By Irene Lagan
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 10/23/03)

For Mother Eliseea prayer is more than conversation with God. It is a way of life that is all consuming and is expressed in her work. As an icon writer, Mother Eliseea says her prayer is expressed in the icons she authors.

"When I write icons, I am praying. God takes my hand and makes the icon," she said. "He inspires me theologically. Everything in the icon is significant."

The 33-year-old nun from Romania is a hermitess who lives in the tradition of the desert fathers and mothers of ancient times. Her work as an icon writer makes her prayer visible to others.

"A hermitess must do something with her hands," she said. This is the tradition of the Desert Fathers. I am praying always and when I write an icon, it is my prayer."

Dating back to the fourth century in Egypt, the Desert Fathers lived a monastic life of prayer in solitude or in small groups. Stripped of usual creature comforts and amenities, the Desert Fathers often lived in austere poverty and simplicity, focusing on the Living Word of God and dedicating their whole lives in prayer and sacrifice. While some hermits lived alone, others lived in small groups, often as disciples of a master. The lives and sayings of the Desert Fathers were eventually collected and written down by disciples of the first masters. Often grouped under particular headings, such as "solitude" or "obedience", or in anecdotes about particular monks, the writings of the Desert fathers offer practical advice and wisdom about spiritual life.

In keeping with the ancient tradition, Mother Eliseea works closely with another hermit, her master, and remains in contact with her spiritual father,a priest who spent 16 years in prison during the Communist regime.

When she was 18 years old, she entered a monastery near Bucharest. "I entered because I wanted to be with God," she said. "I loved God and still have that love in my heart." Although her desire was to live a life of prayer and solitude, her spiritual father said she was not ready for the austere life of a hermit. She was made abbess of the monastery several years later, at age 22. As abbess, Mother Eliseea said she was dedicated to the spiritual care of the sisters in her charge.

"I was responsible for the soul of each nun. Each nun who came to the monastery was like a child that needed to be nurtured in the spiritual life," she said. Already an iconographer, Mother Eliseea’s icons were sold to provide basic necessities, such as heat. However, after inviting her current master to teach the sisters, Mother Eliseea stopped writing.

"When I saw his prayer, I stopped painting. I saw that prayer accomplishes everything and without true prayer nothing can be done," she said. "An icon must be alive. It is a living prayer. An icon without prayer is like a body without a soul."

Mother Eliseea said she began baking the bread for the sisters with prayer. After nine months, she was able to write icons again, and five years later received permission to live as a hermit in order to dedicate all her attention to prayer and to writing icons.

She works closely with her master, often on the same icon. Every detail of an icon has theological significance. The intricate and minute detail of each icon is time consuming and tiring work. One icon can take a year or more to complete.

Her life, she said, is one of constant prayer, which has become as natural and necessary as breathing. Each icon is the fruit of prayer and inspiration.

"My connection with God gives birth to these icons. Everything in the icon has meaning, and God has shown me many things through prayer.," she said. "The biggest suffering in Christ’s life is that people did not understand Him, did not know Him. He just wants us to turn to Him. When He comes with His grace, we can do anything."

Mother Eliseea’s work has begun to find its way into the homes and churches worldwide. She has shown her work in Belgium, France, Jerusalem, Greece and U.S. Several years ago, she was invited to the Smithsonian and popular after an article on her work appeared in the Washington Post. She recently came to Washington to bring work commissioned for a church in Richmond and will likely come again in March.

"I am happy when people have my icons," she said. "I surrender my gift to God, and people make sacrifices to have this prayer. When God gives us something and we turn it back to Him, He gives us even more."

Money she receives from her icons goes directly to the monastery, she said. Mother Eliseea said she hopes to be able to receive people who wish to learn this way of life at her hermitage in Romania.