By Abbess Vera Verkhovsky “I believe that if one departs for the inner desert overcome and persuaded by a divine love for Christ, he will truly live as if in Paradise. No longer hindered by any obstacles, he will be free to delight constantly in the thought of God and in sweet prayer of the heart, with God and in his God.” So wrote Elder Zosima (1767–1833), one of the many holy hermits or “desert dwellers” who lived in the vast and wild forests of the Russian North. Written by his niece and disciple, his biography is a classic of Russian spirituality, revealing how the grace of God works in one who is devoted to the labor of unceasing prayer, noetic activity, unseen warfare, and interior silence (hesychasm). From his mystical striving in the heart of the wilderness to his work in establishing a monastic community for women, Elder Zosima shines forth with the simple wisdom of Christ-like humility. His story, which contains instructive examples of “lay” Christian life as well as monastic examples, should be a source of inspiration for all who long for the Heavenly Kingdom.
