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
What does it mean to repent to the Lord for our sins? It means changing our lives by following Christ.
We should all keep the fire of life within us, and not let it die out. A sparkle of this fire is present in each of us, we just need to let it grow. The Divine Liturgy is a shared blessing. We celebrate the liturgy just as we live our lives.
The monastic workshop «Dobrodel» [do-gooder] gives work to people with mental disability and helps them overcome their feelings of worthlessness, loneliness and social isolation and return to normalcy.
Matushka Larisa Nezhbort, who wrote her family’s a deeply moving adoption story, is also an inspired icon painter. We asked her to share her thoughts about the sources of unity and inspiration for the artists from the icon-painting workshop.
At Christmas markets, our Sisters meet many new people, speak with them, share the Orthodox faith, and even sing Christmas Carols! Every Sister who has ever been at one of those markets has at least one story about a miracle that she’s experienced.
Just one person corrupted by sin may corrupt many other people and things around him. There is no paradise on this earth, but its landscapes and scenery still give us comfort. They are creations of our Lord, and they make visible to us His Divine…
Brother Georgy Yurkevich is a long-time member of our monastic family. We asked him about his passion for flying, his discovery of God, and how his experiences at the Convent helped him become a better father, husband, and Christian.
The Sisterhood, in honour of the Holy Martyr Grand Duchess Elisabeth, was established in 1994. We began with only a small group of lay sisters visiting the patients of the National Psychiatric Hospital.
The monastic and lay sisters and brothers of Saint Elisabeth Convent make helping people in need an important part of their everyday lives. The sisters are inspired to serve with our heavenly intercessor, Saint Elisabeth, and our Saviour.
Alexey Kolesnikov is an artist and works in a monastic workshop. He is the head of a large and happy family. We interviewed him about the role of art in his family, maintaining work-life balance, and about the foundations of a happy family life.
The enemy is working hard to divert us from our narrow path of salvation; he wants us to lose sight of our homeland in heaven and follow fake leaders in pursuit of a false cause. We plead for the Lord’s help all the time. We need Him every step…
