Month: August 2022

– Father, we ask for your prayers! We are a young family and my husband is a priest. We were assigned to build a church in a place littered with garbage, surrounded by garages, and with nothing but a site container. For nine years before us, monks and a priest were trying to build, but they didn’t succeed. We have been serving akathists at the container for three years already, but nothing has changed. We realize we need to build a church inside ourselves first. Then, we will be able to build a church at our site, but we do not have any spiritual experience. We fuss and sometimes even grumble. Our hearts are closed to God. We are too young and stupid. Do we need to ask God for the church? Or is this too bold of us?  

– We need to ask God for patience, diligence, and the understanding of His providence through our spiritual life – understand what God wants for us and follow this path. In order to understand the providence of God, we need to practice spiritual life and be in the Spirit. Of course, I sympathize with you, as your life is very hard.  However, you should always remember that it is not that bad, and someone may have even worse circumstances. You should try to begin your spiritual life and do not set terms for God to fulfill your plans. You should pray gently and mildly, be patient, and hope for the best.  

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov

–My child has been gravely ill since his childhood. Knowing the consequences of this disease, I realize that I might outlive him… How should I become his support and example? 

– Do not go into hysterics. This is your reality you will have to accept. There are no options. This will remain, and nothing will change. How should you support him? Just love him. There is no need to speak too much  on this topic. This is all very sad, and there is no need for making it worse. Just be his loving parents.  

What example should you give? You know, he will suffer much from his illness and thus he will even become wiser than you are at some point. Suffering makes people wise. It will make you wiser too. Those people who do not know what suffering is, live more thoughtlessly. Meanwhile, those who have suffered have deep hearts.  

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov

– I love to give alms to people and it comes naturally. I want to help others, but my husband is not happy about this. I do this secretly and he reproaches me… Giving alms to people makes me fly and my soul becomes joyful. Am I doing the right thing?  

– Be merciful to both people and your husband. Do not upset him. Choose “the golden mean.” 

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov 

What should I do?
What have I got?
How should I fall in love with God?
To love Him with my soul and heart,
And never-ever fall apart.
Just like our Saint Philaret,

You, please, unveil this secret.

– Lovesickness passes away quickly, but true love comes with long-term effort and stability. This concerns both earthly and spiritual life. One should distinguish lovesickness from love. Lovesickness for God may come easily and easily disappear, while love is achieved through suffering in spiritual life.   

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov

– Unfortunately, before coming to faith, I acquired sinful habits through a long-term disgraceful life. After coming to faith, I began to resist them, but I fall into sin all the time. May I, being a sinner who constantly falls into the sins of the flesh, pray with the Jesus prayer during the day and at home? How do I get rid of the lust of the flesh? I am tired of it. 

– The more people stay in this state, the harder it is to get rid of it. This is natural. Christians resist their sins all life long; this is a long process. Endure yourself and do not fall into despair. And move forward with tiny steps. Pray and trust yourself into the hands of Christ. Appeal to the Holy Theotokos and avoid this problem in your mind. 

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov

– Unfortunately, I am now in a state of lukewarmness, laziness, and idleness in my spiritual life. The gravest thing is that I, understanding I am in a sad state, cannot find motivation for improvement. I ask for your prayers and maybe a piece of advice.   

– I advise you to visit some holy sites. This may help in your situation. 

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov

– Dear Father Sergiy, I would like to ask you about the Jesus prayer. I try to pray with it, but succeed in keeping attention only in my mind. The matter is I had a 16-year experience of Indian meditations before I came to Orthodoxy. I can stop my mind, but I do not know how to switch from my mind to my heart. All my attempts end in my head. I might have done something wrong. Help me, please.  

– The main recipe – do not set short-term deadlines for yourself, otherwise, if you fail, you will become upset and have a psychological cramp. You need to simply pray and pray. It is very important to maintain simplicity and gentleness while praying. Do not cramp yourself. This is more important than keeping your attention. If you will learn how not to get upset, to avoid the spasm, when nothing seems to work, it will be a good foundation for your further spiritual work. Everything will come and set itself on this foundation in time. 

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov

– Is it necessary to execute the prayer rule of Athos all at once or is it possible to segment it and pronounce some during the day and some at night? 

– It is up to you. You should consider your abilities and decide which way is more convenient for you. The main thing is stability. 

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov

– Father Sergiy, I ask you to pray for my daughter Maria. She is in Kiev while we are in Donbass. There is a war going on; she can’t leave the city and come to us… 

– Yes, of course, I will pray. May Lord help you and your daughter! May He keep you safe!

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov

– How to make amends for our parents, who are not longer with us? 

– Pray for them and give alms. This will be your redemption. Wringing your hands and falling into despair because you have not succeeded in doing something right and in time will not do. Moreover, despair makes us helpless and weakens our hearts. We cannot pray being in despair. We need to keep the peace of our souls, which will help us to pray, while our prayer will help our deceased relatives.     

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov

– I live by myself. I am not old yet. I suffer from the sin of masturbation. I confessed and took the Eucharist on Pascha last time at a monastery in some other town. I am a choir-master and people frown because they see that I haven’t received the Eucharist for a long time. Recently, I fought back my shame and went to a confession to a priest who knows me, but he denied me the Eucharist. I sinned again. And I can’t go to him with this sin again. Shame is beyond me. But the main thing is I know for sure I will fall again. What should I do?  

– Send me your phone number and I will confess you by phone, when you are ready to do this. 

Archpriest Sergiy 

– I made my own decision on vaccination. I will not have it. What can you say about QR-codes? As far as I know, only Porphyrios, Bishop of Solovki, declared against the vaccination and QR-codes. The rest of the people remain silent; they either support this or are afraid of raising their voice… 

– I do not give comments on these issues.

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov.