Life as a Gift from God, Health as a Spiritual Endeavour The Author’s Programme “Health of Soul and Body”
“Holy Father Gabriel, pray to God for us!”
“Life as a Gift from God, Health as a Spiritual Endeavour: The Author’s Programme ‘Health of Soul and Body’”
The most precious thing God gives to a person is life. And the most valuable thing in life is health. But what is health? The modern world often gives a one-sided answer: the absence of illness, good test results, physical activity.
Yet anyone who has ever faced a serious illness sooner or later asks the most important question: why does not only the body ache, but the soul as well? And why is it that sometimes even the best medicines are powerless, while one warm word or a quiet prayer can work a true miracle?
Over 26 years of serving people, the Orthodox Association of Disabled People “NiKa” and the Andcross Pilgrimage Centre have come to one simple yet very profound truth: without God, it is impossible to solve the problems of the health of the soul and the body. We have seen this hundreds of times. We have travelled to the holy places of Christianity, and the main thing we have understood is this: faith heals. Not as magic, not as a spell, but as a living connection between a person and their Creator.
In this article, we would like to invite you to reflect. And, if your heart responds, to take action. To embark on a journey that may change the way you understand yourself and your life.
Why do we suffer in soul and body?
In Estonia, as in the rest of the world, the issue of accessible and high-quality medical care is especially pressing. We know very well how difficult it can be to receive qualified medical advice in Russian — waiting lists, language barriers, the need to translate documents. This is a reality that adds anxiety to a person who is already exhausted.
But let us look deeper. Doctors treat the body, but the soul can be healed by the person themselves with God’s help. It is deeply saddening that there are people to whom the Lord has not yet revealed this knowledge. They search for the cause of illness only in physiology, forgetting that a human being is not merely a collection of organs, but the image of God.
Often, the cause of our physical weakness lies in the spiritual sphere — for example, despondency, despair, resentment, lack of faith. These very “illnesses of the spirit” destroy the body faster than any infection. The “Health of Soul and Body” programme that we organise
With the blessing and support of the clergy of the Georgian Orthodox Church, is built on the understanding of this simple law: asking for God’s help is not weakness, but the greatest wisdom.
A doctor’s view — why spirituality helps healing
To make our material more convincing, let us turn to the opinion of a specialist. We asked a doctor with many years of experience, Doctor of Medicine, Professor Maka Kvirikashvili, to comment on the situation.
“Over the years of my practice, I have noticed an astonishing pattern — patients who have an inner foundation, faith, or at least a sincere desire to find meaning, recover 2–3 times faster. This tendency can be seen even in oncology.
When a person prays, even if they do not know how to do it ‘correctly’, their hormonal balance stabilises, and the chronic stress that destroys immunity begins to subside.
Our colleagues in Georgia, at the sanatorium, confirm this: consultations with specialists and diagnostics, such as ultrasound scans and blood tests, are truly effective when the patient is calm in spirit. I would put it this way — pills treat symptoms, while hope and faith treat the cause.”
We do not place medicine and faith in opposition to one another. We bring them together. The programme includes specific medical services:
The two wings of healing — Borjomi and the monastery
Our journey is built on an extraordinary combination. Georgia is a country where Orthodoxy permeates the very air. Here, even mineral water flows from beneath the earth through the prayers of the saints.
What do we offer participants?
- Care for the body at the Borjomi sanatorium. Diagnostics, treatment, pure air, pine forests, an environmentally clean setting, and the restoration of physical strength.
- Care for the soul at the monastery. This is the heart of our programme. It is here that the reality of healing is encountered at the relics of the holy Venerable Gabriel Urgebadze.
Many people ask: “How does healing actually happen in Orthodoxy?” The answer is both very simple and deeply profound. It is not the magic of a “guaranteed miracle”. It is a path through prayer — sincere prayer, even if you feel nothing. Read on below, and we will explain what to do.
— the sacrament of confession and receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ
— anointing with blessed oil
— approaching the holy shrine with faith, not with superstitious fear
— communal prayer
— reverent veneration of the holy relics with faith and prayer
And, as a result, there comes relief, hope, and often real improvement in health.
Saint Gabriel Urgebadze — quiet help and living examples
Over 26 years of pilgrimages, we have gathered many testimonies. Not loud or theatrical ones, but deeply human and profound stories. For example, one woman with a serious oncological diagnosis came to the relics in complete despair.
After prayer and confession, she felt “inner silence”. And when she returned home and had her tests done, the doctors could hardly believe it — her results had improved dramatically.
There is another story as well. Parents prayed for a child whom doctors had given a poor prognosis. The child’s condition stabilised. We do not say “a miracle is guaranteed” — that would be sacrilege. We say that God’s help is real, and it comes through the prayers of Saint Gabriel.
A great many stories concern not the body, but the soul. People suffering from panic attacks, anxiety, and depression leave the relics with the feeling that “everything inside has become quiet”. They find a reason to go on living. And that, you will agree, is already no small thing.
How should you pray if you “feel nothing”?
We know how difficult it can be to take the first step. Especially for someone who is tired, ill, and disappointed. We often hear: “I pray, but I feel empty. That must mean He does not hear me.”
Stop. This is a very common and completely normal situation. Even deeply believing people go through periods of “dryness” in prayer.
What should you do in practice?
Pray simply, even “dryly”. Say: “Holy Father Gabriel, I feel nothing, but I still ask you — help me.” This is the most honest and powerful prayer. A saint does not need beautiful words; he needs the truth.
Let go of the expectation of “goosebumps”. Prayer is not a search for emotions, but a living contact. Sometimes the response does not come as warmth in the chest, but as sudden clarity: “Yes, this is what I need to do!” Or simply as the fact that you have stopped winding yourself up.
Notice the small changes. Have you become a little calmer? Is it a little easier to breathe? Has hope appeared? Even a 5% improvement is already a response. The process has begun.
Monastery products — love, care, and benefit
We would also like to tell you separately about the gifts created on the monastery grounds. The nuns and workers put prayer and love into every little jar. These are 100% natural, environmentally clean handmade products with healing properties.
Many of them can be purchased during the trip:
The key to understanding
We, the staff of the Orthodox Association of Disabled People “NiKa” and the Andcross Centre, invite you to join us on a journey through the Health of Soul and Body programme. Our goal is to share what we have known and lived by for 26 years.
Remember:
— without God, the most important problems cannot be solved;
— healing begins in the soul and is reflected in the body;
— asking God for help is not shameful. What is shameful is to despair and not ask.
If you feel tired of struggling alone, if doctors have no answers, or if your soul is simply heavy — come. Venerate the relics of Saint Gabriel. Speak with Mother Paraskeva, Father Gabriel’s cell attendant, who remembers him from his lifetime. Breathe the air of Borjomi. Go to confession, receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Allow God to touch your heart.
We organise everything — from transfers and welcome arrangements to consultations with the best doctors and spiritual conversations with a priest. With us, you have 26 years of experience and real testimonies from those who have already found a second wind.
The most precious thing a person has is life. The most precious thing in life is health. Do not put off caring for it until “someday”. Begin with what matters most — peace in the soul and faith in God.
Andrey Yakovlev