A few of you have noted that I had written that I’d be going on a pilgrimage to Russia this July and have expressed an interest in coming along.
It’s the centenary of the death of the Tsar-martyr Nicholas II and his wife and children. Those going on this trip will visit the various places associated with the Romanovs, beginning in St Petersburg and ending in Yekaterinburg (where they were shot).
Needless to say, I’m excited. Rather than answer all the questions addressed to me individually, I am going to publish the itinerary for this pilgrimage below.
If you do choose to go, you won’t be disappointed!
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=15f9283184&view=att&th=15e14f77920cbfb1&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=1576628706548383744-local0&safe=1&zw
P.S. I do not have any financial or economic interest in Palomnik, LLC, and/or Orthodox Tours, the organizer of this and other such tours.
Russia 1818 – Everybody supposed to be Christian
Russia 1918 – Ain’t nobody supposed to be Christian
Russia 2018 – Everybody supposed to be Christian
And the most spiritually bipolar country on the planet award goes to . . .
There is a joke from the former Soviet Union:
A man on the street is interviewed about where he has lived his life:
Interviewer(I): Comrade, where were you born?
Man(M): In St. Petersburg
I: And comrade, where did you grow up and get educated?
M: In Petrograd.
I: Ah, yes, and so comrade where is it that you work and live now?
M: In Leningrad.
I: And finally, comrade, in what city do you hope to retire?
M: St Petersburg.
The joke is that he is referring to the same city. Originally it was St. Petersburg, then Petrograd for a short time after the Revolution, then Leningrad throughout the war years and the Soviet period.
The man hoped that when he retired, there would be no more Communist Russia.
Thank Christ that some such souls got their wish.
At its height, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union never included any more than about 5% of the population. In my former parish, there was a Romanian woman who in the past did not like Russians. That was until she was talking to one Russian lady at church and heard her say, ” You suffered under the Communists for 45 years. We suffered for over 70!.”
She had a Zen moment and finally understood that the line between good and evil passes through the human soul.
Haha that’s good Misha
Have you ever heard of the prophesy that said something like, “What started in Russia will end in America?”
I’ve wondered about the source and of course can only speculate on what that could possibly mean. Who knows, right?
It means the city of Los Angeles will be renamed as “Winfrey”.
NOW THAT IS FUNNY! THANKS JOSEPH!
Then Kanyegrad and then finally back to Los Angeles?
The quote is attributed to Elder Ignatius of Harbin.
I went on a tour of the Holy Land with Father Ilya Gotlinsky and his tour company, Orthodox Tours, this past summer. I highly recommend him – you won’t be disappointed.