St. Symeon NT: To Those Who Say There Are No More Elders

[Kollyvas]

"But the men of whom I speak and whom I call heretics are
those who say that there is no one in our times and in
our midst who is able to keep the Gospel commandments and
become like the holy Fathers. That is to say, they should
believe and practice, for faith is shown by deeds (cf. Jas.
2:1, just as the features of the face in a mirror. Further,
that they may be both great contemplatives and see God, by
the illumination and reception of the Holy Ghost, through
whom the Son is perceived together with the Father. Now
those who say that this is impossible have not fallen into
one particular heresy, but rather into all of them, if I
may say so, since this one surpasses them all in impiety
and abundance of blasphemy. He who makes this claim subverts
all the divine Scriptures. I think (that by making this
claim) this vain person states that the Holy Gospel is now
recited in vain, that the writings of Basil the Great and
of our other priests and holy fathers are irrelevant or have
even been frivolously written. If, then, it is impossible
for us to carry out in action and observe without fail all
the things that God says, and all the saints after first
practicing them have left in writing for our instruction
(cf. 1 Cor 10:11), why did they at that time trouble to write
them down and why do we read them in church? Those who make
these claims shut up the heaven that Christ opened for us,
and cut off the way to it that He inaugurated for us (cf.
Heb. 10:19f.). God who is above all (Rom. 9:5) stands, as it
were, at the gate of heaven and peers out of it so that the
faithful see Him, and through His Holy Gospel cries out and
says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest" (Mt. 11:2. But these opponents of God
or, rather, antichrists say, "It is impossible, impossible!""
(St. Symeon the New Theologian, op.cit., p.312 [From XXIX #4]).

[IXOYE]

Are there many Old Calendar elders?

[Kollyvas]

Evlogeite.
Yes. Elder Naum of Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra comes right to mind: he knows a person's name and life story without introduction. There are at least two other Elders at the Lavra. There's Elder Raphael at Valaam. At Pskovo-Pechersk, there is a continuing tradition of Eldership straight from Valaam, the newly reposed Elder John (Krestiankin) was representative of it. . In Optina, there are Elders once more. Indeed, all throughout the Russian lands, there are many Elders and Eldresses. Of course, Mt. Athos and Mt. Sinai have their share of Elders. Then there's the Orthodox lands of Serbia and Georgia. If you are asking about Elders amongst resisters, you must remember that the Old Calendar movement was inspired and nurtured by Elders primarily from Mt. Athos.
In the LOVE of Christ,
Rostislav

[IXOYE]

Thank you!

[Kollyvas]

Evlogeite.
As an aside, if one were ever so blessed to live in or visit Great Britain, the monastic community of St. John the Baptist in Essex is under the direct spiritual care of an Elder directly in succession from Elder Sophrony (Sakharov). It is a bonafide hesychasterion and a spiritual fortress, and it's in English!

http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Patriarchal ... he_Baptist
(Essex,_England)

In the LOVE of Christ,
Rostislav