Father Dimitri Smirnov comes from Russian heroes. His grandfather is listed as a saint as a priest who shed blood for Christ.
I remember Father Dimitri as a young shepherd, with long linen hair, in officer’s black boots, a belt girdled with a splendid army buckle.
The Russian soul is multifaceted — the father and artistic education, and boxing in his youth, and … a living faith in God.
The small temple of the Exaltation of the Cross in Altufyevo was always overflowing during the days of the service of the young priest.
The apple had nowhere to fall, according to a Russian proverb.
Even then, the word of Father Dimitri entered the very heart. It came from the heart, striking clarity and simplicity. No rhetoric, intonations are ordinary. The main thing in it is love for the Savior and the iron logic of reasoning.
Father in the evening confessed the people, mainly young people. In the eighties, this was rare. Father Diimtrius can tell everything. He even accepted criticism with a smile.
I remember that our house was visited once on Sunday, in the afternoon, by a parishioner of the Holy Cross Church, pale as a canvas. Here’s her story:
“The Eucharistic canon was being held. God said, “We have hearts.” The people prayed with reverent silence.
Suddenly, from the middle of a small temple full of people, a rude male voice heard: “Here you are praying here, and I have a grenade in my pocket!” I’ll put down the check and all of you fly in the air!
I got cold with terror. Being two meters away from this aggressive gloomy type, in an instant I clearly realized that I was not ready to die at all.
Father interrupted the service and sharply turned his face to the people, finding the eyes of the “troublemaker”.
“If you want to know,” said Father Demetrius, “there is no greater happiness for all of us than to stand before the Risen Christ right now.” Come on, rip the check, blow up the grenade!
The shepherd did not take the tester’s gaze away from a stranger. So the boxer in the ring looks at the opponent before the fight. A terrible second passed, the second… Time went on forever.
Unable to withstand the duel, the alien shrank into a lump and suddenly ran out of the temple.
The liturgy continued. With a very special feeling of tearful gratitude to God, I joined, among others, the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
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Orthodox stories from life
