By: Natalia Arzhantseva

Natalia Arzhantseva — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:35:19 +0000

Father, sorry, maybe I deviate from the topic a bit, but I’d like say that there are not many churches where the services are for donations. In most cases there is a “price list” for all the services. I don’t know whether it is correct or not, but when I think of people with very low income, ir makes me sad. I know churches live on donations, and of course we all should give our contributions into the life of our parishes, and parishioners, I am sure, do their utmost. But this should be on a voluntary basis, tha’s what I think. Especially what concerns such semons as pannikhidas. We all know how necessary it is to order pannikhidas for our reposed beloved ones, and for all people we know. This is our moral obligation, and we feel that we should do this, our soul requires this. But the prices are quite high, as it seems to me, to do it regularly for some people. Of course, if a person asks for a “discount”, in many cases, I suppose, they will not be rejected, but this is humiliating, and a person must overcome a certain moral barrier to ask for it. And those who are used to give feel difficulties when it comes to the moment when they are to ask for something. I am glad when I see churches, monasteries, when everything – commemorating notes, services are for donations. Maybe if I belonged to the clergy, I’d thought differently, but laymen living in a secular world does not mean that people are necessarily rolling in luxury & idleness. Those who try to live in Christ often experience problems, including financial ones. And both church & laymen should be more attentive to each other, using more often the pronoun “we”. I mean here of course the churches in Russia, as I am unaware of the situation in the ROCOR around the globe.

Comments on: Freely ye have received, freely give. A fundamental principal of priestly ministry

By: Natalia Arzhantseva