Obedience

Once there served a young sexton in a church. He was zealous in obedience and tried to get blessing for everything. One day, the dean charged him with bell-ringing before the service. The sexton immediately asked for blessing and went to the bell tower. A few minutes later the dean noticed that he had given the sexton the keys not to a big old lock, hanging on the door of the belfry, but to his new "Toyota".

He expected the careless novice to come back, but the church bell started ringing followed by change-ringing.

When the bell-ringer returned, they checked the keys. They were to the foreign car. The door to the bell tower was locked.

Later, the curious made several attempts to unlock the bell-tower with the keys to the dean’s car, but in vain. Probably they did not ask for blessing...

Read also

New martyrs of the 20th century: Hieromartyr Damaskin of Hlukhiv

Bishop Damaskin (Tsedrik) of Hlukhiv was executed by firing squad in 1937. During his life, he was in opposition to Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), yet he was canonized by the Church.

The OCU Project and the Union of Brest: What has been is what will be again

The OCU project – the involvement of the state, motives, and methods strongly resemble the Union of Brest of 1596. Its outcomes might also be similar. What could they be?

Why Kyiv Caves Lavra is called that and why we can't abandon this sanctity

Prayer vigils for the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra continue. What sanctuary do we want to preserve? What is its history? Which saints rest there?

New Martyrs of the 20th century: Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev

This man's life is a living testimony of Christ in situations where many would prefer to keep silent not to break the established order. His death is a worthy crown of such a life.

New Martyrs of the XX century: How it began and what it led to

The UOJ begins a series of publications on the New Martyrs of the 20th century. Given today's persecutions against the Church, their example is needed more than ever.

Expulsion of the Church from the Lavra: Striking Parallels with XX Century

There was once a military rehabilitation center in the Lavra. The persecution of the Lavra in XXI century mirrors the tragic history of the beginning of XX century.