SEXUALITY

 Written By

HIS EXCELLENCY, HON. ROTR. ABRAHAM IKENNA EKEADA

(The president of UGUA)
E-MAIL: abrahamikekeada@yahoo.com

INTRODUCTION: 

From birth to death we are sexuality beings, whether we are engaged in a sexuality relationship or not. The pontifical council for the family in their article on “the truth and meaning of human sexuality” says that, sexuality is a fundamental component of personality; one of its mode of being, of manifestation, of communicating with others, of feeling, of expressing and of living human love. In fact, human life which is manifested in human sexuality is a gift received in order to be given as a gift. This gift reveals a particular characteristic of human existence or rather the very essence of the person. For when God says that “it is not good that man should be alone (Gen 2:18), what He meant is that man has never realize his complete existence in being alone. And He responded to that case by giving him a help mate.

Consequently, as married love is fulfilled in openness to the other person and self-giving, so also, the vocation to the consecrated life is fulfilled in openness and self-giving to God alone.

 Our deepest feelings for other people, our fantasies, our feelings about our bodies and our sensual feelings are all part of our personalities and of our sexualities.

Since we have understood the natural idea of sexuality, we are not ignorant of sexual aberrations and scandals, but we must bear in mind that sexuality, that is oriented, elevated and integrated by love acquires truly human quality.
Therefore, sexuality is not something purely biological rather it concerns the intimate nucleus of the person. The use of sexuality as physical giving has its own and reaches its full meaning when it expresses the personal giving of man and woman.

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

SEXUALITY:

Etymologically, the word sexuality is derived from the Greek word “Sextus” meaning love. Sexuality is a sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, a man and a man, a woman and a woman. Therefore human sexuality from this point and view, simply means the way of being in and relating to oneself, others and to the world as a whole, either as a male or female person. Jude Adindu goes beyond this idea by saying that sexual behavior should be understood and conceptualized as something which goes beyond reproduction. A man always acts as a man and has experiences as man, in the family, in the school, in the area of work, in the locality; and so does woman.
According to Philip Sullivan (1977:4), sexuality is a gift that touches human person on all levels of their existence. It is not a gift that touches us just one or a few levels of our existence; rather it is a gift that spans the whole germust of human existence, thus becoming an ontological determinant of human existence and personality. Sexuality touches us on the personal or spiritual, religious, aesthetic nature and our inter-subjective relationship with both God and other people. Human sexuality functions as an important source and means of personal growth towards maturity. From the religious point of view, human sexuality is a gift of God and it is good. The entire creation is good. “God saw everything He had made and indeed , it was very good”. (Cf Genesis 1:31)

Sex as different from sexuality:

The term sex means “coitus” (i.e a sexual activity between a man and a woman), anatomic structures as well as the concept of gender – the state of being male or female. Sex, according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is “a state of being a male or a female gender”.
Chambers 1st Century Dictionary says that it can also be referred to as physical activity between two persons in which they touch each other’s sexual organs, and which may include sexual intercourse. However, our youths nowadays have misunderstood the very conception of it. I suppose that’s why Aristotle objected that the youths shouldn’t be allowed to rule the state because of the climax of youthful exuberances in them.

There are groups of youths in a certain school who find it so difficult to understand what sex is all about and so they were asked the question: What does the word sex means and the following answers were given:

Sex is love.
Sex is enjoyment between a boy and a girl.
Sex is an activity when sperm and egg meet.
Sex is when a boy and a girl meet for something hidden. 

Sex is when male and female mix together.

This clearly shows that, generally, sex is conceived as a genital activity by most people while actually the term “sex” includes the gender of a person, the genders role in reproduction and other physical sexual activities.

Two Dimensions of Sex:
i. Genital sex
ii. Non-genital sex.

i. Genital Sex refers to every contact between male and female reproductive organs; however, it is specially reserved for married people.

ii. Non-genital sex refers to all other relationship between male and female and they are necessary for a full human development.

3.0 CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

This is divided into primary and secondary characteristics

3.1 PRIMARY CHARACTERISTICS
Specifically, the primary characteristics of human sexuality are related to reproduction and include sex organs.
3. SECONDARY CHARACTERISTICS
Secondary characteristics are the attributes other than the sex organs; they generally distinguish one sex from the other but are not essential to reproduction, such as the larger breast characteristics of women and the facial hair and deeper voice characteristics of men.

3.3DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEXUALITY

3.3.1 HETERO- SEXUALITY

Hetero-sexuality simply means a sexuality that occurs when a person who is sexually attracted to a person of the opposite sex. Therefore, instructively and naturally too, men and women are made to tend toward each other on account of their sexual drives and love. Hetero-sexuality is a sexual intercourse between two opposite sex that is between man and woman.

3.3. HOMOSEXUALITY

The term homosexuality is based on the Greek word “homos” meaning “the same” thus; homosexuality literally means the same sexuality. ”Homo” means the same. It also means a person, usually man, who is sexually attracted to people of the same sex.
According to Karl H. Peschke (004:48), homosexuality is a persistent, predominant erotic attraction of the same sex.
For Anthony et al (1997:189), homosexuality is the absence of attraction toward members of the opposite sex.
4.0 IMPLICATIONS OF GENITAL SEXUAL RELATIONS IN HUMAN SEXUALITY:

As regards to human sexuality, Leonie Mc Sweeney rightly remarked that God created the act of sex for two closely related reasons.
I First for the continuation of human race.
Ii Second to provide man and woman unique means of addressing their love for each other in marriage. T. P. Doyle (1984:84) didn’t deviate from this truth when he says that “the unitive-procreative aspect in intercourse is part of human nature.”

5.0 RELATED CONCEPTS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY:

5.1 Masturbation
The word masturbation was derived from the Latin words “manu” and ”stupare” that is to defile with the hand or “manu” and “turbare” that is to disturb with the hand. In males, masturbation is the self-stimulation of the penis, usually with hands, till ejaculation of semen is obtained. Windows 8 dictionary defines masturbation as self-pollution or Onanism (Gen 38:9).
In females, it can be performed usually through rubbing of the vagina usually with the hands towards the manifestation of an orgasm. Psychologically, masturbation is a passing phase of life on the way from childhood to adult stage. Under this aspect, masturbation is the expression of a still immature personality. As a result of the Karl Peschike (004:450) asserts “Masturbation, if not overcome in due time and if continue in habitual way, psychologist are inclined to suspect emotional conflicts, inability to give sex and love their proper place in healthy emotional living or some similar disturbance.

5. Dangers of Masturbation:
Majority of youngsters who indulge in this act normally grow with it into adulthood, and adults who always masturbate see themselves handicapped in the development of an individual marital love. These are some of the dangers.

5..1 Child Sexual Abuse:
This can be defined as sexual relationship between a child and anyone who has authority over him. It can take place both within and outside the family; the cases within the family may be from parents, stepparents, siblings or other relatives. Those outside the home may be by friends, neighbours, childcare persons or direct sponsors or even strangers.

5.. Dangers of Child Sexual Abuse:
A child who is a victim of prolonged sexual abuses usually develops low self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness and an abnormal view of sex and can become suicidal in the future, if care is not taken. Also, some of the victims do have the difficulty to relate with others except on sexual terms.

5..3 Fornication:
This is voluntary sexual intercourse outside marriage. The New Testament categorically rejects all fornication as opposed to the justice of the kingdom of God. Christ lists fornication together with adultery among the evil things that comes from within a person’s heart and defiles him (Mt 15:19, Mk 7:1-3).

6.0 NON MARITAL SEXUAL RELATIONS:

6.1 Prostitution:
Prostitution comes from Latin root “Prostituere or prostitutum” meaning an “offer for sale”. Prostitution therefore, means an act of having sexual intercourse for money making. It is carried out without any proper love between man and woman. Prostitution is the worst extramarital sexual relationship that brings curse and malaise upon the victim at the end.

6. Adultery:
This is from the root word “adult” which means “full grown mature”. Therefore, adultery literally means sexual intercourse between adults that are from 18years and above. Chambers 1st century dictionary says that adultery means a sexual relation willingly undertaken between a married person and one who is not his or her spouse. Adultery is a sin against Chastity, justice and fidelity. Moreover, adultery involves destructive consequences for the love, harmony and stability in the family of married partners.

6.3 Incest:
Is sexual intercourse between persons who are closely related by blood or affinity, e.g. between a brother and sister, or between parents, grandparents, etc. The Old Testament forbids incestuous unions in order to create healthy offspring, sound family and stability of social life.

6.4 Sin of Violence/rape:
Rape is an illegal intercourse with a woman against her consent, either by physical or moral force or that the woman is insane or intoxicated. It is a grave offence against sexual responsibility and against justice because the woman’s right and her body are violated. In addition, the violation may bring social dishonor to her and obstruct her future marriage.

7.0 SEXUAL RISKS:
According to Encarta Encyclopedia, there are number of disturbing sexually related public health and social policy issues facing countries around the world today. According to the United States Centers for disease control and prevention, a teen becomes pregnant every 30seconds and every 13seconds a teen contacts a sexual transmitted infection (STI). According to the centers, those who engage in heterosexual intercourse without the use of condom are at the greatest risk to contact the infection of Human Immune deficiency Virus (HIV) which leads to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) which is often ultimately fatal. Another serious sexually transmitted disease is syphilis which, if left untreated for many years can lead to paralysis, psychological illness and death.

8.0 ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF HUMAN SEXUALITY:

8.1 To release tension and anxiety: Having sexual intercourse as a result of anxiety and tension is good so long as you will achieve your aim.
8. Happiness: Since having sexual intercourse makes one to be happy, therefore, indulge in it, as the proponents advised.
8.3 Proving Fertility: How can one prove that she is fertile without the visible sign of pregnancy which is acquired during intercourse? Therefore, for a woman to prove her fertility she needs to be pregnant and for a man to show he is potent, he needs to have sex with a woman.
9.0 ARGUMENTS AGAINST HUMAN SEXUALITY:
9.1 The Doctrine Of The Magisterium: The magisterium of the church has repeatedly expressed her conviction that pre-marital intercourse is in fact gravely sinful. Sexual relations outside the context of marriage constitute grave disorder. On the part of the woman, when sexual intercourse is done before marriage, it gives room for doubt and eliminates the idea of trust.
9. The Dignity of Women Is In Jeopardy: It has been examined closely that sexual intercourse outside marriage often leads to hatred by male counterparts, who will say that he has gotten what he wants, thereby having reduced the dignity of the woman before him.
9.3 Sexual Relation as One of the Terminators of Marriage: Sexual relationship is one of the factors that dissolve marriages today. For about 75% of men would not happily accept to marry the person they have polluted. They often look for a fresh garden.
9.4 Sexual Relation Leads To Late Marriage: Since the man has promised to marry the woman, he will continue to delay while the woman will absolutely rely on him for marriage. On the long run, he will disappoint her and go his way. Before she realizes what is happening, it will already be late.
9.5 Pre-marital Sex is Inimical of African Culture: As Africans, the parents of a girl cannot allow her to play waywardness and keep a male friend unless the man comes and say his mind. It is not only that, the man would do all the requirements of African Culture as pertaining to marriage before the parents would be at ease to release their daughter.

10.0 CONCLUSION

We are called to keep our body holy as it is the Holy Spirit who lives in us and was given to us by God (1 cor. 6:19).

 Let us heed to the call by telling ourselves “YES I CAN”.

``PERSEA '

   A story of the Divine Christ-child:

 When the Most-holy Virgin, with her Divine Child and the righteous Joseph, drew near to the city of Hermopolis [Cairo], they saw a tree before the gate of the city.

The travelers from afar were weary from their journey and approached this tree to rest a while, even though the tree was very tall and did not offer adequate shade.

 The Egyptians called this tree ``Persea'' and worshiped it as a god, for they believed that some divinity was hidden in the tree. In reality, an evil spirit dwelt in this tree. As the holy family approached the tree, the tree shook fiercely, and the evil spirit, terrified by the approaching Christ-child, fled.

 Then the tree bent its top down to the ground and worshiped its Creator like a rational creature. Thus the bent tree cast a great shadow, under which the weary travelers rested.

 From that day, the tree received miraculous healing powers from Christ the Lord to heal every infirmity of men.   Afterward, the holy sojourners went to the village of Matarea. Near the village they saw a fig tree, and, while Joseph went into the village on business, the Most-holy Virgin took refuge under the fig tree with the Lord. And, oh, what a miracle: the tree lowered its crown down to the ground to create a shadow for the travelers, and its lower half split open in such a way that the Mother with the Child could enter and rest. And what is even more miraculous: a living spring of water suddenly opened up near the fig tree. Joseph found a hut in the vicinity, where they settled. There they lived and drank water from that miraculous spring. This was the only spring of living water to be found in Egypt, for all the other water in Egypt comes from the Nile River, which branches off into innumerable canals. And thus, like brought forth like: the Lord Jesus, the Immortal and Heavenly Spring of living water, by His presence called forth this spring of living water from the earth.

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EGYPTIAN DESERT FATHER ANTONY

EGYPTIAN DESERT  FATHER  ANTONY

Two Greek philosophers ventured out into the Egyptian desert to the mountain where Anthony lived. When they got there,

 Anthony asked them why they had come to talk to such a foolish man?

 He had reason to say that -- they saw before them a man who wore a skin, who refused to bathe, who lived on bread and water. They were Greek, the world's most admired civilization, and Anthony was Egyptian, a member of a conquered nation. They were philosophers, educated in languages and rhetoric. Anthony had not even attended school as a boy and he needed an interpreter to speak to them. In their eyes, he would have seemed very foolish.

But the Greek philosophers had heard the stories of Anthony. They had heard how disciples came from all over to learn from him, how his intercession had brought about miraculous healings, how his words comforted the suffering. They assured him that they had come to him because he was a wise man.

Anthony guessed what they wanted. They lived by words and arguments. They wanted to hear his words and his arguments on the truth of Christianity and the value of ascetism. But he refused to play their game. He told them that if they truly thought him wise, "If you think me wise, become what I am, for we ought to imitate the good. Had I gone to you, I should have imitated you, but, since you have come to me, become what I am, for I am a Christian."

Anthony's whole life was not one of observing, but of becoming. When his parents died when he was eighteen or twenty he inherited their three hundred acres of land and the responsibility for a young sister. One day in church, he heard read Matthew 19:21: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." Not content to sit still and meditate and reflect on Jesus' words he walked out the door of the church right away and gave away all his property except what he and his sister needed to live on. On hearing Matthew 6:34, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today," he gave away everything else, entrusted his sister to a convent, and went outside the village to live a life of praying, fasting, and manual labor. It wasn't enough to listen to words, he had to become what Jesus said.

Every time he heard of a holy person he would travel to see that person. But he wasn't looking for words of wisdom, he was looking to become. So if he admired a person's constancy in prayer or courtesy or patience, he would imitate it. Then he would return home.

Anthony went on to tell the Greek philosophers that their arguments would never be as strong as faith. He pointed out that all rhetoric, all arguments, no matter how complex, how well-founded, were created by human beings. But faith was created by God. If they wanted to follow the greatest ideal, they should follow their faith.

Anthony knew how difficult this was. Throughout his life he argued and literally wrestled with the devil. His first temptations to leave his ascetic life were arguments we would find hard to resist -- anxiety about his sister, longings for his relatives, thoughts of how he could have used his property for good purposes, desire for power and money. When Anthony was able to resist him, the devil then tried flattery, telling Anthony how powerful Anthony was to beat him. Anthony relied on Jesus' name to rid himself of the devil. It wasn't the last time, though. One time, his bout with the devil left him so beaten, his friends thought he was dead and carried him to church. Anthony had a hard time accepting this. After one particular difficult struggle, he saw a light appearing in the tomb he lived in. Knowing it was God, Anthony called out, "Where were you when I needed you?" God answered, "I was here. I was watching your struggle. Because you didn't give in, I will stay with you and protect you forever."

With that kind of assurance and approval from God, many people would have settled in, content with where they were. But Anthony's reaction was to get up and look for the next challenge -- moving out into the desert.

Anthony always told those who came to visit him that the key to the ascetic life was perseverance, not to think proudly, "We've lived an ascetic life for a long time" but treat each day as if it were the beginning. To many, perseverance is simply not giving up, hanging in there. But to Anthony perseverance meant waking up each day with the same zeal as the first day. It wasn't enough that he had given up all his property one day. What was he going to do the next day?

Once he had survived close to town, he moved into the tombs a little farther away. After that he moved out into the desert. No one had braved the desert before. He lived sealed in a room for twenty years, while his friends provided bread. People came to talk to him, to be healed by him, but he refused to come out. Finally they broke the door down. Anthony emerged, not angry, but calm. Some who spoke to him were healed physically, many were comforted by his words, and others stayed to learn from him. Those who stayed formed what we think of as the first monastic community, though it is not what we would think of religious life today. All the monks lived separately, coming together only for worship and to hear Anthony speak.

But after awhile, too many people were coming to seek Anthony out. He became afraid that he would get too proud or that people would worship him instead of God. So he took off in the middle of the night, thinking to go to a different part of Egypt where he was unknown. Then he heard a voice telling him that the only way to be alone was to go into the desert. He found some Saracens who took him deep into the desert to a mountain oasis. They fed him until his friends found him again.

Anthony died when he was one hundred and five years old. A life of solitude, fasting, and manual labor in the service of God had left him a healthy, vigorous man until very late in life. And he never stopped challenging himself to go one step beyond in his faith.

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The Beaheading of St. John the Baptist -

The Beaheading of St. John the Baptist - 

The Beheading (Decollation or Decapitation) of Saint John the Baptist, the Forerunner of the Lord, is a holy day observed by various Churches which follow liturgical traditions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                The day commemorates the martyrdom by beheading of Saint John the Baptist, on the orders of Herod Antipas through the vengeful request of his begrudged daughter Salome. 

St. John was a righteous and courageous man who devoted himself to the proper proclamation of the word of God, unlike Herod who lived an immoral life (Matt. 14: 3,4) filled with a worldly ambition (Matt. 14:5). St. John was also very boldly outspoken. He called the religious leaders of his day a bunch of snakes and told them, they were going to hell took courage (Matt. 3:7-12, Lk. 3:7-9). King Herod (i.e. Antipas) had a lot of respect for John, as John was a righteous and holy man and used to enjoy hearing him speak. However, when John spoke out against the incest of Herod taking his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias, John incurred the wrath of Herodias. Since Herodias was the granddaughter of Simeon, the High Priest, her incest with Herod Antipas created a national scandal. Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him. Herod considered John a just and holy man, and even protected him from Herodias. To please Herodias, Herod had John imprisoned (Mk. 6:17-20). The background for Herod’s marriage to Herodias goes back a generation. Herod Antipas had married the daughter of the Nabatean king (Aretas IV). However, in about 23 AD he divorced her in order to marry Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip. He publicly criticized and censured, Herod the Tetrarch (the son of his father’s murderer) for the incest of marrying his brother Philip’s wife. John did not mince words, and it was reported to Herod, that John said, he had no right to live with Herodias his wife, for he had stolen her from his brother Philip Herodias (Matt. 14:3-4). John the Baptist criticized this marriage as being incest, with the result that John languished in prison for about a year before his death and later beheaded (Matt. 14:3-12; Mk. 6:17-29; Lk. 4:19-20).
John’s criticism of Herod and Herodias seethed with Herodias and she sought an opportunity for revenge. An opportune time came for Herodias when Herod gave a feast on his birthday for his nobles, high officers and chief men of Galilee. Herodias had her daughter, named Salome perform a dance for Herod, where the type of dance was most likely explicit and lewd. The dance pleased Herod and those with him, and, in his drunkenness, Herod made an oath that he may not have made otherwise. He said, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you, up to half my kingdom” (Mark 6: 21-23).
Salome went to ask her mother what she should ask for, and Herodias told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist, at once, on a platter. Herod was exceedingly sorry that he had made those oaths, but because of his guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately Herod sent an executioner to the prison to behead John and to bring the head to the daughter on a platter. The banquet was being held at the castle of Machaerus, which was located northeast of the Dead Sea, and the dungeon where John was being kept was a rock-hewn cell in the cliffs below the banquet hall. The daughter then gave John’s head to her mother. (Mk. 6: 24-28).

Centuries later, a well-known government official left his position in the world to become a monk. He took the name “Innocent”, and settled on the Mount of Olives at the spot where Joanna had buried John’s head. As he was digging down to build himself a cell, he found the earthen vessel containing John’s head. It was revealed to him at that time what this discovery meant, and John’s head was later taken to Constantinople in the 9th Century. According to tradition, many miracles have been attributed to John’s head, while no miracles were attributed to John while he was alive (Jn. 10: 41).

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Saint Ahmed the Calligrapher

Saint Ahmed the Calligrapher

The holy New Martyr Ahmed was born in the seventeenth century to a Muslim family in Constantinople.

By profession he was a copyist in the Great Archives.   In accordance with Ottoman law, since he did not have a wife, he had a slave instead, a Russian woman. Another captive from Russia lived together with her, an old woman, also a slave.                     Both these women were very pious. 

On feast days the old woman would go to church. Taking the blessed bread or antidoron, she would give it to the young woman to eat. The old woman would also bring her holy water to drink. Whenever this occurred and Ahmed was close to her, he would smell a beautiful and indescribable fragrance coming out of her mouth. He would ask her what she was eating to make her mouth smell so fragrant. Not realizing what was happening, the slave would say that she was not eating anything. However, he persisted in asking. Eventually she told him that she was eating the bread which had been blessed by the priests, which the old woman brought her whenever she returned from church. 

On hearing this, Ahmed was filled with longing to see the Orthodox church and how Orthodox received this blessed bread. Therefore he summoned a priest and told him to prepare a secret place for him, so that he could go when the Patriarch was serving the Liturgy. When the appointed day arrived, dressed as an Orthodox,

he went to the Patriarchate and followed the Divine Liturgy. While he was in church, he saw the Patriarch shining with light and lifted off the floor, as he came out of the altar and through the holy doors to bless the people. As he blessed, rays of light came from his finger tips, but though the rays fell on the heads of all the Orthodox, they did not fall on Ahmed’s head. This happened two or three times and each time Ahmed saw the same thing. Thus, Ahmed came to the faith. Without hesitation he sent for the priest, who gave him rebirth through baptism. Ahmed remained a secret Orthodox for some time, concealing his baptismal name, which is why it has not come down to us. 
However, one day Ahmed and certain noblemen were eating together. Afterwards they sat talking and smoking, as is the Muslim custom. In the course of the conversation they began to discuss what the greatest thing in the world. Each gave his opinion. The first guest said that the greatest thing in the world was for a man to have wisdom. The second maintained that woman was the greatest thing in the world. And yet a third said that the greatest thing in the world, and by far the most delightful, was good food – for was this not the food of the righteous in paradise? 

Then it was Ahmed’s turn. They all turned to him, asking him for his opinion on this matter. Filled with holy zeal, Ahmed cried out that the greatest thing of all was the Faith of the Orthodox. And confessing himself to be a Christian, he boldly censured the falseness and deception of the Muslims. At first, on hearing this the Muslims were aghast. Then, filled with unspeakable rage, they fell on the holy martyr and dragged him to a judge, so that he could be sentenced to death. He was beheaded, receiving the crown of martyrdom on the orders of the ruler on 3 May 1682. According to St Nicodemus the Hagiorite, his memory is celebrated on December 24th. 

  

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ORTHODOX KHANS

The Moscow Tatar Orthodox Christian Community will hold a moleben in both the Tatar and Church Slavonic languages today, as well as a panikhida for the Orthodox khans of Great Bulgaria, the Kipchak and Kimek Khanates, the Mongol Empire, the Golden Hordes, and the Tatar khanates and hordes. The service will be held at the Church of the Apostle Thomas, which was built by the martyred missionary priest Fr. Daniel Sysoev, reports.

There is indisputable evidence that the founder of Great Bulgaria, Khan Kubrat, and his immediate family were baptized before the advent of Islam, as evidenced by Byzantine chronicles and excavation data. The tribes of Great Bulgaria are among the ancestors of the Tatars. The grave of Khan Asparukh, son of Khan Kubrat, contains a personal seal in the shape of a cross with his initials. A church now stands on the spot of his tomb. The tombs of both Khan Asapruhk, in Zaporozhe, and of Khan Kubrat in the Poltava Province of modern-day Ukraine are both revered Christian shrines today.

Additionally, the founder of the Golden Horde, Batu Khan, was, according to some historians, a baptized Christian. There is no doubt that his son, Khan Sartak, was a Christian. It is believed that other relatives were also Christians. The likely culprits in the death of Khan Sartak were the brother of Khan Batu and the Golden Horde leader Khan Berke, the first of the Tatar rulers to accept Islam, who killed him for his commitment to Christianity.

The Golden Horde is the main ancestor of all the Tatar people, including the Cossacks. Many Tatar khans were Orthodox Christians, including the great grandson of the leader of the Great Horde Khan Akhamat, Khan Sain Bulat Simeon Bekbulatovich (Stephen in monasticism), the Kazan tsarevich Utemish-Girei Alexander, the son of the Astrakhan khan Kasim, the Kasimov Khan Seid-Burkhan Vasiliy Arslanovich, and others. The last queen of the Kasimov Khanate Fatima-Sultan-Binem-Seitovna was strangled by her courtiers for her intention to become Orthodox. She is the grandmother of the canonized saint Tsarevich Jacob, and she helped a Kazan convent founded in the first half of the 17th century on lands given by the khan family. The martyred Fatima and other Tatar rulers are especially revered by Orthodox Tatars.

Moreover, a significant number of Bulgarian (Bulgar) Tatars are canonized as saints, including Martyr Abraham the Bulgarian, Peter of the Genghis Horde, Venerable Paphnuty of Borovsk, Martyr Peter of Kazan, Martyr Stephen of Kazan, the blessed Prince James, and others. Archpriest Vasily Timofeev and Fr. Daniel Sysoev and others are also venerated by the Orthodox Tatars.

The Moscow Tatar Orthodox Christian Community strongly supports the tradition of celebrating memorial services for their baptized ancestors, and is always looking for more historical information to expand the list of Orthodox names to be commemorated.

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MALACHI, THE “SEAL OF THE PROPHETS”

Malachi was the last of the Old Testament Prophets, which is why the holy fathers call him the “Seal of the prophets”. After him, until John the Forerunner whom he prophesized, for a whole 400 years there were no great prophets in the world.

It is no coincidence that the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the prophet Malachi on January 3/16, three days before the Baptism of the Lord—the time of the appearance in the world of the great triumph and miracle: the Theophany of the Holy Trinity, so long awaited by the holy Patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament world. The Church also honors by this John the Forerunner, who baptized the Savior of the world in the waters of the Jordan.

Nothing is known about the life of the prophet Malachi himself. We don’t even know the prophet’s real name, because the name Malachi, which means Angel or Emissary of the Lord, may possibly be a name applied to him for his virtuous and righteous life. Fragmentary information shows that the saint was of the tribe of Zebulon and lived after the Jews’ return from Babylonian captivity, during the time of Nehemiah, when the Jerusalem temple was rebuilt.

Malachi lived during an era of disappointment and unrealized hopes among the people of God. The great promises connected with the pre-captivity prophets and their return from captivity had not been visibly fulfilled. The life of those who returned from captivity was not easy. The Jews were politically subjects of Persia. The harvests in the fields were poor due to a plague of locusts. The hearts of the former captives were overcome by indifference to God or even “resentment” of Him. They had lost their faith in Israel’s chosenness, and thus indifference had increasingly penetrated into the temple and for the sacrifices.

They had begun more and more to violate the laws of Moses concerning sacrifice and tithing, and this applied not only to the laity but also to the priests. Temple services had been relegated to traditional rites, performed out of habit. Possibly after their return, due to their poverty the people brought the “blind, lame and sick” as sacrifices, and the priests agreed to accept them out of mercy. But then this became business as usual; they started thinking that it’s all the same to God, since He had not punished them for this.

Testimony to the thesis that the Jews’ hope in the promises had waned is their marriages to pagans, for whose sake they had abandoned their own wives, along with the general moral laxity in society. The people had left God and lost their faith.

Malachi’s words are addressed to people who were overcome by skepticism and apathy. They did not believe in the promises and did not strive to live according to them. The goal of the prophet’s service was to light the lamp of faith in a people that had fallen in spirit, remind them of God’s love that had chosen them, and strengthen the resolve of those who truly know God to fulfill their duty with regard to the promise.

Like Haggai and Zachariah, Malachi gives primary meaning in the life of the people to the temple, which had only recently been rebuilt. He was convinced that all the Jews’ prosperity depends on whether or not their service in the temple strictly corresponds to the spirit of the commandments, whether it is reverent. From this proceeds his very severe demands upon the priests.

The general thought in the prophet Malachi’s speech is a protest against negligence in the work of divine services. Malachi especially chastises those priests and Israelites for their lack of the fear of God in lightly annulling their marriages with their lawful wives. The holy prophet threatened them with God’s judgment for other vices also: for sorcery and adultery, for false oaths, for withholding the pay of their hired workers, for oppressing widows and orphans, for spurning strangers, and for not fulfilling the law of tithing and offerings to God’s temple: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:8).

But by his chastising sermon the prophet Malachi wants not only to support the restoration of morality in the people and their customs of true worship of God; his main goal was to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. Many impatient Jews had already begun to doubt whether the Messiah, Who had been earlier foretold by the prophets as the Judge of sinners and the Benefactor of the righteous, will truly come. The Prophet Malachi announces that the Lord will come unexpectedly, that He will be as the Judge of all people, and includes the Jews. However, both the priests and the simple folk could not have withstood the trial by fire to which the Lord would subject everyone at His coming if He had not in His condescension for the chosen people sent them His great messenger—a new Elias, who would again be sent to earth. The meaning of this prophecy is revealed in Christ the Savior’s words about John the Baptist, who prepared God’s people for the coming of the Messiah (Matt. 11:14). The very image of the Forerunner is taken from the custom of sending messengers to Persia before the coming of the king, in order to worthily prepare the meeting of the king. But if the messenger comes and they are not prepared, then the Lord “comes unawares.” In this is revealed the main theme of the prophet Malachi—to prepare the Jews for the coming of the Forerunner—the new Elias, who is to turn the Jews to the way of salvation (Mal. 3:1).¹

After the judgment, the Prophet foretells the spreading of God’s glory before all nations.

Yet another important difference in the book of the Prophet consists in the fact that Malachi views the pagans in a completely different way as opposed to the two prophets who returned from Babylonian captivity, Haggai and Zachariah. He hates only the Idumeans (the Jews’ inveterate enemies); but concerning all the other pagan peoples, he foretells that they will be accepted into the Kingdom of God. For Haggai and Zachariah, the Day of the Lord destroys all the pagans, while for Malachi it concerns only the Jews.

The prophet Malachi is especially distinguished by his particular reverence for all the weak and insulted—especially for the abandoned wives. He is a fierce enemy of divorce. Priests abandoned their wives, and the wives came to weep in the temple. For this, prophesied Malachi, God will cease accepting the sacrifices of the treacherous husbands.

Remarkable is Malachi’s sternness with regard to the matter of mixed marriages and divorce. The Law only forbade marriage with the Canaanite women, but Malachi forbids marriage with foreigners altogether. The new, final Jewish community should have more strictly preserved its theocratic isolation in order not to dissolve in paganism. Moses allowed divorce in specific circumstances (Deut. 24:1), while Malachi forbids it altogether, which is getting closer to the Gospel spirit (Matt. 19:8–9).

The book of the prophet Malachi is the last canonical book of the Old Testament. The Old Testament ends with the point upon which begins the telling of the New Testament: with the sermon of St. John the Forerunner.

In its prophecy about John the Forerunner, about the coming of Christ to the temple, the last book of the Old Testament places us upon the threshold of the New Testament. At this, the voice of prophecy goes silent. The Lord said it all, the whole possible fullness of the Old Testament revelation has been given, and all that remains for Jerusalem is to know the “day of its visitation”.

The holy prophet Malachi died young, and according to tradition was buried with his ancestors in his native village of Sufa.