Protopriest Lev Lebedeff (+1998) | June 1997
In the hills which surround
Athens, the capital of Greece, on a slope half an hour away from the center of
population and the tumult of the world, is a wondrous creation of the hands of
men and the Grace of God, the Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina.
When one enters the monastery, he
feels as if he were stepping into the antechambers of Paradise, or at least
into a vivid, spiritual image thereof. A ray of Divine light literally
traversed the heavenly firmament, fell to earth, and illumined and sanctified
everything in this place: the Chapels, the monastic cells, the trees, the
bushes, the roses, and, most importantly, all those who struggle here!
Every true Orthodox monastery, in
which the life of the monks is pure and without defilement, creates a similar
impression. But Divine Providence ordained that I should, in this Monastery of
Sts. Cyprian and Justina, experience the transformation of my life.
I arrived incredibly ill, but
left healthy; I was lost, but left saved; I was dead, yet was resurrected. And
all of this in the space of thirty days in May and June of 1997.
This is truly a place where
sinners find salvation: a haven of salvation. This is what I would like to say
first of all about this Holy Monastery.
The monastic brotherhood is
comprised of some twenty-eight members. The coenobitic rule is followed so
strictly that no monk receives even a paper Icon as a gift, without the
blessing of the Metropolitan! No guest or visitor ever enters the cells of the monks.
I did not see the inside of a single one of them. There are separate cells for
guests, with complete facilities, in the area where they stay.
The monastery consists of two
parts. They are all very meticulously looked after and clean. Grass and plants
with many kinds of flowers are arranged with elegance and balance.
The external beauty, splendor,
good order, and progress of the monastery correspond fully to the internal,
spiritual ordering of the life here. In the Divine services and the private
prayers of the brotherhood, there is not a trace of Pharisaism, affectation, or
anything artificial and ostentatious. Everything is “in singleness of
heart," as the Apostle declares. However, in this simplicity there are an
astonishingly lively faith and a reverence for holiness, which are sincere and
heartfelt.
There is never any conversation
in the church or in the trapeza (refectory). Not even a whisper can be
heard. The meals are like part of the worship services. The Fathers eat wearing
rasa (cassocks) and epanokalymmafchia (monastic hat and veil), as
in church—without exception.
The services are spiritual and
simple: everything is modest, quiet, and humble. Everything is pervaded by
brotherly love. Throughout the duration of my stay, I saw no one getting angry;
there were no acrimonious exchanges. No one raised his voice. Instructions are
given cahnly and quietly by the Metropolitan and the two Bishops, all of whom
live in the Monastery.
The daily schedule is very
strict. The monks rise early in the morning, since Divine Liturgy begins at
5:30. The meals are also austere, without great variety and abundance, but
sufficient to maintain one's strength.
In the monastery, the brotherhood
maintains a rule of daily Holy Communion. There is Confession every Saturday.
There are no words sufficient to describe the benefit of daily Communion for
the soul. I was persuaded of this from personal experience, and with the
blessing of the Metropolitan I decided to follow this rule. What a great source
of healing for soul and body it constitutes!
The greatest celebrations,
naturally, are on Sundays and great Feasts. There are the exultation and joy
that one experiences at Pascha! The chanting is marvelous; they preserve the
ancient Byzantine chant, which is very different from what we are accustomed to
in Russia. There are great beauty and power in this chant.
From its foundation to the
present day, everything at the Holy Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina has
been done with the blessing of God and with His help. Everything, down to the
last detail, has been undertaken with the blessing of Metropolitan Cyprian.
This amazing obedience derives from the heart, spontaneously, and from
experience, proving that things turn out well only when they are accomplished
with such obedience.
It is very clear that the
internal and external spiritual ordering of life at this monastery, and at
other monasteries and parishes that belong to it, proceeds from a single and
unique root, from a single source: from the person of the founder and leader of
them all, Metropolitan Cyprian. One cannot pass on to others what he himself
does not possess. One can dream up, or borrow from some other place, the best
possible rule and order. But if the Abbot himself does not observe these
things, if they do not derive from his own life experience and vibrant communion
with God, with Christ, they will remain a “dead letter" and an elusive
dream. This is not the case with anything that Metropolitan Cyprian has
established. Everything proceeds from his personal struggle and experience.
The Synod in Resistance, which
Metropolitan Cyprian serves as President, is engaged in anti-ecumenical
activities on a very wide scale. A considerable amount of material of this kind
from the Synod has reached Russia. The Synod publishes periodicals in Greek,
English, French, and Swedish, and a large number of its articles, pamphlets,
and video-cassettes are likewise in circulation in Russian.
Such progress by the movement of
the True Orthodox Greeks could not but fail to provoke the jealousy of demonic
forces and the envy of men. To the continuous persecution by the ecumenists
have been added unexpected attacks by those who ostensibly belong to the same
side as they. These include unjust accusations, unfounded condemnations, and
vicious slander.
The Synod in Resistance differs
from the other “Old Calendarists," in that it attempts to follow the path
of moderation, avoiding extremism: especially the fanatical, hyperbolic, and
unsympathetic attitude of some Old Calendarists towards the ailing members of
the “New Calendar" Churches.
One can argue with—he can attempt
to prove this or that to—Metropolitan Cyprian's detractors; but the best course
is simply to invite them, with the words of the Gospel: “Come and see!"
Let every person who has doubts
come and live for a month or more, as I did, with the brotherhood at the Holy
Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina. Personally, I need no other proof.
Christ taught us to judge “trees" by their fruits. The change and healing
of my soul, through Divine Grace, which I experienced here, along with what I
saw, heard, and lived here, several tunes brought to mind the words of the
envoys of Prince Vladimir regarding “the land of the Greeks": “And when
they took us to the place where they worship their God, we did not know whether
we were on earth or in Heaven.... Nowhere does there exist such beauty...
Truly, God dwells among these people."
I, too, can confirm what they
said: through His Grace, the Lord is manifestly with Metropolitan Cyprian, with
his monks and his nuns, with the clergy, and with the Faithful. Blessed be this
haven of salvation!
Source: Orthodox Tradition, Vol. XV (1998), No. 1, pp.
62-65.
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