In the normal course of life, Mother Thekla (née Marina Sharf) would have passed into eternity without an obituary in the Daily Telegraph, known only to God and a small circle of the faithful. It happened, however, that she inspired a composer, Sir John Tavener, for whose vocal works she wrote a number of libretti. She was born in Russia during the Revolution, brought to England as an infant, educated at Cambridge, mentioned in dispatches for service during World War II, noted as a striking beauty. But she left the world behind in 1966 to follow a life of prayerful simplicity.
I went on a retreat and met Mother Maria and that was it. I was called to it. It’s a bit like a thunderbolt. You can’t deny it when it hits you. I used to love things like visiting second-hand book shops, but you can’t compare life now with life before. It’s like walking through a mirror backwards.
It is the monotony of our lives which frees the spirit; all the imminent things drop away. It’s quite painful being faced with your real self without the trimmings. There’s time here to pray for the world. That’s our work: it’s not something we do on our Sunday off.
Memory eternal!
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