Mère Aimiliani

This article examines the Christian ascetic approach as presented by Mother Aimiliani, abbess of the Monastery of Our Lady of All Protection in Bussy-en-Othe. It is a theological and spiritual reflection grounded in Orthodox monastic experience. The central idea is that asceticism does not constitute an end in itself, but a means ordered toward a twofold availability: toward God and toward one's neighbor. The article thus highlights the relational and communal dimension of ascetic practice, which is often reduced to its solely penitential or individual dimension. On the theological level, this contribution makes it possible to situate asceticism within a perspective of active charity and service, underscoring its coherence with Orthodox Christian anthropology, which regards inner purification as a condition for an authentic presence to the other.