Father Alexei Mechev: Advice to a Young Woman (Memoirs, Part Seven)

N.A. Struve

Translated from
ОТЕЦ АЛЕКСЕЙ МЕЧЕВ: Воспоминания, Письма, Проповеди.
Редакция, примечания и предисловие Н. А. Струве.
YMCA-PRESS, ПАРИЖ. 1970.

ADVICE TO A YOUNG WOMAN¹

How to achieve humility? Look inward more often; consider yourself worse than everyone else.

Whatever sin you fall into, repent, and the Lord is ready to receive you with open arms.

Be like a child in everything: both in matters of faith and in matters of life.

Watch yourself. If you want to live a spiritual life — watch yourself. Each evening, review what good and bad things you’ve done, thank God for the good and repent of the bad.

When you’re praised but notice various shortcomings in yourself, let this praise cut your heart like a knife and stir your desire for improvement.

Regarding impure thoughts, be more vigilant.

If you notice an inclination toward sin, make two bows to the Mother of God with the prayer: “Most Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner by the prayers of my parents.” The spirit of your parents joins in prayer with your spirit.

Read the Gospel more attentively.

Since the “Our Father” is a condensed Gospel, approach it with proper preparation.

Fast both physically and spiritually, not offending anyone, especially your elders — this fast will be above bodily fasting.

Work on educating your younger brothers and sisters; influence them by example, and remember that if you have any defects, they can easily adopt them. And the Lord will require an accounting in this matter.

Doing good is [simply] our duty (against vanity).

One should not take on feats beyond one’s strength, but if you’ve decided to do something, you must carry it through, cost what it may. Otherwise, if you don’t complete it once, twice, or thrice, you’ll end up wondering why you did it at all, as it was completely in vain (steadfastness in good is essential for spiritual growth).

Never approach the Gospel like a fortune-telling book. If important questions arise, consult with more knowledgeable people. I had a teacher who would even put little notes by icons.

Approach reading the Gospel with a prayerful mindset.

Be stricter, stricter in spiritual fasting — that is, learn to control yourself, be humble, be meek.

When you see something wrong around you, examine yourself immediately — are you not the cause? When bad thoughts attack you, especially in church, imagine before Whom you stand, or open your soul and say: “Lord, help me.”

When venerating icons, if you’re troubled by any thoughts (vain, unbelieving, etc.), pray until they disappear.

Consider yourself worse than everyone. If you want to get angry, take revenge, or do something else, humble yourself quickly instead. We must save ourselves and others. Watch yourself strictly, but be lenient with others, study them so you can relate to them according to their situation, character, and mood. For example: one person is nervous, another uneducated — demanding only calmness from one and only delicacy from another would be unreasonable. We must watch ourselves strictly.

As you would to your earthly mother, repent daily of your sins to the Mother of God.

What right do we have to despise others?

One must be moderate in eating, as gluttony harms digestion. Even water should be consumed in moderation.

If doubting thoughts appear, especially before communion, say immediately: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”

Regarding written confession: It’s insufficient to just list all sins and be done with it — nothing comes of that. What’s needed is for sin to become repugnant, for everything to burn inside your heart when you begin remembering... only then will sin become truly repulsive and we won’t return to it. But if we keep falling into the same sin again — “What if I forget my sins?” you might ask. Well, just as you don’t forget where it hurts physically, I’ll point directly to where your spiritual wound lies.

Always tell the truth, but if pressured to tell a lie, talk with the person and turn the matter so that you save the one who is in error by making them do it. For example: “I never lied and won’t lie, but if you really need this, I might do it — however, only if you take responsibility upon yourself,” etc.

Don’t judge others; in someone else’s home, if served meat during a fast day, don’t reject or make excuses. At home you can make up for this lapse through physical fasting, but mainly spiritual: not getting irritated, not judging, etc.

In everything, act as if asking “What would Jesus Christ do here?” — remember this immediately, let it guide you in everything. Gradually all that is sinful and wrong will retreat from you.

I never bless saying about others what could spread harmful gossip; but saying what’s edifying and useful is our duty.

If you live more by mind than heart, your heart is poorly developed — you must develop it: put yourself in others’ places.

If salvation were so easy, we’d all be saints by now.

We must treat those around us with all attention, not carelessly — then the Lord, seeing our attention, will give us attention too.

In church, stand further from those who like to chat.

You lack willpower, yet now is when you need to develop strength of will. (There was a severe famine at this time).

The risen Lord requires our resurrection.

Don’t dare be proud, there’s nothing to be proud of — you see one out of a hundred of your faults, but not the other 99.

Bad thoughts attack... probably because you pray too little. Drive them away. As soon as bad thoughts begin, if one comes, start praying; if more than one, take up a serious book or start some work.

Time to abandon frivolity, take everything seriously.

Establish strict order in everything — certain times for work, reading, etc. If you need to go somewhere — “Why not go, so as to show respect?” — indeed, why not show respect, but let there be order in everything.

Father saw something necessary and important in this. Living in the family, though no one hindered me in anything, I couldn’t fit myself into any framework or establish this order; obstacles made me retreat, and most importantly, I myself didn’t see anything necessary in establishing this ordered way of life. At the same time, I wanted Father to give me some task, some podvig² to carry, and I asked him about this. At first, he didn’t answer, but when he asked if I had established an ordered way of life, I replied that I couldn’t manage it. He listened silently, never reproached me, and kindly remarked about my request for a podvig: “Well, I tell you to establish order, but you keep telling me you can’t do it.” Only then did my eyes open, and I saw frivolity and disobedience in my casual attitude toward Father’s words; I hadn’t given special meaning to this simple and seemingly casual demand for order that seemed so strange to me. As it turns out, he saw this as a kind of podvig appropriate to my particular character. And again Father reminded me of this very seriously: “Establish order without fail... Take my own case — I used to receive everyone at all times, but now they’ve made me reduce my visiting hours, and I can see for myself how much more I’ve accomplished.”

You must calm your mother, don’t let anything upset her. Respect for her is the first duty. And every evening, be sure to examine yourself. Well then, if you fail, make three bows to the Mother of God, ask Her forgiveness.

Drive away bad thoughts with reading; physical work is needed here. Imagine yourself at Golgotha, here’s the Cross before you (Father stretched out his hands)... blood is flowing... Say to these thoughts: “My spiritual father forbade me to listen to you.”

I see much that is disgusting in myself.
Life is given to us precisely to drive out these thoughts from ourselves.

It seems that God’s mercy will soon be exhausted...
God’s mercy is boundless.

Father, I didn’t want to take Communion today.
Why, didn’t you confess?
Yes, but I’m very bad...
Well, that’s not your business.

Father, I want to be meek and humble.
But who’s stopping you?

Father, should I not take communion today?
Why?
Well, my heart is very unclean.
And when will it be clean?
I had a bad dream...
This happens from lack of moderation in food, from empty conversations; and since you always do these things, you should always expect it... As soon as you wake up, get up immediately, don’t cover yourself with the blanket. Whatever you’ve undertaken, you must carry through no matter what.

How does one maintain the golden mean, to avoid being gloomy or excessively cheerful?
When you see that someone near you is discouraged — for example, when you come to K and see that she’s somewhat depressed (Father lightly tapped my nose with his finger), then you must take control of yourself, be cheerful, encourage the other person. But if everything is going smoothly, then you should speak about serious matters, not engage in idle talk. In general, care for others and do everything for others. And don’t arrange only your actions this way, but your words as well. For example, if you see everyone talking, you might think, “I’ll say something too...” But what’s the point? Before speaking, you need to consider this: remember how Christ would act here, and then do and speak as your conscience tells you; that’s how you’ll find the golden mean.

During Paschal week one shouldn’t read the Psalter; instead of evening and morning prayers, the Hours are prescribed.
[When asked] “When should one finish reading the Psalter?” Father responded with a hesitant smile, as if unsure, “I think it ends on Wednesday,” even though he was an expert in the Typikon — such was his deep humility.

Everything should be orderly; there should be a set time for meals, but if you’ve come late and you’re hungry, then of course you may eat whatever you need... But in general there should be order.

A person who truly loves completely forgets himself, forgets that he exists; he thinks only about how to save someone else. One must try not to hurt others — not only by actions, but even by words.

Please, make an effort to attend church.

(To the comment that there’s no time for reading): Oh really? Well then, I’m making reading a duty for you…

You may take communion every week, provided you abstain from mortal sin.

You must know your duty, and fulfill it calmly and firmly. One must pray the Jesus Prayer. Just as one thinks about a beloved subject, one should likewise think about and carry the Lord in one’s heart.

How does one acquire love for God?
One must recall more often what the Lord has done for us and what He continues to do. Everything, even daily affairs, must be hallowed by Christ, and for this there is the Jesus Prayer. Just as it is good and joyful when the sun shines, so too will it be good and joyful in the soul when the Lord hallows everything in our heart.

Often it feels good and you sense that you’re going straight ahead, but then suddenly that disposition disappears and you can’t get back to it at all.
Well good, good... that means you’d have fallen asleep under that “goodness.”
By “fall asleep” the elder meant the loss of constant spiritual sobriety and vigilance over oneself.

Somehow during an all-night vigil,³ a storm of all possible opposing thoughts and feelings agitated my whole being; I approach the festal icon (during the canon). The elder beckons with the anointing brush, looks intently and whispers uncertainly, “Are you sleeping, perhaps?”

One must remember that if the Lord is always watching me, and He knows everything, how then can I act against Him.

Sometimes with your whole soul you long for union with the Lord in the mystery of Holy Communion, but the thought stops you that you received communion not long ago... This means the Lord is touching your heart, so all these reasonings are inappropriate here.

It occurs to me that one needs to establish an order of life: it is recommended to sleep 7 hours per day (I was sleeping no more than 5 to 6 hours); well, if you get up at 7 o’clock, then count back 7 hours and go to bed accordingly; otherwise it affects your health. Later I noticed that all ascetics from ancient to modern times, and all monasteries, maintained a strict, established order of life.

It is difficult to live without sin when there are such deprivations in life (there was a famine).
So then, [if there are such deprivations], why sin at all?

I’m despairing, Father.
One must not despair, remember how it is said: “My spirit is overwhelmed within me,” and further “I remembered the days of old; I meditated on all Thy works...” So you, too: remember everything and be comforted.

That you think much about yourself is pride; and you know, whoever thinks much about himself doesn’t live well... But since you love yourself, then love yourself as you ought.⁴

I was seized with zeal to learn the Jesus Prayer, and asked the elder to teach me.
The Jesus Prayer is a serious matter; one must think more often about Who Jesus is for me.

If someone speaks ill of others, and even does so in church, one should simply reply that “I am myself a sinner; what business do I have looking at others?” We don’t go to church for conversations.

Zeal for learning the Jesus Prayer consumed me.
The Jesus Prayer is a serious matter. One must constantly keep the Lord before oneself, as if you were in the presence of some important person, and be as if in constant conversation with Him. Then you will have an elevated state.

One must be more moderate in food.

What do we have to be proud of? Sins?

Regarding parents, if they have some shortcomings, one must treat them more indulgently.

Father, what happens if in the morning one oversleeps, then rushes to the Liturgy, and doesn’t pray at home?
Well, if that’s how it is, you’ll pray there, in church, but there must be order in everything.

If someone in church starts talking or asking about something — refer them to me and don’t answer.

One must definitely pray morning and evening.

Before reading the Gospel, cross yourself and say: “Lord, give me understanding, help me comprehend what is here”; and after this it happens that suddenly you find some kind of enlightenment and begin to understand the meaning of this or that; and that’s when you should go ahead and write down these thoughts.

Establish order in everything... Be good to your mother, don’t quarrel with your sisters, don’t offend your aunt. That’s enough for now, and later we’ll add more.

Let there be order in everything... I had a German here, and you know how Germans have order in everything, so he was telling about having guests at his home... and he had such order: at 10 o’clock, everything had to be in its place. The time approaches to go to bed, and he announces that in 10 minutes the lights will be out. But everyone thought he was joking, no one paid attention to this. Suddenly they look — it’s dark... And I ask him: “But what about the guests?” And he says, if they are so disorderly, let them do as they please. So even though he’s German, there’s something to learn from him.

Drive away impure thoughts, and when they appear, drag them by their little ears out into the sunshine. (Father playfully tugged my ear.) Be strict with yourself. (The conversation was about abstaining from food, and Father was now very serious.) You write everything down, watch that you don’t miss anything. One must pray like a child, with firm faith. Just you wait — I’ll drag you into freedom by your ears!

If you’ve overindulged in food, you must lack all sense, for even an extra cup of water can stir us up.

If you don’t listen to your spiritual father, it means you have no devotion to God. I beg you, for the sake of God, watch yourself... for the sake of God, be attentive... “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force,” but you won’t lift a finger.

Father, sometimes it gets so hard that I want to go to someone and cry.
No, you already have one helper — me, Alexei — that’s enough, and you don’t need others.

How can one distinguish the fast from ordinary time, when now everything is almost the same during fast and not fast, you can’t feel the fast at all? (There was a famine).
Strengthen the spiritual fast.
Should we keep this spiritual fast at all times?
That’s a very good thought you’ve expressed, but maintaining it always is beyond our strength. Yet in your case, this very feeling of not doing enough will trouble you, and that will drive you to act as you should.

If you want to overcome passions, overcome them right away, or it will be too late. I had one lady here, she had a passion for taking others’ things; she told me with tears that she was in someone’s house and saw a silver spoon, and when everyone left, she took it. Now this torments her, but she can’t master this in herself, it’s become a habit.

Father, they say one should read the Jesus Prayer not only with love but also with fear, but I don’t feel any fear.
“With fear”? Think about what the Lord has given and gives you, and how do you thank Him? Look ahead with brightness, don’t be despondent. (As he dismissed me from confession.) And keep trying, so I don’t have to just pull you by the ears and put you back in your old place, but can raise you up a little each time.

Consider yourself worse than everyone — indeed, you are worse than everyone.

You are all sleeping, but now is a time that calls for confessors [of the Faith]. I might have to become a confessor myself... I am ready, but what about you — what will you do? (This was during troubled times.)
What should we do now, Father?
Well, I think — God is merciful and it will be fine, but you need to pray more and work on improving yourself.

Be good, starting from today. Today is the feast of Mary of Egypt,⁵ though you’re not Egyptian, but that doesn’t matter. So start from today, and I will pray for you, that the Lord may grant you the remembrance of death. Be a good supporter to your mother, a guide to the sisters — see what a big obedience⁶ I have given you.

“Father, I read the prayers, but somehow it’s all without spirit.” Father remained silent, and I repeated the same thing.
Just read them attentively — what’s all this talk about “without spirit”? Are you trying to sound like Tolstoy or something?

There’s no point in getting irritated, no point... Wish happiness to all and you yourself will be happy. (Against envy.)

(On the problem of using books to prepare questions for confession.)
Someone told me here that he read about some sin in a book and didn’t understand what it was, so he started doing everything to find out what it was — bought various books, read them. Finally, he became a slave to this sin. So I don’t approve of these questions; it’s better not to know or look.

When you're in someone else’s house and they serve modest food, you shouldn’t refuse it or judge others. My father was close to Metropolitan Philaret, and here’s what happened: Metropolitan Philaret often visited someone... Once he came, found them at dinner, and it was a fast day; the host was embarrassed, not knowing what to do — it’s a fast day, but he has chicken or something... And the Metropolitan approached the table and tried everything himself... That’s how he handled it.

Isn’t it the case that sometimes according to the typikon, prostrations are not prescribed, for example, until Pentecost and on other feast days?
To this I’ll say: sometimes you feel such reverence that you cannot just look at an icon, for example, at the Lord’s face, without making a prostration; for example, I can’t help but prostrate when they sing: “Let us worship the Father and Son and Holy Spirit” (at the all-night vigil before Sunday). Isn’t it actually a sin to refrain from prostrating, rather than to make a prostration?

After I was laid off from my position, I was given a recommendation for another position. To my question whether I should take the new position, Father jokingly replied: “Well, why not, go ahead.”
Sensing that I didn’t have Father’s blessing for this, I hesitated. About a month passed, no more. I felt uneasy and decided to get a definitive answer from Father — should I finally take the position or not.
Father kept avoiding giving me a direct answer, evading my personal request, while I, for my part, kept pressing for his blessing. “Look here,” he finally said to me, “Remember how you used to rush from your job to church? You’ll end up in a large institution and get completely worn out. Here you had peace to serve. And now I’ll tell you this: serve the Lord.”

My soul ached and I came to Father to tell him my sorrow about our church singing. “My dear,” Father said to me, “I know your condition, how you want to sing: on weekdays I open my window slightly and hear how you sing: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, bless the Lord O my soul; I will sing unto my God while I have my being.’”

Zina and I got the idea to become ascetics; without Father’s blessing, we decided during the first week of Great Lent to voluntarily begin our fast — transitioning to bread and water no more than twice a day. We spent the entire first week in such fasting. The following week I received spiritual testing from Father, which I couldn’t understand for a long time.

It happened like this. During the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts,⁷ I was supposed to sing “Let my prayer be set forth,” but I was being capricious and didn’t want to sing. The sister complained about me to Father. He became very angry with me: leaving the church with a large crowd of people, on the stairs, waving his arms and getting agitated, he scolded me. Not realizing my guilt, I first took this calmly, but after some time Father’s anger began to affect me, and someone even whispered to me: “Ask forgiveness. Bow to Father.” These words triggered an explosion of indignation in my soul. Without waiting for the end of the rebuke, I rushed headlong to my room with thoughts of gathering my things and returning to my family. Despite the sisters’ pleading not to leave without Father’s blessing, I resisted with my whole being. But when I started gathering my things, I felt my strength leaving me and I helplessly collapsed onto the bed. Father is angry with me, I’m completely cut off from home. What to do — I don’t know.

After a few minutes, one of the sisters came running to me, urging me to go see Father as quickly as possible, but I resisted, saying I didn’t want to and that was final. The sister kept insisting that I go see the elder. Only after much persuasion, having overcome my pride and alienation, but feeling no desire to tell him about my grievance but only to listen to him, did I finally decide to go. “Bring her here,” I heard Father’s cheerful voice when they told him I was coming. I approached him; Father sat down in his chair and, taking my hand, asked: “Well, what do you have to say?”

At first I didn’t know how to answer and remained silent. “My dear silly girl, my dear silly girl,” says Father, patting my head, “I thought you were grown up, but you’re still a child. Look here,” he continued, becoming more lively, “Who was shouting on the stairs?” After a brief silence, he adds: “Well, it was Semenova, not you?” “Yes, Father.” “But what were you doing?” I remained silent. I bowed my head and said: “Father, forgive me.” “So, listen here. I know you’re stronger in spirit; that’s why I yelled at you. Try yelling at Semenova — if you yell, she’ll probably run away. But you? You won’t leave me. Take what happened on the stairs,” Father gestured with his hands, “Try shouting at others like that and they would all scatter. And you — you took it as a personal affront, my dear silly girl.”

Having listened to Father, I asked for his blessing to go home, though my soul was not fully reconciled with him.

“Don’t go anywhere, Manyushka,” Father said to me as I left. “Go to bed, sleep, calm yourself. And then, what’s there for you to do there? [Bake] prosphora?⁸ Help with that.”

That’s what I did — I left, lay down, fell asleep, and calmed down. Upon waking, I went to make prosphora, but my soul still harbored some resentment and I still couldn’t fully forgive the offense done to me. Several days later, I went to Father, since he himself had not yet called for me. “Ah, Maria Timofeevna, good day,” Father sighed deeply and greeted me. With a feeling of pride that still had not left me, I took his blessing and left silently with a forced smile.

Feeling torn within my soul, I didn’t know how to come to confession. Father received me severely this time. As soon as I acknowledged my sin, he began to rebuke me once more. Now I understood clearly that Father’s anger had been deliberately aimed at me. When I left Father and went to the icon of St. Nicholas, there at last I felt my guilt clearly and sincerely. In tears, with awareness of my worthlessness, complete devotion and love for Batyushka, I went again to confession. “Manyushka, God grant that you stay true to my guidance,” he says, embracing my head and pressing it to his chest, kissing me.

Coming home and taking up a book about St. Seraphim, I realized that while keeping the bodily fast, I had observed the spiritual fast poorly. I wept long and bitterly. This incident made me turn with particular attention to my soul, and I grew more and more conscious of the spiritual world.

We would solemnly welcome Father to our gatherings. We would sing “It Is Truly Meet,” seat him, gather around and begin singing verses: “Lord have mercy,” “Lord forgive,” or some other hymn. Then he would sometimes start distributing little candies, picking them up and saying: “Here’s this little owl-shaped one for Palyushka, and this beetle-shaped one for Tanyushka Rukholnaya, a butterfly for Zinka-Maronka, and who gets the bug-shaped one? I’ll give it to Vera.” He’d do the same with the herring-soaked onions: giving one person a crescent-shaped piece, another a half-arc. When I would sit next to Father, he would share his tea with me from his cup. I didn’t want any, but he would keep insisting: “Drink, drink,” and keep refilling it. I often sat on the floor near his feet. Once, Father remarked tenderly as he looked at me, gently touching my head with his hand: “Here before me sits such a delicate creature — like wax, you could shape her into anything. Indeed, I’m almost afraid to touch her — she looks as if she might crumble away.”

The affection shown to me by many sisters, who were confiding the secrets of their souls with complete trust, made me ponder deeply and turn to Father with a request: to explain to me how I should respond to such affection — whether to send the sisters to him, or simply listen to them with love. “My, how our Manyushka has grown into a spiritual mother,” Batyushka teased me, and then, tapping his finger on the table, added with a serious expression: “So here’s what I’ll tell you, Manyushka — from now on, I won’t be so strict with you during confession.”

I come to Batyushka for confession with a written list of sins. After reading everything and tearing it up, Batyushka would throw the list into the stove that was in his cell, lowering his head from the bed and pointing with his finger: “Manyushka, look what bright flames: that’s how your sins are burning.”

I ask something of Batyushka, calling him “dear, beloved Batyushka,” and he bends down and says quietly: “You silly dear.”

Several of us are standing at Batyushka’s table in the dining room. Quietly Batyushka sneaks up behind me. He puts a straw hat on me with the words: “Look at her, such a schemanun!”⁹ He puts it on Natalya and we all laugh endlessly with Father.

When asked how one should pray, Father replied: “Get up with the birds, go into the forest, and pray there. Nature stands close to God. Every rustle of a leaf, every trembling of a blade of grass — all glorify God. St. Seraphim always found himself amidst nature, and there he prayed.”

Lately, Father has been especially delighted with me for some reason, expressing gratitude and saying that he will now die peacefully. Coming to him in contrition over my sins, Father stops me with a wave of his hand: “What sins do you imagine you have? [Through grace] we are [made] free from sin.” His words awakened in me an even deeper feeling of repentance. As he placed the epitrachelion on me for the absolution, Father repeated once more: “Free from sin.”

1. In all likelihood, this young woman, named Maria, was a novice at the Chudov Monastery. See mention of her in Bishop Arseniy’s Memoirs, as well as letters to her from Fr. Alexei.

2. Translator’s note: Подвиг (“podvig”) refers to a spiritual struggle or feat of spiritual warfare, often involving ascetic labor, self-denial, or a specific spiritual task undertaken for the sake of spiritual growth. It often refers to spiritual disciplines or acts of spiritual heroism undertaken for salvation. The word combines concepts of spiritual achievement, struggle, and labor into a single term.

3. Translator’s note: The all-night vigil (Всенощное бдение) in Russian Orthodox parish practice traditionally combines vespers and matins into a single extended service on the eve of Sundays and major feasts. Despite its name, in parish practice usually lasts about 2-3 hours rather than literally all night. It includes a moment when the faithful come forward to venerate the festal icon and receive anointing with blessed oil from the priest.

4. Translator’s note: That is, take care for your salvation; be attentive to yourself.

5. Translator’s note: Saint Mary of Egypt, commemorated on the fifth Sunday of Great Lent in Orthodox tradition, is renowned as a model of profound repentance. She was a former prostitute in Alexandria who experienced a dramatic conversion at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, after which she spent 47 years living as an ascetic in the desert, transforming from a notorious sinner into one of the most venerated saints in Orthodox Christianity.

6. Translator’s note: In Orthodox monastic practice, an “obedience” (послушание) refers to a specific task or duty assigned by a spiritual elder or superior, which is meant to be carried out as a form of spiritual discipline and growth.

7. Translator’s note: The Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is a Lenten service where communion is distributed from the Eucharist that was consecrated at a previous full Divine Liturgy, typically on the preceding Sunday. Celebrated usually on Wednesdays and Fridays during Great Lent and the first three days of Holy Week, this service combines elements of Vespers with a communion service, allowing the faithful to receive the Eucharist while maintaining the solemn penitential character of Lenten weekdays, when the full Divine Liturgy is not celebrated.

8. Translator’s note: In the Orthodox tradition, prosphora are small loaves of leavened bread used in the Divine Liturgy. Following ancient tradition, the baking of prosphora is a sacred duty often undertaken by monastics or pious laywomen, who pray while preparing and baking the bread, with specific prayers prescribed during the kneading, shaping, and sealing of the dough. In Russian tradition, before the Divine Liturgy, parishioners customarily purchase prosphora at the church’s candle stand, submitting them along with their commemoration books listing the names of living and departed loved ones to be remembered at the service of preparation. After the Liturgy, these blessed prosphora are returned to the faithful who then take them home to share with family members, according to pious custom, typically eating a small piece with holy water each morning.

9. Translator’s note: A schemanun is a nun in Orthodox tradition who has taken the Great Schema, the highest level of monastic vows, dedicating her life to intense prayer, asceticism, and spiritual discipline. Father Alexei’s joking is thus particularly playful and light-hearted.