Another Summer Melts into Fall on St. John's Mountain

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.

-Ecclesiastes 3:1

    Another summer has gone by...

...and only now that fall has come do we have the time to stop for a moment and reflect on the passing of the seasons.

Basing the monastery’s economy on our herbal business has made us even more aware of how much we depend on God for our life. It’s up to Him how much of each plant will grow each year, whether we will have the means to harvest it, and all the other logistics that come in between that harvest, selling, and making the profits that keep our little monastery going. 

In the full bloom of May when everything seemed to be going so well, we had quite the little lesson. We were coming back to the monastery from a profitable bazaar in Novi Sad, when our car burnt up with all of our profits, groceries, and materials for more products inside. It was a truly humbling reminder of the parable of the foolish rich man (Luke 12:16-21). Just when we think we are doing well materially, we have fallen behind spiritually. 

If all things forsake you or be taken violently away from you; money, possessions, thrones, distinctions, and everything that belongs to this early turmoil, yet you will be able to lay down your life in safety, having suffered no loss of the helps which God gave you unto salvation.

-St Gregory of Nazianzus, “On Holy Baptism” Oration 40:14-15

It was humbling to be reminded of what is truly needful, but the Lord also provides quickly for the continuation of our life in the desert, which has been given to us for our salvation.  Thanks to the help of God-loving friends, we were relatively quickly able to replace the burnt vehicle with a different one that provides for the monastery's needs even better than its predecessor. 

 Medicinal plants flourished this year, although it was a somewhat poorer year for the rare and very medicinal Ivan Chai (Fireweed tea), which seems to flourish best in droughts and other poor conditions for other plants. Let the reader draw the spiritual interpretation for that for himself. Different fruits in different seasons, and we humbly accept what we are offered, with thanks.

For help in harvesting our wild plants we had those from all generations – from those of our parent’s generation, to those who had come to the monastery as children, now bringing young children of their own.

Interest in the monastic life motivated us to renovate the upper guest room into three separate cells to provide lodgings more amenable to a potential monastic's prayer life. 

Beginning of the work on the big guest room

One of  the new cells 

 As the growing season wound down and we turned our attention to preparations for winter, we were also able to construct a much-needed wood shed. It will be a relief to finally have a normal place to keep our wood after decades of digging through the snow for it and wrestling with plastic tarp covers which would always rip and come off in our famous “Mikuljac” wind. 

The new wood shed conveniently located facing the main monastery house

Cutting and stacking all the wood for the winter is an enormous job and only a few heroic believers came to tackle the task.

One of them injured himself pretty badly in the process; and indeed, things were looking hopeless, when all of the sudden a large group of 4x4 drivers came unannounced to the monastery and pitched in. Within only a few hours, almost all of the wood had been stacked away! We firmly believe that it was the pure intention of our few friends that was so pleasing to God that He sent more help from a totally unexpected source.

 God provides. What sacrifice of praise can we offer up in return?

 

Through all of the practical challenges that go along with our life in the wilderness, we must never forget the point of it all, to weather the storms within and without.

Let no one believe that he possesses any happiness or true joy in this world. Happiness can be prepared for, but it can-not be possessed here. Two times succeed each other in their own order, a time to weep, and a time to laugh. Let no one deceive himself, brethren; there is no time to laugh in this world. I know, indeed, that everyone wants to rejoice, but people do not all look for joy in the place where it should be sought. True joy never did exist in this world, it does not do so now, and it never will. For thus the Lord himself warned his disciples in the Gospel when he said: You will suffer in the world, and again, While the world rejoices, you will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned into joy. For this reason, with the Lord’s help let us do good in this life through labor and sorrow, so that in the future life we may be able to gather the fruits of our good deeds with joy and exultation according to that sentence: Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

-St. Ceasarius of Arles