On Tuesday of the Bright Week, April 10, the clergy,
monastics, sisters of mercy and workers of St. Elisabeth Convent prayed
together and partook of Holy Communion. Such convent-wide liturgies become a
good tradition in the convent. The first common liturgy was served on the second day of the
Nativity of Christ. More than 1,000 people came then.
As Fr. Andrew Lemeshonok said, in the Chalice of
Christ we overcome any misconceptions, insults and moods: “The world has its
own laws, but we should live in accordance with the world, which the Lord shows
us, where there is nothing mine or yours, but only God’s; where there is no
insults, divisions and arguments about who is better because everyone is loved
by God. The Lord does not tell us to divide our life – “this is for God, and
this is for me”. If it is for God, then it is for me, too!”
Only in partaking of Holy Communion we can join the Divine
life, which Christ has granted to us through His Resurrection!
Fr. Andrew congratulated everyone with the feast of
Holy Pascha, besprinkled with Holy Water and gave various small gifts. “How often people
work without any sense… Their pockets and refrigerators are full, but their
hearts are empty. We are building the
main thing – our church. We devote much energy to this, but what is more important
is your eyes, your words and your conscience. May the Lord save you for your
love towards God and our convent!” – the spiritual father of the convent said.
After the liturgy, people stayed together for long, sharing
that Paschal joy with each other. Here are several short stories we wrote down after
the liturgy.
Sister
Olga (Komissarova), a member of the Exhibition department of the convent:
– During the liturgy, I remembered that last year I
came for work at the convent just a week before Pasch. In the beginning of my
obedience, it was rather hard for me to work. But the prayers of our spiritual
father helped me stay there, and today I’m very happy with that. You are not just
working here, you are developing spiritually every day. At one difficult moment
of my life, the Lord gave me an opportunity to feel love towards all the people
around. That love covered everything. However, the Lord has even more love
towards us, sinners, and this is why He is guiding us on our way.
Sister Vasilisa
(Buslaeva), an artist of the Mosaic Workshop of the convent:
– That year my birthday fell on the day of Pasha. Birthday
is a special day to rejoice about your life, given to you by God, and the
people He granted to you!
Thanks to Pascha that day was filled with special
silence. I was at the night liturgy, then I sang at the liturgy in the Boarding
home, and then I also sang at the late liturgy in the church…
The Lord sends me small miracles every day! God knows
all the languages and speaks the one most easily understood by any of us. For
me the main evidence of God is beauty. The Lord creates so much beauty, that it
is everywhere: in people, nature and events.
I work in the workshop for a bit more than a year, and
every second of this year is filled with something. Everything there is filled
with life and God!
Of course, since I am a person who is not used to work
and pray a lot, it can be difficult for me. And it is difficult almost all the
time… However, this difficulty is joyful because there is something natural in
it. If it is so difficult, then it means that the Lord has put me on the way
that leads to Him.
Fr. Andrew told exactly about that - about the joy we get
through motion or even through simple attempts to follow Christ. I cannot say I
move somehow, I would rather say I resist the way He leads me to himself. But I
hope that no matter how much I resist, God will always lead me.
Brother Constantine
(Karmanov), the head of the convent’s audio studio:
– It is the second time in my life when Pascha fells
on my birthday. If I sum up the results of the past year, I will see many
events connected with my spiritual way: I have graduated from the theological
seminary, entered the theological academy and began my postgraduate study. In
our family, the fourth child has been born – this is also God’s blessing: our
family grows and our joy grows, too!
The Lord always comforts me, and he often helps me in
advance. I do not deserve many of His gifts, but I try to thank God for each of
them.
April 12, 2018
St. Elisabeth Convent
CONVERSATION