A few words from the author....
Responding to the insistent requests of my spiritual children and of the Russian Orthodox people close to me in spirit, I have decided, on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of my priestly service this year, to publish here a collection of articles I have written at various times on the most topical and contemporary subjects, as well as some of my speeches delivered at various solemn church gatherings. All of these words and speeches date from my recent twentieth year of service in the United States of America.
All that I have written here-all the thoughts and feelings expressed in these articles and speeches- have been borne and, one might say, suffered in the depths of my heart for many years, ever since I was a young almost child. With horror and unspeakable sorrow I have always recalled and experienced what happened before my eyes during the terrible years of the bloody catastrophe that befell her for her sins. Perhaps these memories and put on my soul that special imprint, which determined my further fate, predisposing me in my early years to accept monasticism. And now, more than fifty years later, all my thoughts and feelings are there - with our native Orthodox Russian people who are suffering cruelly for their faith! And it is so painful when here in exile we encounter completely different attitudes and a complete lack of understanding as to why our unhappy homeland has been struck by such a terrible catastrophe.
I wish that all Russian people would finally have a spiritual enlightenment and understand what seems so easy to understand after all we have been through these years. And not only understand, but feel deeply! Otherwise, not only are our hopes for the resurrection and rebirth of our homeland futile and pointless, but the entire world will inevitably face a terrible general catastrophe, for which the servants of the coming Antichrist are preparing it. Is it possible, with all that is now being done in the world, to remain so hopelessly spiritually blind as not to see what the modern world is heading toward? "O Lord, send your light and your truth..."
Archbishop Averky of Syracuse †