Friday, May 1, 2015

Mother Alexandra's conversation with Bishop Ambrose

A General Inspirational Sharing: (smoothed-out machine English and original Russian)- Conversation between GOC Bishop Ambrose with Mother Abbess Alexandra-    Inbox 


CHRIST IS RISEN!   XRISTOS ANESTI!      KRISTOS VOSKRESE!
Russian language original conversation:
 http://internetsobor.org/rptcz/tcerkovnye-novosti/rptcz/beseda-igumenii-aleksandry-s-episkopom-amvrosiem-iz-iptc-gretcii


*A humanly smoothed-out, English rendition, from the rough machine-English translation:

Abbess Alexandra's  conversation with  Bishop Ambrose Of Methone,  of the GOC-Greece

Author: Vera nun incl. May 1, 2015. Published in the ROCA (Views: 35)
From the conversation of Abbess Alexandra, the Odessa abbess of the monastery of St. John (ROCOR), with  Bishop Ambrose of  the GOC-Greece 
Mother Alexandra: 
- Vladyka, what  can you comment about the fact that in the Church of Christ, there now occurs quarrels and splits?
Bishop Ambrose: 
- Yes, it is a very difficult time. In our democratic societies, there is too great a temptation to give preference to our own human interests. Because of this passion in people, unfortunately, they often depart from the Church and from the discipline of the Church.
Mother A .: 
- How can we  make it clear to the rest of our Orthodox Church, [so that they give an answer to the question] -as to why  are they not embarrassed by such divisions and yet they remain in the bosom of the church, no matter what? 
A .: Bishop
- A bishop, a former official in the Church of Greece and who then  passed to us, told me about his spiritual experience. He spoke as follows: "Before, when I was in the official new calendarist Church, I felt confident and I was subservient  to foreign influences and by the government of the  state Greek Church, but now, to keep the people in the true Church, I have to carefully take care of myself spiritually, and deal with my passions. To be in the grace of God and to truly help the faithful children of the Church, I have to be humble and virtuous. That I should lead by my example to the people, whereas previously it was enough for me to give an official order, which others must obey, and it was possible to utilize such outer forces,[commands],  in order  to control the flock. However, in our very severe conditions with  our many troubles and sorrows, strife and discord in the True Church, I try, with God's help, to become the best bishop than I can be... "
A Mother:
- I grieve, when people are leaving the Church. However, I would like to mention the encouraging moments in our church life. I was glad to know for example, that in our monastery there has been preserved the spirit of the One Catholic and Apostolic Church, that it prevails over national political issues, especially now, when, as we know, the theme of Russian-Ukrainian relations [strife]  is a temptation for many, and as a  departure from the Church. We live here, as sisters of different nationalities, all of whom are united in Christ. The Church for us is above nationality. And as Christ said when He was betrayed by His own people, he was crucified on the Cross, and that taken away from them is the kingdom of God and that it will be given to another people - the Gentiles, with all my heart I  turn to Christ, and say, that we must remember this, and we must  not place above people,  other's  nationalities.
A .: Bishop
- That's right. Yes, someone leaves, but God still cares for His Church and leads to it  more and more people wanting to escape. By the grace of God, people are constantly coming into our church, and from different countries. We are all children of God. For example, relatively recently in our monastery of the Holy Angels,[ in Greece],  there  lived a girl who came from Kenya. When she was tonsured as a monastic, and when she received an adequate spiritual and monastic formation, we sent her back home to Kenya to do missionary purposes. Now in Kenya there has formed an Orthodox monastic community of 20 women, organized and led by the nuns. So, God does not leave His Church and His faithful children.

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