The Orthodox Christian faith, which holds to everything that was taught by the Divine Christ and His Holy Apostles (both the Twelve, and the Seventy) from year 27 onwards, was brought to these salubrious South Seas islands by a number of small immigrant communities from the original Orthodox countries. The first Orthodox parish Church in the country was established in Dunedin in 1911 by Lebanese immigrants, among others. Today there are Orthodox churches in at least ten cities around the country, plus one monastery in a rural location, and Orthodox services are held in some other cities on either a regular or occasional basis. In general, the parishes are formed around specific ethnic communities, and their liturgical practice remains rooted in the culture, traditions and languages of their ethnic founders, either Greek, Russian, Syrian or Lebanese, Romanian or Serbian. However, in recent years, increasing numbers of ordinary New Zealanders, including ‘Pakeha’ and ‘Maori,’ have come to Orthodoxy to find a spiritual home.
For myself, it was a long journey of discovery, from the starting point of my own upbringing within the Reformed (‘Protestant’) tradition, and through exploring other churches and beliefs. Until finally being surprised upon the freshness and clarity of the Orthodox Easter Night Vigil in May 2002, in both English and Arabic. The Matins of the Resurrection so clearly proclaimed Christ as the Victor over sin, death and the devil and, spoiling Hades, bringing out the souls of the dead. It was such a completely different way of thinking, that I hadn’t before experienced. And in the candle-lit cool early morning (after midnight), the whole story of the Crucifixion, the descent into Hell and the rising again, becomes so real and experienced, quite as if one is there as a participant in the drama.
Orthodox Saints and Martyrs
One of the most valuable aspects of the orthodox tradition is the opportunity to call on the help and prayers of the most holy forbears in the faith. First and foremost is Our Lady, Mary. She is called the Mother of God, because she held within her virginal womb, the eternal and ever-present God, incarnated into the physical body of her child. Among the many other saints (‘sanctified ones’), I will mention only two, who might stand forth as particular examples of the Orthodox way of life.
St Ksenia of St Petersburg (Russia)
St Ksenia was a young lady in her mid-twenties, when her husband, a military officer, died unexpectedly one night at a drinking party. Distraught that her husband had passed away in sin and without the benefit of the Holy Communion, she didn’t give up, but dedicated herself to prayer and spiritual struggle. Becoming what is called a ‘fool for Christ,’ she lived on the streets of St Petersburg for around 45 years, holding no possessions excepting ragged clothes, as any homeless person. But she spent every night deep in prayer, not even feeling the cold of winter, and during the day helping others where she could. As a result of her dedication and many acts of compassion for others, she was gifted with clairvoyance and the power to work miracles. Today she continues to pray for and help all who call on her, while enjoying the blessings and love of Christ. Here’s a short account of her life story in YouTube:
St Simeon of Verkhoturye (Siberia)
St Simeon lived in a rural area east of the Ural Mountains in the early 17th century. Little is known about his life. Though it is known that he lived simply and often worked as a tailor, mending clothes. Frequently he would deliberately leave mistakes or parts unmended. Upon delivery, the owner of the clothing would come back to him, abusing him for the obvious mistakes and demanding that he fix the clothes properly. By this means he became humble. Around 50 years after his death, his coffin miraculously rose out of its grave and his body was found to be uncorrupted and sweet smelling. His body was taken to a monastery church, and remains there until today.
A few notes can be found about him here Simeon of Verkhoturye - Wikipedia
And YouTube has a video about Verkhoturye, of which only a small section mentions St Simeon, from 4.18