The closer we approach God, the more it hurts inside. Every real step towards God tears a person apart. The Lord does not want us to become attached to time, space, or any particular values. He wants us to be free.
Birthday: 04.08.1956
Name Day: December 13 ( Apostle Andrew the First-Called)
Chirotony Dates: 04/07/1992; 11/14/1992
We all sincerely desire to be saved. Otherwise, we would not be here. Coming to church out of habit, listening to chants, saying some good words and smiling at one another may be beneficial for our mind, but not for our spirit. In reality, we come here because we are preparing for death. The time will come for each of us to ascend his own Golgotha. We should not be afraid however, because we are Christians...
Birthday: 04.17.1964
Name Day: October 8 (Reverend Sergius of Radonezh)
Chirotony Dates: 12/30/1995; 08/28/1996;
The Church has a simple recipe for all of life's emergencies: cling to the Lord in prayer, Communion, and everything that unites a person with Him. Then, our sorrows and misfortunes recede, and our problems are solved. However, doing so takes effort, and renunciation of one's ego and pride, because the enemy is trying to sow anger, resentment and hostility in our hearts.
Birthday: 07.07.1965
Name Day: December 13 (Apostle Andrew the First-Called)
Chirotony Dates: 05/28/1998; 06/06/1998
The Lord is always looking for ways not to punish or defeat a person, but to save each one of us.
Birthday: 10.23.1957
Name Day: December 6 (The Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky)
Chirotony Dates: 03/15/2000; 04/23/2000
In our time, enduring ourselves with all our so-called character traits is probably the greatest act of faith. [This act is necessary] for the Lord to blot out all of these "rough spots" bringing to light the pure gold of the soul that He created, and that is now covered with a crust...
Birthday: 02.14.1950
Name Day: March 22 (Holy Martyr Valery)
Chirotony Dates: 05/23/2001; 11/25/2001
Holiness is not some unattainable height. Holiness is when God begins to act in a sinful person, in spite of all his human talents, or perhaps his infirmities. At this point, it is no longer a personal achievement, but God's grace.
Birthday: 10.27.1974
Name Day: October 8 (Reverend Sergius of Radonezh)
Chirotony Dates: 02/10/2002; 06/16/2013
What does it mean to repent to the Lord for our sins? It means changing our lives by following Christ.
Birthday: 08.07.1979
Name Day: October 8 (Reverend Sergius of Radonezh)
Chirotony Dates: 11/05/2009; 06/20/2010
In any of our trials and difficulties, we must not forget that the church is always open, and that we can come here, be comforted, pray, ask God for forgiveness and achieve the very purpose of our coming into this world—the union with Christ.
Birthday: 08.29.1973
Name Day: November 23 (Apostle Rodion)
Chirotony Dates: 11/28/2011; 02/25/2012
There are words in the Gospel that speak of the simplicity that we must achieve to be able to draw close to God, so that He can lay His hand on us, as if we were children with simple, innocent thoughts and feelings.
Birthday: 09.21.1968
Name Day: November 2 (Great Martyr Artemy)
Chirotony Dates: 12/14/2009; 03/15/2015
I have come to realize that this world has its own ways, none of which has anything in store for me in regard to the salvation of my soul. At the same time, I was moved by the gospel parable of the talents. It really touched my heart, and kept me awake at night. I was thinking, 'What if I am hiding my God-given talent in the sand instead of answering His call? What account will I give for this?' When I was 27, these thoughts led me to enter the seminary.
Birthday: 08.10.1986
Name Day: October 8 (Reverend Sergius of Radonezh)
Chirotony Dates: 07/29/2016; 01/01/2017
Any knowledge that man discovers through science is a gift of God to people, proclaiming His presence in this world.
Birthday: 07.14.1980
Name Day: October 3 (Blessed Prince Oleg Bryansky)
Chirotony Dates: 07/19/2020; 11/07/2020
Birthday: 11.14.1973
Name Day: October 3 (Blessed Prince Oleg Bryansky)
Chirotony Dates: 10/22/2005
Birthday: 07.19.1972
Name Day: August 6 (Blessed Prince Boris)
Chirotony Dates: 06/02/2012
I have come to realize that this world has its own ways, none of which has anything in store for me in regard to the salvation of my soul. At the same time, I was moved by the gospel parable of the talents. It really touched my heart, and kept me awake at night. I was thinking, 'What if I am hiding my God-given talent in the sand instead of answering His call? What account will I give for this?' When I was 27, these thoughts led me to enter the seminary.
Let us ask that St. Nicholas does not abandon his heavenly intercessions and that he corrects what we are doing wrong. Let us ask him to instruct us to do every good deed, so that by his prayers we dare to do the works of God
Sister of Mercy Tatyana Schastnaya has worked behind the church stalls of Saint Elisabeth Convent for almost fifteen years. We talk to Sister Tatyana about overcoming difficulties and dealing with sorrows.
Each of our monastery’s workshops has prepared its own wonderful gift this Christmas Season. Our artists have been painting on glass and ceramics, embroidering serviettes, carving small wooden Nativity scenes, making toys and painting Christmas…
Last Sunday, we celebrated the feast of Archangel Michael and his army of angels. It is composed of his loyal warriors, and our guardian angels are among them. They accompany all our lives from baptism, interceding for us before our Lord.
Natalya Orlovskaya, a sister of mercy, has the talent of comforting the desperate and grieving. According to Natalya, this talent is a gift from God. We talked to Sister Natalya about discovering God and how it can bring happiness to our lives.
At Saint Elisabeth Convent, Elena Dubovik is a sister of mercy. We asked sister Elena to tell us more about her obediences in the mental and tuberculosis clinic. We asked her how her service gives inspiration and hope to the patients and helps…
Monastics are people who fend for themselves. They go it alone and ascetise out of everybody's view.
Would we not say that our present world has many similarities with the land of Gerasenes? Is it not a world that believes only in the unlimited power of modern medicine but cares too little about spiritual health and salvation in the faith?
Priest Alexander Naseko is the head of the Synodal Division of Missionary Work of the Belarusian Orthodox Church and a special guest at our Convent's festival "Joy of the Protection of the Mother of God" that closed this October. He spoke to…
