The gifts that the Lord gives to his chosen ones are very diverse, and since holiness is primarily their manifestation in people, this very concept includes many forms. Due to the fact that historically Christianity has been divided into several areas, in each of them canonization, that is, the glorification of one or another saint of God in the person of saints, has certain features.
Saints and holiness
The concept of holiness came into use at the very dawn of Christianity. Then, this category included the Old Testament forefathers, prophets, as well as apostles and martyrs who accepted suffering and death in the name of Christ. In a later period, when Christianity became the state religion, these included pious rulers, kings, princes, and many others.
Orthodox holiness is a system borrowed from Byzantium and further developed in Russia, according to which the saints of God, most vividly marked by His Gifts and their deeds deserving of canonization, are divided into several categories, or ranks. Such a division is very conditional in nature, since in the days of earthly life the saint could become famous for a variety of feats.
Disciples of Christ acquiring holiness
The primacy in this row of honor is traditionally given to the apostles - the closest disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, endowed with special gifts to preach the Word of God, to heal the suffering, to cast out demons, and even to raise the dead. Having taken upon themselves the great mission of spreading Christianity, almost all of them ended their lives with martyrdom.
We learn from the Gospel that in the ministry of the Church He created, Jesus called twelve His closest disciples, but subsequently seventy others, as well as the Apostle Paul, joined them . All of them canonized in the rank of holy apostles. The holiness of the apostles is of a special nature, since it was certified by Jesus Christ Himself. It is known that in the middle of the III century, that is, even before the victory of Christianity over paganism, services were held in their honor, and in the VI century a universal holiday was established.
The history of Christianity also knows the names of a number of ascetics, who gained fame by the spread of Christianity among the tribes mired in paganism. Since in their ministry they were largely likened to the apostles, they were glorified by the Church in the rank of equally apostles and thus constituted a separate category. Their holiness is a feat of enlightenment of nations by the light of Christ's truth.
Pre-Christian Saints
The following two categories of saints - prophets and forefathers, which were already mentioned in this article, came to us from Old Testament times. The first include the elect, on whom the Lord entrusted a special mission to reveal His will to people, or, in other words, to prophesy. The Orthodox Church has established a certain procedure for their veneration, and several days a year (mainly in December) are dedicated to the memory of each of them.
The Old Testament includes several books of prophets whose special value is that they contain a prediction about the inevitable appearance of the Messiah in the world, sent to save people from the curse of original sin. The significance of these saints is so great that one of them - the prophet Isaiah, who lived in the eighth century before Christ, is even called the "fifth evangelist."
The forefathers include the pious patriarchs who lived in the Old Testament times, as well as the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary called the God-fathers - the righteous Joachim and Anna. Their holiness is the result of actions that contributed to the coming of the Messiah into the world, which brought people salvation from eternal death.
The Holy Successors of the Apostles
The appearance on earth of the Son of God gave impetus to the emergence of a large host of saints who became the successors of the apostles and led Christian communities. Those bishops who, being at the highest levels of pastoral service, have set an example of high piety and selflessness, the church has been glorifying the rank of saints for two millennia.
These included a large number of bishops, archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs, who helped strengthen the faith and steadily opposed schisms and heresies. The most striking examples of such church hierarchs are St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian, and several others.
It is known that the righteousness and piety revealed by the servants of God are often rewarded with gifts sent from above, one of which is the ability to work miracles. That is why, reading the lives of many saints, one can find descriptions of the miracles they have created. As a rule, these are the healing of the sick, the resurrection of the dead, the prediction of the future and the pacification of the natural elements.
The Good Martyrs of Christ
A special category is made up of the ranks of holiness associated with suffering for Christ. Among them are those who, with their willingness to accept torment and death, have testified of faith in the victory of the Son of God over eternal death. Saints belonging to this very large group are divided into several categories.
Those who have been able to endure the most difficult and prolonged torment are called great martyrs (saints Panteleimon, George the Victorious, great martyr Barbara). If the bishop or priest turned out to be such a voluntary sufferer, then he is called a holy martyr (Germogen, Ignatius the God-bearer). The monk, who accepted the torment and death of Christ’s faith, is glorified as a martyr (Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna). There is also a category of sufferers. It includes those who accepted death and torment at the hands of their own brothers in faith (holy princes Boris and Gleb).
Holiness born in the storms of the 20th century
The congregation of Orthodox martyrs significantly replenished in the 20th century, most of which became a period of persecution of the church, exceeding in cruelty what it had to endure in the first centuries of Christianity. This period revealed to the world a whole galaxy of new martyrs and confessors who suffered as a result of mass repressions, but did not renounce their faith.
Confessors are those who continued to openly proclaim (practice) the faith, despite the threat of prison and even death. Unlike the martyrs, these people did not die a violent death, but nevertheless suffered severe persecution. Their holiness is a manifestation of readiness for self-sacrifice.
Almost all decades of the atheistic regime in Russia are filled with examples of such feats. The above categories can also be described as the orders of holiness, directly related to the suffering of Christ, since the saints glorified in them, suffering, were likened to the Savior.
Saints in life likened to angels
Mentioning further the ranks of holiness, we should mention a very broad category, to which those whose monastic service has become a feat of life have been ranked. Having completed the earthly way, they are glorified in the face of the saints.
This high title is a testament to the fact that, having renounced the vain world and exactions in themselves the movement of passions, they became like even during life, that is, they became like angels of God. Their host is decorated with the names of the saints St. Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, Theophan the Recluse and many others.
A host of trusted rulers
The Orthodox Church also honors the memory of those of their children who, being at the top of power, used it to strengthen faith and the work of mercy. At the end of their life's journey, they are counted among the faithful. This category includes kings, queens, princes and princesses.
Such a tradition came to Russia from Byzantium, where emperors took an active part in the life of the church and had broad powers in resolving the most important religious issues. Today, many are familiar with icons depicting the noble princes Dmitry Donskoy, Alexander Nevsky and Daniel of Moscow, whose brow is decorated with a halo - a symbol of holiness.
The righteous and the childless, who shone in the angelic rank
Righteousness is an integral part of the life of every saint, but even among them there are those who have especially succeeded in this virtue and set an example for the edification of posterity. They are included in a separate order and glorified in the face of the righteous. The Russian church knows a lot of such names - these are the righteous John of Kronstadt, Stephen Omsky and Alexy (Mechev). The laity can also belong to them, for example Admiral Ushakov and Simeon Verkhotursky.
One of the consequences of righteousness is the need for selfless service to people. Saints who have adorned their lives with this feat are called unrefined and also form an independent group. These mainly include doctors who profess the principle “every talent is given by God and must be used in His glorification”.
Their host is innumerable, and there is hardly a man who has not heard the names of such saints as Panteleimon or the Cosmos and Demian. They are also canonized and in the rank of great martyrs, which is a fairly frequent occurrence, when the same saint glorifies God with various deeds.
Despised and beaten bearers of God's truth
And finally, another rank, which for many centuries has enjoyed special honor in Russia, is blessed. This form of holiness is very unusual and in many ways paradoxical. Blessed, or, in other words, holy fools, in Russia since ancient times called those who, hiding behind external madness, trampled upon all generally accepted secular values, including ostentatious external piety.
Often their behavior was so provocative that from the side of those around them they were subjected not only to insults and humiliations, but also to beatings. However, in the end, such self-abasement and voluntary suffering was seen as following the example of Christ. Among the Russian saints, more than twenty people are glorified in the face of the blessed, the most famous of which are Vasily the Blessed, Ksenia of Petersburg and Andrei of Constantinople.
The word "holiness", in addition to purely religious significance, is often used in secular life to mean objects and concepts that require a particularly respectful and even reverent attitude. For example, it is unlikely that anyone will dispute the justice of such expressions as “the sanctity of motherhood” or “the holy memory of fallen heroes”. There is no religious connotation in these examples, but nevertheless, the mention of holiness is always associated with manifestations of spiritual greatness and purity.