What is a cell in history? Monastic cells in the Solovetsky Monastery
Complete collection and description: a monk’s prayer in a cell for the spiritual life of a believer.
Symphony based on the works of St. Ignatius, Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea
MONACHISM (See also SILENCE, ABSTINATION, WORK, CELL, PRAYER, NOVICE MONK, LONACY, RENUNCIATION FROM THE WORLD, CRYING, REPENTANCE, FOLLOWING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, OBEDIENCE, HUMILITY, SOLITUDE)
The work of a monk, which surpasses all his other, most sublime works, is to confess his sins before God and his elders, to reproach himself, so that he will be ready to face any temptation with complacency until his very departure from earthly life (Antony the Great). VI, 15.
Just as a ruin located outside the city serves as a repository for all stinking impurities: so the soul of the lazy and weak, in fulfilling monastic decrees, becomes a receptacle for all passions and all stench (Antony the Great). VI, 23–24.
My son! turn your cell into a prison for yourself, because everything related to you has been accomplished, both outside and inside you. Your separation from this world will be real, your separation will be real (Antony the Great). VI, 24.
A monk should not allow his conscience to accuse him of anything (Abba Agathon). VI, 57.
An ascetic can be likened to a tree: bodily deeds are its leaves, and spiritual activity is its fruit. Scripture says: every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. From this it is clear that the goal of the entire monastic life is the acquisition of fruit, that is, mental prayer. However, just as a tree needs cover and decoration with leaves, so a monk needs physical feat (Abba Agathon). VI, 60.
Covetous thoughts are the same as those of criminals imprisoned in prison. They constantly ask: where is the judge? when will he come? and cry out of despair. Likewise, a monk must constantly listen to himself and expose his soul, saying: woe is me! How will I appear for judgment before Christ? What will I answer Him? If you constantly occupy yourself with thoughts, you will be saved (Abba Ammon). VI, 61–62.[Abba Apollos] used to say to his brethren: one must bow at the feet of strange monks who come to their monastery. When we worship the brethren, we worship not men, but God. Have you seen your brother? you have seen the Lord your God. We learned to worship the brethren from Abraham, and we learned to give rest to the brethren from Lot, who forced the Angels (Abba Apollos). VI, 71.
A monk, like the cherubim and seraphim, must be all eyes (Abba Vissarion). VI, 80.
Abba Daniel of the monastery said: I lived both in a hostel and as a hermit; Having experienced both life, I find that in hostels one succeeds more quickly and more if one conducts one’s life correctly (Abba Daniel). VI, 89.
If you want to be saved, observe non-covetousness and silence: all monastic life is based on these two deeds (Abba Daniel). VI, 95.
Great shame will come over us if, after wearing the holy monastic image for so long, we find ourselves in the hour of need lacking the wedding robe. Oh, how we will repent then! (Abba Diaskor). VI, 106.
A true monk must constantly pray and sing in his heart (Epiphanius of Cyprus). VI, 108.
It is not he who speaks who is wise, but he who knows the time when he should speak. Be silent in your mind and speak in your mind: before you begin to speak, discuss what you should say; say what is necessary and proper, do not boast about your intelligence, and do not think that you know more than others. The essence of monastic life is to reproach yourself and consider yourself worse than everyone else (Abba Isaiah). VI, 152.
The perfection of the entire monastic life lies in the fact that a person achieves the fear of God in the spiritual mind and his inner ear begins to listen to his conscience, directed according to the will of God. (Abba Isaiah). VI, 180.
Monastic life is a path; the goal of the path is to achieve peace. On this path, on the path of virtues, there are falls, there are enemies, there are changes, there are abundance and decline, fruits and barrenness, sadness and joy, painful lamentation of the heart and peace of mind, success and loss. But dispassion is alien to everything mentioned. It has no disadvantage. It is in God, and God is in it. For dispassion there are no enemies, no fall. Neither disbelief nor any other passion bothers him. It does not feel any labor in preserving itself, it is not bothered by any desire; he does not suffer from any enemy warfare. Great is his glory, his dignity is inexpressible. Far removed from it is any mental structure that is outraged by any passion. It is the body that the Lord Jesus took upon himself; it is the love that the Lord Jesus taught (Abba Isaiah). VI, 224–225.
Those who have truly chosen to retreat from the world with body and mind, in order to concentrate their thoughts in solitary prayer through mortification to everything that is transitory, to seeing the objects of the world and to remembering them, should serve Christ not with bodily deeds and not with outward righteousness with the goal of being justified by it, but with mortification according to according to the word of the Apostle, their fortunes, even on earth, by the sacrifice of pure and immaculate thoughts, these first fruits of self-cultivation, by the suffering of the body in enduring troubles for the sake of hope for the future. Monastic life is equivalent to angelic life. We must not abandon the work of heaven and cling to the work of material things (Isaac of Syria). VI, 255.
A certain brother was once accused of not giving alms. This brother boldly and decisively answered the accuser: “Monks should not give alms.” The one who denounced him said to him: “It is clear and obvious which monk is not subject to the obligation to give alms: this is the one who can openly tell Christ the words of Scripture: behold, we have left everything and died after You. This is someone who has nothing on earth, does not indulge in caring for the body, does not occupy his mind with anything visible, does not care to acquire anything, but even if someone gives him something, he takes only what is necessary, without being carried away by attention to anything. what is 1 superfluous - who lives like a bird. Such a person does not have the obligation to give alms: for how will he give what he does not have? On the contrary, those who care about everyday things, do handicrafts, and receive from others should give alms. Neglect of her is lack of mercy, contrary to the commandment of the Lord. If someone does not approach God through secret deeds, but knows to serve Him in spirit, and does not care about the possible virtues that are obvious to him: then what hope can there be for such a person to acquire eternal life? Such an one is unreasonable (Isaac of Syria). VI, 280–281.
The holy monastery fathers pronounced a prophecy about the last generation. They asked the question: what did we do? One of them, a great resident, Abba Ischirion, said to this: we kept the commandments of God. The fathers asked: what will those who immediately follow us do? He answered: they will do half as much as we do. The fathers asked again: what about those who will come after them? “These,” Abba answered, will by no means have monastic work, but misfortunes will befall them, and they, having been exposed to misfortunes and temptations, will turn out to be greater than us and greater than our fathers (Abba Ischirion). VI, 283–284.
Forcing oneself to obey every commandment of God constitutes distinctive feature monk One who lives like this is a monk (Ioann Kolov). VI, 290.
One day Abba John was in church and sighed, not noticing that his brother was standing behind him. Seeing him, John bowed to him, saying: forgive me, Abba! I have not yet been trained in monastic rules (John Kolov). VI, 293.[Note from Saint Ignatius:] So the ancient monks were afraid of revealing themselves. A true monk is one who conquers himself in everything. If, while correcting your neighbor, you move towards anger, then you are fulfilling your passion. To save one’s neighbor one must not destroy oneself (Macarius the Great). VI, 310.
The life of a monk should consist of work, obedience, mental prayer, and the elimination of condemnation, slander and murmuring from oneself. Scripture says: He who loves the Lord, hates evil. The life of a monk consists in not entering into communication with the unrighteous, so as not to see evil, so as not to be curious, not to find out, not to hear about the actions of your neighbor, so as not to steal someone else’s - on the contrary, to give your own, so as not to be proud of the heart, not to be cunning in thought, so as not to fill your belly, so as to be guided by prudence in all behavior. In this is a monk (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 371–372.
Rising from sleep, first, glorify God with your lips, then immediately begin your rule, consisting of the psalmody and prayer assigned to you, with attention, with much humility and fear of God, as if standing before God Himself and saying the words of prayer to Him. The mind, on what it directs itself in the morning, is occupied with that all day, like a millstone, grinding throughout the whole day what is poured into it in the morning - whether it be wheat or whether it is tares. We will always try to put in wheat in the morning so that the enemy does not pour in tares. If you saw a dream in a dream female faces, then beware during the day to reflect on what you have seen: such thinking defiles the soul and causes it death. When you lie down on your bed, remember your coffin in which you will lie, and say to yourself: I don’t know whether I will get up tomorrow or not, and before you sleep, pray to God with all humility and tenderness; then lie down on the bed, watching carefully, so as not to think anything bad, so as not to remember wives, even saints. Fall asleep, engaged in prayer, reflecting on the day of judgment, on which you have to appear before Christ and give an account of every deed, word and thought. What a person thinks about before going to bed, he dreams about in his sleep at night, either about good or evil. There are unclean spirits who are dedicated precisely to being with a person when he lies on his bed, and bringing him memories of women. Likewise, the holy Angels are present with the monk and protect him from the snares of the enemy, being appointed by God for this very purpose. When your heart says to you at night or during the day: get up and pray to God, understand that the holy Angel is with you, and it is he who says: get up and pray. If you get up, then he will stand with you in prayer, strengthening you in your feat and driving you away from you evil spirit who deceives you and roars at you like a lion. If you do not get up, he will immediately retreat from you, and then you will fall into the hands of your enemies. If you are engaged in work with your brothers, then do not show them that you have done more than them; otherwise you will lose your bribe. Preserve yourself from verbosity: silence in the mind is good. If you talk a lot, everything is good, but evil is mixed in with the good. Watch yourself strictly in the words you pronounce, so as not to repent later. If you are doing some kind of handicraft in your cell, and the time for prayer comes, do not say: I will finish the work first; but immediately get up and pray diligently, so that the Lord will correct your life, preserve you from enemies visible and invisible, and make you worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 378–379.
By fasting the body is pacified, by vigil the mind is purified, by silence weeping is brought, by weeping perfection and sinlessness are brought to the monk (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 380.
The enemy imposes unnecessary sorrow and rumors on the monk when he lacks the necessary needs. You know what natural strength you have: why don’t you seek for yourself, out of laziness and voluptuousness, all kinds of waste; being healthy, do not give yourself everything you desire. When you eat what God sends you, give Him praise every hour, saying: I eat food that is not monastic and have all peace; I don’t do monastic works. Consider yourself as not a monk, reproach yourself for wearing an image alien to yourself, and constantly have sadness and humility in your heart (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 380–381.
Human protection destroys all spiritual dignity in a monk and makes him completely fruitless if he places his trust in this protection (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 388.
A monk must examine himself every morning and evening, what he has done in accordance with and in disagreement with the will of God. By doing this, a monk must spend his entire life in repentance. This is how Abba Arseny lived (sayings of nameless elders). VI, 393.
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Prayer and cell rule
The meaning of prayer
The main activity of a monk is prayer: “All other activities serve either as preparatory or facilitating means for prayer.” The basis for the prosperity of monastic life was the development in monasteries of the ascetic practice of internal prayer, the revival of which the abbots of monasteries should pay special attention to.
Prayer connects with God, expresses gratitude and repentant feelings, opens the opportunity to ask the Lord for everything good and saving, lays the foundation for every work and sanctifies it. Through constant prayer appeal God maintains unceasing remembrance of Him and reverent presence before His eyes at all times.
Cell rule
According to the holy fathers, every monk has a vital need - to stand alone in his cell before the Face of the One God. As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) says, “The essential work of a monk is prayer, as the work that connects a person with God.” Therefore, each monastic is assigned a personal cell rule, which includes a certain number of Jesus prayers and bows, as well as other prayers.
The cell rule is determined in accordance with the spiritual structure of the brother, bodily strength and obediences performed. To fulfill the cell rule, it is necessary to allocate a certain time during the day, according to the rules of the monastery.
A rule that is executed at the same time every day “turns into a skill, into a necessary natural need” and pawns solid foundation, on which the spiritual life of a monastic is built. Thanks to constant rule, a monk acquires a peaceful spirit, memory of God, spiritual zeal and inner joy.
During their stay in the cell, monastics are called upon to maintain and develop the prayerful attitude created by common church prayer. Solitude time is dedicated to doing prayer rule, reading the Holy Scriptures, especially the Gospel, the Apostle, the Psalter, patristic interpretations and ascetic works.
When performing a cell rule, a monk must attach importance not only to the number of prayers read, but also to performing them with a contrite and humble heart, unhurriedly and attentively.
The abbot must carefully take care of the harmonious combination of physical labor and cell prayer activities of the brothers, attaching special importance to the internal prayer work of each brother, his diligence and constancy in performing prayer.
About the Jesus Prayer
The Jesus Prayer occupies a special place in prayerful communication with God: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The Jesus Prayer requires inner concentration and repentance from those who perform it. Due to its brevity, it is convenient for continuous utterance, which helps keep the mind from distraction and the flesh from the harmful effects of passions. Being an important part of the cell monastic rule for all residents of the monastery, it must be performed outside of reading the rule, at any time and in every place.
The senile instruction of Abbot Nazarius of Valaam: “On staying in the cell and on the departure”
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Monk praying in his cell
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Methods of prayer of a monk in a cell and his connection with the elder
Petras Monastery, Greece
I have translated here a small excerpt from the new book of Archimandrite Emilian (Vafidis) “Sober Life and Ascetic Canons”, the chapter “Methods of Prayer of a Monk in a Cell and His Connection with the Elder” (you just need to understand that the “new book” is a transcript of old tape recordings of conversations with brethren).
It was this passage that interested me because it clearly and figuratively formulated the method of the so-called "circular prayer", which Elder Joseph the Hesychast spoke about, for example, considering it the safest.
For ease of reading, I will post the text in small excerpts:
“Let us now see how prayer is performed. Prayer is performed in various ways. Each person, according to his character, finds his own way, which little by little changes. Today I assure you that it is good to say a prayer with your lips. Tomorrow I will discover that it is better to do this using the tongue. I move my tongue, saying “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner,” and keep my attention on my tongue. Someone else discovers that it is much better to pray with the throat, so that the organs of the larynx move and the mind stays there. Others connect prayer with heartbeats. This does not mean that we will place our mind in the heart, we will not use such technical techniques. It is important that we find a way that suits us today, and tomorrow Christ will give us another way, or we will discover it ourselves. This “tomorrow” can come in a month or in five years, or maybe in 20 years. But think, twenty years of labor together with Christ, journeying together with Christ!
During prayer, I make sure that nothing enters my mind. Just as the circle line I draw is uninterrupted by anything, the same should happen with my mind. When I say a prayer, it should be as if I were drawing a circle that constantly returns to itself and nowhere else. And even if Christ appears and says to me: “Well done, my child, I have come to bless you,” I will tell him: “My Christ, go away, now I only care about what I say.” And even more so, I will not engage in anything good that comes to my mind, a pious thought or a solution to a problem. I will not allow such a break to occur, because prayer is constant unity with Christ. Christ comes and cleaves to the mind. Just as if I put honey somewhere, the bee itself will fly there, and I don’t plant it there, the same thing happens with prayer: I place my mind in the words of prayer and the Holy Spirit itself comes and cleaves to the mind. This is how our deification occurs, very simply, without us understanding it ourselves, and little by little we see the results, discover experiences, joys, consolations, pleasures, fun. Thus, we receive a complete guarantee of communication with God. Is there another way, a simpler one, that can guarantee us God?
When someone spends the night like this, during the day he has no desire to talk or argue. And if you tell him: look! the donkey is flying! - then since he will say a prayer, he will agree with you. Who doesn't know that donkeys don't fly? But since his mind abides in Christ, and you abide in Christ, in order to show unity with you, he will not deny your words. When spoken constantly in prayer, these words of prayer and our mind become fire and hot coals, and the sacrifice of our selfhood, our desires, our dreams, our aspirations is placed on top of them and the smoke rises up, ascends to Christ, and Christ smells the sacrifice and rejoices . Because His child is with Him.”
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner
Archimandrite Elisha: The monastic cell is an arena of ascetic warfare and a meeting place with God
Report by Archimandrite Elisha, rector of the Simonopetra Monastery (Holy Mount Athos) “The meaning and significance of cell prayer in the spiritual life of the brethren of a cenobitic monastery” at the Meeting of Abbots and Abbesses of Monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church (Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, October 8-9, 2014). .
The stated topic is very important for the life of the cenobitic monastery. From the very beginning, I would like to clarify that I intend to rely on the spirit and prayer experience of Elder Emilian and the monks of our monastery to a greater extent than on my own poor and insufficient experience. In itself, the fullness of the Church is already community life. For monks who have renounced all worldly ties and their former life, the monastery becomes the place where they discovered God for themselves; their life moves into another reality, namely into the reality of the Kingdom and last days, where everything will be filled with the glory of God. Their life, freed from any compromises with the world, is a constant presence before the Throne of God, like the angels. An indicative gospel saying that some of those standing here. They will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom (Matthew 16:28), addressed to the monks. Each monk heeded the call of Christ directed to him personally. Either as a result of forced actions, or due to life circumstances, or in the process of consistent Christian upbringing, but, one way or another, the gaze of Christ stopped on him and called him to leave everything and follow Him. But perfect following of Christ occurs among monks through prayer, in which they imitate the apostles. Thus, we will try to explain how private prayer fits into the life of a communal monastery, revealing several aspects of both.
Continuous service to God
Just as the disciples followed Christ to Mount Tabor, so the monk enters the monastery, and there - mainly, of course, thanks to serving God - the light of the Lord is revealed to him. This light is similar to the light with which the face of the Lord shone. The same thing happens in other manifestations of communal life: in work, in relations between brethren, at meals, when receiving guests, when caring for the infirm and elderly, at general fraternal conversations, etc., that is, all this in the monastery is likened to vestments Lord, who became white from the Divine light reflected in them. In the monastery everything is God-bearing, everything is constant service. Service to God is at the center of life, services regulate every moment, and any activity begins and ends in the temple, with prayer and chants. The initial calling from the Lord is like a spark that flared up in the heart to give an impetus that delivers us from the temptations of this world. This spark in highest degree facilitates the testing and teaching of the rigors of ascetic life, but there is a danger that it will fade away if it is not nourished, so the monk is called to perceive the mystery of God's revelation, which is clearly and mysteriously expressed in church worship.
This perception occurs in two ways: through ascetic warfare and cell prayer. Asceticism aims to help the monk to cleanse himself of passions, the beginning of which is selfishness, and makes him a vessel that receives Divine energies; prayer is the connecting link connecting the monk with God - through prayer he speaks with the Lord and hears His answer.
Prayer as an essential component of a monk's life
Since the monastery is a place of the unceasing presence of God, it is impossible for prayer not to be the center of a monk’s life. “Monastic life is unthinkable without prayer - and since the service is carried out unceasingly, without unceasing prayer,” Elder Emilian told us and added: “When a monk prays, he becomes a person who shows, first of all, that he lives in God. He lives insofar as he remains in prayer. Prayer serves as a prerequisite for his spiritual growth.” The main thing that justifies his presence in the monastery is the pursuit of unceasing communication with God through prayer. There are many types of prayer, but only private prayer truly transforms our existence.
Community and silent monasticism
Some argue that cell or mental prayer is used only by the sacredly silent and that cenobitic monks are busy only with divine services, and this should be enough for them. However, there are not two different types monasticism. Of course, there is some difference, but it is mainly due to living conditions and the organization of time free from general prayer and obedience.
The goal of both forms of monastic life was and is the same: to gain closeness with God and personal experience deification in Christ. The history of monasticism, which has always implied these two parallel and complementary types, demonstrates a tendency towards their mutual rapprochement. As we see, since the time St. Paisius(Velichkovsky) and to this day an attempt is being made to introduce hesychast spiritual teaching into the monastic community. This is one of the characteristic features of the current revival and flourishing of Svyatogorsk monasticism. Today, young people who come to the Holy Mountain (I suspect that the same thing happens in Russian monasteries) for the most part strive to live according to the norms of the community, while having the opportunity to live an individual spiritual life. Let's see how cell silent prayer is carried out in a communal monastery.
Monk's cell: Babylonian oven
When in the evening, after Compline, the monk returns to his cell, he is not separated from the general body of the brotherhood. The cell represents his personal space, but at the same time it integrally belongs to the hostel. Everything that is in it - furniture, icons, books, vestments, etc. - is located there with blessing. Whatever the monk does in his cell - rest, pray, reflect on his life, prepare for confession and Communion - all this has an organic connection with the rest of the life of the monastery. Of course, the monk rests in his cell, but the cell is not a place for rest. In reality, it is an arena of ascetic warfare and a meeting place with God. Some ancient monastic texts compare the cell to the Babylonian furnace, where the monk, like the three youths, is tested, purified and prepared to meet God. The cell is a reserved place for the monk, where nothing from the world should penetrate in order to allow him to fight with God to receive blessings from Him (see Gen. 32:24-30), and then he can be called, like Jacob, the one who saw God.
In the cell, the monk fulfills his rule, which consists of a number of prostrations determined by the elder, prayers on the rosary, reading sacred books and some other prayers. There is - and should exist - a great variety in terms of content, method of execution, time and duration of the cell rule, due to the fact that people are different from each other and have varying degrees bodily endurance, temperament and character. All this must be taken into account by the confessor when assigning a prayer rule for his novice. In some way, the cell rule for personal life a monk has the same meaning as the liturgical regulations for a temple, with the only difference being that the rule, firstly, must be within the capabilities of the monk, and secondly, become more complicated as he spiritual growth. One thing is a rule for a novice, another for a monk carrying out some kind of difficult obedience, another rule for the infirm, another for the elderly. At a meeting with the elder, the monk, of course, confesses all his sins to him, reveals his thoughts, asks for advice, but the main conversation will concern the rule: how does prayer go? do you have problems sleeping? does he get tired of bowing? Should I exercise more? what ascetic works should be read to inflame the heart more, etc. Regular revision of the cell rule is a significant indicator of the spiritual growth of every conscious monk.
Spiritual life as such should not be reduced to cell rule. It simply represents minimum required, which a monk is obliged to perform daily and at a certain time in order to “remember that he is excommunicated from God and deprived of His Grace,” as Elder Emilian taught us. The issue of constancy of the rule is of significant importance, which is invariably emphasized by the spiritual fathers. You cannot follow the rule only when you are in the mood for it, and if you have already missed it, you should inform your elder and confessor about this as a deviation from your monastic duty. Therefore, the rule must be designed so that it can be fulfilled daily, with attention, humility and full awareness of the fact that you are not offering something to God, but you are appearing before Him, asking for His mercy. Thus, the rule does not degenerate into a simple habit and does not become a formal duty performed by the monk “just to get rid of it”, and with thoughts of something else. Since it is during the execution of the cell rule that the monk makes every effort to fight for a meeting with God, we in our monastery prefer to call it “vigil” or “cell liturgy,” not only because it is performed mainly at night, but mainly because it represents the expectation and aspiration of God, the upward-directed tension of all the forces of the monk. The minimum determined for him by the elder out of condescension can become the fuse that will ignite in him the burning of divine zeal, and then the rule will stretch over time and increase in strength, filling the whole night. In the brethren of Elder Joseph the Hesychast, the rule lasted six hours and consisted exclusively of mental prayer, and in many Svyatogorsk hostels the monk is given the opportunity to devote at least four hours to prayer every night, in addition to the daily cycle of services. The “cell liturgy” represents a space of sacramental experience, an entrance into the “cloud” that covered the three apostles after the appearance of the Light, an abyss of divine knowledge, and therefore is performed at night.
Night is the time of divine revelations, great epiphanies in Holy Scripture, this is the hour when God bends over people. That is why both the prophets and our Lord Jesus Christ prayed at night (see Matt. 26:36, Luke 21:37). During these hours, a person, having gotten rid of the distraction of the mind, can raise a battle against thoughts, ascend to God, speak with Him, know Him, so that He becomes from an unknown and abstract God his own God. Without nightly prayer, the Holy Spirit will not act in us and speak to us - as Elder Emilian taught, who placed this part of the monk’s work at the very center of his life.
Therefore, the cell rule is so important that performing it in church immediately before the morning service depreciates it. Of course, such a transfer guarantees that the monks will fulfill the rule, but at the same time its personal character is lost. In a cell, a monk can dissolve his heart, kneel, pray, cry, change his position to fight sleep, but in a temple these possibilities become unavailable, and the rule takes on a liturgical and objective character, taking the place of service. At the same time, it contains all the same elements, but takes on a liturgical form.
Prerequisites for night prayer
Just as worship has its own charter, so “liturgy in the cell” has certain prerequisites, in the absence of which its goal cannot be achieved. When a monk enters his cell, or rather, after he has rested for a few hours and wakes up in the middle of the night to fulfill his rule of prayer, he should not bring anything from the world into his cell. He must be free from worldly cares and activities related to his obedience, and have no attachments or curiosity for anything. He must also be able to inner world and unity with all your brothers, not to feel resentment or envy towards anyone, or even remorse for possible sins. This peace reigns in the conscience primarily as a result of pure confession and revelation of thoughts, as well as after a brief examination of oneself, which may precede the fulfillment of the prayer rule. Elder Emilian instructed in much the same way: “We must empty ourselves, constantly awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit. We must abide in things above in order to receive Him at all times. In fasting, in hardships, in pain, with a thirst for humiliation, in detachment and silence, in order to be worthy to receive the Holy Spirit. The spirit usually descends into empty stomachs and into watchful eyes.”
Only by not caring about anything can you acquire contrition of heart, piety, a humble awareness that you are filled with lawlessness and darkness, and do everything to “touch God” and attract the Spirit so that it will overshadow you.
Temperance and the Jesus Prayer
In addition to what the monk will do at this hour, following the instructions given to him by the elder, his main task will be to empty the mind of everything, be it good or bad, “so that we cultivate our capacity through sobriety, vigilance, silence and digging a well of joy, peace and heavenly life, which is called the Prayer of Jesus." “Capacity depends not only on our attitude and how much we love God, but also on our work, effort and sweat, and the more our capacity increases, the more God gives us.”
This devastation in patristic spiritual terminology is called “sobriety.” It consists of attention, vigilance, observation of the thoughts that come to the mind and strive to enter the heart in order to master the strength of the soul. Sobriety is the main task of a monk, since, for the most part, it does not include the fight against bodily temptations. This is “the art of arts and the science of sciences,” which is difficult to comprehend for one who still lives in the confusion of the distractions of the mind and worldly passions. Therefore, we cannot talk about sobriety and internal struggle when there is no corresponding “silence”. In the silence of the night, a monk can follow his thoughts and reflect various thoughts in order to devote himself to only one invocation of the Name of Christ. Sobriety and monosyllabic prayer are integral companions of the sacramental life, so that it is impossible to strive in one without the other, due to the mobility of the mind, which always needs some kind of activity. For this reason, to repel the attacks of various thoughts, I give my mind one and only occupation - invoking the Name of Christ as an irresistible weapon and means of sanctification. Therefore, the Jesus Prayer, mental prayer, this royal path is the main weapon of a monk in this battle, and it contains a clot of all the experience accumulated by the Church. There is no need to dwell here in more detail on the art of the Jesus Prayer, carefully described in the texts of the sober fathers and clearly explained by the great Russian God-bearing fathers of the 19th century. The Jesus Prayer is the most effective form of prayer, but it is not the only one, so it would be unwise to force it on all monks. For some, the monosyllabic Jesus Prayer may become boring and become an obstacle to free communication with the longed-for Lord, not because of succumbing to passions or immaturity, but simply due to temperament and state of mind.
According to the faithful disciple of St. Paisius (Velichkovsky), St. George of Cherniksky, the imposition of a single rule of the Jesus Prayer was one of the reasons for the rapid collapse of the large brotherhood of the Nyamets monastery after the death of St. Paisius. Accordingly, we can recommend the monosyllabic Jesus Prayer for the night rule, but it is better not to impose it, since there should be some variety for the brethren.
We should also not forget that the great desert fathers and great theologians of the sacramental life did not resort to the Jesus Prayer, but rather read the psalms and Holy Scripture.
What Abba Cassian the Roman says in his conversations from the desert about various types prayers (prayer, prayers, petition and thanksgiving), about deanery during various prayers, about who is suitable for this or that type of prayer, as well as about the meaning of prayer performed in the silence of the cell.
The main thing that a waking monk should follow, regardless of whether he occupies his mind with the monosyllabic Jesus Prayer or its other types, is the feeling of standing before Christ, which is spoken of in the psalm: the sight of the Lord before me (Ps. 15: 8). Here it is necessary to make a distinction between unceasing prayer or prayer, on the one hand, and, on the other, unceasing remembrance of God, which is the desired result. This constant remembrance of God is achieved not only by prayer, but also by all sober activities and life in the community. Particular emphasis should be placed on keeping the mind in every possible way, but the words themselves, repeated incessantly, are very useful and soar the mind. The prayer cry of the ancient fathers, for example, God, come to my help, Lord help me, strive (Ps. 69:2) was not chosen by chance, as well as the later “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” because they express everything experiences that human nature can accommodate. These words can be spoken under any circumstances, suitable to repel every temptation and satisfy every need. They must be used both in difficulties and in good times in order to observe the unspeakable and protect oneself from pride. These words become a foretaste of salvation, the breath of the Divine, your constant sweetest companion.
We should not be concerned that prayer will have a “result”, or that the Lord will give us a gift as some kind of reward. This attitude exposes a selfish and vain soul. The only thing I need is to stand before God and be patient. I realized that I was nothing, good for nothing and not capable of anything, “I stand here” and say: “My God, if you want, take me, if you want, give me years of life, but I am dying before You.” . “Presence” in the temple becomes a revelation of God, both explicitly and sacramentally. During the internal “cell liturgy” the monk himself stands before the invisible God and longs to see Him with his own eyes.
It would be delusional to believe that through our many years of daily struggle, prayer rules and prayers, we will acquire the right to see God as many saints saw Him, to see Him in the light of the transfiguration of His face. No. Our “task” is to stand before God so that He sees us, to become like Him as much as possible in acquiring the gospel virtues.
Waiting for the Holy Spirit is the purpose of the prayer rule and our night vigil. The criterion of success is not so much the talents and gifts of grace that we acquire through prayer, but labor and self-sacrifice.
Thus, after we acquire the skill of extreme precaution, which we can develop over the years, laboring in sobriety, our prayer ceases to be supplication and petition, even if God has given us something, but becomes simple listening to the steps of the approaching God and the swaying of the Spirit. Naturally, our books are full of experiences of the prayer of saints. There is no shortage of similar experiences among modern monks and nuns. I have accumulated many of their letters, in which they personally testify to their own life in God.
Standing in the cell can be difficult when, despite persistent efforts, the monk experiences problems associated with sleep, with physical or mental pain, with fatigue, with melancholy, with devastation of the heart, with darkness, unbelief, confusion of thoughts, with despondency, with enemy attack and perhaps even difficulty saying the words of the Jesus Prayer out loud. Then the darkness in the cell becomes gloomy, and these hours become painful. In such cases, Elder Emilian repeatedly told us: “The monk experiences the greatest problems in prayer. But we should not forget that this is no coincidence. This confirms that prayer begins to become our real experience. our real occupation. May God grant that you receive true pleasure from prayer. This is very, very useful. But know that at the beginning (not to say long years, and sometimes once and for all) it is much more useful to have problems, and obstacles, and difficulties than pleasure. Because when we face obstacles, our will, our freedom and our love for God are truly tested: do I have love in the depths of my soul; is there divine love within me; Is my will turned to the Lord?
So these difficulties can turn into real bloodless martyrdom (μαρτύριο) for a monk who does not abandon his goal and continues to struggle every night for many years, perhaps feeling nothing and relying only on his faith and on the testimonies (μαρτυρία) of the saints.
When a monk is sufficiently rooted in the tradition of the Church, he is not shaken by the difficulties he encounters during prayer, but rather takes joy from his humble struggle. When the church bell rings at the end of the night, he leaves his cell to meet the brethren as having fought a good fight and proud even of his defeats.
Return to the temple and offering to the brotherhood
At the hour when the brethren gather again for prayer, each brings his nightly battle as a kind of offering that will be offered along with the gifts of the Divine Eucharist on the altar. Where everything is common, there is common struggle, common joy and common gifts. Each divine mysterious experience does not belong to any one monk, but is offered to the whole Brotherhood and becomes driving force prosperity and acceptance of the Holy Spirit by all members of the Body of Christ.
Church services are enriched by the nightly experience of the brethren, who, in the hostel, thus have the opportunity to partake a little of the experience of genuine hesychasts. While during the day, in the cycle of obedience, the authenticity of the night spiritual experience is tested, since it gives the monk the strength to endure, for God's sake, the difficulties that he may encounter during the day while fulfilling his obedience.
The above considerations show us that cell night prayer is an integral and organic part of the life of a cenobitic monastery. In it, the experience of the sacrament of salvation is mastered, and the joy that the monk receives from it is a confirmation of the authenticity of his vows before God - for the Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21) - and a foretaste of the life of the future century.
Translation from Greek: Maxim Klimenko, Alexey Grishin.
Archimandrite Emilian (Vafidis) - abbot of the monastery of Simonopetra from 1973 to 2000, one of the most revered elders of Holy Mount Athos. Now he rests in the monastery of Ormilia (Chalkidiki).
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Metropolitan Afanasy Limassolsky
Monastic tradition and its significance in modern monasteriesMetropolitan Athanasius of Limassol
Report by Metropolitan Athanasius of Limassol (Cypriot Orthodox Church) at the conference “Monasteries and Monasticism: Tradition and Modernity” (Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, September 23, 2013)
“The crown of everything is love.” Part 1Conversation with Archimandrite Chrysostomos
“The crown of everything is love.” Part 1Conversation with Archimandrite Chrysostomos (Tavulareas), abbot of the monastery of St. Gerasimos of Jordan
For the first 12 years I lived completely alone. He made the candles himself. The water was rain. Then he appeared
The holidays continue. And the State Duma New Year holidays are over. The people are returning to life, and we are returning to work at the Leushinsky farmstead. Labor workers returned from Veliky Novgorod.
Metropolitan Barsanuphius set us the task of preparing the Leushinsky metochion for the opening of the Leushinsky monastery as soon as possible. There's a lot to do. You don't know what to do first. But what is the most important thing at this stage? There is no monastery without nuns, and nuns without monastic cells. So we threw all our efforts into repairing the cells.
How many cells - and, accordingly, nuns - were there at the Leushinsky courtyard?
It is impossible to do without historical research. I had to rummage through the archives.
In the RGIA it was possible to find a “List of sisters living at the metochion of the Leushinsky St. John the Baptist Monastery in St. Petersburg for 1910,” according to which 2 robed nuns, 6 “designated novices” and 33 “living on probation” lived here. There are 41 nuns in total.
The same archive contains another list of sisters for 1914. The compound is already called “Petrogradsky”. According to this list, 6 robed nuns, 26 “designated novices” and 24 “tested novices” lived here. There are 46 nuns in total. This list is valuable because it indicates the obediences of each nun. More than half of the sisters performed the obedience of singers. From this fact it is clear what great importance The abbess of the monastery, Abbess Taisiya, provided the church singing in the courtyard.
Both lists are striking in the number of sisters who lived. Now only very large monasteries can boast such figures: Diveevo, Shamordino, Pyukhtitsy.
This fact both surprised and puzzled me. I was surprised by the fact that in the center of St. Petersburg already then, in fact, there was a whole monastery. And I was puzzled by where they were located? There is not much space in the yard. Apparently, the sisters lived quite closely - several people in a cell.
Abbess Taisiya herself wrote that the courtyard “consisted of a stone 3-storey house, opening onto the courtyard with an outbuilding with right side, including the Church on the 3rd floor, and below from the entrance there is a Chapel, on the second floor there are cells.” Currently, there are six cells on the second floor, three of them overlook Nekrasova Street (historical name - Basseynaya), and three - inside the courtyard. Four cells were restored earlier. In one of them we equipped and opened the Memorial Cell-Office of St. John of Kronstadt. The sisters of the Ioanno-Taisi Sisterhood live in two of them. Another cell is reserved as a guest cell. Thus, there are two more cells left on the second floor of the temple building, which we are now restoring. Literally these holidays- on the eve of the feast of St. John of Kronstadt - they completed their restoration.
What do we know about the monastic cell? The very word “cell” exudes something mysterious and enigmatic. The life of people who renounced the world has always aroused the interest of society. So in our courtyard, visitors ask how our sisters live, what they do, do they watch TV? Many people are interested in looking into the cell.
Let's take a spiritual look into the nun's home and try to understand what a monastic cell is? In the classical sense, this is a separate living room in the monastery, in fact, the Greek word κελλίον, derived from the Latin cella, means nothing more than “room”.
But a cell is not just a room, it is a whole world of monastic life: a world of peace and quiet, which in monastic language is called hesychia. The fathers of monasticism teach to love your cell, to strive for it, and not to leave it. St. Anthony of Egypt said: “Just as fish, remaining on land for a long time, die, so monks, being outside their cells for a long time or staying with worldly people, lose their love of silence.”
A cell for a monk/nun is not a “rest room,” but first of all a House of Prayer, a “laboratory of unceasing prayer,” a place of spiritual labor and obedience: here cell prayers are read daily, the rosary rule of the Jesus Prayer is performed, and spiritual readings are performed. Nowadays, of course, we cannot do without “Internet rules”. In their cell, nuns can perform handicraft obediences. In general, the cell is the center of a nun’s life, which is why Abba Moses said: “Your cell will teach you everything.”
Understanding what a cell is will not be complete without remembering one important point. Visitors to the nun's cell are allowed only with the blessing of the abbess, and the presence of women in the cells of men's monasteries, and men, accordingly, in women's monasteries is strictly prohibited.
I won’t hide that restoring monastic cells is not easy for a white priest. I have never lived in them myself. I visited monks I knew a couple of times. The first thing that comes to mind is the cell of Elder John Krestyankin in the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery.
Many technical, design, and spiritual questions arise. What should a nun's cell be like? Which wallpaper to choose? Which colors to choose? What kind of lamps should I hang? What kind of furniture should I put in? A designer for monastic cells does not yet exist in nature (although, who knows?!) You have to decide everything yourself, of course, in consultation with the sisters.
As a result, I compiled the following description of the ideal (Leushin) cell:
1. The cell should be simple and cozy, because people will live here permanently. For some, it will become their home for many years, and maybe forever.
2. The cell should not be flashy, modest, not distracting attention, helping internal concentration, because prayer and communion with God are being performed.
3. The cell should contain only the most necessary things, without excesses, so as not to burden life with unnecessary things.
4. I think that the cell should be a little antique in order to be out of this time.
5. At the same time, the cell should not be wretched; after all, our monastery, although Leushinsky, is located in the center of St. Petersburg. The cell must be worthy of this city.
6. In a word, the cell should be such that staying in it brings spiritual benefit to the nun, so that she strives to return to it.
7. A holy corner is needed, a place for prostrations.
It seems that I haven’t forgotten anything (maybe the “experts” will suggest or add something).
But as you know, building a theory is easier than putting it into practice. I treated this matter as an artistic creation. I selected antique lamps, handles and door fittings. A particular problem was choosing wallpaper, which largely determines the appearance of the cell. I had to visit more than one wallpaper store. As with any creative work, there were drafts. In one cell I completely replaced the already pasted wallpaper with new ones. My assistant was a wonderful wallpaper master, Svetlana, whom I found through the Dostoevsky Museum. She hung wallpaper there during the last renovation.
I consider it my merit that I managed to preserve the historical doors of the Leushinsky monastery. There was a choice: dismantle or repair, make new ones or keep the old ones. The second option required restoration, which turned out to be much more expensive than making new doors. But everything old from Leushin is of historical and spiritual value for us. After all, these doors were opened by Abbess Taisiya herself, the Leushin sisters used them, and the doors of the guest cell were opened by John of Kronstadt. To do this, the doors had to be dismantled together with the frame, delivered to production, where they were almost completely disassembled, aligned, prosthetized, and several layers of paint were removed. When they were brought back a month later, it was difficult to recognize them. If you don't know, you might mistake them for new ones. But we know that these are the same ones - our Leushinskys. We open them with trepidation and memory of those who labored here before us.
We also managed to save all the windows on the second floor facing Basseynaya, which is 7 windows. The same procedure was done with them as with the doors. If I walk along Basseynaya (Nekrasova) past the Leushinsky courtyard, look at the beautiful ones on the 2nd floor, know that they are genuine, real, still the same. (The windows to the courtyard were made new - double-glazed windows).
We did not have special day the opening of new cells, but the feeling of celebration does not leave you when you look into them. They are still empty, there is no furniture in them (this is another creative issue that needs to be resolved).
The cells are waiting for their nuns. By the way, in this regard the question arises, how many nuns can there be in one cell? Different monasteries have different experiences. In modern Greek nunneries, in particular in the famous monastery of Ormilia, nuns live only one at a time. But we have our own Leushin tradition. Abbess Taisiya, in the “Charter of the Leushinsky Monastery” compiled by her, determined the following: sisters “according to external order live in common cells, i.e. not one at a time, like the hermits, but two or three at the discretion of the abbess (only the eldest with the younger ones for guidance, and not equal in age and success)." Therefore, the cells in the courtyard are designed for two nuns. They still have everything to come ...
The word “cell” somehow naturally evokes images of monks, icons and monasteries. The way of life of people who have renounced worldly concerns is not always clear to the average person. However, being misunderstood does not mean being uninteresting. Rather, on the contrary, most are curious to know how those who have dedicated their lives to God live, what they eat, and even whether they watch TV. Let's try to get into the monk's home, look at his life and understand what a cell is.
Etymology of the word
The word "cell" is borrowed from Greek (κελλίον) and Latin languages(cella), later found use in Old Church Slavonic, literally means “room”. IN English language You can also find the consonant cell, which means “cell (in prison), cell.” Numerous dictionaries basically have the same interpretation of what a cell is. The definition of this word is: a private room or quarters where a monk or nun resides. Here members of the monastery community spend significant part their lives, sleep and indulge in prayer. In a figurative sense, this is a secluded small modest room of a lonely person.
What does a cell look like?
Not everyone knows what a cell is. In the classical sense, this is a separate room in the residential part of the monastery. However, one person may not always live there. At the same time, a cell can become a haven for several monks. Sometimes it can even be a separate small house. In Russian monasteries, each monk or nun was allowed to build his own cell, as a result of which community members from wealthy families could have a spacious and fairly comfortable room to use. But we will not judge by individual examples what a cell is. The vast majority of these are modest housing, where only the essentials are present, without frills. Staying here should bring spiritual benefit to the inhabitant.
Purpose of the cell
The statutes of many monasteries may include a special provision “On cell stays.” First of all, this is a place for performing prayer, reading spiritual and highly moral literature, copying from books and thinking about wise edifying thoughts. Exists whole list recommended reading of ascetic writings. In their room, the monks, in the form of obediences, carry out tasks that were assigned to them by their abbot or superiors. Also, an understanding of what a cell is will not be entirely complete if we do not mention one important point. Visitors to a monk's monastery are allowed only with the blessing of the highest authorities, and the presence of women in the cells of men's monasteries, and men, respectively, in women's monasteries is prohibited.
Stories
Men in Black . As a journalist, I lived for a week in a cell at a monastery in Yurovichi.
Olga Deksnis
Have you ever thought about leaving everything and joining a monastery? It seems almost impossible to decide on this. Home, work, friends, travel... But there are people who once decided to abandon their former life. Why? Who are these people? Journalist Olga Deksnis lived for a week in a women’s cell at a monastery in Yurovichi and found out what made Belarusians dress in black.
Early in the morning at the entrance to the monastery I am greeted by a smiling Abbot Auxentius- rector of the temple, head of the monastery. He has a lot to worry about: now he’s getting his second higher education, is the chairman of the Church Court, leads the parish in the Kalinkovichi Church, and also edits and updates the website. In addition, he manages to give assignments in the monastery and maintain discipline.
Here is your cell - the so-called women's cell - Father Auxentius hands me the key to the room with a high stone carved ceiling.
The village of Yurovichi in the Kalinkovichi district of the Gomel region is a storehouse of historical and cultural values. It is one of the most tasty morsels on the map of Belarusian tourism. Every schoolchild knows that here is the site of a primitive Belarusian man. It was this hilly area that Ivan Melezh wrote about in his novel “People in the Swamp.” There is also a Jesuit Temple of incredible beauty and complex history, dating back to 1710–1746 years of construction. Today it has been transformed into the Holy Nativity of the Theotokos monastery and the Holy Nativity of the Mother of God Church. I've wanted to come here for a long time.
In the room that was allocated to me there are two windows, a table, a chair, four free beds for female pilgrims and laborers (the latter come to help the temple on personal plot, at a construction site, in the kitchen and financially). I quickly settle down in a new place, throw my suitcase and hurry after the priest.
Here we have a refectory,” he continues the tour of the monastery. - You will eat at nine, two and seven in the evening. By the way, do you want to have breakfast? The ringing of a bell will call you to the table.
Two male workers work in the kitchen; they also live in the monastery. Their working day begins at 5.30 am and not with a cup of coffee, but with processing yesterday's milk. Cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream are made from it. The menu is Chief Accountant, later approved by the abbot. And food directly depends on donations.
There is never meat on our menu,” says Leonid, a gray-haired cook with a long thin beard. Seeing my camera, he turns away and explains: Christianity prohibits taking photographs. - I know that in other monasteries you can eat the meat of those “who do not chew chewers and who do not have cloven hooves.” We absolutely do not have pork. We prepare, in particular, from milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, fish and vegetables.
Leonid - former employee railway station. He has been living in the monastery for two years. He also tested himself in another monastery - in Odessa.
To get there only for the night, the leaders of the Ukrainian monastery called Yurovichi and took my reference,” recalls Leonid. - And the next morning they asked me a question: am I going to become a novice or am I returning to my homeland? The novice is the first step, then comes the monk, and then the monk. And I didn’t agree - I wasn’t ready. And they don’t need workers. They have 130 monks who manage to do everything themselves.
In the corridor we hear a small bell ring three times, a man in a blue kitchen robe calls everyone to the table.
Today for breakfast: oatmeal with fresh cow's milk, fresh strawberries from the garden, tea, loaf and plum jam. Before eating we receive a blessing from Father Pavel. Standing at the table, we read “Our Father.” Everyone sits down, eats silently and listens full meeting works of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov - this is a specially adapted reading for modern people. It is read out by worker Sasha:
Chapter 38. “Everyone who has entered a monastery and accepted the good yoke of Christ must remain in non-covetousness, being content with what is most necessary and being protected from excess in clothing, in cell utensils, in money; The property, wealth, and treasure of a monk should be our Lord, Jesus Christ; Our gaze must be constantly directed towards him.”
Sachet He’s only 23 years old, he has a history of drugs, and “thanks to” them he has a second disability group. Today Sasha is burning with the desire to devote himself only to God. Once and for all. Reluctant to talk about himself. He prays wherever possible: in the corridor, on the street and, of course, in the Church of All Saints. He also sings. He is in good standing here.
When the prayer ends, Father Pavel rings a small bell and gives a blessing for departure. Father sees that I can’t cope with the clear time frame of “line of prayer - breakfast time”, he pats me on the head and calms me with a smile: “Eat, eat!” Later it will become a good joke.
She became a nun at age 64.
According to the documents, the monastery is for men, but there are only four monks in it, among them the leadership is larger. According to unofficial information, new servants of God are reluctant to join it. This is due to the fact that the monastery and temple have been in a state of chronic construction and restoration, or rather, uncertainty, for about 100 years. Simply - closed. There is practically no arrival. I myself saw tourists driving past the temple and turning around when they saw the boarded up door.
Two elderly nuns live in the temple: 80-year-old Lavrentia And 85-year-old Macaria. As Father Avksentiy jokes, “we inherited it” (from 1993 to 2005 there was a convent here - author’s note) and help mainly with prayer. They also give away a million for food from their pensions.
Women received new unusual names when they were tonsured. Wanting to get into the nuns’ cell, I receive from them a long cotton skirt with a flower and a small cross on a thread.
Be sure to wear a skirt to church and to the refectory,” says Mother Lavrentia, and I nod my head and agree to the new rules of life.
Otherwise, your clothes are completely out of place,” she smiles and looks at my tight gray jeans.
Mother Lavrentia came to God already as a pensioner. Previously, she was an accountant, milkmaid, and nurse. According to the laws of the Orthodox Church, a woman up to 40–45 years old can take monastic vows. The age range is not accidental. They should benefit the temple not only with prayer, but also with help in the courtyard. Mother now works in a church shop. She can’t even remember why she decided to “leave”.
Two years after my husband’s death, I came to see the monastery in Khoiniki, and stayed there,” says Mother Lavrentia. - You know, before that age I had a consumer faith: light a candle, remember someone, color eggs, get some water.
How did your children react to your decision to join a monastery?
I had three of them: two daughters and a son,” says mother. - One died not long ago. At first they seemed to react with misunderstanding, distrust, and reluctance. Over time we got used to it. And now we are happy. Every year on Radunitsa, with the blessing of the abbot, I come to see them. I go to the cemetery, my mother, husband, and daughter are buried there. Children also sometimes come to see me, but it’s all expensive. Last year, sisters came to visit, one from Lithuania, the other from Russia. They lived here and liked it very much.
“Once I dreamed of the Virgin Mary”
85-year-old Mother Macaria goes out the door and hurries to the " Home room" - a small temple in the monastery itself. I follow her, shouting loudly (the woman has difficulty hearing): “Can I ask you just a couple of questions?”
I have time to read the psalter now! - she responds to my unexpected shouting, diluted by the delicious acoustics of the high ceilings.
The main time is devoted to prayer in the temple. All notes brought “for health” and “for repose” and much more are reported around the clock by monks and nuns.
Tell us your story, how did you come to the monastery?
“I was 70 years old, no husband, no children,” says mother and hints that there is absolutely no time for talking. - One day the Virgin Mary dreamed of me and said: “Go to your cell.” So I came when called. Immediately to the Khoiniki Monastery, and then we were transferred here. All my life I worked as a cook. But I always liked monasticism. I immediately worked as a cook at the temple, and then my legs could not bear the load.
In the garden plot of the temple complex, work is in full swing from morning to evening. Young monk Seraphim watches volunteer builders install new ones wooden windows, also donated by an unnamed entrepreneur.
Seraphim is the son of a priest, he is only 27 years old. He took monastic vows two years ago. Now he studies at the Orthodox Academy.
I came here on vacation, stayed for a month and liked it,” says the monk. - I quit my job - from electrical networks. My parents were shocked, which is why I delayed the decision for a long time. But I realized that the further I went, the more doubts I had.
What is the difference between a monk and a priest?
The most important difference is the inability to have a family. I looked at my friends who were the same age, who managed to get married and divorced, and I was satisfied with this point.
Why does a monk need education?
Weird question. But in general, this is necessary for the parishioners. Here a person comes to you with a question: which icon to pray to, how often and what to do. And everyone’s situation is different: someone’s son is in prison, someone’s husband drinks, someone’s daughter married the wrong person. And you need to give advice: it is important to be an interlocutor.
Later in the conversation, Father Avksentiy also answered this question for me.
Education is necessary so that monks do not spread obscurantism and look at life sensibly, he explained. - Simply ignorance of the foundations of faith, including dogmatism, often gives rise to all sorts of superstitions.
In the morning there is a service, in the evening there is also a mandatory religious procession
Each new day in the monastery begins at seven in the morning with a service, at five - evening prayer and procession. If the service is a liturgy, then it can last more than two hours.
Each monk and worker is assigned his own area of work: someone cuts wood, someone is responsible for cows and chickens. Thus, Father Pavel is in charge of the hives, 36-year-old worker Sasha is in charge of the garden.
After breakfast, I go weed the strawberries, at this time I talk with Sasha, who refuses to be photographed, but is happy to talk about himself.
How do you like it here? - I pull out the grass and conduct a dialogue.
My mother is sick recent months“I didn’t go at all, I had to quit my job on the collective farm and look after her,” Sasha recalls. “They didn’t give her a group; they lived only on her pension. Already, when she was dying, there were a couple of months when we took advantage of benefits for medications. A month after my mother died, my brother hanged himself. I ended up becoming very depressed and ended up in the hospital.
Sasha says that heavy tranquilizers made it difficult for him to return to work: after leaving the hospital, he became insensitive and constantly wanted to sleep.
“Once at home, near the icons, I heard a voice - a church chant,” he says. - The singing was repeated endlessly and I already thought I was going crazy. I called my neighbor and told her: “Listen, can you hear singing?” On her advice, I began to go to the temple, serve there, and these chants stopped. I still don't know what it was. Later I ended up in another monastery, but I didn’t like it there. And here I felt at home. Both the garden and the land. And my soul is easy because I am constantly in church. Now I want to do everything to become a monk. I read a lot and learn to sing.
Does this mean you will never start a family?
In the world - no, here I want to give it to God.
While we were talking, he came up Father Pavel- a third generation priest. His brother is a priest, and his sister is in Riga convent- Abbess. His father taught him to “talk” to bees from an early age.
By the way, if there is fish on the table, it means it was the work of Father Pavel - he is an avid fisherman, he went to Pripyat. Father has a special love for life. Later I noticed that he could simply hug a person who came to him, talk to him, calm him down, kiss him on the head, like a little one. It’s especially funny when he calls his 85-year-old mother “youth.” Loves to play with children who come to the service.
Do you want to see the bees? - Father Pavel frees the hive from down pillows and calls me. - Don’t be afraid, as long as I’m here, they won’t touch you, I shouted at them! Take it in your hands - I take it and shake, hundreds of bees in my hand. - Look, these are honeycombs, we buy them, and the bees themselves stretch them and fill them with honey. This is the uterus - it is the main one. If she flies away, her entire extended family will die. A bee can lay from 500 to 1.5 thousand eggs per day, and after 19 days new bees will be born.
After some time, Sasha says that it’s time to wash your hands and move to the refectory. Today for lunch pea soup with vegetable broth, rice and fish cutlet.
Worker Sasha reads the Teachings again, during which he lost his appetite and just wanted to disappear.
Chapter 42. “On keeping away from acquaintance with the female sex.”
“Reverend fathers, our holy monks of all times, carefully guarded themselves from acquaintance with the female sex. The entry of women into ancient monasteries was prohibited... The union of the sexes in its existing form is natural (to fallen nature). Virginity is higher naturally. Consequently, whoever wants to preserve his body in virginity must certainly keep it away from that body, the union with which is required by nature.”
After reading the prayer, the abbot devotes time to informal conversation.
“I want to conduct a small test between us,” he intrigues. - Everyone, please answer me this question, but it’s a little tricky: where would you like to meet Jesus in your life - in freedom or in prison?
There is silence in the “hall”, and I take the first answer into my own hands, as they say.
I would like to meet him in prison, I would have more time to “stop and think” and communicate with him, I say.
An interesting thought,” Father Avxenty picks up my thoughts. - In fact, we all want freedom. But more often we come to Jesus precisely when trouble strikes us in life. Alas, it is precisely in the most difficult moments of life that we are most open to him. But there is no need to be afraid of trials, they are given to us so that we can think about a lot of things.
"Simone, my girl"
Milk, cottage cheese and sour cream on the monastery table - thanks to the efforts Valeria. He himself comes from Ukraine, served in the Soviet army, was demobilized in Mozyr, and got married. He has been living in the monastery for four years.
Let's go with him backyard monastery I slap fresh cakes behind the commander-in-chief in the barn where three cows and three small calves live. Valery changes noticeably when he sees animals.
Oh, my little miracle, she gave birth,” the man changes his tone and kisses the animal. - Oh, my beauty, how she poses... Simone, my girl, let's get up.
And the cow, as if understanding the words, gets to her feet.
My standard question “why” is answered frankly:
Because he’s a loser, things didn’t work out in worldly life, two families fell apart,” Valery sighs and installs a milking machine for Simone. - From the first marriage there is an adult son, from the second there is also a son, he is nine years old.
For 12 years I worked as a housekeeper in Moscow for wealthy people. They have a country house. There I earned about 800 dollars a month and spent no more than a hundred. Food is free, housing is provided - I had a separate house. I came home for two weeks in the summer and two weeks in the winter. Transferred money to my wife...
We walk around the barn, looking at the offspring.
What do I want to say about the temple? - we sit on a bench where we can smell the strong smell of animals. - You know, we are generally bad with advertising. But there are no advertisements, because main temple closed for many years. I wish people would come here. And the temple could earn something. Do your own creative workshops. And so, we do everything on our own - food from the garden.
Disappointment
At the entrance to the monastery stands wooden house. It is open to those who have lost a roof over their heads and are ready to help the monastery with their hands.
26 year old Glory originally from Russia. Once upon a time, my mother and I fled from the scandals that constantly existed in their family to Blue-Eyed. He studies vocals and sings in a folk choir in a neighboring village. Always polite. Here is a responsible employee: from the kitchen and “go to the store” - to complex construction work. Vyacheslav was the only one here who openly wanted to talk:
Disappointment brought me here,” he lowers his eyes, purses his lips and answers awkwardly. - Disappointment in love. Our relationship lasted a year, and somehow everything didn’t work out. This was very painful. So I came here at the call of my heart. I live at the temple every other week. All good. But it still takes time to come to your senses and start living as before.
If you want to help revive the monastery, you can do so different ways: money, labor force, building materials, things, products.
The monastery is located at the address: Gomel region, Kalinkovichi district, village of Yurovichi, st. Gornaya, 9.
The governor is Abbot Avxentius (Abrazhey Andrey Eduardovich).
Tel.: 8 02345 59292; +375 29 730-11-56.
Requisites
THE HOLY CHRISTMAS OF THE BORN MONASTERY in the village of Yurovichi, Kalinkovichi district, Turov diocese. UNN 400440204, Belarus, 247722 Yurovichi village, Kalinkovichi district, Gomel region, st. Gornaya 9, account number 3015660172019 Central CO No. 7 Directorate of OJSC "BELINVESTBANK" for the Gomel region. Bank code 151501739.
Sberbank of Russia card 4279 0800 1029 4062 is valid until 10/18 ANDREY ABRAZHEY.