In the memoirs of Archimandrite Raphael, very precise words are found for seemingly inexplicable phenomena and states, the feeling of something else is truly conveyed - the space of the shrine. This book reminds us of the original, true meaning of the concepts: faith, prayer, priesthood, obedience, truth and lies, life and death... It, like other books by Father Raphael, is distinguished by the courage to remain alone with those last things, next to which much becomes completely insignificant. Reading the memoirs of Archimandrite Raphael, you are once again convinced that in all eras it is possible to prefer the truth that for memory there are no boundaries, for love there are no distances, for achievement there is no inappropriate time. But today, more than ever, each of us needs the word of spiritual experience, wisdom and love of those who are on the way from time to eternity acquired the imperishable fruits of living faith. Source: Contents: From the publishers ……………………………………………4 Path to the shrine…………………………………………5 Schegumen Savva…………………………… ………9Catholicos-Patriarch Melchizedek III…………………26Metropolitan Demetrius…………………………….28Mtatsminda…………………………………………………………….30Pledge eternal joy…………………………………32 Monastery of St. Olga……………………………..35 Unexpected joy……………………………………………………..41 Miracle St. George………………………………….43 The Path of the High Hierarch………………………………….46 Father George…………………………………………………………… ..46Let the living be merciful to the dead…………..51Schimonk Abraham……………………………………...52Archimandrite Parfeniy……………………………54Glinsky brotherhood on Iveron land………………..57Metropolitan Zinovy…………………………………..59Schiarchimandrite Andronik………………62Schiarchimandrite Seraphim……………………………..64Monk Jerome………………………73On the threshold of the desert……………………………………. ..75Crown of Desert Summer…………………………………77Schema-Hegumen Georgiy…………………………………..78Fields of Invisible Battles………………………………… .83Monk Hilarion………………………………………....86Deceived Ascetic………………………………88Monks Vitaly and Cassian……… ….89 Schemamonk Ephraim…………………………………………91 Ambulances……………………………………..94 Dead village………………………… …………………..94Nun Angelina………………………………………………………...95Meeting in Bargany……………………………………………………….95Nun Akindina… …………………………………103 Conversation about the Jesus Prayer ………………………… 105 About the rosary …………………………………………………………… 111 Pray and hope………………………………………………………115Meeting in Samtavro…………………………………………116When time has no power…………………………… ……….116Seated Anastasia…………………………………………121Lyuba the Holy Fool……………………………………………..124Lydia……………… …………………………………………..125О fruits of self-will……………………………………..127 “Touch not My anointed...”………………..130Fallen star…………………………. ……………….131The tragedy of one soul……………………………………132The fate of Levan…………………………………………………………135A strange meeting……… ……………………………………137About death……………………………………………………..143Who will protect the dead from the living?...... ...................................144About children……………………………………………………… ……………………….145Do no harm!.................................... ........................................149About lies as a temptation on the spiritual path…… …………150Notches along the way………………………………………………………152 Sayings of the fathers………………………………………………………170When I think about the past… ………………………………179Notes…………………………………………181