Faces of Saints in the Russian Orthodox Church. Appointment to the Personality of Saints

In the Orthodox Church there are various categories, if I may say so, that relate to one common notion of the face of holiness. The ordinary person who only recently came to the Church will be a bit confused as to why one is a holy martyr, another is a martyr, etc. Appointment to the Face of the Saints occurs during canonization or depending on the works during life. Help to deal with this issue can be an existing consolidated list of holiness.

Faces of Saints in the Russian Orthodox Church

Christians revere their saints from very ancient times. Initially, this cult spread to the apostles and martyrs, the holy Old Testament prophets and forefathers. In the same period, the veneration of both the saints of the priests first of the local churches developed, and then a general church cult was formed. Historical development later leads to the formation of other ranks of saints, the veneration of which entered organically into a common cult.

Apostles

It all began with the closest disciples of Jesus Christ - the apostles, whom He sent to preach the Christian faith, after the Holy Spirit came upon them. At first there were twelve of them, but then Jesus chose seventy more. Two apostles Peter and Paul labored more for the faith than others, and therefore they were called primitive. But the four apostles of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are called Evangelists, as they wrote the Holy Gospel.

Forefathers

The Old Testament images of the Saints, revered by the Church as executors of God's will until the New Testament era, are called the patriarchs. These include the parents of the Virgin of the Righteous Bogottsy Joachim and Anna and the betrothed of the Virgin, the righteous Joseph.

The Prophets

The Old Testament Faces of Saints, who foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and the forerunners of God's will, are called prophets. These include the Old Testament patriarch Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and John the Baptist - the last prophet.

Equal Apostles

The faces of saints who converted to true faith through the gospel of the gospel are called equipo apostles. So they address Mary Magdalene, the holy emperor Constantine and his mother Elena, the Slavs-enlighteners Cyril and Methodius, the holy princess Olga, the holy prince Vladimir, the baptized Rus.

Saints

The saints, who acquired sacredness in the bishop's service, who duly performed God's providence in the achievement of the Kingdom of Heaven, who were famous for their unblemished life and righteous death, are called saints. Among them, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom and Nicholas the Wonderworker. The first Russian prelate was the third bishop of Rostov St. Leonty (1077).

The Apostle Paul wrote that with the help of the Holy Spirit, the word of wisdom is given to another, to another the word of knowledge, to another, to another miracle, to another prophecy, to another, to gifts of healings, to a differentiation of spirits, to different languages, and to another interpretation of languages, to each his own.

Martyrs

In the modern world, the faces of the Saints who shed their blood for true Christian faith are called martyrs. The first martyr in the highest sense of the word was Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself for human sins. The second martyr of the Christian faith was the apostle of the 70 Archdeacon Stefan (33-36).

The Great Martyrs

Martyrs, who underwent especially cruel tortures and punishments, but who showed firmness in faith, are called martyrs. They include George the Victorious, Panteleimon the Healer, Dmitry Solunsky and Anastasia the Patroness.

Hieromartyrs

Holy martyrs, having a sacred rank, are called sacred martyrs. Among them are the bishop of Antioch, Ignatius the God-bearer, the Moscow Patriarch and All Russia Hermogenes, Kuksha Pechersky, Dimitry Apanskiy (Nerovetsky).

The Holy Martyrs

Martyrs belonging to the number of monastics are called the Martyrs, among whom are the Faces of the Russian Saints, for example, Grigory Pechersky, resting in the Near Anthony caves.

The Passion-Bearers

Christians who martyred not in the name of the Lord, but because of human malice and cunning, are called martyrs. The holy princes Boris and Gleb, as well as the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family were considered to be martyrs in Russia.

Confessors

Christians, who after suffering and tortures for the open glorification of the faith in Christ during the persecution remained alive, began to be called confessors. In Russia they were Maximus the Confessor and St. Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky).

Uncrossed

The saint, who renounced his wealth for the sake of faith, was called a bessrebrenic. And this is primarily Cosmas and Damian, blood brothers, who suffered as martyrs in the III century.

Faithful

Princes and kings, famous for their righteous and pious life, who took care of strengthening the faith in Christ, were ranked as the Person of the Holy Blessed. These include Prince Alexander Nevsky and Prince Vladimir of Kiev.

Blessed

Representatives of holy ascetics who have chosen a special feat of foolishness are images of an external madness in order to achieve inner humility. In the XIX century in Russia began to attach to the saints the epithet "blessed", a synonym for the word "Judaic." In the Person of the Holy Blessed, Augustine is glorified. In ancient Russia was Basil the Blessed.

The Reverend

Christians, who acquired holiness in monastic asceticism, were called Reverend.

This is the special rank of the founders of laurels and monasteries, these are Anthony and Theodosius of Caves, Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov.

In the Christian church the monks began to be called Anthony the Great and Ephraim the Syrian.

Righteous

People who have attained holiness in their ordinary life, family and social, are called righteous. In the Old Testament it was Noah and Job, In the New Testament - Joachim and Anna, Joseph the Betrothed, from the Russian saints - John of Kronstadt.

Stylites

The holy saints, who have chosen a special feat for themselves - focusing on prayer and standing on a pillar, are called stolpnik. They include the Monk Simeon, Nikita Pereyaslavsky and Savva of Visher.

Wonderworkers

Saints, famous for the gift of working miracles, are called miracle workers. Certified miracles are the basic condition for the canonization of one or another saint.

Among the miracle-workers, especially the reverend Mir Likijskih Nicholas and the Monk Anthony the Roman are revered.

Fools

The ascetics, who take upon themselves the feat of insanity, are called holy fools. This kind of austerity is a radical means to destroy pride in oneself. The most famous holy fools are Prokopiy Ustyuzhsky and Vasily Blazhenny.

Who is numbered in the Personality of Saints

Today, all the righteous, reverend, confessors, martyrs, faithful princes, fools for Christ's sake, prophets, saints, apostles and evangelists have the face of holiness today.

And also people, counted to the Face of the Saints, who, not having been martyred, became famous for their pious works (deserters and monks). The process of the formation of new forms of holiness is still continuing.

In any Orthodox church there are Faces of Saints. Icons with their images enable a person to concentrate on divine prayer, which helps him to find complete harmony not only with himself, but also with the outside world.