Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin)

- Father Raphael, they say that the call of God is necessary for monastisicm.
But here's an example of a man who felt he was called to monasticism, we read from the biography of an old Russian elder:
"I go to Mt. Athos, may it be blessed."
"No, Nicholas, you have no blessing as a monk, neither on Mt. Athos, nor in Russia."
"I never thought of getting married," he told the elder, "from my early age I thought of monasticism."
"There is no way for you to be a monastic"
"What is God's calling?"

Nicholas, as I mentioned, had an emotional urge to take great ascetic performances, but this was in fact a fantasy-related romanticism that often ends tragically.
He strives for monasticism not for repentance, not for the whole devotion of his life in communion with God, but believing that he would achieve something great. The spiritual elder saw his spirit deeper than he did, and therefore pointed to his family life a a way of humility.

But such a blessing applies in exceptional cases, when elders find that a person is in a state of error which can lead either to seduction or to carnal sins.

But now there are no such elders, and if there are, they speak very carefully: with advice, examples and sometimes allegory.

Therefore, a person needs to test his call with time and trials.

You need to find a spiritual father in the world and be obedient to him. The confessor can then determine a person's invitation to monasticism as he is humble and obedient. - Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin)