Both joy and sorrow are in your tear,
just as all secrets are gathered in it,
countless sighs, but also hope fervent,
as Christ has conquered death.

Your love has raised me for the eternity
because true love brings up like that,
on your knee I learned Church Slavic,
and since childhood I accepted the cross* from you.

I don’t regret that with your Christ I am hanging on the cross now
as I have seen you just there before,
in the crucified love for your child,
as Christ’s love for the life of the world.

One cannot carry the cross without tears
as the cross produces sorrow and pain,
but in these tears, o mother, I see joy,
as you know: Christ has conquered death.

Jovan Vranishkovski, Archbishop of Ohrid

The Fast of the Holy Apostles, 2006
/When the authorities in the Republic of Macedonia
initiate a new prison sentence for the vladika/

*Voluntarily decided to live as an Orthodox Christian