Rila Monastery

Some friends of ours took a trip to the Black Sea and left us their car for two weeks. We thought we would take advantage of the time with a car and headed south to the Rila Mountain to visit the Rila Monastery. The monastery was founded in 1335 by John of Rila (also known as Ivan Rilski), however it burned down in 1833. It has been rebuilt and restored over the years and is still an active monastery with resident monks – however it is also one of Bulgaria’s top tourist attractions.

It was an overcast rainy day but we enjoyed the drive and taking a step back in time. The monastery had a quiet and peaceful presence throughout the place, nestled in a valley within the Rila Mountains. The church was full of Eastern Orthodox icons – they actually have one icon that contains the bones of Bulgarian saints. The church was entrenched with tradition and rituals, yet you could feel the devotion and love for the Lord these monks must have through their discipline, devotion and craftsmanship. The artwork was amazing – you could have spent hours taking it all in – the walls of the church were almost like a living pictorial Bible.

The Rila Monastery has become a bit touristy over the years, but we were very happy to have visited. You could see the Bulgarians have a close connection with the Monastery, but I desperately want to know if they really know Him. This day-trip helped us renew our reasons for serving here in Bulgaria.

See pictures at: http://sheppardbulgaria.shutterfly.com/action/