О. Иоанн как духовный руководитель монахинь. Его любовь к Леушинскому женскому монастырю Новгородской Епархии

Father John, who belonged to the “white clergy,” however, also loved and revered monasticism, calling it the “angelic order” in his diary. But he was especially attentive and loving to the nuns. Just like Rev. Seraphim of Sarov founded the Diveevo Convent, Fr. Ambrose of Optina - Shamordin, Fr. Varnava - Iversky Vyksa Monastery, and Fr. John, “by God’s grace the builder of the St. John’s Monastery,” 63 as he liked to call himself, is, in essence, the beautifier and beautifier of many other women’s monasteries: Sursky in the Arkhangelsk Diocese, Vorontsovsky in Pskov, and especially Leushinsky in the Novgorod Diocese. He was in constant and long-term correspondence with the venerable elder Abbess Taisia, abbess of the Leushinsky monastery (for 18 years). This venerable old woman was an irreplaceable collaborator of the dear priest in his pastoral leadership of convents. Hence we must give her deep gratitude for publishing the letters of Fr. John to Abbess Taisia. Of the 182 letters, 149 were printed (with minor omissions). In many of them, Fr. John asks Mother Abbess to admit a girl to the Leushinsky monastery. Here are examples: “Venerable Mother Taisiya! Accept this lamb of Christ, the bearer of the note, into your storm-proof refuge. She tearfully asks for my intercession. Archpriest John, Sergiev, your humble prayer book.” “Honest Mother Abbess Taisiya! Let me ask you to accept under the roof of your monastery, under the roof of the Queen of Heaven, the maiden Anna Ivanovna Kirsanova; she is a beautiful girl, modest, hardworking, and a believer. I hope for your kindness. Your friend and father, Archpriest John Sergiev." “Most Honorable Mother Abbess Taisia! For the sake of the love of Christ and the beloved virgin and confidant of Christ, John the Theologian, Apostle and Evangelist, I ask you to accept into your monastery and shelter from temptation two virgin sisters: Mary and Elizabeth of God, who were in the Iveron monastery with Fr. Barnabas. I testify to their complete innocence. I am sending you the future nun for Sura, Matrona Dmitrievna Gorbunova. Accept her as your daughter. Archpriest John Sergiev." Please be kind enough to accept this literate girl, Natalya, to prepare for the Sur community. Her last name is Shiryakova. “Dear Mother Abbess Taisiya! I hope for your usual generosity and compassion for everyone, if possible, seeking salvation. “I ask you not to throw the good girl Lud away from your heart.” Sh. (I saw her at Korsak's in St. Petersburg). I'm sorry that I often bother you with such requests. “Determining” in this way future ascetics to the Leushinsky monastery, Fr. John continued to follow their life in the monastery. In a letter, for example, dated August 5, 1899, he asks Mother Taisia: “How is my Kronstadt family living with you: Evdokia, Ekaterina, Elena? Is there any roughness in them?..” Being in his Sursky monastery in 1901, delving into everything and keeping up with everything, like the best “Abbot,” dear father, however, did not forget Leushin and this is what he wrote to Mother Abbess Taisia. We quote his words in full; they clearly show how close and dear Fr. John's improvement of women's monasteries. “How is your precious health, Mother? How are the sisters doing and being saved? May you all receive help from above. The Sursky sisters all bow to you. They are extremely happy about my arrival and my visit with them. I was at a common meal today; it has the same order as yours. The sisters sing well, and one can see a lot of zeal for God and service. God bless! Quite a few buildings have been erected, and the building is still being built again. We have a sawmill and a brick factory, a flour mill; I saw production - a saw, a brick machine and a flour grinder. Everything is good, everything is useful. God grant that everything improves. I expect to be with you on June 22nd or 23rd, with God’s assistance. Your unworthy pilgrim, Archpriest of Kronstadt John Sergiev.” Abbess Taisiya had the good fortune of being in a close relationship with Fr. for 35 years. John. Here's what she says about it: – My efforts to acquire a place in St. Petersburg for the construction of a metochion for the purpose of material support for our monastery, which has neither capital nor support, which began under Metropolitan Isidore, sometimes required my short-term stay in the capital, where I often saw Father, although I never had the opportunity to have a spiritual conversation with him; but on the other hand, during his visits to our monastery in the summer, on the way back from his homeland, we received truly unearthly pleasure, being in continuous communication with this gracious shepherd for several days and even weeks. He usually wrote to me from his homeland. Sura or from Arkhangelsk about where he planned to go, how long to stay where and when approximately to be with us and whether on his own ship or on a rented one, and my job was to meet him at the appointed place. This is where my holiday began, my rest, that is, literally mental rest, renewal of strength and lifting of spirit. We used to go with him from the pier of our “Borka” to the monastery; the road continues through the forest, and about three miles before the monastery, crossing the road, there passes a strip of monastery forest; and Father will begin to bless him on both sides: “Grow up, preserve, O Lord, all this for the benefit of Your monastery, in which Your holy Name is glorified unceasingly.” On the way, he asks about the condition of the sisters, their health, etc. We are approaching a village located one mile from the monastery and making up its entire parish, and there on both sides there are a lot of people who have come out to bless the great guest: peasants, with naked heads, bow at the waist; women, with babies in their arms, rush to vie with each other to bring their children, if only Father could touch them with his hand; All you can hear is: “Father, breadwinner,” “you are our darling,” “red sun.” And Father bows to both sides, blesses, saying: “Hello, brothers! Hello mothers! Hello, little ones of God! May our Heavenly Father bless you all! Christ is with you! Christ is with you! And as soon as the monastery buildings go up - clergy houses, hotels, etc., the sisters greet them with loud, harmonious singing: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” and then, with singing, they are escorted to the cathedral church itself, where they are greeted by the clergy, and the ringing of the large bell has been buzzing for a long time. It looks like something Easter, joyful: a general uplift of spirit, a general triumph! After the liturgy, at which there are always many communicants, Father goes straight into the garden, where all the clergy who served him, the guests who came to him are invited, the samovar with all its attributes also appears there, and dear Father, knowing that everyone is pleased to receive tea from his hands, tries to console everyone. Then he will go for a walk along the alleys of the garden, either alone or with an interlocutor, but no one bothers him. As soon as Father passes through the terrace into the house, the garden becomes empty, as everyone leaves. But Father loves clean air too much: not only spends all his time during the day either in the garden, or riding with me through the fields and forests, but sometimes, on warm, dry nights, he sleeps on the terrace. Sometimes in the garden he will gather his closest acquaintances and some of the sisters of the monastery and, having chosen a place somewhere, will read to us a book that he himself has chosen; but most often he read the Gospel, the Apocalypse or the book of the prophets and immediately explained everything he read. Sometimes the reading was interrupted by conversations on the topic being explained. When he gets tired of sitting or gets tired of reading, he will say to me: “Well, mother, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for us to take a ride to your Hermitage.” And, of course, this is instantly fulfilled, and we are off. We always rode not quickly, but slowly, because at this time Father was either praying secretly, or talking with me, or simply dozing; and there was no need to go quickly: the people, no matter how many there were, never rushed towards him or bothered him on the road. I will tell you the following about “Pustynka”, this favorite place of Father. The name “Pustynka” or “Cross” is given to a small hermitage with the church of St. Apostle John the Theologian. Its second name, “Cross,” may seem inconsistent with the name of the monastery; but its very origin is somewhat unusual and is closely connected with the name of the venerable shepherd, Fr. Archpriest John of Kronstadt, for whom this was a favorite place. In 1892, on his way back from his homeland, he visited our monastery on June 15, intending to stay there for several days. Of course, all the deserted hospitality of the monastery was aimed at reassuring the distinguished guest; but how could she express her cordiality? By the way, I invited Father to ride through the fields and forests of the monastery and bless them, to which he readily agreed. At that time, the monastery did not yet have spring carriages, nor did it employ a coachman, whose duty was performed by one of the sisters. We drove for a long time through the forest and did not notice how the wheeled road began to stop, being replaced only by a path for pedestrians. The sister driving the horse drew our attention to this, saying that it was dangerous to ride further - we could drive into such a thicket that it would be impossible to make a turn, and that now, in order to turn, we would have to get off the tarantass and wait until she turns, choosing a more convenient place for this. We immediately went out, and Father said to me: “While you and I are looking for strawberries.” To this I replied: “What a strawberry, Father, at this time! Here she rarely makes it on Peter’s Day, and even in such a wilderness: there are only pine trees and moss.” The priest did not answer, but bent down, as if looking for something on the ground. A few minutes later, the nun, turning her horse, rode up to this place, and Father came up to me with a bouquet of strawberries picked with stems and, handing them, smiling, said: “So I brought some berries.” I couldn’t believe my eyes and, turning to the nun, said: “We must notice this place; Do strawberries really ripen so early here?” The nun also expressed doubts. However, we noticed the place, and I decided, as soon as we arrived at the monastery, to send the sisters here to look for strawberries, which was done; but, of course, due to the early times and the nature of the soil, no strawberries could be found here. Nevertheless, this place became the subject of everyone's attention, even everyone who came felt it was their duty to visit it, which forced them to put up a cross instead of a driven peg. This is where the name of this monastery “Cross” originates, since it became common to say: “we were at the cross”, “let’s go to the cross”. Akathists and canons were often read in front of this cross, especially by people who had some kind of sorrow, who then declared that, having prayed there, they found relief. No bad weather, even in winter, prevented those wishing to visit this place. This circumstance forced me to turn to the then Archbishop of Novgorod Theognostus with a request for permission to erect a small chapel with a cell not for anyone to live there, but a chapel for casual visitors, and a cell as a place of rest for me, burdened by the bustle of the authorities, where I could indulge in prayerful focus and silence in the silence of the forest. In 1893, upon the arrival of Fr. John, a chapel with a cell was already ready, where the venerable shepherd retired for his prayerful deeds, sometimes spending most of the day here. In 1898, Archbishop Theognost, while surveying the Leushinsky monastery, visited this chapel. Entering the cell, devoid of any, even modest decoration, he sat down on a simple wooden bench in front of the same unpainted table, took a deep breath, and tears glistened in his eyes. Then he said: “Mother, what bliss you have here! How easy it is to breathe here!” To this I replied that he also has a manor near Novgorod, the Bishop’s Manor, in which he can retire. But he objected: “Oh, you don’t know: I’m going to the dacha, but things have already rushed me there.” After sitting for a while, he suddenly began to plan: “If only these two windows could be turned into an arch, and a small altar could be added, then there would be a church, such bliss!” “Not believing my ears with joy, for this was also my cherished dream, I answered him: “Holy Lord! That would be very good! Yes, I didn’t even dare to ask for it; after all, the church needs a priest: it’s impossible for a regular priest to be here, but we’re having a hard time finding a regular elder for the monastery.” To this the bishop said: “Why, why a separate priest? After all, on a holiday you should always be in the monastery church with the sisters; and on weekdays, whenever you want, even a free priest from your two can serve here. If you want, submit a petition: I will allow it; draw at least a small plan for this chapel yourself, and how you propose to attach an altar to it; I myself see everything in place and on this basis I can resolve it.” I didn’t know how to thank the Lord, and I hastened to fulfill what was proposed. This was in the month of May. When, in July of the same year, according to custom, Fr. John, I told him about the result of Archbishop Theognost’s visit to the “Pustynka”. Father John crossed himself and repeated several times: “Glory to Thee, Lord!” When I asked him why he had never previously expressed his desire for a church to be here, he replied: “I have put my trust in the Lord, His will be done, not mine; and so He Himself blessed to carry out His holy will.” This is how the “Pustynka” came into being with a church in the name of St. Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian! In the same year, they began to stockpile timber and all the necessary material for adding an altar and other fixtures necessary for the church. Since the matter was not complicated, the extension was small, then by the next month of July, by the time Fr. John, the church was already ready and, with the blessing of the Archbishop, was consecrated by Fr. John, in the name of St. Ap. and Evang. John the Theologian. One of my close acquaintances, an institute friend, Elizaveta Pasmurova, worked hard to make a marble throne; she, as well as other acquaintances and benefactors, delivered all the necessary utensils for the church, so that the monastery did not have to burden the monastery with anything, just as the monastery funds did not have to be spent on all the expenses for the extension, since the St. Petersburg merchant W. Sorokina donated 500 rubles for this item. To this day, this “Pustynka” is a favorite place for the entire monastery and its pilgrims, and now, since the death of Fr. John, it will become even more precious and pleasant for everyone who appreciated this great and unforgettable shepherd. The church in it is small, adjacent to the same small room where pilgrims stand in winter; and in the summer they are placed around it in the open air, where, with the windows open, the entire Divine service can be clearly heard. There is no bell tower, and there are no bells, except for one 6-pound one, due to lack of funds. It is located on the south side of the monastery, at a distance of about one mile. There is now a beautiful road built there. Father was very fond of flowers and nature in general: they constantly brought him flowers either from the garden or from the field. It happened that he would take a rose or peony in his hand, which would bloom before his arrival, and kiss the flower, saying: “I kiss the Right Hand, who created you so wondrously, so beautifully, so fragrantly!” O Creator, Creator! How marvelous You are in the smallest grass, in every petal!” It used to be that Father would hold a flower in his hand and give it to someone present; and how much joy the owner gets with this flower! And Father continues to praise the Creator for His good deeds to people. Will they give him berries from the garden that are ripe, he says: “What a Lord, our Heavenly Father, merciful, kind, generous, all-merciful! Look, understand - He not only gives us daily, necessary food, but also delights us, treats us with berries, fruits, and how varied they taste - some are better than others! Please note that each variety of berries has its own taste, its own sweetness, its own aroma.” One of the visitors once remarked to him that now the culture has been improved and produces better varieties of products. Father, without looking at the speaker, but continuing to look at the berries, answered: “Culture is culture, and the Creator is Creator. This is why reason was given to man, so that he could work with it, cultivate, improve, or, as they say today, cultivate, first of all, himself, and then other creations of God, even trees, fruits, and everything that was given into his hands by the Creator. It is easy to grow from a ready-made seed and bring it to the highest quality; but to create a seed, if it doesn’t exist, to create one drop of water where there is none - try it with your culture! You can also make waterfalls from the finished water; from ready-made substances - earth, sand, clay, you can erect any kind of mass; and in the absence of these substances, what would you do? O All-Merciful Creator, Heavenly Father, until Your creation recognizes You and falls to dust before Your greatness?!” Father also loved to pick berries in the garden himself and eat them straight from the branch. Sometimes he would climb into the raspberry bushes or strawberry beds, eat and call: “Mother, there are thieves in your kindergarten; Why don’t you take good care of your property?” He loved our kindergarten, and every time before leaving the monastery he went into it and, as if pitying it, said goodbye to it: “Farewell, kindergarten! Thank you for the pleasure you always give me! How many bright moments I spent in your solitude!”, etc. It happened that you would say to him: “Our dear Father, won’t you come to us next year?” He will answer: “The future is in God’s hands; If I’m alive, I’ll come.” If it happened that Father came to us during haymaking, then we would go with him to mowing with our sisters, always adapting it to the time when they were drinking tea there. What a joy it is for the sisters! We would drive up, and from a distance we could already see black figures in white aprons and white handkerchiefs. At a distance, samovars are also smoking; right there, on the grass, a large simple rustic (abusive) tablecloth was spread, pressed down at the edges with pebbles so that the wind would not lift it; there are about a hundred tea cups and sugar on it; Nearby there are bags of pretzels (bags). As soon as Father arrives, the singing sisters will burst out Father’s favorite tribute: “Hail, Queen.” The priest goes to the table prepared for him, but sometimes first he takes a walk in the meadow, sits in the hay, talks with the haymakers, and then the tea party begins. Everyone gathers at the boiling cubes and samovars, sits on the grass, and Father himself hands them bagels out of a bag, gives many tea from his glass and, in general, tries to console everyone. When he leaves the meadow, everyone runs to see him off, the singers sing “many years” to him until the carriage is out of sight. In general, Father loved our singing and every day he called on the clergy women to sing, mostly in the garden, sometimes in Pustynka, and in rainy weather in their cells. Every day after dinner the regent approached him, to whom he assigned which plays to sing for him. Sometimes he listened to them, silently, intently, in a prayerful mood; sometimes he stood or even walked among them and explained to them the meaning of what was being sung, especially the Irmos; sometimes he enthusiastically sang with them and directed them with his hand. When he and I happened to ride along the Volga, with his blessing, I took with me on the ship from 4 to 6 singers, who sang for him on the ship, as well as in coastal churches, where he stopped to perform the liturgy, without which he could not spend a single day. When we rode through our forests and fields with him, he always blessed the fields with a prayer for their fruitfulness and an abundant harvest to feed the monastery. It happened that when he saw that there were no people nearby, he would order the horses to stop, take off his cassock, put it in its place and go for a short walk in the field. We have placed a lot of benches along the roads between the monastery and the monasteries, since nuns walk along these secluded paths and sometimes sit down with their handicrafts or relax when they go to the forest to pick berries or mushrooms. During Father’s stay with us, all such benches served as a place for pilgrims who came to Father; Knowing that he and I drove past here every day, sometimes several times, they were waiting for us and, seeing the carriage from afar, quietly, in perfect order, approached Father for a blessing; some girls brought him wild flowers, especially often violets, white and purple, which Father loved very much. So one day, having accepted these bouquets, he held one of them in his hands and, looking at it, said the Gospel word: “Not Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like each of the lilies of the field. If the Heavenly Father dresses a flower in this way, which today exists and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, then how much more so, O you of little faith? How obvious is the truth of God’s word: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be added to you.” I experience this on myself: since I began to intensely seek and exclusively care about pleasing the Lord through prayer and deeds of mercy to my neighbors and others, I have almost no need to take care of myself, that is, about my external needs; “By the grace of God, good people dress me, put on shoes, treat me, and they would consider me an insult if I did not accept their zeal.” I answered him: “And if you knew, Father, how nice it is to do something for you, even to serve you in some way! And would you believe it, Father, that everything you do for you will soon be rewarded a hundredfold! I personally experienced this myself, and I heard it from many.” O.I.: “I believe, and I see it in practice; Yes, this is in the order of things; The Lord rewards us for everything, even for a cup of cold water given in His name.” I.T.: “And in this regard, I often remember the words: “Receive the righteous in the name of the righteous, he will accept the bribe of the righteous.” 64 I know that this was said to the Apostles and not in the relation that we are now talking about, but in general about faith and zeal for the righteous, that is, for people who have completely surrendered to God.” O.I.: “Do you remember the apostolic word: “God is not offended, forgetting your deeds and labors of love, which you showed in His name, serving the saints.” 65 Of course, we should not understand the saints who live in heaven, but His servants who work for Him for the salvation of people. But He strictly judges those who dare to slander them, especially to slander innocently! As He says through the prophet Zechariah: “Touch you (that is, God’s chosen ones), as if you touch the apple of His eye 66 (God). You see, the Lord calls them His “eye”! And the saints loved the Lord so much! Despite their weak carnal nature, horrified and thoughts of torment and torture, for the sake of the love of Christ they willingly accepted all suffering and death, just so as not to be rejected from Him in eternity. Here, St. Ignatius the God-Bearer both personally asked and wrote in his letter to the Roman Christians when they wanted to free him from the martyrdom that awaited him: “Do not forbid me, that is, do not prevent me from coming to the Lord, I want to be ground, that is, ground, with the teeth of beasts, so that I may be a sacrifice acceptable to my Lord!” . 67 This is high, holy love! those. on Karpovka, in St. Petersburg.