August: Day 30: Teaching 1: Translation of the Relics of the Holy and Right-Believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to the Ruling City of Saint Petersburg

August: Day 30: Teaching 1:
Translation of the Relics of the Holy and Right-Believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to the Ruling City of Saint Petersburg
 
(On the Virtue of the Holy and Noble Prince Alexander Nevsky)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On this day we cannot wish for anyone anything better than the heavenly glory that was acquired by the Saint, now worthily revered and blessed by the Holy Church, the Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, who lived during the difficult time of the Tatar enslavement of Russia. This purple-born righteous man was marveled at by his contemporaries, his descendants revere him, his honorable relics were glorified by the incorruptibility of the just Rewarder of the righteous, the Holy Church has numbered him among the Saints. How did Saint Alexander Nevsky acquire such glory? Our mother, the Orthodox Church, answers this in one of her hymns in his honor. "Come, all you sons of Russia," she sings, "praise the good leader, the ruler" - "the wise builder, the warrior" - "the valiant warrior, the lover of Orthodoxy" - "the firm confessor of the faith, the voluntary martyr" (Canon of Saint Alexander Nevsky). These are the flowers from which the unfading crown of glory of the Right-Believing Prince, Saint Alexander Nevsky, is woven.

II. a) Thus, the Holy and Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky was, first of all, a kind and merciful leader. Called to serve his fatherland during the days of his visit to it, during the Tatar invasion, the faithful prince appeared at that time as a true guardian and comforter of the Russian land. Although his soul ached for his brothers, he not only did not try to go to war against his enslavers, but also restrained the people from this, commanding them to obey them, "for the Lord honored them with the kingdom." He inspired everyone with patience in enduring the punishment sent down from above and repentance for their sins, showing himself a good example; he fed the poor and destitute people, tormented by hunger, with his bread, and consoled the desperate. He himself collected tribute for his enslavers, so as to tame their cruelty and barbarity. More than once the Right-Believing Prince traveled to the Horde to intercede for the Russian people before the unbelievers, "whom the Lord sent against His people because of their sins," and on his last journey to protect the Russian land, he ended his earthly life. Remembering such royal valor of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, let us pray to him that the spirit of ardent love for their fatherland with the readiness to lay down their lives in its service, in defense of the Tsar, the anointed of God, the Holy Church and all Orthodox Christians may rest upon all Christians of the Orthodox kingdom.

b) The Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky was, further, a wise ruler. A great prince needed much wisdom, so as not to embitter the mighty rulers on the one hand, and on the other hand, to protect the defenseless people from their violence. Much wisdom was needed to govern a country in which, after the passage of the Tatar hordes, flourishing cities and villages were ravaged and burned, the people fled from fear of the enemy, hid in the forests and other secret places, expecting death at any moment from the sword of the barbarians. Much wisdom was needed to govern a country consisting of many independent principalities, acting separately against a common enemy. But the wisdom of Saint Alexander Nevsky sought means to weaken and deflect these difficulties and disorders. Remembering the royal wisdom of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, let us pray, brethren, to him that the Lord God may grant to our beloved Monarch, the Most Pious Sovereign Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich, the wisdom that makes both kings glorious and subjects happy.

c) The third royal virtue of Saint Alexander Nevsky, glorified by the Holy Church, is his invincible courage, which delighted and amazed all his contemporaries. Invisible help from above, to which the Right-Believing Prince entrusted himself with prayer, visibly overshadowed him in many wars with the enemies of the Russian land, so that the glory of his military exploits penetrated into all countries of the world. But even after the end of his earthly career, Saint Alexander Nevsky did not leave the Russian land without care in heaven: he showed help even after his death to Prince Dmitry Donskoy in his struggle with the Tatars and interceded for Tsar Ivan for victory over the Kazan people. By virtue of this, we believe that he now protects with his prayers all of us, and the cities of his dominion, and all the people of the Russian land, struggling against the resistance of his successors, the emperors of all Russia. (Troparion of Saint Alexander Nevsky). And believing in this, let us offer fervent prayers to the holy defender of the Russian land, may the same spirit of invincible courage and strength rest upon our August Monarch, may the Lord God make him victorious over enemies, terrible to villains.

d) Finally, the finest virtue in the enduring crown of glory of the On the other hand, Alexander Nevsky was firmly convinced that holy faith is the only guarantee of eternal life, for which he struggled on earth for the good of the people entrusted to him by God. He resolved to die in the Horde, following the example of his pious ancestor, St. Michael of Chernigov, rather than yield to the demands of the unbelievers and perform a pagan rite: "I will not bow to fire and idols," said the pious Prince Alexander Nevsky to the fearful conqueror Batu: "I am a Christian, and I would rather accept death than renounce my faith before men." Even the fierce ruler of the Tatars, Batu, respecting the courage of the confessor of Christ, contrary to his custom, accepted and released him with honor. Remembering such confessional valor of St. Alexander Nevsky, his piety and life pleasing to God, let us pray to this crowned confessor of the Christian faith that the same spirit of piety and fear of God may rest upon our Most Pious Sovereign, Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich. Alexander Nevsky is his piety and holy zeal for the faith. The Right-Believing Prince saw in the Orthodox faith, established in the Russian land by his equal-to-the-apostles ancestor Prince Vladimir, the sole guarantee of salvation for Rus, fragmented into principalities and pressed from all sides by enemies. Neither threats, nor flattery, nor deceitful promises from the Roman envoy could sway him towards betrayal of Orthodoxy. "Neither fire, nor water, nor sword, nor any power will compel me to renounce the teachings of the Orthodox Eastern Church" - these are the memorable words he once spoke against the seductions of the West. On the other hand, Alexander Nevsky was firmly convinced that holy faith is the only guarantee of eternal life, for which he struggled on earth for the good of the people entrusted to him by God. He resolved to die in the Horde, following the example of his pious ancestor, Saint Michael of Chernigov, rather than yield to the demands of the unbelievers and perform a pagan rite: "I will not bow to fire and idols," said the Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky to the fearful conqueror Batu: "I am a Christian, and I would rather accept death than renounce my faith before men." Even the fierce ruler of the Tatars, Batu, respecting the courage of the confessor of Christ, contrary to his custom, accepted and released him with honor. Remembering such confessional valor of Saint Alexander Nevsky, his piety and life pleasing to God, let us pray to this crowned confessor of the Christian faith that the same spirit of piety and fear of God may rest upon our Most Pious Sovereign, Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich.

III. Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander! You preserved, defended and saved the Russian land during your earthly life, you helped the faithful rulers of the Russian land in battle, you overshadowed the sacred head of your namesakes - Alexander the Blessed and Alexander the Liberator-Martyr in the difficult years of temptations of Russia, to your heavenly guidance and care was entrusted the most precious life of our Most Pious Sovereign Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich, the great Tsar Peacemaker, who reposed in God. We earnestly pray to you: preserve his son, the now happily reigning Sovereign Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich, for the good and happiness of our beloved fatherland. Fill Him with the spirit of wisdom and reason, the spirit of strength and courage, the spirit of piety and fear of God, so that all future generations will always glorify your intercession and protection before God. Amen. 

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.