One day, an 80-year-old woman came to confession. This was her first confession, and probably her last, because she soon died. I noticed how straight her posture is, how straight she holds her head.
She repented of some sins and suddenly said: “But I do not observe fasts and will not keep them.” It was said with such tone that I knew she wanted me to ask “Why?” And I asked. She replied, “I survived the siege of Leningrad.” I paused, thought, and said, “Yes, you can do that.” No one will judge you.”
Everyone’s different. Everyone has different fates. Everyone has their own unique relationship with God. For this woman, God Himself blessed as a child to create the feat of such extreme abstinence, next to which all my posts are simply ridiculous.
Archpriest Fedor Borodin
Holy Land Charitable Foundation
Investment in the Soul!
Orthodox stories from life
