Bishop Alexiy of Solnechnogorsk: Spirituality is primarily obedience

Bishop Alexiy of Solnechnogorsk: Spirituality is primarily obedience Епископ Солнечногорский Алексий: Духовничество — это прежде всего послушание print version July 24, 2019 15:08 Danilov Monastery became the first monastery in Russia. Having passed through the years of hard times in the 20th century and having risen from non-existence, he again opened the doors of his temples for those who come here in search of God, prayer and spiritual support. About those who managed to preserve the spiritual continuity between the generations of the Danilovsky monks, what is spiritualism - talent or vocation, for which the modern monk needs a gadget and how confession helps spiritual growth, the Bishop Alexey of the monastery told the monastery. Interview published in No. 7, 2019 ( PDF version ). Candle to Reverend Daniel - Your Grace, the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, congratulates you on the episcopal ordination and wishes the spiritual forces and the grace of God in your new ministry. Recently, the Danilov Monastery celebrated its 35th anniversary of the start of the revival. In his book “It was a miracle of God,” Metropolitan Eulogius (Smirnov) spoke about the restoration of the monastery. And what, in your opinion, the important events for the monastery occurred after you became the prior? - For me, this is a consecration on Tula Square of the monument to the Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow (September 1997), and a year later the restoration of the chapel in his honor, destroyed during the Soviet era. This and the return from Harvard to the monastery of its belfry (18 bells), the creation of four monastic courtyards. And of course, the many thousands religious procession from the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin to the Danilov Monastery, which took place on September 6, 2003 and was dedicated to the 700th anniversary of the repose of the holy blessed Prince Daniil of Moscow. This prayer procession with a large icon of St. Prince Daniel in full height (now this icon is near the holy prince's shrine in the Church of the Holy Fathers of the Seven Ecumenical Councils) on special stretchers was accompanied by a bell ringing in all the temples past which the procession went. At the same time, another procession came out of the Danilov monastery towards Danilovskaya Square - with an ark with particles of the relics of St. Prince Daniel. You probably know that all attempts to find the relics of a saint who once lived in our monastery are still unsuccessful [2]. But, fortunately, at different times, different people handed over to the monastery the particles of the holy relics of Prince Daniel. - You did not have to meet those who were parishioners of the monastery temples before its closure in 1930? - From the previous “Danilov’s” we closely communicated with Schemamonk Mikhail (Karelin, 1911-2003). Father Michael was an inhabitant of the Danilov Monastery and came here as a young man. He became a witness of how the cloister gradually closed down - one after another, the temples ceased to work, the worship services were reduced. He said that his first cell was in the Pokrovsky temple: he slept there on the bench, and in the morning he woke up by knocking wooden soles of women's shoes on the pavement. Later, Father Mikhail was imprisoned in the Ivanovo prison, and then he was sent to Kolyma. He arrived in Moscow only in the late 1950s. When the monastery began to revive, it again returned to her inhabitant, told about how the brothers lived before. He was an example of the love of God. By the way, Father Michael (Karelin) also conveyed to the monastery a particle of the holy relics of Prince Daniel. He said that she came to him from two secret nuns - the spiritual children of a famous confessor - Archimandrite Seraphim (Klimkova; 1896-1970). In the 1930s, the monks distributed particles of the relics of Prince Daniel to faithful children, so that they could be saved. Today, one can attach oneself to the relics of Prince Daniel of Moscow in the church of the Holy Fathers of the seven Ecumenical Councils. The service there is daily - in the morning and in the evening. In the same place every day at 6 am a fraternal prayer service is held There is a small reliquary with particles of the holy relics of the prince in our Holy Trinity Cathedral, but it is open for worship only on holidays and Sundays. Another of the “Danilovs” is Archimandrite Daniel (in the world, Ivan Sergeevich Sarychev; 1912-2006), one of those “quiet” ascetics of the spirit, who, even in the most severe years of persecution, did not deplete the Russian land. He came to the monastery when he was ten years old, in the early 1920s. Here, fate brought him to the remarkable bishops and monks, ascetics of the Russian Orthodox Church, who found shelter in the monastery at that time. Of course, this could not but reflect on the further fate of Father Daniel. He left interesting memories of the Danilov Convent of the 1920s and 30s and its inhabitants. The brethren of the new Danilov, listening to his stories, scooped information about their abode from the original source. Thus, by the grace of God, spiritual continuity between the generations of the Danilo monks was realized. The current "Danilov" do not remain in debt - one of the brothers of our monastery dedicated his thesis at the Moscow Theological Academy to Archimandrite Daniel. Many interesting things not only about our monastery, but also about the life of Orthodox Moscow can be read in the book The Secret Memory of the Soul of one of the oldest parishioners of our monastery, Mikhail Ivanovich Makarov (1906-2004). She was published in our publishing house in 2007. I also knew several parishioners of the Danilov Monastery, who prayed in his churches on the verge of closing in the 1930s. From their stories I remember such a case. In one of the places of detention where the convicts were serving sentences, one of the released ones said that he would go to Moscow. Believers began to say: let's raise funds for a candle to deliver to Prince Daniel in Moscow. Some responded, others did not, but it turned out this way: they put this candle in prayer and received an “answer” - those who donated to it or, even without such an opportunity, mentally turned to the saint for help, were released early, and those who did not want - served a full term. - It is known that after the closure of the monastery, the detective center of the NKVD for children “enemies of the people” was located here. Were there any meetings in your life with those who as a child lived in this “children's prison”? “I have never met such people, but I read the memories of life in this detective house of the famous journalist Valery Agranovsky. He got there with his brother after his parents were arrested in 1937. I remembered how children were led by the system, how they ate, how they studied. In the house of the governor was a punishment cell for girls. And there was heavy silence everywhere. You can not stand at the window, you can not put your legs on your feet, you can not ask anything. There was no entertainment, no circles, no sports sections. For violation of the regime, children were placed in a punishment cell for a period of three to five days for bread and water. It was impossible to escape, the guard station was well guarded, and the walls were high. Another inhabitant of the receiver, Aleksey Eroshkin, left a description of how dinners were held in the dining room, where the law of the jungle practically reigned - there was little food, and who was stronger and more agile, tried to grab a part of the ration of a friend. Verkhovili recidivist thieves who have been in the receiver more than once. In 1960, orders began to soften, school teaching was introduced, a club, a red corner, a gymnasium appeared. Work and prayer - You mentioned that at the Danilov Monastery four farmsteads were organized. What is their significance for the monastery? - Each of them has its own direction, but everywhere there are churches and regular services are held. So, at the compound in the Ryazan region, where we have about 20 people, we send new brothers who have just come to the monastery and have the intention to get acquainted with monastic life. The first years of their stay in the monastery they are in the position of workers, they bear various obediences, gradually turning into the monastic rhythm, trying to answer for themselves the question of how close and useful is monastic life, whether they fit into the monastic family. The brethren, too, see whether a person is prone to monasticism, whether he can be a brother, a novice, how much further his spiritual growth is possible. After all, the priority for everyone in the monastery should not be economic affairs, but prayer, worship, reading the Holy Scriptures. At the Ryazan farmstead there is a temple of the Archangel Michael, where services constantly go, the brethren read the Psalter there, praying for health and for the repose of those whose relatives submit notes to the Danilov monastery. The length of stay in the Ryazan compound is different for everyone. But to be an employee need at least a year. In the ryasofor - we usually cut it not earlier than in three years. If not ready, the duration of the work is increased. And the next stage is the monastic tonsure (mantle). If we talk about priestly or deaconial ministry, then this is discussed with the Priesthood, the blessing of the Patriarch is taken, and then a decision is made. Transfiguration Compound is located near Serpukhov. There is a strict charter, modeled on the Athos monastery of St. Paul. Entrance to women in the yard is prohibited. Its inhabitants translate the works of the holy fathers, devotees of the Greek Church. There is a small apiary, vegetable gardens. At the Dolmatovo farm we have a dairy farm that supplies dairy products to the monastery. And finally, a farmstead near Ruza, in a picturesque place on the shore of the Ruza reservoir, in the village of Novovolkovo. There, in the Church of the All-Merciful Savior, there is a list with the venerated icon of the Mother of God “The All-Daughter”, written several years ago on Mount Athos, in the Vatopedi monastery. As is well known, people turn to this icon in prayer with cancer. And in the temple of the monastery prayers are constantly served in front of this image. In addition, twice a week, brothers from the Ruzsky monastery come to us at the Danilov Monastery and serve the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos in front of a copy of the All-Daughter ”icon in the temple of St. Seraphim of Sarov. There are cases when people actually received healing through their prayers. If someone wants the brethren to pray for their sick relatives in the temple of the All-Merciful Savior, you can submit notes with the names of the sick in the temple of the Holy Fathers of the seven Ecumenical Councils. New saint - What were your impressions when you came to the monastery for the first time? - In 1986, when I was a inhabitant of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra , I was ordered to live in the Danilov monastery for three months - to participate in the revival of prayer life. The first impression is a continuous construction, ditches and pits everywhere. Collapsing monastery walls, which are not even everywhere preserved. But the work was in full swing. A lot of people participated in the restoration: not only workers and specialists-restorers, but also volunteers - people of all ages, including the elderly. It was so touching! Everyone did the work that was feasible for him, mainly in garbage collection. Everyone considered it a great honor to help. The brethren, of course, spent most of their time praying and worshiping, but in the evening they worked together with volunteers. At the same time, archaeological works were conducted on the territory of the monastery, there is a book with a description of all the finds [3]. In 1992, Patriarch Alexy II appointed me already the vicar of the monastery. At that time there were 35 brethren living here. From all over the country, the inhabitants gathered, not only the monks of the Trinity Sergius Lavra. At this time the monastery was already put in order. Living conditions were normal, they lived mostly in separate cells. - Becoming the governor, you changed something in the schedule, obedience, prayer life? - I saved all the way I was introduced, only some services were added. Thus, in 2000, the former monk of the monastery, the Rev. Confessor George (Lavrov), was glorified. He labored here in the 1930s, after his arrest he was sent into exile in Kazakhstan. After his release in 1932, he settled in Nizhny Novgorod, as he was forbidden to live in Moscow according to the instructions “minus 12” [4], which prohibited former convicts from living in some cities. There he died from a serious illness. He was counted among the saints, glorified at the Bishops' Council of 2000. The remains of Georgy (Lavrov) were transferred to the Danilov Monastery. He was drafted a service that we perform every first Sunday of the month, with the exception of Lent and public holidays, together with the Akathist to Rev. Georgy Danilovsky. Also on Fridays in the Trinity Cathedral, we resumed the reading of the Three-armed Akathist to the Mother of God, whose icon has always been honored in our monastery. Monk Gadget - At many monastic conferences it is often said about the problem of using mobile devices by the inhabitants of monasteries. How relevant is it for your monastery? Are you allowed, including young people, to use them? - We do not have a strict ban on using gadgets and mobile phones. But there is a wish that man first of all live with God. We provide this question for him to decide for himself how useful the use of mobile devices is for his life in Christ. At the same time, many brethren in our country receive correspondence courses in Moscow theological schools and other seminaries. Mobile phones and devices, they need a computer for study, work. - Are there brethren who came out of your monastery and founded new monasteries or which you recommended for the organization of monastic life in other monasteries? - Yes, but I am afraid that there is not enough space to list them all. I will name only two. This is the Bishop of Yakut and Lensky Zosima (in the world Igor Vasilyevich Davydov; 1963-2010). In the early 1980s, he participated in the restoration of the monastery, took monastic vows, and in 1992, Hierodeacon Zosima moved to the Danilov Monastery. In 2004 he was ordained bishop and appointed to the Yakutsk department, but he never forgot the Danilov monastery. Visiting Moscow, always came here. He wrote a book about Archimandrite Theodore (Pozdeevsky) - the last abbot of the Danilov monastery before closing. A few years ago, the inhabitant of our monastery, Hieromonk Dionysius (in the world, Pavel Sergeevich Shumilin) ​​was appointed and. about. Abbot of Serafimo-Sarovsky diocesan monastery of the village Novomakarovo, Gribanovsky district of the Voronezh region. The monastery conducts catechizing and pastoral activities in military units, takes care of hospitals and correctional institutions. The monastery brethren are frequent guests in the Northern Fleet, on the Daniel of Moscow nuclear submarine. Our catechists teach in higher education institutions, including the Military University. "Everyone should do their own thing" - Vladyka, you have many spiritual children. Often people turn to you for spiritual advice. Is spiritualism a vocation, talent or can it be cultivated in yourself? “I think first of all this is obedience.” The confessor in our understanding here, in Russia, is a person in holy orders. He has the right to allow from sins, to give advice, but he himself must possess spiritual and life experience, must grow and know the path of spiritual struggle. - Take, for example, such well-known confessors like Father Kirill (Pavlov), Father Nikolai (Guryanov), now living father Eli (Nozdrin). Could they become so popular and loved by the people, if they did not have a special talent? - They were famous above all for their spiritual life, for this they had and have a special talent. But there are spiritual fathers and not with such big names, but who perform their ministry, also fulfill their obedience. Maybe the time will come and their names will also sound. And now, as Father Kirill used to say: "Everyone must do his own thing." God, if he wants, will educate and make any person his assistant. Saul persecuted Christ, and then became Paul, the great apostle. Its time has come. God wanted him to be such a preacher, He corrected him, gave him such grace. So is spiritualism. Obedience is given, a person confesses and remembers not that he is great, but that God acts through him. For this, you only need humility, obedience, and then God can through this father say what the person who appeals to him needs. But the spiritual father himself must constantly work on his spiritual growth. No one is born an old man. For example, the Rev. confessor George (Lavrov). Born in a simple family. His mother once wanted to choose the monastic way, but her parents insisted that she marry. She had children. And when she asked them: “Who among you will go to the monastery?”, Little Egor, the future elder George, said: “Well, I will go.” Mother waved his hand at him: "You are not serious." And when he and his mother went to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Yegor heard the voice of St. Sergius at the shrine: "Go to Optina , your place is there." For many years he lived in Optina, then became the prior of St. George Monastery in the town of Meshchovsk, Kaluga province. When the monastery was closed, Father George went through prison, exile. Being imprisoned, he received the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov) of Kazan for spiritualism. Through all the trials, he carried the love of God and people, keeping his heart pure and open to compassion for others. So, in a nutshell, the old man was brought up. And if we talk about some kind of talent, it is only a talent of love. - What dangers, temptations can lay in wait today for a confessor in his ministry? - Probably one of the most serious temptations is the sin of pride. St. John of the Ladder says: "If you see your sins multiplied like the sand of the sea, then you can say that you are on the right path and go to God." And if a person evaluates his life as the life of a great ascetic, then, most likely, his spiritual growth has stopped. If rumor awards him with fame beyond work, and he says in his heart: “Yes, I really am as people say about me,” then it will be difficult for him to fight himself to regain humility. - Does the spiritual growth of a person influence the fact that he confesses with different priests and does not have his own confessor? - A sick person has a permanent doctor, the one who masters the skill has a mentor. So it is in the spiritual life. If there is an opportunity to have a spiritual father who constantly looks after us, brings up, helps, gives on time wise advice, warns, what could be better? This is not a prerequisite that we will not be saved without it. After all, you can go through life with the spiritual father and not build up your salvation. Our deeds are needed, not just words. There is such a parable: a monk came to the elder, repented, left, and his sins remained with him. And then it was revealed to the elder that he confessed, but does not change anything in himself, that the elder advised him. Similarly, with the spiritual father: either we go up, or we are marking time, or even degrading, if we do not work on ourselves. Our pastor will not do our work for us. His goal is to see what prevents a person from growing spiritually, what a person does not see, and tell about it, using his experience, the experience of the holy fathers and the experience of the Church. - What spiritual problems, perplexities do you need to contact a confessor? - This is primarily your spiritual state. For example, I have some flaw, I feel that it bothers me. But I reconcile with this, I do not want to work on myself. But how can I move on in my spiritual growth, if I do not begin to eradicate it in myself? Then you need to have the courage and strength to fix it. Suppose I have a distracted, inattentive pray. How to be? The Holy Fathers advise that before proceeding to prayer, you need to calm down. Find an appropriate inner spirit: now I will communicate with God. Leaving our everyday cares behind and giving this brief moment one thought - Christ and I. There is a book by Sergey Bolshakov, “On the heights of the spirit”. These are his notes on meetings with various people, both monastics and laymen, who sought to preserve Christ in their hearts and their prayerful attitude. And for this you need the skill of frequent repetition of prayer and a focused state. But each has its own situation. One person, for example, is so burdened with affairs that he leaves prayer for the end of the day. But at the end of the working day he gets so tired that he has no strength for prayer, neither spiritual nor physical. Maybe then you need to change your life rhythm in order to pray early, and then return to your business - sometimes it is easier. The other can have such a big rule that it does not move him to Heaven, but is so tiring that he cannot give his best feelings and strength to prayer. And instead of the joy of communicating with God, he experiences only a difficult, unpleasant state. Then, perhaps, after consulting with the spiritual father, you need to either reduce the rule, or divide it into parts, to make it easier to fulfill it. But do not leave these appeals to God. Then the forces will remain, and the prayer will not be interrupted.