The sitting relics

The only sitting relics in the world - a Greek miracle on Russian soil.

In the Cathedral of Kharkov rest amazing relics of Patriarch of Constantinople Afanasiy Tsaregradsky. According to the Eastern tradition, he was buried in a sitting position. For the Slavs, this is something unseen. The Patriarch sits in a cozy corner of the cathedral. The Patriarch is sitting in a cozy corner of the cathedral. It is fragrant. Yes slippers tread down regularly just like a living.

Pilgrims' sight of these relics causes not only spiritual joy, but also a great surprise. After all, we are all used to the relics lying down. Yes, more often in coffins. And we are more used to apply not to the saint, but to the glass or the lid of the coffin.

Here, the glass is always open and believers fall with their heads directly to the hands of Patriarch Athanasius. Pilgrim groups come from the most remote corners of the world. People bring here their greatest sorrows, requests and troubles. But there are also those who go to Tsaregradsky with gratitude.

For example, many Kharkov girls know that the Saint helps to get married. You come to his relics. You read the akathist. You ask. He helps.

Others are healed of diseases. Still others solve their financial problems with the help of the Saint. Then they bring flowers and decorations, as a sign of their gratitude.

And the life of Patriarch Athanasius tells about how he loved the people during his lifetime, how he always helped others, how he himself distributed what he had. Born into a wealthy and noble family, overthrown from the patriarchal see and ending his life in the small town of Lubny, so far from his homeland, he certainly does not need our earthly gifts. But how else can we, stupid and material, express our gratitude and love?

Even Kharkovites sometimes say that something more is revealed to the spiritual gaze. So one woman for about half a year went to the relics of the Saint with some difficult problem of her own. Wept at the relics, wept. And at some point he says: "What is this, they put a miter on the relics?" There is always a miter on the patriarch. And they never took it off. But the woman's fiery prayer seemed to reveal the face of the Saint to her soul. And instead of the miter, she saw Athanasius of Tsaregradsky himself.

The priests changing the saint's vestments said that the soles of his slippers were worn out, as if he walked with his feet on the ground ...

There are thousands of such examples among the saints. They are present on this earth. Helping the living. And this presence is physical. Visible. What can we say about our dear Saint Athanasius, if at Spiridon Trimifuntsky's feet they always find algae and sea stones ...

In general, there is a huge world of hidden saints around us. And each of them is in a hurry to help... you just have to call for help!