Source of living water

Description of the life and work of Father John of Kronstadt Champion of the Orthodox faith, saddener of the Russian land, a shepherd of rule and a faithful image, a preacher of repentance and life in Christ, a preacher of the Divine Mysteries, a reverent servant and a daring prayer book for people, righteous Father John, a healer and wonderful miracle worker, praise to the city of Kronstadt and our adornment to the Church, pray to the All-Good God to pacify the world and save our souls. Today the Shepherd of Kronstadt stands before the Throne of God and fervently prays for the faithful of Christ the Chief Shepherd, who gave the promise: “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against Her.” The saint is commemorated on December 20/January 2 Even during the life of the famous ecumenical prayer book and wonderworker Fr. Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev began to appear in print, many large and small works devoted to his biography, pastoral exploits, miracles, etc. The most major work of them is a voluminous book: “Two days in Kronstadt,” written by Bishop Evdokim, respected by Russian society, former rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, now Bishop of Kashirsky, Vicar of Tula diocese. It goes without saying that the talented, right reverend author made a lot of use of small publications devoted to the lofty subject of his work and published before the book of Bishop Evdokim. Largely depending on the book by Rev. Evdokim “Two Days in Kronstadt” also contains a fairly detailed biography of the dear priest, compiled by a former associate professor in St. Petersburg. Spirit. Academy by Archimandrite Mikhail. The work of S. Zhivotovsky is talented and beautiful: “In the North from Fr. John of Kronstadt." This should also include: “Letters about travel to the North from the island. John", compiled by A. Nartsizova; wonderful work by S.I. Tsvetkov: “O. John of Kronstadt and the miraculous power of his prayers"; “The Kronstadt Shepherd” by Kruglov; then the detailed work of Mr. Zybin and others. All these works, one way or another similar to each other in various borrowings, at the same time complement each other with certain information and details. In the same way, in our work, which we offer to the favorable attention of Orthodox believing readers, on the one hand, we borrowed a lot from the above-mentioned writers, which we recall here with grateful gratitude, on the other hand, we have a lot that is not in the listed works. Namely: we paid special attention to the moment of the initial glorification of Fr. John, on this transition from the humble lot of a humble believing priest to the glorious destiny of an all-Russian prayer book and a universal lamp. Then, in almost all of the above works, the dear priest’s stay in October 1894 in Livadia, at the bedside of the dying, ever-memorable Sovereign Emperor Alexander III, is weakly and briefly noted. We have set out this in great detail, for which we must remember with gratitude the excellent edition of the school Sov. at the Holy Synod: “Emperor Alexander III”, composition. A. D. Popov. Likewise, we have many pages devoted to the image of the struggle of Fr. John with the revolution, the coming years before his earthly death, his death and burial, miracles at the tomb of Fr. John, etc. We also owe a lot to the venerable old lady Mother Abbess Taisia, namely, the memoirs she published about Fr. John and letters to Fr. John to Abbess Taisia. We did everything we could. Let those who can do the best do the best. We will consider ourselves deeply happy if our book, even for a few moments, elevates the Orthodox reader above the vanity of everyday life and transports him to an elevated world, surrounded by the gracious atmosphere of the great Lamp of the Russian land. In conclusion, we ask the Orthodox reader to firmly imprint on his heart the following words of our dearest priest, expressed in his letter dated October 31, 1906 to Abbess Taisia: “You know how people, both old and young, strive for me through the grace of God, how children greet me with joy, just as Jewish children once greeted Christ with joy, with triumphant faces and songs. So now, everywhere, ordinary people and gentle children greet me with joy. What does it mean? This means that the grace of God lives in me, and draws all simple-hearted people to me, and through me to God, Whom I serve.” 1 See the book “Letters of O. Archpriest John to the Abbess of the Leushinsky Monastery, Abbess Taisia.” St. Petersburg, 1909, 37 pp.