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“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord”

Psalm 150:6

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Munich, 18 June 1943
My dear parents!

I can’t report anything new to you. Myself, I am healthy and in a good frame of mind. I’ve recently read something in a very good and meaningful book, that seems to be very fitting for you all: “The greater the tragedy of life, the stronger one’s faith must be; the more it seems that we are forsaken, the more confidently we must command our souls into the hands of God the Father”. And the Abbot Theodore the Studite writes: “Therefore, I have thanked God for my misfortunes, and bowed myself completely to the unfathomable judgements of His Providence, that in His beneficial manner, He has already known, from the time in which the foundations of the world were laid, the time and place of death of every person.” This is pretty much the same as what I have already written you. It would make me very happy, if you would think the same way, it would take away a lot of sadness and pain for you. But I’m not dead yet – and so pray and don’t give up hope.

My most heartfelt greetings,
Your Schurik

München, 18 Juni 1943
Meine lieben Eltern!

Von mir kann ich euch nichts Neues berichten. – Ich selber bin gesund und guter Stimmung. Ich habe neulich in einem sehr guten und bedeutenden Buch eine Stelle gelesen, die sehr gut zu euch passt: “Je größer die Tragik des Lebens, desto stärker muss der Glaube sein, je größer die Gottverlassenheit zu sein scheint, desto zuversichtlicher müssen wir unsere Seele in Gottes Vaterhände befehlen.” Und der heilige Abt Theodor von Byzanz schreibt: “Darum habe ich Gott ob dem Unglück gedankt und mich völlig unter die unerforschlichen Gerichte seiner Vorsehung gebeugt, die schon von Grundlegung der Welt Zeit und Ort des Todes für jeden Menschen in zuträglicher Weise vorausgesehen hat.” Es ist ungefähr dasselbe, was ich euch von mir aus schon geschrieben habe. Es würde mich sehr freuen, wenn ihr genau so dächtet, das würde euch viel Trauer und Leid nehmen. Aber ich bin ja noch gar nicht gestorben – also betet und verliert die Hoffnung nicht!
Es grüßt alle herzlichst – Euer Schurik

St. Alexander (Schmorell) of Munich, in a letter from prison to his familySt. Alexander (Schmorell) of Munich, in a letter from prison to his family

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah

A Christmas Hallelujah – Cloverton (L. Cohen music)

About this Site

This space to share with others things that I’m thinking about including, but not limited to, the following:

  • “Big” thoughts
  • Absolute silliness
  • Music
  • Books
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Things I like
  • Randomness
  • Perspectives of an Orthodox Christian

My intent is not to write just for the “Orthodox community”, but to be a voice from it. This blog is borne of adversity, but hopes to extend joy at the same time.

About Katja

Katja (@katja137) is a convert to Orthodox Christianity, a mother, and fellow traveller of these crazy times we live in.

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My first “online journal” is now old enough to go to a bar and order alcohol in the United States. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of blogging (and had to reconcile myself to the terms “blog” and “blogging” despite their ugly sounds) but it has always been primarily as a leisure activity.

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Image credits

Photos and images (with rare exception) have been taken or created by me and remain my intellectual property. Any photos taken by others remain the intellectual property of the creator(s) and are used by permission. Copyright law varies from country to country, but the universal law really is “Don’t steal other people’s stuff”. (Thou shalt not steal.)