August 6, 2013
Jackson, NJ: A Sermon by Bishop Meletiy of Khotin on St. Olga’s Day

On Wednesday, July 24, on the feast day of the Holy Grand Princess Olga, Equal-of-the-Apostles, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad visited St. Olga’s Church at St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ and led the rite of Great Consecration and the divine services in honor of the patronal feast day. During the communion of the clergy, the following sermon was delivered by His Grace Meletiy, Bishop of Khotin, vicar of the Diocese of Chernovtsy and Bukovina, visiting the United States as a representative of the Ukrainian Church in honor of the 1025th Anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’:

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!

 

Today the Russian land exults triumphantly, honoring the her first Christian ruler, the Holy Princess Olga, Equal-of-the-Apostles. This day is special for our entire Church. Today we prayerfully venerate her, who stood at the headspring of our Faith. And this year, when the whole Church celebrates the anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’, we reserve a special bow for her, by whose prayers Holy Russia was established.

 

The Chronicle does not reveal much to us about the life of the Holy Princess, Equal-of-the-Apostles. But what we do know gives us the ability to discern her as a Christian, and see that her path is so similar to each of our paths to God. Having been a pagan, she showed incredible cruelty. After the death of her husband, Prince Igor, she cruelly sought vengeance on those, who took part in his death. The Chronicle indicates and underlines her particular zeal in such unchristian acts as revenge. But here grace touched her heart, and St. Olga was reborn. She was transformed from a cruel princess to a meek and humble Christian.

 

St. Nestor the Chronicler indicates that, upon hearing beautiful and wonderful singing coming from the outskirts, she visited the Church of St. Elijah and was struck by the Orthodox service, asking to be told about the Christian Faith. After that, she was baptized. Olga was a princess, and so she asked to be baptized in Constantinople, the capital of the Ancient World. And there, in Hagia Sophia, she underwent the Sacrament of Baptism and brought that grace, which she had received there among the holy places of Constantinople, to Holy Russia.

 

We can see that many didn’t understand her or accept her vision, because again the Chronicle informs us about how Russia waited a while longer for her own baptism. The fact that our fatherland was baptized by the Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-of-the-Apostles and grandson of St. Olga, bears noting. When we contemplate and dig into the significance and meaning of that which we celebrate today, we truly understand that Prince Vladimir came to his choice, to our choice, through the prayers of his grandmother.

 

The recent past of our shared homeland teaches us, shows us, illustrates to us how our simple, humble, oft uneducated grandmothers brought us to the Holy Church; how they gave us this greatest of treasures, which they were able to ferry through all every storm and tribulation. There, beyond the ocean, in a Russia still under the control of Communism, it is none other than the grandmothers who preserved our Faith. Likewise, St. Olga gave her faith to her grandson. But we see in the chronicles, in the Life of St. Vladimir, that for a long time he was not Christian – how did she transmit it? By her prayer! I don’t think there is any doubt in this, that she prayed for her kin, prayed for her son, the brave Svyatoslav, and for her grandson Vladimir: who wasn’t always a Christian, as we know from his life; who didn’t always live righteously, and so himself took the path from pagan to Christian to saint, to whom our Church directs their prayers today.

 

Every time we celebrate this or that saint, we receive a lesson from the Holy Church. We receive instructions that guide on the path to salvation. What does the life of the Holy Princess Olga, Equal-of-the-Apostles, teach us? It teaches us prayer: not that sort of prayer that the Lord rebukes in the Gospels, when we, like the Pharisees, puff ourselves up and stand at the crossroads and pray a long time, crying, "I thank Thee, O Lord, for this and that, and that I am not like unto these here: they, who are worse than I!" This prayer does not please God. St. Olga’s prayers led her grandson to the Faith because she prayed in meekness of heart. She saw the pagan outrages committed in her time. She understood that what was going on around her, but she was a Christian and prayer and beseeched God. And God heard her prayers. And today we are Orthodox Christians, thanks to her prayers.

 

Those conditions which St. Olga found herself often remind us of the circumstances of our own lives. I think that there are few amongst us who can say that, in their surroundings, among their relatives and friends, acquaintances and those dear to them, all are sincerely faithful and zealous Christians. It’s often the case that, among those close to us, there are those who do not know the way to church; there are those who do not know the joy of communing with God; there are those deprived of the ability to indulge in the Lord’s Grace… What should we do? Logic and our philistine habit force us to edify them, warn them, force them, demand and otherwise harass them, that they become Christians. But making demands cannot achieve anything in this case: what is needed is prayer. Simple, heartfelt, and open prayer, which transfigures people, which leads them from a state of extreme fallen paganism to a state of holiness before the Altar of God.

 

The example of St. Olga shows us this. Thus, today teaches us again and again about prayer, that our prayer might be constant, that our prayer might be sincere, that our prayer might come out of love. And then, when we entrust our close ones through prayer to the Grace of God, then demands, loud words, and loud appeals become unnecessary. A person feels the power of prayer, a person feels grace, which we call upon in prayer, and that grace changes the human heart. This grace draws our loves ones to Christ. Thus today, when before our spiritual eyes stands the grand image of Princess Olga, Equal-of-the-Apostles, let us emulate her in our prayers.

 

Let us not ask from God that the Lord suddenly change the world around us. Let us ask God for His mercy. Let us ask God for His grace, and the Lord will give that Grace, through which all of us: our loved ones, dear friends, and acquaintances will receive what is needed to know the path to God, for the salvation of our immortal souls.

Amen.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese