Стяжавшая любовь. Том III

Soon the Great Patriotic War [World War II] broke out. Based on some of Matushka's stories, for a time she was in a concentration camp, in which she did not alter her spiritual way of life; she continued to help and pray for the suffering. Thanks to her clairvoyance and other spiritual gifts, she was able to facilitate the escape of many of her fellow prisoners. Soon, the Lord arranged for her escape as well. She made her way through occupied territory and across the front lines, and lived for some time with a family with many children, in the village of Kapitanovka along the Zhitomir road, near Kiev.

We also know of an incident that took place when Matushka Alipiya stopped for the night in a certain village. All night, she did not even lie down on the bed prepared for her. Rather, faithful to her unchanging prayer rule, she knelt in prayer until morning.

Matushka also told of her travels to venerate the relics of Holy Hierarch Theodossy of Chernigov, which had been returned to the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chernigov during the War. Matushka went on foot, and did not stop at any settlement; instead she spent the nights in the woods and fields. After venerating the relics of the Holy Hierarch she so revered, Matushka asked to spend the night in the church warden's home. He refused, but Matushka, prompted by the Holy Spirit, followed him, knowing that the Lord had sent her to this house for a reason.

Along the way, the warden encountered his wife, who was crying and wailing. In despair, she told the warden that their daughter had died in a stove fire. The father, followed by Matushka Alipiya, ran into the house. The devastated parents no longer tried to keep her from entering the house. They did not even notice her take out a flask of holy water, which she also called «living» water; she sprinkled the girl, and poured water into her mouth. The child came back to life, and the Eldress disappeared without a trace.

Another incident took place in post-war Belarus. At a market in a certain town, Matushka Alipiya saw a crowd of people surrounding a weeping family. During this time of famine, they had brought a domestic animal, a pig, to be sold. It was their sole means of survival. However, the animal was so weak that it seemed that it would drop dead at any minute. Just at that moment, while the animal was already turning blue, Matushka Alipiya made her way through the crowd, and responded enthusiastically to the people's sorrow. After secretly praying to God, she gave the pig some ordinary tar. The pig immediately came to life, and in amazement, the people looked for her. Where is the person who had saved the pig? She had disappeared into the crowd. When they caught up to her and started asking her about the medicine she had given, she told them that they were mistaken.

During the War, the Kiev Caves Lavra was reopened, and Matushka Alipiya went to it in search of a spiritual home for a Christian soul in search of the Lord. At that time, a flood of people from all over the land, especially from Russia, came to the Lavra. The clergy of the Lavra were distinguished by great spirituality; these were priests who had endured trials in camps and exile. At that time, there were clairvoyant Elders who had become wise in spiritual life living there: Venerable St. Kuksha of Odessa, whose homilies Matushka Alipiya had occasion to hear. Likewise, the prior of the Lavra, Archimandrite Kronid, a person of great spirituality, an experienced teacher and spiritual director, became Agafiya's spiritual father, and tonsured her a nun with the name Alipiya (in honor of Venerable St. Alipiy of the Caves. Matushka occupied herself constantly with a number of obediences at the church: she washed and cleaned, and attended all of the services. We know that during this period, she pursued ascetic struggle in the hollow of an old linden tree not far from the well of St. Theodossy of the Caves. Archimandrite Kronid blessed her to pursue that struggle, which she did in secret, by night. By day, Matushka continued to work at the church. In spite of her engaging in all of this ascetic activity, her attire was always neat and clean, and she did not appear in any way different from the other laborers. The tree in whose confines matushka Alipiya prayed has not survived. Matushka engaged in these ascetics labors at a relatively early age — when she was between 42 and 46 years of age.