Vol. 52, Nos. 1–2 (300–301) January–April, 2016

Fools-for-Christ of the Donbass

This issue of The Orthodox Word features the Lives of two ascetics who, while living close to our own times, were granted by God the gifts of prophecy, clairvoyance, and wonderworking like unto the saints of old. These two righteous ones—Elder Macarius of Novopskov and Starobelsk, and Blessed Nun Faina of Novopskov—shone forth as beacons of grace during the dark night of Soviet Communism, having entered upon the arduous path of foolishness-for-Christ in the footsteps of the holy fool St. Parasceva of Starobelsk. Both of them lived in the Lugansk province, located in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.

Also in this issue is an article by a popular Russian author, Alexander Tkachenko, “Bad Christians,” on the important theme of how to love oneself properly, in the light of Christ's commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Additionally, we present the final installment of homilies by New Hieromartyr Thaddeus (Uspensky), whose life as the archpastor of Astrakhan was featured in three previous issues of The Orthodox Word. These homilies include one on the meaning of human life, another on the feast of the Laudation of the Theotokos, and a concluding one on the Sunday of All Saints.