Shine like stars preschool: Shine Like Stars Preschool – Where Children Shine

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Wise people will shine like clear skies. Those sages who taught others to live righteously will shine like stars forever and ever.

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Parallel references – Daniel 12:3

1 Corinthians 15:40-42; 1 Cor 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 2:20; 2 Pet 3:15; Acts 13:1; Dan 11:33; Dan 11:35; Eph 4:11; Heb 5:12; Jas 5:19; Jas 5:20; Jer 23:22; John 4:36; Luke 1:16; Luke 1:17; Mt 13:43; Mt 19:28; Mt 24:45; Phil 2:16; Php 2:17; Proverbs 11:30; Proverbs 4:18; Rev 1:20.

There may be errors in the references to the psalms, due to the discrepancy between Russian and English numbering. Noticed an inaccuracy – let us know.

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“Shine Like a Star” / OrthoChristian.Ru

Late in the evening of November 19, 2009 at
the Moscow church of the Apostle Thomas on Kantemirovskaya was
killed
priest Daniil Sysoev : masked unknown
entered the temple and shot him point-blank.

I knew Father Daniel for ten years – since October 1999
of the year. We met at a conference where both
performed. He called me the day before, and on the very day
speeches, I saw a person walking in front of me in
cassock, and immediately realized that this was the same
“Deacon Daniil Sysoev,” with whom I spoke
phone.

There was something in his voice and in his walk that expressed
its uniqueness and made it possible to unmistakably recognize even in
crowd, even from the back, even to an almost stranger.

Shortly before his death, in an interview, Father Daniel
said: “We must walk with God, as
The Lord about Enoch: “Enoch walked with God, and God
took him”. This is walking with God
mission root.

Father Daniel always “walked before God.” And although
it is, first of all, the state of the soul, wholly aspiring to
God, but it found its expression even literally
– in his gait, speech, not to mention actions and
words.

He walked easily, like a man who knows where and why
walks, who is calm in the present and does not worry about
future, because he entrusted all his worries to the Lord, who
close to him as a Loving Father.

During these ten years, I heard many times from Father Daniel that
he would like to die as a martyr. I’m afraid now from my words
it doesn’t sound like it came out of his mouth. In his
there was no gloomy solemnity in speeches about martyrdom,
no painful exaltation; he said it simply
joyfully, and when I heard it, I experienced the same feeling of embarrassment and
bewilderment, which he also experienced when he read in
the messages of Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer about his ardent
desire to suffer for Christ. The same spirit was in
one and the other, but I did not understand either one or the other.

I remember how a couple of years ago in Macedonia, where we were together
arrived, I brought Father Daniel to the amphitheater of the ancient
the city of Bitola. In the days of the Roman Empire, here for fun
a crowd of pagans were fed to the beasts of people. On the sides
amphitheater, two small rooms have been preserved in which
kept the beasts before releasing them into the arena, and
center – one closet in human growth, from where
the condemned went out to be torn to pieces. It is known for sure
that in this amphitheater they accepted death for
Christ several martyrs of the early Church. And I told my father
Daniel: “Here, father, you can stand where you stood
martyrs before going out on a feat. And he entered this
dark closet. I remember how he stood in it and looked from there
into the sky.

Probably, with the same concentrated calmness, he
looked at his killer. To be honest, I’ve been thinking about
Did the father get scared at the last moment? Because I
would be scared. And so I asked the only eyewitness,
who saw the murder with his own eyes: what did his father do
Daniel, when, coming out of the altar, he saw a man in a mask with
gun in hand? And he heard: “He went to him.
Right on him.”

Priest Daniil Sysoev was born on January 12, 1974.
He was baptized at the age of three. Brought up in
church family. I remember he told me about dear
childhood memories: how his mother read his lives to him at night
saints.

He was a conscious believer from childhood, which
proceeded even under the godless communist regime.
There is a well-known story when in a Soviet school
an atheist teacher put him in front of the whole class and with
mockingly began to say: “Here, guys! Danila
Turns out we believe in God. Maybe you also pray
You know?”. And the boy answered firmly: “Yes, in
I believe God! And I know the prayers!

Batiushka took faith seriously from a very young age.
According to him, from the age of 12 he is even with his parents, if they
presented him with any fundamental demands,
asked for their biblical justification, and if he received it, then
performed without question. This already reflected
his main desire is always and in everything to recognize the will
God and follow it. He preferred God to everything
the rest, and the will of God – every other.

I know many good priests in Russia, but never
met with us a man who would be so strong, ardent and
selflessly loved God, like Father Daniel. Just
shortly before his death, being on one of
categorical conversations of the priest, I thought that only deeply
a loving person can never stop talking two with
half an hour about God and only about God, and to speak in such a way that
the audience listens without moving for two and a half hours.

Back in Soviet times, he sang on the kliros, and after graduation
schools at 1991 entered the Moscow Spiritual
seminary. He told me that he always wanted to be
a priest, and did not represent himself as anyone else. This
desire originated in childhood, when he experienced a clinical
death and saw an angel who brought his soul back to
body.

In 1995 Father Daniel got married, graduated from seminary and was
ordained deacon. From that moment it began
extensive preaching and missionary activity. He
taught the law of God in the senior classes of the Orthodox
Gymnasium “Yasenevo” I remember one of his
stories about that time. He once gave the students a topic for
essay “What will be left after me? What will I take from
yourself?” And some parents came to him later
indignant: “Is it possible to give children such
Topics? They don’t need to be reminded of death. ” What does he
answered: “What, is your child immortal?”.
Father Daniel was convinced that since the death of none of
we can’t be avoided, we need to approach it properly
prepare, and for this a Christian has everything
necessary, and the sooner you start preparing, the better.

Since 1996, Father Daniel began to conduct missionary talks on
Krutitsy Compound, was an associate of Father Anatoly
(Berestova) in the Counseling Center named after him
Righteous John of Kronstadt. He met and
talked with sectarians and occultists, preaching to them and
converting them to Orthodoxy.

Apart from Father Daniel, I do not know another person who
could boldly enter any audience and start a conversation with
a person of any religious views – and at the same time
he always had something to say on the merits. He was true
missionary and loved to tell people about Christ, loved,
when from the lamp of his soul other souls were kindled with fire
gospel joy.

Batiushka greatly revered his heavenly patron –
prophet Daniel, and just from him received a missionary
aspiration, as he himself told me. Sometime while reading
the book of the prophet Daniel, the priest drew attention to the words:
“And the prudent will shine like the luminaries in the firmament, and
who turned many to the truth – like stars, forever,
forever” (Dan. 12:3). “And I thought,
he said, – and it’s great: to shine like
star!”.

I know that he did the Jesus Prayer, considered very
it is important to take communion often – having prepared properly
way – and constantly read the Bible, which,
seems to have largely known by heart. Prayer,
the Eucharist and the word of God – these were for him
three main foundations of mission.

During his lifetime, he baptized more than 80 Muslims and converted to
Orthodoxy about 500 Protestants.

Father Daniel went to Protestant meetings and
preached there about Orthodoxy on the basis of the Bible,
participated in public disputes with the Old Believers, with
neo-pagans, but he was best known as
missionary among Muslims and polemist with Islam.

He received threatening letters and calls from Muslims. Behind
a year and a half before the assassination, Muslim journalist H.
Khamidullina filed a complaint against him with the prosecutor’s office
demand to file a lawsuit for inciting interreligious and
interethnic hatred. The prosecutor’s office denied
initiating a case, but in the Muslim media it was promoted
a real campaign to denigrate Father Daniel –
Orthodox people do not know about this, because, according to understandable
reasons, not familiar with the Muslim media.

More recently, just three days before the murder, father
Daniel drove me home by car, and we laughed
reminiscing about ten years ago. Father Daniel
said that of all religions, the least interesting to him
there was always Islam and he did not intend to use it at all
study. I also recalled our old conversation when we
were returning from the Krutitsy Compound and he rejoiced,
learning that I write apologetic articles in response to
Muslim criticism: “That’s good, so I don’t
will have to deal with it. ” But the Lord then through one
coincidence, then through another arranged so that
he had to deal with Muslims or the topic
Islam, and Father Daniel went where the Lord indicated. This
was the most important thing for him.

In 2000 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy and
successfully defended his thesis on the topic “Anthropology
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists. She
later published as a separate book. He also wrote a series
other works. “Walking with a Protestant through
Orthodox Church” is a unique work, in
which, on the basis of the Bible, explains the structure and
decoration of an Orthodox church and Orthodox worship.
“Chronicle of the beginning” and ““ Who is like
God?”, or How long was the day of creation?
devoted, as he himself said, to the defense of the patristic
doctrine of the creation of the world. In them Father Daniel explains,
why can’t an orthodox christian adhere to
evolutionary theory.

“Marriage with a Muslim” – a book,
dedicated to one of the most painful issues
coexistence of Christians and Muslims in our country.
The impetus for its emergence was the fact that I am on the site
“Orthodoxy and Islam” opened a section
“Question to the priest”, where you could ask
question to father Daniel. And I was struck by the abundance
letters from baptized women who are or were about to go out
marry Muslims and asked if it was permissible from the point of view
of the Church, or have already entered into such a marriage and
encountered some problems in resolving
who were asked for advice. Moreover, in the pastoral
practice, Father Daniel had to meet with such
Russian women who, under the influence of such marriages,
renounced Christ and converted to Islam, and then, having suffered
in a Muslim marriage and realizing his fall, with the help of
priests came to repentance and return to the Church. All
this prompted Father Daniel to write a book in which
he exhaustively considers the indicated question, recalling,
that, according to the rules of the Church, an Orthodox person does not
it is permissible to marry or be married to a non-Christian, and
giving concrete advice on problems that arise,
if such a marriage is still concluded. The father also had
one related brochure – “Married to
unbeliever?”

In addition, Father Daniel published the book “Why are you still
not baptized?”, in which the most typical
objections to baptism that can be heard from the mouth
the most ordinary people. For those who are baptized but
unchurched, he wrote the pamphlet Why
go to church every Sunday? And for the people
churched – the book “On the frequent communion
Mysteries of Christ”, which we wrote with him in
co-authorship.

Shortly before his death, he told me that the most for him
dearest and favorite of his books is “Conversations on
book of the Song of Songs, compiled from notes
Bible talks that he led for many years, explaining
Holy Scripture based on patristic interpretations.

Finally, his most recent book –
“Instruction for Immortals, or What to do if you
still died…” It also contains these words:
“The best death for a Christian, of course,
martyr for Christ the Savior. This is the very best
death, which is possible for a person in principle.
Some sent condolences to Optina Pustyn after
the murders of three monks; for a Christian, it really is
the greatest joy. Never in the ancient Church
no condolences were sent when someone was killed somewhere.
All churches always sent congratulations immediately.
Imagine congratulating them on having a new
Protector in Heaven! Martyrdom washes away everything
sins, except heresy and schism…”

Quite a few, even among those who did not agree with him
on any issues, were surprised and admired his
courage. Most recently, after the funeral, I called
familiar priest and told how he saw the footage where the father
Daniel stands alone in an auditorium filled with Muslims and
from the pulpit joyfully tells them about Christ and that Islam,
who rejects the God-man Christ cannot be true
religion. “It’s not in my head,
the interlocutor told me. What kind of heart
one must have to go like this and stand among them and
speak!”.

The footage that my friend saw was taken on the first
dispute with Muslims. Some Orthodox were
dissatisfied with the fact that Father Daniel in these disputes
participated, but the initiative did not belong to him:
the Muslims publicly invited him. And how could a witness
Christ refuse to give an account of his hope? His refusal
would be an argument for them in their propaganda of Islam.

Father Daniel told me later that he was sure that
he would be killed immediately after the first dispute, and the day before
experienced intense fear and anxiety. And at night he was
vision. He saw himself standing in front of a laid out
labyrinths of pebbles, such as are found in the north. And passing through
his circles, came to the center, where the altar was, on
where the just tortured and murdered victim lay. And he
realized that this is the altar of Satan, to whom the
victim. Father Daniel was seized with anger, and he overturned with his foot
altar. Satan himself appeared in the form of the Joker in
clownish cap, as it is depicted on playing
maps. There was wild hatred in his eyes, and he rushed
to Father Daniel. The father began to pray: “Most Holy
Mother of God, protect! Saint Nicholas, help! And
other saints. And then, in front of Father Daniel, it was as if she had grown
invisible wall, so that Satan rushed at him, but did not
could overcome it and bounce back time after time. Looking
to this, the father allowed conceited thoughts into himself, and at that
At the same moment, Satan broke through an invisible wall and grabbed him by the
throat. Father Daniel prayed: “Holy Mother of God,
forgive me, I have sinned, deliver me from him.” Then
Satan disappeared, and Father Daniel was told about the upcoming
debate: “You won’t lose, but you won’t win either.”

“That’s how it happened,” he told me.
Father Daniel. And he added that after this vision
ceased to be afraid of Muslims and their threats, because, seeing
Satan himself and his powerlessness before God, it is no longer possible
be impressed by any human malice, which is always
yields to satanic malice.

And during the second dispute, I, together with my father Oleg
Stenyaev was among Father Daniil’s assistants.
It seems to me that the dispute went well (although, of course, it could
go even better). It is noteworthy that after it they accepted
Orthodoxy some Muslims who helped in
organizing these debates.

Himself being half Tatar (by mother), Father Daniel
paid special attention to the dissemination and strengthening
Orthodoxy among the Tatar people. He became the first and
seems to be the only priest who, with the blessing
hierarchies, began to regularly serve prayers at
Tatar language (partly) for Orthodox Tatars, published
for his money, a prayer book in Tatar. Together with their
as assistants, he went with a sermon and to Sabantuy (Tatar
national holiday), and to the Tatar cultural center; V
Egypt, he spent hours preaching to his Muslim guide,
on television argued about faith with muftis.

He gained notoriety among Muslims
– she frightened and embarrassed some Orthodox, but
only not Father Daniel himself. He said that this
fame helps him in his mission, and it was true.
Because those Muslims who had at least a weak
interest in Christianity, found out in this way, to whom they
you have to go – and they were not mistaken, because they could always
be greeted with love and hear answers to all their
questions. There were Muslims who came to him to
convert him to Islam, and as a result they themselves accepted from
him baptism.

Among those who call themselves Orthodox, I have met such
strange people who say he shouldn’t have
to preach to Muslims what should be done with respect
treat their religion that no good of it
no sermon. But Father Daniel believed – like
Lord, and the apostles, and all the saints – what to respect
erring people are needed, but not their delusions. True
one, and that which contradicts and denies truth is
falsehood, and respect for falsehood is contempt for truth. This
a simple thing cannot be understood by all those to whom the truth
indifferent, so they did not understand Father Daniel either, although,
maybe they owe him their lives. Father was able to turn to
Christ a number of Wahhabis, including one Pakistani,
who was going to become a “shaheed”, and one
a woman who was being prepared to become a “suicide bomber”.
And what, really, it would really be better if the father
Daniel did not preach to these people, and they, remaining on
the same way, they would blow up a plane, a house, or a train in the subway
– perhaps just the one in which someone would ride
of Father Daniel’s critics?

Even more successfully he preached to Protestants. When he,
with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir, came along with
with his missionaries to Kyrgyzstan and began to visit there
Protestant congregations and convert them so that even pastors
were among those joined to Orthodoxy, then the local heads
sects, not being able to resist him in a word,
decided to forbid their people to gather at all
all the time while Father Daniel is in the country. So they
tried to prevent him from coming to their meetings with
preaching, abolishing the meetings themselves.

Father Daniel was very concerned about the mission throughout the world. Together
with him we went twice to Macedonia and preached
the schismatics there. Father Daniel investigated the question of
how to preach to Catholics in Western Europe and
In South America. In December 2009, he hoped to travel to
Thailand to preach to the northern tribes. Myself
as a missionary, he loved the missionaries very much and tried to
meet all who preach Christ. Very
he helped many. He gave money for the construction of the temple in
Indonesia, donated to the upbringing of Orthodox children from
poor families in Zimbabwe, hosted Orthodox
Chinese, Orthodox Thais, even Orthodox Indians.
With the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, Father Daniel created
school of Orthodox missionaries. Also taught
Missiology at the Nikolo-Perervinskaya Theological Seminary.

And, surprisingly, his active missionary
activity did not in the least interfere with his parish labors and
duties. In 2001 he was ordained a priest.
In 2006, the priest built a small wooden church in
the name of the Apostle Thomas in the south of Moscow (whose rector
was) and wanted to eventually build here a huge
temple-basilica in honor of his heavenly patron, the prophet
Daniel. As he told me, this idea is for him to build
the basilica – came to mind during a visit
Church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius in Thessaloniki.

In the temple, Father Daniel led Bible conversations every Thursday,
explaining to the parishioners one chapter of the Old Testament and one
head of the New in the light of patristic teaching, each
Friday – Announcements that were supposed to
listen to every adult who wants to be baptized, and every
Sunday – Sunday school for children. Wishing
so that people could better understand worship, he published texts
all-night vigil and liturgy and made it a duty
on duty to distribute them to people in the temple before each service.
He also introduced popular singing. As a result, parishioners
thanked him for being able to finally understand the meaning
what is sung in the temple. Father served very
concentrated, especially in the last year, and loved
preach. During the service he delivered two or three sermons.

One of my friends, an altar boy in the church of Father Daniel,
shortly before the death of the father confessed to me that
wonders how without a trace and without mercy to himself
he gives himself to other people, especially parishioners.

Indeed, he did not feel sorry for himself. I remember once he broke
leg, but the dean did not give him a priest to replace him. AND
then Father Daniel, with his leg in a cast, went to the temple himself and
served through pain. All parishioners and all acquaintances
Father Daniel is remembered as a cheerful and
cheerful, but few people know how often he endured
grief from illnesses, especially from severe headaches and from
heart pain. But the priest did not show his suffering and
was always attentive to the numerous parishioners, each
listened and gave advice.

Of course, Father Daniel also had weaknesses, but even his
shortcomings, so to speak, in some way
stemmed from his merit. As a Christian he was
open to everyone, and this had its downside
some excessive credulity, the victim of which he sometimes
became when he happened to trust those people or
books that, in my opinion, should not be trusted. IN
When it comes to matters of faith, Batiushka was very
careful, but as far as some other
questions, such as history, he could trust just
such sources. Related to this, for example, is
attitude towards World War II
under the influence of books by V. Rezun. On this issue, we have repeatedly
discussed with him.

I must say, the priest never imposed dictatorial
his views to those who were near him. He always
listened carefully to objections, if any.
essence, and often corrected his views if
saw that they were not true. He often invited
me and other people whom he trusted to discuss those
or other thoughts and ask if he is mistaken. If
he understood that he was wrong, then it was not a problem for him
admit it and give up erroneous thoughts, because
he most of all valued the truth, and not his own thoughts, and respectfully
treated every person who was near.

With Father Daniel it was easy to fulfill the rule of the blessed
Augustine; “In the main unity, in the secondary
diversity, in everything – love. Second point
was possible with him precisely because for Father Daniel
were an immutable reality, the first and third points of this
maxims.

Another feature that seemed to many to be his
defect and which came precisely from the fiery
Father Daniel’s love for the truth was a categorical form
submission of thoughts. On every issue, the father tried
get to the bottom of the truth, and if he managed to get to the bottom,
he expressed this truth directly and definitely. In our
in the politically correct world, such frankness was like a witticism
a beam that pierces the darkness. Someone so honest harshness
attracted, and someone, on the contrary, repelled.

I myself did not always agree with the form of presentation of his thoughts.
For example, the discussion about Ouranopolitism, initiated by him in
last year of life. In principle, in essence Father Daniel
expounded nothing but the doctrine of the Church, saying that
the heavenly is more important than the earthly, that belonging to the Church
more important than nationality, because in it “there is no
neither Greek nor Jew … but everything and in everything
Christ” (Col. 3:11), that all the saints
“they said about themselves that they were strangers and strangers on
earth; for those who say so show that they
looking for a fatherland. And if they had that fatherland in their thoughts,
from which they came, they would have had time to return; but they
strived for the best, that is, for the heavenly; therefore God is not
ashamed of them, calling himself their God: for he has prepared for them
city” (Heb. 11:13-16). And that we all
Christians, also on earth “aliens and
strangers” (1 Pet. 2:11) and “we do not have here
a permanent city, but we are looking for the future” (Heb. 13:14),
for “our residence is in heaven” (Phil.
3:20). There was no mistake here. But here with
the need to introduce a special term I was not with my father
Daniel agrees, as well as the term itself seemed to me
dissonant, and the form of expression of this truth, it was thought
I could be softer.

Although, strictly speaking, those who fiercely argued with him in
Internet, either disagreed on the merits, or
were not at all interested in the essence of the matter. It’s worth saying
that after the death of the father, I learned that even in the term
he was not an innovator: the word “Uranopolite”
(ouranopolitis) is found in many holy fathers, in
In particular, Saint John Chrysostom uses it five
once.

On the day of Father Daniel’s funeral, one of his opponents told me
confessed: “It was now that I began to understand everything
that my father wrote about Ouranopolitism, because very
I wanted to go where he went. ”

Father Daniel was a deeply decent and honest man.
Batiushka was one of those about whom it was possible to know in advance that
if you need something, you just need to contact, and he will not
refuse. For me, he was a model priest. Everything he
did, he consecrated to Christ, created in His name.

I have many personal memories. I remember how he
visited me when I was in the hospital. I remember how I took
show me your daughter Dorothea when she was only two
or three days old. I remember teaching me how to drive.

I remember our travels, and especially the last – in
Serbia, from where we returned only a week before
martyrdom. During this trip, he confessed
me that when it becomes especially difficult for him or when
life circumstances are unbearable, he always
feels as if he is in a huge hand, which
guides him through all troubles.

The very last day of Father Daniel’s earthly life began with
liturgy, which he celebrated and at which, of course,
took communion. Then he joined the Orthodox Church
a woman who came from the Old Believers. Then committed
baptism. A few hours later he began, as usual, to lead
Bible talks, after which he talked late into the night with
by everyone. Finally, when there is almost no one in the temple
left, went to the altar to confess his spiritual child.
At this time, a murderer burst into the temple, who began to shoot
and shout out: “Where is Sysoev?” Father Daniel
fearlessly walked out of the altar to meet him and accepted
martyrdom for Christ.

I remember that the priest spoke more than once about how it turns out
it is no coincidence that all the gospel readings read in
liturgical conceptions, as always they are on
surprisingly timely and relevant.

On the day of his death, an ordinary gospel reading contained
these words of the Lord: “I say to you, my friends:
do not be afraid of those who kill the body and then can do nothing more
do… I tell you, everyone who confesses
Me before men, and the Son of Man will confess before
angels of God.