We present you an interview with elder Varahiil from the monastery Noul Neamț, to discover the thoughts and advice of a monk with a high spiritual life.
Elder Varahiil came to the monastery Noul-Neamț in 1941, when he was 23 y.o. After the monastery was closed from 1962-1990, he lived at some monasteries from Russia and Ukraine from where he returns after the reopening. Together with father Sergei, the spiritual confessor of the entire Moldavia, the hieroschemamonk Selafiil, of 94 yo, his holiness is one of the oldest monks from this monastery. Here are some teachings given by elder Varahiil.
Reporter:
Father, how can the Christians find salvation nowadays?
Elder Varahiil:
We must have a right faith in God. We should not be lukewarm. We must know that God is eternal, He has no end and no beginning and He is triune – God Father, God Son, and the Holy Spirit. Our savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sent on earth to baptize us in the name of the Holy Trinity, to give us by it the eternal life. He gave us the commandments and the righteous Law by means of which we can save our souls. The Christian cannot find salvation outside the Church, that by its establishment and Sacraments coming from the Savior, leads us towards the eternal life.
Reporter:
Father, some Christians come to the church so rarely – at wedding, baptism. Will they be saved?
Elder Varahiil:
This is too little. This is only formal. The Christian must keep the fasting periods, the divine feasts, must pray at home and at the church. He must confess himself and stop sinning, he must partake the Holy Eucharist, as it is required by the order of our holy Church. Otherwise nobody saves his soul for the eternal life.
Reporter:
What can you tell to those who say that they cannot fast?
Elder Varahiil:
Fasting does not mean to refrain completely from eating. This means that in the established days you should not eat what is forbidden. But the man does not die if he eats bread, potatoes, tomatoes and all the other fasting victuals. This on the established days, during fasting periods, on Wednesdays and Fridays. By fasting in this way men cleanse their souls of passions and become healthier in body and soul.
Reporter:
There is an opinion that Gos is merciful and He shall forgive us with all our sins…
Elder Varahiil:
Until we refrain from sin, we cannot save our souls, we should not deceive ourselves. God is good but we must accomplish His will. If we follow our will, then God cannot receive us.
Reporter:
Father Varahiil, nowadays some Christians do not come to the Church, saying that the priests are bad. Are they right?
Elder Varahiil:
In fact todays there are some priests who do not know the Law and have no fear of God. However God works through them, because they have the grace they received by the sacrament of priesthood. If the priest is a sinner, he shall answer for his sins, but the services he ministers have working grace. The people must not judge them, because they commit great sins, they must leave them to the will of God. He shall reward them according to their deeds. If the priest commits sins, the people should not do the same. We must listen a priest like this and shall be saved through one, according to our faith.
Reporter:
Many Christians come to the monastery Noul-Neamț to confess, to accomplish other things. Why do they come purposefully to the monastery?
Elder Varahiil:
The people come here because the priests are more educated and they are monks, faithful people. And before in the monastery life was more severe than in the church, because here is another order, more prayer.
Reporter:
What can you say to those who renegate the Orthodox faith?
Elder Varahiil:
Today there are a lot of sects. All these people, if they do no repent, will be lost. The sects are a work of the devil. Only those who have the right, true faith, given to us by the Savior, find their salvation. But the others, even if they do not understand, they go to hell, because they are outside the Church, outside the body of Christ. In vain some of them pretend they repent and they are saved. The devil deluded them and they go on his way.
Reporter:
What can you tell us about pride, they say that in the later times the people will be proud and evil…
Elder Varahiil:
Pride is the greatest sin. Because of pride Lucifer, who was the first among angels, fell. And a third of the angels fell with him. If the angels who had a beautiful appearance when they fell turned into the ugly hideous demons, then the people from pride change themselves into something even worse. We have no reason for being proud, because the good deeds are not done by us, God does them through us.
Article posted on curierulortodox.info via ganduridinierusalim.com
