Way Of The Orthodox

The Prophetic Gift in the Last Times, Schema-Archimandrite

Lavrenty of the Chernigov-Trinity Convent

The prophetic gift of clairvoyance, which distinguished so many saints

and ascetics in ages past, is rarely manifest today. Nevertheless, even in
this age of impoverished faith there are those who have been found
worthy of the prophet's mantle. Such as Schema-Archimandrite Lavrenty
(Laurence) of the Chernigov-Trinity Convent.

With his illumining gift of clairvoyance, he proved a sure guide for

hundreds of monastics and laity struggling to find their way through the
manifest entanglements of these last and difficult times.

[IMAGE]Schema-Archimandrite Lavrenty, in the world Luke Evseevich

Proskura, was born in 1868 in the region of Chernigov. His parents were
simple peasants. Of their seven children, Luke was among the youngest.
He had a difficult childhood; his mother was often bed-ridden and, after
his father died, the boy had to manage both a man's and a woman's
chores.

Luke was a good student. He was especially gifted in music; he sang and
played the violin. Children at that time were taught to sing in church, and
here Luke found his element. He quickly learned not only the notes but
also the structure of the services and soon grasped the intricacies of the
typicon. He was only fourteen when he became a choir director. It was a
talent which he continued to exercise for the rest of his life.

He was still young when he felt drawn to the monastic life, and he
inspired a number of his friends with the same desire. Respecting his
mother's wish, he waited until she died before entering a monastery. At
the age of 23 he was numbered among the brethren of the Rikhla
Monastery, where he fulfilled his obedience as choir director. His
outstanding musical capabilities brought him to the attention of
Archbishop Anthony, who requested his transfer to the Chernigov-Trinity
Monastery. The archbishop not only appreciated Luke's talent; he also
foresaw that the young monk would become a great man of prayer. The
abbot and brethren were jealous: "What is this. Luke, always Luke. As if
there's no one else." "This is not an ordinary Luke," replied the bishop,
"but one whose counsel will be in demand.'' This indeed came to pass.

There in the Trinity Monastery he was tonsured and given the name
Lavrenty. He was ordained a hieromonk in 1895, and then raised to the
rank of hegumen. Always joyful, his face radiated the love he felt for
everyone. This love was the fruit of prayer to which he had accustomed
himself at an early age.

Fr. Lavrenty's niece, Evfrosinia, related that once, when he came for a
visit to his village, it was a feastday, and after serving in the village church
he came back soaking wet. "It's difficult for you to work the soil, but it's
just as difficult for us to pray for everyone. We also perspire a good deal."

He encouraged girls from the village to sing in the parish choir. With his
keen spiritual insight he sensed which girl was inclined towards
monasticism; he would pray for her, invite her to sing, nurture a love for
prayer. In this way his flock began to grow. Secretly he gave these girls
cassocks and prayer ropes; he taught them to sing and read in church,
and found them jobs.

Times changed. Churches were closed "for repair" (1930) and everyone
was advised to leave. Batiushka found temporary lodging in the home of
a pious widow. There he gave himself to fasting and prayer. Only at night
could his spiritual children knock at Batiushka's window. He did not
receive everyone, but with his gift of clairvoyance he knew beforehand
who should come to him and

When the war began, Batiushka gathered his monastic children and
established a women's Trinity convent where there had been a men's
monastery. Later he established a second convent, the Domnitsky.
Batiushka loved all kind of work. When extensive repairs were being
made at the convent, he participated everywhere: he instructed the
workers and the foremen, whether they were making partitions, laying a
floor, replacing a roof When the foremen complained that the boards
were bad, Batiushka replied, "They'll do for twenty years, and then we'll
see what God's wills."

It happened that they had to work with stucco in bad weather. The
material froze and they were unable to do the job. Just then Batiushka
approached. He made the sign of the cross and the material became
pliable and the rest of the job proceeded smoothly.

In wartime, during the German occupation, rye was sown on the

monastery fields. The land was appropriated and partitioned, and the
authorities would not let them bring in the harvest. The nuns went to the
office to complain, but they were roughly turned away without being
given a chance to speak. The stewardess of the convent returned in tears
and went to share her grief with the elder. The next morning he blessed
her to go again to the office, bidding her not to speak with anyone along
the way. Trusting in the elder's prayers, the nun approached the same
authorities. This time they were very obliging, and gave permission for
the harvesting of the rye. The nun returned, delighted, and told Batiushka
of the amazing change in the attitude of the personnel. He smiled. "You
see. When a person is wicked he has a demon within, but when you pray,
the demon scampers away, and the person becomes kind and good."

When the Elder was still a youth and lived at home, he told his sister-in-
law, Maria, "It's so difficult for a Christian to live in this world. The devil
doesn't give him any peace. I'll be walking along in the evening, and he'll
be right beside me. Then I cross myself and make the sign of the cross
on everything around me, and he backs away. Then again he draws near."

Elder Lavrentv acquired some skill as a tailor and often worked on orders
at people's homes. "I was sitting, sewing, and 'he' (a demon) was lying
under the table. I couldn't tolerate it any longer, and said to the man of
the house, "Do you see who is lying under the table?" "Who?" asked the
man, frightened. 'A demon. Don't you see him?"

Even before becoming a monk, Fr. Lavrenty had acquired the practice of
the Jesus Prayer, and he encouraged others to develop the same habit.
One of his spiritual daughters, Nun M., relates:

'I worked among well-educated people There was a lot of work, mental
work. In conversation with Batiushka he asked me if I do the Jesus Prayer
at work. I replied--'No.' 'You must,' he said sternly. His words made no
sense to me. I wanted to object: in such a busy place this was not
possible. But, humbling down, I began to develop the habit, and, by the
Elder's prayers, in time I reproached myself for being so obstinate.
"Where God so wills, the laws of nature are overturned."

Another spiritual daughter, I.M., told the following about the power of his
prayers:

'I often asked Batiushka to pray for my father who hadn't partaken of the
Holy Mysteries for a long time. He said merely that he was repenting'.
One morning, however, he got up and said, 'I must receive Holy
Communion. Someone is praying for me.' That night he had had a dream
'It was as if I were lying in a grave with earth on top of me. There came a
priest who began to dug me out and said, "Get up, Ivan'." And I arose.'

Later that same year the man died. Here is yet another example.

The Second World War began. A man received a summons to go to the

front, and came to Elder Lavrenty for a blessing. The elder was quite ill
but received the man nevertheless. "When I came in, Batiushka rose from
his bed and blessed me. He then put on his epitrachelion, prayed, and
said, "Always be with God, and your Guardian Angel will be with you; with
his wings he will protect you from bullets on all sides. Do not doubt, and
do not be afraid. Try not to be captured by the enemy, because people
perish there Everywhere be first in helping your neighbor. If your
comrades object, tell them these are your orders. Most importantly?don't
be afraid. Nothing will happen to you."
'I was bewildered by the elder's words and only hoped in his holy prayers
and likewise m God's mercy and His almighty power towards me. a weak
and sinful man. When we were sent into battle, I felt an extraordinary,
wonder-working power over me. There was gunfire everywhere bullets--
like rain. I crawled around boldly, carting the wounded to the first-aid
station, willing1, helping my comrades, and nothing happened to me. I
went through the whole war without onece being wounded, not even a
scratch...'

The Elder's power of prayer was often united with his gift of clairvoyance.
The God-fearing M. relates:

"My mother became gravely ill--her lungs. and no one had any hope left
for her recovery. Everything was being prepared for her death. My father
sent me to Elder Lavrenty. I went, and m tears told him of our grieg. He
listened, his head bowed, and then consoled me, saying, "No, your
mother will not die. She will live a long time yet: she will even outlive your
father." And truly. through the Elder's holy prayers, my mother got well
and lived to the age of 90.'

A young woman came to Fr. Lavrenty for his blessing to enter a convent;
many of her frrends had received such a blessing. But Fr. Lavrenty looked
at her and said, "Get married." She began to object and wouldn't agree.
Then who," asked the Elder, "will give birth to priests and bishops?" His
prophetic words were fulfilled. The woman married and had a son who
became an archpriest.

One mother came to Fr. Lavrenty complaining that she hadn't heard from
her son in a long time. The Elder told her that she wouldn't have time to
reach home before receiving a letter, and said, "Know that a mother's
prayers will not burn in a fire nor drown in water." As the woman was
returning home, the postman met her on the street and gave her a letter.

E., a woman of strong faith, describes another case of the Elder's

clairvoyance:
"During the war I received news that my son had been killed. I decided to
have him commemorated, but I had a dream in which my son
contradicted me and said, "Don't, mother." I came to Batiushka with my
doubts, to ask what I should do. He said it was not necessary to have my
son commemorated. "You are bound to receive more news from him. But
if you receive a second notice, then have him commemorated."

"And so it came to pass. Not long afterwards my son wrote that he had
been wounded, and that now he was again being sent to the front and
didn't know if he would return. He was killed. A second notice arrived, as
the Elder had foretold. In tears I again want to see Batiushka. He blessed
me to have a funeral served. As I left I met two women who were hurrying
to the Elder. Curious, I stopped and heard Batiushka's voice: "What do
you take me for, a fortune-teller? I'm not a fortune-teller. I don't know
anything. Go, finish eating your fritters with sour cream and don't bother
me." "But I want to know about my husband," said one of the women. "I
don't know anything," answered Batiushka sternly, and closed the door. I
later found out that one of these women was not a believer at all and had
indeed gone to the Elder as to a fortune-teller; she even called him that.
She had baked some fritters and taken some sour cream, but decided to
eat them along the way, thinking to herself, 'What will he know. I'll eat
them myself." But Batiushka saw through everything and didn't receive
her."

The Elder often liked to converse with his beloved spiritual children about
the end times, about how one must be vigilant. "Today we vote-that's all
right; it's still not for a single leader over the whole world. But if a vote
should be taken for one--this is already [the antichrist] and one mustn't
vote." He also said: "The war will be such that no one will remain
anywhere, only in the ravines.'

He said there will remain only two or three governments, and they will
say: "Let us choose for ourselves one king over the whole world/'

"In the last times they will banish the true Christians; then let the old and
feeble at least grab onto a wheel and run after them.
Batiushka often repeated his talks about antichrist: "The time will come
when they will petition for one king on earth. And people will be strictly
registered. [The census takers] will come into the house, and the wife will
begin to persuade her husband: 'Come, husband, let's sign up. After all,
we have children, else we won't be able to buy anything for them.' And
the husband will say: 'Dear wife, do as you please, but I am ready to die
rather than sign up with Antichrist.' .... Such a moving picture of the
future," concluded the elder.

"The time will come," said Fr. Lawenty, "when they will renovate even the
closed churches, and fix them up not only outside but also inside. They
wilt gild the cupolas of both churches and belfries. But when this is
finished, it will usher in the reign of antichrist. Pray that the Lord grant us
an extension of time that we might strengthen ourselves, because a
frightful time awaits us. Do you see bow craftily everything is being
prepared? All the churches will be absolutely magnificent, as never
before, but one must not go into those churches. Antichrist will be
crowned like a king in a grand cathedral in Jerusalem, with the
participation of the clergy and the Patriarch.

"There will be free access, both in and out of Jerusalem for everyone. But
try not to go there then, because everything will be done in order to
deceive.

"Antichrist will be born of a harlot--a Jewess from the twelfth tribe "of
debauchery". While still a youth he will be very capable and smart,
especially after he, as a boy of twelve, walking with his mother in the
garden, meets satan, who will come from the very depths and enter into
him. The boy will shudder with fright, but satan will say: 'Do not be afraid,
I will help you.' And this boy will mature into Antichrist in human form. At
his coronation, when the Symbol of Faith is read, be will not allow it to be
read correctly; where the words describe Jesus Christ as the Son of God,
he will renounce this and acknowledge only himself And then the
Patriarch will exclaim that this is Antichrist, and for this he will be killed...

"The prophets Enoch and Elijah will come from heaven, and they, too, will
explain to all the people and cry out: 'This is Antichrist, do not believe
him.' And he will kill them, but they will resurrect and fly into heaven.

"Antichrist will be very knowledgable in all manner of satanic cunning,

and he will make false signs. The whole world will hear and see him. He
will "stamp" all of "his people" with a mark. He will despise all Christians.
There will begin the final persecution of the Christian soul which refuses
the mark of satan.

"Persecution will begin immediately on the soil of Jerusalem, and then

everywhere in the world blood will be spilled for the name of our
Redeemer Jesus Christ Many of you, my children, will live to this frightful
time.

"The mark will be such that it will be immediately apparent whether a

person has received it or not. The Christian will not be able to buy or sell
anything. But do not despair. The Lord will not abandon His children. One
mustn't fear!

"There will be churches, but Orthodox Christians must not go into them,
because the Bloodless Sacrifice of Jesus Christ will not be offered there;
instead, there will be satanic gatherings. And because of this lawlessness
the earth will cease to bring forth fruit; from drought the land will crack,
forming such crevices that a person could fall [into them].

They will kill Christians or banish them to desert places. The Jews will
also be chased into one place. Some Jews, who truly lived according to
Moses' law, will not accept the mark of Antichrist. They will wait and
observe his deeds. They know that their ancestors did not recognize
Christ as the Messiah, but here, God will grant their eyes to be opened
and they will not accept the mark of Antichrist but will acknowledge
Christ and will reign with Christ.

'But the entire feeble populace will go after satan, and when the earth will
produce no harvest people will come to him with the request to give them
bread, but he will answer: 'The land does not give any grain. I can't do
anything.'

"There will likewise be no water; all the rivers and lakes will dry up. This
disaster will last for three and a half years. But for the sake of His chosen,
the Lord will shorten those days. In those days there will still be strong
warriors, Orthodox pillars, who will be under the powerful influence of the
Jesus Prayer. The Lord will cover them with His almighty grace, and they
will not see those false signs which will be prepared for all people.

"Again, I repeat, one mustn't go into those churches; they will be devoid
of grace."

Hearing this discussion, one sister asked: "What's to become of us? I

don't want to live to see that time." "But you are young and can live until
then," said the Elder. "How terrifying!" exclaimed the sister. "Choose one
of the two--either the earthly or the heavenly." [Fr. Lavrenti]

"There will be a war," continued Batiushka, "and where it takes place no

people will remain. But before this, the Lord will send weak people minor
sicknesses, and they will die. During the time of Antichrist, however,
there will be no death.'

"The third World War will be not for repentance, but for destruction." A
sister asked: Then all will perish?" "No, if believers are washed with blood
they will be joined to the ranks of martyrs, but the non-believers will go to
hell," replied Batiushka. "And until the number of fallen angels is restored,
the Lord will not come to judge.

"But in the last time [i.e., at the very end I the Lord will add to the number
of angels from those living who are written in the Book of Life, in order to
make up the number of the fallen.

"The restoration of churches will continue up to the very coming of

antichrist, and everywhere one will see unprecedented magnificence,"
said Batiushka. But be moderate in your renovation of our church, its
exterior. Rather, pray more, go to church while there is still time,
especially for Liturgy, during which the Bloodless Sacrifice is offered for
the sins of the whole world. Confess and partake of the Body and Blood
of Christ more often, and the Lord will strengthen you."

Batiushka spoke with a certain hierodeacon (George) about the last

times, his face covered with hitter tears, and said: "Many clergy will
perish at the time of Antichrist." Fr. George said: "How can I not perish,
for I am a deacon? Batiushka said: "I don't know." Fr. Deacon began to
weep, fell to Batiushka's feet and asked him to pray that he might escape
hell. Batiushka arose, prayed, and said: "All right. It happens that a person
gets sick, dies and enters the Kingdom of Heaven."

And this prophecy was fulfilled. We knew this deacon from the Kiev
Caves Lavra. He was active in doing good and a singer; all of a sudden he
fell ill and soon died.

Batiushka often grieved and tearfully prayed or related something with

tears. The sisters comforted him, but he objected: "How is one not to
weep when the abyss is full of people's souls

After an illness of a few months, Elder Lavrenty reposed on the Feast of

Theophany, 1950. as he himself as foretold. His body remained in the
lower church for forty days. One of the nuns related how at three o'clock
in the morning she clearly heard the singing of a many-voiced choir She,
ran into the cell where the reposed was lying but found that all was quiet
there; only a priest who was quietly reading the Gospel. Frightened, she,
told him that she had heard singing. He was amazed and said that the
soul of the reposed was being met in heaven by the angels (Translated
and condensed from Nadezhda #14, pps 298-304) Article -Orthodox
America On Seductive Instruments

Blessed and thrice-blessed is the man who will not desire to do so and,
hence, will not see the God-abominated person of antichrist. Whosoever
will see him and hear his blasphemous words promising all earthly
blessings, the same will be seduced and will go forth to worship him. And
they will perish, along with him, as far as eternal life is concerned; they
will burn in eternal fire!" We asked the venerable one: "How shall this
be?" And he answered us with tears, [saying]: "The abomination of
desolation will stand in the holy place and will show-forth the foul
seducers of the world who, working false miracles, will deceive all such
men as have fallen away from God. And, after them, antichrist will appear!
The entire world will see him at one and the same time." To the question:
"Where in the holy place -- in church?" venerable Lavrentii said: "Not in
church, but in the home! Beforetimes, a table used to stand in the corner
wherein the holy icons were. Then, however, that space will be occupied
by seductive instruments for the deception of men. Many who have
departed away from the Truth will say: we need to watch and hear the
news. And it is in the news that antichrist will appear; and they will accept
him.

Elder Lavrentii of Chernigov