Alexander Yelchaninov's spiritual perspective on priesthood and human suffering

¶ … Diary of a Russian Priest

Fragments of a Diary

Elchaninov says that being a priest allowed him a type of vocal ability that he had never known within the secular world. This is just one way that the church and the teachings of the church have inspired him and expanded his life. God will have more understanding for the frailties of human beings than people ever could have for one another. Few people truly understand this because they are too focused on their individual unhappiness and the unpleasant aspects of their own lives. Those who complain about bad things that happened to them do not realize that each of these events was allowed to happen, not because there is no God and not because God does not care, but because God cares so much. Each experience teaches people about life; experienced teaches far more than a simple lesson ever could. Sickness for example is when a lot of people feel sad and question God and beg for help. However, sickness makes us appreciate when we are well and also makes it so that we can better empathize with others when they are ill. People who look at the negative parts of their life not only fail to learn, but also are seeing things in a very short-handed way because they do not realize that the suffering is only further preparing the person for the afterlife and eternal salvation, tranquility and peace in Heaven. Being a priest has allowed Yelchaninov many experiences which he could not have had if he had chosen any other vocation. He has cried with people who are mourning and listens to confessions in order to give people absolution for which they are very grateful. Nothing that a person does is so evil that it cannot be forgiven provided that they atone for their sins because God is all-forgiving.

Advice to Young Priests

The job of the priest is to instill faith and encourage each person to find God within their individual life. There is a concern that most people in the modern period do not have time for religion or, if they do, they do not consider it to be a priority in their lives. These people seem to outnumber those who are devoted to their religion. He sees that many people of that period had too much pride in themselves and their abilities as opposed to seeing them as gifts. He also saw that people were too concerned about their current life and that they were not enough concerned about the consequences of sin. All these things had to be understood by young priests because it would be very easy to become frustrated with all these things and to become despondent, believing that their serving of God was too difficult a task in a world which was unwilling to behave as Christians. The priest must not give in to his own negative views of sinners, but must try to keep in mind the attitudes of Jesus Christ and of the almighty God. A priest must always present a positive image, one that is filled with hope both for living people to behave as Christians and a hope that lost souls will find their way back to Christianity. Priests must help these lost souls return to the flock and must do their utmost to prevent people from giving in to their desires for sin and venial pleasure. Sometimes this job might seem insurmountable, but it is not. They have the strength of God to help them fight against sin and they must be devoted and determined.

The Devil's Stronghold

Pride is one of the greatest dangers to a person's soul. If a person is prideful, then he will be unable to see himself in error and will continue on a path of wrong and of sin. It is therefore pride that Elchaninov refers to as the devil's stronghold. Pridefulness is one of the most difficult characteristics of a person to change as they will be incapable of seeing their actions, behaviors, choices, or even words as being somehow in error. It will be impossible to be forgiven for a sin if a person does not believe that they have committed one. In addition to this stubbornness, a prideful person will not be able to look outside the self. He or she will not be able to help other people and to do Christian acts of charity or good work because they will not see other people as being deserving of their help. If a man or woman views themselves as being above their fellow human beings, then they will not be inclined to deign to provide them aid when it is needed. This self-absorption or self-entrancement as Elchaninov describes it, will make the person incapable of looking for things or performing acts which will not contribute directly to their own happiness. They become more and more insulated and more selfish.