Archbishop Mark:  “We must not get used to monastic life, a true gift of God”.

Born in Germany, highly ranked in the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, head of the European Eparchy with its vast territory – and Russian nuns living in one of the convents located in the Urals.  We seem to have so little in common…  And yet, within just a couple of days Archbishop Mark became a very close and dear person to us, a person who left cordial and hearty memories in the convent.  Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain visited our convent.

Archbishop and a group of pilgrims from Germany arrived at the Ekaterinburg Eparchy during the Royal Days to pray in the sacred places associated with death of the Royal Martyrs, as well as Saint Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth and nun Varvara.  Archbishop also paid a visit to our convent and bowed to one of its most treasured relics, i.e. to the relics of Saint Basiliscus of Siberia; he also visited workshops of the convent and the Orthodox orphanage.

July 18 (the Day of Saint Martyrs Elizabeth and Varvara) the honoured guest visited the St. Ignatius Skete of our convent.  In his welcoming speech Archbishop emphasized grandeur of monastic life and Christianity.

As a start Archbishop Mark congratulated everyone on the celebration in honour of St. Elizabeth and St. Varvara and encouraged the sisters to strive for Evangelical virtues, following the path shown by these saint women and by an uncountable assembly of New Martyrs of Russia.

Archbishop believes that the Russians have all opportunities for the deed of monastic life these days:  monasteries are available, as well as ecclesiastical literature and beautiful temples with daily divine services…  It is important that we treasure this opportunity:  what some of us consider to be absolutely normal and evident, used to be totally inconceivable just a couple of years ago.  And we must never stop thanking God for this wonderful gift – the opportunity to lead monastic life.

-  For those of us who lead monastic life, the primary danger is to get used to what we have, - mentions Archbishop Mark. – To get used to going to church, praying, taking part in Sacrament.  We should not allow this to happen, every morning one must admit:  “I am unworthy of this”.  If only God judged us according to our deeds, He would have defeated us before we could even enter the temple – but He allows us to go to the temple every day…  For decades many of your predecessors wished to become nuns, they were ready to bear any hardships, but they could not have what they desired:  the convents were closed, and those few that did continue to function were very difficult to join to.  We have to remember this.

Those who lead monastic life today have a grand example of virtuous life:  New Martyrs.  As Archbishop states, “the whole Russia is a live antimension, every inch of the Russian land is soaked with blood of New Martyrs”.  Thus, Saint Martyr Elizabeth is highly revered in the Urals.  Born in Germany, she could leave Russia that virtually seethed during those terrible years of persecution.  However, she chose a different path and remained faithful to her new Motherland and monastic ideals.  It is well-known that her confidant nun Varvara also showed great faith:  the Bolsheviks gave her an opportunity to leave Alapayevsk, nothing connected her with the Royal Family, she had so to say “nothing to do with all this”.  But Saint Varvara stayed with her Mother Elizabeth.  This sort of faith to God and to one’s mentors is rarely treasured in the contemporary society, it hardly exists at all.  While we the Christians must strive for this virtue, and it is easier to do in the convent.

In conclusion Archbishop Mark advised the sisters to strive for monastic life, considering Saint Elizabeth and Varvara as patronesses, and “to defeat death (i.e. sin) each new day”.  The sisters of the convent were deeply touched by the highly valuable gift that Archbishop gave to the confessor of the convent, Archfather Superior Abraham, i.e. a wooden crucifix made of the part of the coffin of Saint Martyr Elizabeth.

On that day Archbishop Mark also found an opportunity to spend some time in the St. Ignatuis Skete telling the sisters of the convent that the Royal Martyrs were also revered abroad.