M
Muzhik
Guest
I once asked my parish priest if it was OK to venerate Russian Orthodox saints. His answer was a qualified yes, since canonization by any of the Patriarchates with valid sacraments would presume the person lived a life of holiness. I was asking because of a Russian Orthodox saint I’ve come to consider a friend: St. Ksenia (or Xenia) of Petersburg. She was of minor nobility married to an army officer who died while at a Christmas party – a very serious matter since at the time Advent in the Russian Orthodox church was a time of fasting and penance in preparation for the arrival of the Savior. She began grieving for her husband’s soul, and eventually left her son with family members while she went on an extended period of spiritual training. When she returned many years later, she had become a Yurodivyi, a Fool-For-Christ. She was homeless and dressed in one of her late husband’s old army jackets, and would spend nights outside in all kinds of weather (including the Russian winter) in a cemetery offering prayers of supplication and penance. She was a prophetess, a Wonderworker, and is the patroness of employment, marriage, the homeless, for fires, for missing children, and for a spouse.
In later years she was given to know that her prayers had secured her husband’s soul.
Two of my favorite stories: One day she was visiting a friend when the friend’s young, unmarried daughter entered the room. Xenia became very distraught, saying “What are you doing here?! Your husband is waiting for you!” She grabbed the daughter and mother, and dragged them both through the streets of St. Petersburg until they arrived at a cemetery. A doctor was burying his young wife, and had fainted. At Xenia’s urging, the mother and daughter brought the doctor to their home to recover. A year later, the daughter and the doctor were married.
Another time, workers building a church dedicated to Mary Theotokos (BVM) were mystified: when they arrived for work each day they found that bricks had been hauled up to each workstation overnight. What’s more each worker had exactly the right number of bricks he would need for just that day. It was later learned that Xenia had been spending her nights hauling the bricks. As a result the church was finished in half the time thought necessary.
The church built over her grave is a place of pilgrimage that not even the Communists could stop.
http://www.serfes.org/images/IconOfStXeniaOfPetersburg.jpg
In later years she was given to know that her prayers had secured her husband’s soul.
Two of my favorite stories: One day she was visiting a friend when the friend’s young, unmarried daughter entered the room. Xenia became very distraught, saying “What are you doing here?! Your husband is waiting for you!” She grabbed the daughter and mother, and dragged them both through the streets of St. Petersburg until they arrived at a cemetery. A doctor was burying his young wife, and had fainted. At Xenia’s urging, the mother and daughter brought the doctor to their home to recover. A year later, the daughter and the doctor were married.
Another time, workers building a church dedicated to Mary Theotokos (BVM) were mystified: when they arrived for work each day they found that bricks had been hauled up to each workstation overnight. What’s more each worker had exactly the right number of bricks he would need for just that day. It was later learned that Xenia had been spending her nights hauling the bricks. As a result the church was finished in half the time thought necessary.
The church built over her grave is a place of pilgrimage that not even the Communists could stop.
http://www.serfes.org/images/IconOfStXeniaOfPetersburg.jpg
