Rule of Life

An internal rule was established at the convent which the sisters aim to keep.

The Lord called and the sisters came to the convent in order to see and realize their sins, repent for them, to learn how to love God and neighbor. Having left home and relatives of the flesh, all material valuables and worldly distinctions – in a word, everything which distinguished them in the world ad fed their self love, giving themselves wholly to the will of God, the sisters were vested in holy apparel of monastic repentance. Each sister must understand and always remember that her clothing is not a sign of special respect and a reason for standing on a pedestal before other sisters, but rather the humble rags of Christ, which give no rights but rather many obligations. A sister must feel her responsibility before the Holy Church which clothed her in the wedding garment of the Brides of Christ.

The convent named in honor of the Holy New Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth is a cenobitic convent, because all the valuables of the convent are the property of the Church and belong not to individual sisters, but the entire community of the convent. Each sister bears her own obedience, designated by the Mother Superior with the blessing of the spiritual father. Obedience is required of all sisters without exception and must be fulfilled with effort.

The life of monastic sisters is the life of obedience. Obedience is a bloodless sacrifice: at the altar of God a sister brings the sacrifice of her sinful “self”. The obedience is built on the foundation of trust between the sister, Mother Superior and spiritual father. Not outward strict discipline but internal striving to fulfill God’s will in everything moves the novice to obedience. Eradicating one’s own will and struggling with internal sinful protest and despair, a new person is born in the world – one obedient to Christ, a nun. Acquiring obedience (which is given by constant internal struggle), a sister receives true freedom to live with God and to see God in her neighbor. Without obedience a sister cannot pray purely, for God is opposed to the proud and only the humble receive the grace of prayer. (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5) Without obedience a sister cannot live in a convent, she will not have enough strength in her struggle with sin and the enemy will find a way to chase her out of the convent, instilling in her mistrust of the sisters and her spiritual father. Breaking her obedience, the sister resists the will of God and stands on the path of fighting against God.

The sisters piously believe that their convent is the place designated to them by the Lord for their salvation. God is Love, and therefore, desiring to love God, monastics strive in all things to live according to the will of God. Precisely for this reason, God brought the sisters together and created the monastery – a holy family of sister-nuns.

Humbling themselves before one another, supporting those who are near, every sister tries to keep an atmosphere of love and mutual trust at the convent. All disputes and misunderstandings are resolved together with the participation of the spiritual father and Mother Superior. Not human wisdom, but humble, common and penitential prayer helps sisters to walk together towards God.

Condemnations, favoritism, flattery and people-pleasing are inadmissible at the convent. Speaking ill of a sister in her absence is categorically forbidden. All must strive to openness and decency in relation to one another. Without this, no spiritual growth is possible and the convent will collapse into individual personalities, standing in opposition to one another, struggling against one another for supremacy, aggressively forcing ones will upon the other. Only by learning to love the sisters who are nearby can a sister love all people in need of help. Love is the greatest gift of God in this world and only those who constantly guard their hearts and humble themselves before their neighbors and make daily efforts in the struggle with sin can taste of that Heavenly Gift.

The Holy Orthodox Church, through the Mysteries, strengthens the sisters in their service of God and neighbor. Therefore, daily services, prayers in church and in their cells, frequent confession and Holy Communion are required of sisters in their monastic life. Without special blessing, only due to reasons of her obedience or sickness may a sister take a leave from prayers in church or her cell. Every sister has her cell rule which is increased or decreased only with the blessing of her spiritual father. The rule corresponds with the sister’s rank: novice, enochess, nun.

A careful attitude towards church and individual property, simplicity and humility distinguish monastics in their daily lives.

A church is a holy place and here sisters try to keep the most pious conduct. Discussions, walking around, fussiness are impermissible in church. Sisters have a zealous attitude towards the church services (fixed by regulations) and value their time spent in church.

The reading of literature about the holy fathers brings great spiritual benefit to the sisters. For this purpose a library was organized in the convent. Sisters devote their free time to the reading of the holy fathers and pious ascetics. Preferably, books are read with the blessing of the spiritual father. If only a page, something must be read daily by the sisters.

For her spiritual development, a sister must carefully monitor her internal world and regularly reveal her thoughts to the spiritual father. For this reason, it is proposed that monastic sisters keep a spiritual journal in which all movements of the soul are reflected. Not to hide sin within oneself, not to justify oneself in one’s sickness, but to wage a merciless war with sin within oneself and to unroot sinful habits and vices, acquired in worldly life, and to prepare in one’s soul a place for God and His Holy Gifts – this is the aim of every sister. A sister must remember that her sin becomes everybody’s sin and destroys everything which is being built with such labor by common effort and prayer. The responsibility for the life of the convent moves a sister to being careful and reasonable in her words, thoughts and glances, in relations with others and especially with the opposite sex. Humility and chastity distinguish monastic sisters.

A sister, coming to the convent, not only struggles with sin living inside her, but also tries to pray and serve others in her obedience.

For their holy obedience to the Church, sisters are given graceful strength to help others in knowing God. Through a sister, the Lord consoles the sick and laboring and in the despairing instills hope of salvation. By her Christian love, a sister warms the hearts of people sick and tormented by sin. By visiting the sick, sister-nuns emulate the Holy New Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth, whose name the convent bears.

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