Akathist to Hieromartyr Daniel Sysoev

Akathist to Hieromartyr Daniel Sysoev - 

Since his martyrdom the night of November 19, 2009, "the story of his life, teachings, and martyrdom has spread throughout the Orthodox Church, far beyond the bounds of his native Russia. Though he has yet to be formally glorified as a saint, popular veneration has produced a number of icons of him, and even an akathist.

"As witness to his growing veneration, the akathist presented below was originally written in Romanian, and only then translated into Russian. This English text was translated from the Russian version."

"Holy Hieromartyr Daniel, pray to God for us!"

Proceed to the Akathist...

New Martyr Fr. Daniil Sysoev remembered with Paschal hymns in church where he was killed (with Videos)

"According to the now-annual tradition, Fr. Daniel’s memory was celebrated with a series of Divine services in the Church of St. Thomas and later at his grave... Notably, the panikhida was followed by the singing of the Paschal Stichera and the Paschal Troparion 'Christ is Risen!' which matched the feeling of triumph in Christ that pervaded the tiny church."

Fr. Daniil Sysoev remembered with Paschal hymns in church where he was killed

OrthoChristian.com, November 20, 2017:

The funeral of New Marty Fr Daniil Sysoev, November 2009.

The memory of Fr. Daniel Sysoev was celebrated and prayers were offered for the repose of his soul yesterday and today in the Church of the Apostle Thomas in south Moscow, which Fr. Daniel founded himself. The ever-memorable Priest Daniel was shot in his church late in the evening of November 19, 2009, and died in the hospital early the next morning.

Fr. Daniel is remembered for his fervent missionary work through which he brought many former Muslims, pagans, atheists, Protestants, and others to the faith. He received many death threats for his work but he fearlessly continued in his service to the Lord until a Muslim from a radical Caucasus-based group shot him in his church.

According to the now-annual tradition, Fr. Daniel’s memory was celebrated with a series of Divine services in the Church of St. Thomas and later at his grave. Vespers and Matins were celebrated yesterday evening at 5:00 followed by an abbreviated panikhida.

A full panikhida for the repose of Fr. Daniel’s soul was celebrated later at 11:00 with a packed church joining in the prayers. Among the celebrants were Fr. Daniel’s own father, Fr. Alexei Sysoev, Apostle Thomas rector Fr. Ioann Popadinets, and Hieromonk Athanasy (Deryugin) of Sretensky Monastery.

Notably, the panikhida was followed by the singing of the Paschal Stichera and the Paschal Troparion “Christ is Risen!” which matched the feeling of triumph in Christ that pervaded the tiny church.  View video here...

'When they kill me, don't cry for me, but pray for me.' - Remembrances of Fr. Daniel Sysoev

Here is a deeply inspiring reflection on the Holy and Righteous Confessor and New Martyr under the sword of Islam, Fr. Daniil Sysoev, who was hated by the Islamic community in Russia for debating them openly and converting scores of them to the Holy Orthodox Christian Faith.

Fr Daniil was shot and killed by a Muslim in his church in Moscow on November 19, 2009. In the years since, his legacy and witness only continues to grow, with his writings being translated into English and other languages, and his relics (portions of his priestly robe which he was wearing at the time of his martyrdom) spreading through the Orthodox world.

On the American secular feast of Thanksgiving, let us give thanks for the powerful witness of this dynamic and fearless friend of Christ, who proved his love for the Lord with his very blood. May we be strengthened by his martyrdom and his intercessions, that we too may make the good confession, and not love our earthly lives more than Christ.

'When they kill me, don't cry for me, but pray for me.' - Remembrances of Fr. Daniel Sysoev

by Archimandrite Melchisedek (Artiukhin)

translated by Jesse Dominick, OrthoChristian.com, November 19, 2017:

Today is already eight years from the beginning of the eternal life of our dear brother and sincere pastor Fr. Daniel Sysoev!

A priest once wrote these words in his last book: “The best end, which only a Christian can imagine, is a martyric death.” These words were written by the murdered priest Daniel Sysoev. His Holiness the patriarch wrote in his message: “The Lord honored his faithful servant with a confessor’s and martyr’s death, and he now abides in the Synaxis of the saints among the righteous, in the Synaxis of spirits made perfect.” St. John Chrysostom once said, “It is not only death that makes martyrs, but the whole dispensation of life.”

But the whole dispensation of life.

On the anniversary of 9/11, we remember, 'An enemy has done this...'

In many commemorations of the 16th anniversary of the Islamic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which killed almost 3,000 people on American soil, the root cause of the attacks continues to be omitted, or even completely excused and defended.

"The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!" - Rev 19:3

Again and again, we are told that Muslim jihadis, who consistently cite as their inspiration and marching orders Islamic scriptures from the Quran, the hadith, and the life of Muhammad, have "hijacked" the "great religion" of Islam.

Time, once again, to remind readers what Islam commands.

The 'Same God' Belief: a Fatal Heresy and a Theological Trojan Horse

Time again for an extended refutation of the "Same God" position.

The “Same God” belief is a "Theological Trojan Horse" for Christians, as it contains within it the seeds of apostasy, and predisposes its adherents to deny Jesus Christ.

I recently enjoyed a correspondence with a fellow who goes by the name of Giorgio, and who is quite a thoughtful theological writer. He asks:

Dear Zosimas, I was reading your blog and noticed in your featured post, you refer to the “Same God Heresy” – I assume by this you mean “Muslims and Christians worship the same God” is heretical. I was surprised to see this, since this seems contrary to what our saints have taught and also to reason (not that there is a difference, since the saints were very reasonable people). 

I argue this here, if you care to look... I would be interested in hearing your opinion about it. Sincerely, Giorgio

A couple of excerpts from Giorgio's article (do read the entire piece for his closely reasoned argument):

...whoever does not know God’s essence cannot love God, and it is clear that whoever does not love God cannot worship Him. But whoever does know God’s essence can, to at least a certain extent, love God and in this way be said to worship Him. 

By essence we mean that which makes God, God. But God is not God in virtue of being triune, or in virtue of being omnipotent, but by the fact that there is no distinction between His existence and His essence. For this reason, when Moses asks God who He is, God responds by saying: I am The One Who Is (Exodus 3:14, LXX). 

This is not to say that God being triune, His omnipotence, or His holiness are mere accidents, but rather properties which flow from His essence without being included in it, as St. John Damascene says in the fourth chapter of his exposition on the Orthodox faith: 

"All that we can affirm concerning God does not show forth God’s nature, but only the qualities of His nature. For when you speak of Him as good, and just, and wise, and so forth, you do not tell God’s nature but only the qualities of His nature. "

Now since Muslims generally acknowledge that God is He Who Is, they therefore grasp His essence and so can be said to know Him and worship Him. 

Like Muslims, the pagans were unaware of the Trinity, yet St. Paul did not say [in Acts 17:22-23] they worshipped a different God, but rather applauded them for worshipping God to the best of their abilities. The Apostle writes elsewhere: 

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made "(Romans 1:20). 

Here he clearly states that one may attain knowledge of God without revelation – therefore Muslims can be said to have some knowledge of God and worship Him. This is also clear from what St. John Damascene writes about knowledge of God’s existence and essence in the beginning of his exposition on the Orthodox faith, especially when he says in the eighth chapter that: We believe, then, in One God … believed in and ministered to by all rational creation.

First of all, it is not clear that in Islam there is any sense of "loving" God, hence some of the terminology used is wholly inappropriate to an honest discussion of Islam and Allah. In Islam, Allah is classically presented as being so "other", so utterly transcendent and beyond, that he is ultimately beyond the grasp of humans to know him, let alone love him. Islam calls man to be slaves of Allah, not to love him.

Secondly, there is no consistent, universal teaching of the saints in the Orthodox Church on the god of Islam being the same as the True God who sent His Only Begotten Son into the world for our salvation. In fact, a few quick quotes makes clear that several great Fathers of the Church seem to repudiate the "Same God" position:

"It is true that Muhammad started from the east and came to the west, as the sun travels from east to west. Nevertheless he came with war, knives, pillaging, forced enslavement, murders, and acts that are not from the good God but instigated by the chief manslayer, the devil." ~ St. Gregory Palamas (14th c.)

"...the vengeful and God-hating Saracens, the abomination of desolation clearly foretold to us by the prophets, overrun the places which are not allowed to them, plunder cities, devastate fields, burn down villages, set on fire the holy churches, overturn the sacred monasteries... Moreover, they are raised up more and more against us and increase their blasphemy of Christ and the church, and utter wicked blasphemies against God." ~ St. Sophronius of Jerusalem

St John of Damascus writes very strongly against Islam and Muhammad at the start of his section on the new religion in his Fount of Knowledge, which leaves it open to debate as to whether or not he would agree with my description of the Same God position as a heresy. Indeed, in our time, it may need to be defined in Council as a heresy, due to the danger it poses to the faithful who carelessly adhere to it.:

The Missionary Vision of the Martyred Fr. Daniel Sysoev

Fr. Daniil Sysoev is — without any exaggeration — the Protomartyr and Proto-Missionary for our age, for the 21st Century, and for the Third Millennium since the First Coming of Christ.

We commemorate him and ask his intercessions daily, but especially on the anniversary of his death, 19 November 2009, when he was slain by a Muslim before the altar of the church he founded in Moscow. 

For more on New Martyr Fr. Daniil, and to order his books, see this special resource page...

+++

The following paper was written by a seminarian at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in Crestwood, NY for a course focusing on Orthodox missionary activity throughout the world in the Fall 2014 semester.

The Missionary Vision of the Martyred Fr. Daniel Sysoev

by Edward Hunter, Pravoslavie, November 20, 2015

By all accounts, Fr. Daniel Sysoev was a powerful and effective missionary priest. According to his missionary companion and close friend, Prof. Yuri Maximov (now Priest Giorgy Maximov.—O.C.), Fr. Daniel turned “around 500 Protestants” to Orthodoxy and personally “baptized more than 80 Muslims” in his fourteen years of ordained ministry.¹ He built a church community and mission center in an immigrant district in Moscow and had great success reaching persons of various ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and social classes.² As a direct result of his efforts, and in accordance with his express desire and sense of calling, he crowned his ministry with martyrdom, being shot in the nave of his own church on the night of November 19, 2009.³

While Fr. Daniel did not leave behind extensive or systematic instructions for how to replicate his success, and the literature of the missionary center he founded remains largely untranslated, a number of his translated interviews and books are available online⁴ and can be used to form an outline of the principles which lay behind his ministry, as well as the methods which he used and found successful.

Fundamentally, Fr. Daniel’s missionary activity found its most basic principle in an extreme faith in the reality of eternal life and eternal judgment. When viewed from the perspective of an eternal destiny, actions in this present life gain a new significance; temporal life becomes “a school” where the human being is to prepare himself for “true life,” which “begins after the Final Judgment.”⁵ As such, it behooves every Christian to intentionally live a life that prepares him for eternity and to continually meditate on the transitoriness of earthly life and the inevitability of facing death and judgment.⁶

The funeral of Priest-Martyr Daniil Sysoev, with the clergy in white, just as for Pascha.

While Jesus has “earned paradise for us” by his death on the Cross and Orthodox Christians have “receive[d] salvation as a gift through baptism,” they still need to “assimilate” its reality to themselves by living a Christian life that is characterized by continual repentance, frequent Communion, and the performance of “good deeds”, which fulfill Christ’s commandments.⁷ If the Christian does not busy himself with repentance and thereby assimilate the salvation of baptism to himself, he runs the risk of his post-baptismal sin becoming a sort of “second nature” which would sever him from Christ and make him “incapable of entering into eternity.”⁸

ROCOR Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign” Hosts Event in Memory of Priest-Martyr Daniil Sysoev

Fr. Daniil Sysoev is — without any exaggeration — the Protomartyr and Proto-Missionary for our age, for the 21st Century, and for the Third Millennium since the First Coming of Christ.

We commemorate him and ask his intercessions daily, but especially on the anniversary of his death, 19 November 2009, when he was slain by a Muslim before the altar of the church he founded in Moscow. 

For more on New Martyr Fr. Daniil, and to order his books, see this special resource page...

The Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign” Hosts an Event in Memory of Priest Daniil Sysoev

ROCOR, via Pravoslavie, November 16, 2015

On Sunday, November 8, 2015, the feast day of Great Martyr Dimitry of Thessaloniki, Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign” in New York by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York.  His Eminence was joined by Protopriest Andrei Sommer, Senior Priest of the cathedral; Protopriest Vasily Raskovsky; Hieromonk Evtikhy (Dovganiuk); Protodeacon Nicolas Mokhoff; Protodeacon Vadim Gan, as well as other clergymen gathering to attend an event dedicated to the 6th anniversary of the death of Priest Daniil Sysoev, including Priest Georgy Maksimov (teacher at Sretensky Seminary in Moscow) and Hieromonk Savvaty (Ageev), Rector of St Nicholas Church of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA in Redding, PA. A sermon was delivered by Fr Georgy on the Gospel reading about the rich man and Lazarus, during which he stressed the importance of fulfilling God’s commandments. The sisterhood then offered a luncheon in the church hall. At 2 pm, Metropolitan Hilarion gave the opening speech at an event marking the 6th anniversary of the death of the renowned missionary, Priest Daniil Sysoev, a leader in the missionary movement in contemporary Russia, who was granted a martyr’s end on November 19, 2009, in the Church of Apostle Thomas in Moscow, which he built.  His Eminence noted that Fr Daniil “was able to argue convincingly and calmly, with love, and leave his opponents no option but to agree with him. It was this measured, accessible and uncompromising witness to the truth that we need today. This is the kind of renewed preaching we are in such need of today.”

Fr. Stephen Freeman: 'Church Scandals Must Come'

As I saw this title in my feed for Pravmir this morning, I had a sense about it, and knew I had to read it right away. Please bear with my introductory remarks.

As I absorbed Fr Stephen's thoughts on scandal, it took me back to one of the most scandalous things I had ever encountered in my life in the Orthodox Church. It was the day in the summer of 2008 that I opened up a thin booklet by an Orthodox priest and professor, written to be "a guide for Orthodox Christians encountering Muslims," and read this:

"Muslims and Christians worship the same God."

The shock of reading such a statement, written by an Orthodox Christian priest, one who celebrates the Divine Liturgy, the Eucharist, and who is charged with defending the Church and the Holies with his very life, left me reeling. It was a scandalon — σκάνδαλα — as devastating and unbelievable as any I had encountered. And it started me on the path which would lead to me writing the book, Facing Islam, and then launching this blog.

That scandal set me on this path to refute the lie that says the God of Islam is the True God, for that is what one is saying, when one makes the above assertion.

That scandal compelled me to bear witness to the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, Second Person of the Holy Triune Godhead, who became man for our sake, to restore us to the Father, to our divine calling as children of God.

The irony of that initial scandal is that while I recall vividly the reaction it provoked within me, and the torrent of righteous fervor it unleashed, over the years since, I have come to see my inner reaction to the many scandals caused by Islam and those who defend it — especially those Orthodox Christians who are so confused in their theology, ecclesiology and their notion of love as to affirm Islam itself — to become progressively more pensive, pained, sorrowful, and less angry, defensive, polemical.

Christ calls us to love our enemies, to forgive seventy times seven. This means, in the most stark and challenging context, to love and forgive the Muslim jihadist who is sawing our head off with a serrated knife. We have examples of Holy New Martyrs in our very day (and of their grieving families in the aftermath) doing exactly that.

But when one knows and is filled with the Truth, one cannot forgive the lie, only the liar. One cannot forgive the deception, only the deceived, the lost, precisely because "they know not what they do."

I have often quoted the words of Yuri Maximov (now Priest George) regarding the towering, prophetic example of New Priest-Martyr Daniil Sysoev of Moscow (†2009), and will do so again and again, for his words are perhaps the best summation of what my book, blog and mission are all about:

Among those who call themselves Orthodox, I have met such strange people who say that Fr. Daniel should not preach to Muslims, that one must respect their religion, and that there is no benefit from his preaching. But Fr. Daniel thought, as did the Lord, the Apostles, and all the saints, that one must respect mistaken people but not their mistakes. Truth is one, that which contradicts and negates truth is a lie, and respect for a lie is contempt for the truth. (Source)

Scandals must come, but it is often scandals which prove and test us, and most sharply delineate Truth from falsehood, Light from darkness, the True Way from the way to perdition.

Brothers and sisters, let us confess Jesus Christ and labor to be found in Him, that we may rejoice at His Coming, and not be ashamed. This is the True Faith. Amen.

Church Scandals Must Come

by Fr. Stephen Freeman, Glory to God for All Things, October 20, 2012

Scandals must come (Matt. 18:7).

Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.

These are the words of Christ. He tells us that scandals are not only likely to happen – but that they will happen. They are necessary (ἀνάγκη).

Most readers will marvel that this is a quote from Jesus. The reason is simple: the Greek (ἀνάγκη γάρ ἐστιν ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα) is rarely translated in such a manner. “Stumbling blocks,” or “offenses,” is the more common way to render the word skandala (σκάνδαλα). But the Greek has a very simple cognate in English: scandal.

Why would Christ tell his disciples that scandals must come? It is a description of the nature of things in this world. The entrance of the Kingdom of God and its dwelling among men is not such that men will cease to be broken or evil. Christ warned His disciples that he himself would be betrayed – not by strangers – but by one of them!

Russian Orthodox Synod to host Evening in Honor of Priest-Martyr Daniil Sysoev

This is a very significant event, and seems to be a direct fruit of the organization which has only recently begun translating Fr Daniil's books into English and selling them through their online store.

For more on New Priest-Martyr Daniil Sysoev, whom I consider to be the Orthodox Proto-Martyr of the 21st Century, see my Special Resource Page, which I hope to expand over the coming weeks.

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX SYNOD TO HOST EVENING IN MEMORY OF PRIEST DANIEL SYSOEV

Eastern American Diocese (ROCOR) via Pravoslavie

October 1, 2015

On Sunday, November 8, after the Divine Liturgy and luncheon at the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City, a memorial evening will be held to honor the memory of Priest Daniel Sysoev, on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of his martyric death.

This will be the first open meeting in America dedicated to the memory of Fr. Daniel Sysoev. This is a man whose name is closely tied to the rebirth of missionary work in modern Russia. This is a man who uncompromisingly preached God’s truth and was vouchsafed a martyr’s death six years ago at the hands of a Muslim terrorist, in the church that he built. 

Well-known are the ancient words: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." At this meeting, attendees will be convinced of the fact that these words are just as real in our time. 

Among the guests are family and friends of Fr. Daniel, and modern Orthodox missionaries. They will speak about how Fr. Daniel’s life, death, and legacy have impacted the growth of Orthodoxy in Russia, China, India, Thailand, the Philippines, and many other countries.

This is a unique opportunity to become better acquainted with an example of modern sainthood, as well as to learn a little bit about what is perhaps the least explored sphere of Orthodox Church life.

Invitation is open to anyone interested in seeing a reflection of the Apostolic Faith in our time and hearing testimonies of the life of a man who overcame this world and laid down his life for God’s truth.

Free admittance. Address:

ROCOR Synod of Bishops
75 East 93rd Street
New York, NY, 10128

Organized by – Daniel Sysoev, Inc.

Please address all questions by e-mail: mission379@gmail.com.

Eastern American Diocese (ROCOR)

The Kurdish People, the Yezidi Religion, and Christianity

“To tell the truth is useful to those to whom it is spoken,

but disadvantageous to those who tell it,

because it makes them disliked.”

~ Blaise Pascal, Pensées.

Related:

• Fr. Daniil Sysoev: Special Resource Page
• 'To Make the Whole World Love Christ' - Seraphim Maamdi's memories of Fr. Daniel Sysoev
• 'The Light of Christ will also shine over Kurdistan' - An Interview with Seraphim Maamdi, an Orthodox Kurd
• Fr. Daniel Sysoev's Posthumous Mission: Three Stories

PRAVOSLAVIE — May 11, 2015

This English translation of an interview by the Russian correspondent for the “Rûdaw” newspaper with Monk Madai, an Orthodox Kurd, was sent to OrthoChristian.com for publication.

Monk Madai (Maamdi) was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, to a Kurdish-Yezidi family. In 2002, he and his family moved to Moscow, where in 2007 he was baptized in the Orthodox Church with the name Seraphim.

In 2009 Seraphim finished the “School of Orthodox Mission”, which was established by priest Daniel Sysoev. That same year, Fr. Daniel was killed in his own church by a Muslim extremist.

In 2012, Seraphim went to Greece, to live in one of the Greek monasteries. In 2014 he became a monk with the name Madai (in honor of the grandson of Noah, the son of Japheth, Medes’ grandparent, one of the descendant nations of whom are the Kurds). In the same year he entered the Theological Department of the University of Athens. He is a monk of the Georgian Orthodox Church, in the Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of Holy Queen Sunniva, Norway.

Hoshavi Muhammad: We would like to welcome our honored guest, monk Madai. Monk Madai, in your first interview you said that the majority of Kurds confess the Islamic faith, while the minority belong to a closed religion, known as Yezidism. Why do you think that Yezidism is a false religion?

Monk Madai: I say that as a Christian, speaking from the point of view of Divine Revelation. A religion that is closed to other people and that is held by a small number of people cannot be the truth for all people. Neither can a faith come from God that only acknowledges one language, here I am speaking about Islam.

In and of itself Yezidism arose as a result of the compilation of various religious teachings. It is a natural phenomenon when in the context of Christianity, Judaism or Islam religious leaders appear who, on the basis of traditional religious teachings, add something new and create their own “true path”.

H.M.: In your opinion the founder of Yezidism is the Arab Sufi Sheikh Adi. He radically changed the worldview of Kurdish society. He united ideas from heretical Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Paganism to form Yezidism. For the Yezidis, is Sheikh Adi God or a messenger of God?

M.M.: That is not merely my opinion; it is a well-known and credible fact that the Arab Sheikh Adi descended from the Arabic Umayyad Caliphs. The testimonies of his contemporaries tell us that he was a Muslim of the Sufi doctrine and studied under well-known Sufis of the time. He later settled in a Christian monastery (now called Lalish) and wrote his Tariqa (path). His followers began to be called “Adavis” (followers of Adi) among the locals. Today they are known as Yezidis.

Unfortunately, modern Sheikhs and Pirs, and the clerics of Lalish as a whole, react very negatively to the historical facts which show that Yezidism is an offshoot of Islam. This is related to the fact that Yezidis have always been persecuted by Muslims. Any contact with Muslims is, therefore, categorically rejected by Yezidis. 

Book Review: Catechetical Talks by New-Martyr Daniel Sysoev

"What is deeply impressive, and what should give us courage, is that despite his strict adherence to tradition, he yet baptized over 100 individuals per year during the course of his priestly service, a service which was ultimately crowned with martyrdom."

See also my post announcing the availability of New-Martyr Fr. Daniel Sysoev's books in English.

by Rev Dr John Palmer, Lessons from a Monastery

March 2, 2015

Admittedly, it was with great expectation that I first opened the English-language translation of Fr Daniel Sysoev’s book, Catechetical Talks. Around the time of his martyrdom in 2009, I began hearing reports from colleagues concerning Fr Daniel’s missionary work in Russia, praising it not only for its incredible results, but also for the fact that its achievements were born of a strict adherence to the Orthodox tradition. Shortly thereafter, brief excerpts of his writings began to circulate on the internet; then a podcast on his catechetical method; then a short book in Greek. All of these served to confirm the truth of the reports which had been circulating concerning Fr Daniel’s work, and further stoked my desire to read his more extended works for myself. Having now received a copy of his Catechetical Talks and having read it cover to cover, I am left to observe that the book has not only met, but greatly exceeded my every expectation. Before us stands no generic, academic, ‘Introduction to Orthodoxy’, but rather an authentic work of Patristic theology, flowing with words of eternal life.

Fr Daniel’s book is composed of a series of transcribed catechetical talks designed to set forth the most essential elements of the Orthodox Christian faith, aimed specifically at catechumens being prepared for Holy Baptism. He begins his series speaking about the divine attributes, exploring what we mean when we call God ‘good’ or ‘just’ in accordance with his revelation, as well as how these appellations are reconciled with the seeming evils which permeate the world around us, and with the belief that there will be a final judgement over which the just and good God will preside. Fittingly, he crowns this discussion with the apex of the Church’s dogmas concerning God: an exposition of the dogma of the Trinity. 

Fr Daniel dedicates his second talk to the Christian doctrine of Creation, particularly emphasizing the creation of the angels, the subsequent fall of Lucifer, and, of course, the creation of man and his fall. Naturally, this sets the table for the third talk to discuss the Incarnation of the Word of God, the key moments in Christ’s earthly ministry, the significance of his death on the Cross, his resurrection, and his ascension into the heavens to be seated at the right hand of the Father. 

The fourth talk is dedicated to a discussion of the birth of the Church at Pentecost and its mission in the world, that is, to unite men to Christ, specifically emphasizing the role of each of the sacraments in the fulfillment of this mission. The fifth and final talk offers a detailed discussion of the commandments of God which situates Christian morality within the broader context of morality in general, demonstrating that Christian morals differ from the ‘morals’ of the world both with regard to their foundation and their end.

Appended to these five talks are three helpful essays. 

New Martyr Fr. Daniel Sysoev's writings being made available in English!

Many of Fr Daniel Sysoev's writings are now available to order in physical book form in English and Russian (with more English editions to follow, I am informed) from the Orthodox Internet Store of Rev. Daniel Sysoev.

In addition, a new online 'shop' has been opened on the ISSUU digital platform, with books and booklets by Fr Daniel Sysoev, including many titles in English.

One of if not THE most significant of the New Martyrs of the 21st Century under the Sword of Islam, the righteous Fr. Daniel Sysoev of Moscow was shot and killed by a Muslim in front of the altar at the church he founded.

Fr Daniel was not any ordinary casualty of Islam's renewed war on Christians. He was a towering figure in the Russian Orthodox Church, a theologian, writer, evangelist and missionary, who engaged in open debate with Muslims, and converted some eighty or more of them from Islam to the Orthodox Faith, including a number of Wahhabi extremists.

Patriarch Kirill concerned about Islamists’ activities in Moscow

Many migrants have radical views and “are recruited by extremist and terrorist organizations, sometimes right in Moscow... The radicals are extremely negative to Orthodox faith: they killed six Orthodox priests, including Moscow priest Daniil Sysoyev, in the past 15 years." —Patriarch Kirill.

Interfax via Pravmir — 12/23/2013

Moscow, December 23, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has expressed concerns about Islamists’ activities in Moscow.

“The increase in the number of migrants, primarily from Central Asia and the Caucasus, in Moscow has increased the risk of ethnic conflicts,” the patriarch said at the Moscow Diocese assembly, according to the Moscow Patriarchate website.

Many migrants have radical views and “are recruited by extremist and terrorist organizations, sometimes right in Moscow,” the patriarch said, adding that such propaganda has intensified among Slavic youth, including in educational establishments, prisons, sports groups, and social networking sites.

Fr. Lawrence Farley: Re-evangelizing the Nation

This is a concise, outstanding piece, which calls to mind two things:

1. The missionary program of New Martyr Fr. Daniil Sysoev of Mocow,

2. The words of Hieromonk Seraphim Rose concerning the increasing irrelevance and collapse of Christianity in our time:

Christian compromise in thought and word and negligence in deed have opened the way to the triumph of the forces of the absurd, of Satan, of Antichrist. The present age of absurdity is the just reward of Christians who have failed to be Christians.

It is futile, in fact it is precisely absurd, to speak of reforming society, of changing the path of history, of emerging into an age beyond absurdity, if we have not Christ in our hearts; and if we do have Christ in our hearts, nothing else matters.

Now one cannot be a half-hearted Christian, but only entirely or not at all.

Re-evangelizing the Nation

by Fr. Lawrence Farley, OCA.org — 12/2/2013

In a piece published in the Telegraph, we learn that a former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, warned a Christian conference in Shrewsbury that the Church of England was “one generation away from extinction” and that all of its 43 dioceses across the world could be wiped out within 25 years.  He was not alone in the Church of England when he predicted such catastrophe.  The present Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, told his confreres in the Anglican synod that their church must “evangelize or fossilize,” and he called for a “re-evangelization of England” on par with the original evangelization under Cuthbert and Aidan.  The synod responded to his challenge by voting to set up a committee.  (It is comforting to find that in a changing world, some things never change.)  One can only applaud the Archbishop of York’s zeal when he calls for a re-evangelization of his nation.  The question remains however if his church still possesses the original Evangel as understood by Saints Cuthbert and Aidan.  For what were the components of that Evangel?  In a word, three things.

Many Muslims were baptized after the death of Fr. Daniil Sysoev

Of course, for "The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church."

Pravoslavie — 10/30/2012

The Funeral of New Martyr Fr. Daniil Sysoev

The reason for the murder of the priest Daniel Sysoev was the success of his mission among the Muslims, says his friend the famous missionary Father Oleg Stenyaev, according to the news agency Interfax-Religion.

"A man gets killed when he is feared, when his spiritual superiority is feared. Father Daniel was threatened 14 times. And even on the day of his murder, he received a threatening call demanding that he must stop preaching among the Muslims. After his assassination many Muslims were baptized, as priests of other Churches have told me. The murder produced the opposite effect," says Father Oleg in an article published by the Orthodox newspaper Krestovsky Bridge.

According to Stenayev, "When the warlord Said Buryatsky sentenced Father Daniel to death two ‘charges’ were announced—that Father Daniel conducted open debates with Muslims, and that he had them baptized.

"But the Muslims themselves initiated the debates. And the fact that they were coming to him to be baptized shows that something is lacking in Islam, that's why they came," said the author.

The priest emphasized that Father Daniel’s mission never had an aggressive nature, and the videos of those debates are proof of this.

"Unfortunately, the intermissions were not filmed. During the debates there were periods when everyone in the lobby started talking to each other. Many Muslims gathered around Father Daniel and asked him questions which he answered very amicably. He had no animosity towards people of other confessions and he spoke about it in his lectures: "I love these people but I do not share their faith and their beliefs," says the article.

Father Oleg considers his friend to be a saint.

Greek Nuns Pray To Father Daniil Sysoyev As Saint

Interfax via Mystagogy — 10/5/2010

Nuns of a large Greek Monastery are convinced that believers can pray to priest Daniil Sysoyev as to a saint.

"It' high time you prayed not for Father Daniil, but to Father Daniil," Sister Prosdoki from the Annunciation Monastery in Ormylia, Halkidiki Peninsula, told an Interfax-Religion correspondent.

She also wonders why Father Daniil is not widely venerated in Russia.

According to the nun, many Orthodox Greeks honor Father Daniil alongside with many Greek saints martyred for Orthodox faith by Turks.

The interviewee of the agency believes Father Daniil's tomb can become one of most beloved places for Greek pilgrims. Relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov have been such a shrine so far.

Fr Peter Alban Heers: Podcasts on New Martyr Fr. Daniil Sysoev

In March 2011, Fr Peter Alban Heers devoted two of his podcasts, Postcards from Greece, on Ancient Faith Radio, to discussing Fr. Daniil Sysoev of Moscow and his dynamic missionary program. As a follow up to these talks, in April 2011 Fr. Peter responded to a question raised by a listener about saints in the Church. 

I have included the transcript for the third podcast below. If anyone is eager to help support the work of Ancient Faith Radio (and help spread the teachings and veneration of Fr Daniil Sysoev in the process), you can sponsor transcripts for the March 17 and March 23 podcasts. Just visit those pages and click on the Sponsor Transcript links to start the process. Costs are $13.50 and $20.25 respectively.

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The New Martyr Father Daniel and the Royal Path in the Mission of the Church

March 17, 2011 Length: 17:26

Father Peter spoke to a gathering of clergy and lay people in Athens recently and pointed to the witness of the new martyr of Moscow, the missionary priest Father Daniel Sysoev, as a model for mission work today. Father Daniel walked the "Royal Path" of the Church, avoiding two extremes, that of indifference to the person from the right and indifference to the Truth from the left.

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Orthodox Word #268, 'The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church'

The Life and Martyric Death of the Righteous Missionary, Father Daniel Sysoev

compiled by the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood

$4 - Order from St Herman of Alaska Press

This back issue on Fr. Daniil Sysoev, published very soon after his martyric death in 2009, is still available from St Herman Press.

'You Wish to See Many Miracles? – You Should Become a Missionary or a Martyr!'

Fr. Daniel's Autobiography and the Interview with Him on the Occasion of the Opening of the Missionary Centre

Pravmir — 11/25/2009 — h/t Mystagogy

"A missionary should be the one to start the conversation about God, or else he is no missionary at all. But at the same time, he must soberly evaluate his own knowledge and skills. He should know the answers to the basic questions his counterparts usually ask about Christianity. He should remember that attack is the best form of defense. He should never hesitate to say that you are right and they are wrong. It is not necessary to bow and scrape before each listener. But at the same time, he must not injure somebody's pride in order to prove his case. Christ died for everyone. One should remember that one should respect a person, not his delusions. There should be rejection of falsity, but love for man."  — Fr. Daniil Sysoev 

Autobiography of Fr. Daniel Sysoev

 “I, Priest Daniel Alekseevich Sysoev, was born on January 12, 1974, in Moscow to a family of teachers and artists. My father, Priest Aleksei Nikolaevich Sysoev, is now rector of the Church of St. John the Theologian at the ‘Iasenevo’ Orthodox Classical Orthodox Gymnasium, and is also a clergyman of the Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Iasenevo. My mother, Anna Midkhatovna Amirova, teaches catechism at the same school. 

Fr. Daniil Sysoev's Last Sermon (VIDEO)

With English subtitles. A message on Christian love and concord, full of scriptural references and spiritual truths.