Величие и широта всеобъемлющей любви о. Иоанна

The Risen CHRIST united in Himself everything earthly and heavenly. The power of the grace of the Risen Christ, manifesting itself in many different signs and wonders performed by the apostles, demonstrated its miraculous power in the unification of all humanity. Father John, awarded the abundant grace of Christ, had a special Divine gift to unite people. In this regard, his visits to aristocratic houses are instructive. In those aristocratic houses, where everything is usually based on subtle secular decency, Father John, by his presence, united everyone, without distinction of age or position, into one family. There was such a case. One person occupying a prominent position in society, having invited the venerable shepherd, forgot all secular conventions and hurried to the kitchen to call the servants for general prayer. So great was the unifying power of spirit in Father John! Often, when he was descending the luxurious staircase from the rich chambers, somewhere in the Swiss room he was caught by a poor worker or a “corner” tenant from the backyard, and he, without much hesitation, went down to her, consoled, prayed, even shared modest morsels, after the luxurious meal he had just finished in the midst of brilliant society, and then, having provided material assistance, he left. Having appeared in one of the crowded houses of St. Petersburg, Father John, out of his infinite kindness, could not refuse to visit any of its inhabitants. And it happened that, after walking through such a house for several hours, he would finally arrive too late to that large aristocrat who had invited him to this house in advance... The ships departing from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt were always crowded with pilgrims of all kinds of ranks and professions. Who wasn't here?! This is how one believing passenger described it, who during this time traveled to Kronstadt for blessings and instructions from the dear priest. The audience was very interesting in its composition; it seemed to contain representatives of all classes and ranks. I will name just a few of them. Here is a group of students from one Academy. One of them has already completed the course, others are still studying. Here is a learned professor of chemistry at the Mining Institute, who has written several essays on his specialty even in German, also going to Kronstadt and also to Fr. John. What is it? Isn't it a trick of the eye? How did a person come here from that circle of scientists, many of whom have long been telling everyone that there is nothing in the world except matter? With complete confidence they say: “God, of course, does not exist, religion is nonsense; Here are telescopes and microscopes, show us God, the soul of man, the afterlife.” As I later learned, Mr. Professor for fifteen whole years really did not want to hear anything about God, the soul of man, its immortality. At that time, he was completely satisfied with atoms, microorganisms, and other subtle creatures. In pursuit of them, he even lost one of his eyes during one of his experiences. For fifteen years he lived in complete freedom, as his mind, darkened by unbelief, told him. And what did this man come to? He could not bear this unnatural situation. Nature itself began to tell him that it was abnormal. He began to feel the emptiness of his life. He finally realized that man is gifted with more than just cold reason, and lives not only by exclusively scientific interests; he still has a heart and will, has irresistible religious and moral demands and aspirations. A full and contented life is possible only when both are satisfied. And so, due to the urgent demand of his nature, listening to the voice of conscience, he cannot stand his false position. Burning, constant dissatisfaction with everything around him forces him to seek resolution of his doubts and leads him to Fr. John. Here sits a rather young lady, elegantly dressed. Facial features, movements, conversation - everything reveals her as an aristocrat. She also goes to Fr. John. Looking at her, you can’t help but think. What makes her go to this small, poor island? After all, it seems that you can’t think of anything that she would be missing in her life. She lives in a luxurious house that resembles a palace. There, paintings by the best Russian and foreign artists caress her gaze. The works of all writers - Russian and foreign - are collected there. Her ears are delighted almost daily by the sounds of wonderful, magical music. No rude speech is heard anywhere; her gaze does not meet rude and ugly, ugly manners. In her house the fruits of human labor, sometimes many years and persistent, are collected. And the sea, and the land, and the depths of the earth, and the mountains, and the air brought their rich gifts here. The best works of people and the best gifts of nature have been collected from everywhere. A whole regiment of servants surrounds her, trying to prevent her every smallest desire. All the highest and noblest entertainments are possible for her. For her, there is almost no time or space: money makes it possible to visit the most remote corner of the earth, to talk by telegraph and telephone with someone who lives hundreds and thousands of miles away. In a word, it seems that nothing is impossible for her. But, despite all this luxury and wealth, she travels from her corner, this seemingly magical kingdom, to Fr. John. Obviously, magnificent chambers, luxury, and nobility cannot save a person from doubt, dissatisfaction and sadness. Not far from this lady sat a famous rich merchant. And he went to Fr. John. Wealth made him a little prince. Hundreds of people bowed before him, praised him in speeches and newspapers, and fulfilled his every slightest desire. His power and influence seemed to know no bounds. He was accepted everywhere. There was not a single pleasure that was inaccessible to him. He knows no end to his possessions. I've experienced everything in my life. This is the new Solomon, the Solomon of the late 19th century. And what did he come to with his experience? “I have a lot of money,” he said, a lot of forests, land, meadows and all sorts of possessions, but I don’t want to look at anything now. It's hard for me. Day and night, a kind of melancholy gnaws at me. I don’t know what to do now or where to go. I'm lost and I don't know any way out. Lost in broad daylight... Yes, in broad daylight, he repeated. I was told that Fr. John helps many. So I’m going to him, won’t he help me too? This is the sincere confession of a rich man, a large landowner. Obviously, enormous wealth does not save a person from grief; grief can make its way to a rich man and entangle him in such a strong web that the person will lose any opportunity to personally free himself from it. The 2nd class deck was also full. There were middle class people here - peasants and poor people. The peasants presented a wonderful picture. Some of them, with knapsacks on their shoulders, in thin bast shoes, in poor clothing, walked hundreds of miles and endured all the hardships of a long journey. Some went further in the name of Christ to Kronstadt 6 . What drew them here? Everyone has the same desire - to watch, listen to the great shepherd and learn from him how to live by him “according to God.” After all, poverty does not eliminate these questions from a person’s soul. I will not exaggerate if I say that Fr. John was traveling poor and rich, noble and ignorant, learned and unlearned, aristocrat and peasant. There were old and young, men and women. Most of them went to ask Fr. for something. John. Some - material assistance, others - advice, others - healing, some - to bring him gratitude for the help they have already provided. When Fr. John once came out of a photograph, where, at the request of visiting students of the Theological Academy, he was photographed with them, a huge crowd was already waiting for him on the street near the photograph and rushed to the dear priest for a blessing. Everyone crowded towards him, caught his hands, grabbed him by the skirts of his cassock, asked him in several voices, others fervently prayed for something. All these are ordinary pictures where Fr. appeared. John. Father not only blessed and gave spiritual alms to the poor sufferers and martyrs of life, but also generously endowed many with material alms. Finally, they seated dear priest. The gates opened, a strong, playful horse quickly rolled the carriage. They followed the great righteous man for a long time. A motley crowd ran behind him, surrounding his carriage on all sides. As if it were some kind of special honor guard. From their fast running, the bags of those running were dangling over their shoulders, hats and scarves were flying off, and their hair was flapping. At first, many did not lag behind the horse, still surrounding the carriage on all sides. Then the crowd began to thin out. Many began to fall behind a little and return back. But there were several such fast walkers who did not lag behind the horse by even an inch. Father John hid from us, surrounded by these, although few, but very zealous companions. They say that such zeal moves Fr. to tears. John, and he sometimes stops in the middle of the road to caress those running after him. If he began to stop everywhere and everywhere, then he would not even visit a hundredth part of those sick and unfortunate who are waiting for him everywhere, he would not have time to say at least two or three words to the thousands of people who came to him from everywhere. At these moments I involuntarily remembered one story. One secular person told one archpastor that the apostles walked on foot, and today’s archpastors ride on four-wheeled carriages. The archpastor wittily remarked to his interlocutor that then the flock itself ran after the shepherds, but now you can’t catch them even on all fours. For Fr. John, and not in early Christian times, was followed by so many people that he was even forced to flee from the crowd on the fastest horse, so as not to be completely taken prisoner. Everywhere and always he avoided any manifestation of gratitude, trying to hide from various deputations and popular celebrations. When he saw the crowd of thousands meeting him, he repeatedly said: – What should I do with them? Where can I hide from them... Tried o. John asked his admirers from the church pulpit to behave more modestly and not arrange triumphs for him. In rare conversations with representatives of the press, he simply almost begged them not to print 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. In the end, 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. Just as simple, affectionate and courteous Father John was with the poor, so he appeared in rich houses and in the chambers of dignitaries, without bearing a shadow of partiality. In general, for Father John, everyone is equal, both rich and poor, smart and ragged, giving and asking, nobleman and tradesman, Father John has the same honor for all of them, the same place. The more a person is attached to the earth and earthly lusts, the less he will find a response to Fr. John, and vice versa, 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 “father”... 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 in compliments and kindnesses 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 here he did honor to the humble priest, he was the first to come to him and suddenly 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. O. John, embracing in his heart with love all people, as children of the heavenly Father, who shines as the sun on the good and the evil, sending rain on the righteous and the unjust (Matthew 5:45), did not refuse his fervent prayers 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 says, “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. “Go home in peace,” Father John told him. After his wife recovered, the Tatar and his entire family converted to Orthodoxy. From Rostov-on-Don, one Jewish woman, X., who had suffered from pain in her legs and lower back for more than twelve years, wrote to Father John of Kronstadt; During these twelve years, the patient consulted many doctors, visited professors in Kharkov, but everything was useless, there was no healing, and the poor woman suffered for many years, receiving no help from anyone. Finally, someone advised the unfortunate woman to turn to Father John and ask him to pray for her before the Lord God. X. immediately sent a letter to Kronstadt, in which she asks Father John to pray for her, despite the fact that she is Jewish. So two weeks passed, and recently the patient began to feel much better, and the pain in her legs, according to her, completely stopped. It is clear that when this phenomenon became known among local inhabitants and acquaintances, it caused a whole sensation, and, following the example of Mrs. X., more letters were sent to Father John from other patients. In the city of Taganrog, according to “Priaz. Edges,” they talk a lot about the following case. In one Jewish family, B. was seriously ill, for whose recovery the doctors had already lost hope. When the patient became very ill, the doctor, also a Jew, answered the family’s questions whether there was any way to save the patient, and replied that now the only hope was for Fr. John of Kronstadt, without attaching special meaning to his words. That same evening, however, a telegram was sent to Fr. John with a request to pray for the patient’s recovery, and the next morning the latter showed signs of improvement, and three days later the patient completely recovered. The fame of Father John Ilyich Sergiev, Archpriest of Kronstadt, which had long since crossed the borders of Russia, penetrated even into low-believing Paris. The newspaper “Russian Parisian” reports the following case of healing through the prayer of Father John. A resident of Le Havre, Mr. Curret, suddenly went mad and was placed in a mental hospital in Paris. No treatment helped, and the doctors finally told his saddened wife that she should give up all hope. Madame Courrai once read in French newspapers about Father John and in desperation decided to turn to him. She wrote a letter addressed to “Monsieur le prêtre lohann Cronstadt”, in which she asks the priest to pray for her husband. Soon there followed an answer for No. 689 from the secretary of Sergiev’s father, Mr. Kostin. Ms. Curret brought this answer to the Editorial Office of the Russian Parisian, with a request to translate it. It read: “I inform you that the priest conveys his pastoral blessing to you, in the name of the Lord, and prays to the immeasurable goodness of God to extend His mercy to you. Pray and trust in the mercy of the Most Holy Theotokos. Father fulfilled your request and personally wrote a letter to your sick husband, which he sent to him along with the icon.” The letter from Father John mentioned here was given to the sick man. He, of course, could not read Russian, but, nevertheless, an improvement soon appeared in his condition, and after a month the doctors considered it possible to release him from the hospital, and Mr. Curre resumed his previous activities. He now wears the icon sent by Father John constantly on his chest. One of the St. Petersburg spiritual magazines provides interesting evidence of the glory of Fr. John abroad. The immediate consequence of this popularity was more than 200 letters received by Fr. John in the spring of 1895 from different parts of the world. From France, from different states of Germany, from Austria, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Italy, England and Greece, and even from distant America, from capitals and from unknown towns, and even villages, letters in various languages ​​flew to Kronstadt asking for spiritual and material help, for prayer for the unfortunate and sick. – All letters received by Fr. John from abroad can be divided into: 1) Most of them are requests to pray for healing from various illnesses; 2) requests to pray for internal correction, for increased faith in people; 3) requests through prayer or material help to get out of extreme need or to assist in the implementation of some enterprise; 4) requests to give advice or bless any new step in life; 5) requests to answer questions of a religious nature and in gratitude for the help provided and expressions of feelings of reverence for Father John. We came from Tomsk, Irkutsk, Vyatka, Smolensk...