For me, the Lord is the constant joy of His presence. That’s how I want to live; it’s so good—strong, close… And if I’m in sin, then I immediately feel that I’m alone, that this day has passed me by. It’s very simple: With God is life; without God is death.

 

I lay down in a coffin in “The Island.” [movie]  It’s an austere thing. Four walls and a lid—no Gospel, no icons, nothing. What will we lie down with? What have I gathered? I know how to record, I can drive a car, I know how to use certain things. But I don’t know how to forgive, how not to get annoyed, how to give without regretting it. Everything that will be useful in eternity, everything that I can’t touch—I don’t know how. But I’ve learned a thousand unnecessary things during this life.

What to do? Peel myself off slowly. Like a band-aid from a wound, tear it off slowly. The Lord gave me a big house. I like it—I have a bedroom, and an office, but I’ll have to leave all this. What a pity! 4,000 selected vinyl records—what a pity! And then I see that it’s not such a pity over time. I’m glad to see the beginnings of detachment in myself. This is what we should spend our life doing—preparing for eternity.

– Quotes from Stanislav Minakov article on the late actor

 

**We are pleased to include writings from modern   Monasteries from time to time as well as our traditional Elders**