saints

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today we celebrate the memory of the Holy Elders of Optina. These God-bearing elders lived almost in our own day, and their lives and teachings serve as one of the primary inspirations for monastics living here at the Hermitage. Their icons, portraits and photographs adorn the inside of almost every building in our monastery. Portions of their precious relics reside here in our church. Every novice here eagerly reads their lives to lay a foundation for his own monastic struggles, and many a senior monk will later return to read them in order to renew his zeal for the monastic life, and rekindle his devotion to our instructors in piety. Two of our monks bear names of the Optina elders, with perhaps more to come in the future. Bishop George and several of our monks have visited Optina to venerate the relics of these holy men and to worship with the Optina brotherhood, uniting us with them in spirit.