I, being a great admirer of the works of St Ignati Braichaninov, is happy to hear from you this comparison of motastic & family life similiarity in this major aspect..St Ignati said in one of his letters that the Law of God – is a thread using which we get out of the obscure labyrinth of this life onto the blessed Eternity…I feel the means of this escape, the core values, are the same for all Christians. We often may fall into a great mistake- looking for inconceivable deeds, and it seems to us that we can achieve high virtures, without having done elementary things…which, in reality, are great things, difficult to achieve. They are difficult often because they should be permanent (as you said once), they require not one act, though heroic, but constant self-observation, self-restrain, preference of others to ourselves…many imperceptible things – imperceptible to others but evident to God. Monastecism & family actually are of this kind, they are deeds, as they require daily self-renunciation, and the ways we may save our soul, the tools to it. They also presuppose great responsibility towards other people, our neighbours, those who depend on us. Basic values are everywhere, in each mode of life, and in each of them we may either guard & grow them, or lose totally…if we run after “exterior”, forgetting the internal meaning.

Bless,

Natalia