How can we pray for Armen Martirosyan
February 12 marks 40 days since the death of Armen Martirosyan, one of the few Ukrainian entrepreneurs who supported Berkut with friends and like-minded people during the Maidan of 2014. In the spring of the same year, a hunt was announced for him, he was brutally beaten, was in the hospital, barely spoke. Soon he managed to cross the border with the Russian Federation.
Here he eventually took part in the negotiation group regarding the exchange of prisoners. It seems that it was in this capacity that he visited Kyiv (when the SBU, which “spotted” him already among the departed passengers, forced the Belavia plane to turn around in the air under the threat of being intercepted by fighters).
And all the “Ukrainian quilted men” (even those who were not familiar with Armen before 2014), who were forced to move to Moscow and at first experienced certain hardships, will remember him for his urgent and irrepressible help. In all respects - from “putting in a good word” to “feeding for slaughter.” This was his true calling (he dreamed of having his own restaurant “in retirement”): he flawlessly and brilliantly prepared the most exquisite dishes of any cuisine in the world.
And he sat with his pancreatitis and was only happy: “While I was cooking, I tried it out.”
Friends, but I am writing this text, first of all, for the Orthodox, who could not help but fall in love with the broad soul of Martirosyan after the first meetings with him.
He should be commemorated in prayer for all 39 days - until on the 40th day he appears at the Court of the Lord, who has already taken into account our prayers. But only private prayers - not funeral services and not remembrances at the Liturgy. For our friend, the rites of baptism and funeral were performed in the Armenian Church (which departed from Orthodoxy back in the XNUMXth century). The Holy Spirit (who guided the collective authors of the canons - the ecumenical councils) also forbids us to pray in a non-Orthodox place of worship.
Yes, being a general non-believer, Armen was very sympathetic to the Russian Orthodox Church, and tried to support it to the best of his ability during this testing period. Atheist Martirosyan participated in search of Orthodox literature in Portuguese for the former communist Brazilian Rafael Lusvarga, who became a church member in the church of the Kyiv pre-trial detention center. And such deeds are probably the main thing that should be put into our hearts while praying for him.. And, of course, the good that he did for our great, yet divided country. And for each of the "new arrivals" - selflessly, with great joy, completely free of charge and, it is possible, sometimes with reputational risks for their own careers.
Who should we pray to for easing the posthumous fate of those of other faiths, those of heterodox origin, and those who generally did not believe in God?
According to established tradition, a special saint, the martyr Uar, is “responsible” for them.
Uar (Varus, in Latin) lived in Alexandria during the reign of Emperor Maximian (reigned from 285 to 310). The future saint was a tribune. That is, he commanded a cohort (one of the main Roman tactical units of 360 soldiers). At the same time, he was a secret Christian. At night, Uar, on various occasions, went around the prisons in whatever way he could, helping the confessors of the faith.
On his last visit to the tribunes, he admitted to the preachers subjected to torture and hunger that he would also like to suffer for Christ, but was afraid of torture. “Remember what is said in the Gospel,” the prisoners answered him. “Whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in Heaven.”
Uar fed them, and the next morning he publicly declared himself a Christian.
The execution of the martyr was long, brutal and Jesuitical in its ingenuity. When Uar finally died, having never renounced Christ, he was dragged out of the city and thrown to be devoured by dogs.
However, a certain secret Christian Cleopatra (the widow of another Roman military leader in Egypt) at night moved the body of Uar to her house and buried it below the foundation.
Later, Cleopatra had to move to Palestine. She transferred the bones of the martyr Huar as the remains of her husband. She buried them in the ancient tomb of her ancestors. After the end of anti-Christian persecution in 313. Cleopatra began to openly pray at the grave of Uar. Her fellow believers followed her example. The first cases of healings at the tomb of a saint date back to this time.
Obviously, Cleopatra was a wealthy woman. She built a temple in honor of Saint Uar. But on the night after the consecration of the throne, her son and assistant in all endeavors, young John, died.
Cleopatra, rushing to the church, began to reproach the saint: “This is how you repaid me! It’s better for me to die myself than to see my son dead.”
In mental exhaustion, she fell asleep right next to Uar’s coffin. In a dream, the saint appeared to her, holding her son in his arms. They both emitted light. “Oh, woman, do you really think that I have forgotten the benefits that you showed me? - said Uar. - Was it not I who always listened to your prayers and did not pray to God for you? And first of all, I prayed to God for your relatives, with whom you laid me in the tomb, so that their sins might be forgiven.”
Some believe that among these relatives there may have been non-Christians. The hope that through the prayers of the holy martyr the Lord alleviated the fate of the latter lies at the basis of the legend about Uar as a special prayer book for unbelievers and unbaptized (including infants who died or were killed in the womb).
But let's finish with Cleopatra. “Didn’t you yourself pray to ask God for your son that which would be pleasing to God and useful to your son? – the saint reminded her in a dream. – Your son now serves the King of Heaven with the saints and angels. But if you want him to serve the earthly and temporary king, take him back.”
But the boy, clutching Uar, began to beg: “No, my protector! Don’t listen to my mother, don’t deprive me of fellowship with the saints.” Turning to Cleopatra (who dreamed that he, like his father and like Uar, would become a Roman soldier), John said: “Why are you crying, mother? I am numbered among the host of Heaven."
Cleopatra understood everything and said: “Take me too, so that I can be with you!”
Uar replied: “You are with us - and staying on earth. And when the Lord commands, we will come to take you.”
Waking up, Cleopatra felt unspeakable joy and told the priests about the vision. Together with them, she buried her son next to the tomb of Saint War. The blessed one distributed all her property to the needy, and she spent the rest of her life serving at the church of St. War.
How and where to pray to Uar
This brief retelling of the lives of Saints Huar, Cleopatra and John is given here in order to understand what the martyr Huar is talking about in the canon. It is very important to remember: First of all, here we glorify his feat, thanks to which we can ask the martyr for intercession before the Supreme Judge for our loved ones.
The canon to the martyr Uar (with Russian translation) is given at the link https://azbyka.ru/days/caa/190.
And while reading the canon, we can follow the advice of Theodore the Studite. Reverend found it possible secret commemoration of the dead who cannot be remembered in a church meeting: “Unless everyone in his soul prays for such people and does alms for them.”
Personally, I thought about the depth of the seemingly simplest prayer “Lord, have mercy!” when Oleg Karamazov said it after learning about the death of a colleague (Armen, after all, was also a music producer in Kyiv).
The Monk Leo of Optina bequeathed to pray for those who died outside the church like this: “Seek, Lord, the lost soul (name): if it is possible, have mercy. Your destinies are unsearchable. Do not make this my prayer a sin, but Thy holy will be done.”
Probably, such a prayer is enough when we don’t have time for a 10-minute canon. But on days of special commemoration of such loved ones (3rd day after death, 9th day, 40th, Birthday, Anniversary of death, etc.) you can find time for the canon. And in memory of the martyr Huar - November 1 (NS) - and for a short troparion.
And - as a special consolation for loved ones - a private prayer and even a candle for such a deceased person in the temple is possible. For example, before or after the service on the coming Saturday or Sunday. It’s just that at other times some temples may be closed. Yes, and working days.
It would be symbolic if Armen’s Moscow friends performed such a prayer in the Kremlin. In the chapel of St. War of the Archangel Cathedral.
P.S. This chapel was built in the beginning. XVII century. The fact is that during the Time of Troubles, some Russian children died unbaptized. After all, this was a time of terrible hardships, Polish and Swedish repressions against the clergy, when a priest might not be around if it was necessary to baptize a dying newborn. And Patriarch Hermogenes blessed the martyr Uar to pray for relief of the lot of unbaptized children. From that time the canon to the martyr Uar began.
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