Olga Orlova, Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin)
Rating: 10|Votes: 5
Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin), spiritual father of His Holiness, ascetically struggled on Mt. Athos for more than ten years in one of the sketes of St. Panteleimon Monastery—the Old Russikon. Namely there, at the mill just a few decades earlier Venerable Silouan the Athonite carried out his obedience. In 1967 the book of his life and teachings became a spiritual guide for the now-revered elder, then novice Alexei of the Pskov Caves Monastery
Protosingel Ieremia
Rating: 10|Votes: 2
No sinner, no matter how great, should not despond, should not lose hope if Mother of God defends him—for she will not desert him.
Rating: 1|Votes: 1
St Theodosius grew to spiritual maturity near the relics of Sts Anthony and Theodosius and other God-pleasers of the Kiev Caves, and he tried to imitate their holy life as much as he could.
Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie)
In order to praise the Child and Virgin Mary, we must have good-natured hearts, as have infants, and a pure life untainted by carnal sins. To praise Her Who was to become the Mother of the Son of God we must have the heart of a mother, the tenderness and patience of a mother, and the love and compassion of a mother for all. Otherwise our prayers and our gifts, if they come from a heart full of sins, hatred and evil, will not be received by the Most Holy Virgin Mary.
Priest Ioan Valentin Istrati
Rating: 5,5|Votes: 2
We see today the newly born girl-child and understand the great is love of God. We hear the cries of a small child and learn of the unutterable wisdom of the Trinity. We look at the human child and through our tears we se how exalted man becomes through love—exalted to the radiant light of the throne of Life.