Report at the XXIII International Christmas educational readings, direction “The succession of patristic traditions in the monasticism of the Russian Church” (Sretensky stavropegial monastery. January 22-23, 2015)

The inner life of a monk largely depends on the internal rules of the monastery.

The monastery, like a spiritual cradle, takes in babies and gives them everything they need to grow for God. Prayer, as the main task of a monk, is not only a conversation with God, it is the atmosphere in which the soul lives, and monasteries, or ισιχαστιρηα - literally translated, a place of silence and peace - create the atmosphere that is conducive to prayer. Two words: προσ− ευχη, translated from Greek, make up the meaning of the word “prayer.” Ευχη means prayer, a wish as if in a static state, and in combination with προσ it means its direction or movement towards any person, with the aim of connecting with him. This person for a monk is Christ Himself, to Him he is called to constantly turn his inner gaze and heartfelt desire to unite with Him.

When such a desire matures in a person’s heart, he becomes uninterested in the world in which he lives; he loses interest in communicating with his loved ones, he loses his taste for everything worldly and at some point knocks on the monastery gates to enter... We can say that he heard the voice of God, as the prophet Moses once heard him: “ go up to my mountain and stand there...” (Ex. 24:12). And what is the result? − “...and Moses went up into the mountain, and the clouds covered the mountain, and the Glory of God came down...” (Ex. 24:15-16).

IN Old Testament monastic life was transformed by holy men, such as the prophet Moses, the holy prophet Elijah, and St. John the Baptist, who lived “in deserts, caves, and the pits of the earth...” (Heb. 11:38).

Moses was chosen by God to lead the people out of slavery and lead them to the Promised Land. Moses was almost always in a crowded environment, but most importantly, he did not stop being in constant communication with God, and God Himself instructed him and appeared to him.

Saint John the Baptist, before going out to the people to preach the Gospel, lived for many years, withdrawn from the world, in the desert - in fasting and prayer. And the people who came to him, seeing his harsh life, were surprised. Modern monasteries, like the different faces of Moses and John, essentially embody within their walls these different types of residence, united by one thing - an uninterrupted stay with God. Monasteries are an integral part of the Mother Church and remain an active organ in its living organism. They are like a heart that, although invisible, can be heard. Monks also wish to be invisible to the world but the world hears about good deeds their. Monasticism is Easter, the transition from a spiritual person to a spiritual person. A person comes out of the world in order to be silent for the world and begin a conversation with Christ. By this, he in no way despises people and his relatives, but only his very attachment to them, the spirit of this world, since he thirsts for the Higher Spirit.

If they say about someone: “Here he is - a real monk!”, then it immediately becomes clear to us what is meant: a doer of inner prayer, a non-covetous person, not tied to the earthly world. A monk must build a vertical line within himself: being in the flesh on earth, with the mind in Heaven. Many such verticals are a single component of those pillars that support the whole world. The main thing is not to lose this vertical.

A novice who has stepped onto the threshold of the first degree of monasticism in our monastery is given a blessing to wear a cassock, and she surrenders her mobile phone and receives a rosary in return. The connection with the world ceases, or, more precisely, it changes. Only once a week, on Sunday, the nuns have the blessing to call their family and friends if necessary.

Monasticism, although it gives the impression of escape from the world, is a natural part of society. Monasteries were and are places of spiritual life for the laity, and monks are the spiritual fathers of the people who come to them.

One of the offerings of the love of monasteries to the world is that many monasteries operated and operate hospitals, old people's homes, schools and shelters in which pain, loneliness and orphanhood are treated. Monasteries have served and continue to serve as refuges for the expelled, as homes for the homeless, as workshops where they learn professions, and as educational centers for educating the young.

They asked Avva Agathon: “What is love?” And he, the blessed one, who had perfectly acquired the queen of virtues, answered: “Love is - if I met a leper, I would gladly give him my body, and if it were possible, I would take his body for myself.”

The meaning and tasks of monasteries are only spiritual, therefore nothing worldly should be present within their walls, but only heavenly things, so that the souls of inhabitants and pilgrims are filled with the sweetness of heavenly life. Work in monasteries should be proportionate to the physical and spiritual strength of the inhabitants and be a rest or release from prayerful work. When piety and fear of God reign in a monastery, and no worldly thinking is present in it, this pleases God, touches the laity and attracts them to the monastery.

“As we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit...”(Gal. 6:25), writes the Apostle Paul. If something is done in a monastery that is not in keeping with the spirit of monasticism, then the monks in that monastery will not have inner peace. In order to preserve inner peace and tranquility in the souls of the inhabitants, the monastery should not develop into some kind of profit-making enterprise, and modest monastic shops should not turn into shopping centers where a flow of buyers will flow, and not pious pilgrims seeking spiritual benefit.

If monasteries do have such trading centers, then their best location is not on the territory of the monastery, and they should not be served by monks. When lay people come to a monastery that lives with a monastic, and not an entrepreneurial, spirit, they receive benefits, healing of the soul, strengthening of the spirit and strength to further bear their earthly cross.

Regardless of whether the monastery is located high in the mountains, far in the desert, or in the center of the bustle of the city, the monastery fence has its function: it not only optically, but also spiritually protects, protects the internal life of the monastery from outside influences.

The laity should be received in the monastery cordially, in simplicity of spirit and love. They expect to see a different life in the monasteries, to “taste a little of heaven,” and for this they do not necessarily have to start conversations with the monks. Everything they need is given to them by the Lord Himself through participation in monastic services, the Sacraments of Confession and Communion. And a short stay among monastics in itself already has a healing effect on the soul.

“When we are silent,” said Venerable Seraphim Sarovsky, - then the devil does not have time to reach the hidden person of the heart; Understand this about silence in the mind. It gives birth to various fruits of the Spirit in the soul. From solitude and silence tenderness and meekness are born; in combination with other activities of the spirit, it elevates a person to piety. The fruit of silence is peace of soul, silence and constant prayer.” Through silence, the Monk Seraphim achieved the highest spiritual gifts and grace-filled consolations, feeling in his heart the constant joy of the Holy Spirit, which poured out into the hearts of those who looked at him.

In the monastery entrusted to me, communication between sisters is very limited, but, of course, not in the spirit of prohibition or blind submission. Our Abba, at the very beginning of our founding, instructed us with these words: “Beware of unnecessary conversations with each other. Especially in women’s monasteries there is such a danger of “getting sick with verbosity”... pay the main attention to prayer, because that’s what you came here for.”

The hotel sister meets pilgrims and answers the first questions they have; if desired, pilgrims can talk with the abbess. IN modern world a person does not need bodily food as much as he acutely feels the need for spiritual nutrition. The diseases of modern society naturally pose new challenges for monasteries and require a special approach to solving them. Help at least one family not to collapse, support teenagers who must withstand enormous psychological pressure in schools, help as much as possible and tell the mother not to kill in the womb...

How can we determine the extent to which monks can participate in the life of the laity?

The Monk Paisius of Athos was asked about this, and he answered: “Monks can help the laity until the moment they see that a person can already help himself. If we immerse ourselves entirely in the problems and sorrows of the laity, then we ourselves will soon become laity. It happens that a monk, under the pretext of helping the laity, commits acts that are alien to the monastic spirit. In this case, the laity do not receive any benefit from the help, but on the contrary, they are tempted, seeing in the monastics the worldly spirit they are accustomed to. There are monks who carry a worldly spirit within them, and vice versa - laypeople who have a monastic spirit within them. Therefore, when meeting Christ, the schema will be removed from one and placed on the other...”

"If the laity wish monastic life, then they become saints, and if a monk wants a worldly life, then he goes to hell,” said the monk. Monks should try to help the whole world, first of all, with their prayer, because they are given time for this work. They are not bound by everyday responsibilities and therefore can and should help others if they themselves live in a prayerful spirit.

Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that a person comes to the monastery with his own worldly attitude and even with his own profession. While waiting for its use in the monastery, he does not even think about parting with his “wealth”. He actually brings a worldly spirit with him into the monastery, in which he continues to live. Lacking diligence in fulfilling spiritual obedience and in the absence of proper attention from the abbot, his mind is mainly occupied with external affairs and, in the end, becomes spiritually coarse so that it is impossible for him even when he is bound to sit in his cell. Every now and then he moves among the pilgrims, looking for a conversation with them, wanting to help them, show them the sights of the monastery... and all his attention is turned to the perishable (buildings, beautifully planted flowers, equipment, dishes). Such a monk openly shows to the laity his origin from clay, and not from the Spirit of God.

Over time, each monastery develops its own experience of maintaining silence and silence. This depends on many both internal and external factors. For example, is it possible to assume a silent life for monastic brothers and sisters who carry out obedience in the Holy Land? Almost impossible.

I know the experience of some monasteries, where on Wednesdays and Fridays the telephone is completely turned off and only the fax works. They are familiar with the Internet by hearsay. However, one of these monasteries maintains an orphanage and a home for the elderly, which are run by pious laymen. Twice a week, nuns with medical education, as well as catechist sisters, work in them, but on the remaining days of the week these nuns labor in their monastic order. It’s hard for me to imagine that in Germany, where there are only two monasteries, you can practice turning off your phone for two whole days... but you can try.

In one large, communal monastery, in which approximately 150 sisters work, the sisters are forced to find themselves “benefactors” who can pay for the most necessary things - medicines, fabric for monastic clothes, a one-time vacation per year...

The abbess of one of the Greek monasteries told us this summer that when she did not go to her father’s funeral, her mother and brother could not bear it and were indignant, telling her: “You are in delight! Is this a manifestation of love that you monks tell us about?” Her answer to her brother was as follows: “I still won’t be able to return the life of our father, but I can help him with prayer. I came here to the monastery to leave here for the Kingdom of Heaven, I have no other route.” Only after some time, thank God, did her relatives understand her action.

Communication with the world creates an obstacle to communication with God, since it is physically impossible to talk with two interlocutors at the same time. Listening to one, we leave the other interlocutor and vice versa. In addition, experience shows that when communicating with worldly people, visual or sound impressions certainly remain in the soul of a monk, which subsequently lead to distraction of the mind and are an additional obstacle to smart work, and in worst cases, a bait for the enemy.

Our Abba says: “When communicating with your neighbor, mentally build the Trinity: you are God - your neighbor. And so you will accustom yourself to see your neighbor through Christ as the messenger of God.”

A little from our experience.

Today our monastery is the only Orthodox one convent on the territory of Germany. Pilgrims come to us from all Orthodox jurisdictions, from all over the world, and each with their own national temperament and church traditions. On each door of the guest cell hangs a reminder for pilgrims in Russian and German languages, with the help of which pilgrims can easily navigate the daily routine, services and general rules behavior in the monastery. The day begins in the evening, and the liturgical cycle in the monastery begins at 18:00 in the evening - the ninth hour and vespers, after which a meal is served for both nuns and pilgrims. At 20:00 we serve Little Compline with the canon of the Mother of God from the Octoechos and, after joint prayers for the coming sleep, the rite of forgiveness is performed. After this, the sisters silently disperse to their cells.

“When leaving church, we should not throw the prayer like a rag, but carefully and in complete silence carry it to our cell,” this is how our Abba instructs us. “Monks must enter their cells like a priest entering the altar,” says the Bishop. From 4:00 to 7:00 am they read morning prayers, Midnight Office, Matins and the Hours with pictorial symbols are sung; on days when the Liturgy is served, the symbols are omitted. After the proposed meal or tea, depending on the day of the week, obedience begins. From 12:00 to 13:45 the monastery is closed for rest and the sisters and pilgrims are in their cells. After rest, 15-minute tea for everyone and from 14:00 to 16:00 again obedience. From 16:00 to 18:00 it is time for cell rule and spiritual reading. At this time, the monastery is closed to communication with the world. During these hours, pilgrims, just like the sisters, are not blessed to do anything else or walk around the monastery, disturbing the silence. The pilgrims' stay with us lasts three days. At the request of the pilgrims and subject to their participation in all monastic services, they are blessed to stay longer. We encourage pilgrims with children to wake up their children and bring them to at least part of the service. I saw such an experience in Arizona, with Elder Ephraim, where children from five years old, completely cheerful, came to the night service, which begins at about one in the morning... and waited for Holy Communion. Such experiences among teenagers shape their souls, sometimes for the rest of their lives.

In our monastery, the first floor is occupied by hotel cells for pilgrims, and on the second floor there are cells of nuns. In one building with a common corridor and a refectory, two different worlds. Pilgrims are accepted as temporarily joining the already existing rhythm of monastic life. While participating in divine services and obediences, and often working together with the sisters, they do not have the blessing to talk with them, just as the sisters are not blessed to talk with pilgrims. During obediences, both nuns and pilgrims say the Jesus Prayer in a low voice. When it is played during obediences in a monastery, on the one hand, it protects the monastics from unnecessary external intrusion. On the other hand, perceiving it by ear, it is easier to remain in prayer, in remembrance of Christ, since we all know what kind of flights the mind of a person who begins to pray is capable of.

Thus, monks and laity, communing from the same Chalice and communicating with God in the monastery through prayer, thereby communicate with each other. It is prayerful communication that allows monks and laity to keep this sacred parallel between them undisturbed, which leads to one goal - union with Christ!

Monasticism has established itself and lives as an “army of the sacred,” a monastic and angelic city.

Monasteries are a blessing from God in the modern world!

When hearing the word “monastery,” many still imagine a stone cell, gloomy faces, continuous prayers and complete renunciation from the world. Or a personal tragedy that deprived a person of the meaning to live further, and he “went to a monastery.”

I tried to find out how nuns live in the 21st century and why they choose this path from my school friend, who has been living in a monastery for more than 10 years.

I was surprised to find that my school friend had practically not changed, despite the fact that we had not seen each other for fourteen years! Facial expressions and gestures, intonations, and style of speech remained the same. And character. Sister Alexandra (that’s Yulia’s name after her tonsure) willingly told me about her life in the monastery, about what brought her here, and what she actually found here.

To a foreign monastery

– How did you decide to go to the monastery? Have you been going to church since childhood?

“My grandmother took me to church, and in high school I started going with my girlfriends, but we also managed to go to parties, and even to nightclubs, although my mother was against it. When we graduated from school, everyone decided to enter theological school. Each of us was going to marry a priest in order to remain in the spiritual sphere. We met the teachers and began preparing for admission next year. I periodically went to this monastery, once I stayed for a week, I really liked it here. I even wanted to stay, but I had to return home and finish my business. You can't be obligated to something and come here.

In general, instead of getting married, I chose life in a monastery. We had the same goal, but everything turned out differently. I wasn’t going to join a monastery, but I know girls who were, but they have families now. Everything is the will of God, no one is immune from anything.

– There is an opinion that mostly people who have had a misfortune go to the monastery and they no longer see the meaning in life. Or are these some “downtrodden” girls who could not find themselves in the ordinary world. Is it so?

“There’s no hiding from grief here.” There is nowhere you can hide from yourself. Mostly those who like it here come to the monastery. All people are different: sad and cheerful, calm and active. I don’t agree that only the “downtrodden” come here.

(Two nuns pass by us, girls about 25 years old: rosy faces, smiles; which only confirms Yulia’s words.)

– How are those wishing to be accepted into the monastery? Are there any stages?

“People just stay and approach Mother Superior or the dean. They look at the new girl, how she prays and works. The main criterion is obedience. First, the girl puts on a scarf and long skirt. Before tonsure, a novice can live in a monastery from one to three years, but this is on average. Someone can live ten years and leave without taking monastic vows.

“A slave is not a pilgrim”

– What do nuns do? How does your day usually go?

– Each has its own responsibilities – work. When you come to the monastery, you submit documents - what kind of education you have, what skills and experience. Usually they try to distribute work according to education: with medical education they go to become nurses or become doctors, with economics they do accounting, and those who sing well go into the choir. Although they can send you to the barn with two higher ones. The day begins and ends with prayer. We get up at 5.30 for the first service, work throughout the day, and read the lives of the saints at meals. After lunch back to work, then evening service, evening rule(prayer for the coming sleep), and we go to bed around 11 pm.

– Do you receive a salary for your work? Why do nuns even exist?

– In our monastery there are no salaries, although such a practice exists - in some monasteries I know for sure, they give out money on holidays. Somewhere a monastery cannot fully provide for nuns. We have housing, we eat here, we are given “work” clothes. But everything else... Some people get help from their parents, relatives, friends.

– What conditions do the nuns live in?

– Our conditions are normal, we live two or three people in a room, there is a shower and toilet on the floor. But in some monasteries they live very poorly, they heat with wood. And if the monastery is frequently visited, the nuns are arranged much better: each sister has her own house, which has a kitchen, bedroom, and hall. Guests come to them, whom you can invite to your place and give them tea.

– Can you leave the monastery and visit relatives?

– Yes, in every monastery there is a “vacation”, but everywhere different conditions. In some places, nuns may leave every year, in others more often, in others less often, depending on the circumstances. Some monasteries have certain days when you can leave. We are all human, even though we live in a monastery. I believe that vacation is a must. A slave is not a pilgrim.

Peace to the world

– By the way, how did your relatives and friends react when they found out that you had gone to a monastery?

- But I didn’t tell anyone. Only those closest to me knew, and it was hard for them to let me go. We told the others that I had gone to another place. There are just a lot of questions and speculation when people find out right away. And when this happens after some time, it’s easier to perceive. But many are preparing to leave openly.

– Did you have any doubts about the right path? What should a nun do in this case? And how do the authorities react if someone is about to leave the monastery?

– It’s hard to say how they will react; of course, it’s sad when they leave the monastery. Some discuss doubts with the sisters, others go to the abbess. Sometimes it can be very difficult... But I can only talk about the problems to a loved one. We live like a big family. There are quarrels and reconciliations. But if a person decides to leave because of something, it means that his internal state. Why can't he accept certain things? Life in a monastery, like marriage, requires compromises to stay.

– Do you celebrate holidays and birthdays? Can nuns drink wine?

- We are celebrating Orthodox holidays. First is Christmas, the most joyful holiday: we sing carols and go from cell to cell. Then Easter... In some monasteries you can drink a little wine. We celebrate together, we fast together, it’s not at all boring as it seems. Some people celebrate their birthday, but more often it's angel's day.

– Do many new people come to monasteries now? And is there a place and work for them all?

– Every monastery needs new people. Now not so many come, about five people a year. The boom occurred in the mid-90s, and until about 2005 many people went to monasteries. This was probably due to the fact that in the early 90s the church began to revive.

– Is it possible in the monastery for career advancement, so to speak? career?

– This is relevant for monasteries. In women's, you can become an abbess, but I don't strive for anything, I'm fine as is.

Who are the monks, where do they live and what clothes do they wear? What makes them choose such a difficult path? These questions are of interest not only to those who are planning to enter a monastery. What is known about people who voluntarily renounced worldly pleasures and devoted themselves to worship?

Monastery - what is it?

First, it’s worth figuring out where the monks live. The term “monastery” came into our language from Greek. This word means "alone, lonely" and is used to refer to communities or people who choose to be alone. A monastery is a religious gathering of people who have taken a vow of celibacy and withdrawn from society.

Traditionally, the monastery has a complex of buildings, which includes church, utility and residential premises. They are used depending on the needs of the community. Also, each monastery determines its own charter, which all members of the religious community must follow.

Today, several types of monasteries have survived in which monastic life can take place. The Lavra is a large monastery that is part of the Orthodox Church. Kinovia is a Christian community that has a community charter. An abbey is a Catholic church that is subordinate to a bishop or even directly to the pope. There are also monastic villages called deserts, which are located far from the main monastery.

Historical reference

Knowing the history of the origin of monasteries will help you better understand who the monks are. Nowadays, monasteries can be found in many countries of the world. It is believed that they began to appear since the spread of Christianity, which happened in the third century AD. The first monks were people who left cities into the wilderness and led the life of ascetics; then they were called hermits. Egypt is the birthplace of monasticism; it was in this country that the first cenobia appeared in the 4th century thanks to Pachomius the Great.

Soon after this, monasteries arose first in Palestine and then in European countries. The first monastic communities in the West were created through the efforts of Athanasius the Great. The fathers of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in Rus' were Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk.

Who are monks: general information

It's time to get to the fun part. Who are monks is a question that fascinates many people. This is the name given to those who voluntarily rejected worldly joys and devoted their lives to worship. Monasticism is a calling, not a choice; it is not surprising that only a select few become monks, while everyone else leaves the monastery walls.

Becoming a monk is available not only to men, but also to women. The latter can also settle in a monastery after making the necessary vows. There were times when there were no nunneries or monasteries. This practice was introduced in 1504, it was then that joint monasteries were abolished in Rus'.

Life of monks

The above describes who the monks are. What kind of life do people lead who have followed their calling and dedicated themselves to God? To be tonsured does not mean that a person ends life on earth. It continues to satisfy the need for sleep and food. Of course, each monk has his own duties, working for the benefit of people or the monastery, which is called obedience.

Obedience is the work that the inhabitants of the monastery do when they are free from worship. It is divided into economic and educational. By economic work we mean that which is aimed at maintaining order in the monastery. What kind of work the monk is engaged in is decided by the abbot. Educational work is prayers.

Every minute of such a person is devoted to the service of God. He is not bothered by earthly goals and ideals. The monk’s day is spent in prayers, which become for him a kind of meaning of life.

Vows

It's no secret that monks take vows. What is the monastic vow of celibacy? A person who makes such a promise not only gives up the opportunity to get married. This vow implies that gender no longer matters to him. The bodily shell remained in the world that the monk left; from now on, only souls are important to him.

Also, a servant of God must take a vow of non-covetousness. By saying goodbye to the world, the monk also renounces the right to personal property. This implies that he cannot own anything, even a ballpoint pen. A person gives up property because he no longer needs it. Everything that the monks use, such as books, is the property of the monastery.

What is the monastic vow of obedience? This means that a person completely rejects his desires. His only goal from now on is unity with the Lord, to whom he offers prayers hourly. However, willpower remains with him. In addition, the monk is required to unquestioningly follow the orders of the abbot. This is not a sign of submission and servility, but rather helps to find peace and joy in the soul.

How to become a monk

Becoming a monk is a long journey that not every applicant succeeds in completing. Many people realize that they are not able to part with the benefits of civilization, to give up the opportunity to have a family and property. The road to becoming a servant of God begins with communication with a spiritual father, who gives useful advice to a person who has decided to say goodbye to worldly life.

Next, the applicant, if he has not yet abandoned his intention, becomes a laborer - an assistant to the clergy. He must constantly be in the monastery and follow its rules. This gives a person the opportunity to understand whether he is ready to spend his life in prayer and physical labor, say goodbye to the benefits of civilization, and rarely see his family. On average, a future monk follows the path of a laborer for about three years, after which he becomes a novice. The duration of this stage is determined individually; a person is still free to leave the monastery walls at any time. If he passes all the tests with honor, he will be tonsured a monk.

About the ranks

Residents of our country are accustomed to calling the clergyman “priest.” This common word is acceptable, but you need to know that in the Orthodox Church there is a strict hierarchy of orders. To begin with, it is worth mentioning that all clergy are divided into black (taking a vow of celibacy) and white (having the right to start a family).

Only four are available to family people Orthodox rank: deacon, protodeacon, priest and archpriest. Many people prefer this path because they do not want to completely abandon worldly life. What kind of monastic rank can a person who decides to do this receive? There are many more options: hierodeacon, archdeacon, hieromonk, abbot, archimandrite and so on. A monk can also become a bishop, archbishop, metropolitan, or patriarch.

The highest monastic rank is patriarch. Only a person who has taken a vow of celibacy can be awarded it. There are known cases when family clergy, whose children have already grown up, with the consent of their spouses, go to a monastery and renounce worldly life. It happens that their wives do the same, as evidenced by the example of Saints Fevronia and Peter of Murom.

Cloth

The clothing of the monks also arouses keen interest among the public. A cassock is a long robe that reaches to the heels. It has narrow sleeves and the collar is buttoned tightly. The cassock is an undergarment. If worn by a monk, the item should be black. Cassocks of other colors (gray, brown, white, dark blue) can only be afforded by family clergy. Traditionally, they are made from wool, cloth, satin, and linen.

Of course, the clothing of monks is not only a cassock. The outer garment of a person who has dedicated himself to God is called a cassock. Traditionally, it has long and wide sleeves. Black cassocks are most widespread, but you can also find white, cream, gray, and brown versions.

It is impossible not to mention the monastic headdress - the hood. It appeared in the church environment a long time ago, initially it looked like a soft cap made of simple matter. The modern cap is covered with a black veil that extends below the shoulders. Most often you can find black hoods, but there are also products made in other colors.

Who can't become a monk

Entering a monastery is a decision that not every person can implement. It is believed that people cannot give up their worldly life if they are kept from this commitment to others. Let's say the candidate has small children, elderly parents, and disabled relatives. Also, those who are being treated for a serious illness should not think about tonsure. This is due to the fact that the person would have to give up quality medical care.

The correspondent of the “Ivanovskaya Gazeta” spent three months as a laborer in a convent - the Svyatoezerskaya Iveron Hermitage...

Inequality

The degree of severity of monastic rules is different for everyone. For example, you go to the refectory in the morning. No one has a blessing for breakfast! You see a whole table with food left over from lunch and dinner. Nuns, novices, and kitchen workers are sitting and happily talking about something. They fall silent when you appear. Eat with them. And the next day you listen to reproaches from the nun Ephrama: “ How could you leave the station and go to the refectory! No one has a blessing for this. Yes, the nuns and workers are sitting. But they are so...” It turns out that they can, but I can’t! Or you are obliged to go to the evening service, even if your legs are weak from fatigue. But the laborer Natalya, who washes dishes in the monastery, may not visit them at all. She is an orphan and has been wandering around monasteries all her life. People in the Desert feel sorry for her.

One of the nuns’ mother lives in the monastery. She herself is a cellarer (in the worldly sense, the head of the dining room). A mother who has been living in the Desert for several months now helps her daughter in the refectory. A woman has no clear responsibilities, no obediences. Everything she does is done voluntarily. Nuns sometimes come to each other's cells without a blessing. They do not go to bed at a clearly set time, preferring to communicate with each other. Why is a newcomer who struggles treated so harshly?

There are completely reasonable answers to all these questions. Why does inequality exist? Firstly, you are new to the monastery. They keep an eye on you, just like in any team. Secondly, you came from nowhere, without the blessing of your spiritual father. This worries the nuns very much. Thirdly, the neophyte, as it turns out later, is tested for strength. One of the nuns admitted: “You were specially sent to do heavy physical labor. They wanted to check whether you could stand it or not. Everyone who begins their journey in a monastery goes through this. Then they will be sent to another area of ​​work, for example, to sew robes. In a monastery you should be able to do everything.”

Monks: who are they?

- How long have you been in the monastery? - I ask nun Ephraim.

- Monks are not asked such questions. But I'll tell you. I've been here for 12 years. She is from Sochi. Former geologist. There is a son and grandson. I hardly communicate with my family.

Relatives in the monastery are a special topic.

Nun Maria: “I'm from Moscow myself. From the age of 18 I wanted to become a nun. The spiritual father said: “Finish college.” Finished. She told her mother: “I want to go to a monastery!” Mom didn’t understand: “You’re a normal girl!” Then - family scandals and quarrels. Mom took away my passport and religious literature, locked me at home, and tried to get me a job. I knelt down: “Let me go!” She began to travel with me as a pilgrim to monasteries. We began to understand each other. One day I called from here: “Mom, tomorrow I’m being tonsured as a monk.” Mom: “Well, this is your way.”

Nun Onufria: “I wanted to become a nun from the age of 16, to settle in the Diveyevo convent. Then a friend came to this monastery and “pulled” me here. I moved here with my mother and twin sister. Now our whole family are nuns.”

Father Dmitry(serves in the monastery): “ You can go to a monastery only with the blessing of your loved ones.”

Pilgrim - laborer - search for a spiritual father - entry into the nursing corps (with the permission of the abbess) - novitiate - monasticism - monasticism. This is almost a mandatory procedure for becoming a nun. But there are also exceptions.

Nun Onufria explains: “You can live your whole life as a laborer in a monastery, or you can immediately become a nun. The main thing is your own inner feeling, the power of faith.”

From a worldly point of view, all the nuns of the monastery can be divided into three categories. The first is the young nuns. Usually these are girls 18-25 years old. From an early age they visit temples and monasteries. Upon reaching adulthood, future nuns find spiritual fathers and take monastic vows.

Why they leave worldly life is a complex question. This is the secret of monasticism. Young nuns are the most dangerous contingent for the Desert. They can fall into temptation more easily. There are cases when young nuns left the monastery, got married and stopped visiting the temple. That's why Holy Synod The Russian Orthodox Church decided that women who have reached their 30th birthday can take monastic vows.

You need to understand that entering a monastery is a very bold and extremely decisive step. A person changes his life radically, sometimes without suspecting what awaits him beyond the fence of the Desert. A nun can begin to be “broken” after even 10 years of non-secular life. This becomes a real personal tragedy: a woman expects something specific from monasticism, but gets something completely different.

Leaving the Desert is not prohibited. “Our gates are open, - speaks Abbess Georgiy, - but what to do if you took an oath before God?”

The second category of nuns are people who came to Pustyn after a life tragedy. For example, you got sick or led an unhealthy lifestyle and decided to improve. There are many such nuns: former convicts, women lung behavior, etc. They are among the most religious. None of them talks about their difficult past and no one asks unnecessary questions. And so everything is clear, without words.

The third category is elderly nuns. They take monastic vows at the end of their lives. Some become schemamonks (that is, those who do not fulfill obediences and only pray in their lonely cell). Elderly nuns are the calmest. But sometimes they cannot withstand temptations. A 70-year-old cell neighbor left Pustyn for another monastery (Optina metochion) without explanation.

The powers of the inhabitants of the Desert are extremely regulated. Mother Maria is in charge of the sacristy, Ambrose's mother is in charge of the cellarer in the refectory, Pelagia's mother is in charge of the warehouse, Onufria's mother is in charge of the "hotel housekeeping", Joseph's mother is the chief "fisherman", Domna's mother is the monastery doctor. A monk must be able to do everything. But in the Desert no one invades “foreign” territory or performs other people’s functions.

Nuns lead a correct lifestyle. They do not drink, do not smoke, and fast (almost 240 days a year). The local population believes that the nuns move to the other side of the lake and indulge in all their might. This is wrong. The nuns (who, however, allow themselves to bathe in robes in the Holy Lake) simply have no time for debauchery. They work 6 days a week. If there is nothing to do, they pray, read akathists, perform other obediences (for example, one of the nuns must read the Jesus Prayer 300 times before leaving their cell).

On Sunday there is a long service until one o'clock in the afternoon. On Sunday evenings, the nuns sleep before a hard week of work.

Holidays, of course, happen: Easter, for example, or Peter and Paul Day. IN holidays It is prohibited to work, but it is also not allowed to leave the territory of the Desert. ( “So as not to be tempted”- the nuns say). Pilgrims arrive on holidays. They are allowed to stay in the monastery for only three days. Although there are exceptions. People who have been traveling to Pustyn for a long time are treated like family by the nuns. They are allowed to stay in the Desert even for several weeks. (Pilgrims often cause irritation. You feel that they are treated almost more hospitably than you, and are not so harsh with them.)

Nuns are required to go to confession and receive communion weekly. Before communion there is a mandatory three-day fast. During fasting days, nuns try not to talk. Each of them endures this difficult moment differently. "IN fast days we have conflicts, says mother Maria. - Temptations are greatest at this time. Many nuns can’t stand it and break down.”

Relationships with the local population and nuns are a controversial issue. The Desert Temple is regularly visited by parishioners. Nuns go to visit sick and infirm believers. The nuns buy mushrooms and berries from the locals for their own needs. For those who do not believe in God, the path to the monastery territory is practically closed. The nuns can tell many unpleasant stories about the non-believers living in the village. The local population, according to the inhabitants of the Desert, is engaged in theft. They can “drag away” anything: a shovel from a monastery site, and an icon from a temple.

In addition, some residents, according to the nuns, “prandise” in witchcraft. Opposite the church altar in the flower garden, Ephraim’s mother regularly digs up dead chickens. A bird killed in front of the temple walls is considered obscurantist. The priests serving in the Desert refuse to give communion and confess to the “sorcerers.”

Behind the fence

Why are you leaving the monastery after three months of stay? You understand that you are a worldly person after all (at least for now). You were not prepared for the unexpected turn of fate. The monastery is very difficult, it is not for everyone. After all, it is possible to behave righteously in the world!

What do you leave behind the fence of the Desert? A piece of yourself - the past. What are you going into the world with? With the realization that life is a wonderful thing, you can do many good, good deeds in it.

And further. You come to the conclusion: you can either fall or rise. But in any case, at the top and at the bottom, you must remain human!

Monastery life

The moment a worldly person decides to put on an angelic image and change his usual clothes to a monastic robe, his life turns into a path along which, step by step, he tries to get closer to God. And in order for this path of monastic life to be the most successful, the holy fathers developed an excellent “program” for everyday spiritual life - the charter. The communal rule that prevails today in the monasteries of Russia, Greece and on Mount Athos comes from the studite tradition. This tradition was brought to Athos by St. Athanasius of Athos (961), who later became abbot of the Great Lavra. The rules of the Athonite community harmoniously combine hesychasm, prayer and obedience. That is why the reviving Nikolaev Malitsky Monastery, when choosing a monastic charter, chose the Athos tradition.

LIFE

For Malitsa monks it is quite simple. In a communal (cinenial) monastery, everything is common, including meals. There are separate, so-called “decent” tables in the refectory if you need to receive guests and honor them with your presence.

The monastery monk has a room - a cell with a bed, pillow and mattress, a water jug ​​with a cup, two wardrobes for clothes and books, icons, a table, a reading lamp and a chair. Judging by the size of the cell (3.5 x 1.90 meters), one can imagine how many things will fit there. Monks who are studying can ask for a CD player or cassette recorder in their cell. If the tape recorder has a built-in radio, it is broken out. In general, if a monk needs even such a small thing as toothpaste, he turns to the abbot of the monastery. Without a blessing, a monk literally will not bring even a needle into his cell. Moreover, most monks inspect their cells every few months in order to find items that can be gotten rid of. Every thing eats up time. The more things you have, the more time they take away from the main goal of life.

The monk's clothing - a sign of repentance and humility - consists of a cassock, leather belt, trousers and skufia. Expensive, silk or colored fabrics are not blessed - wool and suit fabric are used. At services, monks are required to wear a Greek cassock and klobuk (kamilavka with markings). Linen can consist of two or three shirts and trousers. Shoes and jackets can be workable and clean. Any clothing in excess of the above is considered excess.
The monks do not earn their own means of living, at their own request, since they are fully supported by the monastery, and they receive everything they need from batteries to medicines with the blessing of the abbot. Of course, the reviving monastery accepts donations from various individuals and organizations. Due to the lack of trade and developed economy, the monastery does not have constant material income. There is also no bookstore, so apart from candles in the temple, “experienced” pilgrims will not be able to purchase anything.

What all monks have in common is a cell, but in it they are “tenants,” or guests for the time allotted by the Lord for repentance. Life on earth is temporary: there is no need to worry about conveniences. A cell for monks is a coffin where one should think about death. Monks in general look at life, the body and the world as if they were looking at a coffin: life is bitter and short on earth, but infinitely sweet in heaven.

CELL RULE.

Each monk has his own appearance, spiritual world and internal routine, therefore the confessor has a special approach to each monk. At the same time, the life of the monastery is still subject to strict regulations and flows strictly according to the schedule. Long before dawn, no later than an hour before the start of the morning service, at a quarter to five, the monks wake up to fulfill their cell rule. For the great, the service begins an hour earlier. Personal monastic rule is performed primarily using the rosary. The monks always have them with them. Bundle by knot they repeat the most important ascetic prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” The monks read the night prayer or canon every night, and every night they ask the Lord God for help in the fight against human passions and worldly thoughts.

The holy fathers call night prayer an “arena,” since every night battles with dark forces are fought in cells through prayer. And the faster the monk approaches God, acquiring virtues, the stronger the attack from dark forces. Personal prayer and teaching is one’s own feat in the cell.

The cell rule is performed standing, with the sign of the cross and small bows from the waist at each prayer. For schema monks it consists of 12 rosaries (centurions) with small bows and one with great bows, for robed monks it consists of 6 rosaries (centurions) with small bows and 60 great bows, and for new monks and novices of 3 rosaries with small bows and 33 great bows. Prostrations to the ground are left only on Sundays throughout the year, and on Bright Week.

WORSHIP

Divine services have always been and continue to be the center of all monastic life.

The liturgical charter that the modern Malitsky monastery adheres to was compiled by the ancient holy fathers - the Holy Mountainers. According to its rules, it is more suitable for a desert-hermit life. At the present time, due to special living conditions, this charter is not observed as strictly as before. But the modern rule, developed by life, is also not easy. It can be said with certainty that in Russia there are hardly a dozen monasteries that follow such a charter. Church services are, of course, daily. In total, divine services take the monks about seven hours a day, taking into account the monastic cell rule.

The main places of worship in the Malitsky monastery are the large Church of the Intercession, which plays the role of a catholicon (καθολικὸν - cathedral church of the monastery), and “ old temple» paraklis (παρεκκλήσ) - a small-sized house church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, located in the southern wing of the fraternal building. Usually, daily services of the daily circle are performed in the old (house) church, and in the new one - Pokrovsky, much larger in size - they are served on major holidays and Sundays throughout the year.

The midnight office begins at a quarter to six. This part of the service is always performed in the dark, and only the glare from the burning lamps illuminates the walls of the temple. In a side corner illuminated by a lamp, one of the monastic readers reads the sequence of the Midnight Office. The atmosphere is peaceful, prayerful: in the muted light of lamps illuminating the golden backgrounds on the icons, black-clad figures of monks and novices silently appear, traditionally crossing themselves and bowing towards the altar and both choirs; They take the morning blessing from the abbot and disperse to the stasidiums.
On weekdays, the entire service is read and sung “quickly”; instead of longer Byzantine chants, “everyday” is used.

After the midnight service, if it is read in the Church of the Intercession, the priest opens the curtain of the Royal Doors of the vestibule and everyone goes into main temple, where matins and hours will be performed.

Along the walls of the entire temple, monks and lay people are located in stasidiums. Thanks to this distribution, the temple accommodates a large number of people, without creating fuss and noise.

A quarter of an hour before the start of the Divine Liturgy, a monk dressed in a robe walks around the monastery and, with blows on a portable wooden beater (τάλαντον), calls workers and pilgrims to the temple one step at a time. Then he immediately hits the iron beater (rivet), after which, if there is a holiday, there is a short ringing in the bell tower.

The liturgy on ordinary days lasts about an hour. The moments of the liturgy considered the most important - the initial exclamation “Blessed is the kingdom”, the great entrance, the epiclesis, the exclamation “Holy to the Holies”, the time of Communion (from the exclamation “With the fear of God” to the exclamation “Always, now and ever...”) - are marked by the fact that that at this time everyone comes out of the stasidia and bows deeply.

The frequency of confession in the Malitsky monastery is not stipulated by a single rule and is determined by the spiritual need of each monk. Confession is usually performed in one of the chapels of the cathedral or in the cell of the confessor. The confessor in the monastery is the abbot. All brethren receive Holy Communion at least once a week (usually on Tuesday and Saturday or Sunday, monks and clergy receive communion every day.

At the end of the liturgy, if there is a celebration of a saint, a dish with kolivo is placed in front of the proskynitarium (lectern for the icon), the troparion and kontakion to the saint are sung, the serving hieromonk censes the kolivo and reads a prayer for his blessing; the same thing happens on days of remembrance of the dead (with the singing of funeral troparions instead of the festive one). At the end of the liturgy, the antidoron is distributed to the faithful.

Services in the monastery are performed in limited quantities. Basically this is baptism and funeral service. The frequency of confession of the brothers is determined by their desire. The abbot blesses them to come to him at least once a week, not necessarily for confession - just for a conversation. While the abbot is outside the walls of the monastery, all services are performed by the second monastery priest.

Immediately after the completion of the Divine Liturgy, usually around 9.30 am, tea follows.

OBEDIENCE

After tea, the monks retire for a while to rest, after which they go to their daily obediences, that is, to work. All monks, including the abbot, go to obedience, since common work is fundamental in every cenobitic monastery. And no matter how difficult or unpleasant obedience may be, the monk accepts it as sent by God, like the Cross, the bearing of which is the path to salvation.

In the Malitsky monastery, various obediences are performed: secretary, sacristan, librarian, ecclesiarch, sextons, singers, readers, bell ringers, icon painters, in the kitchen - cooks and refectories, carpenters, builders, cleaners, gardener, beekeeper, gasman, driver, tour guide, etc. d. In addition, fathers must participate in general work (panginya), such as watering and harvesting crops, cleaning the territory, preparing for the patronal feast, etc. The monastery has several farmsteads, where brothers and parishioners also work. The pious laity provide great assistance to the monastery; they work selflessly for the Glory of God, helping the brethren in almost all obediences. Often it is necessary to attract electricians, plumbers and other specialists from the “world”.

The word obedience (“diaconima”) in Greek comes from the verb "diakono", which means: "service of love." An offering of love also means remaining in prayer and in the memory of God.

Therefore, during obediences, the brethren say the Jesus Prayer. Be sure to pray out loud so as not to be distracted and not talk to each other. Those who are engaged in mental work, for example, office workers or guides working with pilgrims, do not pray out loud.

Any obedience has an established order. If circumstances permit, they perform it for a year or two, then give another. Sometimes they leave it for another year. The person performing it must address all questions to his leader (the chief of obedience) or, if necessary, directly to the abbot. This achieves a lot: it does not allow the imagination to rush around and offer solutions, clears the mind of complex and simple thoughts, focuses attention on prayer, teaches one to seek advice and cut off one’s will. To question is to be saved. If there is obedience, there will be humility - the basis of obedience itself.

In konoviya, monastic duties are performed responsibly. Where at least a few people live, there are already a lot of worries. There is no less work to ensure the life of the monastery than in any human society. And only unquestioning obedience and precise diligence can provide a monk with well-being and peace of mind.

For perfect obedience and cutting off thoughts and will, from the first day of life in the Malitsky monastery, monks are required to learn to do any work accurately and consistently. The rules, briefly formulated by Fr. Joachim from the monastery of St. Anna: talk like a monk, look like a monk, eat like a monk, sleep like a monk, think like a monk, pray like a monk, perform obedience like a monk - the fathers try to observe always and everywhere.

MEAL

There is a meal at exactly one o'clock in the afternoon. 5 minutes before it starts, all the inhabitants are notified by rhythmic knocking on an iron beater. The refectory in the monastery is located next to the Intercession Church, inside on the eastern side, there is the abbot’s table; along the walls there are tables for monks and pilgrims; A pulpit with a book stand in the form of a golden eagle for the reader is attached to the western wall, significantly higher than the floor. While eating, the teachings of St. fathers or lives of saints.

The meal depends on the day of the week and preparation for the Communion of the Holy Mysteries. The monks themselves eat little, since food is secondary to them. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - simple, lean food. During fasting, only plant foods are eaten; there is not even olive oil on the tables. Eating fish on a fast day is no small sin. The inhabitants eat food twice a day, never consuming meat or wine. On ordinary days, there is soup, potatoes or pasta, rice, salad, vegetables and fruits on the tables. To drink – herbal tea, dried fruit compote and water. On holidays and Sundays They can serve salted or baked fish, eggs and cocoa.

At the meal after short prayer the brethren eat in silence for no more than 15 minutes. At this time, the Lives of Saints or spiritual teachings are read. Sometimes in front of the abbot’s table you can see a monk performing a punishment for an offense - bowing. During the meal, the abbot rings the bell three times: after the 1st blow, it is allowed to drink, after the 2nd, the reader stops reading, descends from the pulpit and accepts the blessing from the abbot, and the meal (if it is a Sunday) brings the abbot ukrukha (leftover bread) for blessing. , after the 3rd blow, the eating stops, everyone stands up, then prayers of thanks are read. Several prayers are added before the prayers of thanksgiving. petitions pronounced alternately by the abbot and the reader. After the meal, the abbot stands right side from the exit with a raised blessing hand; the cook, the reader and the refectorian freeze in a bow opposite the abbot (on the left side of the exit), asking forgiveness from the brethren for possible errors in their service. Thus, everyone leaving the refectory “falls” under the blessing of the Father Superior. After the meal, the fathers again disperse according to obedience.

VESPERS

An hour before the start of Vespers, after monastic labors, rest is allowed. This helps the brethren to have strength to pray for evening worship. Twice, in half an hour and a quarter to a quarter, the sound of a wooden beat again calls all the inhabitants to the temple. Vespers, preceded by the reading of the 9th hour, begins at 5 pm. It lasts about an hour and ends with a daily funeral litany, performed in the narthex. The evening meal follows immediately after the service.

Dinner often consists of the same dishes and in the same quantities as at lunch, only cold. Only sick people are allowed to take food out of the refectory. Infirm brothers from among the laity living in the monastery and bearing a certain obedience are allowed to drink tea with a piece of bread in the evening. You can sometimes drink tea in your cell and during obedience, but you must definitely take a blessing for this. In general, blessings are taken for any action, even the most insignificant.

After dinner, the brethren immediately go to the temple to celebrate Compline. On it, a prayer canon is sung to the Mother of God in front of the Vatopedi icon “Consolation and Consolation”, and then the abbot anoints everyone with oil from the lamp burning in front of the holy image. Also during Compline, an akathist to the Mother of God is read daily. This Svyatogorsk feature is never omitted, since Mother of God is the guardian not only of Her earthly destiny - Holy Mount Athos, but also the Mother of all monks in general. Compline ends with prayers for the coming sleep. At the end of the service, to the Byzantine singing of the Theotokos troparion “To the beauty of your virginity...”, all the monks venerate the icons and take a blessing from the abbot for the coming night.

After Compline (at 19.15) there is a short period of time, about an hour, when there is an opportunity to talk with each other. But then conversations with anyone, including pilgrims, are not blessed, so as not to fall into idleness and condemnation. Talking a lot is harmful; it negatively affects monastic work. Monks have no special need to communicate with each other: if a monk is attentive to himself, observes the monastic rules and does not hide his thoughts from his confessor, grace consoles him and he has no great need to speak. Evening silence should prepare your mind for night prayer.

After Compline, monks are also strictly forbidden to enter the cells of pilgrims without a blessing. Radio and television are prohibited in the monastery. No one leaves the monastery without a blessing.

HYGIENE

The ancient founders of monasticism were indifferent to the body for the sake of saving the soul. Thus, the father of monasticism, St. Anthony the Great (251-326) ate bread and salt, lived in caves, without observing hygiene. Previously, monks in Svyatogorsk monasteries were forbidden and considered a sin to wash their hair, comb their hair or beard, or go to the bathhouse. Very strict ascetics did not wash their faces, washing only with their own tears. Nowadays, the rules regarding personal hygiene have relaxed. Monks are allowed to bathe, and treatment with medication is mandatory. There is a monastery doctor who often comes to the monastery and regularly examines each monk and worker. If serious symptoms are detected, hospitalization is carried out in a regional hospital. Health is God’s gift, and the monastery takes it very seriously.

Some rules have remained unchanged: do not expose your body unless absolutely necessary, even your arms while working. Among monks, seeing a person, for example in shorts, with bare legs (not to mention women) is considered great indecency.

DREAM

Monks sleep in clothes: in cassocks, loosening the belt, in thin cloth skufs and socks, so as to always be ready for prayer, obedience and Last Judgment. Sleep occupies exactly the same place in monastic life as eating: monks sleep as much as necessary in order not to lose their sanity and be able to fulfill their obediences. Usually it is 5-6 hours. It should be noted that the dormitory regulations are specially written in such a way that meal times are never combined with rest and sleep times. This is a very important point from an ascetic point of view.

The pilgrims living in the monastery gradually accustom themselves to a strict routine. They also have to get out of bed long before dawn for church services, and in order to understand and experience the whole essence of monastic reality, this really needs to be done.

The day is divided into approximately 3 eight hours, reserved for prayer, work and rest. Ancient Greek the verse describes it this way daily work monk: (Γράφε, μελέτα, ψάλλε - στέναζε, προσεύχου, σιώπα) “Write, study, sing, sigh, pray, be silent.”