Comments on: We can learn from this man

By: Eliot Ryan

Eliot Ryan — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:06:37 +0000

Every day and every hour we have to make a choice: to follow God or to follow the world and the ways of the world. We are too busy to think about God's word because there are too many distractions. We are so caught up in making more money and buying bigger houses and better things that we forget to raise our eyes to look at eternity. Often only a good shock can make us react and change our way of life. THE HOLY NEW MARTYR GRAND DUCHESS ELIZABETH (+1918)

The Grand Duchess gave a book of Gospels and an icon to the man, hoping against hope that he would repent before the end. The shock of the murder brought about a great change to Elizabeth. She withdrew from social life and adopted a vegetarian diet. The wound in her soul was such that she raised her eyes to look at eternity. Closely following advice from bishops of the Holy Synod of the Russian Church, she devoted her life to the Orthodox way of life. She bought a house and a large piece of land in Moscow and established a community, devoted to St Martha and St Mary, carrying out the tasks of deaconesses, as in the early Orthodox Church. She intended this community to become like the home of St Lazarus, which had so often been visited by Christ. Several women from all classes joined the Grand Duchess to devote their lives to this foundation, tending the sick, helping the poor, taking care of the street children of Moscow. The Grand Duchess also established a rent-free hostel for young women workers and students, a hospital, a clinic, a school for nurses and a soup kitchen. From what was to become in 1909 'The Convent of Mercy of St Martha and St Mary' the Grand Duchess and her helpers visited the poor, did housework, took care of children, bringing peace and happiness wherever they went. The Grand Duchess took part in all the work done, establishing a beautiful Convent garden, visiting even the poorest and most dangerous parts of Moscow. As she wrote in English to Tsar Nicholas in April 1909: 'I want to work for God and in God for suffering mankind'.

By: Harry Coin

Harry Coin — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:36:23 +0000

Seems there is something about the host of the video that has it blocked as it is on many ‘unapproved due to cyber threat or inappropriate content for kids’ lists. Kindly describe it as we can’t see it here.

By: alexis banias

alexis banias — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:22:40 +0000

Astounding! Thank you for sharing such a powerful video at such an opportune time when the materialistic mayhem of holiday shoppers soars while the focus of Christmas declines. This man is doing more to honor the Lord and His glorious birth than many of those who profess to be His followers. This video smacks redolent of the late great Mother Teresa as well as Father Ho Lung in Kingston, Jamaica. It is true that we in America, especially during this holiday season, are building the Tower of Babel with the bricks being us and the mortar being materialism. Finally, this holy man in the video reminds me of the scene from Franco Zefirelli’s “Jesus of Nazareth” in which the Roman Centurion (Ernest Borgnine) believes that Jesus’s word will heal his sick servant. Ah! The Power of Faith!