Posted on 04/13/2017 1:35:03 PM PDT by marshmallow
The relic of St Serafim of Sarov had spent six months in space
A Russian cosmonaut who has returned to Earth after a mission on the International Space Station said on Wednesday he had taken a relic of a Russian Orthodox saint with him.
Astronauts and cosmonauts routinely take small items such as their children’s toys or CDs with them as reminders of home.
Sergei Ryzhikov told Russian news agencies that he would give the tiny relic of St Serafim of Sarov’s body, which he received from its home monastery last year, to an Orthodox church in Star City outside Moscow, home to the cosmonaut training centre.
Serafim of Sarov, one of Russia’s most revered saints known for his hermitical lifestyle, died in the early 19th century.
Ryzhikov, who came back with two other crew members on Monday after six months in space, said he would celebrate the relic’s return at a church service in Star City on Thursday.
“We always wait for some sort of miracle, but the fact that a piece of the relics travelled to the orbit and blesses everything onboard and outside, including our planet, is a big miracle in itself,” he said.
Space exploration in atheist Soviet society was often portrayed as debunking the existence of God. A popular Soviet-era propaganda poster showed a cosmonaut floating in space and declaring: “There is no God!”
Russia has since experienced a religious revival, with the overwhelming majority of Russians now identifying themselves as Russian Orthodox.
In what would have seemed an absurdity to fiercely atheist Soviet space pioneers, Soyuz spacecraft now routinely receive pre-launch blessings from Orthodox priests and Russian cosmonauts have put up small icons at the Space Station.
Cosmonauts have taken tiny relics of at least six Orthodox saints and a piece of the Holy Cross....
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
Relics of humans is a practice that is not biblical.
“Booger of St. Peter,” “Anus of St. Matthew”—any such stuff is simply idolatry and not of God.
good to see the relic was a religious item and not the soyuz.
Idolatry? Really? Sounds like just another reason for you to hate the Russians.
My sister cherishes our deceased mother’s favorite antique teapot, because it was a reminder of our mother, and an item by which she remembers some of our mother’s particular, special characteristics.
She doesn’t worship it or pray to it.
Was it a toenail? A tooth? A gastric polyp?
I wonder whether the Soviet space pioneers were as 'fiercely atheist' as the author supposes, especially after returning from space.
When he says “miracle”, does he mean that he made it back in one piece?
Elisha's Final Prophecy
2 Kings 13:20-21
Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.
I’d bet NASA would not allow any American to take religious display items to the ISS.
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