the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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"'Oh, ma... - forgive me, sister, what kind of life are we living now! I don't
want to live any longer. These are the last times! Faith has diminished in
people. You can no longer find a monk to ask his advice on how to live. But
the Lord has led me to you, may Christ save you. You don't know where else
to go. You might land up with some OGPU agents!'
"'But, by the mercy of God, there are still some lamps of God left!'
"'What are you saying?! I have gone round almost half Russia, and there's
no-one!'
"'There is! I tell you that there is...'
"'Where, dear one! For Christ's sake, tell me!'
"'Only don't tell anyone!'
"'What are you saying? How could I?!'
"And so in this cunning way the agent found out the address. The
laywoman told her everything, only she couldn't remember the number of the
house:
"'It doesn't matter, I'll explain it to you... It's the third, or maybe the fourth
house from the corner. There's a high gate covered with tin-plate. . As you go
in, you'll see a narrow path to the corner of the house. Turn left past the
corner. Knock three times on the first window past the turn. And ask...'
"'Christ save you!'
"With these words she immediately went into the town... Perhaps about
two hours later she came back:
"'Ach, I went the wrong way. I arrived, but it seems that it wasn't the right
place... I came to the window and knocked three times. A woman jumped out,
it seems she had been washing some clothes.
"'"What do you want?" she asked in a coarse way.
"'I told her. She said:
"'"What matushka are you talking about? I'll wake up my husband now,
he's drunk, and he’ll show you both a matushka and a batyushka!" I was
frightened and left...'
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