Holy Mount Athos

Soon Easter, then the time comes to talk about the holy and eternal:

In the north-east of Greece, on the Athos Peninsula there is an autonomous monastic state of the Holy Mountain-the most mysterious place on the planet: the focus of Orthodox monasticism, the land on which there were no women for more than a thousand years. According to church legend, in 46, the Virgin Mary and the Apostle John the Theologian fell into the storm, and their ship was nailed to Athos. The Virgin liked this place so much that she asked God for herself in the destiny. Since then, Athos is also called "the Garden of the Blessed Virgin Mary." Fourteen centuries are not silent here by monastic prayer for the whole world. It is with Afon that the most famous prophecies about the end of the world are associated. It is on Athos, where the secret of spiritual life is hidden, so pilgrims are striving. The pilgrimage for Athos is the gift of God, and the effort of man over himself, and incomparable joy.
The path to the sky

Every year, Athos accepts more than a million pilgrims. To get to Athos, it is not enough to have only a Greek visa, you also need to get a visa of the Holy Mountain-Diamonicity, which is usually issued for 3-4 days. Such visas can be arranged through the monastery where the pilgrimage is planned, or in the pilgrim Bureau in the city of Thessaloniki. Voronezh people get into Greek saloniki either from the Chertovitskoye airport or through Moscow. Further from the city of Thessaloniki, you need to get to the small resort town of Uranopolis, located near the border of the monastic republic. There you will need to buy a steam ticket and, having passed border control, go to the desired monastery by sea. Almost all monasteries have their own marinas, many monastery are located right on the coast and look like impregnable fortresses from afar.

Pilgrims on Athos

Upon arrival of all pilgrims, they are greeted with a cup of RCD (grape moonshine), Lukum and a glass of water, and only then they begin to design. Determine the pilgrims in the archondarik - gloomy cells for guests, and give obedience to work and prayer. On Athos live in the sun - the so -called Byzantine time, so pilgrims have to rebuild for a new rhythm. The rules for staying on Athos are strict - it is forbidden to wear bright clothes, short pants, walk with open shoulders, sunbathe, swim, faded, talk loudly, run and jump. But this is not necessary there - a pilgrimage to Athos - this is overcoming earthly attraction, the ability to cleanse the soul, transform, change your life and the world around you. A person there takes off from the ground to the sky, leaves from the material to the spiritual.

Monastery brethren

There are 20 monasteries, 12 monasteries and many separate cells and kalnov on Athos are only 60 km in length, and how many holy places! The monastery brethren lives almost the communist charter "from everyone - according to ability, for each - according to the need." A person comes to the monastery with his skills, which he uses on obedience, and receives everything necessary for life from the monastery. The monks eat twice a day, and on lean days - once. The rise on Athos is early - at two in the morning, but the brethren wakes up an hour before the rise to fulfill the prayer rule. The service usually goes about five hours and ends at seven in the morning, but in Byzantine time is lunch time. After the meal, the monks go out to obedience, work all day, until the evening service. After the evening - a meal and a vacation.

Athos shrines

In every monastery, every monastery is found in the whole world of miraculous icons, the relics of saints, the greatest relics. Many Athos shrines have been in Russia recently: the belt of the Virgin, and the gifts of the Magi, and the honest head of St. Siluana. In the Dokhihar Monastery there is a miraculous image of the Mother of God "Skoro -dedicated". The fabulous beauty of the Dochiar monastery, similar simultaneously to the palace and fortress, is known in the Orthodox world and his abbot-the elder-Archimandrite Grigory (Zumis). Thirsty to hear the wise words of the old man go from all continents to talk with him or attend conversations. We found the seventy -five -year -old archimandrite at work. He is always in labor, and is not shy about his holey cassock. Father Gregory, a man is very alive and cheerful, gave us a lot of instructive councils.

Children's dream

The first song in my life, whose words I remembered by heart, was my grandmother’s favorite song “Mount Athos, Holy Mountain”, which she often hummed.
Mount Athos, Holy Mountain, I don't know your beauties,
And your earthly paradise, and under you noisy waters.
I have not seen, Holy Mountain, your stem, steep cliffs,
And how beautiful the distance is sea when the ray of the sun burned out.
As a child, I often spoke to her about Athos, but I could not believe in all miracles. When in 1988 he read an article about Athos in the magazine "Echo Planet", a dream appeared to be there. Thank God, after so many years, and I happened to pray on the Holy Mountain and see her beauty with my own eyes.

Original