In the morning of December 6th, it was snowing so hard that one couldn't even see the sky. Yet, the sun was shining in the church of St. Alexander Nevsky. What sun? The Sun of the Russian land – holy righteous great prince Alexander Nevsky, the master of this church. For eight centuries it has been shining for the Russian people, enlightening the souls of those who read his glorious hagiography; warming with his prayers anyone who turns for his help. Everyone who came to the feast – hierarchs and priests, monastics and lay people – rejoiced in the rays of this sun.

Alexander Nevsky is a sacred name for the Russian people. No matter how many more centuries pass, Russians will never forget the god-loving prince who gave all of his strength to the service of his Fatherland and preserved for us our precious Orthodox faith. The struggle of the holy prince for Orthodoxy was a matter of life or death. When the Pope's legates offered the prince their military aid under the condition that Rus will submit to the Roman Catholic church, the holy prince's answer was a definite no. Indeed, he would always defend the interests of his people ably and manfully, but the issue of faith for him would be infinitely higher than all the earthly interests.

May he also help all of us to keep the faith in our heart and amidst our people, as Fr. John (Krestyankin) says about this:
"The fight against the Church and Orthodoxy goes back to the time of its origin and will continue until the last day of the earthly life of the world. It takes all the faithful – from a lay person to a priest and hierarch – to participate in this struggle for the purity of Orthodoxy, yet each one does it at their own place and with their own means. The Orthodox faith handed down to us by our holy folks is our most precious treasure on earth, the pearl of the human soul, the rock of life, the joy and light of being! If in all vicissitudes of life we preserve the faith is us, if with daring we do bring to Christ the testimony of our faith and trust to Him, He will receive us as the heirs of life eternal."