698. Сестры ничего не должны делать без благословения настоятельницы

M. St. O. n. G.I.H.B.n. p.n. Your Reverence, most honorable in the Lord Mother Abbess Leonida! I received your letter dated December 20 and thank you for congratulating me, a sinner, on the Nativity of Christ and the New Year and for your well wishes. You write that you quarreled with a junior priest over ancient icons given to him without your blessing by one sister. “You shouldn’t quarrel, but you should explain to him with a calm spirit that the sister acted contrary to the monastery order, on her own, that the sisters should not do anything in the monastery without the blessing of the abbess.” And after this, with the same calm spirit, you could ask for the icons to be returned to you. But if he began to persist, then leave it to his conscience and not start quarrels. Otherwise, if you quarrel, then ask him for an apology. He, although not entirely right, will consider himself right and blame you. And this can also be said: a priest cannot be considered wrong. What does he care about monastic order? No matter who gives him anything, it doesn’t matter to him. And you can demand from your sister why she gave away the icons without being blessed by you. And you can even fine her with something as an example to other sisters. The priest, in my opinion, in this case is not subject to your control. And it seems you have no right to demand the return of icons from him. Asking for you and your monastery for peace and God's blessing, I remain with sincere goodwill. You might be interested in: