English (Page 92)

Right reverend brother archpastors, most honorable pastors, brethren, sisters and children, beloved in the Lord!

With a sense of profound spiritual joy I greet all of you on the day of the commemoration of Holy Prince Vladimir the Great, Equal-to-the-Apostles, the godfather and enlightener of the peoples of the Russian land, and on the noteworthy 1,020th anniversary of the conversion of Russia.  Our hearts are now directed towards three commemorations: the first is Saint Vladimir’s conversion to Christ and his own baptism; the second is the baptism of the inhabitants of Kiev; and the third is that which happened after that of the Kievans: the conversion of all Russia.

Having accepted the Christian faith with all his soul, Holy Prince Vladimir the Great was totally transformed spiritually: from a crude pagan he became a saint, an equal of the apostles.  The peoples of our homeland are eternally in his debt for instilling in them the highest Christian traits of character: piety, patience, guilelessness, forgiveness of enemies, humility, loving-kindness, the doing of good, and especially, love for children—and all of this to a greater degree than one finds among other peoples.  What an indescribable impression was made on the newly-baptized Russian people by Vladimir’s generosity, which was shown to be benefaction on a state-wide level.  This trait of Vladimir is also reflected in the character of our sinful but good fellow Russians, from almsgiving to pity for criminals condemned to death, inclusive.  Invisibly, in spirit, our common godfather is with us now: Prince Vladimir is with us in his love, his kindness, his precepts and his prayerful intercession.Continue Reading