“Silence is precious; by keeping silence and knowing how to listen to God, the soul grows in wisdom and God teaches it what it cannot learn from men.”

~ Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew, O.C.D. (1550-1626)

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NEWS: Arrest of Metropolitan Arseny, Abbot of the Holy Dormition of the Svyatogorsk Lavra, Ukraine

On April 24, 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted a search in the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, detained the abbot of the Lavra, Metropolitan Arseniy, and informed him that he is suspected of disseminating information about the movement or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which is punishable by up to 8 years in prison. The accusation is based on the fact that in September 2023, during a sermon in the church, Vladyka allegedly told the faithful about the locations of checkpoints of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the Lavra and thus disseminated information of a military nature.(1)

After that, Vladyka Arseny was taken by the SBU to the city of Slavyansk, and then to the city of Dnipro.

That very night, the night of April 24-25, 2024, the Oktyabrsky District Court in the city of Dnipro fully upheld the prosecutor's petition and chose a measure of restraint for Metropolitan Arseny in the form of detention for a period of 60 days. The court ignored the defense's petition for house arrest and the possibility of applying bail. At about three o'clock in the morning, Vladyka was sent  immediately from the courtroom to the Dnipro pre-trial detention center.

Metropolitan Arseny suffers from serious illnesses and therefore requires constant medical supervision and treatment, which cannot be provided in the conditions of the pre-trial detention center. The arrest of Vladyka is a blatant violation of human rights and is aimed at forcibly removing Metropolitan Arseny from fulfilling the obedience of the abbot of the Svyatogorsk Lavra, which is one of the main spiritual centers of Ukraine, and isolating him.

The brethren of the Svyatogorsk Lavra prayerfully support Metropolitan Arseny, await his speedy release from arrest, and consider the accusations against Vladyka artificial and far-fetched. Despite the large-scale destruction of the monastery, with the support of Vladyka Arseny, divine services are held in the Lavra to this day, and the brethren of the monastery continue to carry out their monastic podvig every day. Also, a large number of people who lost their own homes as a result of hostilities live in the Lavra.

Metropolitan Arseny is, as it were, the heart of the Lavra, without him it is impossible to imagine the Svyatogorsk monastery. For all of us living in the Lavra, Vladyka Arseny is an indispensable spiritual mentor, administrator, and man of prayer. Therefore, the isolation of Vladyka is a heavy blow for all of us.

We thank all of you, dear brothers and sisters, for your prayers and words of support for the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

(1) WHAT MOTIVATED THE ARREST OF THE MOST REVEREND METROPOLITAN ARSENY?

The checkpoint Vladyka mentioned in that sermon was explicitly set up in the neighboring village to block pilgrims from coming to the celebration of the Synaxis of the Saints of the Svyatogorsk Lavra last fall.  It functioned for only one or two days  - for that particular purpose. Vladyka lamented that people were being prevented from coming to worship at the Lavra and from bringing the monks and refugees badly-needed humanitarian aid. Busloads of people from far away, including families with children, were held up and turned away.

Dancing in a Monastic Brothel, c. 1932

Photo: Brassaï

Book Review of 'Polytheistic Monasticism: Voices from Pagan Cloisters'

I wasn't entirely sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book but... generally I was expecting... more.

I don't feel like I learned much from reading this book, aside from prehaps that (unsurprisingly) those being called to deeper devotional practices in the Pagan/Polytheistic world are mostly being offered options based firmly in Western traditions. While I was sure that inspiration for such a movement would draw from monastic Christian traditions I had hoped to see it also drawing from antiquities temple traditions and, more modern, Eastern traditions where temples for worship are often maintained by monks/nuns and in this way monistaries and temples are one in the same.

Aside from getting a feel for the current climate and areas of inspiration that seem to be present inside this community... I don't feel like I learned... much of anything... most of the essays felt... a bit like advertisements to me... and most didn't feel particularly helpful to one interested in the path or particularly insightful in anyway.

To be honest this felt like a book that was created mearly to mark the phenomenon and offer a screenshot of it for the purposes of third-party study as opposed to a tool for someone genuinely seeking information about what this kind of calling might look like in their own lives.

Opactwo Cystersów, Kraków.

Instagram/anna.slapek/

Today we celebrate the Venerable Benedict of Nursia, the founder of Western Monasticism. At the age of fourteen, Benedict was unsettled by the life of sin of the society around him that he decided to devote himself to the monastic life. He eventually began his own monastery where he developed his own monastic rule which has been passed down from generation to generation and is still practiced today by the Western Benedictine monasteries. This rule he believed to be a way of attaining perfection, or Theosis in this earthly life. Having lived a life of purity and prayer, the Lord granted him the gifts of wonderworking and prophesy before his peaceful repose. May he intercede for us always + #saint #benedict #stbenedict #benedictus #nursia #italy #rome #monk #monastic #monasticrule #rule #west #western #westernmonastery #monastery #prayer #faith #love #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Monte Cassino) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpvo5lUDebr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

" . . .God wishes to make you holy.  Be humble of heart and continue your  prayer in God, the prayer God gives you . . . Die that mystical death  to all that is not God . . . You ought not to be living in yourself, but  in God.  Jesus lives in you and you in Jesus.”

~St. Paul of the Cross

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She'll kick your ass to the Astral Plane and back!

monastery (2022) #tidalgrace #berlinartist #montrealartist #malagaartist #artberlin #contemporaryart #socialcommentary #art #visualart #modernart #digitalart #christianity #monastic #brutalism (at Montreal, Quebec) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfUGLfyrYUO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Monastic Traditions by Laser Llama

Geghard Monastery, Unesco World Heritage Site in central Armenia

Opactwo Cystersów w Mogile, Kraków, Polska.

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Today we also celebrate the Righteous Melangell the Abbess of Wales. Saint Melangell was born of royal Welsh lineage and was thus expected to marry. Yearning for the life of prayer and solitude, Melangell renounced her royal status and fled for Ireland in around 590AD and settled in an isolated area where she would sleep on bare rock with a cave as her cell. She remained hidden her for almost fifteen years. One day, as the Welsh Prince Brochfael Ysgithrog was hunting in the area, his hounds found a hare which they pursued with the intent of killing it. The hare ran through a bush and the Prince followed it. He then unexpectedly found the Hermitess Melangell in such deep prayer that she remained undistracted by the commotion happening around her. The breathless hare had found refuge in the folds of Melangell’s garment. When the Prince’s ordered his hounds to snatch the hare, the hounds dared not approach the Saint. Now aware of what was happening, Melangell calmly, but boldly, drove the dogs back. The Prince had never seen such a thing before and was in utter amazement. He cautiously approached the hermitess and asked to hear her life story. Deeply moved by the Saint, the Prince marvelled at Melangell’s beauty, purity, and love for God. Nevertheless, he suggested that she leave her solitude and marry him. She gently but adamantly refused, and the Prince was so impressed with her sanctity and determination that he donated a parcel of land on which she would found her monastery. This monastery became a refuge not only for animals, but for all people who came to Melangell to be comforted by her words. Saint Melangell lived for almost forty years in her monastery guiding and counselling all who came to her. During her life, no animal was ever killed on her land, and for centuries after, those who live in the area do not dare to hurt any hares as they are regarded to be protected by the Saint. Saint Melangell is considered the Patron Saint of hares and other small animals and performs miralces for those who come to her with faith. May she intercede for us always + #saint #melangell #ireland #wales #hermitess #monastic #anchoress #God #love #prayer #orthodox (at Newcastle, Powys, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoDexdth4en/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=