The oldest Orthodox monastery, Optina Hermitage, gave birth to the beginning of such a phenomenon as eldership. The first hermit monks, even before the founding of the monastery, began to lead spiritual guidance and at the same time possessed an amazing gift of providence. It is believed that it is through the elders that the blessing and will of God for a person in a given situation is transmitted.
Optina Hermitage
The Optina Monastery, or, officially, the Vvedensky Stavropegic Monastery, was founded at the beginning of the nineteenth century, one might say, relatively recently. The Kaluga land is rich in famous companions, who gave rise to the monastery. Although the first founders of the monastery, according to legend, include … the robber Opta, who repented of his sins and took monastic vows under the name Macarius. And it was at the end of the seventeenth century. For his monastic exploit, Macarius chose a forest place on the banks of the Zhizdra River. Gradually, the disciples reached out to the monk, pilgrims began to come seeking consolation. It was decided to build the first church in the monastery - the Introduction of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The history of Optina Pustyn was not always joyful. The monastery experienced both periods of desolation, when only two monks lived within the walls of the monastery, and flourishing, when Optina was transferred to the Kaluga diocese, and the monastery received the attention it deserved. In the difficult years for the church after the revolution, Optina Pustyn was closed, but it was given the status of a museum. A rest house began to be located there. During the Second World War, first a hospital was located on its territory, and then a filtration camp. But the times of desolation and ruin passed when in 1987 the monastery was handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church. Now the monastery has been completely restored, and most importantly, the eldership has been revived.
Who are the elders
Thousands of pilgrims visit the Optina Monastery every day. This is not surprising: the monks carefully record all the miracles that are performed here through the prayers of monks or laity, who were honored to venerate the relics of the monks or personally communicate with the elders.
And what is eldership in general? This is a monastic feat, through the labors of which the monk is given clairvoyance and a subtle connection with God. Elders are monastic shepherds who can instruct, admonish, bless for deeds. They have a subtle sense of a person, they are perspicacious, they are open to more than not just a monk, but even a worldly person. But the elders should not be perceived as fortune-tellers. Here we are talking more about spiritual guidance, prayer help or blessing: marriage, monasticism and obedience. People, not understanding the true purpose of the elder, try to get to him as an advisor in all everyday matters: whether to sell an apartment, a husband / wife is cheating, bless for exams and which car is better to buy. And these are not jokes, but real questions with which petitioners go to the priesthood. But most of the questions can be solved by your confessor or priest in the temple that you visit. Especially when it comes to family troubles. And as material issues and even more so are outside the field of information of church ministers.
What then can you ask the elders? First of all, about the spiritual. If the petitioner wants to become a novice in a monastery or take tonsure, there is no way to do without a blessing. But the elder can bless on a specific monastery. Or not give your blessing at all. You can ask the elder for prayer help in case of serious illnesses; many miracles are performed through his prayers. But one must understand that during this period the person himself must endure sincere repentance, begin to live according to the commandments of the Christian faith.
Father Eli
It is very important to find such a spiritual father with whom there will be truly spiritual unity and peace. Schema-archimandrite Eli stands out among the elders of our time. Future father Ily, and in the world Alexei Nozdrin, was born in 1932 into an ordinary peasant family in the Oryol region. For a long time he searched for his path in life until he came to God. We probably won't know what contributed to such a turn in life. But Alexey Nozdrin entered the Saratov Theological Seminary. And all this happened at a time of terrible persecution of the church. He could not finish his studies in Saratov, the seminary was closed, and the seminarians were transferred to Leningrad. There he graduated from an educational institution, entered the theological academy, and in 1966 he was tonsured with the name Ilian. He was sent to serve in the famous Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, which is known for its outstanding associates. But this is not enough for Eli. He decides to visit Athos. Indeed, after ten years of service in Pskov, he was sent as a novice to Athos. There he spent fourteen years. This is the degree of spiritual achievement. It is not surprising that it was Fr. Elijah who was sent to revive Optina Monastery after it was returned to the church.
How to get to Elder Elijah
After the revival of the monastery, pilgrims began to flock to Elijah. Not only his monastic life brought him fame, but also the fact that he became the spiritual father of Patriarch Kirill. With Patriarch Kirill, they studied together at the Theological Academy in Leningrad. And the patriarch moved Elijah closer to him, now the schema-archimandrite is serving in Peredelkino.
It is not easy to get an “appointment” with Elijah. When he was still serving in Optina, he received pilgrims and petitioners in his cell. But with the increased interest it became more and more difficult to do it. And age makes itself felt. Now Fr Eli visits Optina and even conducts services, but it is impossible to find out when he will be in advance. The staff of the monastery do not provide such information in order to protect the monk from the crowds of followers. But if you still accidentally manage to get into such a service, do not rush to leave the monastery. Father will definitely come out and give a blessing to those who are waiting for him. But the brethren protect the elder, so it will not work for a long time, at best, to receive a blessing and kiss his hand. And this is not enough.
Most often, Father Elijah can be found in Peredelkino, where he now lives and serves in the church on the territory of the patriarchal courtyard. But here it will also not be possible to find out in advance the schedule of services at which the priest will be. Most often, you can find a priest at a Sunday service and on major holidays. And if he was at the service, then after that he will definitely come out to talk with the parishioners. But what does this communication look like? Everyone will line up for a blessing, it is very difficult to ask a question personally, there are too many of those willing. Sometimes you can't even kiss your hands. Here you can only advise to reconcile. For some, the very presence of the elder beside them gave relief and hope. Others said that the elder chose them with his eyes in the crowd, approached and talked.
Personally, Father Eli has not accepted it for a long time. A couple of years ago, he had the format of personal meetings, when, in between services, the priest held meetings in the refectory by appointment. But over time, such meetings were abandoned due to the large influx of people. So if somewhere there is an announcement that a pilgrimage trip is being made directly to the elder and there will be a personal meeting, do not believe it. At best, waiting for him after the service is waiting for you. And you can come to Peredelkino on your own.
By the way, if you write notes for the prayer service and get to the service where Elder Eli will be, he will certainly read them at the service. And the prayer of the Optina elders reaches God most quickly.
