In the Church, history does not die.

"In the Church, history does not die. In the Church, the heroes we call saints are brought to life as we feel their power and presence. That is why we pray to them. That is why we build a church in honor of an archbishop who lived in the fourth century in Byzantium [i.e. St. Nicholas]. We build churches and gather together in great numbers on his commemoration day, not because he is great and not because he once worked miracles, but because he continues to work wonders today in our lives! That is why we pray to him and hear his answer." (excerpt from Patriarch Kirill's homily on the feast of St. Nicholas)

Fr. John