Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



July 6, 2018

Uncovering of the Relics of the Holy Virgin Princess Juliana Olshansky

St. Juliana Olshansky (Feast Day - July 6)

Saint Juliana lived during the first quarter of the sixteenth century. Her father, Prince Yurii Dubrovitsky-Olshansky, was one of the benefactors of the Kiev Caves Lavra. The God-pleasing virgin died at the age of sixteen.

One day, during the time of Archimandrite Elisha Pletenets (1599-1624), monks began to dig a grave near the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, in front of the Chapel of Saint John the Forerunner. Here the diggers unexpectedly found the honorable relics of the God—pleasing Princess Juliana, who had rested uncorrupted. The deceased lay as if she were alive and sleeping. Her body was nice and white. She lay near the church wall with her head to the south and feet to the north. There was a stone over her coffin with the inscribed arms of the Olshansky. On the coffin itself, there was a silver gold-plated plaque with the arms and the inscription: ‘Juliana, Princess Olshanskaya, daughter of Prince Gregory Olshansky, reposed a virgin in the 16th year from her birth.’ All her clothing looked completely new as if no one had touched it.

The holy relics were in a fire at the great church in the year 1718, and were put into a reliquary and placed in the church of the Near Caves.


Saint Juliana appeared to Archimandrite Peter Moghila (afterwards Metropolitan of Kiev) in a dream, reproaching him for the carelessness and lack of respect shown to her relics. He ordered a new reliquary to be made, for which a suitable covering was made by pious nuns. On the reliquary was the inscription: “By the will of the Creator of heaven and earth Juliana, patroness and great intercessor to Heaven, rests here for all time. Here are the bones as a medicine for all those suffering healing against all passions ... You adorn Paradise, Juliana, like a beautiful flower ...”

There is a story of an unusual case that occurred with the relics of the holy virgin. Once, an intruder, an Arian named Vasili, came to the Dormition church under the guise of a true believer. He pretended that he was going to visit holy places and venerate the relics of the holy saints of the Caves. In the church he asked permission to venerate the relics of Saint Juliana, that is, to open the coffin with her relics. His request satisfied, he bowed to her hand. But when he came out of the temple, he suddenly shouted in a terrible, wild voice and fell dead. When they examined the body of the villain, it turned out that he took the ring off the finger of the princess, for which he was punished. Since then, the Orthodox Church has begun to glorify Juliana.

Many miracles have been worked by Saint Juliana, and she helps those who venerate her holy relics with piety and faith. She is also commemorated on October 10 with the seven saints of Volhynia.


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