I had the great blessing to be
featured on Ancient Faith Radio's program "Everyday Orthodox" this
past Sunday night! Each episode of the show is an hour-long interview with an
"everyday Orthodox person." I had so much fun being interviewed (even
though I admittedly was so nervous beforehand and definitely consider myself to
be more of a writer than a speaker!). I so appreciate host Elissa Bjeletich
inviting me onto the show! My episode, and all previous episodes, are available
in podcast form at www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/everydayorthodox.
I've been going back and
listening to earlier episodes, and I found one in particular that I want to
talk about here. My main point is to say, "Go listen to the episode!"
But, I thought I would offer some commentary here as to why I recommend it, and
hopefully encourage you to listen by doing so!
On February 9th of this year,
Elissa interviewed a scholar named Nick Nicholson. In an unusual turn of
events, the program was not mostly about Nick himself, but rather about a
famous family: the Romanov Royal Martyrs, the last Russian tsar and his wife
and children. Nick was a consultant in the production of a new book called The
Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal, and he came on
"Everyday Orthodox" to talk about what the book has revealed about
the Russian royal family. According to the official description of the book, it
"draws on letters, testimonies, diaries, memoirs, and other texts never
before published in English to present a unique biography of Tsar Nicholas II
and his family. The work aims to present the Royal Martyrs through the prism of
their spiritual grandeur and the purity of their souls. A lively portrait of
the royal family emerges from their own personal writings and in the writings
of those who lived very close to them" (from the product page at Eighth
Day Books' website, www.eighthdaybooks.com).
Several points struck me as I
listened to this episode. Right now, many in the U.S. and around the world are
required to stay home with their families to stop the spread of the novel
corona virus. As a result, many families have an unusual opportunity to spend
more time strengthening their relationships and praying together. Toward the end
of their lives, the Romanov family was confined to house arrest together at
the hands of the Bolshevik government. But even from the beginning of Nicholas
and Alexandra's marriage, the two of them prioritized their children.
Alexandra's main desire was to focus on caring for her children, rather than
participating in courtly affairs or being in the public eye. After sincerely
converting to Orthodoxy before her marriage to the Russian tsar-to-be, she
viewed the Orthodox Christian faith as the center of her life, and she strove
to instill the faith in her children. The family always attended daily services
together, and, when they were eventually placed under house arrest, they
continued to worship in their home, just as we are being called to do today.
The faith of the Romanov family
supported them during incredibly trying times. Thus, they are an example to us
as we face fear and uncertainty surrounding the corona virus. The saintly
family clung to God, and He gave them strength even as they experienced the
overthrow of their government and their confinement in Siberia. Ultimately,
they understood that their execution was approaching, and they piously prepared
themselves to go to the Lord.
The podcast has so much more to
say about the example that this holy royal family has left to us. I was
fascinated to learn the details of their life of faith. Their story was mostly
new to me; I knew they were saints in the Orthodox Church, but I didn't really
know why. I'm so glad to have become acquainted with them so that I can begin
to know them as members of my spiritual family and ask for their intercessions.
Holy Passionbearers Nicholas,
Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexey, pray to God for us!
No comments:
Post a Comment