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Rila Monastery
During my recent visit abroad, I visited a Christian monastery in
Rila located in the hills of Bulgaria. It is the biggest Bulgarian revival,
spiritual and cultural center with a 16,000-volume library including 134 manuscripts from the 15th to
the 19th centuries. This holy site played an important role in the spiritual
and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire due to invasion at
the beginning of the 19th century, the
complex was rebuilt later and is now surrounded by a big fort. While being in
that divine environment amidst the Reverend Fathers aged between 80 and 90 years old, I felt like praying. I went to the
altar and asked for the permission of Reverend Bishop John to recite part of
the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. The prayer was repeated by all the
people present in the Monastery: Lord,
make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred let me sow love.The
silent message in this prayer was felt by the Reverend Bishop, who blessed me by saying: "You work for world peace. My
friend, may this beautiful divine message of love, enlighten our life to work
for universal peace."