The elders of Optina Monastery have had a tremendous impact on Russian society, evoking a nationwide blossoming of sanctity. During the course of a century, their prophecy and God-illumined counsel attracted spiritual seekers from far and wide. Possessing penetrating spiritual discernment, Elder Leonid radiated a powerful, straightforward manner, yet was both loving and fatherly. He could mystically see into the hearts of his spiritual children, knowing when to rebuke, when to exhort, and when to console. Fr. Clement Sederholm
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