Lecture “Being a Mother” Held in Pasjane

The lecture Being a Mother was held on Sunday as part of the Morava Spiritual Evenings at the Cultural Center in Pasjane. Abbess Stefanida of the Monastery of St. George in Brnjak spoke about the role of women in the world and their calling to become mothers.

Being a Mother Is Natural

At the very beginning, she emphasized the great influence of a mother in shaping a person’s character, pointing out that the Mother of God is the Mother above all mothers, leading humanity toward eternity.

At the very beginning, she emphasized the great influence of a mother in shaping a person’s character, pointing out that the Mother of God is the Mother above all mothers, leading humanity toward eternity. Being a mother is within the nature of a woman, in her very biology, but motherhood as a spiritual dimension also lies at the foundation of existence. The very word Eve means life. On that foundation rests the whole human race. The Mother of God is the source of our spiritual being, for she gave birth to our Lord Jesus, the Savior. Between Eve and the Mother of God unfolds the life of humanity, stretching from earth, from Adam’s rib, to heaven. From the rib to the Church of God, which gives birth to eternity.For the Theotokos is the new Mother, as Bishop Athanasius Jevtić said — the Mother of our eternal life. There is no greater scope, no wider dimension of human existence than the Most Holy Mother o

To Be a Mother Is to Be a Woman

Abbess Stefanida reminded everyone that the responsibility of spiritual upbringing rests with the mother. It is not enough just to give birth, but also to give spiritual birth. “Mothers are saved through giving life and raising their children,” she explained.

Woman represents man’s fall into nature, into the human and earthly. Motherhood represents man’s ascent toward heaven. A Mother who had not been a woman received glory and honor above the angels. Woman as a woman has remained bound to nature, tied to the earth. Through her role as a mother, a woman redeems her role as a woman. Mother and woman are inseparable. When a woman is not a mother, when motherhood does not define her, she loses that vital and profound role she carries in our lives and in the life of every person.

The Mother Is the Being Closest to God

Motherhood is an ascetic struggle — working on oneself in order to better serve others. Truthfulness is the key to motherhood, while possessiveness harms children. Motherhood goes beyond our own limits. A mother, through a bad example, can destroy her child, but through prayer she can also raise them up from the deepest abyss.

All of you who have children or are raising someone in any way can see how powerless we often feel in this task. How can we compensate for this lack of ability, strength, and knowledge? We realize we are powerless, because before us stands another person. Even if it is a five-year-old child, it is still a unique person with their own character. Force can do nothing here. We cannot shape a child into what we want them to be. So how do we make up for that lack? Through prayer. Prayer is the all-encompassing key, the tool. If a mother does not have it, she cannot truly help her child, for there is no knowledge alone that can teach us how.

Abbess Stefanida also explained the difference between a mother in the monastery and one in the world. She spoke about the challenges of modern women and how they can overcome obstacles in today’s upbringing and education that may prevent them from embracing motherhood. She emphasized the importance of community — marriage or sisterhood — noting that each woman must choose one of these two paths.

Morava Spiritual Evenings Return After Easter

We once again thank the Pasjane parish for providing the venue for this lecture and everyone who attended. We are also grateful to TV Puls, where you can watch the full lecture and to photographer Stevan Cvetković.

On behalf of the organizers of the Morava Spiritual Evenings, the Monastery of Draganac, and our organization we warmly invite you to join us at our next lecture, planned after Easter.