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In this video, Mother Siluana offers heartfelt guidance to a young person grieving the loss of his mother. She speaks about transforming sorrow into love, the power of prayer, and whether monasticism is the right path.
Mother Siluana Vlad has reposed in the Lord on Tuesday, June 8th, 2021. Her ministry in the Romanian Orthodox Church is impressive. She was the abbess of the Convent of St. Silouan in Iasi, coordinator of the Training and Counseling Center “The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel” and through her many conferences she created a bridge between the young generation and the Church.
Video source: doxologia.ro Live stream 28.05.2020 https://youtu.be/L-UIx839bxA
Mother Siluana
Three years ago, my mother passed away, and I cannot find peace. I am 17 years old. Is monasticism a good solution?
My beloved child, losing your mother at 14 is a heavy sorrow, and it is natural that you have not yet found peace. Transform this unrest into love. Right now, your love for your mother is expressed as pain and restlessness—this is how love manifests at this moment. So, use everything you feel now as love.
Pray for her. Attend the Divine Liturgy and memorial services. Read the Akathist for the Departed. Visit her grave, speak to her, and ask her for forgiveness for anything in which you may have wronged her. Thank her for everything she has done for you, and keep her alive in your memory.
By doing this, and by drawing closer to God, your soul will find healing, for the Lord will reveal to you that your life is not solely defined by being your mother’s child. You are more than that—you are a child of God, a child of your father. You are more than that…
Take care of this “something more” within you. Monasticism may be a path, but not simply because your mother has passed away. If it is your calling, it should be because you desire to unite yourself with Christ and live as a bride in the embrace of the Heavenly Bridegroom. That is the difference.
Visit a monastery during your vacations. See what life is like there. I’d be glad if you joined these black-clad people, but I’d also rejoice if you chose marriage.
Be blessed, my child! May God grant rest to your mother. And yes, you are allowed to weep—weep whenever you miss her.
