The Life and Blessing of Elder IliyHis entire life was marked by the protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, and everything he did was in fulfillment of the will of the Sovereign Lady for the strengthening of his homeland.
“>Part 1
Then came ten years of ascetic life on Mount Athos.
Whenever people tried to pry out some extraordinary stories about Mount Athos, Father Iliy would simply smile like a child and share the simplest of memories.
He would recall how he had once found himself in the Dormition Cathedral of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra in the early 1970s, when suddenly, Father Ieremia (Alekhine)—who later became Schema-Archimandrite Ieremia, the unwavering abbot of the Russian Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Athos for forty years—came up to him excitedly:
“Come, come to Athos!”
“But I had already been assigned to go there,” Father Iliy recalled.
“Later,” he had responded at the time.
Father Ieremia had waited fourteen years for his transfer to Athos. Father Iliy, arriving just a year and a half after him, remembered how he had found him there:
“Father Ieremia arrived on Mount Athos a year and a half before me. He lamented that he had only managed to get there by the time he was sixty years old. He labored humbly, cutting firewood, plastering walls, traveling to Thessaloniki for provisions. Back then, the monastery had very few brethren. Supplies would be dropped off at the dock, but we wouldn’t be able to pick them up until a full day later. Payments, if they came at all, were a month overdue.
“There were no more than ten of us, maybe even fewer. We never had enough hands for all the work. Later, when more brethren came, things got a little easier. But Father Ieremia took responsibility for buying and delivering food for everyone. He was amazing caring, never raising his voice at the brethren, even though there was always more work than we could handle.”
In this humble, selfless brotherly labor, the legacy of the great elders was preserved for the generations to come.
—Was everything in ruins?
—Yes, of course, everything had already fallen into decay. After the Revolution, no one from Soviet Russia was allowed to go to Mount Athos, and even the Greeks put up obstacles. The decline of the monastery meant that the Russian monastery would eventually be transferred to them. On top of that, there were two fires.
—Did they happen while you were there?
No, not during my time. The forest near the guesthouse had burned earlier.
Photo: ruskline.ru
—How were monastic traditions preserved?
—We could hardly say that we met our predecessors. The only ones left from the old times were the Carpatho-Russians. Though they hadn’t arrived much earlier than us. They were monks from Transcarpathia. We all struggled ascetically as best as we could.”
—Were the spiritual battles intense there?
—Yes. Of course, the enemy attacks. The devil wages war everywhere. But in such a holy place, prayer comes easier.
—How did the brethren withstand the demonic assaults?
—Through prayer, that’s how they resisted. The Divine Service was performed every day. Though we were few, we served in two churches. They are distinct: the Protection Church is built in the ancient Russian style, while the Church of St. Panteleimon bears the architectural imprint of the early nineteenth century.
When the brethren moved from the Rusicon, they built this St. Panteleimon Cathedral. But earlier the monks had planned to build an even larger cathedral in honor of their heavenly patron. Then the Revolution of 1917 began, and nothing came of it.
St. Panteleimon Monastery
Many of the older brethren passed away while Russia was going through its turmoil.
Recently, when preparations were being made for the 1,000-year anniversary of the presence of Russians on Athos, a small church in the Rusicon was restored. It had originally been consecrated in 1920. A similar one was also built in the St. Elias Skete.
If one is constantly engaged in labor and obedience, this also helps in the struggle against demonic attacks. A working monk is troubled by one demon, while a hundred assail an idle one.
—Father, did you fulfill obedience at Rusik?
— I was there for a short time. But mostly, I was in the St. Panteleimon Monastery itself. Not too often, but I had to visit Xilourgou — this is the place where Russian Athonite monasticism originated. I also visited our skete, Krumitsa; when I was on Athos, I often stayed there.
—What obediences did you carry out on Athos?
— Everything related to the monastery’s life. At first, there were few of us, so we took on everything. Later, the brethren started arriving little by little. But in the beginning, we had to restore everything. I helped reconstruct Elder Silouan’s cell.
—At the mill?
—Yes.
—Father, what was your obedience at the mill?
—The mill itself was no longer operating by then. Although, in the past, it had three sections and monks took turns milling flour; but back then, there were many monks in the monastery. There were few of us, so we focused on restoring the churches, and in the process, we also built an annex for Elder Silouan. We even reroofed the cathedrals ourselves because they were on the verge of collapsing. At first we did the work ourselves, and later, workers started appearing.
Toward the end I served my obedience in the chancery. Of course before there were many people in the monastery, and the chancery had a variety of responsibilities: Some handled documents for pilgrims, others served the abbot, and someone was responsible for the brethren. But I had to manage all of this alone.
—You also carried out the duties of the brethren’s spiritual father, didn’t you?
—Yes.
—Did you communicate with other monasteries? Did you gain Athonite experience from them?
—Of course, brethren from other monasteries would visit us, and we also visited other monasteries.
—Who did you communicate with?
—At the Bulgarian monastery of Zografou, I would sometimes serve. Recently, we went on a pilgrimage to Athos, and again, I served at Zografou. We often visited the Greek monastery of Docheiariou, where the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” is kept. I have long had close relations with Archimandrite Alexios of Xenophontos Monastery. We also enjoyed visiting Xeropotamou Monastery.
—Did you ever meet Elder Paisios?
—Where was he?
—His last cell, Panagouda, was near Koutloumousiou Monastery.
—Yes, I visited him. Wasn’t he recently canonized? I went to see him. Though he didn’t know Russian, and I don’t understand Greek very well. But what he told people can be found in his books. The most important thing was the meeting itself—to see each other, to pray together.
—Did you visit Simonopetra? Did you talk with Elder Aimelianos (Vafidis)?
—Yes, I did. I spoke with both Elder Paisios and Elder Aimelianos. There were always many Russians there as well.
—What can we learn from Mount Athos ourselves today?
—What? Ascetic struggle! Life on Athos is always an ascetic struggle. The monks there are fasters and laborers. When our pampered worldly men come there to stay, of course, they find it difficult. Night services, a meager diet not always meeting the expectations of those used to restaurants. Plus, there is physical labor.
—When you lived at St. Panteleimon Monastery, how did you find sustenance?
— We did not starve, and there was no particular lack. Something for the meal always turned up.
—Did the brethren provide for themselves?
— Yes. They worked and prayed. The Lord did not forsake us.
—What rule do monks follow on Athos?
—It varies for everyone.
—What was your personal rule there?
—Prayers, canons.
—Nowadays, there is a lot of literature about Athonite ascetics. It even mentions the Athonite norm of prostrations—1,000, or at least 300 a day. Is that true?
— We are all weak now. For such as we are—no more than twelve. As much as one can manage. During Great Lent, of course, more.
—Father, how did you learn to pray on MountAthos?
—We were constantly occupied with services. Of course, we recited the Jesus Prayer—in our cells, in the church, and during obediences. In general, we always prepared very carefully for services in our cells, praying before going to church.
—Did you pray the Jesus Prayer unceasingly?
—As much as we could.
—How can one learn to pray in the world?
—The Lord grants prayer to the one who prays. Are you praying? Then pray!
—At least in the mornings and evenings. But what about the Jesus Prayer?
—A modern person in a large city is heavily engaged in intellectual activity. Moreover, they often stay up late at night in front of the computer. One should strive to live a more detached and measured life. It is good to receive a blessing to live according to the Rule, to schedule everything—what to do and when. Of course, it is not always possible to follow the Rule precisely in the world, but one should still try to bring more order into life.
To be continued…
