Overcoming separation to live in the Lord

Meeting God changes our view of the world. We begin to see it as a whole, not a collection of isolated fragments. Our life and our world extend beyond all imaginable limits.

Helping Ourselves by Helping Others

Yet we always benefit - spiritually and even physically - by overcoming ourselves to help another. So let us take care of ourselves by taking care of others.

Forgiving our debtors

The short text of the prayer "Lord Our Father" has these precious lines, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors". They remind us that our debtors are not just those who owe us money, but they are also people who we should not judge.

God’s messengers who lead us to believe

As a sister at the Convent, I have had many people say to me, "How can we believe in God when we have not had the experience or the need to believe?" How can I respond? Let me share my experience of coming to God.

Dormition of the Mother of God, a celebration of life

The Mother of God is our Mother in Heaven; she intercedes for us and comes to our help throughout our lives. Her love is salvific and everlasting. Mother of all the world's children, she defeated death in her heart.

Our Ichthys Orthodox School

The school year in Belarus begins on the first of September. This date is an important one for our ministry, as St Elisabeth Convent has established the first and the only Christian school in Belarus, the Ichthys Christian Orthodox School.

Holding out in the stormy sea of our lives

A battle is going on for our souls and our everlasting life. To win, we must overcome the resistance of the flesh. We must battle against sin, yet we often find sin pleasing and tempting. We can only win by compelling ourselves.

Following Christ at all times, with joy and courage

Nun Magdalena was born and grew up in Poland, but has joined Saint Elisabeth Convent. We asked her to share with us how she found God and discovered her monastic calling, and how she defines for herself the goals for her spiritual life as a…

Lifting Our Hearts to the Lord

Let us be inspired. May we see the light in the darkness and defeat evil with our good works and intentions. Let us smile more often and always find something good to say to one another.

Overcoming complacency and restoring our zeal for Christ

So where has our zeal for God gone? We still see our lives revolve around Christ. We still cannot imagine our world without Him. Why have we lost the ardour?

The Dormition Fast

Those Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar are about to start the shortest period of fasting of the liturgical year on the 14th of August - the Dormition Fast. It lasts only for two weeks.

Growing in the spirit to see Christ

At Christ's entry to Jericho, the biblical Zacheus, the chief publican, climbed a tree to see Him. Spiritually, we should always be at our high point. By overcoming our old selves, and not pandering to them, we reach new heights.

Strengthening our faith in times of illness

We know that not a hair of our head will perish without God's will. Realizing our weakness and spiritual poverty should bring us to revise our approach to life and rethink our relationship with God.

Types of hand-painted Orthodox icons

Even the non-Christians often get fascinated by the Orthodox hand-painted icons. Many get interested in this art form after seeing the famous icons painted by St Luke, which depict the Mother of God.

A man with a sense of purpose and a love of God

Schema-monk Piotr (Piotr Polyak), who departed to God in 2011, lived a difficult life and knew many falls and victories over sin. At all times, he had genuine trust in God and was committed to serving God and the people.

Returning to God and accepting monasticism - Novice Elena's story

Novice Elena: “The Kingdom of Heaven is my destination. I am learning to give others God's ultimate love and mastering the art of humility. I find all the events in my life deeply providential. Even the sins that God allows me from time to time…

Following Christ by taking the pains of others

By learning to understand and accept people of all sorts in any condition, I am growing - in faith, trust, hope and love. I am putting my sorrows into perspective and find my experience invaluable and therapeutic.

‘Family reunions’ - bringing life to married relationships

The Family Reunions Project based at Saint Elisabeth Convent helps families in crisis work together to mend their relationship. The participants are encouraged to find joint solutions to their problems and relearn the essential skills of communication.

May the bells of Saint Sergius give strength to our spirits

We are looking forward to hearing his voice soon in the chiming of the bells of the church named in his honour. We expect it to happen soon with your donations, which recently exceeded two-thirds of the needed amount.

Discovery of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

On 21 July, we celebrate the discovery of The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God - one of the most revered icons in Russia that inspired Russians to endure their moments of greatest difficulty.