June 13, 2013, on the Holiday of the Ascension of the Lord, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill, committed Cyril Archimandrite (Bulanov) in Bishop Klintsovsky and Trubchevsky (Bryansk Metropolis).
Light and holiness - the concepts are close. Metropolitan Surozhsky Anthony said that it was important at least once to see the shine of eternal life in the eyes of another person. Archimandrite Sergius (Bulanikov), the abbot of the Kazan Bogorodsky desert, knew many of these, "shining", people. "I am surprised," he says, - what were people, what faith. Even their appearance was completely special: they all glowed. Such are the saints of our days. "
Below we publish the memories of the Father Sergius about his meetings with the "Holys of our Days", which sounded on the broadcasting radio program.
Elders Pskovo-Pechurch: "They have hardened the persecution"
– Father Sergius, you saw in the life of many elders, please tell us about them!
- I thank the Lord, that he encouraged me to see the wonderful fathers. When I lived in the Pskovo-Pechurch Monastery, Archimandrite Alexander, At that time, Igumen, Archimandrite Nafanal, then the Archdiacon, the well-known Savuva Sava (Ostapenko), Father John (Peasteankin), Schiigumen Onisifor, Archimandrite Alipius (Voronov). These were real monks - devotees. And now monasticism weakened.
- How did the monks differ from modern?
- They worked day and night, never sat down. We had a keller, he headed with edible supplies, Igumen Jerome (later became Archimandrite), who came from the front, he did not have one legs, he went on a prosthetic. When they ended the brother meal, he collected all the remaining pieces of bread (and then there were 30 brotherhood and pilgrims), invited some of us. We cut these pieces and dried. After you, these crackers ate or put in the pea soup, that is, nothing disappeared, the economy was engaged in economically. More booked kvass. For the parent Saturday, countless pilgrims brought 2-3 garbage trucks (then it was the only one, except for the laurel, a male monastery in Russia)! We dried bread, and then made a wonderful kvass from it in huge cadakes. Father Jerome was an old man of amazing kindness. When we work together, he will climb into his breeze, will give us a salmon jar for us, for example, coffee soluble or candy. And at that time it was all delicacies!
Archimandrite Alipia, also an extraordinary person, he rejuvenated a little, if you joke, screwed a strong little word. It is worth it, for example, he is on his balcony (this house has been preserved), sees - the old woman goes. "What came?" - He speaks. "Batyushka, a cow disappeared ... How to live?" The father in his pocket will climb, throw her: "On you on a cow." I do not remember how much the cow was then, but expensive. Come to him: "Battyushka, the roof flowed!" "Here you are on the roof." He distributed money to all, helped everyone. Willing icons wrote. He was before the death of God in front of the death of God. He developed a dropper, he could no longer lie and therefore sat in the chair. With him were Hieromona Agafangel, Irina Economy and Father Alexander. Suddenly he says to them: "Give them, give a pencil rather! I draw her, so she came! What is her beautiful ... "and began to draw. So died with a pencil in his hands.
Archimandrite Nafanal, a wonderful, very strict old man and a monastery treasurer, he considered monastic money, Bereg them, led all the books. Sometimes he could scold for offense. But it is interesting that he never went to the bath and was clean all the time. I did not drink tea at all, only boiling water. Such a devotee. He was the son of Archpriest Nikolai Pospelova, the new martyr, who was shot for faith, knew Holy Scripture perfectly. And he himself wrote to his father a tropar when he glorified. Archimandrite Nathanail came to the monastery during the war, in 1944. Died, probably, 5 years ago. And for all this time, i.e. For more than 50 years, he did not leave the monastery and did not know that it was done behind the walls. And there were a lot of such. Brachia gathered amazing. The persecution and harassment ordered them and rallied.
– Such were the monks of the Pskovo-Pechurch Monastery or all Orthodox people?
- Almost all Orthodox people of that time. I say it was another world. Take today's life and 30 years ago - Heaven and Earth!
– What has changed?
- Yes, everything changed - believers, clergy. The spirit of the world will take. And the Lord says to us? "Do not love peace, nor what is in the world. Who loves the world, there is no love of the benefits. " And the world captivates, confuses people with all sorts of earthly comforts, enjoying, heating a weak human soul. It is impossible to love it if we love God.
Most of the monks, the clergy of that time were referenced, testing, prisons, and were people tempered in everything. The suffering was given to them a completely different spiritual state, they believed that they were experiencing the Lord.
Mother Enaph: Easter on the swamp
- Mother Enapha told me that they worked on the forestry. Imagine, women were forced to throw the forest! They poured trees, bruised bumps, the forest was exported. Pray, as usual, they could not: they have selected all the books brought with them, read prayers for memory.
Once at Easter, they were kicked out to work. They came, and there swotto. They were there Easter to sing. Komarov - a terrible amount. From the swamps came out, the whole skin was blue, so mosquitoes cocked. And when they sang in the swamp of Easter, they shouted from the shore: "Well, black-eyed, go out, now they shoot everyone!" The nuns did not obey and continued to sing. And, while the Easter canon did not sing, did not come out. They got out, thought that now they were right here and shoot. But he left his hands, they simply put on a hungry paja. I say: "Mother, and what you fed there?" "We," say, they survived that when they went to the forest, raw mushrooms and berries. And so they gave the Balant, rusted herring, and bread, as if clay. "
Sometimes I asked her: "Mother, how did you live there?" "Oh, the Baby, thank God, so good!" "Yes, what is good?" "We are sitting with one nun when we were sent to the stage, I ask her: Listen, Agafya, how many Skanelies did you have?
- Three, "says.
- How are three?!
- One day off, velvet, two simple.
- And how many samovarov?
"Two," says. - One big, the other small.
"You see, I wanted to enter the kingdom of heaven with such a cargo. Thanks to the Soviet authorities, from all of us got rid of us! "
And then added: "Recently, a baby, we already lived! Nuns we are all needlework. There were three of us, and the bosses ordered them to sew french yes clothes. They fell us for it. Then the head of the camp took me to the servants. I lived with him, cared for children, cleaned the apartment. I even sent me to the bazaar, I knew that I was not lost. So, thank God, I lived well lately. "
Here is such an old man Mother Enaph, the kingdom of her heavenly. I remember her face, the eyes are so penetrating, radiant.
Mother of Fomayd: The coming me is not outlined.
- Mother of Fomayd died in 102 years, I was not even a priest then. She lived in good people who gave her a bathhouse, she arranged to Celitz. Before the revolution, another girl, walking in Jerusalem on foot. This journey took about a year. Then walking to Odessa, the steamer was transferred to Turkey. The royal government with all countries through which Russian pilgrims took place, an agreement existed. That's how she visited the Holy Land.
Talked about their arrival in the monastery. I went to the monasteries, thought what of them to do. Once I came to the abode somewhere under Irkutsk. "I went to the temple - and as if always here and I know everyone," says. Remained. Then she moved to the courtyard to Moscow. The revolution found it in Moscow. And she acted in the monastery as follows: "I came to Ighegory, Mother Callery. Bowed and say:
- Mother, take me to the monastery.
And she for me:
- Oh, the Baby, you are so young, you will not incur our lives. We have many works. Monastery Poor, you need to work a lot.
"Mother, I will do everything that just say."
- No, no, baby, you are still young, I can not take you.
And I have such a coup!
"I will come," I say, "in front of the gate and I will pray to the name to pray for me to take me to the monastery." What are you closing the gate?
She cried and says:
- No, I can't closing the gate. The Lord said: "The coming to me is not outlined." I must take you.
And took me to the monastery. "
Such Staritsa was, Mother of Fomaid! After all, she fought with demons, as with wild beasts. The hosts that she lived, Natalia and Paul, told that they heard at night, as she was driving them. And her eyes were - just a seraphim eyes. I told a lot of interesting things about the church life of those times. But all these stories are not documented, it is rather legends. She recalled, for example, about one father, father Peter. It was an old priest, another royal dedication, served at the parish in the Smolensk region, so poor that when he died, then the parish closed. It was this year in 1970-M-1972. The village was called Leontievo. Batyushka has served deadline in the steppes of Kazakhstan. He was taken somewhere in the 1930s, when the clergy was subjected to sophisticated bullying. Let us put, for example, a barrel with prison uncleanness on a salazzo and force their prisoners to drag it. Then they were shot, the bodies were dumped into the holes dug in advance and poured the contents of this barrel.
There were nights when they shot 70-80 and even 300 people. The father was not shot, and wounded in her hand, and he was unnoticed in a pit with uncleanness under a bunch of tel. At night, you choose from the pit, plenty of steppe. Dark night, nothing can be seen. Already thought she knew and prayed, preparing to die. Suddenly sees a little flickering light, approached closer: the hut-Mazanochka, the lamp is lit in it. Knocked. And there were people who prayed. They sheltered him, and he lived with them in the subfield of 8 years. At night, he left the air to the air so that no one saw, and the day was hiding.
Many they told these stories like this stories. I wonder what people were, what a faith had, what a fortress. Even their appearance was completely special: they glowed. Such are the saints of our days, which I managed to see.
Mother Alipia: Keys from Heavenly Clay
Blessed Alpia (in the world of Agapia Tikhonovna Avdeev) was born in 1910 in the Penza region in a pious family. In 1918, the parents of Agapia shot. All night an eight-year-old girl read a psalter on them. Thunderstanding at school, she went to wander around the holy places. During the years of challenge, I spent 10 years in prison, despite everything, I tried to observe the post, prayed, I knew all the psalter by heart. During the war, Agapia was sent for forced work to Germany. After returning to Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where he lived before its closure. When he was tested in a monk received the name of Alpius. Three years on the blessing lived in the Dupell tree. After closing the laurels settled in the house near the Goloseevsky desert. Local residents and believers from all over Russia came here for advice and help. During the day, it happened, Mother took 50-60 people. She died on October 30, 1988. Before the death of Staritsa asked for all forgiveness and invited to come to her at the grave, talking about his troubles and diseases.
- And in Kiev, Mother Alipia lived, did not hear? Her, probably, will be glorified in the saints. Staritsa Wonder! She had a sea of \u200b\u200bcats and cats, and all patients. She collected them and fed. From the forest went to her left, she also fed him too. More chickens were. When she went out, all his livelihood was born to her.
On the back - I watched and thought: what it is - hump, not hump? "She wore the icon of the Martyrs of Agapia, in the world she was Agafya." And in front - a whole bundle of keys. "Mother, and what are your keys?". And she: "Celi, Baby, opening these keys, Celi." Oh, what kind of cells - I do not know, probably, heaven ...
She disgraced. He lived in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra before her closure, helped the elders. And he called himself in male genus: "I went," "I was." Once at the end of the 70s, I went to Mother Alpiya with Volodya. And he loved to eat and says: "I want Sala Khokhlats to try." Failed sala with potatoes. We go on the road, he asks: "What do you think, coming tomorrow or not?" I answer: "How to commitory? You laced Sala! Then, another time you will come. " We go through the Mother Alpius pulls out cast iron. And she always had one dinner: Borsch, and the cast iron Kashi buckwheat (and now, when the day of her memory is celebrated, in the cemetery they treat it with a borsch and porridge.
We go, and Volodya has a lot of legs. Mother in the oven. We are: "Mother, blessing. Hello". It pulls the cast iron from the furnace and sentences: "You see, I, when I lived in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, never ate. And here - a nailed sala, and I want to go to go! " We are standing, and Volodya says: "Oh, so this, I Salo ate ..." "So she says about you." He is: "Mother, legs hurt very much." She is His: "Now I will treat you." It puts a liter mug on the table, there were such a beer before, and brandy, and beer, and vodka, and wine, and soda are poured into it - everything together. Mixed, gives him: "on, drink." "How will I drink it?" "Pey, I say!" He drank. I thought it would be bad - no, nothing. They sat, said, then they said goodbye and went. And his feet have ceased. So to this day and do not hurt how he drank it.
The Soviet power was pursued by her, because the people went to her, and Him stood on Bugorka. Once some kind of party ordered the old man to drive out, and the house is demolished. The tractor arrived to demolish the house with the prescription: "If the old woman does not leave - to demolish with it." That is, the authorities seriously undertook to work. The tractor drove up, the Mother came out - the tractor of the stroke. No forces could not start it. I had to cling the cable and pull out. When it was dragged, the tractor got off the half-turn, and they already wanted to repair. Since then, more Mother did not touch. And she died in 1988. Her eyes, completely extraordinary, you know, such clean, as soon as children are, they emitted peace and peace.
All these mother-in-law told something, and the spiritual peace and peace trembled. And they themselves shone right.
Prepared Alexander Nikiforov.
With the first lecture for friends of mercy, volunteers and all those who wish in a lecture in the support of the Society of Mercy friends in the conference room of the first town hospital, the prot. Vladimir Vorobyev, Rector of the Orthodox Holy Tikhonian University of Humanitarian University. He spoke about the elders, with whom he was personally familiar. After the lecture, Father Vladimir responded to questions about the confessors and elders.
How to be if with great respect and thanks to the conference, there is no mutual understanding with him, and there is a desire to move to another confessor, to which you feel great intimacy. It is not right?
What does not mean mutual understanding with the confessor? This may be different. It happens that people have so different temperament, the mood that they simply do not understand each other. So in life it happens quite often. The conformists are, for the most part, not holy people, very good people, but not saints, therefore such mutual understanding may not be achieved, which I would like to achieve. It is always easier for saints, because the holy people have temperament, character goes to the background, more stronger is grace. So, this may be and may be that with another priest, contact, mutual understanding arises easier.
I think that in some cases you can frankly say about this to the confessor and, by blessing, you can go through the priest, with which there is contact. After all, relations with the confessor are very important for human spiritual life. If it does not work with this confessor, and it may turn out to be different, then from some formal prohibitions that you cannot change the confessor (and this opinion is common with us), it is impossible to prohibit such prohibitions, it seems to me.
But the fact is that the confessor denies you in some shortages, in some passions. It happens that the confessor is very busy, he does not have enough time, forces. And you perceive it to your own account: the confessor treats me badly. And if a person under such considerations goes to another confessor, then this is a big mistake.
If you ask your confessor: "Batyushka, I do not find mutual understanding with you, and with another father I have full contact. Blessing to leave, "and he will say:" Of course, go and quickly! " - This is a way to solve the issue is not very suitable. In such cases, it is usually searched for some arbitration council. If you manage to find a spiritual person, an elder (now there are already very few such elders), but it is necessary to find a third person who can understand and consult him how to be. In order not to rely on your addiction, your passionate spiritual movements to be based not on them, otherwise there may be a big mistake. Communication with the confessor is very important. If you are very grateful if he is very respecting you, if the Lord led you to him once, then this is not just like that. And to tear this relationship just like that, because something has become difficult, it is impossible. Difficulties do not mean that it is necessary to immediately go to the other, with which it may be easier, and maybe there will be no. So it should not be hurried in such things, but you have to be very careful.
But in principle, I think that such cases are, and it is quite natural. And you can decide.
Batyushka, why did you go to different elders? Maybe something was not satisfied with you? Have the elders have friends?
Elderes have friends, I think can be. Why not. The saints were friends, even Christ had friends.
Why did I go to the elders? You know, I drove a little. I could well visit many older contemporaries. I could visit the Lord Athanasius (Sakharov). I can't forgive myself so far that I did not go to him. Might be traveled from many wonderful elders. But I was always ashamed, I thought: "I have a spiritual father, he says everything to me, I don't have any questions that I could still ask an older that I will diven the elder to divert and load?" I am why I did not go. And now I am very sorry, because if there is an opportunity to see the holy person, never misuse this opportunity. This is the most expensive in life. Even at least see him, take a look at him, nearby stand - this is the most precious experience that will put everything else in place in your soul and life. Therefore, I drove to the elders when it was possible. But I asked the father of Vsevolod: "Can I go to the father of Tavrión?" He blessed: "Yes, go, go." He never manifested any jealousy and did not think that I want to leave him from him.
I have not yet said about the father of Tikhon Pelikh, whom the Father Arkady and I also knew closely. He was also a wonderful elder. I had to closely communicate with him for a long time during the life of the father of Vsevolod.
I think, if there is such an opportunity, then you need to go to the elders, only it must be real elders. It is not necessary to obey frivolous curiosity and act according to the principle: where the people go there and I will go. So it is not necessary. But if you know that there is such a holy person, it would be nice to see him.
As you managed to get acquainted with those people who are talking about now. Did you signed them somehow? And where to find elders now?
For example, I saw the famous elder of Schirchimandrit Seraphim (Romance). This is a Glinsky old man, he spent recent years in Sukhumi. It was a great old man, now it was counted in Ukraine to the face of saints. How did I see him? Very simple. We went to the Caucasus in the summer in the summer, at the end passed the pass and descended in Sukhumi, and naturally came to the temple, and Father Seraphim stood in the temple and confessed. That's how I saw him.
I got to the father of Tikhon, when I studied in the seminary and I could not get to my father. And Tikhon's father then served in Sergiev Posad and it could be hit. And I began to walk to him.
To the father of Seraphim (Treipochkina) I do not even remember how we hit, specifically or pass. But I heard about him from my loved ones and decided to go to him. I have no questions for him. He arrived, and there were randomly my friends - his spiritual children. Then still a young Natasha, now Mother Natalia Boyarartseva, led me to his father Seraphim and says: "Father, that's Volodya. We have long known. " He looks at me and says: "He will be a priest, a priest." She says: "Volodya I gave me a book to read spiritual." "Well, moreover."
Of course, for me it was remembered and a lot meant. And I did not have questions, I did not ask anything. But, of course, such communication is remembered for life.
And today to whom do you advise you to contact the elders? Very necessary.
And today I do not know who to contact. Here to the Father Ilia Many are treated. Father Eli is a wonderful father. But he is very sick and now it's hard to get to him. Many now call some other elders. But I do not know them. It so happened that I don't know anyone now. Therefore, I can not send to someone.
Do I need to treat the confessor as the older? Do I need to look for the Council of Elders, if there is a confessor? And in what cases?
No, you do not need to treat the confessor as an old man if he is not an old man. It must be referred to him as a confessor. It is very difficult and important to learn how to do it. The confessor, although he is not an elder, but he is given a man from God. And in our time, it is also not easy to find a real confessor. If the Lord leads you to the real confessor, if you can become a real spiritual chal, then this is the greatest God's gift. If you have the right attitude to the confessor, then the Lord will tell you the spiritual path through it and may be to open the will of God through him, although he has no dismanticness. But for you will be opened, according to your faith, it happens very often.
It depends on how you treat him. To the confessor should be treated with love for Christ, and not with the addiction. Refer to the confessor with predilection is a sin. This is not only unpromising, but also very dangerous. Some choose themselves as the artists of those tickets that for some reason they like more. Sometimes they choose young and beautiful, or for some other way. It is not right. Relationships with the confessor should be spiritual, not spiritual.
To the configuration, you need to treat confidence, disinterestedly, i.e. Do not hope to get something from him. I mean not money and not gifts. Often we want to be in the church in a special position: if I'm closer to the father, I will come and I will be the main or main thing. This is also a caring. Relationships should be disinterested. To the confessor should be treated with humility. The task of the confessor first of all to indicate us our sins, disadvantages. It means to hurt us. This can be done only when a person comes with confidence and humility. Here you come to the doctor, the doctor says: "You need to do a root or surgery." And you believe him, and start obedience to suffer and suffer - you are kicked, cut, unpleasant procedures do, because you believe the doctor and believe that he does it for your health. Also and to the confessor need to be treated. Here the doctor says: "You know you have a serious illness." Now even speak the patient that he has cancer. Who is nice? Suddenly you inform you that you have cancer. But also the confessor says: "You know, you have a pride. You do not know how to lead yourself, you behave in Hamski. " It is unpleasant to hear. But the confessor should talk to us. And we must take it with gratitude, with confidence, with the desire to correct. That's then it will be real relationships.
And when you love you to stroke you, it is not spiritual attitude, it is a caring. We want the father to just consult, encouraged and never comments did, but as soon as he says something unpleasant, then the father is bad. "Battyushka spoiled," it is very often heard. Previously, the father was good, and now he spoiled.
If there is a confessor, so thank God. But if you have the opportunity to get to the holy person, to the old man, then I think the real confessor will not be against, he will be required to send you to him.
It happens that even a very good confessor makes it difficult to answer some kind of question, give some advice. It really hard to say, marry this or not to go out. It is very often suitable: "Battyushka, bless marry." "For whom?" "That's for this." You think: "Oh, Lord ame! What will happen from such a marriage! " And they have already been established, they have already agreed about the wedding. And the priest has a very difficult position. And it happens that the priest does not withstand the character and goes on its spiritual chad. He says not what he must say, he just can not refuse. This is bad. The priest be, to your note, is very difficult. It is difficult to make a person hurt, it is difficult to tell people not what they want to hear.
What to do spiritual chad in the event of the death of the confessor? My girlfriend says that several real confunists can not be. And now she has no confessor, she goes to different temples. The idea that the confessor is no longer needed, it seems strange and wrong. Is it correct?
I think you are absolutely right. A person may have several conformists for a living. I had some very good dormitors.
When you need to go to the old man, and when to his parish priest?
Parish priest is the third category of priests. They are quite different. One thing is the confessor, another - the parish priest. Not every parish priest can be a confessor. The confessor is a spiritual father, that person who is open to your heart that knows you who constantly prays and suffers from your diseases. He for you before God will have. He takes responsibility for you, he is not just so that you say: "So it is impossible to do", he painfully looking for the right way for you. And the parish priest can be at all and is not interested in you. These are different things. Therefore, who is better to go? Better to how seriously engaged in you.
If there is an opportunity to go to the old man, to the truly older, then it is good.
If there is no spiritual father, but you need to solve a serious question, to whom you can seek the spiritual council?
To a spiritual person, to the spiritual priest. You need to look for this most experienced. It is necessary to pray, you need to ask in order to indicate the reasonable, experienced confessor, who can advise, and it is possible to go to it. If one suddenly will not be near you ... I remember, asked my elder, and how to be, if at all at all to whom to go, like, for example, during persecution. He said like this: "Pray better and then begin to do what the conscience will tell you, try to take it away from all passions and think about the conscience. And start doing. And pray. If something becomes something, it means there is the will of God. And if you pray, you begin to do something and nothing works, it means there is no will of God. " The thought is very simple - if you are sincerely from the soul, from all my heart with a crushing, with repentance, with humility pray, ask and try, then the Lord will definitely indicate you. Points simply in the circumstances of life. Will not leave you in a disastrous state. We think that everyone died, I stayed alone and perished. No, the Lord will not leave.
How to get to the old man who takes currently? And how not to make a mistake. Usually tell about the dead. It is very interesting, but you need advice now. Contact not to whom. There were already grief from the wrong advice.
This problem was always and will always. I can only tell you one more. I also heard a lot about different elders and saints. These were the years of Soviet power. And there was no one around me. For many years I did not have any confessor and I did not know where to go. I was a believer, but I didn't even know what the temple would go. In those days, we were very intimidated. And the parents scared us, said: "You will go to the temple right now, drive out of the school, from the university, and may and put." So what we were afraid, the priests were not trusted, because among them there were informants. I began to pray: "Give me a spiritual father." And then I asked how I understand now, very daring: "Show me an older, whom I can recognize your will. I want to do on your will. Who do I ask? " And I shared the spiritual father and the elder. And I prayed as many years, and only then, after dozens of years, I realized that the Lord literally fulfilled my request. I had a spiritual father, and there was an old man who wrote me: "Such will of God." And the Lord gave me any senior to me, namely, what I asked, who opened God's will to me.
God is merciful. If we look for and ask from the bottom of my heart, if we ask God, if we want to do it really good, to arrange our lives, the Lord will surely answer. Maybe not immediately. Maybe you need to pray, worry. But you do not need to doubt this one minute. But if you have such a desire, I am deeply convinced that the Lord will not leave unanswered.
It is not easy, and it is right that it is not easy. If it were easy, we would not be appreciated. There is such a saying: "What is easily given, it is very appreciated."
Is it possible to ride to the elders and have the desire to confess the elder? Because they are great prayer books.
This question is delivered in my opinion a little frivolous. Such a good desire can be good, but you no longer understand what an old man is.
The elder, in the sense in which we talked today, it is primarily a very tortured person. We somehow said Father John Peastery: "Batyushka, pray at all." And he answers: "What a prayer here is here - all the day you talk, talk, and then only one bow for tomorrow you can do. No prayer. There is no strength and time. The elders are exhausted to the last extreme, the elders do not confess, they have no time to confess. They meet the shorter and quickly, if you get to them. And confesses - at their own hands.
How to find out the will of God. I can't get married?
It is necessary to pray. You need to search for God's will, ask.
Is there any elders in Russia, similar to Seraphim Sarov or the Optina Elders?
On this question, I think no one can answer you. Because who is such a Rev. Seraphim Sarovsky, people understood many years after his death. He was canonized only in 70 years. And then in the straight will of the sovereign Nicholas II, and the Sinode was against canonization. Now, when the whole world honors Rev. Seraphim, when so many miracles happened, now we know who it is.
There is such an image: To see the mountain to see, you need to move far enough, and it is not visible near it. Being near the elder, very often you do not understand who is in front of you. It is known that the elders have very heavy cubes or Cemen who do not understand who is in front of them. And their elders are literally tormented. And then the time passes and it turns out, that's what saint was. God opens the holiness and greatness of such devotees not immediately. Maybe the time will pass, and we learn that they lived next to the great saint - the father of John the peasant, for example. Or someone else. But now it is impossible to answer this question.
Does any christian need a spiritual leader?
I think everyone has a spiritual leader. Another thing is that not every person wants it. If a person does not want, it is impossible to impose such a leaders to him forcibly. He will simply won't obey, he does not want someone to manage them, commanded. He is a free citizen of a free country! And if a person sincerely seeks spiritual life, then the leader is needed.
What did the elders say or advised when a person is grief: poverty, difficulties in personal life, problems with surrounding people? When grief pressure from all sides. It does not have to wait for improvements in humans.
Always spoke: Terepi, lay down and pray.
Does the elders have a hierarchy?
Hierarchy is when you are the director, you are the Deputy Director, and you are the head of the department.
There are no such hierarchy from elders. But, of course, there are greater and less great elders.
If you can not fulfill a blessing, how much is a terrible sin?
It happens differently, depending on which blessing. Actually, this blessing is given such that can be performed.
11.11.2014
How to distinguish a real spiritual mentor from an impostor?
Among the parishioners of Orthodox churches, you often hear: "And the elder said that he needs to prepare to the apocalypse. And Maria he commanded to give birth Rather, Ivan - Mother Bear ... And the old man predicted ... And the elders have warned in former times ... "Everything indicates that today people are looking for a" spiritual support ": the previous Soviet ideals collapsed, and new people not yet. Who are these "elders", the word of which uses such an authority in church people whose names for hearing in any Orthodox, the memory of comments with gratitude to generate from generation to generation? And are there real elders now?
When preparing this material I had to talk for a long time with many priests and laity. And, as one of my interlocutors said, "there is a separation of even the Orthodox priests - some love elders, they receive spiritual cakes from them, go to them, talk for a long time, and some love" Lexus "and do not want to raise the bar of spiritual requirements to themselves They believe that the real elders have already died and there will be no others. Maybe it goes from uneducation, and maybe they are afraid of any incomprehensible. "
It is worth considering that there is no definition of the "elder". In Orthodoxy, olderity is not the highest step of the hierarchical staircase. Starting is a special kind of holiness, which can be inherent to everyone. "At some point, the Lord imposes his hand on a person with a special force that there is the ability to see the fate and the will of God. And a person becomes understanding the essence of time capable of seeing the past, present and future of both a separate person and the history of the country, the fate of the whole world. Receives a gift to see what actually happens in the soul of a person, what a battle goes there, "Father Dmitry explains me. - The elder can only appoint God! "
And how so it turns out - the question is not to us, sinful. On the one hand, Orthodoxy in Russia has a thousand-year history, and on the other ... most of the laity, priests, the monks became believers only twenty - twenty-five years ago. Where can I be equal to those who, with Mother's milk, I absorbed your faith and from early childhood it was a narrow way to the heights of Isychasm. Yes, the emergence of olderity as a special institution applies to the X century, when influenced by Isichat on Mount Athos (Greece) an union of Orthodox monasteries emerged, which became the center of senile leadership. And today in Athos, the Council of Starters is going, who recognizes a new elder or not.
In Russia, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (PrP. Anthony and Feodosius Pechersk, XI Century), Sergiyev Lava (SERGY RADONEZH, XIV century) played a similar role (PRP. Sergiy Radonezh, XIV century), VP Nile, XV century). Starting was then perceived as spiritual mentoring, whose bright representative was the PRP. Pasiva Velichkovsky (1722-1794), having preferentially in Moldova, due to the oppression of monks at the time, but through his students he had a great influence on the development of this institute in Russia in the XIX century. So one of the definitions sounds like this: "The elder (or old man) is a spiritual teacher, revered for holiness in life. As a rule, monks become elders. "
In the photo: Valaam Island. Ladoga lake. Savior Transfiguration Valaamsky Stavropigial Male Monastery
Photo: Sergey Bergov. Photoxpress.
"Starting is the consonant opinion of the people of God"
Today, in almost any Orthodox monastery, there is your old man mentor who serves as an ideal for brethren. "Starting is a reputation, the consonant opinion of the people of God about a particular person, and, of course, to assign this title to someone impossible. Therefore, there is no official list of elders, "the priest Mikhail Prokopenko explains the employee of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. - It is noteworthy that even such an unconditionally revered man, as recently honored Archimandrite John (peasantrykin), in official church documents was named after the only time - in condolences aimed at the occasion of his death by Holiness Patriarch. "
Our interlocutor tells about his meetings with Starter: "In Petrozavodsk, the Archpriest Father Vladimir works in Petrozavodsk, who was ordained in the priests back in 1963, now he serves in the Cathedral of the Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky, is the confessor of the Petrozavodskaya and Karelian diocese, it is often They say both about the older, wise and turning. I know the people who Father Vladimir seriously helped in solving complex spiritual problems (alas, but all our vital problems have spiritual roots). I myself was repeatedly at the father of Vladimir for confession ...
Usually, even without listening to the end, he tilted my head with his hand, covered with an epithille and read the permitting prayer. As one of my friend said, Father Vladimir listened to his life so much confession that he was wondering everything that we just think to say. Maybe so. But if Vladimir's father asked me about something or gave some advice, he always turned out that he had about something that had nothing to do with me. Maybe that's why I had an opinion about him as an eccentric kindness. I did not see in him the elder, which was represented by the stories of others. Perhaps the blame of my biased attitude. The evil "genius skepticus" twists, as in the mirror curve surrounding me.
In Orthodoxy, it is customary to ask Christ to open His Holy Will through a priest who is next to you, and for your prayer and faith is given to you! Not in vain Christ, returning from Nazareth, where the skeptical inhabitants of this glorious city were inevitably asked each other, "Is he a son who is not carpenters?" (Matt. 13:55), said: "There is no prophet without honor, unless in the Fatherland and in his house. And did not make many miracles there on the unbelief of them. " (Matt. 13: 57-58).
In the photo: Older Wronophius Optina
Are there elders in modern Russia?
Father Dmitry told us that the Mission of the elders on this earth - to see the hidden talent in the man, to see the path that a person was prepared by God, and "Raise him, so as not to fall in the mud, to put a person at which he can bring The greatest way to the world. " Agree that such people need peace and that they cost that the people are looking for them and consulted with them. Alexander Pavlov, editor of the Information Orthodox Bulletin "Rus-Front" believes that "a true old man is a person who succeeded in the execution of the law of Christ, he is young or an elderly, laity, he or a monk, in Sacred San or without him.
The loyalty to Christ, his teaching, church legislation, the covenants of the Holy Fathers - this is the first and main sign of a genuine older Christ. If he retains obedience to the priestly, and the priestly died in heresy, then no old man, but a novice of a devil. And the true elders, such as the Rev. Maxim, the confessor, not embarrassed, defended the truth, even when the highest hierarchs of the church came back from her. The true olderity, according to the word of the Holy Fathers, will be up to the condation of the century, but will escape in the unknown. "
Father of Mills lives in the St. Paftyevsky Borovsky Monastery. He says about himself: "I should see and know from the Lord, but some people are confused when I see their secrets ..." The elders have such abilities that the ordinary person cannot possess. To the father, the crowds are crowd of thirsty healing. And many get it. It is said that many drug addicts and alcoholics after a conversation with him are on the path of healing.
Council one can resolve complex life questions
On weekends and holidays, dozens of buses with pilgrims rush to the nearest monasteries. Among them, of course, a lot of ordinary tourists, the purpose of which is to look at the ancient monastic walls and personally make sure that the Master of the past laying was put exactly, but most are going for spiritual help.
Often in his life, people find themselves in a situation where to make the right choice is very difficult. In the army to go or go to the university? Marry Peter to go out or for Vasily? And we are talking, as a rule, it is about issues that can determine the entire human life life. Often the help is needed in family matters: learn how, for example, return the prodigal sons on the right path. Pilgrims seek to ask the Council at the most wise and authoritative in the spiritual affairs of a person who, of course, in the monastery is an old man.
Maybe the duty priest will answer, Skimnik, and maybe he really gets to the old man. The elder from another person in black clothes just not to distinguish. Schimonach, for example, a brightly distinguished apparel, but ... a sample can not be an old man. Near the Pskovo-Pechersk Lavra sits a woman in the robes of squeezes, near her legs basket for laying. On my question, Staritsy Whether she answered negatively, saying that she could not give advice, can only pray: "Tell me who I pray, and I will be."
"Few pilgrims aware of their responsibility from the fact that he recognized the will of God from the elder. Many grues sometimes brings such a desire to quickly learn their fate and remove the burden of choice, "explains the father of Dmitry. "The old man said an old man:" Come to the monastery, I will accept you. " But the young man decided to marry, but his first bride suddenly fell ill and died, the second tragically died ...
Only then he accepted the lead, accepting the Council and the will of God. But these deaths could be avoided. Or came two girls to the father and ask to bless. One thing - in the monastery, the second - married. Batyushka palls "bless, but on the contrary: you - marry, and you - to the monastery."
Pilgrims must be prepared to accept any manuals for action. After all, they ask their fate, and the knowledge of fate is the willingness to follow her, whatever it is. All the will of God. The eaten only "has the right" to you to voice it. And if you receive advice, please yourself to follow, consolation - it means to stop crying and start acting, the blessing received for good deeds - performed. The elder is distinguished by all of us because sincerely loves us - the warmth of his soul fills the emptiness of the hearted heart and our soul, the net energy penetrates our entire body. This old man hits a person to the Holy Spirit, saturates the soul of the Spirit.
The atmosphere of love - this is what distinguishes the true elder. And the flowers around it grow better, the trees are plentiful, the animals come to his abode.
There are such people today, look back - and see. From now living, the elder archimandrite Andrian in Pskov Pechers; Elder Schiigumen Elijah (Nosdrina) Optina (Patriarch's confessor); Elder of Schirchimandrite Joranica from the Ivanovo region; Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlova); the confessor of the Trinity-Sergiye Lavra (since 2012 in a coma from the incurable disease); Archimandrite Nauma (Bayborodina); Archimandrite Illarion from the Klyuchesk desert in Mordovia; Elder George (Sawvu) from the Holy Dukhov Monastery ... Helps people and sincere prayer at the graves of elders. No wonder many elders said: "Shout louder me, and I will hear!"
How to get on a conversation to the old man?
Usually, the pilgrim, coming to the monastery on the liturgy, falls into confession to the duty officer, but to get to the elder is not so simple. A lot of us, he is alone. No need to forget that this is an old man who is far over sixty. He just listen to the day a large number of people is physically difficult. Therefore, on the website of the monastery, they usually write to the monastery in advance and negotiated a meeting.
Staying orthodoxs in faith, Orthodox has always been kept in foot with scientific and technical progress. As is known, the first hydroelectric station in Russia was built in the monastery of the new Athon. So now, as a rule, there are all modern means of communication in the monasteries. Call, write by email or contact Skype, find out, negotiate a meeting. After all, due to modern means of communication, it may be absent.
Valaam's elder Schiigumen John, who has lived in the last years of his life in Finland, in New Valaam, communicated with his spiritual chads, scattered wars and revolutions throughout the world, with the help of mail. Today, the book "Letters of the Valaam Starf", expressing a secular language, an Orthodox bestseller, who is worth reading and reread. There you can find answers to many questions that today, as many years ago, are tormented by young.
But how did the reception of pilgrims, one of the great elders, our contemporary, Archimandrite John Peastenekin, the inventory of the Holy Assumption Pskov-Pechersk Monastery: "Immediately at the end of the liturgy, the reception began. In the altar, questions were solved with the clergy, on the closer, they were waiting for their turns of the foundations, who came with the father, in the temple, there were local parishioners and the visiting pilgrims. Batyushka left the temple surrounded by many people when the time was suitable for dinner. But on the street, there were late questions and curious, whose attention attracted the crowded crowd. And curious, wondering, acquired in the center of the crowd at first attentive listener, and in the future and the spiritual father.
Very soon, for the father of John, the tagged characteristic of the "fast train with all stops" was fixed. He walked very peculiar, did not go, but slid like a light beam, unpacked, smoothly and quickly. If he was limited in time by some obedience and ran past the hands outstretched to him, then his pastoral conscience was not calm. And, running, he often returned as quickly and said
Asked: "Well, what are you there?" And since it was no time to wait for the explanation, it was once, the father began to respond immediately to him. At these moments, he himself, not wanting, issued his sacramental managing about the person and his life. "
Often, people, being in a difficult situation, seek to ask the Council at the very wise in the spiritual affairs of man
Photo: Sergey Pyatakov. RIA News"
Youngness and Lzhastanz
In many Orthodox books, a warning from "Young-farm" is given.
Priest Vladimir Sokolov in his book "Young-farm. Seduisen and reasons "notes that it is the psychology of the flock that gives rise to falsehood:" Not wanting to change, we want to shift responsibility for everything that happens to us, on a shepherd. Such a flight is sometimes expressed sometimes in readiness to fulfill anything ... Such "obedience" is the form of idolatry, when a treason is treated through a violation of the commandments: the elder is revered more than God ... the prerequisite of such readiness is the amazing openness and the gullibility of the Russian man, his Plugacy and compliance, his tendency to maximalism, to sacrificent service. But such an open, naive and ready to sacrifice a person can always be a victim of shameless violence. "
It happens that the monk, and the priest, suddenly decides that he reached extraordinary spiritual heights and can now, from the height of his spiritual growth, give advice to others, look far away and the past, to determine the present. From an Orthodox point of view, such a person just "fell into the charm", that is, it was imposed, I thought that it possesses such spiritual fruits, which he really does not have. Unfortunately, the activity of such a person is not without harmless. People who followed the tips of the junk risk instead of the permission of existing problems to get new, many times more difficult.
There are false lazets, communication with which is dangerous for mental health, and sometimes for life. First of all, it was the most immentable priests. They can be distinguished by the group of their "admirers", which everywhere spread rumors about miracles, blindly worship their guru, and for an irrevocable feedback, they can hit him. If you ask for fans, it turns out that their "teacher" constantly advises them in matters of family and sex life, the opportunities of making money (at the same time he is constantly needed finances for different cases, and he does not argue them, asks and gets).
Such letters actually seek to rise above all, have glory, to command the rest. That is why they encourage stories about themselves, and they do not stop them. There were cases when they were forced to quit a family and children, renounced parents, sell the house, giving money to the temple, to go to Taiga to build the temple, they do not look at their requests and on the state of health of the flock. From the point of view of Orthodoxy, the core sin took possession of their souls - pride. And when someone opposes their advice, based on the laws of morality or simple sanity, the Lzhastarians are not alienated and cursed: "Come against me - remember that I have a strong prayer!"
Often these people create their own "church", outside the subordination of the diocese. On the portals of some Orthodox dioceses, a warnings are hanging about those who accepted the Holder, but left and founded his temple. For example, the former Igumen of Cyleryan (Evgeny Tsibulsky). For gross violations of pastoral activities and corruption of the parishioners of the Cylenean was excommunicated from the church, prohibited in clergy and expelled from the monastery (Trinity-Sergiyev Lavra). In response, he was fascinated by several dozen fanatics, honored him as a saint, and created a pseudo-water sect. Their methods are manipulating consciousness, hypnosis, personality suppression techniques. Result - People sell apartments, give their savings.
If proven violations of the Criminal Code are present in the actions of a person, such as fraud, hidden or obvious propaganda of religious and national intolerance, theft of money, damage to health (many cases, when a sick person advised to throw crutches, cancel medication, refuse the operation - and in The result of a person died without medical care), then the Investigation Committee or the Prosecutor's Office disaccustoms with the Lzhardians. But for the "submenu of common church teaching of pride, demonic charming and malice" - the court is only God, but not worldly.
As the metago is noted by the priests themselves, "to have the glory of the elder, to call themselves an older and be an older - completely different things. Everything learns in a lifestyle. "The believer should not give the weak in the hands of the strong."
How become elders
Many books are now available, many of the biographies of the elders, those who have their own lives, with their business remained in the memory of people, descriptions of miracles taking place with people after communicating with the elders ...
Considered interest is the history of the elder Warsonophia Optina. Being successful on a military field, he reached the colonel and stand out among the colleagues only reluctance to marry, attend balls and what he spent a lot of time in prayer. In forty six years old went to the monastery. According to the review of the Reverend Neticaria, "from a brilliant military, in one night, on the enactment of God, he became a great old man." The old man of Warzonofius had all the completeness of the gifts inherent in the Optina elders: turning, the miraculous, the ability to escape unclean spirits, heal the disease. He encouraged the true prophecies about the paradise. He was seen on prayer with insane unearthly light. By the death of his death, he was several times the Optina inocales.
Yreeny old man John Vasilyevich Koreysh was revered by many contemporaries as a clairvoyant, primeher and blissful, but was not canonized. He spent over 47 years old in hospitals as a mentally ill (in the memoirs of contemporaries slipped, he was convicted by officials for the impairment of thieves, fraudsters among the officials and casnocrads), but to him for advice they went to a psychiatric clinic. Economified in the works of Russian classical literature F.M. Dostoevsky, A.N. Ostrovsky, N.S. Leskov and L.N. Tolstoy.
There is a book of an elder Ephraim Philofesky "My life with an older Joseph", in which the page behind the page is revealed, as a person becomes an Orthodox old man. A young successful Greek entrepreneur suddenly begins to take effect on its activities, only one desire is mastered - to become a monk on Athos. But the man he is business, therefore comes to his desire with business practicism. Before leaving forever to the monks, he decides to test himself and goes far away in the mountains for several months, where he lives in a cave, like famous hermits of the past. And only after that, established in his desire, comes to Athos, becomes a monk, a student of an experienced Afonovsky elder. And step by step rises up on the spiritual field chosen by him.
From the side, for people of secular, distant from religion, the spiritual increase in man can be a little careful. Well, the man leads a ascetic life, lives in the unbearable conditions of the Celi or cave, where in the summer it fell on the sun, and in the winter, cold. It turns out that the monks have their own staircase, according to which they rose up the step behind the step. In the Book of Hegumen of the Sinai Monastery (VI century) of the St. John of the Districtage "Distribution, or a spiritual", the essence of each stage should be disclosed in detail, to which the monk should rise in his spiritual doing.
In one of the chapters prep.
John the Durfer tells about the man named Isidor, who decided to rise in his spiritual growth at least for the first step. The igumen of the monastery, who accepted Isidore, noticed that that Couver, harsh, angry, proud and recommended Isyidor to "first of all he studied obedience." Seven years spent Isidore for overcoming this first monastic steps. Over the years, he has changed so much that prep. John the Dissagger with respect calls him not otherwise as "Great Isidore", and writes further: "... Send them to the environment and will be deepened, and the uncleanness of the world is not the right, the Lord's verbolet ... (2 Cor. 6:17). For who from the laity do ever wonders? Who resurrected the dead? Who drove demons? - No one. All this is the victorious honors of the Inok, and the world cannot accommodate it; If it could, then why would a monasticism and removal from the world? "
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