I was just speaking about those innocent people from villages, the peasants from my childhood. You should know that in those times people didn`t keep hatred. They simply didn`t know how to keep hatred in their hearts
There was more poverty than today but i twas shared. It was shared among people who helped one another in small things, with a cup of hot milk, with a few potatoes, with a handful of corn flour for a polenta to have the children what to eat.
Living this simple and innocent life, you didn`t feel poverty. It seemed there wasn`t so much pain. And they kept Christmas and Easter. It was not like now only an opportunity to eat drink and make parties.
In our childhood the church was full. I remember with how much joy we all went there. The village was big and there came the entire families, with the babies in arms, through snow, nobody remained at home. The roads became colorful from so many people in popular costumes, we greeted each other joyfully and you didn`t see anyone frowning.
In those times it had been given an order which had taken out the vineyards from villages. You didn`t find too many drunkards in the Christian families. It seems to me I see even now how before Christmas the men came home with a bottle of wine. Nothing more. A bottle which was enough for them until the New Year. The man drank a glass of red wine at the table with the family in honor of the feast.
And they fasted. This food was good for us the children. We felt lighter, it seemed we had a clearer sight and if we talk about wonders, it seemed as if everything we saw around us was a miracle.
It was different. You knew to savor the taste of meals in a different way, you felt differently their refinery when you ate only a little and only plain food. Even the shortages, the waiting of the goods to come had in themselves a grain of miracle.
It was nice especially that waiting from the Christmas Eve for eating from everything. The next day after the holy service we came home with a glad heart. The table was waiting for us full: pig`s jelly, minced meat cabbage rolls, sausages, beans, Christmas cakes which intoxicated you with their smell…We had everything there on the table.
We had everything although our parents were some simple peasants and we were eight brothers. Two died when they were very young, six survived until now when one of our sisters went to the Lord.
From six brothers three chose the monachal life.
We all spent our childhood in a single room, in a poor hut from the middle of Baragan.
Although there were hard times, our parents never complained of anything. In fact we didn`t have any shortages. We didn`t feel poverty because we were together, because we were in the family…
Father Macarie – Pasărea Monastery
