As the anti-religious shackles of atheistic communism began to miraculously fall off within the last decade, the Orthodox Church began to freely seek out and glorify her many saints and martyrs. One such saint is the Ukrainian Saint Gabriel, an Athonite monk, whose incorrupt relics were found under the floor of the Church of St Elias the Prophet in Odessa where they were buried since October of 1901.

The Church did not cease to exist under Soviet Communism. In some ways the argument could be made that her life increased in true Christian commitment through martyrdom and intense spirituality.

When being a Christian truly "costs" something, even to the point of death - that is when faith becomes truly genuine and authentic.

Such faith and its practice truly inspire by its witness, both in daily life and in the act of actual martyrdom, if and when a Christian receives a call to participate in this ultimate form of "witnessing" which is the root meaning of "martyr."

The life of monasticism is often compared to martyrdom, the daily martyrdom of dying to oneself, one's passions and one's egotism.

Monasticism is also compared to a more military parallel. Constant prayer, especially the Jesus Prayer, is the "Sword of the Spirit." The cowl is the "Helmet of Salvation" etc.

The Monk, like the Bishop, is called to live an especially intense life of continual prayer for the needs of the Church.

The Monastic life, if lived properly and to the full, is a path that helps lead one to the experience of Mt. Tabor and the vision of and participation in the Transfiguration of Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

A great example in this respect is Venerable Gabriel of Kyiv and Athos.

Born in a poor family in the Kyivan Gubernia in 1849, Gabriel was originally named for St George the Chozebite (January 8^th).

As a young man, Gabriel loved to visit Kyiv and the Kyivan Caves Lavra where he was deeply inspired by the holy lives of the monks there.

He loved the many Churches, Cathedrals and Shrines of Kyiv and soon dreamed of becoming a Monk himself.

He began his monastic training at the eremitical establishment of Theophane in Kyiv.

In 1867, Gabriel received the blessing of his Elder to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Athos.

Mount Athos is a unique peninsula inhabited solely by monastics. It has a total of twenty monasteries today, although there was also a Latin Benedictine monastery there prior to the Schism of 1054 and likewise an ancient Armenian monastery.

Most of the monasteries are Greek, but there are also others, including a Serbian, Georgian and Ukrainian monastery.

Although Russian-controlled today, St Panteleimon Monastery began in the time of Kyivan Rus'.

The monastic dependency of St Elias the Prophet ("Skete") became famous during the Kozak Era for its many Kozak Monks who went there to spend their last days in prayer and repentance.

This was where Ivan Vyshensky, about whom the Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko wrote, spent his final years in prayer and solitude.

The great teacher of the Jesus Prayer, St Paissy Velichkovsky, was the spiritual father of many of these Kozak Monks in the 18^th century as he led them in singing anthems in honour of its miraculous Icon, that of the "Milk-Giver Mother of God."

It was on Athos that the Father of Kyivan monasticism, St Anthony of the Caves, received his spiritual formation. His monastic cave is still marked today and above it is a Church in honour of the more than 150 Venerable Fathers of the Caves Lavra.

Athos is the spiritual inspiration and foundation of the Kyivan Caves Lavra where the original 12 Greek architects are still honoured as Saints in the underground crypts, along with the relic-skulls of 61 unknown Saints!

All this and more lay before the eyes of the young novice Gabriel of Kyiv who decided, right then and there, to remain as a Monk on the Holy Mount "Agion Oros" where, at the Skete of St Elias the Prophet in 1896, he received the monastic tonsure. In 1874, he received priestly ordination.

The year after, the Hieromonk Gabriel was given the obedience of seeking material support for the Skete as its "economos."

In 1891, Gabriel became the Archimandrite of the Skete. In 1893, he visited Ukraine and Russia with precious relics from the Skete, including the miraculous Icon of the "Milk-Giver" or "Mlekopitatelnitsa," and other relics of the Holy Cross and of St Andrew the Apostle.

Gabriel then proceeded to build the Church of St Elias, specifically as a Shrine Church connected to the Skete on Mt. Athos, at Odessa.

Gabriel promoted the veneration of the Athonite Shrines in Ukraine and other Orthodox countries and in so doing, he solidified the age-old ties that continue to exist between Athos and Kyiv as well as the Churches who find in Kyiv their spiritual Mother!

Constant prayer and meditation gave St Gabriel the needed energy and inspiration to continue in his tasks on behalf of the Skete, Mt. Athos and the Kyivan Church.

He blessed his Monks just as he felt his life slipping away and he reposed in the Lord on 19 October 1901.

The veneration of St Gabriel began almost immediately following his repose. He was buried under the "sklep" of the Church of St Elias in Odessa and people experienced many miraculous healings there.

The most famous healings involved those possessed and otherwise troubled by demons. But Gabriel and his relics seemed to remain forgotten until . . .

In 1994, a youth was brought there screaming obscenities and foaming at the mouth. He was made to lie down near the relics of St Gabriel in cross-wise fashion. Just as soon as he was blessed with holy water, the youth got up smiling and completely normal . . .

Upon the finding of his incorrupt relics in this way, they were removed from underneath the floor and placed in an appropriate Ark for the veneration of the faithful and the feast of the finding and translation of his relics is on 22 July (Julian Calendar).

The legacy of our Saint Gabriel is one that hearkens back to a time of great spiritual struggle/Podvih in the time-honoured traditions of the Kyivan Caves Saints, those of the Kozak Era and, of course, Mount Athos.

Having worked very hard in life to maintain the historic connections with these centres of Orthodox Christianity, St Gabriel himself is today the greatest bridge uniting the great pearls of Christian spirituality and patrimony with ourselves in these contemporary times.

We have in St Gabriel a great and fervent intercessor and examplar of our very own Kyivan spirituality.

And St Gabriel beckons to us to come and drink deeply from its waters . . .