For Alexander "Sasha’’ Gassel, the chance to paint the frame holding an extremely rare series of 17th century Russian icons provided a poignant connection to the homeland he left many years ago. The first artist-in-residence at the Museum of Russian Icons, the Moscow native used his decades of training and artistic temperament to paint the wooden frame now supporting a row of 12 recently purchased "Festival’’ icons believed to have once separated the nave of a church south of St. Petersburg from its sanctuary.
Redemption is not always found where you might expect it. For Christopher Yuan, a former drug dealer who had been living the promiscuous homosexual lifestyle, the new beginning he so desperately needed was found in one of the unlikeliest places on earth: a prison trashcan.
By passport he is George. His baptized name is Vasily. He often signs his correspondence using names pen names Georgy Georgiyevitch and Alexander after his favorite Russian Emperor Alexander the Third. A former American programmer, now a toiler of the Pochayev Laura Monastery found his spiritual Motherland in Russia. In interview to Vitaly and Valentina Trubetskoy he told a lot of unexpected troubles he met in Russia.
Rating: 10|Votes: 1
The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Creating Cross of the Lord: The pagan Roman emperors tried to completely eradicate from human memory the holy places where our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and was resurrected for mankind. The Emperor Hadrian gave orders to cover over the ground of Golgotha and the Sepulchre of the Lord, and to build a temple of the pagan goddess Venus and a statue of Jupiter.
Rating: 5,3|Votes: 3
The Feast is an opportunity outside of the observances of Holy Week to celebrate the full significance of the victory of the Cross over the powers of the world, and the triumph of the wisdom of God through the Cross over the wisdom of this world.
