stay in the temple of the worshipers. You can ask the righteous for something in your own words, you can also learn a troparion or a magnification for him. In the case of a long queue, it is better to cross yourself in front of the relics in advance so as not to delay others.

It is necessary to apply to the remains of the saints as follows. At the relic, you need to kiss the glass in the place where the particle itself is located. If there is cancer in front of us, then they kiss the head (forehead) and feet (or only the head). At the same time, we should not have any lipstick on our lips. When there is no queue in front of the shrine, then in front of it we make two earthly or waist bows, then we kiss it, move away and make another bow.

You should not approach the honest remains several times - this is a sign of lack of faith. We must remember that all miracles are performed according to our faith and according to God's amazing plan for us, only for good.

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