In the Footsteps of the Hermits and Anchorites

On the eve of Lent, on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, the sisters of the Mount of Olives Monastery, under the leadership of priest Roman Gultiaev and hierodeacon Amphilochius (Mazur), hiked into the Judean desert in the vicinity of the Dead Sea, to the monastery of St. Theoktistos, which is in the deep and difficult to access Og Gorge. St. Theoktistos was a companion and friend of St. Euthymius the Great, who founded many monasteries in the Jerusalem desert. The monastery in the Og Gorge was the first monastery founded by these saints, where they were later buried. In this notorious cenobitic monastery, St. Savva the Sanctified and many other famous desert dwellers began their monastic exploits. The ruins of this ancient monastery are difficult to reach. To get to the monastery you need to overcome five kilometers of deserted rugged terrain, in some places you even had to climb cliffs. The sisters happily overcame all the trials, helping each other, in prayer and contemplation of the majestic desert they reached their goal. Having performed a short prayer service and bowed to the ancient shrines, already at sunset everyone safely returned to their monastery. This trip reminded the sisters of the ancient monastic custom of spending the forty days of Great Lent in the holy desert. Venerable fathers Euthymius and Theoktistos, pray to God for us.