View allAll Photos Tagged Humility
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
always makes me VERY HAPPY... from pepsi .. just cos ,,,,,,
white ,,,,, Purity, Innocence, Silence, Secrecy, Reverence, Humility, Youthfulness, "I am worthy of you", Heavenly
coral,,,, Desire
yellow ,,,,Joy, Gladness, Friendship, Delight, Promise of a new beginning, Welcome Back, Remember Me, Jealousy, "I care"
Life is a long lesson in humility.
— John M. Barrie
Typeface: Futura
Merchandise available: www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/135045818
Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.
Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.
What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not.
The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise.
Water quenches a flaming fire,
and alms atone for sins.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Filename - “Humble yourself the more…” Sirach 3, Summer in Boise, Hidden Lakes Reserve, 2025 semiabstract
Following the Son...
Blessings,
Sharon 🌻
God's Beauty In Nature is calling us into a deeper relationship with Him...
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Please let me know in the comment section below, thank you...
Art4TheGlryOfGod Photography and Watercolor Paintings by Sharon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faith, Hope & Love in daily Art meditations...
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The Virgin of humility. Around 1415
Lorenzo Monaco (and workshop?)
Originally from Siena, known in Florence from 1390- Florence, 1423/1424
At the lower part of the frame are the arms of the Florentine families Corsini and Alberti. The God the Father, contained in a medallion at the top part, is not lorenzo Monaco.
Former Campana Collection, Rome
Entered the Louvre in 1863
"Humility, Pierre, remember that is the key to progress along your path" HRHs King Hussein and Queen Noor, Amman
Lippo di Dalmasio
Tempera on canvas
Like Donatello, the Bolognese painter Lippo responded to the graceful charm of 14th-century Sienese painting. The Virgin is shown as the 'Madonna of Humility', so-called because she is seated on the ground with the Christ Child on her lap. She tenderly embraces her child set against the sun, which gives the scene the appearance of a golden tondo.*
From the exhibition
Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance
(11 February - 11 June 2023)
This first major UK exhibition to explore the exceptional talents of the Renaissance master Donatello, arguably the greatest sculptor of all time, presented a fresh vision of the artist and his influence on subsequent generations.
Donatello (about 1386 – 1466) is arguably the greatest Italian Renaissance sculptor. He revolutionised sculpture both through his inventive treatment of imagery, and his mastery of an extraordinary range of materials – including marble and stone, bronze, wood, terracotta and stucco as well as unusual mixed media. He rarely repeated himself, striving for innovation and never quenching his thirst for experimentation.
Born in Florence around 1386, Donatello is one of the most inventive and influential artists of the Renaissance. Throughout a career lasting over 60 years, his extraordinary sculpture was at the heart of the revolution in art and culture taking place in 15th-century Italy.
Always at the cutting edge, Donatello combined the growing interest in ancient Greece and Rome with familiar traditions. He used a wide variety of materials and techniques, creating innovative sculptures to adorn public and private settings. Through exceptional ingenuity and emotional insight, he captured the essence of the human experience in sculptural form and paved the way for sculptors and painters alike.
This exhibition explores Donatello's creativity and unique vision, his workshop practices and collaborations, and his enduring impact on artists across the centuries.
[*Victoria & Albert]
Taken in the V&A
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
During a dedication of a statue of Quan Am, a Vietnamese Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, at the Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Des Moines, monks showed their humility and dedication.
always makes me VERY HAPPY... from pepsi .. just cos ,,,,,,
white ,,,,, Purity, Innocence, Silence, Secrecy, Reverence, Humility, Youthfulness, "I am worthy of you", Heavenly
coral,,,, Desire
yellow ,,,,Joy, Gladness, Friendship, Delight, Promise of a new beginning, Welcome Back, Remember Me, Jealousy, "I care"
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less ~ C.S. Lewis bit.ly/10vpKpb
Zomg is that bar soap!? (Yes there is matching soap in the shower/bath /gasp)
(Inside joke, don't ask.)
13.5"x17.5", archival print
Christopher Ulrich
Opening Gallery 9th March, 2012 at RSPop[+]
Roger Smith Hotel
501 Lexington Av. , New York, NY 10017
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.
Esplanade Recital Studio, Marina Bay, Singapore. July 2010 with a Nikon D200 and a Nikon AF 80-200 f/2.8D.
Of page turners.
Saint John "the Russian" is one of the most renowned saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
He was born in a village in Little Russia, around 1690.
Being a prisoner of war and a slave to a Turkish Ağa, he became famous and respected even by his Muslim master for his humility, steadiness in faith and benevolence.
His holy relics are claimed to be undecayed and wonder-working; there are traditions that this saint particularly helps sick children and those who suffer from cancer.
During the Russian-Turkish war (1711 – 1718) he was a soldier in the imperial army of Peter the Great of Russia.
At that time the then invincible Turkish military forces were advancing from victory to victory, spreading fear to all nations.
As a soldier, Saint John fought to defend his country, but having being nurtured by the springs of Orthodoxy through his Christian parents, he was appalled by the horror of war, the thousands of young men, women and children, and the elderly, left dead by the passing of the tempest of hostilities and the bellicosity of the enemy.
During the battles for the recapture of Azof on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Saint John, together with many thousands of his compatriots, was taken prisoner.
He was first sent to Constantinople (Istanbul), and from there to Prokopi near Caesarea of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, where he was delivered to an Aga who maintained a camp of janissaries there.
He was tortured to deny Christ.
At Prokopi he was subjected to the scorn and hatred of the Turks for being a “kiafir”, that is an unbeliever of Islam, for which he was tortured.
He was beaten with sticks, kicked and spat on, and a red hot metal bowl was put on his head, burning his hair and scalp.
He was then thrown into the mire of a stable and made to live with the animals.
Saint John endured all his tortures with perseverance and remarkable bravery.
He said to the Turks:
“I have confidence, faith and love in my Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of the Father, and none of these sufferings will separate me from His love.
As a prisoner I will obey your orders, and carry out my duties as a slave, but with regard to my faith in Christ the Saviour, you are not my masters – we ought to obey God rather than men.
I am ready to suffer greater and more terrible torments and even that death rather than deny my Christ.”
Thus Saint John accepted the hardships of his life – the tortures, living with the animals in the stable, which, he said, reminded him of the stable in Bethlehem, his spiritual self-discipline: fasts, vigils and prayer- and this acceptance and his way of life so impressed his tormentors that they ceased their brutality, and instead of “kafir” they gave him the epithet of “veli”, which means saint.
One day, at a banquet of the Aga’s officers at Prokopi, Saint John miraculously sent with an angel of the Lord a copper plate of food to the Aga in Mecca where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mohammed. T
he food was hot when the plate appeared before the Aga, and he ate it.
On the Aga’s return to Prokopi three months later, at a similar banquet held in honour of his safe return, the Aga showed the officers the very same plate engraved with his family emblem.
This miracle, accomplished by the grace of God, completely quenched the hatred of Saint John’s Turkish masters: their brutality was overcome by spiritual radiance.
Throughout his harsh and difficult life Saint John had the support and consolation of prayer, vigils, prostrations, and of the Holy Mysteries which he partook of unbeknownst to the Turks.
Receiving Holy Communion every Saturday was his greatest refreshment and sustenance.
On the last day of his life, the 27th of May 1730, he sent for the priest who brought him Holy Communion concealed in a hollowed-out apple which he received for the last time there in the stable.
His temporary captivity and sufferings had come to an end: as soon as he had partaken of the Holy Gifts, the wondrous Saint John passed on to the life of eternal exultation and blessedness.
The priests and Christian notables from Prokopi were given permission by the Turks to take his body for burial.
Surrounded by censers and candles, they carried it on their shoulders, accompanied by Turks and Armenians as well as Christians, to a grave in the Christian cemetery.
There, with deep devotion, their eyes streaming with tears as if he were their lord and master the body of the former slave and servant was consigned to the mother earth
One night in November of 1733, the old priest who every Saturday had listened to Saint John tell of his sufferings and tortures and who had given him Holy Communion, saw him in a dream.
Saint John told the priest that, with God’s grace, his body had remained entire and uncorrupted as it had been when laid in the grave three and a half years before, and that it should be exhumed so that it would remain with them as a blessing of God for evermore.
The priest hesitated and then, by the grace of God, a heavenly light, like a pillar of fire, was seen illuminating the Saint’s grave.
The Christians opened up the grave, and what great wonder the body of the Saint was found entire, uncorrupted and redolent with a divine fragrance that it still has today.
With spiritual gladness and devotion they took this divine gift of the holy relic in their arms and transferred it to the church where Saint John himself had spent so many nights in prayerful vigil.
On that day, over two hundred and fifty years ago, his holy body entered the liturgical life of the Church of Christ.
In one of the domestic conflicts and quarrels between the Sultan of Turkey and Ibrahim of Egypt, the Sultan’s delegate, Osman Pasha, set fire to the holy relic of Saint John’s body as an act of revenge against the Christians.
Amid the flames the Turks saw the body begin to move and, terrified, they abandoned their unholy act and fled.
The next day the Christians dug amongst the charcoal and ashes and found the body still entire and although blackened by the smoke and fire it was pliant and fragrant.
His shrine became a great centre of pilgrimage, towering above all others in central Cappadocia.