Text c churches

2. A). Read the text and find in it some new and most interesting facts for you.

b). Find the passage describing revival of Russian Orthodox Church.

Russian Orthodox Church is the largest from among fourteen landed churches which are included into a structure of Unified Sacred Cathedral and Apostolic Orthodox Church.

Through continuous successive consecration, the Russian Orthodox Church inherits the spiritual authority from the disciples (Apostles) of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today, in the year of 2000 A.D. ,and in 1000 years after christening of Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church experiences the genuine revival.

Having released from social illusions and utopias, many Russian people deliberately return to a path indicated to us by the Jesus Christ, to a bosom of the church glorified by its saints, the church that saved traditions and spiritual gifts since the TwelveApostles and the first Bishop of Jerusalem – the Saint Apostle Jacob(from among 70 disciples).

The restoration “ from the ashes”(only during five years!) of the greatest Russian Cathedral of all times – the Temple of Christ the Savior in Moscow became a true evidence of revival of Russian Orthodox Church.

The construction of cathedral of the Resurrection in Monchegorsk has become such evidence in our Murmansk land.

The cathedral, consecrated by the All Russia’s Patriarch Alexej in 1998, became a true decoration of our land.

Another central temple of our eparchy – Saint – Nicolas cathedral in Murmansk, is reconstructed and decorated also.

You can visit beautiful temples, but (whichever religion you are) observe the following rules: the men in a temple should be without head-dresses and the women on the contrary, are obliged to cover their heads. It is not allowed to talk and walk around the temple during a public worship, as it hinders the believers to concentrate on a pray. For the same reason the candles, which you want to deliver to icons placed in a altar part of a temple, is better to carry not on your own, but to hand over through the people, or through the women working in the temple.

Public worship in Russian Orthodox Church is conducted in the Church Slavonic language – unusually elevated, beautiful and figurative.

Its basis is made by Old Slavonic which was used by Saint brothers Cyril and Mefodij for translation of the Holy Writ and church books from Greek language in VII century.

Subsequently, the old Russian language cautiously replaced separate, most obscure and disharmonious words and expressions.

This process was finished by issuing the “Elizabeth’s Bible” in 1751, which is used for public worship in Russian Orthodox Church to this day.

Through the church public worship, the orthodox Christians enter into mysterious dialogue with the God and receive from him vigor for righteous life.

The major decorations of an Orthodox temple are the icons with images of the Savior, of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints. The icons of the Blessed Virgin are held in the special reverence and possess a beneficial force in Orthodox Church.

NOTES:

1.Unified Sacred Cathedral and Apostolic Orthodox Church –Единая Святая Соборная и Апостольская православная церковь;

2.inherits the spiritual authority from the disciples – наследует свою духовную власть от учеников;

3.our Lord Jesus Christ – Господа нашего Иисуса Христа;

4. A.D. – Anno Domini (lat.) – нашей эры;

5.the genuine revival – настоящее возрождение;

6.deliberatly – осознанно;

7.to a bosom of the church glorified by its saints – в лоно церкви, прославленной своими святыми;

8.the Temple of Christ the Savior – Храм Христа Спасителя;

9.cathedral of Resurrection – собор Воскресения Господня;

10.head-dresses – головные уборы;

11.a public worship – богослужение;

12.unusually elevated and figurative – необыкновенно возвышенный и образный;

13.the Holy Writ – Священное Писание;

14.Subsequently, the old Russian language cautiously replaced separate, most obscure and disharmonious words and expressions – В последующем происходила осторожная замена отдельных, наиболее непонятных или неблагозвучных слов и выражений древнерусскими;

15.vigor for righteous life – силы для праведной жизни;

16.The major decorations of an Orthodox temple are the icons with images of the Savior, of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints. The icons of the Blessed Virgin are held in the special reverence and possess a beneficial force in Orthodox Church – В православной церкви особым почитанием и благодатной силой обладают иконы Божьей Матери, т. к. Пресвятая Дева является тем мостом, который соединил и продолжает соединять невидимое небо и наш видимый мир.