MANASTIR LEPAVINA - SRPSKA PRAVOSLAVNA CRKVA

We only need to do unto others, what we want others to do unto us, says interlocutor of “Vesti”, who bravely steps on path of the modern communication. 

“I never even imagined that I would be doing what I am doing today: contact people all over the world in such a way”, said Archimandrite Gabriel Vuckovic in his book “Spiritual conversations via Skype program”, who is the abbot of the monastery Lepavina from the same-named town near Koprivnica in Croatia.

At the time when Metropolitan Jovan, who wisely considered all capabilities of internet, blessed computer purchasing, archimandrite Gabriel, as he says, “objected a bit” since he was concerned that this “box” would interrupt his prayers. Since the blessing had also been an act of obedience, I started to learn together with my brethrens. Presently, between 1000 and 1800 people visit their web-page daily. Vast virtual world offered a new possibility: direct communication via popular Skype. Archimandrite Gabriel is already familiar with computer technology, he accepts the challenges, and he becomes the first world’s orthodox missionary with a Skype profile (Fr. Gabriel). While on that path of modern civilization, he has found more then thousand of his spiritual children and their numbers grow daily. Through their coherence they are spontaneously classified as a spiritual internet family, with a spiritual father, father Gabriel, leading them.

For those who are “hungry and thirsty” for spiritual food, and are not able to use internet, he recently published the book “Spiritual conversations via Skype”; the book will soon be available for purchase in the bookstore “Vesti”. Archimandrite Gabriel said, after we asked him about the questions and problems that most commonly trouble our people in Diaspora:

- Men have same problems anywhere on this planet Earth. We all depend on each other, financially and spiritually. That is why we have to do unto others, what we want them to do unto us. After four months of spiritual and missionary travel through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, I concluded that our people in Diaspora attend the churches only so that they can socialize and meet, mainly to politicize and not to learn something about the spirituality. Since they are not thought about the true faith, in which they are baptized, their faith is based on the customs and traditions from pagan times. That is orthodoxy for Serbs, but it is the same situation with other nations, only in different form. The nationalism is raised above the Christian Orthodoxy. One has to work a lot with people to teach them about the Orthodoxy. There are many harvests, and there are few harvesters.

Keep your minds serene

•    Faithful people have many dilemmas about new Identification Cards with chips, and if those should be used.

-    If you do not want to accept it, could you find some jungle to live in, since you are refusing to accept the progress of civilization? If you burden yourself with this, then you only waste your time. Souls will not go to hell because of that; we go to heaven for our good deeds, and our wrong doings will condemn us. No chips, which account for perishable material things, are of any importance. We would not, for example, since the number 666 is mentioned in the Apocalypse, tear out the part of the Bible where this number is mentioned, or tear out only the 666th page because this number is used in some occult teachings. Or, for example, we banish number 13 based on the belief that this number is unlucky; when Fridays happens to be on the 13th day, then we consider that day unlucky.  Every day is the God’s day and it has its purpose; therefore, keep the mind sober and serene, because these days, there a lot of those who puzzle and disturb people with this virus, so that the time, which should be spent in praying, doing good deeds, searching for eternal life and soul saving, is wasted.

•     Isn’t it more difficult for people to be saved in these times, when they are surrounded by immense temptations?

-    I dare to say that even the devil himself can not think of the sins which men can think of and live in. Even the devil himself is surprised that the whole world lies in the sin; there all kinds of misdeeds and immoralities. Most likely this was the case during the pagan times, but this democracy is not any better for souls. This world’s chains tie people to worldly things; they do not allow them to ascend toward heavens, toward holy things. Our Lord is still merciful, and He waits for men to improve and stop sinning.

•    Where is human compassion hiding, now when there is more and more poverty, misery and insensibility?

-    There are poor people, but there are slackers too. Some would rather go through garbage cans looking for food in cities, and at the same time there are so many uncultivated fields. How come there are so many young people losing their lives because of drugs and perversions? That is because they are jobless and have nothing to look forward to. They go into desperation and while in such a suspense, suicides are often committed. To become smarter, one needs to do a lot of spiritual work.

Five decades in monkhood

•    He was born in 1964, in the town of Rakovica. With the blessing of patriarch German, same year he goes to patriarchate of Pec. From September, 1965 until March, 1967 he completes the military service in Skoplje. He transfers from Beograd-Karlovac Patriarchate to Raska- Prizren Patriarchate, where he joins brethren of the Monastery Visoki Decani. Same year, in 1967, on the feast of Saint Stefan Decanski, he was given a title of archdeacon by Raska-Prizren Bishop, Mr. Pavle.


•    After his personal request, in March 1971, he gets canonical dismissal and goes to the Mount Athos, to Hilandar. In January 1980, he receives the rank of hieromonk. On the monastery Slava day (feast day) of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (Vavedenje) in 1981, he was tonsured during vigil in small shima with the name Gabriel (Gavrilo). After receiving the blessings from the Monastery Hilandar board, he resides among Greeks, in elder Kirilo’s cell, from March, 1983 until March, 1984. After his personal request, he receives the overall canonical dismissal and returns to Serbia.

•    He was admitted to Zagreb-Ljubljana diocese Canonically in August, 1984. He started to govern the Monastery Lepavina and its parish on August 17, of the same year. On the feast day of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary in 1994, Metropolitan of Zagreb-Ljubljana and All Italy, Mr. Jovan, appointed him to the rank of archimandrite.

•    Every person longs and searches for love, and yet, the love seems to be the hardest to receive and the hardest to give to others.

- It is difficult to give something to someone if it does not exist. People are too selfish. If a man is selfish, then that man eats himself inside, just like cancer eats a human body; if it is not cured, just as a cancer, it destroys a man. It seems to me that there is more and more egotism in the world; materialism rules. And this is perishable and momentary. When people possessed fewer things, they were spiritually wealthy. Honesty existed and everything was holy. The churches and monasteries, which we have today, were built during those times, since they were built for the God’s Glory and for generations to come. Today, everything that people do is done for a man’s glory. Once they asked our Patriarch Pavle how come that all hate us and nobody loves us, he replied: I only know that in the Holy Scriptures it has been written that I should love everyone, and if someone does not love me or hates me, it is his/her own trouble and suffering, residing in his/her soul.


•    In “Spiritual Conversations” You are often asked about lent. How and when should we fast?

-    Fast is necessary for spiritual and bodily health and one should fast as the Church prescribed. Those who fast throughout all fasts will certainly have no brain “cementing”. When I lived on Mount Athos, I can testify that none of the monks, in those times, died from disease; they only died from the old age.

•    The book contains your conversation, filled with brotherly love and support, with one Croatian monk.

-    How can it be different when we live next to each other; we purchase food, needed for bodily strength, at the same market; therefore, we are also asked to share Christian love and to live in peace and help one another. The world became one global village, and nothing is far with this modern technology; only one click away. I try hard to advise all, because all of you are sent by God and nothing is left to a chance.

•    Do you have any special message for the readers of “Vesti” and the book “Spiritual Conversations”?

-    Greetings and blessings for the Monastery Lepavina to all. Readers of my book “Spiritual Conversations” will see that it is simple, and I hope that all will understand it and that they will all spiritually benefit from it. I tried not to quote others, and I tried to speak from my own personal 50 years long experience of being a monk. Spiritual fight lasts and continues.

By Mira GRUJIC PAVLOVIC

Sunday, October 18, 2009
Source: vesti.de


translated from Serbian by  Tanja Cebic