Orthodox Saints and Ascetics 4

Romanian and Moldovan Elders

   Nun Nina (Hagopian) recounts: “Romania has been an Orthodox land since its very inception—since the time it was illumined by the light of Christ’s truth through the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, and Orthodox Tradition penetrated deeply into its soul... I was profoundly impressed by Father Iustin (P;rvu). I met him when he was the spiritual father at Secu Monastery... When I first looked into his face, I felt an urge to weep... I sensed holiness and depth—an invisible bond with his soul, and love...I can bear witness that people were constantly waiting at the door of his cell. He received everyone with true love... The countless sufferings endured for the sake of Christ sanctified him; and now, every sorrow brought and laid upon his shoulders (by his spiritual children) becomes his own...”

Elder Archimandrite Justin (Pyrvu)

   Elder Justin (Pyrvu) (1919-2013) was born in the village of Poiana Larguliu (Neam; County) on Feburary 10, 1919, and entered the Dur;u Monastery in 1936. In 1939 he enrolled in the Theological Seminary in the Cernica Monastery. In 1940, he was tonsured a monk with the name Iustin, and in 1941, he was ordained a hieromonk.
   He served as a chaplain on the Eastern Front during World War II from 1942-1944. After the war ended, he continued his studies at the Roman Seminary, graduating in 1948. That same year, he was arrested by the authorities of communist Romania and sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment. (He was imprisoned for political and religious reasons between 1948 and 1964.He served his sentence in prisons located in the cities of Suceava, V;c;re;ti, Jilava, Gherla, Periprava, and Aiud.)
   In 1960, upon the completion of his prison term, he was sentenced to an additional four years of imprisonment for refusing to renounce the Orthodox faith. He was released in 1964, after which he worked as a laborer in a forestry unit.    In 1966, he was received into Secu Monastery, where he served as a Spiritual Father for eight years. Then, in 1974, he was transferred to Bistri;a Monastery and placed under house arrest—forbidden to leave the monastic grounds—where he remained until the overthrow of the communist regime in 1989. (In 1976, Hieromonk Iustin was granted permission to visit the Holy Mountain of Athos.)
   After the fall of the communist regime, Hieromonk Iustin returned to Secu Monastery. Then he lived and served as abbot of the Petru Vod; Monastery, and in 1999, the Petru Vod; Convent along with a school and hospital.
   In 2008, he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite. In late March 2013, the ascetic was diagnosed with stomach cancer—an illness he had been secretly battling for several years. On June 16, 2013, Archimandrite Iustin reposed in the Lord.

Sayings and Counsel of Elder Iustin (P;rvu)

“What was the shortest prayer for the forgiveness of sins? The prayer of the thief on the cross: ‘Remember me, O Lord, in Your Kingdom’...
Today, it has become fashionable to receive Holy Communion very frequently; yet the more often we partake—if we do so unworthily—the more gravely ill our souls become. First, one must be cleansed and washed. Life is not so much about the act of partaking, as it is about the very preparation for this holy Sacrament—the Communion of the Blood...”
Love the poor and show them compassion, so that you, too, may be shown mercy by God.
Prudence stands above all other virtues.
Do not reproach anyone for their transgression... It is better to be despised than to despise others yourself; it is better to be wronged than to wrong others yourself.
He who shuns the vain glory of this world senses within his soul the glory of the age to come.
Beware of small sins, lest you fall into greater ones.
For God to take our virtues into account, they must be accompanied by bodily abstinence and a pure conscience.
It is better to be persecuted than to persecute; better to be crucified than to crucify; better to be insulted than to insult; better to be slandered than to slander.
Self-justification has no place in the life of a Christian, nor is it found anywhere in the teachings of Christ.
If you love meekness, you will find peace within your soul. And if you are deemed worthy to attain this peace, you will rejoice amidst every trial.
God bears with all our infirmities, yet He cannot abide the one who constantly grumbles, and He chastises him in order to correct him.
Lips and a heart that give thanks to God in every trial receive His blessing and Divine grace.
Humility of mind precedes God’s grace, while haughtiness of mind precedes God’s chastisement.
The Deaf Monk Dometius (+1905)

   At the holy Neam; Monastery, there labored a monk named Dometius who had lost his hearing in his advanced years. Few people knew him, even though he had entered the monastery as a mere boy, back in the distant year of 1850. He was meek and humble, strove always to live in accordance with the Lord’s commandments, and observed all the rules of monastic life. His obedience took the form of caring for the monastery’s animals. He bore this obedience throughout his entire life, never asking to be assigned any other task. Year after year—in winter and in summer alike—Father Dometius distributed fodder to the animals, fetched water for them, shoveled out their manure, and hauled buckets of table scraps from the monastery kitchen. He was always cheerful, performing his obedience with love, perpetual silence, and unceasing prayer.
Even when he was scolded, he remained silent in response, smiling sheepishly as he said, "Forgive me, a sinner." His cell was the poorest in the entire monastery, containing nothing but a single icon, a bench, and a bucket of water. In his advanced age, people began to call him "Father Dometius the Deaf" due to his becoming almost completely deaf. When he departed to the Lord, no one in the monastery wished to chant the Psalter for the deceased.
   The Abbot of Sih;stria, the Elder Ioannikios (Moroi), would recount the following for the edification of others: "Fathers, whenever I recall the Neam; Monastery—where I lived for a time—the image of Father Dometius rises in my memory. He was the spiritual symbol of the Neam; Monastery. Every day, I would see him with buckets slung across his back, hauling food for the livestock. And he always looked happy… Father Dometius passed away... He possessed nothing save for an old Horologion and a Psalter that lay beside him… The Father Ecclesiarch, in accordance with custom, vested Dometius in the monastic mantle and laid him in his coffin. He was then carried to the narthex of the Great Church.
   There he was to lie for three days and three nights awaiting burial. And since Father Dometius was very poor, no one wished to go to the church to read the Psalter over him, as was the custom. ‘Father Ioannikiy,’ the ecclesiarch said to me, " I know that Your Holiness, too, does not truly sleep at night before Matins; go and read the Psalter to Dometius in the narthex. " "Very well, Father Gennadiy; I shall go. " And immediately, taking the Psalter, my mantle, and my kamilavka, I began to read aloud beside the coffin, by the light of a single candle… At ten o'clock that night,
standing there with the Psalter in my hands, I witnessed something terrifying. Father Dometius lifted his right leg... I took the candle and peered into his face. The Father lay there as if dead. Yet his face was radiant—more radiant than I had ever seen it before. Then I crossed myself, covered the Father's face once more with the mantle, gently lowered his leg back into place, and continued reading the Psalter. After a while, Father lifted his second leg. At that moment, I was seized by an even greater fear.
   "Father Dometius is truly alive, " I told myself. I leaned close to his lips, listening to see if he was breathing. I felt for his pulse. Father lay breathless, and every part of his body was completely cold… Suddenly, I saw his mouth open, and from within it issued a fragrance unlike any I had ever encountered in my life. Instantly, this divine aroma permeated the entire church. It even spread throughout the monastery courtyard… At eleven o'clock, when the fathers gathered for Matins, they all began asking one another: "Where is this wondrous scent coming from? " And when I told them what had befallen Father Dometius, all the monks took up their Psalters and gathered around the coffin—so closely that there was no longer room for all who wished to read—and began to pray with tears, saying: ‘Venerable Father Dometius, pray to God for me, a sinner! " Thus, there was no longer any room left for me in the narthex. Some were reading around the coffin, others in the side chapel, while still others stood outside, beside the church walls. And this fragrance lingered for three whole days and three nights, while the Venerable Dometius lay in the narthex. On the third day, the Abbot of the monastery gave orders for all the priests and deacons—of whom there were more than eighty—to vest themselves for the funeral service. He himself presided over their assembly. Then the Right Reverend Abbot, inspired by the Holy Spirit, delivered an unforgettable address concerning the life, spiritual struggles, and departure from the body of Father Dometius the Deaf: "Fathers, do you see whom God glorifies? "- he concluded, ‘The humble, the poor, and those obedient even unto death—those who pray unceasingly to God, and who endure all things. " Father Dometius, the beggar, has now become rich. Father Dometius, whom many reviled, avoided, and mocked, now prays before Christ for us all. This humble body, which endured the heavy odor of the barnyard all its life, now receives the fragrance of angels. These humble feet, which walked the path of obedience all their lives, remain alive even after death, for thus God glorifies obedient monks…"

Elder Ioannikiy (Moroi)
 
   Archimandrite Ioannikiy (1859–1944) (in the world, Ioann Moroi) was born in 1859 in the town of Z;rne;ti (Bra;ov County).
   In 1890, the thirty-year-old John traveled to Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Sepulchre. He also visited the cave of the righteous monk Xenophon. The clairvoyant elder told him that he would become a monk on the Holy Mountain of Athos and after a few years, he would return to his homeland to become a priest and the head of a monastic community; but that, at the end of his life, he would suffer greatly. If he were to endure all this patiently then, with God's help, he would receive a reward from the Lord. This prophecy was destined to come true.
   In 1890, he departed for Mount Athos. His wife supported his decision; later, she and their children would also take monastic vows.
   For nearly ten years, the ascetic lived in a Romanian skete on the Holy Mountain of Athos, where he was tonsured into the monastic state and given the new name Ioannikiy. By Divine Providence, he was destined to return to his homeland. For nine years, he labored in the Neam; Monastery. In 1909, Hieromonk Ioannikiy was appointed Abbot of Sih;stria Monastery. Over the course of thirty-five years—and through the prayers of Abbot Ioannikiy—this obscure skete grew to become one of the most renowned monastic centers in the Romanian lands. Under the guidance of their experienced mentor, the brotherhood worthily endured the severe trials of that era, including destitution and other hardships.
   Throughout Great Lent, the ascetic partook of no food whatsoever, accepting sustenance only in limited quantities on Saturdays and Sundays. On weekdays, he sustained himself solely through partaking of the holy and life-giving Mysteries of Christ. He served as the sole priest and spiritual father of the skete for twenty years.
   An experienced spiritual guide, subjected all who intended to embrace the monastic life to a period of testing and scrutiny. Some were not permitted to enter the monastery itself; instead, they remained in the gatehouse by the main entrance for three days and nights, devoting themselves to fasting and prayer. Others were assigned to read through specific canons—accompanied by prostrations—as a means of cultivating humility. Still others were dispatched to solicit donations for the needs of the community; however, they were strictly forbidden from venturing beyond the boundaries of the monastery’s grounds and were required to ceaselessly repeat the Jesus Prayer inwardly.
   Elders from other monasteries, priests, bishops, and laypeople would come to Elder Ioannikios to make their confession and seek spiritual counsel. He advised everyone to read the Psalter daily, to observe strict fasts, and to pray. To monastics, he spoke of the importance of complete obedience.
   Once, a monk came to him for confession, and the Elder said to him: "You show no desire to make progress in the monastic life, for you give way to anger. A mind clouded by malice is incapable of discernment and unable to follow the path of the Lord."
   Beginning in 1941, a multitude of calamities befell the monastery. First, the main monastery church burned down, along with all its sacred vessels. Then, arsonists returned, beat the Elder, and blinded him. Elder Ioannikiy recounted to his disciples that one night, while he lay ill in his bed, a certain Woman entered his cell, approached him, and spoke these warm words: "Do not grieve, Father Ioannikiy; from this day forth, I shall watch over this holy place." It was the Mother of God—the Protectress of this humble abode of monks. And indeed, from that time on, everything was entrusted to the protection and blessing of the Mother of God. The Elder said to the brethren: "Fathers, do not sorrow that the monastery has been burned down. This has come to pass because of our sins..."
   Dearly beloved, endure all trials and do not forsake this holy place. Zealously uphold the Rule observed here. Dishonor shall befall anyone who attempts to alter the way of life established here. In 1909, when I was ordained to the priesthood, an elderly monk from Neam; Monastery came to me and said: "Remember, Father Ioannikiy, I remain here at Sih;stria solely because the Rule is preserved here in its entirety... In this place, the Rule has never changed since the time seven monks from Neam; Monastery settled here in 1655…If you adhere to this order... the Mother of God will raise this holy place from the ashes and bestow peace and love upon the surrounding region. Thus, if you strive here as befits monks—in labor, prayer, and fasting—this place will forever remain a haven for those seeking the monastic life in silence."
   It was revealed to the clairvoyant Elder that his earthly journey had come to an end; one night, he informed his spiritual son, Father Joel: "On Thursday, I shall go to the Father." Indeed, on Thursday, September 5, 1944, Elder Ioannikios commended his soul into the hands of the Lord.
Archimandrite Ioannikios (Moroi) is regarded as one of the greatest Romanian Elders of the first half of the 20th century.


Elder Selafiel (Kiper)
 
 The Moldavian Elder Selafiel (born Ciprian Chiper) (1908-2005), a resident of the Novo-Neam; Monastery, was born on September 1, 1908, in Bessarabia, in the village of R;cole;ti. At his holy baptism, he was given the name Ciprian. Ciprian began attending church during his teenage years and, upon reaching adulthood, entered the ;ig;ne;ti Monastery. There, he spent two months, followed by a year at the Dragomirna Monastery. At the age of twenty-two, Ciprian completed his military service and returned to a monastery in Bessarabia, where he served as a novice for six years, performing a wide variety of tasks. At the age of 28, he was tonsured a monk with the name Seraphim, and ten years later, he was ordained a hierodeacon. When the Communists came to power in 1945, Father Seraphim was arrested on charges of "religious propaganda."
   Following his arrest, he was held in a prison in Chi;in;u for three months. Subsequently, the ascetic was sentenced to five years, a term he served in a Siberian labor camp. Upon his release, he was sent to the Odessa region, where he remained for another three years—until the death of Stalin—after which he returned to Bessarabia and was received into the brotherhood of the Suruceni Monastery. In 1954, he was ordained as a hieromonk and lived in the Suruceni Monastery until 1959, when a campaign to close the monasteries in Bessarabia soon ensued. Only two monasteries remained operational: C;priana and Novo-Neam;. He was compelled to transfer to the Novo- Nyametsky Monastery, but that monastery, too, was closed down.
   In 1961, all the monks were transported by vehicles back to their homes, and only a few managed to depart for Ukraine, Russia, Romania, or Greece. During this period, Father Serafim grew close to the now-glorified Elder Kuksha of Odessa, through the intermediary of a legless monk named Sergius, who, at an earlier time, had served as Elder Kuksha’s cell-attendant for three years.(The Now-Glorified Venerable Kuksha of Odessa, (Kuzma Velichko) (1875 – 1964), was an imperial Russian priest and a Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) saint who was canonized in 1995.)
   Following the closure of the monasteries, Father Seraphim (the future Selafiel) returned to his native village, where he lived until 1997 in a small room. There, he secretly performed baptisms and weddings, and heard the confessions of a small number of believers. Throughout his life, he strove to help everyone; however, in his old age, he went blind, and for the last twenty-three years of his life, he himself came to be in need of assistance. He spent all his time in prayer. In 1997, he was brought to the Novo-Nyamets Monastery . Just a few weeks later, the monastery’s Abbot, Archimandrite Dorimedont, tonsured him into the Great Schema, bestowing upon him the name Selafiel. Elder Selafiel aided the young monks with his wise counsel and the example of his own life. Through the Elder’s prayers, many people were delivered from their passions and intrusive thoughts. Accounts have also been preserved regarding miraculous occurrences wrought by God through this humble spiritual father. The Elder concealed his gift of clairvoyance; yet, on one occasion—seeing that one cell-attendant was unable to locate another—the Elder precisely directed him to where the latter could be found: "Go; he is standing right over there, by the icons, speaking with one of the brethren." Acting upon this revelation, the cell attendant proceeded to the icon-painting workshop and found him there.
   Once, two monastic novices came to seek counsel from the clairvoyant Elder Selafiel. To one, he said that he should cherish silence and solitude; to the other, he advised reciting morning and evening prayers. The one to whom he had spoken of silence and solitude remained in the monastery, while the other married six months later. According to the testimony of one of the   Elder’s spiritual children, he never repeated the same thing twice; moreover, if anyone contradicted him, he would fall silent, leaving that person to their own opinion.
   Hieromonk Savvatiy recounts: “In his final days, the Elder was no longer able to walk—or even stand on his feet—yet he still asked to be taken to the church. At first, he was wheeled there in a wheelchair; however, finding it cumbersome to navigate through so many doorways, we eventually decided to carry him seated in a chair. One day, one of his cell-attendants found himself wondering whether God truly listened to Father Selafiel. Just as this thought crossed his mind, the Elder spoke up: “Oh, how I would love to have some homemade borscht with noodles!” And so, around eleven o'clock, a woman—who had never visited the place before—knocked at the door: “Father, I’ve brought you some borscht with homemade noodles; look, it’s still warm.” The incident with the borscht occurred for the sake of the cell attendant, so that he might be convinced that God hears every desire of His servants. One summer, there was a severe drought, and Father Selafiel prayed for rain. A few days later, such heavy rain broke out that it seemed as though it would never end. After the midday meal, having offered up thanksgiving, Father Selafiel said: “Lord, let this rain suffice; for now there is already too much of it.” Shortly thereafter, the rain ceased.
   Everyone who came to see the Father felt as though their soul and thoughts became almost tangible within them—easy to perceive and to heal. Everything the Father said, he spoke with profound insight, and his words possessed the power to heal and to enlighten. The Father spoke only of the passions, refraining from discoursing upon lofty spiritual matters. When Father Selafiel reached ninety-seven years old, he could no longer turn over in bed unassisted and would ask to be lifted up and seated in a chair. When he was raised from his bed, he would cry out in pain, asking for a moment to compose himself. Then, as if nothing had happened, he would sit down to pray or receive those who had come to visit him.
   Archimandrite Dorimedont, who had brought Father Selafiel to the monastery and tonsured him into the Great Schema, recounted the Father saying one morning, “Last night I thought I was going to die; my liver was aching so intensely. I was on the verge of praying to God to take me, but I held back, fearing I might be acting against His will.” The Father did not even pray for his pain to cease, saying that, in this way, God was purifying him.
   A younger cell-attendant recounted—while the Father was still alive—that several times in church, during the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, he had perceived a sweet fragrance emanating from Father Selafiel’s head. One day, Father Selafiel confided to one of his cell-attendants: “My life ended long ago; yet God keeps me here, so that I may live for the sake of others.” Those present at the righteous man’s passing recounted that the Father straightened his arms just before his final breath. Elder Selafiel departed to the Lord on June 19, 2005, and was laid to rest at the Novo-Nyamets Monastery. At the Elder’s funeral, Archimandrite Dorimedont stated: “A pillar that upheld the Church has departed from our midst—an intercessor for our souls, a spiritual guide, a martyr, and a confessor. Father Selafiel possessed a gift from God. Every sinner who came to him—no matter how grave their sins—left comforted and filled with hope for salvation.”

Sayings of Elder Selafiel:

“Our deeds and words must be such that we do not drive away the Holy Spirit who dwells within us … Humility means forgiving everyone. Any sin—however grave it may be—is forgiven by God immediately, the moment the sinner turns to Him with their whole heart and confesses their sin: If you have said, ‘Forgive me,’ then behold—God forgives you! But this is on the condition that we, too, forgive those who have sinned against us. The greatest sin is despair, for through it we lose our trust in God. Yet when we turn to Him and pray, He receives us. We must possess: the humility of the tax collector, the meekness of David, the patience of Job, and love that never ceases.”

The Romanian Elder Gerontius, of Tismana

   Elder Gerontius, Fool for Christ's Sake (1934-2018) helped many people achieve miraculous healings. There were miraculous healings from headaches; one man recounted that after the Elder suddenly kissed him on the forehead, the pain subsided. With another man, the Elder deliberately bumped foreheads several times—and the man was instantly healed. On one occasion, he gave an apple to a childless couple and asked them to eat it together; shortly thereafter, they were blessed with a long-awaited child. Remarkably, years later—having learned of this story—a certain nun decided to help another young couple in the very same way, as they, too, were praying to God to send them a child. She took an apple, placed it against a photograph of the Elder, and—handing it to the couple—instructed them to eat it. And once again, through the nun’s faith in the power of the ascetic’s prayers, a miracle occurred.
   Through his prayers, the Lord helped the sick find healing—even from cancerous diseases—and there are numerous testimonies regarding other miraculous cures as well. The Lord bestowed upon His chosen servant the gifts of healing and clairvoyance, in recognition of his steadfast faith, his love for humanity, his mercy, and his courageous bearing of the cross of holy foolishness for the Sake of Christ—a path upon which he was blessed by the Mother of God Herself.
  Here, we present brief excerpts—with abridgments—from the concise Life of the holy Elder: "About the life and toils of Blessed Gerontius, Fool for Christ":
   Blessed Gerontius, the Fool for Christ, was born on November 4th, 1934 in the village of Viscri, not far from Rupea town, Romania. For his christening he was named after the Great Martyr and Triumphant George. He was the second son of John and Helen Aldea’s three children; they earned their living by farming the land… Ever since childhood, he led an intense religious life… His mother served as his first model of piety. From a young age, his religious preoccupations were seen as excessive and oftentimes misunderstood, even by his own family. In elementary school he was often found praying, for which his teacher even punished him...
   His religious life was already resembling that of hermits; even while living as layman, he started to visit his father’s brother, Igumen Modestus Aldea, abbot of Ciolanu Monastery and ecclesiarch of Buzau Cathedral, more often. Blessed Gerontius became a disciple to his uncle, learning from the Igumen many of the monastic mysteries. As a fervent devotee to the monastic life, in the autumn of 1959, Blessed Gerontios refused to abandon Ciolanu Monastery, as the communist rulers in Romania demanded young monks to do. For a while he was jailed at Jilava Prison; when his strength reached a breaking point, the Most Holy Theotokos showed Herself to him, instructing him to pick up the Fool-for-Christ cross, promising him that she would help him carry it.
   It wasn’t long before the authorities concluded that the torture endured by the Blessed Gerontius in prison drove him irreversibly mad, reason for which they decided to transfer him to a psychiatric ward, from which he was later set free…
   Subsequently, Blessed Gerontius cloaked his entire personal ascetic toil under the Fool-for-Christ garment. His days spent in monasteries were alternated with visits to certain families who welcomed him. Everywhere he went he urged others to uplift their spiritual life towards prayer and
asceticism; these encouragements were firstly, backed by his own personal example, as well as by his, oftentimes, uncommon, short, words of wisdom. He prayed, kneeling for hours on end, frequently spent his nights in vigil, while his Lent was strict and ascetic, with many days of complete fasting… After 1990 he continued his spiritual toils, his journey toward the confession or strengthening of the faith, and, the healing of many people with great afflictions, often times with serious illnesses that followed his prolonged ascetic toils. He was also very compassionate toward the poor he met and to whom, if he had no money, he would offer his own coat. More than once, when his coat was worn by the sick, they were healed of various illnesses. To carry forth his work, to avoid being glorified by the people who saw miracles worked through him, he humbled himself with unique Fool-for-Christ behaviour: public self-reproach, wearing ragged clothes, apparent alcohol addiction... In his spiritual journey, he sought out Romanian father confessors, for whom he had great piety and with whom he was in a lifelong faith and prayer communion. He was seen as a great ascetic… He is remembered as one who advocated for a life of virtue and as a warrior against sin.
   Venerable Gerontius died on the night of 12–13 October, 2018 in Bethlehem during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, kneeling in prayer. After eight days, his body was allegedly not touched by the natural signs of death, and he was buried at the Tismana Monastery, which he most often visited during the final years of his life. All those who saw Blessed Gerontios’s body, eight days after his death, uncorrupted by natural signs of decay, soft and fragrant with myrrh, were convinced of his holiness.
   The numerous miracles performed by Blessed Gerontius’s body, eight days after his death, uncorrupted by natural signs of decay, soft and fragrant with myrrh, were convinced of his holiness. The numerous miracles performed by Blessed Gerontius during his life did not cease with his passing. The sick who received healing by touching the garments worn by him, by touching his photograph, the cross on this tomb, or by praying in faith bear witness.
   Whenever he is called in need, Blessed Gerontius is quick to answer! (Cuviosul Gherontie de la Tismana” Foundation (Romanian language version) About the life and toils of Blessed Gerontios Fool for Christ.)


Saint Paisios of Sih;stria

   Saint Paisios (Olaru) (1897-1990), was a revered Romanian schemamonk and confessor. He lived for ninety-three years, almost seventy were in a monastery...He was the spiritual father of both major Church figures and ordinary peasants. Hundreds of thousands of people entrusted their sorrows to him and departed from the Elder happy and uplifted.
   He was born into the family of Ioan Olaru (a forester) and his wife Ecaterina, in the Romanian village of Stroine;ti. He was the fifth child in the family and during his baptism, he was given the name of Peter. His father Ioan, was respected by many for his honesty and worldly wisdom. He raised his children in piety.
   From childhood , he was distinguished by his humility and meekness. The boy loved reading the lives of the saints and held the Venerable Sabbas the Sanctified in high esteem.
Peter completed his studies at the village school and during the First World War, he was conscripted into the army. In 1921, he was demobilized and entered the Cozancea Skete, located not far from his home village.
   At the age of twenty-five, Peter was tonsured a monk receiving the name of Paisios. Following his tonsure, he desired to become a hermit in the Carpathian Mountains. One day, while praying in a meadow 500 meters from the Cozancea Skete; Paisius heard a miraculous angelic chant. Shortly after this miraculous event, with the blessing of the Metropolitan of Moldavia, he built a chapel on that very spot dedicated to the Holy Martyr Menas. He also, subsequently constructed monastic cells adjacent to it.
   During the day, he performed his obedience at the monastery and at night he would withdraw to his small hermitage. In 1933, Father Paisios was tonsured into the Great Schema. In 1943, he was ordained a deacon. Then, in 1947, he was ordained a priest. Following his priestly ordination, he was appointed Abbot of the Cozancea Skete.
   In 1948, with the blessing of the bishop, Father Paisios transferred to Sih;stria Monastery. At that time, Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie) was the abbot of this monastery. He appointed Elder Paisios to hear the confessions of the monks and laypeople visiting the community. (His deep spirituality began to attract disciples early in his life, including the future Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie), who would later become one of Romania’s most famous spiritual fathers.)
   One of Elder Paisios's most defining virtues was his boundless love for God and all of creation. This love manifested in his care for everything from flowers and birds to the sick and suffering. He served as the caregiver for ill members of his skete for many years, showcasing his compassion. After being ordained a hieromonk, he briefly served as abbot of Cozancea Skete but gave up the role to return to a life of quiet prayer. He then joined his disciple, Archimandrite Cleopa, at Sih;stria Monastery, where he served as a confessor for over 40 years. His reputation grew exponentially, attracting countless pilgrims seeking his grace-filled counsel.
   Elder Paisios was renowned for his unique approach to confession... With immense patience, he listened to confessions and prescribed penances according to each person's strength, always encouraging them to strive for salvation. Many times he would weep for his spiritual children, demonstrating a deep, compassionate heart that took on the burdens of others.
   In 1972, Elder Paisios moved to the Sihla Skete, a dependency of Sihastria Monastery. He spent twelve years there in the ascetic struggle of fasting and prayer. Many believers bravely enduring the hardships of the mountain road, traveled to the skete to seek spiritual guidance from the Elder. All departed comforted and warmed by the Elder's love.
  Let us cite from the book "The Great Elder Cleopa, the Romanian Wonderworker", an excerpt from the memoirs of Father K who was a spiritual son of Elder Cleopa: “Both Father Paisios and Father Cleopa possessed a very exalted form of prayer... Father Paisios possessed a great gift of prayer, thanks to his humility... He was a spiritual father who took upon himself a portion of the burden of sin, laying down his soul for the salvation of his disciples. Such spiritual fathers are very rare. Most of them offer instruction, encouragement, and advice on what to do…
   The last years of Saint Paisius’s life were spent at the Sihla Skete. Even after a broken leg and blindness and deafness, he continued to offer spiritual guidance and confess his closest disciples... On October 18, 1990, at the age of 93, he peacefully reposed in the Lord.  Saint Paisius remains a powerful example of how winning countless souls for Christ through his gentle spirit.
   From the memoirs of Nun Gorgonia: "...He taught me an incredibly difficult lesson namely, that one can learn to love someone who does not love you only through great patience. Yet, foreseeing my future the Elder would often add: 'Do not believe everything you hear; do not do everything you can; do not say everything you know; and do not give away everything you have.'...
   With his blessing, I undertook and continue to fulfill my obedience in the monastery infirmary. Understanding that at times I found it unbearably difficult, he would say: 'You must do everything little by little.' And he was right."
Where there is much pain, you give of yourself unstintingly, experiencing both the sweetness and the bitterness of your arduous mission. For beside you stand a human being, one whose soul and body are in torment and you must possess the ability to alleviate that suffering. The words Father Paisios spoke to me were these: ‘Fulfill your obedience until your very last breath, and care for them until your very last breath. Amen.’...
   Thus did the good Father Paisios teach me obedience; he taught me to walk the straight path toward the holy gates of compassion. And in his thoughts, it was as if he added: ‘Oh, my dear one, how arduous is the journey toward those gates.’
   Over the twenty-seven years I spent by his side, Father Paisios taught me how to maintain spiritual and physical equilibrium... Father Paisios had many spiritual children. Some of them remained in the monastery, while others went out into the world...For everyone, there is a unique path. Yet, to choose the best one, a mentor like Elder Paisios, possessing a boundlessly loving heart and a deep understanding of the human soul is absolutely essential…Since his passing, I have made pilgrimages to his grave... I always ask for his help in bearing the heavy cross of my obedience."
   By decision of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on July 11–12, 2024, sixteen God-pleasers who shone forth in the twentieth century were glorified among the saints. Among them is Hieroschemamonk Paisos (Olaru; 1897–1990), the spiritual father of Sih;stria Monastery, who from now on will be known as St. Paisios of Sih;stria, whose feast will be celebrated on December 2 (new style).

Spiritual Counsel and Sayings of Elder Paisios
"Hold fast to and cherish the middle path; it is the royal road." "Wherever you go, strive to leave a trail of kindness behind you." "Just as thoughts come, let them also pass away."

Archimandrite Cleopas (Ilie)

   Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie) (1912–1998) was born on April 10, 1912, in the village of Suli;a in the Boto;ani County into a family of Orthodox peasants, Alexander and Anna. At his baptism, he received the name Constantine. He was the youngest of ten children. Alexander and Anna were pious people who, succeeded in instilling a love for the faith in their children. Anna was distinguished by her  kindheartedness.
   Father Cleopa recounted that, of the ten children in his family—four brothers and a sister—five became monastics. (His sister Catherine entered a monastery when she was only eleven years old.) By 1935, his father, along with nearly all of his brothers and sisters, had passed away. In 1946, Father Cleopa brought his mother to Sih;stria Monastery, tonsured her into the monastic life, and placed her at the Agapia Veche Monastery, where she lived until 1968, reposing in the Lord at the age of ninety-two. (Elder Paisios (Olaru) of the Cozancea Skete served as the spiritual guide for the entire family.)
   In his infancy, Constantine fell ill and grew very weak because he refused to take his mother's milk. Anna took him and went to the Kozancha Skete. Hieromonk Conon Gavrilescu, having listened to the distraught woman—who believed her son would not survive—advised her to dedicate him to the Mother of God. Taking a candle and some towels, Anna went into the church; standing before the icon of the Mother of God, she declared: "Mother of God, I dedicate this child of mine to You."
   No sooner had she uttered these words than the infant began to seek her breast with his lips.
Hieromonk Conon said to her: "This child will live for a very long time."
   From an early age, Constantine was endowed by God with the gift of eloquence and a brilliant memory. He is also, loved to read. In the spring of 1929, three of his brothers departed for Sih;stria Monastery, which at that time was under the spiritual guidance of Archimandrite Ioannikios (Moroi). Upon completing his studies at the village primary school, Constantine decided to follow the example of his brothers and sister.
   In 1936, after a seven-year period of probation, the young novice Constantine Ilie was tonsured into the monastic state, receiving the name Cleopa. (For several years, his spiritual mentor at Sih;stria Monastery was Father Galaction.)
   Several years, in obedience, Father Cleopa tended sheep in the Carpathian Mountains. Father Cleopa recalled this obedience in these words: “In those years, when I—together with my brethren—served as a shepherd for the skete’s sheep, I experienced profound spiritual joy. The sheepfold, thet skete’s sheep; I lived amidst nature, in the mountains, in silence and stillness. This was my monastic and theological school. At that time, I read the dogmatic theology of Saint John of Damascus—his “An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith…”
   Over these years, Father Cleopa read many books on theology, the works of the great Church Fathers, the Horologion, and the Psalter. Father Cleopa loved to read the Lives of the Saints, the sayings of the Desert Fathers, “The Ladder” by Saint John Climacus, and the ascetic works of the Venerable Isaac and Ephrem the Syrian, Maximus the Confessor, Symeon the New Theologian, Saint Gregory Palamas, and others.
   None of the brethren even suspected to what rung of the spiritual ladder the ascetic had ascended during these years.
Later, everyone would marvel at his eloquence. Thanks to his brilliant memory, he would freely quote the Holy Scriptures and the sayings of the Holy Fathers; and at just the right moment he would recount edifying stories.
   The Lord revealed His will to the clairvoyant Elder and Abbot Ioannikie, and shortly before his death, the Elder declared that his place should be taken by the monk Cleopa. In 1942, Father Cleopa effectively assumed the administration of Sih;stria Monastery, as the elderly Abbot Ioannikie (Moroi) was by then gravely ill.
   In January 1945, Father Cleopa was ordained a deacon, then a priest, and was appointed Abbot of Sih;stria. Within four years, the new abbot had gathered a brotherhood of eighty monks around him, built new monastic cells within the monastery enclosure, erected a winter church, and restored the communal way of life that had once existed at the monastery...
   In 1947, Soviet troops occupied Romania. King Michael abdicated the throne, and the Communists rose to power. Monasteries were shut down across the country, and many church hierarchs and priests were arrested.
   The Sih;stria Monastery was situated deep within the mountains and for this reason it was not closed. Father Cleopa was only thirty-six years old at the time. Yet, despite his youth, he was already a renowned spiritual guide in Romania, and for that very reason the authorities sought to arrest him.
   In May 1948, he was arrested and imprisoned. He spent five days in a cell on the cold floor, without food or water. When Father Cleopa was released from prison, he went into hiding in the mountains for a long time. There, the Elder prayed day and night and during this time, he was
vouchsafed a visitation of God's grace. Initially, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy upon a tree stump.
   In the summer of 1949, Father Cleopa moved to Slatina Monastery home to thirty monks, men accomplished in virtue, and striving for the renewal of their spiritual life. Word of his sermons, personal counsel, spiritual guidance, compassion, and love for people spread throughout the entire country. He became one of the most respected abbots in Romania and a true spiritual father. Indeed, everyone found in Father Cleopa a genuine spiritual guide.
   During this period, the Metropolitan of Moldavia blessed Father Cleopa to provide spiritual guidance to numerous monasteries. In 1952, Father Cleopa was arrested for a second time, albeit briefly.
   After his release, he spent some time wandering in the mountains of Moldavia with a fellow brother. Here, in the mountains, the Elder continued his spiritual warfare against demons, lived side by side with wild beasts, and prayed day and night, confessing and receiving Holy Communion. In 1953, Father Cleopa stepped down from the abbacy. In 1956, the Elder returned to Sih;stria Monastery. That same year, communist persecution of the Church resumed. In 1959, a government decree was issued mandating that all monks under the age of 55 and all nuns under the age of 50 leave their monasteries.
   Elder Cleopa was forced to withdraw into the mountains of Moldavia, where he spent twelve hours a day in prayer. During this time, he wrote his renowned guides to the spiritual life for priests and laypeople.
   In the summer of 1964, when the communist persecutions subsided, Elder Cleopa returned from the wilderness and solitude to his home monastery. Soon, the monastery was filled with pilgrims.
   The Elder also attached great importance to the onfession of sins and urging the faithful to go to confession at least four times a year. He taught: "Brother, if you see that your father or mother is ill, do not call a doctor first; call a priest first, for a doctor cannot add even a single minute to our lives! Everything depends on God."
   The Elder advised reciting the Akathist to the Mother of God together with one’s morning prayers and in the evening the Supplicatory Canon to the Mother of God while, a lampada was lit. Throughout the day, one should pray the Jesus Prayer as much as possible. Father Cleopa strove to instruct his flock to show mercy to the poor and to give alms. The first thing he asked of married Christians was to bear and raise children. Adhering to the holy canons of the Church, Father Cleopa utterly rejected abortion and regarded the killing of an embryo as one of the most heinous of sins.
   In 1965, at the request of his disciples and with the blessing of the hierarchy, Father Cleopa began writing sermons, teachings, and spiritually edifying epistles for both monastics and laypeople.
   From the recollections of Hieromonk S.: “At the time of my monastic tonsure, he said to me:
— The rule for a monk is three hundred prostrations a day; however, you should make as many as you are able, and make up for the remainder through humility...
   Many times, I saw him pause in the mountains, admiring nature and making deep prostrations to the ground—accompanied by a large, canonical Sign of the Cross—and then sit upon the earth and pray the “Lord Jesus’ prayer...”
   From the memoirs of a spiritual son of Elder Cleopa, Father K.P.: “I first came to Father Cleopa in the early 1980s, after having read the “Philokalia" and begun seeking out fathers who lived in accordance with what was written therein...Father Cleopa was an Elder of very high spirituality. He also performed miracles. I, too, witnessed his miracles. A hermit I knew once told me that if we possess faith, God performs miracles through Father Cleopa and Father Paisios, just as He did through the saints of old...
Possessing great gifts from God, Father Cleopa nevertheless knew how to carefully conceal them.”
   According to the testimony of his contemporaries, during his final years, Father Cleopa devoted one-third of each day to reading the Holy Fathers and writing. A second third of the day, he gave himself entirely to the disciples and pilgrims who came to him from near and far for confession and spiritual guidance. The remainder of his time he strove to spend in solitude for prayer and brief rest.
   The Elder knew a multitude of prayers by heart—including the Akathist to the Sweetest Jesus, the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos, the Penitential Canon, and the Supplicatory Canon to the Mother of God—all of which he recited daily. To this, he added between 300 and 400 prostrations—both waist-bows and full prostrations. Father Cleopa prayed during the night.
   From the memoirs of Father K.P., a spiritual son of Elder Cleopa: “...I witnessed many times that Father Cleopa’s blessing was efficacious; with its aid, I was able to accomplish many tasks that—no matter how hard I had tried—had previously eluded me entirely. I observed this in
others as well, whenever they received the “Elder’s” blessing for a particular undertaking, it met with success. Yet, if they dared to act contrary to his counsel, the outcome was invariably disastrous. His words were God-inspired—words that flowed directly from God...
   Father Cleopa once said to me:
— Father, when I read a book, it imprints itself upon my mind like a seal upon wax. Fifty years later, I still know it with absolute precision.
   Thus, while this was indeed a gift from God, it was also a testament to the purity of his mind... The Elder spent the last twenty years of his life in intense prayer—fourteen to fifteen hours a day. There were times when the Elder did not wish to speak with anyone, not even with his cell-attendant. From four o'clock until eight, the Elder recited his daily prayer rule, which included the Penitential Canon, the Canons to the Mother of God, the Supplicatory Canon, Small Compline, and other services. At night, he would withdraw to the veranda, where he remained alone in prayer. In reverence, he also contemplated all of God's creation. From 1985 onward, the Elder suffered from a double hernia, kidney stones, numbness in his right arm, a cyst, and other ailments...During the final months of his life, he would often repeat: "Soon I shall go to my brothers!" and "I shall go to Christ! Pray for me, a sinner."
   On the evening preceding his departure into eternal life, the Elder began to recite the morning prayers. His disciple remarked to him: "Elder, it is evening now; we shall recite these prayers tomorrow morning!" to which the Elder replied: "I am reciting them today, for tomorrow I shall go to my brothers." On December 2, 1998, at approximately 2:20 a.m., Father Cleopa reposed in the Lord.
   Thousands of Orthodox faithful traveled to bid farewell to their beloved spiritual guide on his final journey; all took their leave of the Elder with tears in their eyes.
Here are several testimonies regarding miraculous healings brought about through the prayers of the ascetic:
A lady from Greece—whose fianc; was a physician—suffered from severe stomach pains; despite every remedy attempted, the pain persisted. Upon hearing of Father Cleopa, she called the monastery and asked if someone could go to him, explain her situation, and inquire as to what she should do. The Elder sent word back that she should be anointed with holy oil by three priests and that she should recite the Akathist to the Mother of God.
   Later, the woman recounted that the moment she was anointed with holy oil by the three priests, all her pain vanished; she has suffered no pain whatsoever since that time.

Sayings of Elder Cleopa

Therefore, let us remember that sin is a transgression of God’s law—an abomination and impurity in His sight—and that God’s wrath descends upon those wicked and sinful people who die unconfessed and unrepentant. Through confession and repentance, sinners avert God’s righteous wrath from themselves and attain the salvation of their souls.
It is our duty—as Christians—to renounce our sins, to constantly reconcile ourselves with God, and to cultivate the fear of God, humility, and patience; then all our sufferings will be alleviated and will serve as a source of great benefit for our salvation.
The Righteous Job says: "Man is born to suffering" (Job 5:7). Suffering in the world is a consequence of sin (Job 4:8). Suffering is a punishment for sins (Lev. 26:24–28). Yet, if we accept all suffering with patience and gratitude, it will bring us great spiritual benefit for the salvation of the soul...

   Once, pilgrims from Serbia arrived by tour bus to visit the Elder, Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie); one woman confided that Elder Cleopa had answered a question weighing on her mind in the very same way that Elder Thaddeus had. Below, we will tell you more about this ascetic and share some of his sayings. (Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica)

 
The Serbian Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

   The Serbian Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica (1914–2003). Monk Thaddeus (born Tomislav ;trbulovi;) was born on October 6/19, 1914—on the feast day of the Holy Apostle Thomas—into a peasant family in the village of Vitovnica (near the town of Petrovac). His parents feared that the seven month infant would not survive, so they had him baptized immediately after his birth. The boy opened his eyes only after receiving Holy Baptism.
   Tomislav’s childhood was difficult; he lost his mother at an early age. From his earliest years, he was a strict ascetic; until the age of sixteen, he ate "mainly bread, cucumbers, and onions." The child was often scolded and was considered incapable of manual labor—and, indeed, utterly worthless in life.
   From the memoirs of Elder Thaddeus: "I was a frail and physically underdeveloped child. Not far from our home stood a large tree; I would often go there and ask God to grant that, someday, I too might be of use for something. When I saw that neither my parents, nor my relatives, nor my friends brought me anything but wounds and hurts... I resolved to live no longer for this world, but to dedicate the remaining days of my short life to God...
  I was deeply troubled that my father had remarried after my mother’s death...And then the thought came to me: if one serves another, then I, too, wish to serve—to serve God, for He is above all things. Thus did the Lord call me from my earliest years."
   After graduating from high school, Fomislav enrolled in a trade and vocational school, but soon fell ill with tuberculosis. He was admitted to the Belgrade hospital on Dedinje, where he remained for forty-seven days. Despite doctors' warnings that he needed painful treatment and that he wouldn't live long, Fomislav refused to continue treatment, left the hospital at his own risk, and went to the Gornjak Monastery. At the age of eighteen, Fomislav decided to enter the monastery.
   From the "Life of Elder Thaddeus": "By the miraculous providence of God, during a conversation between Tomislav and the Abbot of Gornjak—Seraphim, a Russian monk who, three years later, would tonsure him into the monastic habit—there was present 'a certain Russian elder-monk,' sent from afar by God. The wise elder from Valaam approached the young, God-thirsting soul the very next day and said: '...You will not find in any of the monasteries here the kind of monasticism you envision; such an order exists only at the Milkovo Monastery, where Russian monks have gathered who fled from the Valaam Monastery in Finland. You must go there...' ...And on July 24, 1932, Tomislav departed from Gornjak for the Milkovo Monastery, near Svilajnac."
   At that time, Russian monks resided at Milkovo Monastery—men who had come to Serbia from the renowned Valaam Monastery. In 1918, the Valaam Islands—known as the "Northern Holy Mountain"—were ceded to Finland, and the monastery consequently fell under the jurisdiction of the Finnish Orthodox Church, which, in 1921, adopted the "New Calendar."
   Upon their arrival in Serbia, many of these monks were received by the Serbian Church and assigned to various monasteries; some of them found their way to Milkovo Monastery. Spiritually guided by Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose (Kurganov) —a spiritual son of the Venerable Ambrose of Optina—they brought with them the prayerful spirit of Valaam’s cenobitic monasticism, a tradition he himself had received from Optina Hermitage.
   The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the monastery every day. And throughout his entire life as a priest-monk, Elder Thaddeus would strive to uphold this rule and ascetic labor of celebrating the Liturgy daily—even during times of severe illness—repeating the words of Saint John of Kronstadt as his own: "When I do not celebrate the Liturgy, I do not live!"
   There were about thirty monks in the monastery, mostly Russians. The Abbot was the aforementioned Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose... Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose was the living sun of the monastery and an "ascetic of holy life." At Optina Pustyn, he had been a novice under the Venerable Ambrose of Optina, from whom he also received his monastic tonsure. He had acquired the gift of unceasing prayer and lived in constant remembrance of death.
   According to the testimony of Elder Thaddeus, in his spiritual father, the peace and joy of the Kingdom of Heaven radiated forth: "Father Ambrose exuded an incredibly pure love; from the Optina Elders, he had imbibed the very best—love. Never once did he become angry with a single monk... He endured much, yet he forgave everything. He cast all his cares and difficulties upon the Lord, and to Him alone did he reveal the pain of his heart. Through his own example, he strove to impart this quality to the brethren; and many succeeded in learning from him how to preserve this boundless, dispassionate love throughout their entire lives."
Through the example of his own Christian life, Elder Ambrose kindled the pure soul of the novice Tomislav.
   From the memoirs of Elder Thaddeus: "When I arrived at the monastery as a novice... I devoted myself entirely to the Jesus Prayer... Thank God, I recovered."
   At the monastery, the novice was entrusted with guarding the vineyard; however, after he fell asleep—during which time a portion of the harvest was stolen—he was assigned a new obedience: to tend the sheep and goats. Yet, because the young ascetic would take his Horologion with him to read, the animals would scatter every time. His next obedience was in the monastery refectory.
   Father Ambrose said to me: "Whatever you do, constantly repeat within yourself: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!'" I was still a boy, and I obeyed him with all my heart. After some time, I noticed that the prayer entered into me along with the air, with every breath. Gradually, the prayer began to be performed within my heart of its own accord.
   At that time, the Lord granted the novice Thomas the privilege of meeting with a hieromonk—the future Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco (Maximovitch)—who taught at the Bitola Seminary and would visit Milkovo during the summer holidays. The two of them would weed the monastery garden together, and Father John especially loved to recount to the young novice the lives of the saints and stories of the Holy Fathers, whose writings he knew intimately.
   At the monastery, in addition to performing physical obediences, Thomas studied the Russian language; in the patristic writings—which he read constantly in Russian—he found the answer to the question: "What is the true purpose of the Christian life?"
   "I wanted," says Elder Thaddeus, "to comprehend the purpose of our life here on earth. I leafed through the works of the Holy Fathers... And then I saw: they explained that the perfection of the Christian life lies in complete humility... The Holy Fathers say that the ideal of the Christian life consists not in performing miracles, nor in healing the sick, nor in raising the dead, but in complete humility." It was for this very reason that the ascetic dedicated his entire subsequent life to the acquisition of humility.
   On May 17/30, 1933, Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose reposed; deprived of his spiritual guide, the novice Thomas fell into despondency, and grace withdrew. From the memoirs of Elder Thaddeus: “My spiritual father died, and for many years I endured great spiritual torment. Sorrow tore at my soul. The fear I had acquired in childhood began to torment me once again... I traveled to various spiritual fathers, seeking counsel, but nothing helped. This continued until I read "The Path to Salvation" by Theophan of Vysha—and the Lord came to my aid...”
   The Lord began to comfort His chosen one through spiritual books. Elder Thaddeus greatly loved to read and quote Saint Isaac the Syrian.
   Following the death of Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose, a conflict arose within the monastery over the position of abbot; consequently, the monks dispersed to various other monasteries. The novice Thomas departed for the Gornjak Monastery, where, on February 26, 1935, he received the monastic tonsure with the name Thaddeus, and on May 19, 1935, he was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon.
   Shortly thereafter, Hierodeacon Thaddeus was transferred to the Archdiocese of Belgrade-Karlovci, to the Rakovica Monastery, where—with the blessing of Patriarch Varnava—he completed a school of iconography; however, he was unable to pursue iconography professionally due to poor health. (The smell of the paints caused him to suffocate.)
On January 21, 1938, at the Rakovica Monastery, Father Thaddeus was ordained to the rank of hieromonk. That same year, Patriarch Gavrilo (Do;i;) sent him to the Pe; Patriarchate. In April 1941, the war began, and Father Thaddeus was compelled to return to Belgrade, to the Rakovica Monastery.
   During the first weeks of the occupation, the situation in Belgrade was extremely difficult; Hieromonk Thaddeus attempted to transfer to the Diocese of Banat, but he was arrested and taken to the Special Department. Following his interrogation, he was released "due to insufficient evidence of guilt."
   Upon his release from prison, Father Thaddeus immediately set out for the Vitovnica Monastery. In 1943, Father Thaddeus was arrested once again and sentenced to death, as he had already been placed on the registry following his initial arrest in Belgrade.
   Lying on a wooden prison bench, Hieromonk Thaddeus thought that he would not make it out alive. From the memoirs of Elder Thaddeus: "I lay there, thinking—there is no salvation for me! Despair! And suddenly, a tall warrior appeared before me, a golden sash crossed over his chest; he wore no helmet on his head—only a band across his brow—above which rose a magnificent plume; his military uniform was like something from an ancient fresco. Tall and beautiful! Such beings do not exist on earth! He held a scroll in his hand and gazed at me. And I understood clearly: it was an angel—a consolation from the Lord! The Warrior of God unrolled the scroll and said: 'Look, on this scroll is a map of Serbia. Do not fear, do not be afraid; you are yet destined to comfort and encourage many. Do you understand?"
   He looked around to see if the others could hear what he was saying. At that time, I did not understand that in the spiritual world, communication does not take place as it does in the material world—between one human being and another—but rather that thoughts resonate within the mind. One hears not with the physical ear, but with the spiritual one. Yet when I turned back toward him, he had already vanished. And I realized that this had been a Heavenly vision—one that the Lord had sent to comfort me and to reveal His will to me here, in this world. This occurred in 1943—the first and only time I ever beheld a Divine messenger while fully awake; thereafter, I saw them only in dreams... "
   After passing through prisons in Petrovac and Po;arevac, one month after his incarceration—on March 5, 1943—he was transferred by the fascists to the Vojlovica Monastery, where Bishop Nikolai (Velimirovi;) was then being held. And on March 13, 1943, together with the holy Bishop Nikolai and other prisoners, he celebrated the Liturgy there.
   After the Second World War, he served as a cleric of the Belgrade-Karlovci Eparchy; in 1947, he was transferred to the Brani;evo Eparchy, to Gornjak Monastery, and two years later, he once again became a cleric of the Belgrade-Karlovci Eparchy. There, Bishop Vissarion—Vicar to His Holiness—elevated him to the rank of Abbot so that, with the blessing of Patriarch Gavrilo, he might be appointed that same year as the Superior of the Pe; Patriarchate Monastery. The new Abbot was tasked with restoring the ruined monastic quarters. At that time, the monastery was housing more than ten refugee families as well as being a partisan headquarters.
   From the "Life of Elder Thaddeus": "Many years later, he recounted to one of his spiritual children how, during that time—amidst difficult circumstances and an intense inner struggle against the temptations of fear, despondency, and excessive worldly cares—he suffered two severe nervous breakdowns; he was seized by violent tremors, and his entire body was overcome with a terrible weakness. 'I understood this as a divine warning, as a sign that I must change my way of life—that I must learn how to live... I realized that we all worry about ourselves far too much, and that only when a person surrenders himself completely to the will of God can he experience a carefree, joyful peace.'"
   For the six years that followed, he bore the cross of abbatial ministry at the Pe; Patriarchate, teaching all those around him—and all who came to him—to entrust themselves into the hands of God, "the sole Bearer of our sufferings, anxieties, and tears." In 1955, with the blessing of Patriarch Vikentije and due to failing health, Elder Thaddeus returned from Pe; to the Diocese of Brani;evo, where, for several months, he fulfilled the duties of a parish priest.
   In 1956, he was once again appointed Abbot of the Pe; Patriarchate Monastery, where he remained until 1957. Subsequently—after having spent a total of eleven years at the Pe; Monastery—he returned to the Metropolitanate of Belgrade-Karlovci and, from there, to the Diocese of Brani;evo, where he was appointed Abbot of the Gornjak Monastery. In addition to this role, he was also entrusted with two parishes comprising six villages. He remained a humble cleric of the Diocese of Brani;evo until his blessed repose in 2003.
   For many years, Elder Thaddeus dreamed of pursuing his ascetic struggle on the Holy Mountain; finally, in 1959, his petition was granted. He spent about two months there and was vouchsafed a miraculous visitation by the Most Holy Theotokos. From the memoirs of Elder Thaddeus: “At Hilandar, I was not feeling very well... And one night, I had a dream in which all of us—monks of the Holy Mountain—were going to receive a blessing from the Most Holy Mother, the Abbess of the Holy Mountain. The brethren approached and venerated Her hand. I, too, approached and asked Her to intercede with Her Son and our God to forgive the sins I had committed throughout my life... ‘It is nothing,’ She replied; ‘your nerves have simply become very weak.’ Thus spoke the Theotokos... And so, I had to return.”
   Two months later, Father Thaddeus was informed that he had to return to Serbia, as his visa for residence on the Holy Mountain had expired. By Divine Providence, Elder Thaddeus was destined to return to Serbia so that there—with God's help—he might "comfort and strengthen many more souls."
   Upon returning from Hilandar, he served as the parish priest in Bistrica, and was subsequently appointed Abbot of Tuman Monastery. In 1962, he was transferred from Tuman to Vitovnica Monastery, where he was likewise appointed Abbot. He served there for ten years.
   From the memoirs of Elder Thaddeus: “The office of Abbot was always very difficult for me, because I was compelled to mentally attach myself to material cares—to the needs of the brethren, and of the people... New ailments arose... I served as Abbot for fifty years... Eight times I submitted petitions to be relieved of this office. The Lord warned me not to do so—not to ask for release. Yet I found it deeply burdensome to bear the quarrels among the brethren; that is why I sought to step down. But such was the Lord’s will; He did not desire things to go my way—He did not wish for me, as Abbot, to live in comfort and peace… This struggle of the heart with God continued for decades.”
   "Until we humble ourselves, God will not cease to humble us," Father Thaddeus would say, recalling how he himself had tried to "run away" from his cross and the obedience that the Lord had ordained for him... In 1972, having retired, Abbot Thaddeus was appointed abbot of the Pokajnica Monastery, located near the town of Velika Plana.
   Once, he was vouchsafed an admonition in a dream from the Lord Himself; the Elder recounted it thus: “With a heavy heart, I accepted my new appointment... In a dream, the Lord `addressing me: ‘Why do you struggle, if you are not obedient? Wherever you have served as Abbot, you have vexed others with requests to be relieved of your duties; do this no longer. “Know that every obedience must be fulfilled with great love, zeal, and devotion, paying no heed to the envy and malice that swirl around and assail you”—then, having crossed me three times from head to foot, he took his stole in his hands and placed it upon me — “Behold the cross that you are called to bear.”
   The Elder realized that he needed to humble himself so that the Lord Himself might lead him. Later, he often repeated to his spiritual children a saying of Saint Isaac the Syrian: "Reconcile yourself with yourself, and Earth and Heaven will be reconciled with you!" He acquired the gift of consolation: he comforted and strengthened thousands of sorrowing, poor, and sick people who were seeking God. With great love, he explained to them that Christ loved them—specifically them—more than anyone else.
   In 1978, after a long spiritual conversation with Father Thaddeus at the Tuman Monastery, one pilgrim recorded the following: "He won me over with just a few phrases exchanged in the monastery garden... He was small in stature, slender, and gray-haired, with kind brown eyes; his voice resonated with humility and joy. One could sense that he was filled with something that drew people to him. He radiated light; people wanted to be near him."
   From Pokajnica Monastery, Father Thaddeus was transferred to the position of spiritual guide at Tuman Monastery, and in 1981—to Vitovnica. Pilgrims from every city in Serbia traveled there to see him. Their conversations would last for hours—until deep into the night, even until dawn. His health deteriorated further due to the burdens and sufferings of others that the Elder took upon himself. He taught that when we pray for others, we take a portion of their suffering upon ourselves; therefore, we must learn to mentally detach ourselves. When we feel burdened by something, we should turn to the Lord and entrust to Him all our cares and anxieties regarding our neighbors. We should hand over all our own problems—as well as those of our loved ones—to the Lord and His Most Holy Mother, so that they may resolve them all.
   In 1992, the Elder suffered his first heart attack, and in 1996, his second; yet, despite this, he continued to provide spiritual guidance to those in distress. In 1998, he visited the monasteries of Dulevo, Prevlaka Miholjska, and Chirilovats within the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral; it was there, in the summer of 2002—when the Elder was already gravely ill—that he was visited by Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral. Speaking in little more than a whisper, the Elder uttered these words: "All the Holy Fathers who lived a good, peaceful, and quiet life—all of them said that the perfection of the Christian life lies in complete humility. Therefore, patience is the most essential thing in life: to endure everything, and to forgive everything." If we harbor good thoughts and desires, they bring us joy and peace in this life, and especially in eternity; then we see that there is no death—that it has been conquered. The Lord has conquered death and granted us eternal life! "
    On the night of March 31 to April 1, 2003, in Ba;ka Palanka, the ascetic reposed in the Lord. He was laid to rest on April 2, 2003, at Vitovnica Monastery, near the monastery church. His orphaned spiritual children find solace in the thought that they have gained a tireless intercessor in Heaven. Elder Thaddeus prays for those who remember him and aids all who seek his prayerful intercession before the Lord.


Counsels and Sayings of Elder Thaddeus

Love the small things, and incline toward that which is humble and simple. And when the soul matures, God will grant it inner peace...
First and foremost, one must love God; then, one’s family and loved ones...
It is essential to repent... This means not merely going to a priest to make one’s confession; rather, one must free oneself from mental impurity... Repentance is the rebirth of life; it means that we must cleanse ourselves of our negative qualities and strive toward Absolute Good.
There is no unforgivable sin, save for the unrepented sin—the sin without repentance.
Everything begins with a thought—both good and evil... If negative thoughts dwell within us, great harm will surely befall us as a result...
We always start from the wrong reference point. Instead of beginning with ourselves, we seek to correct others, while putting off our own self-improvement until later. If only everyone would start with themselves—then we would find peace everywhere...
The Lord is everywhere. He dwells within the heart; therefore, He tells us to live by the heart and to labor with joy. When we seek the Lord with our whole heart—there He is; He is right here...
Earnest prayer means prayer that comes from the heart...
The Lord has taken upon Himself all our burdens, declaring that He Himself will provide for what we are to eat, drink, and wear; yet we cling frantically to our own worries, thereby creating turmoil for ourselves, our families, and everyone around us...
Peace must be established within our souls; only then will there be peace around us...
The words of prayer must be uttered with faith, so that the Lord may look upon us and hear...
Alongside guarding peace within your heart, practice standing before the Lord—this means constantly keeping in mind that the Lord is watching us. With Him, we must rise and lie down, work, eat, and walk. The Lord is everywhere and in all things...
Holy Scripture teaches us that the Kingdom of God is "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." The first step toward communion with God is to surrender oneself completely into God's hands. And then, God acts. Communion with God means that the Lord takes up His dwelling within us and acts through us...
He governs our mind, will, and feelings. Then we become a willing instrument in His hands—moved by Him in our thoughts, desires, feelings, words, and deeds.
When the Kingdom of God takes up residence in the human heart, God reveals many mysteries to that person; together with God, he "enters into" the essence of things and comprehends their mystery... The person who has acquired the Kingdom of God radiates holy thoughts—God’s thoughts. The role of the Christian in the world is to cleanse creation of evil and to spread the Kingdom of God.
A person who imagines he knows everything is obstinate; and no one can instruct an obstinate person. (Based on materials from the book "Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit: Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica ")

Afterword
   The Venerable Justin (Popovich) of Chelije (1894–1979) wrote: “Christians are Christ-bearers, and thereby bearers and possessors of eternal life. And this is in proportion to their faith, and in proportion to the holiness that proceeds from faith. The saints are the most perfect Christians, for
they have sanctified themselves to the greatest degree through the spiritual struggles of holy faith in the Risen and eternally living Lord Jesus...The lives of the saints are, in reality, the life of the God- Man Christ, which flows into His followers and is experienced by them within His Church...”
   In this collection, we have provided brief essays on only a few saints and ascetics of recent times.
   We hope that you will be interested and find the opportunity to find more detailed sources and become familiar with the lives of these ascetics. There are hundreds of testimonies about the lives of other ascetics of recent times and their statements. Many testified that, in the presence of these elders, they felt an extraordinary love—one that warms the heart and bestows spiritual peace. For many, faith in God’s wise Providence deepened; this helped them to accept all that transpired with humility, to refrain from falling into despondency, and, instead, to intensify their prayers and observe a strict fast. Afterward, one feels compelled to tell the whole world about these remarkable people—so that as many people as possible may be convinced that the Lord is near, and that through them He aids us. He sent His helpers during years of godlessness—when churches and monasteries were being closed—to strengthen the faith of a suffering people. Even now, He helps us and strengthens our faith through spiritual books, the lives of saints and ascetics... Glory be to God for all things!
   God willing, we will endeavor to continue introducing our readers to the lives of the holy elders—the male and female ascetics—of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. And should we be able, by God’s grace, to prepare further sketches in English, we will strive to publish new collections. May the Lord save all those who assisted with the translation of the existing material.
   We thank God that some believers—who knew these ascetics and witnessed the miracles wrought through their prayers—shared their recollections, while others were able to edit and publish this invaluable material. We ask for your forgiveness in advance for any potential inaccuracies in the translation.
   "God’s people are passing into the other world—those who, through their very lives, bore witness that they truly belong to God. And fewer and fewer of such people remain..." (From the letters of Elder John (Krestiankin))
   God’s people pass into the other world, yet the light bestowed upon us by these great luminaries shall not be extinguished; the memory of the Elders will live on in the hearts of Orthodox people for many centuries to come. There exist numerous testimonies left by those who, though they never knew the Elders personally, read about them, sought their prayerful intercession before the Lord, and received the help they requested. Holy pleasers and ascetics advise us to thank God more often for everything, that not only in moments of joy, but it is necessary also during sorrows and illnesses; this gratitude strengthens us to carry our crosses with humility. Thank God for everything!
     "We must know that the path of salvation is the path of the Cross. Our salvation is on the Cross, namely, in our suffering on the Cross… Our salvation lies in the patient endurance of sorrows and suffering. Through them, "we are grafted onto the Cross of Christ and from it we receive the Power of the Cross—purifying, sanctifying, and attracting God's blessing…" - St. Simeon (Zhelnyn) (1869-1960)
   "Nothing happens otherwise than by the will of God... Because He is the Almighty. That's why I can't be depressed by everything that's happening around us. Because, submitting to the will of God, I cannot suffer from it... When I'm worried, I kind of say to God: You didn't do as you should have done, as I wanted... Who am I to say that? Or: Why do they tell me this? Why do they do something else for me? But could it have happened without Him, without His admission? And then we are calm... We have constant silence. Without this constant silence, God cannot send the Holy Spirit to help us. The Holy Spirit comes only in human silence. And then he will instruct you, as Christ said: I will send you a Comforter, and He will instruct you, and teach you the future..." – Saint Gabrielia  (Papayannis, 1897–1992).
   "Holiness is not merely righteousness—for which the righteous are deemed worthy to partake of the bliss of the Kingdom of God—but rather such a height of righteousness that people become so filled with the grace of God that it flows forth from them upon those who associate with them... Being likewise overflowing with love for humanity—a love that stems from their love for God—they are responsive to people’s needs and supplications, and serve as intercessors for them before God." — Blessed John (Maximovitch).
   In conclusion, we would like also to mention that the spiritual son of Saint John (Maximovitch) became a modern enlightener of America. Undoubtedly, Hieromonk Seraphim now stands as an intercessor before the Lord on behalf of us all. Although he has not yet been officially canonized by any Synod, many Orthodox Christiansdeeply revere his memory. Currently, materials are being prepared for the glorification of this ascetic; testimonies regarding miracles manifested through the prayers of the ascetic Seraphim of Platina, as well as the recollections of his contemporaries, are being gathered.It is fitting to recall the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30): the Lord (the Master of the talents) endowed this ascetic with brilliant gifts, and he succeeded not only in using them wisely, but also in multiplying them. Possessing a phenomenal memory, the inquisitive, investigative mind of a scholar, and profound knowledge in various fields, he could have built a brilliant career. Yet he chose the narrow path of the ascetic, stepped onto the true Path, and led thousands of people to the Lord through the example of his pious life and the books he authored under the most arduous conditions.  "…he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13).
   Excerpt from Reminiscences of Father Seraphim: "...Father Seraphim’s death brought with it something truly astonishing for our times. His body—despite the heat—remained completely lifelike, and the expression on his face was so radiant and comforting that we, contrary to ancient monastic custom, could not bring ourselves to cover it... Before us lay a man of holy life who had defied the natural process of decay, and our hearts responded to God’s grace." - Archbishop Chrysostom
   Once, in a dream, he appeared to a Protestant pastor who had come to Alaska "with a missionary purpose"; the Protestant later testified that an extraordinary sense of peace and light radiated from the monk. Later, upon seeing a photograph of Father Seraphim (Rose), he recognized in him the monk from his dream; after inquiring about him from an Orthodox priest, he and his family soon converted to the Orthodox faith, and he himself later became an Orthodox priest. Through his books, Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) continues to lead people to the Orthodox faith to this very day.

We would like to thank everyone involved in translating, proofreading, and enabling the production of this book.
May the Lord save all those whose efforts brought this book into existence. We are grateful in advance to those who share this material with their friends and acquaintances, so that as many people as possible may be spiritually enriched and give thanks to the Lord for sending His helpers—the "Apostles of the Last Times"—to suffering humanity in these difficult times. Glory be to God for all things!

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