Hierodeacon Daniel (Sikoev) shares a real life story that illustrates the The Parable of the Prodigal SonThe parable of the Prodigal Son is inexhaustible. It contains such a multitude of themes, that it is difficult to enumerate them. Each man, who delves into it with reverence, finds the answer for himself to questions about his own spiritual condition.
“>Parable of the Prodigal Son in the modern context and demonstrates work of Divine Providence for every person.
Hierodeacon Daniel (Sikoyev)
Last summer, our parishioner Seryozha1 and I attended the opening ceremony of the New Chersonesus: Museum of Crimea and NovorossiyaThe museum-church complex “New Chersonese” represents an entirely new level of organization for historical, museum, educational, leisure, and cultural spaces not only in Russia but also worldwide.
“>New Chersoneses Museum and Church Complex in the Crimea. Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov)Tikhon (Shevkunov), Metropolitan”>Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Simferopol and the Crimea consecrated St. Vladimir’s Cathedral there, which was followed by very interesting celebrations. It gave Seryozha and me great joy. And he finally saw the sea, which he had not seen for a very long time. We stayed there for a few days, but we had to return to Moscow. There were no tickets, and we could not travel back any other way. Providentially, we ended up in the village of Foros on the southern coast of the Crimea just when a meeting of the clergy of the Yalta Deanery was taking place there, headed by Vladyka Tikhon. And I realized that we needed to ask his help with this problem. We were standing and waiting. Vladyka came in and saw our Seryozha in a wheelchair:
“Oh, Seryozha! Here he is!”
We explained the problem to him, and with God’s help, we were assisted with the train tickets.
At last, we boarded the train and set off. A man joined us at Rossosh in the Voronezh region. When he entered our compartment and cast a glance at me, Seryozha, and the monastery laborer Pasha,2 he said immediately:
“Hello. I am a non-believer.”
The man showed his position right away. But why should we care? A man came in, and we greeted him properly. He was a military man who served in the SMO. It was time for dinner, so we had a meal together and treated him to something. He climbed to the upper berth, and we did not talk much that evening. When the train stopped at the stations, he would go out for a smoke and stare at us intently.
When we woke up the next day, I went to the dining car where we could get porridge for Seryozha. I took some porridge for all of us and returned. I have noticed that people are sometimes not used to a simple, sensitive human attitude. They become suspicious—if you do good to them, a “sensor” is actuated in them. “Something’s not right here—I will be asked for something in return.” People feel danger. Maybe it is because they are not treated like this in their lives. We took care of our traveling companion as best we could. And he softened and began to tell us about himself.
He was wounded several times in a knocked-out tank. He talked about his life and remembered his family. We explained to him what his name means in Hebrew and I told him what my monastic name means. On this wave, he became interested and began to listen. We told him that someone must be praying hard for him, and he said:
“Listen, my wife goes to churches, although she is not yet baptized.”
Seryozha
She went to churches and prayed for him when he was at the SMO. I looked at this man’s face during our conversation. And he started to change before our very eyes: I saw his cheekbones begin to weaken from the strain, and a simple smile appeared on his face. Something that he had never experienced before was happening to him, or something that had been sleeping for a very long time was awakening in him. A lively twinkle appeared in his eyes. He shared his impressions:
“I went out for a smoke and saw a black, bearded ‘mountain’ moving towards me. I thought: ‘Who are these people?…’”
He disembarked before Moscow—it was a long stop. We also went out to buy ice cream for Seryozha. Can you imagine? This man didn’t want to leave! He looked like someone who was experiencing a separation. I noticed that tears were welling up in his eyes. And watching this situation from the side, I realized that, apparently the Lord had touched his heart. And, of course, that made us glad. I told him:
“Know that we are all at the Moscow Sretensky Monastery. If you need something, come over.”
We didn’t even exchange phone numbers, just embraced:
“May God keep you!”
Several weeks passed. It was an ordinary monastic day—we were assigned our obediences. I remember being at Igumen Cyprian (Parts)Cyprian (Parts), Igumen
“>Igumen Cyprian’s in the Holy BreadOf course I prayed, and asked Great Martyr Barbara, because it was the eve of her commemoration. And the prosphora turned out fine! Sunday, at the Liturgy, Father Superior sees the prosphora and they are normal service prosphora… “Fr. Cyprian, whose prosphora are these?” “Ours, Batiushka.” “What happened to you?” “Batiushka, it’s God’s mercy.””>prosphora bakery. Suddenly the telephone rang when my hands were covered with flour. One call, then another… Someone was trying to reach me on the phone. It turned out that our guard was calling from the monastery territory. Fr. Cyprian blessed me to answer the phone. I answered and heard the following:
“Father Daniel, good afternoon! There are people here who want to see you. A man in military uniform with his wife.”
I immediately guessed who he was describing. It was that man, our former traveling companion! He had come to Sretensky Monastery with his wife. How did it happen? He was in Moscow on business, and while passing the Sretensky Boulevard metro station, he heard it being announced and said to his wife:
“We have to get off here, right now!”
They jumped out of the train car. As he himself said, they walked out “into nowhere”, went upstairs and started asking passers-by where the Sretensky Monastery was. They were shown the way and eventually found us. Then he asked the guard to call me, and I went out. We headed for the cafe. But before that I had stopped by my cell to take some presents for him. I found a flashlight for him and also took a Gospel and something else. He was really disappointed that he couldn’t give me anything in return. While we were sitting at the cafe, he held my hand all the time. We had a cordial chat.
A couple of days later, he came again—this time with a present. He gave me something that was dear to him: a book about a samurai. He said that that book had encouraged him in the trenches. And on his second visit he confessed that he was actually baptized. He got baptized on his own initiative when the Chechen War had broken out. On hearing about it, his wife was both pleased and surprised at the same time. The most important thing is that he came, found our monastery, and was very frank with us. His heart gradually began to thaw. I introduced him to Fr. Cyprian. And the next time he came to our monastery, he said:
“I’m ready. I want to confess. I’ve finally made up my mind. A new path has opened up for me. I am grateful to God that I am alive.”
He decided for himself that he was an Orthodox Christian. Faith is needed, a living contact with God, even though it is small. And then the Lord will begin to help you. You need to take at least some steps towards God—and the Lord will rush to meet you, like the loving father from the Parable of the Prodigal Son. And now this man is back. Yes, the Lord arranged such circumstances that, with Vladyka Tikhon’s blessing, we traveled in that compartment together. There was Divine Providence in this. Though we just talked and didn’t aim to bring him to the Church. And something that had been sleeping for a very long time awakened in him. Afterwards he confessed, spoke with Fr. Cyprian for a long time, and happily went to his place of service. Later I heard that he had already begun visiting churches. Glory to God for everything!
Source: Orthodox Christianity
