News and Events - April 2017
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NEWS AND EVENTS - Tuesday, April 11, 2017

A NEW MONK AT ST. SAVA MONASTERY IN LIBERTYVILLE

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On the Eve of the Annunciation 2017 the first Serbian Monastery on the American continent received a new monastic.

Ratko Tesanovic, third year student at the St. Sava School of Theology, received the Holy Mystery of the monastic tonsure by the hand of His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gracanica and Midwest America. With this his long time desire was fulfilled of dedicating his entire life entirely  to God through the monastic service. "This is a great event, a true joy and truly a Glad tidings for both this Diocese of New Gracanica and Midwest America and this monastery," said Bishop Longin.

The monk Nektarije was born in Srem of pious Serbian parents Predrag and Ranka, with whose blessing he completed the Karlovci Seminary and now became an Orthodox monk. The monastery church was filled with faithful laity, students of the St. Sava School of Theology, monastics and clergy to prayerfully support the new warrior of Christ and to share in the joy of the feast.

Greeting the new brother, Bishop, among other things, said: "Tonight, dear brothers and sisters, our holy Church received another monk, who completely out of his freewill and freewillingly said Yes to the Lord, received the Life-giving Cross and the saving Gospel, renouncing himself of all things transient and subject to decay. This is a great gift of God and joy for the people, especially St. Nektarios of Aegina who, this evening, received a spiritual son. That you worthily bear that name until the end of your life, until your last breath," said the bishop and reminded him that monastism is seen as a podvig and not a careeer: "It should be stated that one does not become a monk nor does one go to a monastery  that one live and work there and  eat - but to be saved! If one has received the monastic tonsure being led by some other motives, and not for the salvation of their soul, he will always blame others for their problems and they will be not be content. The monastery walls by themselves do not save but prayers to God, keeping the monastic vow and a correct relationshiop with others. The essence is in obedience! The podvig of obedience is the foundation which in itself, as spiritual fruit, has in it all the other vows."

"May the Most Holy Theotokos, the first Nun after the first Monk Christ, be a constant protection and firm rock and safeguard. May you always have in your mind - that it comfort you - Her words told to the founder of the Athonite monks St. Petar and St. Athanasius of Athos - "I am your doctor and I care for you as well as these words: I am you econom, I care for your life needs, and from the monk I only ask one thing: that they keep their monastic vows! Our prayerful wishes are that the St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville, that most significant spiritual and national hearth of Serbs here, through the prayers of St. Bishop Nikolaj and St. Mardarije, see its entire renovation that it might give a reply to its task and fulfill it salvific mission," said Bishop Longin.

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