Watch a sweet and very comforting word from Father Pimen Vlad in which he draws a parallel between country life and the challenges of today’s contemporary society.
Enjoy!
My dears, here we are again! In the background, there’s the singing of a rooster. Did you hear that?
I’m somewhere in a more mountainous area, let’s call it a country in the mountain! It’s morning, after rest. I came to a family, who built a house, so, in an area, let’s say somewhat inhabited, as there are others living around, but on the outskirts of the village, into the woods. In a wonderful, beautiful, quiet place… mountains in the back, woods from one end to the other, they also have animals, they also have birds, and everything. What’s next to the man’s house. People go to work, they work, but they have their place, which, when they come home, they really enjoy. That place in the countryside! The more mountainous area, quiet, fresh air, that is, you feel it. I slept here last night – you could feel the air, as they say. Cool, but at the same time clean.
Quiet atmosphere
That’s what we need: fresh air, and yet a lot of people are running away from it. They are content with the air of the cities. Especially from large, crowded cities. Like a kind of addiction to that! You know that a lot of times we’ve talked about country life, in a more mountainous area somewhere, a life that’s much quieter. Without much access to technology. Look, here they have no phone signal. When they need it, they go out a little further, further back to the village. And then they’re serene.
Here, suddenly, everything died – and I on the phone – everything, dead. So you no longer have contact with everything that technology, the world, the mass-media, all that gives you. So you get into an atmosphere of tranquility. It’s like a mystery, like that. You only hear the birds, the animals, the rooster, you see it’s like it’s competing; it saw that I was talking, it wants to be noticed too and announce that it’s here too. So it’s a life of tranquility that helps you so much in calming down, spiritually.
The power to live reality
To be able to live in reality. As we no longer live in reality. Reality means to step on the ground, to feel as you step barefoot on the grass, it’s beautiful, look, the family here have 4 children, they go to school. When they come you see them barefoot in the grass, as all around the house is grass. Behind the house is the mountain. You can go as far as you want, all the way to the woods. Everything here is, as they say, like that, unpolluted and it’s not too far for connecting with people. They go in the village, they work there, the kids go to school, they come out a little bit like that. And I sit and think a lot of times, that a lot of people have given up on all of this to go to the cities. Because it seems to them that it is more comfortable, more beautiful, children have access to schools easier, they learn better, but without realizing at the same time that children are infected. Not only by technology, but also contact with everything that the city offers you, the entourages.
The difference lies in simplicity
I come across a lot of cases, after raising the children, from 12, 13, 14, 15 years and so on, there come problems. They come home with habits which they acquire from where they live. Here I was noting the difference, I was looking at this family, the kids, how beautifully raised, how… that is, you saw a simplicity. Children who learn well in school! But they find their peace of mind. I mean, otherwise, here where I am now, the child takes his notebook, his books, to go out into nature, here, to learn. The mind is much clearer, there isn’t technology to distract him. And then, the mind is clear, they learn properly and they are also outstanding at school. So you can do that, too. Let us consider that God has always given us all the possibilities, but he has left us free.
We have something to enjoy
And it’s all up to us, what we do. Which path do we choose, do we want convenience? We find convenience in the city, 8 hours of work, you come home, you turn on the TV, you go on the Internet… But is that just our life? Limited to this stuff? Not enjoying all that God created, all that God has given us for so many beauties, you see that now we’ve been a little bit through this country. So, so much beauty, everywhere. So many mountains we have, beautifully, with fir forests of all kinds. Tranquility, beautiful waters everywhere, I even reached the Danube, I really liked it there. It was nice! After that, through all these mountains where I ended up, I enjoyed it all! Because we have beautiful things, beautiful places, beautiful people, good people, faithful people!
We cultivate our own underappreciation
We have always been told that Romanians are not good for anything, that they are not capable, that they are not so and so… I know, in every way. So it would be implemented to us that we are not good for anything. And just the other way around! We have winners, Olympians everywhere, I look at our athletes, they come home with gold medals, with everything! And not only that, you help so much on this side of the state. At the expense of the parents, through their effort, they bring medals home, in Romania! Olympians from all over. We have very capable people, I have been in places, I have talked, I have seen very beautiful people. So we can say that of the most beautiful peoples in the world and very beautiful women, so all you want exists in this country.
The earths bear fruit abundantly, God gives rain. So everything can be done here and yet our Romanians went to find peace and good living on all the lands of the earth. And they stay there and work, they have two faculties and they go and care for others or they work in the field work abroad. Of course, in the country they are ashamed to do this! But there they do it.
Example of adaptation
I was glad that I met many families who told me:
– Father, look, we have returned for good after 20 years, trying to accommodate now, after so many years… children in schools and so on.
I was glad that they began to return to our country. It’s not going to be that easy: it’s work, it’s hard, but it’s not impossible, until you adapt a little bit, until you get things in order. So many villages that have remained almost deserted. Yes, one can find those – it’s a little bit harder, a little bit of work. But you live simpler, cleaner, more beautifully, and that brings you closer to God, it helps you get closer to God, it depends on everyone how much. Not that in the city that would be impossible. There are so many things who distract you from all this. No sooner than you arrived home, you turn on the TV: a news story, something. The Internet tells you something else and you reach at some point a state of fatigue and a state of no longer knowing how to enjoy. I mean, everything, permanently living like that, is no longer right. No! We need a little bit to think better about our lives.
Breaking away from modernism
What are we made for? Let us rejoice in all that we have around us and glorify God. And in this way, we really get to live beautifully, to enjoy ourselves. but a little bit we have to break away from this modernism. You can’t live in it, in all the technology, in all this madness, and also be able to sit quietly too; it doesn’t let you, it gives you an addiction. And when you manage to taste this beautiful, quiet life a little bit, you don’t dare to leave it anymore. Because it’s beautiful, it’s in nature. It’s close to God. But of course, let’s be in touch with God! Like I’ve said so many times before: more frequent confession. A little bit of communion.
Let children come unto me (Luke 18:16)
I was looking at us here in the country, there are certain things that I didn’t like. Everybody is free, but it’s too much when it comes to the kids.. for example, if they have reached 7 years of age, they can confess, I have always allowed young children up to 7 years to have Communion every Sunday and on holidays. After that, the same, Communion, but they should start from 7 years old to tell of their little foolish things, what they do, so they get used to confession. Not that they have done I don’t know what, but like this, little by little, until they are 12-13 years old, the get used to saying everything and, later on, it comes easier to them, when they do wrong with all the madness of the world. But that doesn’t mean they need to be stopped, stopped from having Communion, or forced to fast on certain days. I saw children of 8 years old or 9 years old: ” Ah! You didn’t confess, go back, I won’t allow you to come for Communion!” or
“When was the last time you confessed?”
“Well, a week ago”
“It’s been too much since! No, go back!”
Wait a minute, it’s a child! He may have done some little bad thing, but you can’t push him away. You have to bring him closer. I mean, my opinion is, and others feels so too, children, until they start, as they say, to taste life like this, at 12-13 years old, or even more, they are clean and can receive Communion every Sunday. As it helps them for whatever they’re going to go through later in this world. As there’s so much madness in the world and if they’re not ready they’re not going to stand their ground against it.
Preparation to face the world
And then: confession, communion, all those bring them closer together and strengthen them. It draws them closer to God and strengthens them to cope with everything. And you don’t have to force them to fast for I don’t know how long. Especially to children who start fasting on Wednesdays, Fridays, and so on. They grow up a little bit, you don’t have to give them anymore anything like that anymore. 3 days of fasting before the Communion; I have said in other times – if someone fasts constantly over the year, on Wednesdays, Fridays, you don’t have to tell him to fast the three days as well. A day of fasting before Communion is enough. Don’t burden the child, otherwise you’ll make him go away and you remove him from God, from the Holy Mysteries and you get at some point that he no longer desires them, if you keep him at a distance.
Or is it the custom in our country, that every 40 days, when the child is over 7-year-old, you bring him to receive Communion once 40 days pass. How to have him receive Communion every 40 days? He doesn’t have sins or anything to prevent him from receiving Communion. Let us not forget that in the first centuries Christians received Communion every day! You need a bit of discernment! Don’t take it as law. Like laws that don’t exist anywhere. These aren’t norms, or things that would stop them – so they don’t exist. It’s just that these are habits in certain places; in other places, the habits are that one should receive Communion more frequently than that. But who said that? Who said to stop him from Christ! No! As much as possible, it’s necessary. Especially children. Children, until they are 12-13 years old, especially if they tell you their little nonsense, let them go every Sunday to receive Communion, because they need to, to become strong to cope with all the madness of the world, like I said, when they get older and leave home. So, they need it. Yes!
Acquiring peace
What more can I tell you? There are beautiful things in our country, you know! A wonderful country. Whichever of you can still come home from abroad, you are not tied up too tightly, you can still try to return. Wherever you can, wherever you have a cottage, or you have possibilities – buy a house, a piece of land, because country life brings you closer to God. With its hardships too, it’s a much simpler life. Not that there is no salvation in the city, but there’s a lot of madness, it distracts you, it catches you, it attracts you, friends, entourages and then you don’t have time for others.
All gifts come through the Mother of God
So now I’ve told you this stuff, wholeheartedly, because I’ve gone a little bit around our country. And I’ve seen beautiful things, beautiful people, and that’s why I’m trying, a little bit, to make people understand that it’s not true what they say, that we are a country of losers! No! A country where God put all the blessings. All, all there can be, we have it all! It’s a rich country, God gives us rain, things grow everywhere, just so that we are left alone and our country would rise by itself. We have everything, but let’s put a little soul and put our shoulder to it and of course ask God for help, as without God we cannot do anything! And especially to the Mother of God. Much prayer. A lot of hope. Let’s ask for her help, as she’s our connection to Heaven. All the gifts come through the Mother of God.
And then, to see how everything thrives, how people become better, more lenient, but we need to ask for help. And let us give our best and work a little bit. And then miracles are done in our lives and with our country.
May the Mother of God help you, may she keep you safe! And never despair, because we have the Mother of God as a mother. She never leaves us. It’s enough to cry for her help a little bit and she takes us in her arms.
God help us, may the Mother of God help us!
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May the Lord help us!
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