Father Lazar of Goranjak on monasticism as divine calling, not escape

What the video says

The speaker describes falling in love with Christ as a young man, not by plan but with a burning heart. In daily interaction with the Lord he felt an infinite divine love descend as grace into his heart.

He explains that monastic life is not an escape from oneself, failed relationships, existential crisis, or lack of imagination. One enters a monastery only when there is something to sacrifice. If someone arrives with problems expecting the monastery to solve them, the monastery will swallow and spit them out even more stripped bare.

At his tonsure his mother told him she had been wrong about him because he never finished anything he started, water polo, battalion service, whatever else. He answered that earthly measures have a beginning and an end, while the path to Christ is infinite and eternal.

Key moments

1. The speaker fell in love with Christ unexpectedly as a young man, feeling his heart burn without planning it.
2. In everyday interaction with the Lord he experienced infinite divine love descending as grace into his heart.
3. Monasticism is not for escaping oneself, unhappy loves, existential crisis, or lack of imagination.
4. One goes to a monastery only when there is something to sacrifice.
5. If a person enters a monastery with problems thinking they will be solved there, the monastery will swallow and spit them out even more stripped bare.
6. At his tonsure, his mother said she had been wrong about him because he never finished anything he started, water polo, battalion, and other pursuits.
7. He replied that earthly measures have a beginning and an end, but the path to Christ is infinite and eternal.