Father John Ilyich Sergiev, Kronstadt, Archpriest of St. Andrew's Cathedral

Contents Introduction Biography of Fr. John of Kronstadt Day of Fr. John of Kronstadt Childhood of Fr. John of Kronstadt The first steps of Fr. John of Kronstadt Teaching of the Law by Fr. John of Kronstadt Preaching by Fr. John of Kronstadt Sil Fr. John of Kronstadt The exploits of Fr. John of Kronstadt Diary of Fr. John of Kronstadt Charity Fr. John of Kronstadt Jubilee of Fr. John of Kronstadt Conclusion In our Russian history there are many famous people: great commanders, brilliant state dignitaries and legislators, poets, artists, writers... There are names that are familiar to every Russian person and child, from the palace chambers to the peasant's chicken hut... But if we take a closer look at the biography of all these persons, it turns out that they owe their fame either to a natural genius, or to a major talent, absolutely exceptional, without which they could not have done anything, or, finally, thanks to known situation of their birth, happy occasion, etc. The glory of Father John is no less than the glory of a great commander, minister, scholar or poet. Meanwhile, this glory, leaving behind a bright and long mark on humanity, does not depend on chance or talent. Every mere mortal can receive this glory like Fr. John, if only he follows the example of the Kronstadt shepherd and gives his whole life, his whole soul to the glory of God for the good of humanity. There is hardly an Orthodox Christian in Holy Rus' who has not heard of Father John of Kronstadt. About a thousand daily letters received by the venerable archpriest, and many thousands of pilgrims flocking from all over Russia, not excluding the Urals, Siberia, the Caspian Sea, the Volga and the Caucasus, are evidence of the enormous popularity of this out-of-the-ordinary altar server. During Great Lent, Fr. John has to confess those who come to him from 6–7 pm until 2 am; Here one is equally surprised at how tireless energy Fr. John, and the patience of the pilgrims, many of whom, having waited in line until night and remaining without confession, appear the next morning and again stand at the icon of the Mother of God until late in the evening, until, finally, their turn comes. Clear examples of the enormous, outstanding popularity of Fr. There are many Johns. Very often a railway station is besieged by a crowd of thousands; and sometimes a dense crowd gathers at the gate of a house within a few minutes; Sometimes carriages even have to be stopped on the streets due to excessive crowds of people... - What is this, where do so many people come from? What is she waiting for? - passers-by ask. “Father John is here,” they answer laconically from the crowd, and the crowd of people is understandable to everyone; no one will ask who this Father John is, why they are interested in him, etc. How did the crowd know so quickly that Fr. John, why does she wait silently for hours? And what kind of crowd is this? Here the military, officials, women, children, merchants and merchants, intellectuals and ordinary people - everyone has crowded into a group, waiting and knowing only that - Father John is here! No one is even interested in whether Fr. will be released soon. John, how long has he been here, with whom, on what occasion, etc. And they wait; They often wait for a long time, but as soon as the Kronstadt shepherd comes out, he will have to bless him for more than an hour until the mourners manage to force him into the carriage and shout to the coachman: “Go!” First they run after the carriage, look out the window and, when the carriage rushes off, they still stand and look into the distance... And where the carriage stops again, the crowd is already standing and waiting. Exactly what kind of announcement or full houses are published indicating the day and date. No, they just somehow recognize them by instinct, get ready and wait patiently. The same thing is repeated wherever Fr. John was not: in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Novgorod, Kharkov... 0 Kronstadt, of course, there is nothing to say: there, near the house of Fr. John, the crowd does not disperse all day and all night; some come, others go, and so on day after day, year after year, with an increasing proportion of the crowd. There are many more examples of the popularity of the Kronstadt archpriest, although the ones we have cited would be sufficient. In recent years, no matter in which family a great misfortune occurs or a terminally ill person turns up, everyone’s eyes turn to Fr. John. We know examples when even Jews resorted to the prayer of our shepherd, received relief and, of course, immediately after healing they converted to Orthodoxy. We know one merchant who came from distant Siberia specifically to pray with Fr. John, and the example of this merchant is not the only one. Many people know one very high-ranking person who, at a critical moment of his illness, when the doctors refused to help, ordered to invite Fr. John and received healing. Hundreds, not to say thousands, of similar cases of healing pass from mouth to mouth and are compiled into entire stories... Such is the popularity of our outstanding modern pastor, whose life is a continuous example of Christian love, humility and high self-sacrifice. It was not without reason that this popularity came to Fr. John; It was not advertising or chance that brought him forward and made him all-Russian famous and highly respected. No, the love and respect of all Russia Fr. John gained it through his righteous life and his prayers. The essay offered to readers contains as complete materials as possible about the 35-year activity of Fr. John. There is still no such publication, and although our essay does not pretend to be the final full biography of Fr. John, but we think that it will be far from superfluous. Biography of Fr. John of Kronstadt Fr. himself John reported his detailed autobiography to the publisher of the magazine “North”, where it was published in 1888, and from there we borrow it. “I am the son of the clerk of the Arkhangelsk province, the village of Sursky, and was born in 1829. So, not at all prepared for school, barely able to read, I entered the Arkhangelsk parish school as a student in 1839, in my tenth year of age. It was difficult for me to read and write: there were no leaders nearby, I had to figure everything out myself, and I had considerable grief over my lack of understanding. But from childhood, having been taught by the example of my father and mother to pray, I was a piously-minded boy and loved prayer and worship, especially good singing. Grieving over the failures of the teaching, I fervently prayed to God to give me reason - and I remember how suddenly a curtain fell from my mind, and I began to understand the teaching well. The more I grew, the better and better I did in the sciences, so that almost from the last I rose to the top of the students, especially in the seminary, where I graduated as the first student in 1851, and was sent to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy at public expense. At that time, students occupied the positions of clerks on the academic board for the most insignificant pay (about 10 rubles per month), and I, having a mother, a poor widow who needed my help, at the offer of the secretary of the academic board, gladly agreed to take this place. Having completed the course as a candidate of theology in 1855, I went as a priest to Kronstadt in December, marrying the daughter of a local archpriest, K.P. Nesvitsky, Elizabeth, who is still alive; I don’t have and never had children. From the very first days of my high service to the Church, I set myself a rule: to be as sincere as possible about my work, pastoration and priestly service, to strictly monitor myself, my inner life. To this end, first of all, I began to read the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, extracting from them what was edifying for myself, as a person, a priest and a member of society. Then I began to keep a diary in which I recorded my struggle with thoughts and passions, my repentant feelings, my secret prayers to the Lord and my grateful feelings for deliverance from temptations, sorrows and misfortunes. On every Sunday and holiday, I delivered words and conversations in church either of my own composition or the sermons of Metropolitan Gregory. Some of my conversations have been published, but quite a lot remains in manuscript. Published: conversation “On the Most Holy Trinity”, “On the Creation of the World”, “On the Providence of God”, “On the World” and “On the Beatitudes of the Gospel”. In addition to preaching, from the very beginning of my priesthood I took care of the poor, as I myself was a poor man, and about twenty years ago I thought about establishing a “House of Diligence” for the poor in Kronstadt, which the Lord helped to establish about 15 years ago. That's all." This is the entire autobiography of the high shepherd, but we have a lot to add to it. The pastor-teacher for over thirty years has been, both in his position and in his personal merits, an outstanding representative of the Orthodox Church, preaching with tireless zeal “in time and in time,” denouncing, forbidding, pleading with all patience and teaching... Our Church found in this humble altar server a living force and a zealous fighter against all attacks of heterodoxy and unbelief. The word of Fr., filled with love and firmness. John's simple, soft and sincere speech, the power of his prayers produce a powerful, irresistible impression and not only leave a deep mark on listeners or eyewitnesses, but often end in complete moral rebirth. A striking feature throughout the life and moral image of the Kronstadt shepherd is his mercy and compassion for his suffering brethren, his accessible, almost tender, fatherly treatment of people of different positions, attentive attitude to human conscience and penetration into the deepest recesses of the human heart. By origin Fr. John was a native of the harsh, cold Arkhangelsk province and spent the first years of his life in an equally harsh environment, in the large family of his father, an ordinary poor cleric. Here he saw scenes of hopeless poverty, almost hunger, and in the child’s soul there were only gloomy impressions of human life, only suffering, pictures of grief and despair. The child had never seen or encountered any idea of ​​another, more relaxed, everyday environment. From here it becomes clear why Fr. Throughout his life, John retained a deep love for people and compassion for human adversity, and on the other hand, the more than modest environment of his own life. As a 9-year-old boy, Fr. John was taken to Arkhangelsk to the parish theological school; his parents, despite extreme poverty, attached the utmost importance to the education of their children, well understanding that only education could lead a person out of the sad situation of the Arkhangelsk clergyman. Life at the school did not present any special features for the boy; He studied well, behaved even better, and therefore, when he finished the course, the authorities themselves tried to transfer him to the seminary, and then to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. The boy had already become a young man with high ideals, ardent aspirations, and broad plans to devote himself to serving the Church and the Fatherland. Father John, a 17-year-old boy, was preparing to become a monk, a missionary to distant countries and to spread the light of Orthodoxy far beyond the borders of your fatherland. Fate, however, decided otherwise, and he subsequently had to spend his entire life by the sea... and never once leave Russia... The time spent at the academy influenced Fr. John, so to speak, was chilling... He saw that instead of going to Japan or China, it was necessary to spread and instill Orthodoxy in St. Petersburg itself. The field for the fight against unbelief and other faiths was enormous; all the surrounding areas of the capital are infected with schism, and a nest of unbelief and sectarianism has built a nest in the capital. Father John finally decided to remain in the white clergy, settle in the vicinity of the capital and devote himself with all his being to his pastoral mission. In 1855, Father John graduated from the Theological Academy with a degree in theology and in the same year accepted the first vacancy that opened in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. The opportunity fell in Kronstadt, in the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called, and from 1855 to the present day Fr. John remains in the same church, in the same place, decisively rejecting all the moves and transfers offered to him. Father John stands out from the crowd of other contemporaries in that the biographical sketch of his activities does not fit into the usual framework of ordinary biographies. Although I seem to have conveyed all the biographical information, in essence, I have still said very little, and the reader has far from received a complete picture of the personality of the humble priest, whose fame spread throughout our vast fatherland and penetrated into every village. Where is the especially striking feature of the entire life and moral image of Father John? Where is the magical power with which he conquers the hearts of people and attracts crowds of thousands around him? After all, neither sermons, nor priestly services, nor lessons of the law of God, nor alms, no! Other altar servers who rise to the rank of hierarch have all this, however, the people do not run after them in crowds, do not seek their blessings and prayers for years, are not ready to believe their every word, order, advice... Where is the “secret” of Father John’s popularity? This is where the main and most significant part of the biography of Father John begins - that part that is completely absent from all other celebrities. Usually, we take this or that contemporary and consider his social activity from the point of view of “glory”, as the highest reward of the aspirations of the human spirit, to the extent that this activity is a likeness, an image of the eternity and immortality of human exploits. We become acquainted with the "deeds" of a warrior, a lawyer, a minister, a professor - on the path they have chosen, and as biographers or historians we note the "glory" of their exploits. It never occurred to anyone to look into the private life of a famous contemporary and make any characteristics there, or look for biographical facts. Perhaps we don’t have the right to do this. Moreover, statesmen or luminaries of science and art are reflected so completely in their public actions that it would be useless to rummage through their home life. And Father John? Apply this general measure to it - and you get absolutely nothing. Each reader understands with his heart and mind that Fr. John belongs to a wondrous, wonderfully beautiful glory, merging him with all of Orthodox Russia; the thoughts of a million people are rushing towards him, many are not content with a “thought” and travel thousands of miles to Kronstadt in order to more tangibly satisfy their zeal, and, however, we examined in detail the entire 35-year public activity of the modest priest and did not find anything extraordinary or outstanding in it. We will try, as far as our skill is sufficient, to give an outline of the inner life of Father John, his moral image, and then, perhaps, we will find the key to the solution... The fact is that the life of Father John is not at all divided into public and private, like that of all other people. He has no private life of his own. He belongs entirely to his duty and service, and therefore his biographical sketch cannot be limited to external facts alone. A general or a minister, a scientist or an orator, returning home, ceases to be a general, a minister, a scientist, an orator; he devotes himself to his family and acquaintances, goes to the theater, plays cards, feasts with friends. This has never happened to Father John in all 35 years; he returned home, found hundreds of people, dozens of urgent invitations, thousands of letters, requests, etc. Having quickly satisfied his hunger, and sometimes without eating, he hurries to satisfy everyone as much as possible, regardless of fatigue, hunger... Even 3-4 hours a day for sleep does not belong entirely to Fr. Ioannou: he often spends them in a carriage, a carriage, or even not sleeping at all... Irresistible faith and fiery love in God, truth and man, permeating every atom of Father John’s being and forcing him to completely forget his “I” - this is the force that created glory for the humble priest, this is Socrates or Pythagoras of modern times, with the only difference that the ancient philosophers and sages lived for others according to their own highly moral teachings, and the Kronstadt shepherd has no need for his own teaching and lives for others according to the commandment of Christ, imitating the example of the Divine Teacher. I will not say whether the rumors that Fr. John wears chains, but I can certify that, using the example of the wanderer Alexander Mikhailov, he did not consider chains to be something unnatural, but, on the contrary, said that this weapon is the easiest way to curb bad things, and a person who is not able to curb his body, accustom it to hardships, fight his passions, can put chains on himself... O. John, let us suppose, does not need iron chains, because his iron will binds his body with all its passions and weaknesses stronger than any chains. So, the destruction of one’s own private life and one’s “I”, absorbed by selfless love, constitutes the strength and glory of the ascetic life of Fr. John. Using the examples of ancient Christians and Greek or Roman sages, we see that at all times of mankind, selfless love had a path to the glory that Fr. John. This glory requires no wealth, no noble birth, no resounding victories or the issuance of wise laws. Socrates had nothing but a bright mind and love, and yet his name lives on to this day. Day o. John of Kronstadt On the seaside outskirts of the city of Kronstadt, on the corner of two distant streets, half a mile from St. Andrew's Cathedral, there stands a small gray house, hidden from the eyes of passersby by a rather high fence and dense vegetation. The house is divided into two halves, and in the smaller part, consisting of only three low rooms, lives Archpriest Fr. John Sergiev, one of the three priests of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt. The furnishings are as clean and cozy as they are modest, almost poor: a bed with a hard mattress, a simple table, a few chairs, two or three wardrobes - this is all the furniture in the apartment of the Kronstadt archpriest, who annually distributes hundreds of thousands of rubles in benefits, alms and Christ's alms to the poor. Let's see how the Kronstadt shepherd spends his working day. In summer the east still lights up a little, and the sun is not visible, and in winter the night is dark and impenetrable, when Fr. John wakes up; cheerful and, as always, serious and concentrated, he, having washed himself, stands in front of his icons and offers morning prayers... If at that moment there was a cry: “fire”, “flood”, “enemy”, etc., in all likelihood, Fr. John would not have heard them or, rather, would not have paid attention to them, because he was completely lost in prayer, transported to another world, and forgot about everything earthly... The prayer lasts for approximately half an hour, after which Fr. John takes on an even fresher, more cheerful appearance; in his entire figure one can see iron energy, indestructible firmness, and at the same time extraordinary kindness shines in his eyes... Here's about. John got dressed and headed to the church, but it was not so easy for him to reach his goal, although the church was only half a mile away. The gates of his house are surrounded by a completely impenetrable crowd; here are half of the pilgrims who arrived “with their infirmities” to Fr. John for miraculous prayer, while half are waiting for alms. It occurred to many that Fr. John becomes a victim of professional beggars who exploit his generosity and kindness. I have positive facts and, based on many examples, I assert that this does not exist, and cannot be. Does Fr. John has an extraordinary memory to remember every petitioner, or he is one of the extraordinary physiognomists, to read thoughts by facial expressions and look into the soul, or, finally, as many argue, this is a special gift from above, a revelation, but only Fr. John knows who he is giving to and unmistakably helps the true need. This classification is so true and clear that professional Kronstadt beggars do not dare to come across Fr. John; they go around crooked roads so as not to accidentally even catch the eye of the kind, but also strict shepherd. Of course, there may be cases where some rogue will be able to surreptitiously snatch alms or deceive the shepherd, but such cases are probably very few, because one almost never hears about them. On the contrary, almost every day one encounters some subject bursting into bitter tears... “My father drove me away,” he answered, sobbing, to questions. I drove him away! And this “drive away” is not only the greatest punishment for the ragamuffin, but it terrifies him for the future, terrifies him many times more than any judicial sentence. And no one can console the “thrown away”, mainly because everyone understands the importance of such a “throw away” and involuntarily fears for the fate of the driven one if he fails to beg forgiveness from Fr. John. Having dressed the gathered crowd of beggars, dividing them into “sheep and goats,” into right and left, that is, giving to some and removing others, Fr. John blessed whomever he had time to do, or perhaps whom he “wanted,” and gets into the cab. Although the cathedral is no more than half a mile away, Fr. John always travels, because otherwise he would only reach the cathedral in the evening... There is again a crowd on the porch and again the same alms as a blessing... Finally, the shepherd is at the altar. 6–6 ½ o'clock in the morning. There are three bishops in St. Andrew's Cathedral, and therefore Fr. John does not have to perform a service every day; if it is not his turn, then he stands on the choir instead of the sexton and reads the Apostle, prayers, sings... His pleasant and strong voice sounds loudly, clearly, distinctly and with some special reverence, in which there is no sign of senile flabbiness. “Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” reads Fr. John, and the church full of people falls to its knees. The service (matins or early mass) is over. Father John has 10–15 visits to Kronstadt, several lessons; then 10–15 prayer services, a trip to St. Petersburg; several confessors, several dozen visitors, two hundred letters that need to be read all, and some answered, two hundred “memories” about the suffering and sick, asking for prayers about. John... And tomorrow the same thing again, etc., etc., day after day, year after year. Appearance o. Joanna has remained unchanged for all 35 years. He never seemed like a young man, but even now, at 61 years old, he not only doesn’t look like an old man, but no one would give him more than 35–40 years old, he’s so youthful, fresh and cheerful. Meanwhile, he rarely manages to sleep more than 3-4 hours a day; he does not, and cannot have, a specific time for eating - he always eats quickly what is offered; not knowing fatigue, for 5 or more hours in a row he, as we said, is on his feet, serving in church, confessing and receiving Holy Communion. secrets of hundreds of people. Every day he travels to Oranienbaum, St. Petersburg, and even Moscow... Father John's face is not one that can be painted. I had to see the respected pastor dozens of times, then compare different photographs and lithographs... What a difference! Nothing like it!.. It is clear that no photograph or engraving can convey this nervously mobile face, illuminated by clear blue eyes, full of deep expression. The face of Father John does not at all resemble the ancient patriarchal face depicted on ancient monuments or on icons: his family is not large, not broad, not thick and not gray-haired. The wrinkles on the face are not only deep and wide, as many imagine when they mentally picture the appearance of Fr. John, but there are none, although the skin color, of course, has ceased to be white with a wide blush, as it was forty years ago. The beard merges with the mustache and outlines the outline of a small mouth. The forehead is large, high, with two folds in the middle. The hair lies on the shoulders, combed smoothly, parted in the middle of the forehead. Cassock o. John wears the same one for many years and has two crosses around his neck. The expression on Father John’s face in ordinary times is serious, but when he performs sacred acts, teaches or conducts a conversation with those seeking faith, this seriousness is supplemented by the reflection of such love and joy, such indestructible faith and readiness for any self-sacrifice that one can immediately see an extraordinary and extraordinary person; a smile appears on his lips, which attracts the crowd; light and radiant eyes are full of kindness and love, behind which the seriousness of the general expression of Father John’s face completely disappears. But sometimes this very face can be menacing and angry, making people who are far from cowardly tremble. Then the serious expression on the face takes on the appearance of merciless severity, and the eyes flash lightning. However, Fr. John takes this form only exclusively against the arrogant blasphemers of God, remembering the Savior’s commandment that all blasphemy will be forgiven to a person, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven and it would be better for that person not to have been born... For many years now they have caught the priest in Kronstadt or St. Petersburg, handed him a note and asked him to pray or stop by; those who can go to Kronstadt themselves, and those living far away are sent by mail or telegraph. O. John receives special mail every day, which is carried from the post office to the apartment of the secretary (naval officer) in clothes baskets. Telegrams and money letters take precedence; They are printed out immediately, and the secretary writes out the names on a special ribbon-shaped paper, which Fr. John before performing the liturgy for remembrance while taking out the prosphora. The addresses of those asking for visits are written on another ribbon-shaped paper, which are presented to the priest after the service and reviewed by him in the altar before the visits begin; the seriously ill and dying receive preference. After telegrams and money mail, the secretary and his assistants proceed to the clothes basket of simple letters, from which new selections are made on paper in sequential order. If you don’t have the physical strength to cope with all the mail, then the last batch of letters is called just a count. - So many unopened! Those who personally came to Father John in Kronstadt for confession or prayer previously had completely free and easy access, because the priest received him wherever he had to meet him: on the street, in church, at home; Moreover, Fr. John himself came to the common apartments where the toiling and burdened people who came to him stayed, and here, if possible, he satisfied all the requests and needs of his “children.” But over the years, the popularity of the modest Kronstadt shepherd grew, the crowds of his admirers increased, and gradually it became more and more difficult to obtain a personal meeting. Intermediaries appeared between the priest and those who wanted to see him, mostly pursuing personal material goals. I have heard indignant protests: - How does this allow Fr. John trading his personality and his services? After all, he knows about the deals of the people around him?!.. - Yes, he knows. The Kronstadt shepherd knows all this and is constantly fighting against evil, but the physical strength is not enough to cope with all the surrounding predators, who are primarily helped by the priest’s admirers themselves. There was, for example, a case when Fr. John announced that he would not visit one strange house. And meanwhile, every day several dozen visitors were waiting for him in this house, begging him to come. He will drive away some predator, and then dozens of admirers relentlessly begin to ask for the driven one, and the latter run after the priest, bursting into tears on their knees. For the last 5–6 years, I have been talking with Fr. It became completely impossible for John to live in his home, because he leaves the house at six o’clock in the morning, and returns only late at night, exhausted and tired; he goes home for breakfast or lunch, maybe several times a year; for vacations or visits he is absolutely never at home. In church, when Fr. John, there are such masses of people that it’s only possible to exchange a few phrases at the altar; When leaving, you only have to think about how to get to the crew. Therefore, there remain hospice houses if it is impossible or difficult to wait for a visit to the priest at home. There are six hospice houses in Kronstadt and they are all more or less identical to each other, of the same type, so to speak. These are large apartments with shared rooms and private rooms; the managers and managers are women, behind whom the real owners are hidden; The order and rules in these shelters resemble hospice houses at provincial monasteries, but, of course, only from the outside. Poor people who come to Kronstadt use common rooms, where for 10–15 kopecks they have a cot or bed with a straw mattress and two kettles of boiling water; Since such pilgrims have their own provisions, tea and sugar, their entire expenditure is limited to payment for an overnight stay with boiling water, and also 5–10 kopecks for the right to attend Fr.’s prayer service. John and receive his blessing. In common areas no kit is required and men are not separated from women or adults from children; everyone piles into a heap, “how many have arrived,” if there are not enough beds, they lay mattresses on the floor. There are no murmurs or protests about the overcrowding, because the pilgrims spend only a few hours at the overnight shelter; at five o’clock in the morning everyone already goes to church. Wealthier people occupy separate rooms, with the right to “ask the priest” to enter the room for a private conversation. The owners of hospice houses are well aware that this is a “right”, as the only opportunity to talk with Fr. John, costs some a lot of money and even more effort; others come thousands of miles just for this “right”, and, of course, it doesn’t mean anything to them to pay even tens of rubles for a room. These pilgrims constitute the main source of income for the hospices; experienced keepers see them immediately by their appearance, costume, conversation, reception, and it happens that the same room changes guests several times. For example, a St. Petersburger arrives, makes a deal, takes a room and has just laid down to rest - there is a knock on the door. – Take the trouble, dear man, to clean the room. - I need a number. You don't even need money - leave quickly... It turns out that a Kharkov resident has arrived. If chance brings a Siberian or a merchant familiar with generosity, then the Kharkov resident is dismissed with the same unceremoniousness. According to the fee, a separate room costs from 1 to 5 rubles. per day, but the guest’s room will always cost twice or three times more; here everything is taken for granted except the right to breathe stale heavy air, the payment for which is already included in the price of the room. Smoking tobacco is absolutely prohibited in hospices. In Bykov’s house, specially built as apartments for visitors, there is a large chapel at the top, all filled with icons with burning lamps and candles; Every evening akathists to the holy saints are read here. When it came to unceremonious exactions from admirers of Fr. John, staying in hospice houses, I always wondered why neither the Kronstadt City Duma nor the St. Andrew's Trusteeship thought of setting up one common barracks for those coming to Fr. John. The largest pilgrimage is taking place before everyone's eyes, and no one wants to come to the aid of the need. On the one hand, for Father John it is too difficult to make daily visits of six private shelters, and on the other hand, pilgrims have to pay too much for services. Why shouldn’t the Kronstadt Duma or St. Andrew’s Trusteeship take upon themselves, in this case, mediation and satisfy the urgent needs of the city? Needless to say, all the costs and expenses for setting up a common hospice house would have been repaid in abundance, so no one would have had to make material sacrifices. Father John puts up with the sinfulness of Christians, with vices; He tries to lead his children away from the sinful path with prayer and admonitions, helps them in this by all means, works day and night for them, but when he sees an “empty-headed” person who brazenly lies to his face, mocks the gospel covenants, faith and God - he becomes “angered” and runs away from these people. “I have nothing to do here,” says the priest. The meaning of this phrase is quite clear. Where there is no sincere repentance for one's vices, there is no firm desire to renounce a sinful life and follow the gospel path... there is no hope for forgiveness, for pardon and, therefore, there is no place for church fellowship. That is why Fr. is kind and affectionate with the “golden miners”. John becomes nervously irritable, a “stranger” with hypocrites, hypocrites and blasphemers, no matter in what costumes they come to him. Childhood o. John of Kronstadt Father John himself conveys several facts about the first years of his childhood. Here is the story of the venerable shepherd, recorded from his words by the author of this essay. I cannot vouch for the literal accuracy of the presentation, but I vouch for the fact that all the facts are presented “From early childhood, as soon as I remember myself,” said Fr. John, - 4-5 years old, and maybe less, my parents taught me to pray and, by their own example, made me a religiously minded boy. My father, the clerk of the church in the village of Sursky, Pinezhsky district, Arkhangelsk province, constantly took me to church, and with all my soul I loved public worship, especially choral singing. At home, in my sixth year, my father bought an ABC book for me, but reading and writing was difficult for me, and I grieved a lot over my lack of development and lack of understanding. I could not in any way grasp the identity between our speech and writing or a book, between sound and letter. Yes, this was not taught at that time with such clarity as it is now; we were all taught: “Az, Buki, Lead”, as if “A” was in itself, “Az” in itself; For a long time I could not understand this wisdom, and when, in my tenth year, I was taken to the Arkhangelsk parish school, I had difficulty sorting through the warehouses and then only the printed ones. My father received, of course, the most insignificant allowance; life was terribly difficult. I already understood the difficult situation of my parents, and therefore my darkness in my teaching was a particularly heavy burden for me. I thought little about the importance of teaching for my future and only grieved that my father was in vain paying his last crumbs, and the teachers were trying in vain to explain the lessons to me. “In Arkhangelsk, far from my homeland and loved ones, I was left completely alone, without any leaders and had to figure out everything on my own. Among my peers in the class, I did not get along with anyone, did not find, and did not seek support or help. The boys were much more capable than me, but I was of little interest to them, and even if they could help me with anything, they probably wouldn’t: they wouldn’t want to bother with the poor clerk’s son. “And so, as I remember now, one day it was already evening, everyone went to bed. I was the only one who couldn’t sleep; I still couldn’t understand anything from what had been said, I still didn’t read well, didn’t understand or remember anything that was said. Such melancholy attacked me; I fell to my knees and began to pray fervently. I don’t know how long I stayed in this position, but suddenly it shook me all over... It was as if a veil had fallen from my eyes, as if the mind had opened up in my head, and the teacher of that day and his lesson clearly appeared to me; I even remembered what he was talking about. And it became easy and joyful in my soul. I have never slept so peacefully as I did that night. It got a little light, I jumped out of bed, grabbed my books and, oh happiness! - I read much easier, I understand everything, and what I read, I not only understood everything, but even now I can tell it. I felt differently in class than before: I understood everything, everything remained in my memory. The teacher gave me an arithmetic problem, I solved it, and they even praised me. “In a word, in a short time I advanced so much that I was no longer the last student. The further I went, the better and better I did in the sciences, and by the end of the course I was one of the first to be transferred to the seminary.” This is how the venerable shepherd characterizes his childhood and adolescence. I said that in the seminary Fr. John was the first student and was then sent to the local St. Petersburg Academy on public account, from which he graduated in 1855, as I said above. While still in seminary, Fr. John lost his dearly beloved father, and his old mother was left without any means of subsistence. He wanted to look straight from the seminary for a position as a deacon or psalm-reader in order to support his mother, but the latter did not allow him to do this, and he went to the academy, especially since this did not involve any expenses or costs. The thought of his mother did not leave him: in the academic board at that time, the scribe positions were occupied by students of the academy, and the future Kronstadt shepherd “with joy,” as he says, accepted the position of scribe for 9 rubles a month in order to completely send these modest funds to his mother. Homeland o. Ioanna - the village of Sura. I'll say a few words about him. Another five miles before the Sura River, as you exit one of the bends of the river, a beautiful panorama of the homeland of Father John unfolds. The village was built at the confluence of the Sura River and Pinega, on a hill dominating the entire surrounding area. It is small, and many of the peasant huts testify to the poverty of its inhabitants; but there are also good, beautiful huts. Before the new one was built, there were two churches, but of these, the warm church, which had existed for two hundred years, fell into extreme disrepair, so that services in it had to stop in a short time; but the cold one, renewed by the care of Father John, can still serve for a considerable time. But all these three churches, especially the one newly created by Father John and the cold one, with their bizarre architecture give the whole area a very picturesque appearance. On the southwestern side, where the Sura River flows, there is a long strip of land, closed by a hill on which a forest is spread. From the south, on the very edge of the horizon, covered with a haze of fog, stretches another forest, lost in the distance. In the distance, the Sura River snakes through this space, sparkling with its streams in the brightly shining sun. Peasants are working here and there, a cart is trundling, children are running. Now here is the house of Father John's sister. This house, in essence, is the same peasant hut in its structure as other huts, but much higher, more spacious and more spacious than the latter. I said that in Sura there are two ancient wooden churches, Nikolaevskaya and Vvedenskaya, of which one is more than 300 years old, and the other is about 200 years old. In these churches, Father John prayed as a child and developed that religious spirit, which has manifested itself in all its strength at the present time. The new church, just consecrated by Father John and built at his expense, is located on a hill from which a picturesque view of the surrounding area opens. More than 50 thousand rubles have already been spent on its rough construction; in addition, utensils and vestments, etc., have been sent. more than 50 thousand rubles. The icons were painted by the artist Zhuravlev at the request of a high-ranking official and cost 12 thousand rubles; in a word, the new church will turn out to be the richest of the rural churches in the entire diocese. It is remarkable that it arose almost from crumbs, then everyone, to the best of their ability, from high-ranking officials to the last poor man, contributed his mite to the good cause. First steps o. John of Kronstadt I said that from 1885 to the present day, Father John remains in the same cathedral. This appointment took place under the following circumstances. In our clergy, as is known, there existed, and still exists in some dioceses, the custom that a priest gives up his place or takes his son-in-law as an assistant, that is, a young priest who married his daughter. Hence, in a sense, the hereditary inheritance of priestly places, sanctified by centuries-old traditions. To be ordained a priest, Father John had to get married according to canonical rules, and at one evening he met and immediately proposed to his daughter, Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral K.N. Nesvitsky. “The wedding took place” three or four weeks later, and Father John was ordained as a priest at the Kronstadt Cathedral. The popularity of the Kronstadt shepherd was not based on chance, but developed over the years on a solid foundation of goodness, faith, love and hard work. Just as a building is created from small bricks, piled one on top of the other, and a five-story grandiose house emerges: so the glory of Father John developed slowly and gradually, step by step, until the Orthodox population of our fatherland saw the majestic figure of the altar server, who covered his activities with selfless deeds. The “mass” or “public” turned their attention to St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Kronstadt only fifteen years ago, when cases of helping the sick through Father John, out of the ordinary, began to be repeated almost daily and became the property of the press. “Moskovskie Vedomosti”, “Petersburg Listok”, “St. Petersburg Vedomosti” and some spiritual publications have published since 1876 at least 100 descriptions of various incidents from the life and work of Father John, with indications and references to living witnesses. There can be no place for fiction or misunderstandings here, and we have the right to refer to such evidence from the secular and spiritual press. In addition, tens of thousands of eyewitnesses convey from mouth to mouth their own impressions and stories about various incidents at which they themselves were present. If hundreds of voices tell the same thing with all the details and little things, don’t we have the right not to believe it and attribute all these stories to the realm of fiction? On the other hand, there are also cases that remain an eternal monument, without the need for human testimony... These are the ones we will mainly focus on in our essay, conveying to the readers, as concisely as possible, the most outstanding moments of the activity of the Kronstadt shepherd. I have no doubt that readers themselves will be able to confirm much of what I tell here; They talked about this a lot in their time, and the storytellers are still alive. My task is only to collect into one whole all the scattered passages and highlight the most characteristic episodes. Immediately, upon being sent to Kronstadt, the still young priest found himself with a lot of things to do. And strange! Most priests are looking for work, activities, and do not know where to kill time from one church service to another; Perhaps there will be a need, a call to a sick person or a woman in labor; some have lessons, but still there is enough free time even for cards, receiving guests, acquaintances, etc. Father John has no time to have lunch, sleep, or spend an hour or two with the family. Where is this from? Nobody knew him in Kronstadt, he had never been there, and in general he had only been a priest for a year, and you couldn’t change his affairs from morning to night. From the very first days of serving the Church, Father John began reading the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, extracting from it edification for himself as a person, a priest and a member of society. Every Sunday or holiday I said words and conversations in church. In addition to preaching, from his very first steps he took care of the poor, sick and mourning... And soon everyone recognized him. The news about the young “extraordinary” priest quickly spread throughout Kronstadt. Stories about the feats of mercy, love and beneficial prayer of the new shepherd went from mouth to mouth and began to spread far beyond the borders of Kronstadt. The courtyard of the small house, still occupied by Father John, began to be filled with all sorts of people; the sick, the suffering, the toiling, the burdened flocked; the beggars came in droves; they came with family troubles, binge drinkers, abandoned wives... Everyone was in need before the “father”. They called him, invited him, asked for prayer, blessings, financial assistance, and opened their souls. And he did not refuse anyone, accepting everyone, prayed with them, consoled them, encouraged them, went at the first call to the seriously ill, traveled dozens of miles and everywhere brought peace, hope, faith, everyone left him with a lighter heart, relieved bodily suffering. A year passed, and it turned out that Father John had neither day nor night the opportunity to rest, to be alone with himself: leaving the house, he knew that a crowd of people was waiting for him in the kindergarten; Having dismissed those gathered, giving everyone what he asked, as far as possible, Father John hurried on visits to the church, accompanied everywhere by a crowd. He is always invariably cheerful, fresh, like a man who has just gone for a walk after a relaxing dinner and sleep... This is how the first two years of Father John’s pastorate passed; but the young wife, as if by vow, turned into a sister of mercy, helping her “verbal husband” in his high service to God and his neighbors, completely forgetting about her marriage; in all two years they saw each other only for a few minutes a day, when Father John appeared at home late in the evening or early in the morning. “There are enough happy families, Lisa, without us,” said the shepherd, “and you and I will devote ourselves entirely to serving God.” Soon after being ordained as a priest at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt, immediately after completing his academic course, John Ilyich Sergiev took the position of teacher of the law at the local city school and opened spiritual conversations for the Orthodox, working tirelessly all day long for the benefit of the Church and his spiritual children. Whether due to intensive studies or a cold, Father John became seriously ill. It was at the beginning of Lent. The doctors announced that the patient would certainly die if he did not immediately stop eating lean food: nutrition was the first condition, and yet the patient did not even want to take fish. “You will definitely die if you don’t eat meat,” they tell him. - Okay, I agree, but I will first ask my mother’s permission. - In the Arkhangelsk province. – Write as soon as possible. At the request of Father John, on the same day they sent a letter to his mother with a request to send her blessing to her son as soon as possible for permission to eat fasting food during Lent. A week passed, then another. The patient is getting worse. Finally, I get a letter from my mother: “I send a blessing, but I do not allow you to eat fast food during Great Lent under any circumstances.” Father John met the answer with complete indifference and was even apparently pleased with the refusal. - So, won’t you eat meat? – the doctors asked him. “Of course I won’t,” Father John calmly answered. - The will of God. Do you really think that I would exchange my life for the blessing of my mother, for the commandment of the Lord: “Honor your father and your mother”... Despite, however, the doctors’ prophecy, the health of Fr. John's condition did not worsen, and he soon completely recovered. The first steps of Fr. John in Kronstadt was marked by a number of acts of mercy that had never been heard of before. Being a teacher of the law in two local educational institutions and one of the three priests of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Father John still found time to perform numerous feats of philanthropy. For an ordinary person, a person weak in spirit, there seemed to be no way out of this struggle; but Father John, gifted from above with extraordinary strength of spirit, understood his usual outcome - faith, and faith, in the end, led to the fact that a favorable revolution in public opinion gradually took place. They no longer saw the young priest as a holy fool; on the contrary, little by little, it became clear to everyone that this is exactly what a true servant of the Orthodox Church should be. Just as everything in life begins small, so in this case the beginning of a happy change was laid by those small, insignificant, poor people, the scum of society, to whom Father John himself first of all drew his heartfelt attention. So, through popular rumor, through the warming love of the poor, over time, the image of a good shepherd emerged - an image full of captivating charm. And then there was no longer any disagreement in different strata of society, which, with amazing unanimity, finally realized the moral superiority of the persecuted and ridiculed priest. Thus, in the very first stages of his ministry, Father John had a lot to do, and the desire to kill time idly, of course, was out of the question. Step by step, slowly, he acquired knowledge, which, in his opinion, academic education had given him little of, acquired strength of spirit and faith - in a word, step by step, he improved morally. Without deviating one iota from his word, having at first a lot of free time, he began to carefully and attentively read the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. How attentively this reading was, how deeply he understood the sacred scriptures, is best evidenced by the notes he made in the margins of these books, such as: “Is it easy to have perfect love?” “Love is God Himself.” “Consider yourself worse than everyone else if you want to be perfect,” etc. Such notes appear against almost every verse, emphasizing places that have special guiding significance in the matter of spiritual perfection. In addition, he made it a strict duty to perform the Divine Liturgy daily; to put it differently, he mysteriously united with the Lord every day through heartfelt repentance and communion of the Holy Mysteries, and thus, day after day, he conducted, although unnoticed by others, but useful, vigorous, spiritual activity, without thinking about rest. I will cite a wonderful speech made by Father John at the end of the seminary course, at a public event in 1851. “Most Reverend Bishop and you, most venerable visitors! “There are not many days like this for us, when everything that can be done in a special and pleasant way to influence the young mind and heart of a young man, to excite, support and strengthen in him the desire for everything good and useful, is done to encourage the spiritual youth being formed here. Called here from the humble, silent life of a student, we consider these hours happy and precious for ourselves, in which you have now so brightly and variedly decorated this important field of testing for us, so inappropriate for our previous state. Rare are the days in our lives that are so solemn for us; but the rarer they are, the more they increase the power of impressions on our minds and hearts; the more they awaken in us the consciousness of our own well-being; all the more, they arouse in us feelings of lively gratitude to the heroes of this celebration. There is no need to say that your presence here, your attention to us now constitutes our joy, our pleasure, our triumph. “But with these feelings, so gratifying to the heart, we are disturbed by one thought that the fruits of the education we received may be far from meeting your expectations; They even, perhaps, seem very meager, giving little reward for the work done in the care of the trustee authorities. While we fully submit to your judgment our successes in the field of education, we are consoled, on the other hand, by the thought that your deep experience will not judge us in comparison with yourself. It was only necessary for us to assist in our efforts for complete success in the matter. Your concerns, your efforts to provide us with useful information were obvious to each of us. How many treasures of learning have been laid before us, so that each one can take from them what he wants to enrich his mind! How, when teaching, you tried to add variety and pleasantness to your speech, so that the truths you communicated would be more easily and conveniently perceived by the mind and heart! We felt the sweetness of your instructions in our hearts - and tried to imprint them in our memory, so that later, in due time, we could use them to benefit ourselves and others. But most of all, you cared, like good fathers, about preserving good morality among us, for which, on the one hand, the opportunity was taken away for committing vices that could creep into the soul from the outside; on the other hand, the need for purity of life was constantly instilled, as the surest and most reliable means of being happy in any condition and age. And we have seen how dangerous vice is always, and how reliable and precious virtue is. After such active care of the guardian authorities for us, all that remains is, with the ability to use the education received, to be satisfied and happy in life for those of us who have now completed the difficult field of enlightenment and are completing the seminar course. How many times will we owe you the most precious moments of happiness and delight in the knowledge of the benefits that enlightenment has brought and will give us! “The sciences,” says Cicero, “are our consolation and happiness in all conditions and ages.” Yes, repeated experiments confirm this truth. But what is most pleasant and precious for us in the sciences is the thought that they will always constitute our inalienable property, that they have come to us as a result of long-term, intense labor, and that what is obtained through labor is always pleasant and sweet. To fulfill our duty of justice towards you, to testify to you our deepest gratitude for your good deeds, we have only a heart and a tongue. Please accept this fruit of my heartfelt gratitude; you yourself know that the pupils cannot give any other gratitude; as loving fathers, you consider yourself satisfied if your upbringing efforts were not in vain, but brought at least some fruit. “Bless, Your Eminence Bishop, the pupil who tried his best to fulfill the sacred duty of justice in relation to benefactors, and seal and sanctify with an archpastoral blessing the end of the education of twenty-two people. "Theology student Ivan Sergiev." On the original, in the handwriting of the rector of the seminary, it is written: “Very good.” Legislation about. John of Kronstadt Since 1857, the activities of Fr. John as a teacher of the law. At first he gave lessons in the Kronstadt district school, and from 1862 - in the Kronstadt gymnasium. Needless to say, the pupils of these institutions, no less spiritual than his children, loved their kind, affectionate, pious mentor “father”. He did not give bad marks, did not fail in exams, did not assign lessons, but only conducted “conversations” during his lessons, and these conversations remained indelible in the memory of his students for the rest of their lives. – Lessons about. John’s reliefs were imprinted in our young brain,” said the director of the N-school gymnasium, F., who was among the first students of the Kronstadt shepherd. And indeed, in public exams the students of Fr. John answered according to the law of God, everything was perfect, so that between them there were no first and last. The talent of a teacher is one of the features of the rich nature of an extraordinary priest; his lessons are expected by his students as a rare holiday treat; They listen to him with bated breath, watching every movement and expression of his clear blue eyes, in which there is so much light and sparkle that they seem to illuminate everything around them. “Father” does not need to repeat what was said, and there is not a single boy in the whole class who would not understand or hear him; ask anyone, suddenly interrupting the lesson, and he himself will repeat everything down to the smallest detail. It happened that the rector would draw the teacher’s attention to a obviously lazy or bad student, asking him to take care of the boy; but oh. John did not recognize this certified sloth in his class, and the director himself, present at the lesson on the law of God, was amazed at the change that had taken place. About the punishment of students Fr. John doesn't think; not because he was too lenient, but because the students themselves considered it the greatest punishment for themselves if “father is dissatisfied with something.” And they will take all measures to once again see the smile and pleasure on the kind face of their teacher of the law. Children, school students, saw in Father John a true “father,” strict and kind, affectionate and demanding. His lessons were more like pleasure, relaxation, than duty, work. This is not a dry teaching, but a lively conversation, a fascinating speech, an interesting story. Father John taught his students with apt and brief sayings, many of which remain in the memory of the schoolchildren to this day. - When you pray, always remember that you are talking with God, the generous Father of all consolation, unchanging, not tired of our petitions, and who is always infinitely good, wise, omnipotent, for whom, due to his infinite goodness, wisdom and omnipotence, it is always so convenient to fulfill your requests, just as it is easy for you to think about them and sincerely wish them, as easy as it is to pronounce the words of petitions, I am even infinitely easier. Remember this and never lose heart in prayer. – Remember that by heartily and firmly believing in Christ, we will be saved into eternal life. Remember how St. The Church did not destroy any of its faithful followers, but saved everyone by the grace of God - The deeds of the Savior and the Church over believers speak for themselves. The acts of doubt and unbelief in a person’s soul, which kill his soul and body, also speak for themselves. “There is nothing closer to us than God.” He is the God of hearts, and the heart, in turn, is closest to us; this is our being, our essence. – Speak and do all the truth without doubt, boldly, firmly, decisively. Avoid doubt, timidity, lethargy and indecisiveness. “For God will not give us the Spirit of fear, because of power and love.” Our Lord is the Lord of hosts. – Learn to remember and pronounce the name “God” always with great faith, reverence, love and a grateful heart. Never say it lightly. – In prayer you need sincere regret for your sins and sincere repentance; - listing the sins indicated in prayers, say them, feeling them in your heart, as if your own. – You also need a fiery desire not to commit the same sins in the future. – The ringing of bells is a call to a conversation with God, children with the Father, a call to appear before Him. – Learn to pray, force yourself to pray: at first it will be difficult, but then, the more you force yourself, the easier it will be; but first you always have to force yourself. – Respect yourself as the image of God: remember that this image is spiritual, and be zealous about fulfilling the commandments of God, which restore the likeness of God in you. Be extremely careful not to violate the slightest commandment of God; this violation destroys the likeness of God in us and brings us closer to the likeness of the devil. The more you break God's commandments, the more you will become like the devil. – Learn to suppress your heart with the power of the name of the Lord and your will at a time when it suffers most from a rush of pride, when it is ready to smash and break everyone and everything. – Remind yourself more often that evil is in you, and not in people. With such a completely true conviction, you will protect yourself from many sins and passions. Our trouble is often that we attribute our evil to others. – You must always approach prayer, in front of icons or without them, with full hope of receiving what you ask for, for example, from sorrow, mental illness and sins, because before a thousand times you have received clear mercy from the Lord or the Lady, and not to hope to receive what you ask for or to doubt the hearing of a prayer would be extreme madness and blindness. – When you pray, firmly believe that the Lord is inherent in every word of prayer, and whatever you ask for, He is the fulfillment, for you and for everyone else, of every request you make. – If all your good is shared with your neighbor, then everything of God will be with you. “If you want, ask, and Mine will be all Yours, Your essence is Mine.” - Honor the faces of living people in every possible way, so that you honor, as you should, the face of God. For the face of the Lord Jesus Christ is the face of a man. “He who does not respect the face of man will not respect the face of God.” – Since God is a mental Being, one can very quickly lose Him from the heart; just as quickly as one can acquire Him through decisive repentance of sins – When you pray to the heavenly powers, do not imagine them as very formidable. – What does scientific enlightenment mean without Christian love? - Nothing. "The wisdom of this world is foolishness before God." Humble yourself, arrogant mind, before the teaching of the Gospel and before the poverty of Christ, come down from your pedestal, stand lower, approach these poor, whom Christ Himself is not ashamed to call His brethren, and extend a helping hand to them; Don’t just collect for yourself, don’t just satisfy your own whims, but also be rich in God in good deeds, which even after death will follow you. - Praying! May the name of the Lord, or the Mother of God, or an angel, or a saint, instead of the Lord Himself, the Mother of God, an angel and a saint; Let the closeness of your word to your heart be a guarantee and indication of the closeness to your heart of the Lord Himself, the Most Pure Virgin, an angel or a saint. – The name of the Lord is the Lord Himself – the Spirit is everywhere and fills everything; the name of the Mother of God is the Mother of God Herself, the name of the angel is angel, the name of the saint is saint. - How is this? Don't you understand? – Here’s how: let’s say your name is Ivan Ilyich. If you are called by these names, after all, you recognize yourself fully in them and respond to them, then you agree that your name is you yourself with soul and body; so are the saints: call on their name, you will call on them. But they, you say, have no body. What of this? The body is only the material shell of the soul, its home, and man himself, the essence of man, or his inner man, is the soul. When you are called by name, it is not your body that responds, but your soul, through a bodily organ. – First fix your life, and then proceed to St. Daram... – Prayer, a constant feeling of one’s spiritual poverty and weakness, contemplation in oneself, in people and in nature of the works of wisdom, goodness and the almighty glory of God, prayer is a constantly grateful mood. – How close your thought is to you, so close is faith to your heart, so close is God to you, and the more alive and firm the thought of God, the more alive is the faith and knowledge of one’s weakness and insignificance and the feeling of need for God, the closer he is. Or as close as the air is to the body and to its entrails, so close is God. For God, so to speak, is the mental air that all angels, the souls of saints and the souls of living people, especially pious ones, breathe. You cannot live without God for a single minute, and indeed you live every minute in Him: for in Him we live and move and exist. – Jesus Christ, distributing food, first looked at the sky, thanked, blessed, then broke it and served it. The Apostle Paul is also on the ship. So we should thank God for food and drink and for all material blessings, but especially spiritual ones. Readers will find even more similar sayings in the Diary of Fr. John", which was published in 1891 in the magazine "Russian Pilgrim", ed. Popovitsky. Preaching by Fr. John of Kronstadt For thirty-five years the venerable Kronstadt pastor has been preaching the Word of God in his St. Andrew's Cathedral. Almost every Sunday and holiday, his teaching is heard in the church of God, and thousands of listeners in a solid wall occupy the entire space of the church up to and including the vestibule. The “Word” he pronounced during the first celebration of the liturgy in St. Andrew’s Cathedral shows what high feelings and aspirations inspired Fr. John, when he began to pass through “the highest priestly rank on earth.” “I am aware of the height of the rank and the responsibilities associated with it,” he said, addressing his flock; - I feel my weakness and unworthiness, but I trust in the grace and mercy of God, which heals the weak and replenishes the poor. I know what can make me more or less worthy of this rank and capable of passing this title. This love for Christ is also in you, my beloved brothers... Love is a great power: it makes the weak strong and the small great... This is the property of pure love. evangelical May the Lord, who loves everyone, give me a spark of this love and ignite it in me with His Holy Spirit.” The first “Word” of Fr. John was, as it were, the foreshadowing of all his subsequent activities. The most popular conversations that have gone through many publications are “On the Most Holy Trinity”, “On God the Creator of the World”, “Conversations on the Beatitudes of the Gospel”, etc. In the introduction to a whole series of conversations about. John says: With God's help, we will expound to you, brothers, the most important teaching in our faith - the dogma of the Holy Trinity. Although There are among us who know this teaching well, who do not demand, but who teach them; but there are very few of them: there are incomparably more who know what is bad, even less than what is bad, and the servant of St. the altar must teach the teaching of faith clear and distinct. And for those who know well, it is not superfluous to repeat in memory the teachings of faith familiar to them, just as it is not superfluous to constantly see light with their eyes or inhale and exhale air; because our teaching is even more necessary than visible light and air. Remember God, says St. Gregory the Theologian, - more necessary than breathing. “So, for everyone, the teaching about God is necessary. Therefore, we will speak as if everyone here were equal in the degree of knowledge. But before we expound on the initial, royal and blessed Trinity, we will say, brothers, a few words about the importance and incomprehensibility of this teaching and about the humble simplicity of faith with which one must listen to it. “The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is so important that in the Christian faith there is no more important and lofty teaching than this; and all other human knowledge related to your earthly life and not related to faith, if taken together - in comparison with the knowledge of the one God, worshiped in the Trinity - is the same as a barely noticeable point, because God is the source of all wisdom and knowledge, and the knowledge of God in the Holy Trinity is eternal life for rational creatures. Without the confession of the Holy Trinity there is no Christianity.” Speaking about faith in the mystery of God, Fr. John remarks: “Where are there no secrets? A person is a mystery to himself - both in his soul and in his body. Who has satisfactorily explained, for example, how the human soul is connected to the body, how they mutually influence each other, how sleep restores a person’s strength, etc.? This means, first of all, a person must believe his own secrets. There are countless secrets in the nature that surrounds us: man knows so little in comparison with what he does not yet know - despite the successes of the natural sciences - that each of us must humbly confess, together with one of the ancient sages, that we only know that we know nothing. Man must study the word of God. Not to know, as one should, the Divine Trinity on the part of a Christian would be both insane insolence and ingratitude. Every subject knows, albeit by name, his king; knows about his power, power and strength; reveres his person; the benefactor often and with pleasure remembers and speaks about his benefactor. Even an ox knows his owner, and a donkey knows his master's manger. How can we not know that over all people and over the whole world is the power, kingdom, power and glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? How can a person who has received from the Holy Trinity all the gifts, from life to the stream of air he inhales, not remember often and with due reverence about his Triune Benefactor?” Speaking about the education of youth, Fr. John gives advice: “Let children remember more often the Son of God, Who knows no other will but the will of the Father; let them also learn to obey their parents in everything, if the will of the parents is legal, and always honor them as our intermediaries in the Divine gift of life. Nevertheless, both fathers and children, husbands and wives, elders and youth, let us worship the Trinitarian Divinity: the Son in the Father with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who proceeds from the Father and rests in the Son.” Fr. especially ardently and often preaches. John about mercy and goodness to others. “The first Christians, that is, those who lived under the apostles and after them, had everything in common: the rich and wealthy voluntarily donated their property and money, and what they collected was kept by the leaders of the church, who used it to support the poor, widows, orphans, the sick, the strange, those imprisoned and other needy people. “We have a kind of treasury,” writes one church teacher: everyone contributes to it monthly or whenever he wishes, as much as he can and as much as he wants. These alms are used for the food and burial of the poor, for the maintenance of children who have lost their parents, for the elderly who no longer leave the house and cannot work, to alleviate the lot of the unfortunate shipwrecked... Having one heart and one soul among ourselves, can we renounce the community of property? Finally, this should serve as an important incentive to charity, because it is very useful for the benefactors themselves, for it strengthens their sense of philanthropy and returns to the giver with an increase.” Poverty or lack of funds is not an excuse for those who do not want to do charity. “Instead of a great gift, bring zeal. Have nothing? - Comfort with a tear. Great healing for the ill-fated, when someone sincerely regrets him; misfortune is greatly alleviated by sincere condolences... This is what reason, the law, our own experience, and the fairest of people teach us. “To whom and how should alms be given? Jesus Christ says: give to everyone who asks you; This means that one must help and do good to everyone, without making any distinction about persons, status, origin, or religion. Everyone who is truly in need should be shown mercy, for they all have the same right to regret and look at your hands in the same way as we look at the hands of God when we ask for anything, and it is much better to extend your hand to the unworthy than, for fear of meeting the unworthy, to deprive the worthy of benefits. One must help not out of vanity and pride, not out of a desire for gratitude and reward, but disinterestedly, to please God and out of love for one’s neighbor. Almsgiving, infected with the disease of vanity, is no longer a matter of mercy, but boasting and hardness of heart. Almsgiving is not just about giving money, but about giving with a Christian sense of charity. One must do charity and help voluntarily, willingly, sincerely, cordially, with respect and unfeigned love for the poor, without any indignation, annoyance or contempt.” About the existence of the spiritual world Fr. John spoke in many conversations. Let's give a short excerpt. “Let us understand why some people say that there are no angels. Because they do not see evidence of their existence; but they simply don’t want to believe: they want to see everything, touch it, - in a word, experience it; meanwhile, they do not see or touch them. These are people who are guided even in faith by their lower nature - by feelings. But in this case, the very blindness of such people in some way proves that angels actually exist. Thus, a blind man does not see the sun, moon and stars that adorn the sky and illuminate the earth, but this ignorance only proves that he is blind. The luminaries shine regardless of whether he sees them or not. Likewise, the existence of angels does not depend, of course, on whether we see them with the eye of faith, or - since we do not want to rise above the dust from which we are created, and do not see anything further than the earth - therefore we ourselves do not notice traces of the existence of not only light spirits, but also, perhaps, much more. Some people have so darkened their spiritual eyes that they do not even believe in the spiritual Sun, which enlightens and revitalizes everything. But this, brothers, is a serious illness of the soul, spiritual blindness. Let us ask holy and pious people about the angels, and they will prove to us, clear as day, the existence of the spiritual world.” “However, whoever wants to be convinced of the invisible world of spirits from the visible, will not be left without assurance from this side either: all you need is attention. From man to blade of grass, everything testifies to the invisible.” Father John is not famous for his oratory, and his external speech suffers from many shortcomings, which the venerable shepherd himself knows about. But each of his teachings breathes life, truth and conviction. From the first time, after listening to the sermon of Fr. John, as if you don’t get an impression, but all his thoughts are firmly remembered, lead to reflection and make you delve into yourself, think... Fr. John does not preach, does not put his teachings into other people’s brains, but “helps to give birth” to his own good thoughts, calls them out of his head. And this manner often leads to the most excellent results, no matter how strong and effective the “sermon” is, it, of course, will sometimes even make a stunning impression, but its own thought, which has received independent development, will always stick more firmly in the head and will sooner lead a person to the desired goal. That is why after almost every sermon to Fr. Several listeners come to John for clarification and ask for additional information. The good shepherd willingly gives them and often spends two or three hours in conversation. A crowd will immediately gather around him, wherever he is, and listen and follow the teaching. “Well, think, figure it out,” Fr. says affectionately. John, well, take an example from your neighbor. And now he will tell some parable, obvious to everyone, and through analogy he will lead the doubter to the truth. One day there was talk about the existence of God. - Father! The Bible talks about the origin of the earth and man. And if you take science... “Don’t take science into criticism of the Bible,” the shepherd sternly interrupts. – We can only believe in God, and not prove His existence. He who believes does not require proof, and if you want to prove it, where is the faith? I'm telling you: I have a bun in my pocket; and you answer: I believe, father, but let me feel with my hand... One of two things: believe or feel. - But, after all, learning is light, father? - Light, great light. But tell me, do you light a lamp during the day? Or, if you come at night to admire the starry sky, will you bring a candle? It will disturb you, but, after all, both the lamp and the candle are light... - Yes, father; Yes, I would be glad to believe, but I can’t. “And I can’t, and we all can’t.” Faith is given from God to those who ask for it. You say you want to believe, so ask. Turn your gaze to heaven, forget earthly things and ask for the Heavenly King... It happened that after such conversations the person arguing appeared joyful and radiant after a while... - Father, I received faith. And how easy, how good! The whole world, it seems, would embrace; It was as if a mountain had been lifted from my soul. - Thank God and remember what vows faith imposes on you. Without works, faith is dead; one must love God, and whoever says that he loves God but hates his brother is a liar, according to the testimony of the Apostle John. One day to Fr. A peasant approached John asking how he could pray for his brother, who was killed during a fight, without confession, with anger in his heart. “Pray for all Orthodox Christians,” answered the shepherd. This answer is given by Fr. John in almost all cases when he is asked questions: for whom and how to pray? But Fr. John does not refuse prayer not only to Christians of other confessions, but even to Jews and Mohammedans. One day a Tatar whose wife was dying approached him. - Father! - he said, - I heard that your God is stronger than our Allah; through your prayer, a neighbor’s child recovered; pray for my wife... - If you please. Let's pray together. Father John knelt down and began to read a prayer; the Tatar beat himself on the chest and repeated the words of the prayer. They prayed for about an hour, and when they rose from their knees, tears glistened in the Tatar’s eyes. After his wife recovered, the Tatar and his entire family converted to Orthodoxy. In 1859, “Catechetical Discourses” by Fr. John, in which he presented to his flock in a publicly accessible form the basic tenets of Christianity. This was followed by a number of publications of teachings spoken by Fr. John: “On the Most Holy Trinity”, “On the Creation of the World”, “On the Providence of God”, “On the Beatitudes of the Gospel”, etc. Several years ago Fr. John began publishing the complete collection of his words, teachings and conversations. They comprised thirteen issues, some of which were already in their fourth edition. Currently Fr. John plans to publish all his works in three volumes. Now the complete collection of sermons and sayings of Fr. John. I will cite a few of them. – The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter by His essence, which is peace, joy and endless bliss, and by His action on the souls of believers, whom He comforts, like a mother, in their virtues, in their sufferings, sorrows and illnesses, in their deeds for the faith, it is also called the Comforter in contrast to the evil spirit of despondency, which often attacks our souls. Every phenomenon has a cause. So, having done some good deed, you rejoice and find consolation in your soul. Why? - Because the Comforter Spirit is in you, everywhere and filling everything, a Treasure of good things, who comforts you. On the contrary, having done something bad or not having done anything bad, you sometimes feel a deadly despondency in your soul. Why? - Because you allowed the evil spirit of despondency to take control of you. For example, you stand up for prayer and despondency takes possession of you, whereas before prayer it was not there; or - so you begin to read some book of spiritual content, for example, Holy Scripture: you, too, are overcome by despondency, laziness, doubt, lack of faith and unbelief. Why? – Because you are being tempted, the evil spirits of despondency, doubt and unbelief are treacherous over you. You are in church at the service: and you are bored, hard, lazy, - despondency has come over you, - why again? - Because the evil spirits of despondency and laziness are treacherous over you. Or you take up a spiritual piece of writing, for example, a sermon: there is darkness and coldness in your heart, in your mind, and relaxation throughout your whole body. - Why? - Because invisible enemies are treacherous within you. “It’s easy to prove: just don’t do all this, and it will be so easy and pleasant, there will be such spaciousness in your soul and heart - where everything will come from.” - Therefore, the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for all of us in all our good deeds: He is our strength, strength, light, peace, consolation. – If your heart and thoughts are in agreement with the universal faith and with the commandments of God, then you certainly have a close connection with God and similarity with Him, because God is a spiritual, mental, personal Essence; but if your heart and your thoughts in any way consciously betray the universal faith and commandments of God or the words of the Gospel that prescribe the rules of Christian life, then your connection with God is severed, and your heart enters into a disastrous connection with the enemy of truth and life - the devil. God is love and, more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices, requires from us mutual love - love that is merciful, does not exalt itself, is not proud, does not act outrageously, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil... covers everything, endures everything, endures everything and never ceases. The whole law of God consists of two words: love God and your neighbor. - A marvelous creation - man! Look - in the earth lies God's breath, personal, independent, free, the image of Samoro God; how much wisdom, beauty there is in the construction of his bodily tabernacle, how much wisdom, love - in a word, God's likeness is shown in life by man himself - this god for the earth, as it is said: “Let us make man in our image, and let him rule over all the earth!” But lest you be proud, man, look what happens to you when that which is in you in the image of God leaves your body as if it were its church? “It’s as if you won’t exist at all, you’ll disappear for this world; the church of your spirit loses all its goodness and splendor, becomes earth and is thrown into the earth, and taken from it, completely mixing with it, as a part of it. – God’s wondrous creation is man! Miraculously, the Lord instilled His image - an immortal spirit - into the dust. But marvel, Christian, even more at the wisdom, omnipotence and goodness of the Creator: He breaks the same dust and transforms it into His Most Pure Body and His Most Pure Blood, and infuses Himself into them, His Most Pure and Life-Giving Spirit - so that His Body and Blood are together spirit and life, and what is this for? In order to cleanse the sinner from sins and sanctify you, and unite the sanctified one with Himself, and deify the united one, bless you and immortalize you. Oh, the miracles of the goodness, wisdom and omnipotence of the Spasovs! – The Holy Spirit is the Treasure of all blessings or spiritual wealth. Look at what wonderful wealth the souls were filled with, in which the Spirit of God dwelt, with what light of knowledge, with what fragrance of virtues! The soul of a pious person is a rich spiritual treasury. These are: Pavlov's soul, Peter's soul, John's soul, Zlatoust's, Vasiliev's, Grigoriev's. A good man brings forth good things from the good treasures of his heart. This is where the true treasure is. It is not at all what the world values. – The talents given to each of us by God for the common good, and not to please only our own pride, do not they motivate us to serve our fellow men in their need? A beggar stops you... although you walk past him too arrogantly. Learn from other people's troubles. Give at least a little to the poor: even that will not be a small thing for the one who needs it, and for God Himself, if the alms are within your power. – Everything that breathes breathes air and cannot live without air; all rationally free beings live by the Holy Spirit, as if by air, and cannot live without Him. Every soul is alive by the Holy Spirit. Know that the Holy Spirit is in the same relationship to your soul as air is to your body. – What does the appearance of three strangers mean to Abraham? It means that the Lord, the Trinity in Persons, constantly, as it were, wanders on earth and supervises everything that is done on it, and He Himself comes to His servants who are vigilant, attentive to themselves and their salvation and who seek Him, stays with them and talks with them as with friends, “we will come to him and make our abode with him”; but he burns wicked people with fire. “God and the saints hear us in prayer, just as people talking to each other hear each other, or as people standing in a church hear a preacher, or as soldiers hear the voice of a leader, they even hear it incomparably better and more perfectly; because we hear the words of another, but we do not know what is in his heart and thoughts, and it happens that another says one thing, but has something completely different in his heart. God and the saints are not like that: they see what is in our thoughts and hearts - God Himself with His omniscience, and the saints by the grace of the Holy Spirit, in which they eternally abide, and they notice whether our words correspond to the heart, and if they completely correspond to the heart, and the heart, in turn, is a believer, contrite and humble, burning with love and zeal (as we diligently resort to You) and the desire to receive what we ask for, then they kindly they bow to our prayer and give us what we want. God and the saints want us to imagine them in prayer as living, inherent in ourselves, so that we can see them with the eyes of our hearts. God lives; There is no God of the dead, but of the living: and to Him all live. “I am aware of the height of the rank and the responsibilities associated with it,” he addresses the parishioners on the first day of his liturgy in St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Kronstadt. – I feel my weakness and unworthiness, but I trust in the grace and mercy of God, healing the weak and replenishing the impoverished. I know what can make me more or less worthy of this rank and capable of passing this title. This is love for Christ and for you, my beloved brothers. Love is a great power,” he continues: “it makes the weak strong and the small great. May the Lord who loves me give me a spark of this love, may he ignite it in me with His Holy Spirit. I ask for your prayers for this. – Why did the Son of God descend to earth? – In order to save us, to restore the fallen image of God in us. The Son of God became the son of man... in order to make us sons of God from the children of wrath and destruction. Oh, the ineffable love of God! Oh, the untold bounties of the Lord! – He the Most Good did this: He freed humanity in His chosen ones, cleansed them from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, sanctified them, glorified them, raised them from corruption to eternal life, and honored them with a blessed presence before the terrible Throne of His Glory. – I set myself a rule: to be as sincere as possible about my work and to take care of myself, my inner life. These are the true words of Father John, characterizing his entire life, goals, aspirations, rules, principles, etc. This is also the key to unlocking his strength, his significance, unparalleled popularity and fame. We see in the Kronstadt pastor not only a servant of the altar, but also a teacher, a voluntary preacher, a generous benefactor, a kind healer, a wise organizer of the House of Diligence, a mentor to the weak, a comforter to the suffering, etc., etc. He does not stop at anything, he recognizes everything as “his” business. No matter who turns to him with a request, he will never answer: He has tens of thousands of annual income, he does not have an extra ruble for tomorrow - this is a fact; He immediately distributes everything received with one hand with the other, and if what he received is not enough, he will refuse only if he gives away his salary, extra things and denies himself dinner or lunch. He did not and does not have children. He has long taught his wife to look at everything with her own eyes, and like the “good shepherd,” he gives all his cares, all his time, labor and strength to his spiritual children. The more he works, the more he exhausts himself, the more strength and strength he has; The more money he gives to the poor, the more funds flow to him. – I live not for myself, but for others. These few words say everything, and they contain the secret of Father John’s entire life, his popularity, asceticism and earthly glory! Father John strove for 35 years to achieve this lofty goal and, with all his modesty, he can say that he completely achieved this goal. Let us give several examples of “self-forgetfulness,” so to speak, of Father John. One day, about 20 years ago, Father John had just returned home after countless visits to the sick and suffering; In front of the house, as usual, stood a crowd of beggars waiting for alms. Father John distributed everything to the last two kopecks and left only 20 kopecks for the ship so that, after resting, he could go to Oranienbaum to see the seriously ill person. It should be noted that the Kronstadt shepherd never has any money not only for the “black” day, but also for tomorrow; At first his wife was quite worried about such a constant lack of money, but over the years she became convinced of the absence of need and got used to living “today”, without thinking about what would happen tomorrow. This is how the couple got used to living and lives to this day, even being financially no poorer than a millionaire. The Kronstadt shepherd “sowed” at least 300–400 thousand rubles over 35 years, which he distributed during this time in various amounts from 1 kopeck to a hundred rubles. But its harvest is great and abundant. If he wished to have a million rubles in cash, he could collect it in a few days. We say this based on facts; with one news about the opening of the “House of Diligence” in Kronstadt, Fr. Offerings were sent to John from all sides in such quantities that the “arrival” always exceeded the needs. But at the same time, personally, Fr. John very often does not have even a ruble in his pocket. This was the case in the case we are telling. Leaving 20 kopecks for the ship, Fr. John knew that he would not have this amount at home. As soon as he entered his modest room, he heard noise and loud conversation in the hallway. Without taking off his outerwear, Fr. John returned to the hallway; It turned out that some woman was sobbing and asking to be allowed to see the priest. “Let him wait,” says Fr. John’s wife: “You’ve been here since 5 o’clock.” I walked around in the morning, hungry, exhausted; have lunch, relax... - Wait, I’ll ask what she wants. Seeing the priest, the woman threw herself at his feet. “Save us, father,” she prayed: “my husband is dying, five children haven’t eaten for two days, I can barely walk myself... My only hope is in you... “Let’s go to you,” Fr. answered affectionately. John, raising the woman, “The Lord will help you... And oh. John, completely forgetting about dinner and fatigue, left the house with the woman. - Here, here's 20 kopecks for you. Go to the store, buy bread and eggs, I don’t have any more. Having come to the woman, Fr. John really caught a picture of terrible poverty: the dying man looked with lifeless, fixed eyes and did not move; the children moaned from hunger. When the bread and eggs were eaten, Fr. John himself helped the woman clean out her dark basement closet, tidied up several of the children, and then, kneeling down in front of the tiny icon hanging in the corner, began to pray loudly... The woman repeated the words of the prayer and kept waiting for Father John to ask the Lord to heal the sick, improve their plight, needs... But Father John asked for something completely different... He prayed to God for the forgiveness of sins, the salvation of the soul, for faith and love for the Savior... When his voice died down, he stood for a long time with his head bowed, and then, rising from his knees, walked up to the bed and blessed the sick man. “Come to my church tomorrow,” said Fr. John leaving. Before he had time to leave the house, he already saw several people waiting for him with invitations to Petersburg and Oranienbaum; After listening to the petitioners, Fr. John went with them to the ship and only at one o’clock in the morning returned home to “dinner”... The next day the woman was waiting on the porch for her benefactor to come out. Seeing her in the crowd, Fr. John took several envelopes from his pocket and handed them to her. In the envelopes handed to Fr. John, it turned out to be several credit notes and eastern loan bonds of 1000 rubles. The patient completely recovered from his illness, opened his own trade and now occupies a prominent and honorable position in Kronstadt; he recently donated 10,000 rubles to charity. These are the results of the two-kopeck o.r. John and his refusal to eat lunch in order to rush to the aid of his neighbor in need. As an example of selfless love, Fr. John even to his enemies, let us recall an incident that was much talked about at one time. For some time now Fr. John began to notice a lady pursuing him, who appeared everywhere behind him and bothered him with her idle conversations. The shepherd meekly asked her to leave him alone, but the lady’s persecution became more and more annoying; seeing that Fr. John does not pay the slightest attention to her and silently endures all the troubles caused to him, the lady switched to abuse and threats; in front of a whole crowd She reviled the people of the shepherd with unworthy words, shook her fists, and once attempted insult by action... Fr. John meekly calmed down his offender, defended her from the indignant crowd, and when the police opened a case for violating peace and quiet, Fr. John not only renounced all personal accusations, but he himself defended the offender and asked for her acquittal. The strange lady was sentenced to a fine. Soon, however, it was obvious to everyone that she was insane: she had lost her mind... Among the people who were hostile to Fr. John, by the way, was the Kronstadt police chief Golovachev, who several years ago was put on trial for extortion and bribery. Knowing Golovachev’s hostile actions against the respected shepherd, the prosecutor’s office called Fr. John. The courthouse was crowded with the public on the day of the interrogation of Fr. John. Golovachev and his defenders were in great agitation. But then the interrogation began, and to everyone’s surprise Fr. John spoke only about Golovachev’s good deeds, and in each indictment he answered and pointed out something humane, useful... “A witness,” he turned to Fr. Ioannou, prosecutor, - you must tell the whole truth in court, without hiding anything. Eyes o. John sparkled with that fire that more than once made many tremble; he did not allow the prosecutor to finish the sentence he had begun and said to the whole room in a firm voice: - I speak according to the priesthood... Everyone present held their breath. The prosecutor refused to question him, and so did the defense attorneys, and Fr. John left the courtroom, apparently agitated, but as usual, meek and affectionate. A crowd of people kept him in the corridors for an hour and a half, asking for blessings. The words: “I speak according to the priesthood” remained in everyone’s memory for a long time. Father John's love for his neighbors is especially remarkable because he does not limit himself to the satisfaction of a simple feeling of compassion. There are many nervous people who, with an egoistic feeling, they do good, make sacrifices, etc. There is no doubt that Fr. John is a nervous person; It is quite possible that he is not devoid of a feeling of compassion that brings him personal suffering, but his love and his good deeds by no means come from this feeling. Thousands of proofs can be given to prove that his love is always selfless, his good deeds proceeding only from love for others, and not for himself. Love o. John always goes beyond simple compassion, and sometimes diverges from the latter completely diametrically. We know of many cases when, out of an egoistic feeling of compassion, it would be necessary to immediately eliminate the causes of the suffering of a neighbor, and meanwhile, Fr. John intensified these sufferings, of course, temporarily, knowing well that the salvation and happiness of the sufferer does not lie in the elimination of temporary real suffering. A nervous person, with an egoistic sense of compassion, will not do this and will care even less about the distant future of a given subject, who needs not palliative measures of healing, such as medicine or alms, but a radical, fundamental correction for the good of his entire life and the future, sometimes very distant, future. It happens more than once, for example, that Fr. John refuses confession or blessing, although the one who turned to him with tears begs not to persecute him; sometimes prayers border on despair and are accompanied by tears, crying, and sobbing. A nervous person would hasten to satisfy the request as quickly as possible in order to save himself from such a difficult and unpleasant scene, however, Fr. John remains steadfast and endures the struggle. Why? Because he sees that the petitioner came to him not with sincere heartfelt repentance, but, rather, out of superstition, due to mere ritual; a blessing or confession under such conditions will not be beneficial for the salvation of the soul of the petitioner or his moral correction, and meanwhile, some pangs of excitement and fear, manifested in tears and prayers, are more likely to be beneficial; the one who received a refusal, if he has a spark of repentance, will not stop there, will continue the internal struggle with himself, and will return again to Fr. John and then, if he receives what he asks, he will achieve his goal. We know one Moscow merchant who traded in the outrageous kulaks and, to “calm his conscience,” decided to go “talk” to Father John, although the most unscrupulous plunder and exploitation continued as before. Father John not only refused confession, but told the merchant many bitter truths. Prayers and oaths did not help: the merchant went back without receiving the St. communion. Six months later he appeared again and still left with nothing. Only the third time, when he stopped his criminal activities, settled accounts with the offended and made many donations, deciding to engage in honest work, Fr. John kindly encouraged him, admitted him to confession and, blessing him, sent him home in “peace”... Power o. John of Kronstadt Father John, as we saw above, performs during a long 35-year period all priestly duties, up to and including teaching the law, on an equal basis with all other priests; it has its own parishioners, services, etc., like all other churches with one or more priests; but the activity that I will talk about below goes beyond the “parish” of the Kronstadt St. Andrew’s Cathedral, just as in general it goes beyond the responsibilities of the spiritual father and shepherd of the Church. This activity is “extra-normal,” so to speak, or “super-normal,” and it is this that gives Father John that moral image that, like a magnet, attracts the hearts of people, forcing them to look for a priest who is modest and does not stand out in any way in appearance or position. Father John’s “relationship” with everyone who turns to him is unusually simple, sincere, sincere and very warm. Neither the condition nor the position of those who turn to “father” have the slightest significance; rich and poor, smart and ragged, giving and asking, general and tradesman - the same honor and place, the same attention, the same friendly smile and willingness to do everything possible. Whether a beggar in rags or a dressed-up dandy approaches the priest, he will look into the eyes, tilt his ear to the speaker and firmly give an answer. A refusal or a greeting, a dry, severe reprimand, a promise, an admonition, or direct permission and blessing are given for reasons that have nothing to do with the condition, costume and appearance of the petitioner. On the contrary, as far as I noticed, Fr. John talks more willingly and kindly with the poor than with the rich, with those who ask for help than with those who give... What motives and considerations does the “father” have, however, due to which he divides his children into categories and rewards them with his sympathies far from equally? There are motives, but they are very different from the generally accepted motives in our society... We have wealth in the foreground, then comes good manners, character, habits, circle, society, manners, age, connections, reputation, etc. For Fr. John, none of this matters at all! The human soul, the inner world and the area of the heart’s motives - this is the criterion by which the “father” measures his children... The more a person is attached to the earth and earthly lusts, the less he will find a response in Fr. John, and, conversely, the freer a person’s heart is from attachments to perishable treasures, the closer and dearer he turns out to be to the Kronstadt shepherd... There is some kind of “kinship of souls” here, an incomprehensible mutual attraction that cannot be determined by external observations. You see, for example, two old men standing in front of the “priest”... One is a millionaire, who thrusts a wad of banknotes into the priest’s hand and bows humbly, and the other, a ragged beggar, stands with his gray head bowed... The first is scattered with compliments and pleasantries addressed to the priest, and the second is silent, and only tears, one after another, roll down his wrinkled cheeks. There is such a difference between these two old men that only here, at the altar, could they come together, stand side by side... One moves in select society, his visits are received as rare and valuable attention, and the other is an inhabitant of night shelters, who, even when explaining to janitors or watchmen, respectfully takes off his hat... Here they are side by side! The millionaire is shocked by this neighborhood; he expects that Fr. John will immediately ask him to go to the altar, invite him to visit it, serve a prayer service... After all, he receives the bishop in his mansion, and then he did honor to the humble priest, he was the first to come to him, and suddenly he deigned to stand next to some beggar, ragamuffin... So the millionaire made a pleasant smile, noticing that the priest was taking a prosphora out of his pocket, and prepared to cross himself piously... But the priest extended his hand with the prosphora to the beggar, put his left hand on his shoulder and spoke tenderly: - Here, dear, a prosphora. Where do you live, what is your name? The millionaire turns red, turns pale... He is ready to fall through the ground, his lips whisper something, and his legs mechanically back away... “Bless me, father,” he says hesitantly. But oh. John saw the same ragamuffin as the first one with whom he was now speaking, and hurries to extend his hand folded in a cross to him. If the proverb is true that the face is the mirror of the soul, then Fr. John looks for the reflection of the soul on the faces of his “children.” And only one soul - he doesn’t need anything else! By the expression of the eyes, the fold on the lips, by the intonation of the “father’s” voice, one can immediately notice what kind of “reflection” he saw in the mirror... Is it petty pride, dry egoism, vain ingratiation, feigned hypocrisy, or, on the contrary, a loving soul, with high ideals, pure thoughts, good instincts, sincere intentions... As it came back, so it responded! Whoever came to receive a hypocritical cover for his vile and dirty deeds, who came to pay a tax for the innocent tears of his tormented “neighbors” or who came greedily to seek worldly treasures, will meet with an icy reception from the “father” and leave with what he came with, but on the other hand, the soul that came to the “native” “father” will “jump up”, finding in it a heartfelt response, warm participation and invisible communication... In the “mirror” so much joy, happiness, contentment and pleasure will immediately be reflected that these faces can be clearly seen in a crowd of thousands... Readers will not complain about me if I give here several examples and stories from the field of “soul kinship” by Fr. John and his children. Inner, invisible life is rarely reflected as effectively and clearly as the external manifestations of healings or material benefits from Fr. John, but this life provides much more instructive and new material. For people who reject the spiritual and religious element in the activities of Fr. John, the facts cited will not have any significance, but they reject everything else in the same way. If in o. Joanna had enough faith to resurrect the dead or command the elements, then even then there would have been grounds for denying the facts and asserting that “all these are fairy tales”... There are many different stories about the moral influence of Fr. John on his children. I will mention one fact that I personally verified, and the characters of which are known to me. This is the story of a small shopkeeper in Kronstadt, which is still talked about a lot. This shopkeeper is alive and well and he himself tells the following... – I have been trading in Kronstadt for 20 years now. My shop is located not far from the house where “father” Father John lives and half a mile from the “House of Diligence.” Thanks to this neighborhood, I got to see Fr. every day. John, and crowds of beggars scurry past my shop constantly. You yourself understand that this public is only a hindrance for trading and does not bring any benefit. Nevertheless, I traded excellently, twice as much as my comrades, whose shops were located on busy streets. Why? I explained this by the fact that hospices began to be set up around the “House of Industriousness”, pilgrims appeared, and my shop was selling better and better every day. For the last 6-7 years, my father began to come to me every day... He only came to exchange paper money for small coins; you see, he needed to give the poor pennies, and he exchanged 10-15 rubles from me every day. At first I didn’t say anything against such a service, although I had to delay customers on other occasions and waste a lot of time; One day the shop was full of customers, and Fr. enters. John. “Give me,” he says to me, “20 rubles worth of change... I was so annoyed! You yourself need the change, the people – at least break it, but then count half an hour’s worth of kopecks into as many as 20 rubles. However, there was nothing to do, I didn’t want to offend the priest, and I fulfilled his request, but I thought: - If only you could go somewhere else to another shop with your pennies. I'm tired of it, really... Father John thanked him, took the bag of coppers and left. A day passes, two, three... Father does not go to change. I didn’t pay any attention to this, I was even pleased... About a month passed... I notice that almost every day my trading is getting worse and worse; Not only are there no crowds of buyers, but often there is no one in the store. And then, as luck would have it, the cabbage and bread turned sour. no matter what you bake, it’s just chaff, just throw it away, a whole barrel of cucumbers is gone. In a word, after two months my trade became unrecognizable, as if someone had laid hands on me; loss after loss, and there are almost no buyers in sight... The thought got me! How could something like this happen?.. There are no such visible reasons: the clerks are the same, and the doctors are the same, and no one left the area, there were even more residents on the street... What kind of parable?!.. Losses, meanwhile, are growing by leaps and bounds. If you trade like this, you can go bankrupt by the end of the year... I once went to a friend, and we talked to him, telling him everything as it is. “It’s strange,” he says. - What, Father John comes to you to exchange change? “No,” I say, “I stopped a long time ago... So what?” - Look, haven’t you offended him in any way? It was as if someone hit me on the head with a butt. I remembered the last time I mentally scolded my father, how from that very day he stopped coming to me, and that same day, in the evening, I had to throw away 12 pounds of sour cabbage, and trade seemed to “stop” suddenly. I cried bitterly and said: so and so. “Well, you see,” the friend answers, “it’s your own fault.” I didn’t want to serve the poor people for nothing, because the priest didn’t change the money for himself, you know; Another would be glad to add his own, but you feel sorry for the time. I left dead as hell. The next day, at first light, I went to see my father... He recognized me and said directly: - I won't bother you anymore... I'm at my feet. I repent, I cry... And the father says so affectionately: - Get up, get up. The Lord is merciful, he will forgive, just love the poor; after all, they are your brothers. Christ suffered on the cross for them too... Don’t turn away from someone who asks if you can help him in any way, otherwise the Lord will turn away from you! “Father,” I say, “I’m sorry... “I’m not angry or angry with you.” You didn’t offend me in any way... If you offended anyone, it would be my poor people, not me... Father served a prayer service at my request, and every day I began to feed the poor: bread for some, a penny for others - I refused almost no one... - And everything went as before. I'm trading again, thank God... It would be unnecessary, and even impossible, to list here all the deeds of mercy and love of Father John for his neighbors - the disadvantaged. Let us indicate two or three cases as examples. Father John noticed in the church an exhausted old man on a crutch, with a face expressing terrible grief and suffering. Father John called him over after the service and expressed a desire to accompany him home. It turned out that this old man was a soldier from the “Nikolaev times”, had a scoundrel son and was starving for several days. “Here’s some small change for you, old man.” But you pray and thank the Lord. “I will make you a rich man,” Fr. told him goodbye. John. The old man thought in the simplicity of his soul that the good shepherd would give him a lot of money, but in the package given by Fr. John, it turned out to be only half a copper. He began to wait. Meanwhile, Father John found his son and devoted several hours to him every day for a whole month; they worked, studied, prayed together, and subsequently the drunkard and petty rogue became an honest, hardworking and capable craftsman, who now has his own house in Kronstadt. “So this is the wealth that my father promised me,” the old man said later with tears, having moved to live with his son and admiring his little grandchildren. In general, this family is still considered the most pious and God-fearing, and at the same time the happiest. Another incident took place in the very first year of Fr. John to Kronstadt. He took up the “cathedral beggars,” that is, the beggars who constantly stand on the porch of the cathedral. Among them were many young and healthy parasites who were repeatedly taken into custody by the beggar committee. Standing idly and collecting alms was easier for them than work, and shame had long been lost by these people... But in the eyes of Fr. John “this golden company”, or “barefoot team” were, first of all, people and deeply unhappy people. “I would be ready to endure poverty,” said the shepherd. – I am not afraid of hunger and cold. This is not yet a misfortune, but when I forget God, I lose shame and conscience; when I won’t be ashamed to stretch out my healthy hand for Christ’s help and bring alms to the tavern; when I don’t even recognize or notice this, then I will become deeply unhappy, pitiful and perishing. And Father John hurried to the aid of these “golden miners”; separated from them people less corrupted, got them jobs and places; admonished habitual drunkards and beggars and did not refuse to help anyone... Father John quite often visited the merchant family of S. on Vasilievsky Island, in the 12th line, near Maly Prospect. Three young men from the students lived in the same house, often making fun of Father’s incomprehensible popularity. John, who gathers crowds wherever he appears. One day the idea came to them to “laugh” at the healing power of the prayers of the Kronstadt shepherd, and they came up with such a trick. K-th, the oldest young man, went to S.’s family to convincingly ask Fr. John, when he is with them, to visit his dying comrade. S. will pretend to be seriously ill, and M. will pretend to be a crying brother at the bedside of a dying man. No sooner said than done. Father John listened to K's request, looked at him intently and said: – I don’t refuse anyone’s prayers and I will come to you, but remember that you are joking with God!.. K-y was embarrassed, but still, insisting on the request, assured that his comrade was dying. Less than 10 minutes had passed when a bell rang at the door of the young people’s apartment. S. slipped into bed, covered himself with blankets and began to moan weakly. M knelt down at the head of the imaginary patient, and K rushed to open the doors. -Where is your patient? – the shepherd asked abruptly, emphasizing the word “your”. Please, father, please,” K-y fussed and led the guest into the snowy room. The patient continued to moan, and M. sobbed. Father John stopped in the middle of the room and looked for the image with his eyes. There was no icon in the room. Then he knelt down in the middle of the room and, crossing himself, began to pray... - Lord, send them according to their faith... Father John quickly stood up and, without saying goodbye, headed towards the exit. K-y and M-n ran to accompany him to the stairs... With loud laughter they returned to the patient’s room. Vanya, Vanya, get up, oh. John left... - Come on, get up, stop pretending, because he left... Alas! The unfortunate man was not pretending. He lay in complete paralysis: his tongue, arms, legs - everything was gone, and only the intense blinking of his eyes proved that the young man was alive and wanted to say something. Tetanus of horror fell on the jokers. They did not understand what was happening around them, and when they came to their senses, they looked at each other and cried bitterly over the “living corpse.” - Vanya, Vanya, we wanted to laugh at God... forgive, forgive us... They sent for doctors. Three experienced doctors spent the whole night at the patient’s bedside and established a paralysis that could take years to heal, if only it could be cured. “Perhaps a terrible grief has struck your comrade: his entire nervous system is broken,” the doctors said. The young people only cried, not daring to tell the doctors the truth. On the first train the next morning both jokers went to Kronstadt. Father John could not receive them until the evening, and when he was informed about the young people, he sent them to tell them that he was unable to do anything for them. M-and K-y kept watch at the little gray house all night and when in the morning Fr. John showed up and threw themselves at his feet, begging him to forgive them. The good shepherd raised the young men and told them to go to church. There, after the liturgy, he took them to the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and here the instruction lasted for about two hours. The venerable shepherd began by pointing out the indecency of their act, that they had no right to joke with people older than them, and then proceeded to present the gospel teaching. “Now let’s pray,” said Fr. John, when the instruction was over. Needless to say, the young people had never prayed as much as they did at that moment. The Holy Icon of the Wonderworker seemed to them a living face, at first menacing, and then more and more merciful. – Travel with God and praise Him. It was as if a weight had been lifted from the young men’s shoulders. They felt a joy incomprehensible to them: their souls rejoiced, and everything around them seemed to them in some kind of rainbow light. The comrades arrived home in the evening. S. opened the door for them. - Vanya, is that you? You're healthy! – friends rushed to him. - Almost healthy. My head is just heavy and there is some kind of fatigue all over my body... It turned out that at that very hour when Fr. John prayed with the young men at the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, S. stood up, and gradually the ability to control his numb members began to return to him. The right hand was the first to come to life, and its first movement was the sign of the cross. It hardly needs to be added that it no longer occurred to young people to joke about questions of faith and religion. The exploits of Fr. John of Kronstadt I have already mentioned that the life of Fr. John provides less material for the observer than the everyday life, spiritual movements and lives of his many “children”. It’s understandable: oh. John lives not for himself, but for others, therefore it is necessary to study him in others, to get acquainted with his own life and activities. For people who are underdeveloped and unable to analyze the phenomena occurring around them, of course, the most important thing is the healing of the sick and material support for the poor. Here both the cause and the consequence of this phenomenon are visible to everyone: the poor became rich, the sick became well! Every child will understand such a phenomenon, and that is why in the “glory” of Fr. John, the mass movement was caused by precisely such facts of recovery and enrichment. Dozens of people who gave a “biography” of the Kronstadt shepherd did not go beyond these simple external phenomena. They were probably unable to take a deeper look at the pilgrimage taking place in Kronstadt and take a closer look at the crowd that surrounds the priest every day and flocks to Kronstadt from all over Russia!.. If they were able to give themselves an account of their observations, then, without a doubt, they would see that the internal rebirth of a person into his spiritual manifestations during relations with Fr. John is much more important, more interesting and significant than external facts. For greater clarity, I will give several examples that speak for themselves and will prove to readers the correctness of my previous words. Of course, those who explain the cases of healings of Fr. by nervous shock or magnetism. John, the real facts will be called fanaticism or mental disorder, but I really would wish that all people were so crazy; then there would be no need for prisons or courts, then there would be no beggars or starving people, much less those who were offended among the dispossessed. Father John of Kronstadt did not have any children of his own, that is, relatives according to the flesh, but he had a great many spiritual children, like a priest, a Christian, and, finally, like a person. I will say without exaggeration that the number of Father John’s “children” reaches several tens of thousands of people, and he is truly their father, caring not only about their spiritual life, but delving into all the needs of earthly existence, starting with food, lodging, work and ending with illness. One could only wish that blood fathers would care for and love their children to the same extent as Fr. John cares for and loves spiritual children. Do you know, reader, who these dearly beloved “children” of Fr. John? Poor, miserable, drunkards... That, at least, is the name of these unfortunate poor people in Kronstadt, although they are nothing more than deeply unhappy... There are also “children” of Fr. John are religious admirers of the shepherd, his confessors and those who benefit from his prayers, advice, blessings, instructions, instructions, etc. Their number is much greater than the “fence brethren” or “golden company.” In my book “Father John,” I tried only to give the most complete biography of the venerable shepherd, without touching at all on his spiritual children. And yet, what a huge world this is, presenting for the observer a lot of interesting and instructive material! Readers, I am sure, will not complain at me if I offer them several essays from the life of this particular world, which is growing every day, capturing larger and larger areas, promising in the near future to become as great as the great truths professed and preached by the humble Kronstadt shepherd. One summer, to Fr. An unknown man arrived to John in a terribly excited state. The very sight of this man, with wandering eyes, shaking hands, in a disorderly, albeit decent suit, testified to something extraordinary, some terrible grief. Similar visits from Fr. John's is not at all uncommon; Quite often “disheveled subjects” come, as they are called in Kronstadt, either from dying loved ones, or having wasted other people’s money, having committed a crime, having lost a fortune, etc. To all such persons, Fr. John is especially attentive and somehow cautious, careful; but I was always surprised that the venerable shepherd did not take any emergency measures, did not rush to them with help, consolation, reassurance; on the contrary, sometimes he will leave such a disheveled subject, go to St. Petersburg and definitely forget about his existence... Oh strange! It would seem that a person who has reached the point of despair, at the sight of such indifference, should finally lose heart, but the “disheveled subject,” on the contrary, after two or three words with Fr. John noticeably calms down and over the course of several hours of solitude, left to himself in the church, he gradually regains his composure, begins to think sensibly, discusses the situation, the event and... one of two things: either Fr. Upon his return, John no longer finds him in Kronstadt or finds him in a state of quiet sadness, humility and soul-easing tears... The “disheveled subject” I was talking about was among the latter. Let's call him Mikhail Petrovich. Here is a short biographical information. He is still a young man, a little over thirty years old, handsome and well-mannered, from a decent family; Together with his diploma, thanks to his patronage, he got a job and had a career ahead of him. In a word, M.P. He had everything from life for a comfortable and happy existence in “society.” “I had everything that could be desired,” M.P. said later, “and I never thought about life, about my relationship to society and others. And why was there any need to think or give oneself an account when everything always went exactly as ordered, it seemed that it would always be so; I didn’t want anything except what was given without any puzzling solutions. Life, however, turned out to be incomplete. What came easily soon became boring, was no longer of interest and became boring and cloying. And all around M.P. everything was like that. Melancholy, boredom, and blues gradually crept into his soul and began to poison his existence. He even thought about suicide... “We need to get married,” decided M.P. In our age, this is the most ordinary solution. Science, knowledge, art, fame, the benefit of society, etc. very rarely become a subject of passion for a person who has realized the emptiness of his existence. Most often, a person of average intelligence will not come to such a consciousness, without some strong moral or mental shock, but if, like M.P., an uninvited consciousness has appeared, then the direct and simplest way to solve it is to get married! There will be a wife, children, the responsibilities of a family man, and, therefore, there will be no more emptiness. Strong love or passion is not required for such a marriage; you just need to find an individual suitable for the future family, which is not at all difficult. The wife has been found, Mich. Pet. became a family man and was completely happy, when suddenly his wife ran away with some Frenchman, and M.P. himself. I found myself in Kronstadt... It would be in vain to ask M.P. how and why all this happened. He answered all questions childishly: – I really can’t understand! She had everything, enough of everything, and I doted on her... I would go too far if I began to analyze the past life of M.P. One can only say about his inner life that it did not even exist in embryo! Never and not once did his thoughts dwell on the question of the purpose of existence or the highest calling of man. He only happened to laugh heartily when a student, who had been sitting over microscopes for several months, one day, jubilant and solemn, announced that he had managed to find some kind of chemical compound. Father John arrived late in the evening and noticed M.P. sitting on the porch of St. Andrew's Cathedral. Father called him and ordered him to come to early mass at the “House of Diligence” tomorrow. But tomorrow after early mass there was such a crowd of people that the priest again had no time to talk to M. P. -Can you stay until tomorrow? – asked Fr. John. “Of course I can, father,” he answered obediently. However, five days passed until, finally, Fr. John received M.P. During this time, the disheveled subject turned into the former bon-ton'-legged gentleman, only with some kind of gloomy tint, without a sign of a smile. In five days M.P. he was reborn: from a youth he became a serious man and sat all day long, immersed in thoughts; the deep folds on his forehead and the concentrated, seemingly evil gaze of his motionless eyes testified that his thoughts were gloomy. - What do you want from me? - Fr. started the conversation. John in a tone of complete indifference and with such an expression of seriousness that various ragamuffins, the poor and the sick had never seen on his kind face... M.P., apparently, did not expect such a direct question, which he himself had never asked himself before; he heard that various people in misfortune were going to Fr. John, he also had a misfortune, and he went... And why - he himself did not know; whether the Kronstadt shepherd would return his wife to him or only console him - he did not even ask himself. A minute of silence passed. Father John did not want to help his interlocutor speak out... “It will always be easier for a person later when he himself directly and loudly calls his situation in true words.” We need to bring him to complete repentance,” says the Kronstadt shepherd. “My wife left... ran away,” said M. P., barely pronouncing the words. – And I... I... suffered terribly!.. - Did you suffer? Now you suffer less... “Less,” said M.P. joyfully, realizing that from the moment of his arrival in Kronstadt, he really began to suffer less; this relief seemed to him accidental, temporary, as if the calm before the storm, but now he felt that his wound had received a healing balm, and recovery was taking place quickly. How, why and where the relief came from, he, of course, did not realize, but he felt that he was unusually light and pleasant around the priest. – Whoever lives in God, suffering is not difficult for him, and whoever loves God, everything is for the good... Think carefully about whether the reason for all this present lies in your past; Did you live as a Christian, a good, honest and decent citizen should live? Didn't you deserve it that your wife left you? The conversation between the priest and M.P. lasted for two hours. and ended with a prayer. From the first grade of the gymnasium M. P. had not prayed until that day... He left the church of the “House of Industriousness” almost in an enthusiastic mood, and, at the thought of his wife, he no longer dreamed of bloody revenge, did not revel in the hope of rewarding his honor with the death of the Frenchman... Two days later the priest met M.P. again. and asked what he was doing in Kronstadt. - I want to get a confession from you and St. communion... - Good, have you made peace with your enemies? “I am the first enemy of myself and others, father,” answered M.P. - I need to ask forgiveness from others, not from me... Today I even prayed for them... - Okay. Come to the cathedral in the evening, we will talk. A week later M.P. returned to St. Petersburg and got to work. The rebirth was complete. He spent all his free time in prayer and reading St. scriptures. He was not seen in theaters or at festivities, but he often appeared in the basements and corners of dispossessed beggars; fellow colleagues were amazed at the change in M.P., and everyone unanimously found that he had become unusually kind, attentive and helpful to everyone, not missing a single opportunity to be useful to someone; he was interested in literature, new useful discoveries, art, and in everything he carefully avoided that piquancy that had previously been the first “goer”; the authorities, for their part, put M.P. to the sample... If I say that M.P. still often goes to Fr. John and considers him his only benefactor, spiritual father and friend, then I can put an end to our hero... In my draft notes there are more than a dozen of the same Mikhail Petrovichs, but I believe that there is no need to tell all these stories, because in general the same idea, the same beginning and end. A completely indifferent man, after a strong shock, realized the emptiness and disgusting vulgarity of such a life... He was looking for a way out, sought it from the Kronstadt shepherd and turned into a useful citizen, a good Christian and found his own happiness! For society, for the state and the Church, such a transformation brought enormous benefits, increasing the contingent of good people. I believe that for this, as for helping the poor, we can say sincere thanks to Father John! Here is the story of one poor man. “At the beginning of last year, backbreaking work overwhelmed me: I became dangerously ill. My illness did not respond to the efforts of the doctors, and the suffering caused to me by pain in the liver and itching from the spilling of bile throughout my body did not give me rest day or night. My family, exhausted by caring for me and moral suffering for the outcome of the disease, turned to the Kronstadt “father” with a request for him to come to the patient and... he came. He arrived at the sick man’s poor apartment, approached the bed, and meekly and affectionately said: “Get up, let’s pray.” And I, who got up only with the help of those caring for me, now found the strength to get up, get dressed, go out into another room, where a table and an icon for the prayer service had already been prepared, knelt down and reverently listened as the shepherd cried out to the Lady for my healing. With every word of prayer, I felt some wonderful power pouring into me, my heart beat tremulously, the pain subsided, and tears, large, blessed tears flowed from my eyes... And I wasn’t the only one crying—everyone who was in the room was crying, except for the one who cried out to the Mother of God, demanding Her help and calling on Her intercession for the sick. Finally, having finished his prayer, he turned to me with a clear smile and asked: “What causes you suffering the most?” I spoke about my illness and complained of a burning itch that was eating away at my body and did not give me a moment of rest, day or night. He touched the sore spot, ran his hands over my body several times, blessed me and said: “Pray to God, you will be healthy!” - left. All this happened so quickly, so unexpectedly, as if in a dream. I didn’t go to bed anymore and two weeks later I got to work. The illness passed, did not return, and I forgot about the one who gave me the opportunity to live, work and help others earn money. A year passed, and the same work undermined my strength for the second time: I developed pulmonary hemoptysis. I remembered Father John, sent him a telegram asking for prayer and promised to go to Kronstadt at the first opportunity to personally ask for his blessing. And within a week I was healthy.” This poor man has now become a missionary. It’s been almost two years since I met one of the admirers of Fr. John, whom I will call Peter Ivanovich. We spent many evenings in friendly conversation, sharing with each other our impressions and observations that interested us, and now Pyotr Ivanovich shares with me all his joys and sorrows. We still meet with him very often. About 10 years ago, Pyotr Ivanovich held a prominent position in the service, wore a shiny uniform and lived as befits a V-class person receiving 6,000 rubles. annual content. Towards religion P.I. was completely indifferent, not that he was an atheist, but simply avoided questions of faith in silence, finding that one could live a century anyway, but “if I’m going to die, I’ll think about it”... For those around him, he was a dry and almost evil person; He did not provide help or kindness to anyone, and if he had to punish - there was no mercy or compassion - no, no! “I’ll put you in a coffin alive,” he said himself. Was P.I.’s “character” so severe, or was his upbringing and service tempered him, but he was only a flint man, and he did not enjoy the love of those around him... In 1882, P.I. His wife died suddenly - the only creature he loved dearly. Before his death, when the doctors refused to treat the patient, P.I. sent for Fr. John. - Let him pray - he’ll die anyway, but if he recovers, I’ll believe! Father John answered the messenger: - I have nothing to do with you! He didn’t go.. The patient died... I.P. He fell into despair... He was already sitting with a revolver in his hand when lightning struck him in the head. - But Fr. John did not go; With you, he says, I have nothing to do... Why didn’t I go? What is this o. John?!.. He went to Vino, and there the dying child recovered. Pyotr Ivanovich became lost in thought and sat motionless for more than an hour. When he woke up, a clear and definite plan of action had matured in his brain... The next day he went to Fr. John and asked for confession. Here, so to speak, all his painful soul poured out. “With the death of my wife,” Pyotr Ivanovich said later, “a kind of abyss, an abyss, a dark emptiness opened up before me... I felt the coldness of death and the powerlessness of all our knowledge, of which humanity is proud, the vanity of all worries and troubles... If a person with all his science is so powerless and insignificant before nature, if all existence, the whole purpose of life is limited only by the hour of death, only for this we live, so that at the first chance we turn into rotting dust, then Is it worth living!? What are we living for?.. No, this cannot be! Secret and denial are not synonymous. If we do not know the nature of even embryonic cells and cannot understand our own existence, as Professor Garkhanov puts it, then it does not follow from this that everything mysterious, spiritual, invisible does not exist!.. Father John did not give P.I. absolution and limited it only to prayer, which lasted more than an hour. For the first time in P.I.’s life. experienced some incomprehensible feeling, unknown to him before, but a good, beneficial feeling. From the first words of prayer, he forgot everything earthly that had previously exclusively occupied his thoughts; a new beautiful world opened up before his spiritual eyes... And strangely, in this world he is not a stranger, and there is a place for him there! “I would like to stay there forever, never to be separated from this world, but the prayer was over, and the priest invited me to leave... Almost with horror, I asked: can I really never come again?” But the priest looked at me meekly and said tenderly: “You can come every day.” Pyotr Ivanovich really began to go every day and sometimes caught the priest from morning to evening to pray together for a few minutes. A week or a week and a half later he received St. communion. The first result of his “new” life was a completely different attitude towards all people, starting with servants, soldiers and other commoners. He had a strange desire to help, to serve everyone, to bring pleasure to his face, a smile, to give everyone something pleasant. “So I would hug and kiss everyone, everyone without exception or exception.” The harsh character of P.I. transformed to such an extent that he lost all ability to be angry; on the contrary, no matter what trouble they caused him. he only pitied the offender and tried with all his might to convince him that he should not have acted this way. When he heard about enemies or someone being offended, he was terribly worried and took all measures to somehow alleviate the unpleasant consequences. It goes without saying that he spent all his free time reading the Bible and praying; he became addicted to this activity like a drunkard to wine, and suffered terribly if he failed to open his “native book” for a whole day... In the home life of P.I. also a lot has changed. He quit smoking, completely stopped drinking, simplified the table to a minimum, removed all luxury items and, upon retiring, devoted himself entirely to raising his children - a son and two daughters. The main enemy of P.I. for his “rebirth” his own brother became, calling him a “fool.” – He buried his wife and threw himself into hypocrisy. This only shows your cowardice or, even worse, dementia... You’ve gone a little crazy,” his brother told him. – Tell me, who did I harm with my “foolishness”? I'm completely happy; children, I believe, will not lose from the fact that I devote more time and attention to them... To those around me, you yourself know that I have brought significant benefit to many, and not harm... · - Yes, you have become intolerant in polite society; you lost your career, you lead such a lifestyle that no one visits you... - Wait. I lost my career - that’s true, but tell me honestly - did the service lose it because I retired? After all, no? You know this well yourself. I needed the service, not the service! Then, regarding the fact that our acquaintances are not allowed to get drunk or screw around with me, then you must agree that I am not obliged to renounce my views, beliefs and ruin my own life for the sake of such stupidity. And without me, all our friends will find somewhere to get drunk... - Why are you tormenting yourself? “I swear to you by the memory of my wife that I have never been as happy as I am now.” Nothing could give me such pleasure as the chapter of the Bible I read... I am completely happy in my “foolishness”, and it does no harm to anyone, rather, it does good, why shouldn’t I “be foolish”?.. You say that you would shoot yourself if you lost your position, but I can easily lose everything, because what I could not live without now, that is, faith and prayer, no one can take away from me. That means you depend on a thousand chances, but I depend on no one. You should be afraid of everything: illness, depreciation, disfavor of your “society”, death of loved ones, etc., etc., but I – nothing, because my “foolishness” replaces and absorbs everything for me. You cannot live without your current situation, so how many people and cases can sentence you to death?! You tremble at the thought of the coffin plaque, because you are not sure of what will happen next, but I wait for this moment with joyful trepidation, although life gives me many joys. Which of us is happier? – This reasoning reminds me of the delirium of patients in a mental hospital. Have you noticed that idiots always laugh: they are probably in the same joyful mood as yours... – Sophistry and paradox are not evidence. You know that the insane and idiots suffer terribly physically, but I am so healthy that you yourself envy my health. Insane people lose their minds and cannot think logically, but yesterday I wrote three memos for you, and no one found them to be the delirium of a madman. Why are you needlessly insulting me?.. Pyotr Ivanovich has been living with his “new views” for seven years now. He receives communion every month from Fr. John, attends church every holiday and lives a quiet, happy life. All those who consider him a “holy fool” do not hesitate to turn to him for help and take advantage of both his knowledge, experience, and money. There is no refusal for anyone, P.I. There is no greater pleasure than helping your enemy. But could he have enemies? But the sick and old were the special objects of the pastor’s care. No infection or squalor of the situation could stop him from visiting such sufferers. He not only fulfilled all church requirements free of charge in such cases, but constantly helped himself to the best of his ability. Here are a few cases that testify to the power of Fr.’s prayer. John. The first case that made people talk about it dates back to 1879 or 1880. F.'s wealthy family lived in Kronstadt, consisting of a husband, wife, two children and F.'s mother. F. himself occupied a fairly prominent place and was generally respected for his moral qualities. Four years have already passed since the old mother fell ill with a serious and incurable illness: she developed dropsy in her legs. All the luminaries of science, including the late Botkin, visited the unfortunate woman’s bedside, but there was no help; on the contrary, the disease intensified, developed, and the old woman’s days were numbered... A convened council, with the participation of seven professors, determined that the dropsy had reached the heart, and life, at most, would last six days. There is no salvation, and all treatment is useless. The old woman unusually wanted to live, having some kind of presentiment that she should not die yet, and begged the doctors to save her. “There is still an opportunity to try to release the water,” they answered her, “but this operation is very difficult and at your age it is impossible to endure it.” Out of a hundred chances, 99 are for death, which will only shorten the days in vain and cause suffering. The doctors left, and the old woman wished to be left alone to pray. An hour later, she called her son and demanded that Fr. be invited immediately. John for prayer and service of prayer. In the evening the shepherd arrived and spent about an hour at the bedside. Blessing the sick woman, Fr. John said to Mr. F.: – I’ll ask you to bring your mother to the cathedral for the liturgy tomorrow... “But, father, mother hasn’t gotten out of bed for five years now.” Tomorrow she will have a terrible operation... – There is no need to perform any operation, and I hope that tomorrow it will not be very difficult for your mother to appear in the church of God... - No, no, father, this is impossible. Doctors forbade her to move; and will she even live to see tomorrow... - Farewell and fulfill my request. O. John left. G.F. accompanied him to the street and returned to his mother, who had a completely radiant, cheerful appearance. “My children,” she cried, “I feel relief every minute; I'm sure I've already had surgery. The family spent the entire night without sleep. In the morning, the old woman got out of bed, in which she had spent more than 4 years, and was led arm-in-arm through all the rooms. There was no end to the joy and rejoicing. When the church bell rang for mass, the patient was already moving with a stick without outside help. It hardly needs to be said that the entire F. family, according to the behest of Fr. John, was present in the cathedral; The old woman defended the entire mass and prayer service to the Savior. Three days later she was completely healthy and is still healthy today, that is, about 10 years. She lived, therefore, more years than the days promised to her by seven professors and a whole council of luminaries of medical science... Let us tell you a few more cases that created Fr. John has such widespread popularity. In the distant Urals, in Yekaterinburg, lived a wealthy gold miner in 3-v, who was known there as the father of all those in need and suffering. One day, 3-v himself went down into the mine, to a depth of about 30 fathoms into the ground, made orders and instructions there, and had just ordered himself to be lifted up, when suddenly a block of ore broke off, and the unfortunate man was buried. Hundreds of working hands feverishly began to save their beloved owner, but still a relatively long time passed, and, moreover, 3-v received severe bruises from the falling earth, so that he was taken out without any signs of life. Of course, there was no doctor at the mine; sent to Yekaterinburg, 70–80 versts, but 3rd did not show any signs of life. “That’s it, gentlemen,” the chief clerk of the mine addressed the crowd, “you all pray, and I’ll now send an urgent telegram to Fr. John to Kronstadt. The priest was immediately invited to serve a prayer service; The crowd of thousands fell to their knees, and loud sobs were heard. The doctor arrived soon. He examined the patient, felt the pulse, took all the measures known to him to bring him back to life and... crossing the lifeless corpse, he said: - He died, he died! – the fatal news flashed through the crowd, and new sobs were heard. - No, there are no signs of death yet, but only a miracle can save the patient. Death should come any minute. The tedious hours passed. Neither the doctor nor his numerous family members left the bed. There was a crowd of workers outside who did not disperse until they received decisive news about the outcome of the disaster. Everyone waited and waited... But for what? News from Fr. Joanna! Massa still didn’t know anything about Fr. John, but instinctively expected a miracle from... Kronstadt... About three hours later there was commotion throughout the whole house. - Sighed, sighed! - exclamations were heard. Indeed, the patient sighed weakly and showed a sign of life that had not yet died out. We looked at the clock. It was a quarter to 3 or, according to St. Petersburg time, 2 hours 15 minutes. The doctor and relatives doubled their attention and care for the patient; Ten minutes later another sigh followed, but this time deeper and calmer. In the evening the dying man opened his eyes and the next day he was sitting on his bed. A dispatch was received from Father John: “At 2:15 a.m. a prayer service was served.” There is nothing to say about the impression made. The recovered 3rd glorified God and in memory of Fr. John built an almshouse for elderly workers and widows near his mine. The next year he deliberately went to Kronstadt to personally thank Fr. John and pray with him in the church. Here are a few more stories. The young wife of Mr. V-ga, suffering from typhoid fever, lay in bed in an unconscious state. Doctors recognized her situation as hopeless, expecting death any minute. The husband was awake in the room nearby. Suddenly he hears his wife calling him. He goes to her call. In an almost firm voice she tells him: Something extraordinary happened in the house... come and find out... The husband goes out onto the stairs and sees it filled from top to bottom with people. It turns out that Father John was at that time in one of the apartments of that house with the patient. Recognizing the echo, Mr. V. rushes headlong into the apartment where Father John was, runs up the back stairs and, having waited for him, asks to go to his sick wife. Father John agrees with his usual friendliness and goes to Mr. V.’s apartment. Having entered there, he goes straight to the patient’s room, as if he had been in this apartment several times before. The patient greets him without surprise, as if this was what was supposed to happen, but with some extraordinary reverence, as she herself later said: suddenly something lit up in her. Father John approached her and, after a few words of consolation and encouragement, said: - Well, what then? Let's pray to God, stand up... Having not risen from her pillow for several weeks, the patient sat up in bed. Father John, placing his hand on her head, began to pray. In a fit of faith and reverent tenderness, the sick woman knelt in bed, her hands, until then deprived of movement, folded freely on her chest... Her face was burning... tears flowed in hail. Father John, having blessed her, gave several instructions on how a true Christian should believe and hope in God. After the prayer, the patient felt cheerful and, like a housewife, turned to Father John with the question of whether he would like to refresh himself. And so the good shepherd says: – If you give me a glass of wine, I’ll thank you; I was very weak and tired... but, according to Russian custom, the hostess herself must serve the guest wine. Hearing this, the sick woman rose from her bed, lowered her feet to the floor, her relatives threw a dress over her, and with firm steps she headed to the dining room to the buffet, took out wine and served it to the blessed guest. After taking a few sips and blessing the patient and family, Father John headed for the exit. As the patient herself said, at that moment two feelings began to boil within her: gratitude to God and the desire to live. Will she live? She wanted to ask Father John, but she didn’t dare. As if reading this question in her soul, Father John turns around almost at the door and says to her: - God help you, get better. Believe - everything is in His power. A few days later she completely recovered. The doctors, of course, called it a crisis, etc., recognizing the accomplished fact as a matter of chance. It is impossible not to add that the patient’s husband is a Lutheran, and she herself is Orthodox. The son of a very wealthy merchant, having received healing from a dangerous illness several years ago through the prayers of Father John, expressed a desire to enter monasticism, but could not carry out this intention due to his father’s disagreement. Some time later, his father died shortly after his son was engaged to a sincerely beloved girl. Almost immediately after the death of his father, after which the young man, in addition to trading, was left with several tens of thousands of rubles, his bride fell ill and then died. This catastrophe influenced the young man to such an extent that he, having liquidated his affairs, decided, using part of the inheritance left to him for charitable purposes, to join the ranks of the booksellers of the “Society for the Propagation of St. scriptures in Russia". In 1887, in the month of July, Father John was invited by carriage driver S-vim, whose sick wife was facing a complex and extremely dangerous operation. Having confessed and administered the Holy Mysteries to the sick woman, the respected shepherd advised her not to shy away from the operation, which was soon performed by Dr. Baikov. The results of the operation, according to those knowledgeable and close to the patient, turned out to be the most favorable, so that in a short time the patient recovered. A similar incident occurred with the sister of the famous poet, now deceased, V.G. Beneova, living on the St. Petersburg side, on Bolshaya Pushkarskaya Street, near the Church of the Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Church. V.G. At the beginning of Lent in 1888, she fell ill with acute rheumatism, which was later complicated by pneumonia. It should be noted that V.G. is already quite advanced in age, i.e. at an age when pneumonia is extremely dangerous and in most cases fatal. Doctors declared her situation hopeless. The patient could not move a single member. Then she decided to invite Father John. The latter, having arrived, from the first words invited her to partake of the Holy Mysteries, to which V.G. immediately readily agreed, although her relatives were partly opposed to this. “Unite with the Lord,” said the venerable shepherd, “and the Lord will raise you up.” “Where can I get better, father, I’m old... May God at least die in peace,” was the patient’s answer. “Sister in Christ,” objected Father John, “it is not our business to know the times or dates that the Father has set in His power, I will answer you with the words of the apostle. Unite with Christ, and in His power all things are possible. With these words, Father John took off the monstrance and, placing it on the table prepared for prayer, said, pointing to it: “Behold, in this monstrance is the Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ, and under the guise of them, He Himself, the All-Good One, entered your house.” Believe, unite with Him through heartfelt repentance, your faith will save you. Don't look at the years. He even raised the daughter of Jairus who died, so how can he not raise you, who are sick? Having said this, Father John knelt before the icon and began to pray fervently, after which he confessed and communed the sick woman. Then he reproached those around him for why they hadn’t given her communion earlier, and when the latter said: “She, father, didn’t fast,” Father John objected: – The first Christians partook of the Holy Mysteries every day, but you don’t even want to give it to the sick. Running away from Christ is not good. Having blessed everyone, the venerable shepherd left. The next day the patient felt better, and a few days later, to the surprise of the doctors, she completely recovered and after a week and a half she was able to go out of town for a final recuperation. The following two incidents made a very touching impression on those present at the large meeting. One of the visitors from afar addressed Father John with the following words: - Father, bless! I purposely came here yesterday from Odessa to personally thank you for saving my wife. While caring for children sick with typhus, she herself became very ill; the doctors found her hopeless, and I was facing a heavy loss, but I trusted in God and decided to contact you by telegram, asking for your holy prayers for my sick wife and mother. You prayed, dear father, and that same night you appeared in a dream to my sick wife and ordered someone to stretch out his hands over her; when she woke up and told the woman sitting next to her about this, she carried out your order. The patient fell asleep soundly, and the next day she got up as if nothing had happened and again began caring for the recovering children. At the same time, one of the ladies present, sobbing, told another case of the healing of her hopelessly ill daughter. “My daughter is dangerously ill; I invited the best St. Petersburg doctors to treat her, but everything was in vain: her strength weakened more and more every hour; I convened a consultation and learned the fatal verdict that my daughter must die. I despaired, I didn’t know what to decide, but the Lord managed to turn me to you, dear father. You were so gracious to me and my daughter and did not refuse to come; approaching the bed from which the sick woman had not gotten up for a long time, you sat her down with your pastoral hand and, blessing her, ordered her to get up... We were all amazed when my daughter suddenly asked: “Mom, let me get up, I feel great,” and, getting up, she began to pray with us to God, thanking and blessing you in her soul, our dear mentor. We have seen dozens of cases where the prayer of Fr. Joanna even performed miracles, regenerated the soul and heart of a person, brought about a moral upliftment of a fallen spirit, healed bodily ailments, etc. It would be frivolous to think that every sick person who turned to the prayer of Fr. John, he certainly received healing. Then it would be some kind of clinic that everyone would turn to “in case of emergency,” as they now turn to Baron Vrevsky and various healers. “If it helps, that’s good, but if it doesn’t help, you still have to die: the doctors refused to treat.” If we know hundreds of cases when the prayer of Fr. John saved the sick and helped the dying, then we also know thousands of cases when they wrote to him and went “at random”, but did not receive any help. “Pray, the Lord will help you according to your faith,” Fr. always says. John himself prays in this sense. Obviously, if prayer is turned to “just in case,” like a straw that a drowning man grabs at, then there is no point in expecting any help from Father John, because he, first of all, is a sincere and deeply religious man, living according to the letter and spirit of the Gospel Scriptures. On the contrary, those relatively few who found moral or physical healing from Fr. John, all of them, without exception, were either devout or imbued with emotion at the moment when they spoke with Fr. John, firm and unshakable faith in the possibility of the miraculous power of God, sent down through the prayer of people strong in faith and pious life. Whether they are right or wrong, whether we are dealing here with God’s providence or a simple accident, we will leave it to everyone’s conscience. Our task is to truthfully convey only the facts, without trying to give them a scientific or canonical interpretation. Cases of healing of the sick by Fr. John gives rise to not only doubts but also direct protests among the intelligent classes. - Here about. John has nothing to do with it,” one captain writes to me. – Ask any doctor, and he will tell you that severe nervous shocks can almost instantly destroy the human body and also instantly make a reaction to recovery. This is not a miracle, but a simple physiological phenomenon, and it is in vain to fool uneducated readers with such stories about imaginary miracles. Probably, the reader has heard similar opinions in society more than once about the healings of Fr. John, which is why I allow myself to dwell on my correspondent’s letter in a little more detail. I will only note that I have not expressed before and do not now express my personal opinion about the healings of Fr. John, firstly, because my opinion is probably not interesting to anyone, secondly, it does not have any significance in this case, since I am citing facts and only stating known phenomena or events, and thirdly, because I do not consider myself any authority at all in matters of faith or medicine. No one, of course, will object to my correspondent about the reality of nervous phenomena. This is undeniable. I know, for example, one professor who treats patients and very successfully in the simplest way. A patient comes in, almost relaxed, with a severe shock to his entire nervous system. - Well, what do you have? - asks the professor. The patient tells... He is terribly thin, has pain all over his body, and has poor use of his arm. “Er... er... nothing,” the professor interrupts casually, “well, show me...” -You have nothing. Just nothing. In a week you will be great; here's your medicine... The reassured patient is as if resurrected, immediately feels better and soon makes a complete recovery. In the same way, I repeatedly saw how the hypnotist Feldman took seriously ill patients from hospitals and ordered them to recover instantly; they got up and walked healthy... You all know that neither the professor nor Feldman performed miracles; Although these phenomena do not find a clear explanation in science, just as any medicine that helps one and does not have the slightest effect on another is an incomprehensible phenomenon, it is not a miracle. I am even ready to admit that half of the sick healed by Fr. John, would have received exactly the same healing from that professor or Feldman without any prayers or faith. We must not forget that our life itself and 99 out of 100 medical phenomena constitute a mystery, which people of science try to explain with fortune-telling theories, and ordinary people - with “the will of God”... Isn’t it strange indeed: a man lies before us; everything that we saw in this person remained present, and everything that can be seen during the autopsy is also present, but something invisible disappeared, and the person turned into a decomposing corpse! The doctor will say that the man died of apoplexy, cancer, diphtheria, and the peasant will say: “God sent death,” but essentially, for the secret of life, both said the same thing. I will end this chapter with the words of Fr. Joanna: “Truly, God Himself shows the surest path to the kingdom of heaven when He sends long illnesses to His chosen ones. Diseases are very saving for us in our condition. We can never avoid many sins so easily as in illness. What sins bother us most? Self-love, self-interest, voluptuousness, gluttony. But tell me: what will the patient be proud of? Isn’t it not the humble knowledge of one’s weaknesses, the hope in the One God, the helper of the weak and infirm, that is most appropriate for him in his position? Gluttony, voluptuousness? But don’t they completely freeze in the sick and upset body of the sufferer? Let's take a person suffering from blindness. Great misfortune. But at the same time, the unfortunate person does not have a certain amount of happiness? Can’t he consider himself completely free from the sins of carelessly looking at tempting objects, which generate in the viewer’s soul either envy or harmful lust? And a person suffering from deafness from how many sins is made free because he does not have the opportunity to hear many things that disturb the spirit and defile the mind and heart. Yes, if ever, then in illness we have the least opportunity to sin, in illness we have the most means to escape from it. Diary of Fr. John of Kronstadt The magazine “Russian Pilgrim” publishes the extremely interesting “Diary of Fr. John,” from which I will allow myself to quote a few excerpts, recommending that readers turn to the original. This is how Fr. himself defines it. John the meaning and character of the “Diary”: “My power is made perfect in weakness, says the Lord, and where sin abounds, there grace abounds,” says the great apostle. This power and this grace of the Lord in me, weak and sinful, abounded in all the days of my life, from early youth to the present day, and manifested themselves tangibly in the wonderful illumination of my soul with the light of repentance in prayer, in the tenderness of my heart in pure, hot, life-giving and sweet tears that cleansed the filth of my heart. I have always tried to perform home and public worship with a clear and deep understanding of its meaning, with a strong and with a warm feeling, with peace in my soul. But there are strong enemies of prayer: these are, firstly, our worldly passions and the principalities and powers of darkness, the spirits of wickedness in high places, about which the apostle speaks in his epistle: “our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities and powers of darkness, with the spirits of wickedness in high places.” With these all-evil enemies of prayer, of all truth, I had to wage an unequal, persistent and gestural struggle to the death and to the death from the very beginning of my priestly ministry, because the priest, by his very rank and title, is God's warrior, clothed in the full armor of God for a constant, invisible battle with the invisible legions of evil spirits, attacking sooner and later the armorer of Christ's faith with flaming arrows his malice, with the subtlety, cunning, speed and strength of his centuries-old fallen spiritual strong nature. But since the priest is also fallen, sinful, multi-passionate, easily vulnerable from different sides of his inner life, and this is his weak side or weak sides when waging a spiritual struggle with the rulers of the darkness of this age, then from the very beginning of my priestly service I had to pray intensely to the Lord of hosts, as I pray now, that He, the All-Good One, will teach my hands to fight and my fingers to fight invisible, persistent, fierce abuse. And I was not left helpless in this saving battle: I raised my eyes, full of tears, to heaven, from where help always came to me, although often not suddenly and not soon, due to my former inexperience in temptations in prayer. With constant internal temptations, I had to constantly turn my spiritual eye inward in order to discern the attack of invisible enemies, and thus accustomed myself to almost unceasing spiritual contemplation and secret prayer and constant gratitude to the Lord for the help sent down to me in spiritual war; for with the help of God I always, in the end, emerged victorious from it, although at the beginning of my ministry I was often defeated by the cunning and cunning of ethereal enemies. Given this nature of my inner life, the Lord often granted me wonderful inner insights and bright thoughts regarding prayer in general and various subjects of faith and Christian life, and I tried not to let them pass without special attention and wrote them down in my diary. Thus, over the course of thirty-five years, I have compiled many handwritten notes on these subjects, which I dare to offer, in extracts, to the attention of the respectable public. These are the most fugitive, flying notes, written in every place, either in pencil or ink. I ask you not to punish me for what was written for myself, and not for show to anyone.” The priest is a servant of God, armed with His authority and power (in repentance); the power of the cross is a priestly blessing. Prayer is always present, because we always sin; thanksgiving is everlasting, because every day, every minute we receive new mercies of God, and there are countless old ones; constant doxology, because we always see the glory of the works of our God in us and in the world, especially the glory of His endless love for us. First, correct your life, and then I will begin the Holy Gifts... Where are there no secrets? A person is a secret for himself - both in his soul and in his body. There are countless secrets in the nature that surrounds us: man knows so little in comparison with what he does not yet know - despite the successes of modern natural sciences - that each of us must humbly confess, along with one of the ancient sages, that we only know that we know nothing. Why does the world persecute true faith, piety, truth, which are so beneficial for people, bringing unity, mutual love, good morals, peace, order into scattered human societies? Because the whole world lies in evil (John 5:19), people have loved evil more than goodness (Ps. 51:5), and the prince of this world, the devil, who works in the sons of disobedience, hates the truth with hellish hatred and persecutes it, since it serves as a denunciation of unrighteousness, pricks its eyes, oppresses it. We see that modern man has fallen extremely deeply, has completely immersed himself in sensuality, has bound himself entirely to worldly passions and sensual pleasures, has perverted the order of life indicated by the Creator, and thus not only does not follow the Divine plan for our salvation, but, as far as this plan concerns him, destroys it. Look carefully at the life of modern man, how unnatural it is, how unChristianly it is lived. Look how he perverted the most sensual pleasures! For the sense of smell and taste, and partly for breathing itself, he invented and smokes a sharp, odorous smoke, bringing this, as if a constant censer, to the demon living in the flesh, infecting the air of his home and the external air with this smoke. The womb has become an idol: many do not keep fasts at all, considering them burdensome; feasting and drunkenness became constant phenomena; money has positively become an idol, and in order to easily acquire it people do not neglect any means, no matter how ignoble and wicked they may be; all thoughts, work, fun, including games - in a word, pleasures, searches, intentions, enterprises, even teachings are directed towards the earth; There is no mention of heaven, of the heavenly title, of heavenly teaching and life in many homes. Christian man, where are you? How deep did you fall? What darkness did you enter into voluntarily? Everything material, we see, is smoldering, starting with food and clothing; sins also, we all notice, corrupt the soul and body. This should revive in us the hope of the imperishable, the everlasting. You who eat sweets, you who boast of clothes, houses, wealth - what are you doing? In prayer, we must strive most of all for ardor of spirit, ardor and sincerity of repentance for sins. Ananias, Azariah and Misail, the prophet Daniel (before the appearance of the archangel). A prudent robber. People who pray little have a weak heart: and so, when they want to pray, their heart relaxes and weakens their hands, body and thoughts, and it is difficult for them to pray. We must overcome yourself: try to pray with all your heart, because it is good and easy to pray with all your heart. The devil constantly lies in our hearts against God, especially against his omnipresence: forget God, turn away your face; to justice: will not exact; to being: there is no God. Prayer is often called something that is not prayer at all - he went to church, stood, looked at the icons or, first, at the people, at their faces, attire, and said: he prayed to God; stood at home in front of the icon, nodded his head, spoke memorized words without understanding or sympathy, he said: he prayed to God, although he did not pray at all with his thoughts and heart, but was somewhere else with other persons and things, and not with God. Come, sinners like me, to Christ the Savior with faith and unfeigned repentance, and He will give you peace. I myself have been and am subjected to repeated, destructive and deadly rebellion of passions: and each time, through heartfelt repentance, I received deliverance from the Lord. Repent, repent, sinners and sinners! Let us take care of acquiring holiness, as the Lord Himself said: “You will be holy, just as the Lord your God is holy.”... Repent, repent! Until now I lived by God (thought, felt, ate). And henceforth I will live by Him. I put aside all restless worries and rely on my hope, on my breath - Christ. Prayer is living water with which the soul quenches its thirst. When you pray, then imagine that there was only One God before you, the Trinity in Persons, and besides Him there was nothing. Imagine that God is in the world, like a soul in a body, although infinitely higher than it and not limited by Him; your body is small, and it is all penetrated by your small soul, but the world is great, God is infinitely great, and throughout all creation God fills everything - He is everywhere and fills everything. What good do you benefit from delicious food and drinks, aren’t you ashamed to burden yourself with them? Why do you give yourself up to the power of sensuality? Or do you enjoy it? Look: the imaginary sweetness of your pleasures is a dangerous lure of the flesh. Beware of this bait; if you want to be with God, if you want to be eternally prosperous, then you must agree that you need to fast with your soul, collect your mind, correct your thoughts, cleanse your thoughts, and instead of the sackcloth of unrighteous deeds, adorn yourself with the precious clothing of good deeds. Physical fasting was established to make it easier for the soul to fast. Quite a lot of people come to the spirit with complete indifference, and if they had not been asked anything, they would not have said anything or would have only said in general that the spiritual father has sinned in all his sins. And if they had said this with a heartfelt awareness of their guilt, no, then woe, without awareness of their sins, and so - in order to end the matter as quickly as possible. Beloved! Let us not turn God’s act of extreme mercy towards you sinners into a reason for God’s wrath. How insensitive we are! Don't we have anything to grieve about in confession? We don’t have enough sins: if we began to cry all our lives about our sins, then we would not do anything unnecessary, but only what should be done. In the most sorrowful, joyless moments, the Lord is with us. “I am with him in sorrow.” But we think that no, that God has abandoned you. Oh, the unspeakable power of our God over our hearts! A mother cannot completely attract our hearts into her love, but the Lord is attracted through secrets and prayer. The enemy severely persecutes my faith, hope and love every day. They are persecuting you, my faith! They are persecuting you, my hope! They are persecuting you, my love! Be patient, faith, be patient, hope, be patient, love! Take heart, faith, take heart, hope, take heart, love! - God is your champion! - Don’t weaken, faith, don’t weaken, hope, don’t weaken, love! Doesn't the soul eat more food? Ah, immeasurably, infinitely more! The image of the invisible God, the Creator of everything, shines in the soul. Not only anything material, but my soul, my life, I should not spare for the benefit of my brother, material or bodily, especially spiritual. By lovingly serving my brother's benefit, I am serving God Himself. ABOUT! I feel in my heart the lofty, great truth: “Even though you alone created these least of my brothers, you created them for me.” Why is this so? - Because, firstly, that every person is the image of God, and, secondly, because Jesus Christ is God and at the same time man and the Head of the body of His Church, so that we constitute Him, from His flesh and from His bones, that is, we are members of Christ. Everyone who is truly in need should be given a little. But at the same time, one should help not out of vanity and pride, not out of a desire for gratitude and reward, but disinterestedly, out of pleasing God and out of love for one’s neighbor. Almsgiving, infected with the disease of vanity, is no longer a matter of mercy. So, if anyone does not give with a disposition of zeal, it is better not to give. Love is God. If you love, God abides in you, and you in God. Malice is the devil. For a moment you become angry with your neighbor - and the demon in you will enter like a needle and try to become a mountain in you - so it expands, and so heavy it is! So, love God and your neighbor constantly. Do not allow anger to reach your heart even for a moment, considering it a demonic dream. - Amen. Just as indoor air has identity with the external air and comes from it, just as it necessarily presupposes external air, diffused everywhere: so our soul - the breath of the Spirit of God - presupposes the existence of the Omnipresent and all-filling Spirit of God. The parallel between material churches and spiritual churches. The Lord is so merciful that He does not disdain any of our prayers, but graciously accepts every one and corrects what is imperfect, as long as we turn to Him and do not forget Him at all. You must be able to control your heart at the moment of insult, suppress your anger and displeasure at the very beginning. Who reproached you? And you bless. Bill? And you be patient. Does he despise you and respect you for nothing? And bring yourself to the thought that you were made from earth and will be resolved into earth again. Whoever protects himself with such reasoning will find that any dishonor is less than reality. Our soul is called a soul because it breathes the Spirit of God, that is, it is so called from the Life-Giving Spirit. Glory to Thee, All-Holy One, Life-Giving Soul, proceed from the Father and rest ever in the Son, inseparable from the Father and the Son! Glory to Thee, Son of God, in the Spirit of God you cast out demons and through Him build our salvation, sanctify, make us wise, strengthen us! Glory to Thee, O God, favor us ever in the Son by the Holy Spirit! Indivisible Trinity Unity - have mercy on us! Glory to the Spirit of God, who comes from the Father to give life to every creature and fills the whole universe. Glory to Him, the Life-Giver of angels and men and every creature. Glory to Him, our Strength, our Shrine. Glory to Him, Co-essential Father and Son. What is the name of our God? – Love, Kindness, Philanthropy, Generosity. When you pray, see with the eyes of your heart that Love and Goodness stand before you, that the Lover of Humanity is listening to you. “For you have said, Lord: I do not want the death of a sinner by will, but as if he were to turn and live; and for the seventy weeks to forgive sins... Lord! Grant me a simple, kind, open, believing, loving, generous heart. Will I forget You, Lord, Invisible, Incomprehensible, Lord, who always fills my heart with life, light, peace, joy, strength, patience, You, Who is for me every good in my life and who alone makes up my life? - ABOUT! Don't let me forget You! Am I not everything to you, I am the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit - your God, your life, your peace, your joy and bliss? Your wealth, your food and drink, your clothing and all yours? -What are you clinging to? To the dust? What do you regret for Me in the person of your neighbor? Is it dust? Is it for Me, who created everything, is it for Me, Who can turn earth and stones into bread, and bring forth water from stones? - Always be with Me and in Me, and you will always be calm and cheerful. – Has your trust in Me ever suffered? Have I not always calmed and revived you? “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, shepherd and lamb, take away the sin of the world, which you have given to the debtor and to the sinner, who has given remission of her sins; Yourself, Master, weaken, forgive, forgive sins." Lord Jesus Christ our God, who for the sake of our salvation deigned to bear the flesh, and having glorified the wonderful verbal nature, with Your ineffable compassion and goodness, and who in true knowledge turn from the depths of sin, promise to forgive... O good Lover of mankind, who made creation with one word and created man from it, take care of this one who fell and was a slave to sin and was accepted and sanctified by Thy ineffable love for mankind, so that Thy hand would not perish to the end, giving to this His saving commandments in memory of Thy coming and Thy commandments and the Divine incarnation... Lord! Your name is Love: do not reject me, a misguided person. Your name is Strength: strengthen me, who is exhausted and falling. Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions. Your name is Peace; pacify my restless soul. Your name is Mercy: do not cease to have mercy on me. I sometimes pray in church for the people of God like this: Behold, many of those standing in Your church stand idle with their souls, like idle vessels, and do not know what to pray for, as they should; Fill Thou their hearts now, at this favorable time for them, on this day of salvation, with the grace of Thy All-Holy Spirit, and grant them to me, my prayer, my love, filled with the knowledge of Thy goodness and contrition and tenderness of the heart, like filled vessels; grant them Your Holy Spirit, interceding in them with groanings that cannot be uttered. I myself, a shepherd, am sinful and unclean more than any man; do not look at my sins, Master, but look at them according to Your great mercy, and hear my prayer, for the sake of the grace of the priesthood, which lies on me and abides in me, at this hour; May the grace of the priesthood not be idle in me, Lord, but may it always burn in me with faith, hope, love and filial boldness in prayer for Your people. Master! Accept my tearful prayer for my spiritual children and all Orthodox Christians who please You for my very concern for their salvation, for my pastoral care! Be, according to my prayer, You Yourself for them both a voice and a trumpet, awakening them from the sleep of sin, and an eye watching over their hearts, and a hand that strengthens them on the path to the mountainous fatherland and restores those who fall from lack of faith and despondency, and maternal love, of which I am poor, tenderly caring for their true good; Wake them all, and save everyone. For You are the only truly Shepherd, invisibly and secretly shepherding the very souls of men, You are the only true and wise Teacher, speaking into the very hearts of Your people; You are the only true Lover of Your creatures and children by grace: You have an abyss of Wisdom and Omnipotence. - You are the only one who is always cheerful and never sleepy, and in our very sleep you teach us your ways. Be Thou, O Master, instead of me, the shepherd and teacher of my sheep entrusted to me by You; Lead them yourself to green pastures; Protect them yourself from spiritual and carnal wolves. Direct their feet yourself to the path of truth, righteousness and peace. Instead of me, be for them light, and eyes, and lips, and hands, and wisdom, and most of all love, with which I, a great sinner, am poor. Charity Fr. John of Kronstadt We now have to consider the “fruits” of Fr. John or his charitable activities for 35 years. These fruits are divided into material and moral assistance, both of which are abundant and very tangible. Suffice it to say that Fr. John donates annually from 100 to 150 thousand rubles (Fr. John himself cannot determine the exact figure) and, as we have seen, gives communion to at least 15–20 thousand people a year. Although these figures are quite eloquent and speak for themselves, in view of the enormous social significance of Father John’s charity, we consider it not uninteresting to dwell in more detail on this aspect of the venerable shepherd’s activities. Father John performs, over a long period of 35 years, as I have already mentioned, all priestly duties up to and including teaching the law, on an equal basis with all other priests; it has its own parishioners, services, etc., like all other churches with one or more priests; but the activity that we will talk about below goes beyond the “parish” of the Kronstadt St. Andrew’s Cathedral, just as in general it goes beyond the responsibilities of the spiritual father and shepherd of the Church. This activity is “extra-normal”, so to speak, or “super-normal”, and it gives about. John is the moral character that, like a magnet, attracts the hearts of people, forcing them to look for a priest who is modest and does not stand out in any way in appearance or position. In our place we talked about the extraordinary popularity of Fr. John, who is an example of both virtue and purely Christian modesty, and here we only want to protest against the reproaches of some skeptics who put Fr. John is almost to blame for his popularity. We can testify that Father John Sergiev’s right hand constantly does not know what his left hand is doing. He avoids any manifestation of gratitude, hides from many different deputations or demonstrations, and repeatedly, at the sight of a crowd of thousands meeting him, he exclaimed: – What should I do with them? Teach me where to hide from them... Tried o. John asks his admirers from the church pulpit to behave more modestly and not arrange triumphs for him; during rare conversations with representatives of the press, he simply begged not to publish about cases of healing by his prayers and not to write about his activities at all; Finally, he came up with various secret entrances and exits, but all in vain! The more he avoided publicity and popularity, the more he was persecuted, so that, having finally given up on everything, he became completely indifferent to everything around him and did not seem to notice what was happening around him. Whether he is crushed by the crowd, he will stand and wait until someone frees him or the besiegers themselves become more lenient; whether they meet him or see him off, he bows, patiently listens to everything, and, like an outside witness, goes on his way. During all 35 years of priestly service, Father John not only never caused any demonstration, but did not give even the slightest reason to suspect him of wanting to become the subject of demonstrative celebration. Moreover, when he noticed only a desire on someone’s part to exploit his popularity (and there were many such attempts), he abruptly and decisively broke off his relationship. We say all this to present the charitable activities of the Kronstadt shepherd in their proper form. A person who himself asks the “House of Industriousness” how much he sent him or donated at that time; who, receiving a sealed package with money with one hand, immediately hands it over to the person asking, without opening it; finally, who gives to the have-nots everything that he receives from the haves, and this “everything” often equals hundreds of thousands of rubles, such a person cannot seek popularity simply because he does not need it for anything. A person who refuses to visit someone who offers him a thousand rubles, but goes to the basement of a beggar, who, in addition to visiting, must also be given material assistance from his own pocket, cannot be suspected of any self-interest... There is no place for petty matters of earthly, perishable wealth. We talked about the moral help of a shepherd in the first chapters of our essay. We have seen dozens of cases where the prayer of Fr. Joanna even performed miracles, regenerated the soul and heart of a person, brought about a moral upliftment of a fallen spirit, healed bodily ailments, etc. Let us now move on to another, no less interesting and venerable industry - the charitable assistance of Fr. John. There can no longer be two opinions here. The official charitable activities of Father John are concentrated mainly on the Kronstadt “House of Industriousness” and partly on the “House of Industriousness” built according to the same type in St. Petersburg. From the very moment he entered the pastoral field, Fr. John began to take care of improving the life of the poorest part of the population of his parish and all of Kronstadt. Back in the sixties, he spoke in the press about the establishment of “Houses of Industriousness”. In 1874, on his initiative, a parish guardianship was established at St. Andrew's Cathedral. “Church guardianship,” said Fr. John at its opening is the institution of the first Christians of the apostolic times, who, out of brotherly love, cared for each other so much that “not one of them was poor” (Acts 4:84). It is especially necessary here. God grant that it will be with us in the same spirit of unanimity and love.” Soon, under the patronage of the parish church, a wonderful charitable structure arose, based on the unshakable principles: “work and love.” Thanks to the support of such figures as Baron Buxhoeveden, General Lapshina, Doctor Dvoryashin, etc., a tree grew from the “House of Industriousness”, covering with its branches up to twenty cities of Russia, in which poor workers can now receive help not as alms, but as payment for their work. We have reports for all the years of the existence of the Kronstadt “House of Industriousness” and from them the main feature of all the activities of Fr. Joanna - amazing modesty. Father John is not on the board of the “House”, neither as chairman, nor as an honorary manager or manager; all honorary titles and positions were distributed to others, and yet the participation of these “others” and Fr. John is expressed in the following figures: “others” contribute 1 ½, many 2 thousand rubles a year to the society’s treasury, and Father John 50–60 thousand... It is necessary to build an outbuilding or a building to house a shelter, “others” draw up plans, estimates, manage the construction, and Fr. John aside... he gives money for construction... only! And at the request of Fr. John, his name hardly appears in the reports; Take for example the latest report: Regular income from donations % from the untouchable capital Income from various sources These “miscellaneous sources” and “temporary donations” are made up of the following amounts: Subsidies issued by the Highest command From Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna From His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich From the Peterhof Zemstvo Council From different persons for guardianship From various persons on the installation of a lamp in front of the image of the Savior in the “House of Industriousness” From different persons by will Membership fee from 103 people etc. And then modest headings follow: a) Donations of Archpriest I.I. Sergieva: To build a shelter According to the publication of conversations of Archpriest I.I. Sergieva: Received from the sale of conversations Received from card sales Total 46,000 rub. or 90% of all income! And the same thing repeats from year to year. With such “temporary” amounts, the “House of Diligence” managed to save up to 100,000 rubles. reserve capital, built three large buildings with a church and set up a shelter for charity for several thousand people. Under the general name “Houses of Industriousness” are located in Kronstadt: 1) A shelter for 800 men and women, occupying four floors of a large stone building. For 3 kopecks. (the poor for nothing) the poor receive a place to stay for the night and a mug of tea and bread in the morning. The beds are arranged in the form of bunks with straw pillows. Initially, it was planned to provide the same mattresses, but the expense was excessive, because the mattresses had to be changed almost every day. In winter, when maritime work on ships ceases, many working people remain homeless in Kronstadt, and for them this overnight shelter is the only refuge. 2) Women's workshop for girls and adult girls who are taught sewing and given income using sewing machines. Several dozen poor working women receive a piece of bread here, and those who do not know how to do so learn to sew under the guidance of a craftswoman. 3) Binding workshop, which provides work and vocational education to several poor people, and also serves as a practical class for the boys-pupils of the House of Industriousness school. 4) Shoemaker's workshop - recently established, but already producing several good shoemakers. 5) People's table, which feeds the poor (up to 600 people a day) with nourishing and healthy food for a pittance: tea 1 cup, soup 2 cups, etc. 6) Bogad e linen for women, where 14 homeless old women found shelter, of whom the youngest was 63 years old, and the eldest 95 years old: they received full maintenance and were taken in by Fr. John from the street literally. 7) A hospital that provides medicine and outpatient care to several thousand poor people. It occupies two well-appointed rooms, has a pharmacy, etc. Doctors are on duty for nothing. · 8) People's readings, held in a huge auditorium on Sundays. There are always a lot of people. 9) A donated library with a reading room, the only one in Kronstadt. 10) Bookstore selling useful publications at its own price. 11) Primary schools for 150 girls and 200 boys, with three well-equipped classrooms, excellent aids, etc. They teach for nothing. 12) A children's library for all Kronstadt children, the only one in the city, if, however, not the only one in Russia. 13) Drawing classes for everyone for 2 rubles. per year. 14) An orphanage for 100 orphans who receive everything here, not excluding education. 15) Asylum for children whom their parents leave here when they go to work. 16) “House of Industriousness” or workshops, where 300-400 people, incapable of any work, grind hemp, bast, glue caps, etc. For their work they receive 15-20 kopecks, which they use to pay for lunch in the canteen and for overnight accommodation in the shelter. 17) Help at home: benefits were given in money, clothing and shoes, many people were sent home, etc., etc. 2877 people were under the patronage of this department all year round. All of the listed institutions occupy several of their own houses, making up the whole town; in the center of the main wing there is a house church and a public auditorium. Since the times of Peter the Great, the so-called “Matrosskaya Slobodka” has existed in Kronstadt, which to this day serves as a place of residence for those expelled from the capital by administrative order. One can judge what kind of people inhabit this suburb of Kronstadt, what feeling of disgust one should experience when visiting this den of social scum. These exiles are called “posadskys,” and in the time we are describing, city residents suffered a lot from them. It was not always safe to walk through the city streets at night, risking being attacked and robbed. It was these morally lost people that the loving shepherd turned his attention to. The east caught fire a little... Coolness came from the sea... Kronstadt is still sleeping, and only the “posad need” is crawling out of its “cracks” - dirty, stinking corners, in low, dilapidated houses. - God! “Do they really live here,” I thought, walking around the town’s slums for the first time, as if rooted to the ground. It turned out that they not only live, but live denser and more crowded than, for example, in almshouses or barracks. The bunks are made in rows, and in some places even two floors high! Bare boards, a dim, unheated hut, a foul, unbearably odorous atmosphere—these are signs of the town's cracks. I will not describe in more detail the disgusting situation of Kronstadt poverty, because there is nothing exceptional or special in it: the same situation and poverty, and if poverty, then certainly unsanitary dirt, can be found everywhere in Russia, and wherever there is poverty, there is dirt, where there is poverty, there is a stench; We don’t have ceremonial, “decorated” poverty, as, for example, in Germany. Although cleanliness, in essence, costs nothing, among Russians it is the exclusive property of the rich... It had just struck 5 o’clock in the morning when figures, male and female, in some kind of “masquerade” costumes began to jump out of the wretched town huts: some in a sweatshirt and large galoshes, some in a zipun with tufts of cotton sticking out; on the head there is a frame of a top hat, a straw hat with holes in it, etc. Everyone is in a hurry, as if they were running on business... - If I hadn’t been late, I wouldn’t have left... That’s the only thing on everyone’s mind, because if you’re “late” or “he” leaves, it’s a day of hunger strike and an overnight stay in the open air. Of course, this “he” is Father John, the “father” and the only sad person of all the Kronstadt poverty under the fence... Without him, half of the “posadites” would probably have long been exhausted from cold and hunger. -Where are you going in such a hurry? - I asked one ragamuffin when I first met the “golden company” of Kronstadt. “In formation,” he answered. – Whoever is late for the distribution will not receive it afterwards... I also went after those who had fled... It was cold outside and still completely dark; There are no streetlights in these streets in Kronstadt, so you have to walk almost by touch. We walked several streets until the dome of St. Andrew's Cathedral appeared on the horizon. – Where to “build?” – the goldmines asked each other... - At Father's, at Father's... He is not serving in the cathedral today. When I approached the house where Fr. lives. John, several hundred ragged people had already gathered there, and people continued to flock from all sides. - Line up, line up! – voices were heard. Hundreds of gathered Goli began to stand along the fence, starting from Fr.’s house. John in the direction of the "House of Diligence". Men stood on one side, women on the opposite panel. In less than 5 minutes, a long ribbon of human figures, approximately half a mile long, was formed. The poor stood in three columns, that is, three people in a row, so that they occupied the entire panel; There were far fewer women than men. For a long time I walked along the “line”, peering into these emaciated faces, emaciated, ragged figures... On each face one could read a whole everyday drama, if not a tragedy... There were young people, almost youths and gray-haired elders, I came across wretched people on crutches, with shaking heads, with disfigured faces... Yes, such a collection of “orphans” is difficult to find; if each of them individually is not capable of touching the viewer’s heart, then the collection of these “children of Father John” can make the hardest heart tremble! Even if most of them are drunkards or vicious people, even if they themselves are to blame for their situation, but these are people and... people who have suffered, who are suffering and have nothing in the future but suffering! Here is a former student of the medical academy, here is a court councilor, a lieutenant, a former millionaire merchant, here is a family nobleman of a famous surname... This one has a family and a sick wife, this one has an old mother, sisters... They showed me an old man who has been eating only bread and water for twenty years, his right hand has dried up, he has lost the opportunity to work and has been living on alms from Fr. John. For twenty years he has not had his own corner, has not seen a bowl of soup, and if it were not for Father John, he would have died of hunger long ago. I asked you to show me this old man. The unfortunate man stood at the rear of the “formation” in the first column. “They came to admire,” he venomously turned to me reproachfully when I stopped opposite him. The old man's appearance was stern; drooping gray eyebrows almost covered his eyes, and a scraggly gray beard hung down to his chest; deep wrinkles and a yellow tint of the skin spoke more eloquently than words about the old man’s experience... His tall figure was somehow hunched over, and his right arm hung motionless... “Take it, old man,” I extended my hand to him with a credit card. “Keep it for yourself or give it to them,” he answered, shaking his head towards the “line” and not accepting my hand. - I'm not a beggar; my right hand has dried up, and my left has not yet accepted alms... - But you’ve been living on alms for 20 years, right? - Lie! Father John has been feeding me for 20 years, but I have not asked for alms and have not accepted alms. - So if you take from Father John, why don’t you want to take from me? “I don’t know you and I don’t want to know you, oh.” John is my father; he does not give his own, but God’s, he gives what he receives for us from God. You will give me two kopecks, like a beggar, and Fr. John gives to me as a relative, as a friend, gives lovingly... He would give a thousand rubles if there were fewer of us; For him, money does not have the same value as it does for you, sir. I stopped the conversation there, but then I got to know the old man better; its history is so interesting that I will return to it later... It was not yet 6 o’clock when the “father” came out of the gate of a house well known to the “gold miners”... The crowd swayed, but everyone remained in place, exposing only their heads. Father John took off his hat, bowed to his “children,” crossed himself at the church visible in the distance, and walked along the “line.” One, two, three... ten... twenty... The twentieth received a ruble to share with 19 colleagues. Again: “one, two, three... ten... twenty” and so on until the very end of the “formation”. As soon as the count ended, the entire crowd rushed from their seats to the “father”. Some knelt down, some caught the “father’s” hand for a kiss, some asked for blessings and prayers; some told about their needs... And Father John satisfied everyone, refused no one; it was clear that the venerable shepherd had become close to this environment, understood them without words, by one hint, just as the crowd understood him by just gestures... Surrounded and accompanied by his “children,” Fr. John slowly moves towards the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called (or the Church of the House of Labor) for the service of early mass. The “father” at the door of the church has disappeared, and the crowd scatters throughout the city, only an insignificant part remains on the porch to collect alms. These are professional beggars, of whom, however, there are relatively few, and in vain some people believe that Fr. John multiplies the poor. “Build” the gold miners, as I call the beggars, Fr. John, was formed a long time ago, about 30 years ago, but has been disciplined, developed and multiplied in recent years. According to the most moderate estimate, the number of poor people living at the expense of Father John reaches a thousand people, and all of them receive a few kopecks every morning and evening. Regardless of this, a shelter, a workhouse and twelve charitable institutions were set up for them at the expense of the Kronstadt shepherd. I mentioned before that the maintenance of shelters, hospitals, workshops and other institutions at the Kronstadt “House” Diligence" costs Father John 50-60 thousand rubles. annually, not counting morning and evening distributions, as well as random distributions, more or less large. The poor are accustomed to looking at the care of the venerable shepherd for them as something due, almost legal. If sometimes it happens that during the “system” division he receives 2 kopecks. per person, instead of the expected 3's, loud protesting voices are heard: - Don’t take anything, guys, don’t take anything, don’t. So tomorrow the priest will give you a penny. Well, are we going to spend the night on the street or something (in a shelter they charge 3 kopecks per - Mitrich, go as a deputy to the priest, tell him that we don’t take less than 3. However, these voices never achieved victory and remained in an insignificant minority. Neither “Mitrich” nor anyone else would ever dare to protest, but instead they would make noise, make noise, take, of course, what they give, and go home. Father John himself views caring for the Kronstadt poor as his duty. In recent years, he has not had time to allocate “system”, but entrusts it to someone close to him, and when he leaves for Moscow or his homeland, he leaves a certain amount for all days so that the poor receive 3 or 5 kopecks every morning and evening. (depending on what resources the shepherd has). “Stroy” adores his “father” and “breadwinner”; Father's moral influence on him is enormous. One day the following incident occurred. Former police chief Golovachev told Father John that his beggars were engaged in robbery, and that one of them tore off Mr. B.’s expensive beaver hat when he was driving along a back street in the evening. On the same day, upon receiving this news, Fr. John gathered his “formation” and announced unpleasant news to him. “Stroy” listened silently to the priest, and dozens of voices answered: - This is not our doing, father. Today we will find out and find the culprit. Indeed, on the same day in the evening the beaver cap was presented to Fr. John... In general, it is enough for the priest to hint about any desire for the poor to immediately take all measures to fulfill the will of their “father.” “Story” undergoes quite frequent modifications. One can name several dozen (and maybe hundreds) of poor people who, under the influence of the shepherd of Father John and with his material support and help, have now become, if not rich, then relatively sufficient workers: some received good jobs, others became merchants, others left Kronstadt and St. Petersburg, going to work in the provinces. But there are always more people arriving than people leaving, which is why the number of “systems” is growing every year. Of course, among the masses there are vicious people, there are also professional beggars, but it can be argued that there are more good people than bad people, and more unfortunate people than vicious people, even many more. Father John knows about the tares of his flock and tries to ignore them whenever possible, but he never singles them out from the “order” when distributing alms, guided by the general rule: “Give to those who ask you.” And if this “beggar” takes alms to a tavern, it is a matter of his conscience, he will be responsible for it. There are also the Kronstadt poor, to whom the “father” turned his gaze... Few people probably know how crowded Kronstadt is with beggars of all kinds; Due to special conditions, which we will not expand on here, the most disastrous type of beggary is especially developed there - parents who are parasites or drunkards send their children to collect alms. These unfortunate children, especially girls, making their way into all sorts of slums, become witnesses to such filth, such a moral decline that can only be found in the Kronstadt slums, corrupting physically and morally not only everyone who accidentally ends up there, but also young girls who beg at 8 years old, steal at 9 years old, and sell themselves at 11-12. It was these unfortunate children, ruined by their own parents, who came to the aid of Fr. John. Doctor Dvoryashin, in his report, read at a general meeting of members of the “House of Diligence” and presented separately to Father John, passionately and convincingly argued for the need to come to the aid of unfortunate children who are dying in the whirlpool of the depraved life of their parents, and the duty of honest people is to call them out of this filth. For this purpose, he proposed opening a shelter, calling it the “House of Mercy” of Father John. This shelter will accept beggar children no younger than 8 years old. There they will be taught the law of God, various crafts, gardening and gardening, and with the development of the business it is planned to open a model farm. Father John, this patron of all the hungry and cold, this “sorrower” of the lesser brethren, could not help but take this matter to heart, and, thanks to his highly humane, truly Christian participation, as well as thanks to his tireless helpers and executors of his good intentions: A.A. Kostin, N.A. Esipov and N.N. Sheman, the fate of the shelter is assured. The shelter named after Father John will not need funds: his shelter is a shelter for all of Russia, for all his admirers; rich and poor, dignitary and peasant, everyone will bring their mite to this good cause. To enable the many admirers of Father John to inextricably link their name with his orphanage, personal scholarships of 100 rubles were established at the latter. per year. Father John was the first to provide significant assistance to the shelter, buying a large house outside the city with his own money, fully furnished and with large gardens; He donated this house with all its outbuildings to the “House of Industriousness” for a shelter. Following Father John, other donations began to arrive. This is what one true philanthropist can do. Anniversary o. John of Kronstadt At the end of my essay, I want to introduce readers to outstanding moments in the life of Fr. John, when he became the subject of public celebration. 2. A trip to his homeland to consecrate the church he himself built. 3. Anniversaries – 25-year-old and 35-year-old. In these approximately terms, the correspondent of “Southern Krai” describes the stay of the venerable shepherd in Kharkov. “If Father John had decided to satisfy all those Kharkov residents,” he adds, “who wanted to receive him and pray with him in their home, he would have to live with us not for one and a half to two weeks, but for several months.” On July 15, at the insistence of Kharkov Archbishop Ambrose, Father John served the liturgy in the city cathedral for the first and only time, due to great difficulties from excessive crowds of public. He performed the liturgy in the concelebration of the entire city clergy, and “it was a misfortune, not a service,” as one of the eyewitnesses puts it. The crowd pressed and almost burst into the altar, pushed by the back rows. The singers sang in the altar, and all exits were made in the altar in front of the royal doors. The iron bars in the cathedral were broken by the onslaught of the crowd. With difficulty, Father John got out of the cathedral wearing only a cassock and without a hat. The crowd of people around the cathedral was also extraordinary. The entire square and the streets adjacent to it were completely crowded with people. No police measures could restore order. Under such conditions, it is understandable why, with all his desire, Father John could not accept invitations from some church rectors and elders to perform divine services in any of the city churches. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Father John visited the editorial office of the “Southern Region” and from there from the balcony he blessed the people gathered on Nikolaevskaya Square. Due to the aforementioned impossibility of holding prayer services in churches, Father John, not wanting to offend the Kharkov residents, decided, at the suggestion of the Right Reverend Ambrose, to serve a prayer service on July 20 on Cathedral Square. On this day, Cathedral Square, as well as the neighboring streets and alleys, presented an unprecedented spectacle. The people were so crowded that, according to the generally accepted expression, there was nowhere for the apple to fall. All the roofs of the houses were dotted with people wishing to see the beloved Kronstadt shepherd. The picture came out amazing, reminiscent of the distant times of the first centuries of Christianity, when prayers were often performed in the open air. On this day, according to eyewitnesses, more than 60 thousand people attended the prayer service. The enthusiasm of the people increased to the utmost degree. How beneficially Father John’s visit affected the Kharkov people, how grateful they remained to him, is proven by the precious gospel and address presented by a deputation from the residents of the city of Kharkov on the day of his 35th anniversary of priesthood on December 12, 1890. As an expression of the feelings of grateful Kharkov residents, we present excerpts from this address: “Your Reverence, dear Father John! On today’s significant day for you, the 35th anniversary of your service at the throne of the Most High, warm prayers are being offered from all over Russia for you and your precious health, loving meek shepherd, for there is no city, no village in which there would not be people who are indebted to you and who pronounce your name with a feeling of tenderness and eternal gratitude. “Long before your arrival to us in the south, we already deeply revered you, Father John, and how many times we asked for your holy prayers in difficult moments of trials. Many of us took a trip to Kronstadt in order to receive your blessing, tell you our sorrow and intercede for your representation before the Throne of the Most High. Rumors about you passed from mouth to mouth, and we considered happy those who prayed with you and experienced your beneficial influence. “What was our joy when we learned that you would spend about three weeks in the vicinity of Kharkov this summer! The desired news quickly spread throughout the entire region, and thousands of the sick, suffering and in need of consolation rushed to you with hope for God’s mercy and the power of your prayers. “We will never forget your true Christian self-sacrifice, your pastoral labors, your love for your neighbors, your participation in the grief of others, your beneficial influence on minds and hearts. Gentiles and non-believers - and they were infected with everything that they witnessed in the few days of your stay in Kharkov and Ryzhov. The memory of these days, the memory of those manifestations of spirit and strength that we saw with our own eyes, will never be erased from the residents of the city of Kharkov and the entire region and will pass from generation to generation as a precious memory of the best moments of our lives.” Consecration of the church in the homeland of Fr. John was distinguished by the same enthusiasm of the population... Preparations for the holiday opened with an all-night vigil. The service began at 6 o'clock in the evening and ended at 10 o'clock. The service was performed by His Grace Alexander, co-served by two archimandrites, Father John and several priests and hieromonks. The bishop's singers, under the leadership of their regent Mr. Obnovlensky, sang sonorously and harmoniously. The Akathist was read to the monk by all the clergy, with the archpastor at their head. The text of the akathist made a touching impression on those praying. On the day of the 25th anniversary of the priesthood, Fr. John's gymnasium presented the hero of the day with the following address. As an example of the general gratitude felt towards him by the parents of his students, we will quote verbatim the address presented on the day of the 25th anniversary of his teaching at the Kronstadt gymnasium: “Highly venerable and respected shepherd and mentor John Ilyich! “25 years have passed of your new, especially important service to the state and society, and in particular to us, fathers and mothers, in our children, whom you, as a teacher of the law at the Kronstadt classical gymnasium, guided on the path of spiritual enlightenment. “You did not teach the children dry scholasticism, it was not a dead formula - texts and sayings - you presented to them, you did not demand from them lessons learned only from memory; but on bright, receptive souls you sowed the seeds of the eternal life-giving Word of God. Many children have passed through your holy school. Many of your students stand at various degrees and titles in the service of the Tsar and the Fatherland; many of them are still growing up and preparing to enter the public field - and all of them, inspired by you and your holy communication with them, remember your love, instructions, your lessons - and all, blessing you, reverently remember those unforgettable hours that they spent with you. You, without noticing it yourself, with your fiery love for God and endless mercy for your human brothers, with your living word lit the torch of true knowledge of God in your disciples, and with your holy example and mercy filled their young hearts with the fear of God, faith, trust in God and love for Him and their brothers. Not by the mere measure of talent alone, the captivation of speech, as a professor in the department, not by the measure of constant success in passing exams - we are talking about your scientific activity - but by those visible fruits of Christian life, morality, civic virtues, family relationships, which appeared in your students in numerous examples. May our gratitude, fathers and mothers, be like a peaceful prayer to God for you, may He pour out on you, from His All-Holy Throne, as much spiritual joy as you have given us consolation in our children, in their good behavior and successes.” Father John gave the following speech: “The power of God is made perfect in weakness; and it wonderfully took place in me during my 25-year priesthood, and, I dare say - for I will tell the truth - through me the Glory of grace was accomplished in many, in the simplicity of believers, in an obvious, tangible way! Glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us grace upon grace (John 1:16). I am telling you about this power of God in me so that you, together with me, glorify the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, whose grace and mercy do not fail now, just as they will not fail forever. Who can calculate during all this time the abyss of God’s salvation, which was accomplished in me by the grace of Christ every day and many times over! I cannot count the countless number of machinations of the ruler of the world and attacks of passions destroyed by the mercy and power of Christ in me, through my secret prayer of faith, for the sake of heartfelt repentance and, especially, by the power of Divine Communion! What angelic, all-encompassing mind will read all the secret gifts of God - the gracious gifts of mercy, purification, sanctification, enlightenment, peace, tenderness, freedom and spiritual space, joy in the Holy Spirit, boldness and strength and manifold help, of which I have been invisibly vouchsafed throughout all the days of my priesthood! I cannot count the countless number of grace-filled spiritual and physical healings performed in me by the Lord through the heartfelt invocation of His name. Glory to our Savior Vog! He sees that I am unfaithfully sending this glory to Him. Only by Him and in His Name am I glorious, and without Him I am dishonorable; Only through Him is he strong, and without Him he is weak.” The 35th anniversary was celebrated on December 12, 1890. The day began in Kronstadt at 5 o'clock in the morning, although for many it did not begin at all or, better said, began the day before. Each train of the Baltic Railway brought new groups of admirers of the Kronstadt shepherd, and by evening the hospice houses were so crowded that many lacked either beds or even chairs. At ten o'clock in the evening the all-night vigil celebrated by the hero of the day ended in St. Andrew's Cathedral. The church, flooded with lights, was overcrowded, and the illumination stars burned brightly from the facade, illuminating the dense crowd of people who did not get into the cathedral... Near the “father’s” house, the entire Kronstadt crowd—the “posad army,” as they are called—gathered, awaiting the distribution of the usual alms. The ragamuffins stood in a regular line, three in a row, men and women separately. When everyone went home and life on the streets died down, it was already one o’clock in the morning, and at 4 o’clock in the morning everyone was on their feet again. Matins and early mass were celebrated in the church of the “House of Diligence” by the hieromonk of the Rear Nicephorus Hermitage, Olonets province, Gennady, and a luxurious silver gilded banner was consecrated, presented to Fr. John “fathers and admirers” for the church under construction in Arkhangelsk province, on the site of Fr. John. At the end of the service, this banner, preceded by singers and clergy and accompanied by a crowd of people, was transferred to St. Andrew's Cathedral, where Fr. John served the late liturgy. The first strike of the big bell was only at 10 o’clock in the morning, and the cathedral and the square began to fill with people even before dawn! The weather is frosty but beautiful... The service in the cathedral ended at two o'clock in the afternoon. The liturgy, as I said, was performed by the hero of the day himself. Before the solemn prayer for the health and prosperity of the hero of the day, served collectively by all the clergy of Kronstadt and many archpriests from St. Petersburg, comrades and colleagues Fr. John, that is, the clergy and other persons, warmly congratulated “their archpriest.” The first to read the address was the priest of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Fr. Peter. “To you,” said the shepherd, “as a representative of humility and simplicity, faith and piety, we bring greetings, as to a shepherd who was an ascetic of love every day, every minute; you have become the property of the hearts of all Russian Orthodox; our secluded sea city, thanks to you, has become an object of general religious attention; here, with you, for the first time, perhaps, thousands of people learned the need for prayer, the glory of the name of God. You are the protector and helper of the weak and poor. We pray to the Almighty to give us strength and strength to be like you... Along with the address about. Peter presented the hero of the day with St. icon. The second person to speak was Fr. Vasily, priest of the Vladimir Church in Kronstadt. Behind him, Rear Admiral Burachev approached the hero of the day and greeted Fr. John on behalf of the “flock and admirers” who built the banner for the Archangel Church. The address read by Mr. Burachev was full of the most flattering expressions of gratitude to Fr. John. The next address was from the St. Petersburg clergy and from the society for religious and moral education in the spirit of the Orthodox Church. The society welcomed the hero of the day as its member: – Blessed be the Name of the Lord in you and through you. Then the head of the cathedral, Mr. Korshunov, presented the hero of the day with a Gospel bound in silver. A very heartfelt address came from Kharkov residents, who presented the hero of the day with an icon of the Mother of God and a huge Gospel bound in gold. The delegation thanked Fr. John as his spiritual father and testified that his recent stay in the Kharkov province left indelible marks among the population. Next, the hieromonk of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra Palladius spoke a warm, sincere greeting, who presented the hero of the day with St. Gospel. The last to say greetings from the St. Petersburg clergy was the priest of the Church of the Smolensk Mother of God, who congratulated the hero of the day on behalf of the parishioners and the clergy. Deeply touched Fr. John said a few words: - Thank you, gentlemen. I am an unworthy sinner, and you exalt me too much... The cathedral prayer service that began was served by 14 priests, with three deacons and two choirs of singers. The anniversary act took place in the church and the halls of the Kronstadt City Duma. The main staircase, lobby and corridors were lined with tropical plants and decorated with flags. The entire Kronstadt intelligentsia, authorities and visiting deputies gathered in the church in anticipation of the hero of the occasion. Only at the 2nd hour did Father John appear on the pulpit, as usual, cheerful, contented, and joyful. The sparkle of friendly eyes, a gentle smile, hands folded on the chest, head slightly tilted. The act began with a prayer service, in which more than 10 priests in festive attire took part. Immediately after the anniversary, the Kronstadt governor, Rear Admiral Schwartz, congratulated the hero of the day. On behalf of the Kronstadt city administration, the excellent address was read by the head of Mr. Shebunin. The hero of the day is characterized from the point of view of a public figure who created a whole network of charitable institutions. “Kronstadt,” the address says, “is a reliable witness to the high exploits of Father John as a benefactor of the poor, healer of the sick, comforter of the unfortunate and breadwinner of the poor; showing ardent participation in the fate of your neighbors, you willingly go to help those in need, and your authoritative name attracts others along with you. You created an institution in Kronstadt that provides food, shelter, work and primary education to the poor. There is no good deed with which your name is not associated. In our age, the age of struggle of personal interests, your 35 years of selfless service to your neighbors is such a feat that you involuntarily bow before... Father John answered Mr. Shebunin: “Thank you, but you put too much pressure on me.” Others worked with me amicably and energetically - Messrs. sailors, and I pass on to them some of the praise I receive. The next address was from the sailors' society. The commandant, Rear Admiral Brylkin, read this address with animation, which, among other things, says: “The sailors remember today that they owe you, Father John, the science of praying.” Yes. When you visited our ships before sailing, you showed us by example how to pray... The entire maritime family is now praying to God to extend your days. “Thank you, fellow countrymen,” said Fr. John. The director of the Kozen men's gymnasium read the address: “To my dear teacher, a seedbed of pure love, who has been a leader of future citizens for over 25 years.” - They raised the feeling of love under your wing and took this feeling with them into life... After the director, one of the former students spoke for quite a long time, and then a whole series of deputations followed: from the water rescue society (K. A. Rykochev), the St. Petersburg House of Industriousness (Dr. Dvoryashin), the society of night shelters (V.I. Aristov sincerely delivered a wonderful greeting that left an impression on everyone), from the institutions of St. Andrew's guardianship, the choir of singers, etc. Many deputations brought gifts and St. icons; there was bread and salt, a towel for the throne, air, the Gospel, etc. The image of the Mother of God (a student at the orphanage) was especially well embroidered in silk. The deputation from the night shelters or “posad beggars” that greeted Fr. John as his benefactor and breadwinner. One of the detainees in the shelter himself composed and clearly recited some pretty good poems. At the end of the act, three anniversary dinners were held: in the hall of the City Duma (by subscription), in the halls of the “House of Industriousness” from St. Petersburg admirers, and for the poor for 750 people in the premises of the people’s canteen at the “House of Industriousness”. The hero of the day managed to attend all the dinners and listen to hearty toasts everywhere... I quote the entire speech about. John on this day. “What does it mean, beloved brothers and sisters, this solemn meeting of yours, unusual on an everyday day, in this holy church dedicated to the name of the first-called Apostle of Christ? What brought you to this sanctuary? Without hesitation, I will say that you were united and gathered by your faith and love for God, and after God, for me as His servant. By the inexpressible mercy of the Lord God towards me, a sinner, and His immeasurable long-suffering, I am destined to live until the day on which I have completed thirty-five years of my service as a priest at this church. Out of your condescending love for me, you considered this considerable circle of time not fruitless for the Church of God and for you, and came with me to thank the Creator of times for His countless mercies to me and to you, shown over so many years through my feasible service to the Lord and you, and to ask for their continuation in the future. So, today we have a modest triumph of the faith of the Church, a triumph of the priesthood, shepherd and flock, a triumph of fraternal unanimity and Christian love. This means that there is a holiday in our yard, according to the Russian proverb. We often hear or read about holidays of various institutions and holidays of people in science, art, various public ministries, and now a church holiday. I thank the Lord with all my heart, with all my being, for His mercies towards me, and my heartfelt bow to you all for your brotherly love in Christ. In my person you give honor to the holy order, with which the grace of Christ has honored people like you, weak by nature, including me. The honor that you bestow upon me now goes back to the eternal High Priest Himself, your Lord Jesus Christ, who sanctified Himself for you and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us to His heavenly Father; for my priesthood and that of all who are sanctified is the priesthood of Christ: the true, eternal priest is Christ, and in our person He Himself priests, the eternal High Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek. Christ God, You Yourself have glorified those who glorify us, Your priests, on earth; and grant us, priests, the grace to worthily carry out the highest service of the priesthood and always be sanctified ourselves and sanctify and save others by the grace given to us. “You have gathered, beloved brothers, to honor me, unworthy, with gifts and praise. I thank you heartily for these sacred gifts, I mean the icon and the holy banner, but how can I accept your praise? I, according to the word and instruction of Christ, am an indecent servant, who did only what I should have done, with the help of grace given to me by the Lord. And did I do everything I was supposed to do? In all honesty I will say: no, much was lacking in my ministry according to the inner man and, in general, my ministry was not without shortcomings. It is my duty to recognize this and ask for mercy for my shortcomings and mercy from the Lord, and from you, mercy for my weaknesses. But I wish with all my heart holiness and perfection, and I will do it with all my might, with the help of God. strive for correction and perfection, for we are told: you will be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).” The recently deceased Archbishop Nicanor spoke about Fr. John the following speech: “The most amazing sign of the times is Father John of Kronstadt. After all, they are eager to receive him everywhere, from the basement to the gilded chambers. This is not enough. He cannot and does not have time to read all the letters and telegrams sent to him, which fill entire baskets. He does not have time to satisfy the most basic needs - food and rest. When he approaches St. Petersburg from Kronstadt, crowds of people always know and are waiting for him on the pier; they know in advance and are waiting for him in every part of the city, at every house where his arrival is expected. When leaving the closed carriage, when leaving the houses to the carriage, they tear it to pieces in order to accept its blessing, risking both it and themselves being crushed in the crowd of people. His prayerful help is expected and asked not only in Russia, but also abroad. And his prayerful help, always simple on his part, not directly promising anything miraculous, is sometimes amazingly miraculous. The very faith in Father John of Kronstadt of all classes of St. Petersburg, and indeed of all parts of Russia, is truly amazing, even miraculous. And such a simple, unsophisticated person, but a true believer in the effectiveness of the power of God, is still a priest today. “That icon is miraculous,” said the deeply wise high priest of the Russian Church, a 90-year-old elder, “that is powerful to arouse the faith in its miraculousness. The power of this profound saying can also be applied to Father John of Kronstadt. Yes, he is a miracle worker just because he aroused strong faith in the miraculous power of God, working in human weakness and in our faithless days. Isn't this a sign of the times? Who would have thought 20 years ago, in the 60s, that St. Petersburg would so unanimously express its faith in the almighty miraculous power of God, which is revealed before our eyes in human weakness! And yet, this is a fact, a fact that testifies to a turn in the slope of the people’s spirit.” Another authoritative pastor of the Church, a famous preacher, rector of St. Isaac's Cathedral, P. A. Smirnov, speaking in the meeting, in the presence of several hierarchs of the Church and high-ranking officials, of the St. Petersburg Brotherhood in the name of the Most Holy. Mother of God, in his speech about the Pashkov heresy, which has recently spread so much in the capital, said the following about Father John of Kronstadt: “But if the power of the enemy is great, then the power of God is infinitely powerful. Near St. Petersburg itself, on the path from where the leader of the heresy came to us (Lord Redstock, from whom the Pashkov heresy was subsequently formed), a shepherd with a special gift of prayer and healing appears. A simple and kind, most sincere person, he acts on those who come to him precisely and only as a priest, by those means that the Church indicates: by performing prayers before St. icon and sprinkling with blessed water, reading the Word of God and the word of pastoral edification, fasting and fasting, confession and teaching of St. Mysteries - and the grace of the priesthood assimilates everything that the merciful Lord does through him. And before our eyes the events of the Gospel and Apostolic history are exactly repeated; Crowds of people surround everywhere the faithful bearer of Divine grace, healing the weak, and do not give him peace for a single hour, as they once did to the disciples of Jesus. This most humble shepherd is a living and powerful denouncer of the proud sectarian superstition.” After the 35th anniversary, several monuments remained. In the foreground is the church in the “House of Industriousness” or, more correctly, the altar attached to the church. The building is rich, capital, made by admirers of the highly revered Father John; Thanks to the external convex (stone) extension, the church became much more spacious, and most importantly, more convenient for performing services. Church utensils, iconostasis, St. icons – do not leave much to be desired. The second place after the altar is occupied by a stone chapel, on the grave of Father John’s mother, Feodora Vlasyevna Sergieva, who died on July 6, 1871 and was buried in the suburban Kronstadt cemetery. The chapel has not yet been rebuilt, although the walls have been completed and the roof has been built; All that remains is interior finishing and exterior painting. Domed chapel in Byzantine style with high doors; inside there is a portrait of the deceased, in front of which an unquenchable lamp burns; many fresh wreaths indicate that the chapel, even unfinished, attracts visitors. Finally, another monument. A new rescue station in Oranienbaum (at the end of the earthen dam), built by admirers of Father John with his blessing. On the plan of this station, the construction of which began a month ago, Fr. John wrote: “I approve of this plan and bless all participants. On the occasion of the approaching thaw, we will now, with God's help, begin the construction of a designed building for the Oranienbaum rescue station of the water rescue society, which is under the Highest patronage of the Empress. The previous station was destroyed by a storm, and therefore there is an urgent need to build a new, improved station as a refuge for all those in distress at sea. I sincerely thank the good people for their concern for me, a sinner, as well as for the construction of the said building with all the accessories. I wish complete success and prosperity to this truly Christian cause.” At the station there will be a separate room for Father John himself and there will be one rescue boat named after him. If you remember how often the respected shepherd has to travel from Kronstadt to Oranienbaum during times of mud, fragile ice and storms, then the significance of the new station and the ardent desire of its admirers to establish it as soon as possible will become clear! Those who wish to add their name to the “monument” being built have an excellent opportunity while the station is not yet ready... We are finishing our essay. Let us say in conclusion that the marvelous and immense glory of Fr. John gives various echoes in our vast fatherland. There are admirers of the Kronstadt shepherd who, seeing in him the power of faith, having experienced this power for themselves, have forever renounced the sinful worldly life and now live with honor for the glory of God. We could cite as an example one Jewish family, which, having accepted Orthodoxy, can now boldly serve as a model of Christian piety; one merchant, an innkeeper, who was healed by the prayer of Fr. John, now devoted his entire life to deeds of love and mercy; one homeowner who miraculously rose from his deathbed after praying to Fr. John, became a missionary and preacher of the Orthodox faith. Many families, thanks to the influence of the Kronstadt pastor, now lead the most devout and Christian lives, regularly receiving St. communion. Several hundred such families can be identified, but their total number is probably much greater. Then, there is a second category of people, so to speak, fanatical fans of Fr. John, who, apart from his any participation, are inclined to form something like a sect, elevated the Kronstadt archpriest to an “angel” or “saint” and formed their own teaching, not similar to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, which Fr. John. These self-proclaimed “followers” ​​of Fr. John have appeared far from the borders of Kronstadt and are still few in number, but the spiritual authorities have already paid attention to them and are taking their own measures against the infatuation of people, nothing to do with Fr. John and his instructions who do not have. Finally, there are still echoes of the glory of Fr. John. These echoes are alien to religion and pursue exclusively low material goals. Father John was often forced to officially declare that the prayers, conversations, crosses, etc. sold in his name not only had nothing in common with his activities, but directly constituted an unceremonious scam. There were rogues who took upon themselves to mediate between Fr. John and those who seek his prayers. Of course, in all these cases the shepherd himself had nothing to do with it... Let’s finish our essay with the words of Father John himself, in which lies all the power of his glory and asceticism. “I have made it a rule for myself to be as sincere as possible about my work and strictly monitor myself, my inner life... These words of the Kronstadt shepherd contain an explanation of the nature of his activities and the secrets of his influence on the hearts of people.