Introduction
In our modern life, in the reality surrounding us, there is nothing that could inspire Christ's faithful, as there was in ancient times: the conversion of entire nations to the true faith, the flourishing of monasticism, zeal for holy Orthodoxy. On the contrary, we see around us things that can cause us to lose heart and give up. One might ask, why are there no great saints today, like the ancient saints? Historically, this is quite understandable. There was the apostolic era, a time when entire nations did not yet know the true faith, and apostles were sent to convert them. In our time, virtually the entire world has heard of Christ, and very few completely pagan tribes remain on earth that have not been reached by the Word of God. We occasionally hear of the preaching of Orthodoxy to the wild tribes of East and Central Africa. But in most parts of the world, people are spiritually and morally exhausted and worn out. They've heard of Christianity before, but now they're bored and tired of it. It's hard to be inspired by all this. However, here and there, a few converts appear who see something fresh in Christianity, something different from the common perception. And yet, there's very little, very little, that inspires in this world when viewed through the eyes of Orthodoxy.
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