I hope this letter finds you in a moment of peace and quiet. I wanted to share some thoughts with you in the hope that they might bring a measure of comfort and a glimmer of hope to your heart.
Life, as we know, is a journey filled with both good and bad times. Just as we cherish the moments of joy and triumph, we must also acknowledge the challenges that come our way. Yet, it is important to remember that with the bad comes the good, and one cannot exist without the other. Even in the most difficult times, there is always a flicker of light that can guide us forward.
Within you lies a strength that has carried you through the hardest moments. This strength is a testament to your resilience, your courage, and your unwavering spirit. You have the power to find hope and meaning in every situation, and to turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
Though it may seem that the world is filled with darkness, there are still acts of kindness, compassion, and love that shine brightly. These small, yet powerful, acts can rekindle hope and faith in the goodness of humanity. Every smile you share, every hand you extend in support, and every moment of empathy you offer is a beacon of light in a world that deeply needs it.
Faith is not always a steady flame; it can waver and falter. But remember that faith can also be reignited, even from the smallest spark. Trust that there is a greater purpose, even if it is not immediately apparent. Believe that your life, your actions, and your love have meaning and impact far beyond what you can see.
Ivanych, you are not alone in your journey. There are many who stand with you, who understand your experiences, and who are inspired by your strength. Lean on them when you need support, and know that it is okay to seek solace in others. Together, we can face the challenges and find our way back to the light.
May you find moments of peace, hope, and love to guide you through these times. May your heart be touched by the kindness of others and may your spirit be lifted by the knowledge that you are valued, cherished, and not forgotten.
With deepest respect and warmest wishes,
Дорогой Иванович,
Надеюсь, это письмо найдёт тебя в момент покоя и тишины. Я хотел бы поделиться с тобой некоторыми мыслями в надежде, что они принесут немного утешения и искры надежды в твоё сердце.
Жизнь, как мы знаем, это путь, наполненный и хорошими, и плохими временами. Так же как мы ценим моменты радости и триумфа, мы должны признавать и трудности, которые встречаются на нашем пути. Однако важно помнить, что с плохим приходит и хорошее, и одно не может существовать без другого. Даже в самые трудные времена всегда есть огонёк света, который может вести нас вперёд.
Внутри тебя скрыта сила, которая провела тебя через самые трудные моменты. Эта сила — свидетельство твоей стойкости, твоей смелости и твоего непоколебимого духа. У тебя есть возможность найти надежду и смысл в каждой ситуации и превращать трудности в возможности для роста.
Хотя может казаться, что мир наполнен тьмой, всё ещё существуют акты доброты, сострадания и любви, которые ярко сияют. Эти маленькие, но мощные действия могут возродить надежду и веру в человеческое добро. Каждая улыбка, которую ты даришь, каждая рука помощи и каждый момент сопереживания — это маяк света в мире, который так нуждается в этом.
Вера не всегда является устойчивым пламенем; она может колебаться и угасать. Но помни, что веру можно возродить даже из самой маленькой искры. Поверь, что существует высшая цель, даже если она не сразу очевидна. Поверь, что твоя жизнь, твои действия и твоя любовь имеют значение и влияние, гораздо большее, чем ты можешь себе представить.
Иванович, ты не одинок в своём пути. Есть много тех, кто стоит рядом с тобой, кто понимает твои переживания и вдохновляется твоей силой. Опираться на них, когда тебе нужна поддержка, — это нормально. Вместе мы можем преодолеть трудности и найти путь обратно к свету.
Пусть ты найдёшь моменты мира, надежды и любви, которые будут вести тебя через эти времена. Пусть твоё сердце будет тронуто добротой других, и пусть твой дух будет поднят знанием, что тебя ценят, любят и не забывают.
“We must have some drinks… the horizontal line of the Cross, can represent the great soul of the Russian people, who suffer immensely, glory to Thee O God!” said a Russian diaspora to me, while we drank a toast on a feast day in New Jersey. I am a recent convert to Holy Orthodoxy, and attend in the Russian tradition. After 30 years of dissolute living, and having absolutely nothing to live for – ready to end myself - God had mercy on me, His prodigal child.
These Kontakions, and prayers below, help me, when thinking on the cruelty of the world against children. Those of the blessed Slavs in the east, are under war, and poverty, oppression… while now we see, in the west – America – with all of our “wealth”: mental illness, suicide, and now purposefully induced mental disorders – such as transgenderism, and physical mutilation (by our pedophile government rulers), is spiritual death, a living death - if you say otherwise, you are called insane. This entire world is a veil of tears, and nobody will escape this exile of suffering – but it ends (St John of New Valaam, Finland, +1958).
A Holy Father I can’t remember, maybe St Nikolai Velimirovic of Serbia: “children suffering is a type and mystery, in following our Lord Jesus Christ, the only sinless one – they follow His steps, for our sins.”
Unfortunately, in my dissolute living, how many decades did I, acting as a inflection point of demonized energy, poison the world? We are icons (mirrors) created in the Image of God, and what we choose daily, causes blights on the earth – reflecting, resonating the energy of God into the world, or, the devil and his demons. But, since evil has no essence of itself – it is only the misuses of our free will – it is destroyed, and destroys itself over time – when we turn back to God Most High, the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Just as the whole communist system fell overnight, now nihilism, which is cultivated by atheist Europe, is falling with a great and thunderous extent and intensity.” – Met. Neophytos of Cyprus
Let the Saints help – they will – this is experientially true.
St Paisios of Mt. Athos +1994 (Greece)
"Death in wartime is very redeeming... when a man sacrifices himself to protect others, he imitates Jesus Himself. Such men are the greatest heroes."
…
“The warrior takes joy in the fact that he’s dying so that others won’t have to. If you dispose yourself this way then nothing will be frightening. Courage is born from much love, kindness and self-sacrifice. Today people don’t even want to hear about death. However, he doesn’t remember about death is living outside of reality. Those who fear death and love life’s vanities are in a state of spiritual stagnation. Bold people, who always keep death before them and think about it constantly, on the other hand, conquer vanity and begin to live in eternity and heavenly joy while still here on earth.
May he who fights in the war for Faith and Fatherland cross himself and not fear, for God is his helper! God Himself will decide whether he is to die or to live. One needs to trust God, not oneself.”
…
Child-Martyr Gabriel of Zverky (Poland), Kontakion IV:
A storm of agitation besetteh us, O young passion-bearer, when we think upon they cruel death and gaze upon the supernatural miracle made manifest in thee; for though a child in body, by they patience amid suffering thou didst show thyself to be a mature man. Wherefore, pondering in mind the struggle of thy suffering, we chant unto Him Who gave thee strength: Alleluia!
Kontakion XIII:
O innocent Gabriel, martyr of Christ, all-wonderous model of childlike innocense and meekness! Accepting the unworthy hymnody of this little work, be thou for us a fervent advocate before the Lord, that we who are tempest-tossed by throughout our lives by our lives by lack of faith, by anger and hatred of our brethern, may in holy manner abide in faith, patience and love; and having thus passed our whole life, may we be delivered from eternal tormet, and ever chant unto God: Alleluia!
Akathaist from St Paisius Monastery, Safford AZ - (Serbian Patriarchate, sisters originally from St Xenia Skete, under (St) Fr Seraphim Rose).
From “Canon to the Lord for a Sick Child”, Prayer for a Child Suffering Great Pain:
Our thoughts are not Thy thoughts, O Lord, and our ways are not Thy ways. We admit and confess that we cannot see Thy Divine Hand in the suffering of this child. Hep us, we pray Thee, to see that there is a reason for this suffering which transcends our comprehension and understanding. Our thoughts are confused. Our hearts and consumed with sorrow. Our will is lost and weak, and our strength abandons us when we see this innocent creature – caught by the sins of this world and the power of the devil – as a victim of incredible suffering and pain. Have mercy, O Lord, upon this child. We bend our knees in supplication to Thee – have mercy! Do not let this agony continue any further. Do not allow the suffering and pain to increase! We do not know what to pray of Thee. Grant us the grace to just say: May Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Grant us faith, O Lord, for in Thee do we place our trust. Help Thou our unbelief. Be with They child [name] and bear the pain together with him (her). Heal him (her) and save him (her), in accordance with Thy divine economy which Thou didst establish even before the creation of the world. For Thou art our only hope, O our God, and in Thee do we place our trust, in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The Canon is written by (St) Fr Gheorgie Calciu +2006):
Life is what you have left in your body, a body that has stood up to the horrors of constant battles and resisted the great force of evil which landed into your once peaceful existence.
You have sacrificed everything to this darkness imposed on you and your countrymen, you have survived for a reason, a reason you have not realised yet.
As a man from a small town in the west of Ireland, I and my family and friends hold you dear to our hearts, not only as a hero in the world's war against the darkness, but as a human being who has so much more to give not only to his countrymen, but to all the world.
The pen is mightier than the sword Ivanych, now you have time to write your story and put down on record who you are and what you did. We need this record, to pass on to our grandchildren, to study in the classroom.
You became a ferocious warrior, a ferocious warrior that was hidden deep inside your body until the darkness arrived, this warrior must now rest and teach us all the lessons you learned.
Christmas blessings to you and all your comrades in Ukraine and Russia from the people of Ireland, may the road rise up to meet you on your travels.
Я говорю «Дорогой», потому что, хотя мы с тобой никогда не встречались, ты мне «дорог». Пожалуйста, позвольте мне объяснить.
Между нами большое расстояние.
Я был офицером морской пехоты США. Я знаю, что война – это ад. Ад – это отсутствие Бога.
Я не знаю, почему ты страдаешь больше, чем Иов. Это правда, что вы это делаете. Мне хотелось бы, чтобы это было неправдой, но это так.
Горе – это правильная реакция на потерю тех, кого мы любим. Мы не печалимся из-за потери вещей, которые не имеют значения. Нам грустно терять то, что действительно важно. Чем больше важность, тем сильнее чувство утраты. Печаль – это мера нашей потери и ценность того, что мы потеряли.
Я скорблю о тебе. Ни один мужчина не должен отнимать свою семью. Ни один человек не должен проходить через ад, особенно если он не выбирал его. Вы не выбирали ад, в котором сейчас живете. Вы страдаете от ада, который вам был навязан.
Как офицер Корпуса морской пехоты США и изучающий политику США, я знаю, какое оружие США отправили в Украину. Я знаю, какую ненависть США способствовали распространению в Украине. Я знаю, почему ты страдаешь. Вы страдаете, потому что мое правительство напало на ваш дом и напало на вас через Украину. Вы страдаете в аду на земле, потому что правительство, которому я когда-то служил, ненавидит и боится России. Из этой ненависти возникает готовность уничтожить Украину, чтобы навредить России. Так не честно. Хотя это правда. Вы страдаете от проклятия ненависти, которое создает ад.
Моя жена украинка. Мы поженились в Киеве. Она и ее семья родом из южной Украины. Ее дом и мать находятся в Украине. Когда прибыли российские войска, нападения на их дома и церкви прекратились. Моя свекровь получила российский паспорт как можно скорее, потому что в течение многих лет США поддерживали правительство в Украине и превратили ее жизнь в ад.
Мои зять и невестка пытались сбежать из Украины. Они попали в ловушку. Два года мой зять скрывался, потому что не хочет поддерживать ненависть, которую США создавали и взращивали в Украине более 70 лет. Их дом был разбомблен и разрушен. Однако они не обвиняют Россию. Война это ад.
Я прошу у тебя прощения. Хотя мы никогда не встречались, ты мне дорог. Вы боретесь, чтобы победить ненависть и ад, созданный ненавистью. Благодаря вам и всем вашим страданиям есть надежда, что некоторые люди, миллионы людей, смогут познать любовь и мир. Это любовь и мир, которые очень дороги. С каждым днем война продолжается, цена любви и мира возрастает.
Мне невыразимо грустно из-за потерь, которые приходят на войне. Я унижен тобой. Я смирен твоим актом любви даже в горе. Я унижен мужчинами, которые служат с вами. Вы любите своих братьев по оружию своими действиями. Своей жертвой вы даете место любви. Моя страна украла любовь миллионов людей. Моя страна продолжает сеять ненависть и создавать ад по всему миру. Вы противостоите этой ненависти.
Мне жаль, что делать добро так больно. Мне бы хотелось, чтобы это было не так. Мне жаль, что делать добро иногда означает жить и в грязи, и в грязи, и в дождь, и в жару, и под солнцем, и в снегу, и во льду. Мне жаль, что делать добро иногда означает потерять друзей и семью. Мне жаль, что делать добро иногда означает страдать, даже страдать в аду.
Если нам когда-нибудь представится возможность встретиться, я приветствую вас с полным почетом и уважением. Я пожму тебе руку и крепко обниму. И если позволите, поделитесь едой.
Почему? Потому что в тебе – во всех твоих страданиях я вижу лицо Бога. Я вижу любовь и надежду на мир, потому что кто-то — ты, Иваныч и твои братья по оружию, противостояли ненависти, пройдя через ад. У моей семьи есть шанс узнать завтрашний день благодаря тому, что вы делаете сегодня и что вы делали в течение многих лет. Вы сражались с силами ада за дюйм грязи.
Я благодарю Бога за вас и молюсь, чтобы вы смогли обрести исцеление, мир и любовь, которую вы защищаете и которую заслуживаете.
Бог хранит тебя и защищает. И пусть Он укрепит твою руку.
Джеймс
________
Dear Ivanych,
I say "Dear" because though you and I have never met, you are "dear" to me. Please let me explain.
The is a great distance between us.
I am was a US Marine Corps officer. I know war is hell. Hell is the absence of God.
I do not know why you suffer more than Job. It is true that you do. I wish it was not true, but it is.
Grief is the proper response to loss of those we love. We are not sad over loss of things that do not matter. We are sad about losing things that do matter. The greater the importance, the greater the sense of loss. Sadness, is the measure of our loss and the value of what we have lost.
I grieve for you. No man should have his family taken. No man should have to live through hell especially, when he did not choose it. You did not choose the hell you now live in. You suffer the hell that was forced on you.
As a US Marine Corps officer and student of US policy, I know what weapons the US sent to Ukraine. I know what hate the US helped spread in Ukraine. I know why you suffer. You suffer because my government attacked your home and attacked you through Ukraine. You suffer hell on earth because the government I once served hates Russia and fears Russia. From that hate there is a willingness to destroy Ukraine to hurt Russia. It is not fair. It is true though. You suffer the curse of hate, which creates hell.
My wife is Ukrainian. We were married in Kiev. She and her family are from southern Ukraine. Her home and mother are in Ukraine. When Russian troops arrived, attacks on their home and their churches stopped. My mother-in-law got her Russian passport as soon as possible, because for years, the US supported government in Ukraine, made her life hell.
My brother-in-law and sister-in-law tried to escape Ukraine. They got trapped. For two years my brother-in-law has been hiding because he does not want to support the hate the US created and nurtured in Ukraine for over 70 years. Their home was bombed and destroyed. Yet, they do not blame Russia. War is hell.
I beg your forgiveness. Though we have never met you are dear to me. You fight to defeat hate and the hell created by hate. Because of you and all you suffered, there is a hope some people -- millions of people, can know love and peace. It is a love and peace that is very expensive. Every day the war continues, the price of love and peace increases.
I am sad beyond words for the loss that comes in war. I am humbled by you. I am humbled by your act of love even in grief. I am humbled by the men who serve with you. You love your brothers in arms with your actions. You give space for love by your sacrifice. My country stole love from millions of people. My country continues to spread hate and create hell across the globe. You are standing against that hate.
I am sorry that doing good hurts so much. I wish that was not the case. I am sorry doing good sometimes means living in dirt, and in mud, and in rain, and in heat, and under the sun, and in snow, and in ice. I'm sorry doing good sometimes means losing friends and family. I am sorry doing good sometimes means suffering, even suffering in hell.
If we ever have a chance to meet, I will salute you with total honor and respect. I will shake your hand, and give you a firm embrace. And if you let me, share a meal.
Why? Because in you - in all you have suffered, I see the face of God. I see love and the hope of peace because someone - you Ivanych and your brothers in arms, stood against hate by walking through hell. My family has a chance to know tomorrow because of what you do today and what you have done for years. You have fought the forces of hell for inch of dirt.
I thank God for you and pray you can find healing and peace and the love that you are protecting and that you deserve.
God keep you and protect you. And may He strengthen your hand.
I cannot imagine what you have seen or experienced. It is a tragedy beyond measure and beyond what I know. I don't even know how I can talk to you of God because how can a mere man discuss these things and not sound foolish? What I can say is that as much as I know and understand you have been through a hell there, I also know God is there, too. Me saying this is not saying much, I know. But if YOU are certain the Mother of God, the Holy Theotokos, protects you, then without a doubt, God is there too. Have as much faith in this as you are able. May God bless you with more.
Safe travels Ivanych. May God bless and keep you and your comrades, now and forever, and may you come to quiet place where you can rest and be healed of your grievous wounds.
I pray for you and your comrades, for your safety and your health and for you all to find peace.
Another excellent text from Marat. Poetic like Marat's soul always.
And I want to ask Marat, following a post on Telegram, Marat promised to tell how Russia defeated endro in the counteroffensive and I wanted to know if Marat has already published the continuation of that text? Because I'm very curious and for me the text is easier to translate the Russian. Thanks for all the work Marat. Fabulous. Marat is my favorite war reporter. Even though the war is horrible and is causing Russia so much pain. All the best for Marat.
I'm from southern Europe and have always been friends with Russia. I also don't know if God exists. I don't think anyone knows. Some believe so and others don't. And if it exists, why does it allow wars and destruction? Which are always made by men. From what I have witnessed, it is always men who do good and evil, without God's intervention. That's why I believe above all in men. That there are good men and bad men and the bravest good men have to defeat the bad men like Hitler and now again the Nazis in Ukraine.
I also never understood why Russia allowed the coup d'état in Ukraine in 2014. And above all, why it let Nazi nationalists to atack the Russian population in the Donbass and the south. I think we have a very big problem in Europe since WWII. Since Russia after defeating Hitler allowed the US to stay in Europe. Russia should have taken over all of Nazi Germany and dictated the rules. Namely the total disarmament of Nazi Germany, which caused so much deaths to the USSR. And thank the US for their help during WWII and tell them to go back to America. And the English to their island.
I think that without the US and NATO in Europe we could all be happier in Europe. The US Govts spent the last 75 years, after WWII, robbing the entire world. Normally it's oil from around the world. And the coup in Ukraine was once again to try to steal Russia's natural resources and separate the EU from Russia to take the EU economy hostage. Now the US is the one who sells much more expensive gas to Europe. This is why the US overthrew the Ukrainian Govt and gave power to Nazi nationalists to mistreat the Russian population of Ukraine to provoke Russia into war and try to overthrow Putin. To choose another puppet President to rob Russia again like in the 90s. Just like they robbed Ukraine since independence, when it was also a very rich country. And I don't understand why Russia let the war start in Donbass in 2015. I am very sorry for everything that happened to Donbass, to Ivanich, to his family and friends. I think Putin and Russia should have defended the Russian population in Ukraine in 2015.
But as I said, it is always men who make the decisions and we also often do not know all the reasons behind the decisions on which the lives of people like the Russian population in Donbass depend. But we can only live in the present. No matter how good or bad the past was, we have to live in the present. And I wish that friend Ivanich can live in the present without the pain he experienced in the past. Which must be very difficult, but Ivanich is also very brave to fight in the war and I believe he will be able to overcome the pain he experienced over time. They say time heals everything. I would also like to thank Ivanich for all the courage with which he defended Donbass, his family and the Russian population of Donbass. With many men like Ivanich the world didn't need God. I wish the best to Ivanich, who I already know is a good and very courageous man. And I hope that Ivanich can return to live in Donbas in peace after the war. A simple and peaceful life like all men should live. We have to take it easy and let time heal the pain.
It is no use to pretend to identify with a man that knows the horrors of war, for years, as you do.
Ivanych's bitterness of soul has been caused by his experience in war, it seems. Bitterness of soul from other causes is not alien to this subscriber though. That is a (partial) shared knowledge.
Concerning your quarrel with God, just a few thoughts.
~ Most people appeal to God or reproach God only when in deep trouble; otherwise they want to ignore Him or deny even his existence for the length of their whole lives.
~ Murders, thefts, adulteries, paedophilia, wars, revolutions, slanders, lies, envies, covetousness are all produced by man against man. There is nothing from God in any such human activity. It is all born within man against man (by put in there by the chief fiend, satan)
~ There was a man that went through the horrors of hanging and dying on a cross - for your sake and mine, to give us the chance to be reconciled to our Maker, so that there will be a time: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away"
~ When man decided that he did not want God to rule over him, God left man to his own devices, to this very day: even when God wants to intervene in the affairs of man for good, man answers thus: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" We are not made as robots; we are made to be responsible for our actions and choices... and to suffer the consequences.
~ Regarding the remark above, the judgment of man for all of man's wickedness is faulty or never done. But the Day of God's judgment will be unavoidable, complete, just and unappealable. Even a life of bitterness comes to an end; shall we allow God to eventually wipe away our tears, for ever?
~ There are some fundamental questions of life that are not answered in this life, even in the Bible. We need to accept that we are finite and will have to wait for the day when: "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known"
Dear Ivanych, there are many people that go through life in bitterness of soul, but there is a hope: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls..." Jesus Christ invites all.
I heard about you from reading Marat Khairullin. I understand that you have fought bravely defending the Donbass for 9 years, having lost your home and your family. You seem incredibly strong and brave to me. I am a 69-year-old woman, a farmer, just trying to understand the unspeakable evil that my government has unleashed upon you and your people. I believe that your Bogoraditsa has protected you through all the danger. She gave you strength to bear this grief, the horror of this war, and that you must survive and live on to bear witness to your people about what all of you brave men have been through to protect them and the land. I pray that She will continue to protect and guide you, and bring you to a sense of peace.
I counsel patience, then more patience, and then more of it. “All good things come to them that wait upon The Lord.” Non-Biblical saying based on the language of Isaiah 40:31, James 5:7-11, and Lamentations 3:25. "Do your duty and leave the rest to God.” Paraphrase of Cadet T. J. Jackson.
The Almighty knows how to bring you happiness you know not of and would be grateful to have rather than to reproach yourself without end for having whistled past it in a rush to avenge or self-authenticate.
In our calculations, we are middle-aged or old-aged. In God’s calculations, we are babes-in-arms. Young or old, happy or unhappy, that is how He dresses Himself for our ultimate benefit. Time is always on our side when we are patient. So many things are going on of which we cannot be aware, but He is, and He loves us for our happiness, even the stinkers.
Dear Ivanych,
I hope this letter finds you in a moment of peace and quiet. I wanted to share some thoughts with you in the hope that they might bring a measure of comfort and a glimmer of hope to your heart.
Life, as we know, is a journey filled with both good and bad times. Just as we cherish the moments of joy and triumph, we must also acknowledge the challenges that come our way. Yet, it is important to remember that with the bad comes the good, and one cannot exist without the other. Even in the most difficult times, there is always a flicker of light that can guide us forward.
Within you lies a strength that has carried you through the hardest moments. This strength is a testament to your resilience, your courage, and your unwavering spirit. You have the power to find hope and meaning in every situation, and to turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
Though it may seem that the world is filled with darkness, there are still acts of kindness, compassion, and love that shine brightly. These small, yet powerful, acts can rekindle hope and faith in the goodness of humanity. Every smile you share, every hand you extend in support, and every moment of empathy you offer is a beacon of light in a world that deeply needs it.
Faith is not always a steady flame; it can waver and falter. But remember that faith can also be reignited, even from the smallest spark. Trust that there is a greater purpose, even if it is not immediately apparent. Believe that your life, your actions, and your love have meaning and impact far beyond what you can see.
Ivanych, you are not alone in your journey. There are many who stand with you, who understand your experiences, and who are inspired by your strength. Lean on them when you need support, and know that it is okay to seek solace in others. Together, we can face the challenges and find our way back to the light.
May you find moments of peace, hope, and love to guide you through these times. May your heart be touched by the kindness of others and may your spirit be lifted by the knowledge that you are valued, cherished, and not forgotten.
With deepest respect and warmest wishes,
Дорогой Иванович,
Надеюсь, это письмо найдёт тебя в момент покоя и тишины. Я хотел бы поделиться с тобой некоторыми мыслями в надежде, что они принесут немного утешения и искры надежды в твоё сердце.
Жизнь, как мы знаем, это путь, наполненный и хорошими, и плохими временами. Так же как мы ценим моменты радости и триумфа, мы должны признавать и трудности, которые встречаются на нашем пути. Однако важно помнить, что с плохим приходит и хорошее, и одно не может существовать без другого. Даже в самые трудные времена всегда есть огонёк света, который может вести нас вперёд.
Внутри тебя скрыта сила, которая провела тебя через самые трудные моменты. Эта сила — свидетельство твоей стойкости, твоей смелости и твоего непоколебимого духа. У тебя есть возможность найти надежду и смысл в каждой ситуации и превращать трудности в возможности для роста.
Хотя может казаться, что мир наполнен тьмой, всё ещё существуют акты доброты, сострадания и любви, которые ярко сияют. Эти маленькие, но мощные действия могут возродить надежду и веру в человеческое добро. Каждая улыбка, которую ты даришь, каждая рука помощи и каждый момент сопереживания — это маяк света в мире, который так нуждается в этом.
Вера не всегда является устойчивым пламенем; она может колебаться и угасать. Но помни, что веру можно возродить даже из самой маленькой искры. Поверь, что существует высшая цель, даже если она не сразу очевидна. Поверь, что твоя жизнь, твои действия и твоя любовь имеют значение и влияние, гораздо большее, чем ты можешь себе представить.
Иванович, ты не одинок в своём пути. Есть много тех, кто стоит рядом с тобой, кто понимает твои переживания и вдохновляется твоей силой. Опираться на них, когда тебе нужна поддержка, — это нормально. Вместе мы можем преодолеть трудности и найти путь обратно к свету.
Пусть ты найдёшь моменты мира, надежды и любви, которые будут вести тебя через эти времена. Пусть твоё сердце будет тронуто добротой других, и пусть твой дух будет поднят знанием, что тебя ценят, любят и не забывают.
Anon
Hello Brother,
I hope you are doing well and your spirit is strong.
I don’t know if the news reach you there so I wanted to tell you that the whole world is changing by your efforts.
The colonialist countries whimper watching the strength of Russia.
They know their time is up and they cry like little girls.
Georgia and Romania are coming to their senses and even in Africa they are watching.
More and more countries are turning to patriotism instead of laying down in front of the neocolonialists to rape their countries.
You bring courage and hope to the whole world.
And Brother, do not let the things you have experienced or done darken your soul.
The fight against evil is not in heaven but in hell.
You are the tip of gods spear, you are his wrath, his vengeance and his justice.
And you are his shield to protect the innocent.
Hope is growing in the whole world because of you.
Remember! Russians fight for love.
Stay healthy and strong. Be a pillar of light to your brothers in the battlefield.
Then come home. We miss you.
“We must have some drinks… the horizontal line of the Cross, can represent the great soul of the Russian people, who suffer immensely, glory to Thee O God!” said a Russian diaspora to me, while we drank a toast on a feast day in New Jersey. I am a recent convert to Holy Orthodoxy, and attend in the Russian tradition. After 30 years of dissolute living, and having absolutely nothing to live for – ready to end myself - God had mercy on me, His prodigal child.
These Kontakions, and prayers below, help me, when thinking on the cruelty of the world against children. Those of the blessed Slavs in the east, are under war, and poverty, oppression… while now we see, in the west – America – with all of our “wealth”: mental illness, suicide, and now purposefully induced mental disorders – such as transgenderism, and physical mutilation (by our pedophile government rulers), is spiritual death, a living death - if you say otherwise, you are called insane. This entire world is a veil of tears, and nobody will escape this exile of suffering – but it ends (St John of New Valaam, Finland, +1958).
A Holy Father I can’t remember, maybe St Nikolai Velimirovic of Serbia: “children suffering is a type and mystery, in following our Lord Jesus Christ, the only sinless one – they follow His steps, for our sins.”
Unfortunately, in my dissolute living, how many decades did I, acting as a inflection point of demonized energy, poison the world? We are icons (mirrors) created in the Image of God, and what we choose daily, causes blights on the earth – reflecting, resonating the energy of God into the world, or, the devil and his demons. But, since evil has no essence of itself – it is only the misuses of our free will – it is destroyed, and destroys itself over time – when we turn back to God Most High, the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Just as the whole communist system fell overnight, now nihilism, which is cultivated by atheist Europe, is falling with a great and thunderous extent and intensity.” – Met. Neophytos of Cyprus
Let the Saints help – they will – this is experientially true.
St Paisios of Mt. Athos +1994 (Greece)
"Death in wartime is very redeeming... when a man sacrifices himself to protect others, he imitates Jesus Himself. Such men are the greatest heroes."
…
“The warrior takes joy in the fact that he’s dying so that others won’t have to. If you dispose yourself this way then nothing will be frightening. Courage is born from much love, kindness and self-sacrifice. Today people don’t even want to hear about death. However, he doesn’t remember about death is living outside of reality. Those who fear death and love life’s vanities are in a state of spiritual stagnation. Bold people, who always keep death before them and think about it constantly, on the other hand, conquer vanity and begin to live in eternity and heavenly joy while still here on earth.
May he who fights in the war for Faith and Fatherland cross himself and not fear, for God is his helper! God Himself will decide whether he is to die or to live. One needs to trust God, not oneself.”
…
Child-Martyr Gabriel of Zverky (Poland), Kontakion IV:
A storm of agitation besetteh us, O young passion-bearer, when we think upon they cruel death and gaze upon the supernatural miracle made manifest in thee; for though a child in body, by they patience amid suffering thou didst show thyself to be a mature man. Wherefore, pondering in mind the struggle of thy suffering, we chant unto Him Who gave thee strength: Alleluia!
Kontakion XIII:
O innocent Gabriel, martyr of Christ, all-wonderous model of childlike innocense and meekness! Accepting the unworthy hymnody of this little work, be thou for us a fervent advocate before the Lord, that we who are tempest-tossed by throughout our lives by our lives by lack of faith, by anger and hatred of our brethern, may in holy manner abide in faith, patience and love; and having thus passed our whole life, may we be delivered from eternal tormet, and ever chant unto God: Alleluia!
Akathaist from St Paisius Monastery, Safford AZ - (Serbian Patriarchate, sisters originally from St Xenia Skete, under (St) Fr Seraphim Rose).
From “Canon to the Lord for a Sick Child”, Prayer for a Child Suffering Great Pain:
Our thoughts are not Thy thoughts, O Lord, and our ways are not Thy ways. We admit and confess that we cannot see Thy Divine Hand in the suffering of this child. Hep us, we pray Thee, to see that there is a reason for this suffering which transcends our comprehension and understanding. Our thoughts are confused. Our hearts and consumed with sorrow. Our will is lost and weak, and our strength abandons us when we see this innocent creature – caught by the sins of this world and the power of the devil – as a victim of incredible suffering and pain. Have mercy, O Lord, upon this child. We bend our knees in supplication to Thee – have mercy! Do not let this agony continue any further. Do not allow the suffering and pain to increase! We do not know what to pray of Thee. Grant us the grace to just say: May Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Grant us faith, O Lord, for in Thee do we place our trust. Help Thou our unbelief. Be with They child [name] and bear the pain together with him (her). Heal him (her) and save him (her), in accordance with Thy divine economy which Thou didst establish even before the creation of the world. For Thou art our only hope, O our God, and in Thee do we place our trust, in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The Canon is written by (St) Fr Gheorgie Calciu +2006):
Dear Ivanych
Life is what you have left in your body, a body that has stood up to the horrors of constant battles and resisted the great force of evil which landed into your once peaceful existence.
You have sacrificed everything to this darkness imposed on you and your countrymen, you have survived for a reason, a reason you have not realised yet.
As a man from a small town in the west of Ireland, I and my family and friends hold you dear to our hearts, not only as a hero in the world's war against the darkness, but as a human being who has so much more to give not only to his countrymen, but to all the world.
The pen is mightier than the sword Ivanych, now you have time to write your story and put down on record who you are and what you did. We need this record, to pass on to our grandchildren, to study in the classroom.
You became a ferocious warrior, a ferocious warrior that was hidden deep inside your body until the darkness arrived, this warrior must now rest and teach us all the lessons you learned.
Christmas blessings to you and all your comrades in Ukraine and Russia from the people of Ireland, may the road rise up to meet you on your travels.
Дорогой Иваныч,
Я говорю «Дорогой», потому что, хотя мы с тобой никогда не встречались, ты мне «дорог». Пожалуйста, позвольте мне объяснить.
Между нами большое расстояние.
Я был офицером морской пехоты США. Я знаю, что война – это ад. Ад – это отсутствие Бога.
Я не знаю, почему ты страдаешь больше, чем Иов. Это правда, что вы это делаете. Мне хотелось бы, чтобы это было неправдой, но это так.
Горе – это правильная реакция на потерю тех, кого мы любим. Мы не печалимся из-за потери вещей, которые не имеют значения. Нам грустно терять то, что действительно важно. Чем больше важность, тем сильнее чувство утраты. Печаль – это мера нашей потери и ценность того, что мы потеряли.
Я скорблю о тебе. Ни один мужчина не должен отнимать свою семью. Ни один человек не должен проходить через ад, особенно если он не выбирал его. Вы не выбирали ад, в котором сейчас живете. Вы страдаете от ада, который вам был навязан.
Как офицер Корпуса морской пехоты США и изучающий политику США, я знаю, какое оружие США отправили в Украину. Я знаю, какую ненависть США способствовали распространению в Украине. Я знаю, почему ты страдаешь. Вы страдаете, потому что мое правительство напало на ваш дом и напало на вас через Украину. Вы страдаете в аду на земле, потому что правительство, которому я когда-то служил, ненавидит и боится России. Из этой ненависти возникает готовность уничтожить Украину, чтобы навредить России. Так не честно. Хотя это правда. Вы страдаете от проклятия ненависти, которое создает ад.
Моя жена украинка. Мы поженились в Киеве. Она и ее семья родом из южной Украины. Ее дом и мать находятся в Украине. Когда прибыли российские войска, нападения на их дома и церкви прекратились. Моя свекровь получила российский паспорт как можно скорее, потому что в течение многих лет США поддерживали правительство в Украине и превратили ее жизнь в ад.
Мои зять и невестка пытались сбежать из Украины. Они попали в ловушку. Два года мой зять скрывался, потому что не хочет поддерживать ненависть, которую США создавали и взращивали в Украине более 70 лет. Их дом был разбомблен и разрушен. Однако они не обвиняют Россию. Война это ад.
Я прошу у тебя прощения. Хотя мы никогда не встречались, ты мне дорог. Вы боретесь, чтобы победить ненависть и ад, созданный ненавистью. Благодаря вам и всем вашим страданиям есть надежда, что некоторые люди, миллионы людей, смогут познать любовь и мир. Это любовь и мир, которые очень дороги. С каждым днем война продолжается, цена любви и мира возрастает.
Мне невыразимо грустно из-за потерь, которые приходят на войне. Я унижен тобой. Я смирен твоим актом любви даже в горе. Я унижен мужчинами, которые служат с вами. Вы любите своих братьев по оружию своими действиями. Своей жертвой вы даете место любви. Моя страна украла любовь миллионов людей. Моя страна продолжает сеять ненависть и создавать ад по всему миру. Вы противостоите этой ненависти.
Мне жаль, что делать добро так больно. Мне бы хотелось, чтобы это было не так. Мне жаль, что делать добро иногда означает жить и в грязи, и в грязи, и в дождь, и в жару, и под солнцем, и в снегу, и во льду. Мне жаль, что делать добро иногда означает потерять друзей и семью. Мне жаль, что делать добро иногда означает страдать, даже страдать в аду.
Если нам когда-нибудь представится возможность встретиться, я приветствую вас с полным почетом и уважением. Я пожму тебе руку и крепко обниму. И если позволите, поделитесь едой.
Почему? Потому что в тебе – во всех твоих страданиях я вижу лицо Бога. Я вижу любовь и надежду на мир, потому что кто-то — ты, Иваныч и твои братья по оружию, противостояли ненависти, пройдя через ад. У моей семьи есть шанс узнать завтрашний день благодаря тому, что вы делаете сегодня и что вы делали в течение многих лет. Вы сражались с силами ада за дюйм грязи.
Я благодарю Бога за вас и молюсь, чтобы вы смогли обрести исцеление, мир и любовь, которую вы защищаете и которую заслуживаете.
Бог хранит тебя и защищает. И пусть Он укрепит твою руку.
Джеймс
________
Dear Ivanych,
I say "Dear" because though you and I have never met, you are "dear" to me. Please let me explain.
The is a great distance between us.
I am was a US Marine Corps officer. I know war is hell. Hell is the absence of God.
I do not know why you suffer more than Job. It is true that you do. I wish it was not true, but it is.
Grief is the proper response to loss of those we love. We are not sad over loss of things that do not matter. We are sad about losing things that do matter. The greater the importance, the greater the sense of loss. Sadness, is the measure of our loss and the value of what we have lost.
I grieve for you. No man should have his family taken. No man should have to live through hell especially, when he did not choose it. You did not choose the hell you now live in. You suffer the hell that was forced on you.
As a US Marine Corps officer and student of US policy, I know what weapons the US sent to Ukraine. I know what hate the US helped spread in Ukraine. I know why you suffer. You suffer because my government attacked your home and attacked you through Ukraine. You suffer hell on earth because the government I once served hates Russia and fears Russia. From that hate there is a willingness to destroy Ukraine to hurt Russia. It is not fair. It is true though. You suffer the curse of hate, which creates hell.
My wife is Ukrainian. We were married in Kiev. She and her family are from southern Ukraine. Her home and mother are in Ukraine. When Russian troops arrived, attacks on their home and their churches stopped. My mother-in-law got her Russian passport as soon as possible, because for years, the US supported government in Ukraine, made her life hell.
My brother-in-law and sister-in-law tried to escape Ukraine. They got trapped. For two years my brother-in-law has been hiding because he does not want to support the hate the US created and nurtured in Ukraine for over 70 years. Their home was bombed and destroyed. Yet, they do not blame Russia. War is hell.
I beg your forgiveness. Though we have never met you are dear to me. You fight to defeat hate and the hell created by hate. Because of you and all you suffered, there is a hope some people -- millions of people, can know love and peace. It is a love and peace that is very expensive. Every day the war continues, the price of love and peace increases.
I am sad beyond words for the loss that comes in war. I am humbled by you. I am humbled by your act of love even in grief. I am humbled by the men who serve with you. You love your brothers in arms with your actions. You give space for love by your sacrifice. My country stole love from millions of people. My country continues to spread hate and create hell across the globe. You are standing against that hate.
I am sorry that doing good hurts so much. I wish that was not the case. I am sorry doing good sometimes means living in dirt, and in mud, and in rain, and in heat, and under the sun, and in snow, and in ice. I'm sorry doing good sometimes means losing friends and family. I am sorry doing good sometimes means suffering, even suffering in hell.
If we ever have a chance to meet, I will salute you with total honor and respect. I will shake your hand, and give you a firm embrace. And if you let me, share a meal.
Why? Because in you - in all you have suffered, I see the face of God. I see love and the hope of peace because someone - you Ivanych and your brothers in arms, stood against hate by walking through hell. My family has a chance to know tomorrow because of what you do today and what you have done for years. You have fought the forces of hell for inch of dirt.
I thank God for you and pray you can find healing and peace and the love that you are protecting and that you deserve.
God keep you and protect you. And may He strengthen your hand.
James
Ivanych,
I cannot imagine what you have seen or experienced. It is a tragedy beyond measure and beyond what I know. I don't even know how I can talk to you of God because how can a mere man discuss these things and not sound foolish? What I can say is that as much as I know and understand you have been through a hell there, I also know God is there, too. Me saying this is not saying much, I know. But if YOU are certain the Mother of God, the Holy Theotokos, protects you, then without a doubt, God is there too. Have as much faith in this as you are able. May God bless you with more.
Safe travels Ivanych. May God bless and keep you and your comrades, now and forever, and may you come to quiet place where you can rest and be healed of your grievous wounds.
I pray for you and your comrades, for your safety and your health and for you all to find peace.
Another excellent text from Marat. Poetic like Marat's soul always.
And I want to ask Marat, following a post on Telegram, Marat promised to tell how Russia defeated endro in the counteroffensive and I wanted to know if Marat has already published the continuation of that text? Because I'm very curious and for me the text is easier to translate the Russian. Thanks for all the work Marat. Fabulous. Marat is my favorite war reporter. Even though the war is horrible and is causing Russia so much pain. All the best for Marat.
Friend Ivanich,
I'm from southern Europe and have always been friends with Russia. I also don't know if God exists. I don't think anyone knows. Some believe so and others don't. And if it exists, why does it allow wars and destruction? Which are always made by men. From what I have witnessed, it is always men who do good and evil, without God's intervention. That's why I believe above all in men. That there are good men and bad men and the bravest good men have to defeat the bad men like Hitler and now again the Nazis in Ukraine.
I also never understood why Russia allowed the coup d'état in Ukraine in 2014. And above all, why it let Nazi nationalists to atack the Russian population in the Donbass and the south. I think we have a very big problem in Europe since WWII. Since Russia after defeating Hitler allowed the US to stay in Europe. Russia should have taken over all of Nazi Germany and dictated the rules. Namely the total disarmament of Nazi Germany, which caused so much deaths to the USSR. And thank the US for their help during WWII and tell them to go back to America. And the English to their island.
I think that without the US and NATO in Europe we could all be happier in Europe. The US Govts spent the last 75 years, after WWII, robbing the entire world. Normally it's oil from around the world. And the coup in Ukraine was once again to try to steal Russia's natural resources and separate the EU from Russia to take the EU economy hostage. Now the US is the one who sells much more expensive gas to Europe. This is why the US overthrew the Ukrainian Govt and gave power to Nazi nationalists to mistreat the Russian population of Ukraine to provoke Russia into war and try to overthrow Putin. To choose another puppet President to rob Russia again like in the 90s. Just like they robbed Ukraine since independence, when it was also a very rich country. And I don't understand why Russia let the war start in Donbass in 2015. I am very sorry for everything that happened to Donbass, to Ivanich, to his family and friends. I think Putin and Russia should have defended the Russian population in Ukraine in 2015.
But as I said, it is always men who make the decisions and we also often do not know all the reasons behind the decisions on which the lives of people like the Russian population in Donbass depend. But we can only live in the present. No matter how good or bad the past was, we have to live in the present. And I wish that friend Ivanich can live in the present without the pain he experienced in the past. Which must be very difficult, but Ivanich is also very brave to fight in the war and I believe he will be able to overcome the pain he experienced over time. They say time heals everything. I would also like to thank Ivanich for all the courage with which he defended Donbass, his family and the Russian population of Donbass. With many men like Ivanich the world didn't need God. I wish the best to Ivanich, who I already know is a good and very courageous man. And I hope that Ivanich can return to live in Donbas in peace after the war. A simple and peaceful life like all men should live. We have to take it easy and let time heal the pain.
Dear Ivanych
It is no use to pretend to identify with a man that knows the horrors of war, for years, as you do.
Ivanych's bitterness of soul has been caused by his experience in war, it seems. Bitterness of soul from other causes is not alien to this subscriber though. That is a (partial) shared knowledge.
Concerning your quarrel with God, just a few thoughts.
~ Most people appeal to God or reproach God only when in deep trouble; otherwise they want to ignore Him or deny even his existence for the length of their whole lives.
~ Murders, thefts, adulteries, paedophilia, wars, revolutions, slanders, lies, envies, covetousness are all produced by man against man. There is nothing from God in any such human activity. It is all born within man against man (by put in there by the chief fiend, satan)
~ There was a man that went through the horrors of hanging and dying on a cross - for your sake and mine, to give us the chance to be reconciled to our Maker, so that there will be a time: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away"
~ When man decided that he did not want God to rule over him, God left man to his own devices, to this very day: even when God wants to intervene in the affairs of man for good, man answers thus: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" We are not made as robots; we are made to be responsible for our actions and choices... and to suffer the consequences.
~ Regarding the remark above, the judgment of man for all of man's wickedness is faulty or never done. But the Day of God's judgment will be unavoidable, complete, just and unappealable. Even a life of bitterness comes to an end; shall we allow God to eventually wipe away our tears, for ever?
~ There are some fundamental questions of life that are not answered in this life, even in the Bible. We need to accept that we are finite and will have to wait for the day when: "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known"
Dear Ivanych, there are many people that go through life in bitterness of soul, but there is a hope: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls..." Jesus Christ invites all.
Dear Ivanych,
I heard about you from reading Marat Khairullin. I understand that you have fought bravely defending the Donbass for 9 years, having lost your home and your family. You seem incredibly strong and brave to me. I am a 69-year-old woman, a farmer, just trying to understand the unspeakable evil that my government has unleashed upon you and your people. I believe that your Bogoraditsa has protected you through all the danger. She gave you strength to bear this grief, the horror of this war, and that you must survive and live on to bear witness to your people about what all of you brave men have been through to protect them and the land. I pray that She will continue to protect and guide you, and bring you to a sense of peace.
Kiana
I counsel patience, then more patience, and then more of it. “All good things come to them that wait upon The Lord.” Non-Biblical saying based on the language of Isaiah 40:31, James 5:7-11, and Lamentations 3:25. "Do your duty and leave the rest to God.” Paraphrase of Cadet T. J. Jackson.
The Almighty knows how to bring you happiness you know not of and would be grateful to have rather than to reproach yourself without end for having whistled past it in a rush to avenge or self-authenticate.
In our calculations, we are middle-aged or old-aged. In God’s calculations, we are babes-in-arms. Young or old, happy or unhappy, that is how He dresses Himself for our ultimate benefit. Time is always on our side when we are patient. So many things are going on of which we cannot be aware, but He is, and He loves us for our happiness, even the stinkers.