Posts Tagged ‘pilgrim’

40 Days since our beloved brother in Christ (ipodeacon Georgi Nedev) has presented himself in God

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

Holy Mount Athos st. Georgi the Glory Bringer - Zographus Monastic main Church
Holy Mount Athos st. Georgi the Glory Bringer – Zographus Monastic main Church

I start this post with the St. George Zographus Monastery’s main Church as the Zographus Monastery on Holy Mount Athos was our brother Georgi last eartly place he wanted to spend the remaining of his eartly life.

Today it’s the 40th day since our brother in Christ (ipodeacon) Georgi Nedev has presented his humble soul to our Saviour Jesus.

ipodeacon Georgi Nedev on a Bishop Church service holding the metropolitan sceptre

This is the only picture I have of our brother Georgi

His living was as humble as his departure from this life and his passing I believe in the eternal life with God.
Georgi had the severe desire to become a monk in Holy Mount Athos and has multiple friends in there which loved him and often prayed for him.
Now on this 40 day in our Bulgarian monastery in Holy Mount Athos, Saint George – The GloryBringer (Zographus) monks will be serving a requiem service (Panihida – as we say in Slavonic)

His departure was striking and sudden for of us in the Church community here in Dobrich’s Holy Trinity Church, as well as not less shocking for the Holy Mount Athos Zographus monks Christian community who loved our brother sincerely.

Some short biographic facts about our brother ipodeacon Georgi Nedev are here
Unfortunately the bio-facts I know about Georgi are very little, as I only knew him for a couple of years. Even though the short time I used to know him, I can say I was blessed through him and I’m exteremely grateful to him, it was through him I’ve learned a bit more about Holy Mount Athos and our Bulgarian monk community that is in Zographus, as well as some very minor details concerning the spiritual Church life that I’ve never thought about.
It was thanks to him I was being encouraged on numerous times in terrible times of desparation and loss of faith and track in life.

Thanks to him I was being explained for a first time, how one can go for a pilgrimage journey to Holy Mount Athos and how one can get the pilgrim’s permit documentation related to going there called in greek diamontirium
He also told me about numerous miracles about Holy Mount Athos, and explained me one needs to pray to the Holy Theotokos Virgin Mary and ask her that is being allowed to enter this holy place.

This last lent, even though his sickness Georgi was regularly visiting the evening services in the Church and was dilegent in his spiritual life.

I remember him expressing his enormous joy the last time I saw him on a Holy Liturgy for he took the Holy Communion.
After the Church service, I asked him how is he, his answer was; I’m not feeling well, but praise be to God! for I was able to take the Holy Communion

Many times when I asked him what are his future plans, he used to answer I don’t know anything, it’s all in the God’s will (hands) for me.

You can see yourself how great his dedicated for God was by his own words.

As our priest, who used to be his confessor said, “Georgi was a righteous man and God took him early on”.

Let eternal be your Memory beloved brother Georgi now and Forver and Ever! Amen!

Bulgarian Orthodox Monastery st. martyr George Zograph few monks songs from Holy mount Athos for download

Sunday, April 10th, 2011

Zograph Monastery Holy Mount Athos complex distant picture

A friend of mine who is a devoted Orthodox Christian (and ipodqkon Georgi), regularly visits Holy Mount Athos as a pilgrim.
On a few times he has been there serving to the workman who are currently restoring a number of monastery building which has been abandoned for quite some time.

Every Sunday morning he also goes to the Monastery Church St. George Zograph for the monks Holy Liturgy service.
He send me few recordings he made with his phone during the Holy Liturgy monks chanting. The recording’s quality is quite raw as however still it’s very invaluable piece of spiritual music, which I think every spiritual person will highly regard and enjoy.

Here are the 12 songs which he send me over skype I hope the songs, will be enjoyable and a spiritual blessing to some Christian brothers and sisters out there:

Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 1
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 2
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 3
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 4
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 5
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 6
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 7
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 8
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 9
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 10
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 11
Zograph Monks Church Service Chanting – Song 12

A Pilgrim journey to Obrotishte, The Tekke in Obrotishte (The beginning of the Orthodox Lent)

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Obrotishte Sufis Tekke

Today I’ve been to Obrotishte’s village once again. We went there with Ceco, Dimi and Rumi some good orthodox christian fellows as well as brothers. We had a great time, the morning church service was unique. It situated in the small church entrance where the Church entrance doors leading to the main body of the church were closed, this was done because the church is really big sized and is hardly heated. Heating this whole building is quite a loss of gas, therefore the Hieromonk serving there Hieromonk Father Philip decided, to have the services in the small entrance during the severe winter. Quite an intelligent and practical move, since most of the church clergy and laymans, were mid size aged ladies and gentlemen. The church was really grace filled, and peaceful. After the nice morning lent opening church service we went to have a coffee, because the monk has to go for a funeral procession. In the mean time we went to see the sea-shore near Obrotishte. The panorama there is really wonderful, laters as soon as I have the pictures may post some views from there. One of the most impressive part of our whole journey was the visitation to the local Tekke (Khanqah) . Tekke is a sort of Muslim medieval gathering building (a sort of monastery) for the so called Sufi’s brotherhood. Sufis are a Muslim sect who had some interesting beliefs, where their beliefs combined slices taken from both christianity and Islam with some other major eastern religion beliefs. I’ve said already few words for the Sufis in one of my previous posts, so for more info please check there. This Obrotishte Tekke is believed to have buried a Sufists saint in the center of the Tekke. The Tekke itself is dating from the 16th century It’s believed that this Tekke possesses some healing energy eminating from the Sufi’s saint buried body. There is a small whole with a size graven in the stone covering the Sufi’s saint’s body. According to the old tradition if a visitor pushs his hand in with faith he can get a miraculous healing from sickness.
Nowadays this Sufists holy place is serving as mainly a museum, however there are some people who also go there as a pilgrims. It’s reported by them that they have received various body healings when they have approached the place with faith. If you’re visiting Bulgaria and you are travelling near Dobrich make sure you visit this Tekke, I guarantee you’ll have a nice experience.
Eventhough I am a Orthodox Christian by faith I should acknowledge I felt peace on that place. The Tekke was partly ruined during the Russian / Ottoman Empire Bulgaria’s liberation war. Luckily the largest and most important of this ancient Sufi
sanctuary is still intact. We also visited a special place near the Tekke, itself which was used by the Sufi believers as a sort of ancient kitchen, this place had 7 pillars, because in both Muslim and Christian, tradition it symbolizes God himself.
Anyways, after we completed the Tekke visitation, we went to the Father Philip’s living place (a tiny apartment). He was quite hospitable as always and we had a nice dinner with (Banica with potatoes) during the dinner we had a spiritual talk.
After that we moved on to the Church for the night services, the services was awesome once again right after the church service we took begged each other for forgiveness (as it’s an old orthodox lent starting tradition). Then we the Church present people, had a nice improvised supper composed of food like:
Cakes, Fish, Fried Potatoes, Cheese, Yellow Cheese etc.
The time was short so we had to head back home and we said goodbye to all the people in the church and to father Philip and took a route to Dobrich. On our way home, we noticed a large burning fireplaces with gipsy people gathered all around.
I and Ceco to say hello to the people and take some pictures around the fire.
This large fires is rooted in an ancient bulgarian pagan tradition, where people used to leap through the fire. This fire leaps according to ancient Bulgarian tradition is said to guarantee you good health and fortune in the coming year.