Father Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev

Contents Father Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev as a shepherd Poems by Abbess Taisia about Father John of Kronstadt The Righteous To the Righteous For the anniversary of Father Archpriest John Sergiev of Kronstadt To Father John Greetings to the Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Father John Sergiev In blessed memory of Father John of Kronstadt To the first anniversary of his death Father Archpriest John of Kronstadt Father John of Kronstadt and Abbess Taisiya Leushinskaya Dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Repose of the Holy Righteous Father John of Kronstadt 1908–2008 Father Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev as a shepherd let them see your good deeds Who in our time does not know the Kronstadt pastor, Father Archpriest John Sergiev? Not only our Mother Russia boasts of him, but Europe also knows the name of this Russian shepherd - a name that passes from mouth to mouth in various rumors and judgments about him, in accordance with the personal views of each. They talk about him in the highest spheres, and circles of common people, and in bright chambers, and in wretched huts, both rich and poor, old and small, scientists and simpletons, spiritual and laity, they say a lot and differently: they say that there is good; others: neither, but flatters the nations (John 7:12). However, all rumors, not excluding the latter, boil down to one conclusion: “an amazing person!” This is how the spiritually insightful mind exclaims, delving into the power of the beneficial activity of a worthy shepherd, and the same will be said by someone alien to spiritual enlightenment, an arrogant sage and an ignorant simpleton, seeing only the external side of his grace-filled actions. Who has not heard, and perhaps has not experienced for himself personally and for his family the miraculous power of prayer and blessings of Fr. John, acting not only personally, but also sometimes in absentia, far away, over a thousand-mile space, wherever there is living faith and warm prayerful appeal? Yes, Fr. is truly an “amazing”, extraordinary person in our time. John! His pastoral activity, due to the exceptional way of his life and the especially grace-filled power of his prayers, involuntarily transfers our thought to the times of the primacy of the Church, when the Holy Apostles went around cities and towns, teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, healing illnesses (Luke 8:1), awakening sinners to repentance. In those days, this kind of action was absolutely necessary for the successful spread and strengthening of the Christian faith in its beginnings; the miraculous signs and powers that accompanied the sermon served as the best proof of the gracious power and greatness of faith. In our, say, late time, when the majority of Christians exist only in name, and not in the spirit of Christ, a time poor in faith and piety, when, according to the word of Scripture: the venerable one is poor, as if the truth has fallen away - from the sons of men (Ps. 11: 1), when people, voluntarily deviating from the truth, began to invent and create for themselves some new, distorted creeds, when they were so carried away by an addiction to worldly and vain, that they forgot their Divine origin and destiny for eternity, forgot that they are fellow saints and close to God (Eph. 2:19), and not grass that exists today, but in the morning they are swept into the oven (Luke 12:36), in our time, I say, at such a late time, the economy of God raises up a man after His own heart, a man of faith and piety, abundantly filled with gifts grace, erects as if precisely for this purpose, so that not only by the word of the Holy. Scripture, to which people have become so indifferent that even when they hear it, they do not hear it (Is. 6:9), but as a clear living example to depict before them that moral image of a Christian, which the Christian lost in himself, and then became so alienated from it that he began to consider it unapproachably high, unattainable. He raises it up in the person of not a simple Christian, but precisely a shepherd of the Church, not from among the strong, glorious or powerful of the world, but from among His humble servants, unknown, modest, often despised workers in the field of Christ. In the hand of the Lord he raises up power over the earth and what is needed in his time, says the wise Sirach (Sirach.10:4). What a clear living lesson for the flock to look at their shepherds as the closest servants of Christ and builders of the Mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1), essentially filled with gifts of grace, as sacred vessels of this grace, from which it is poured out inexhaustibly and generously on all believers; on the other hand, what a high example for the shepherds themselves to see the embodied ideal of their service, an ideal accessible to each of them, according to their efforts and the disposition of their hearts. What first of all and most of all stops our thoughts on Father John Sergiev? – A deeper, spiritual mind, first of all, of course, will pay attention to the moral height of this spirit-bearing man and to the abundance of his inherent grace, extending to miraculousness. Another, perhaps, will dwell on his popularity, on the question of how he achieved, becoming what he is now before us? The humble servant of God, Father John, carrying out his ascetic-pastoral ministry in a secluded corner of the Kronstadt Island, obviously not only thundered about his great deeds, but, perhaps, never imagined that they would lead him to such an outcome - they were promoted from among people and placed on the priesthood in front of the whole world, which, of course, amounted to a heavy cross for him, which only his powerful shoulders could bear with the help of grace God's. But he who glorifies Me, I will glorify, says the Lord; and no one burns a lamp and places it in a secret place, but on the candlestick (Matthew 5:15) ... so that those who enter may see the light (Luke 8:16); and so let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). These words of the Gospel answer questions more clearly than any human word about the reason and purpose of the popularity and activities of Father John. If the task of every Christian is to serve with his life, i.e. to contribute to the glorification of the Name of God, then all the more this is the duty of the pastors of the church, whom the Lord Himself calls: “the light of the world”, “the salt of the earth”: you are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), you are the salt of the earth; If the salt overwhelms, with what will it be salted (Matthew 5:13)? The salt of grace inherent in Father John as a shepherd did not overcome him; he can boldly say with the apostle: the grace of God which is in me was not in vain, but I have labored more than all of them, and by virtue of this omnipotent grace, I am, and I am, not only, but the grace of God which is with me (1 Cor. 15:10). Biographical information about the birth and life of Father John was repeatedly published in spiritual magazines (“Russian Pilgrim”) and in separate brochures; but we want to say here a few words about the nature of his inner life as a man of faith and piety, which is why we will mention only those few features from his biography that could bring us somewhat closer to the concept of his inner spiritual life for our edification. Some circumstances from the life of Father John serve as proof that he, as God’s chosen one, was designated by the finger of His providence from the very cradle. Even in infancy, he was honored to see angels in reality: one winter night, lying in bed, the 6-year-old baby John saw an unusual light in the room; looking up he saw an Angel standing in the midst of him in heavenly glorified form; when the baby John naturally became perplexed from the unusualness of such a phenomenon. The angel reassured him, calling himself his Guardian Angel, always present to him for his observance, protection and salvation from any danger. Then, when he was about 10 years old, he saw another vision that had a prophetic meaning for him: as a ten-year-old child he saw himself as a priest serving in the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, which was shown to him not in the form in which it was at that time, but in the way it was renewed decades later than this vision. It was pleasing to God's providence, even in infancy, to show His chosen one both the image and the very place of his service to the Lord. It was in this church that the toilful spiritual life of Father John began, not only in the sense of his pastoral service, but also in the sense of his strict vigilance over his inner man, constant feats of selflessness, purity, prayer, love for God and neighbors, and other Christian virtues, which now, like a precious crown, forged by many years of labor, adorn his pastoral head. Father John himself, as an example of modesty and humility, is always silent about his spiritual exploits and virtues, but they speak for themselves, for their fruit does not grow without a seed. However, we know some of the circumstances he accidentally mentioned. “Do you know,” he once said in a conversation with one person who deeply revered him, “what first of all laid the foundation for my conversion to God, and even in childhood warmed my heart with love for Him? - This is the Holy Gospel. My parent had the Gospel in the Slavic-Russian language; I loved to read this wonderful book when I came home on vacation: both its style and the simplicity of its speech were accessible to my childish understanding, I read and I enjoyed it, and found high and irreplaceable consolation in this reading. This Gospel was with me in theological school. I can say that the Gospel was a companion of my childhood, my mentor, guide, comforter, with whom I became close from an early age.” Under such conditions, could the naturally soft and kind heart of Father John not be warmed by love for the Lord and not strive for Him? The good seed fell on the good ground (Matthew 13:23), which should in due time produce a hundredfold fruit, sufficient to feed many. The Kingdom of God, says the Lord, is like a mustard seed, which, although smaller than all grains, when it grows, it is larger than all the grains, and the birds of the air huddle under its canopy (Matthew 13:31-32). Through the words of the Holy Gospel, Christ Himself spoke to him, leaving a deep imprint on his pure child’s heart and, as it were, putting His seal on His chosen one. Feeling this stamp on himself in warm love for the Lord, the youth John naturally sought to pour out this love before Him by constantly thinking about Him. Those. prayer of the heart and mind. Upon entering the school, he not only did not abandon his pious custom of indulging in the thought of God and inner prayer, but he felt an even greater need for them, for, having been separated from his family of origin, he felt even more his loneliness and helplessness and began to cleave his heart even more to the one inseparable from him and his beloved Christ; in Him alone he sought and found help and consolation. “Prayer,” says Father John, “has always been for me like a treasury in which I found everything, what my soul was looking for: my heart was delighted by it, my mind was enlightened, and my will gained the strength to evade everything that was contrary to God, with which I was afraid of angering and offending the Lord, and through this the fear of God was strengthened in me. The deeper I delved into the meaning of the words of the prayer, the more captivated by their height.” These are the foundations and beginnings with which spiritual life was born and strengthened in the young heart of the future shepherd of the Holy Church! The grace of God, having chosen in him a vessel worthy of itself, protected and, as it were, raised its chosen one from infancy, leading him along a narrow path. And learning books was not easy for him at first; Only through intense diligence, and even more fervent prayer, like the great saint of God, Sergius of Radonezh, did he attract to himself the grace-filled enlightenment of his mental abilities to such an extent that he subsequently became one of the first disciples. Good manners and meekness have always been the hallmarks of his character, which earned him universal respect and love. After completing the course at the Arkhangelsk Seminary, John Sergiev, as one of the best students, was transferred to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, where in 1855 he graduated from the course with the degree of candidate of theology. The time of Father John's stay at the Academy is almost unknown; According to his custom, he himself is silent about him, and his comrades, of whom very few are known, unanimously say only that he was always distinguished by amazing modesty, silence, quietness of disposition, did not like cheerful societies, which he always avoided, preferring solitude to all, among which he diligently indulged in reading; He loved music and especially church singing. One incident during the period of the academic life of Father John, conveyed by him, we can report here as not devoid of attention: “The first money,” he says, “earned by my personal labor, gave me the opportunity to purchase the long-desired books of St. John Chrysostom, “An Explanation of the Gospel of Matthew” and “His Conversations to the People of Antioch.” What pleasure these books gave me! I could not tear myself away from them, and sometimes I was so carried away that, forgetting everything around him, he was ready to express and exclaim praises of the wondrous Chrysostom.” All this only proves how pure and sublime the way of thinking and aspirations of the soul of the young student Sergiev were, even at that period of life when it is so natural and usual for young men who are completing a course of educational institutions and are already beginning to peer into the independent and free life opening up before them, the vast field of which is unfolding before them, to be carried away by the imaginary beauties of this life and the hope of having fun in freedom after the hard work of studying. What thoughts about the question of how to organize his future destiny (after completing the course) occupied the young student Sergiev? The love for God and his neighbors, which had taken possession of his heart from an early age, managed to grow and bear fruit, which was revealed in the constant desire and firm intention with all the strength of his soul and body to serve his beloved Lord, to contribute to the glorification of His Holy Name, not only through his own life, but also by helping all his neighbors, which is most convenient and fitting for the shepherd of the Church to do. He decided to accept the priesthood, the height and holiness of which had long been his ideals. He felt his calling to him both according to the aspirations of his soul and according to the revelation that had happened to him in adolescence. There are quite a few obstacles, but obstacles stand in the way of realizing our highest intentions! External conditions are inevitable companions of spiritual aspirations; they not only oppress us, but sometimes even enslave us, and blessed is that warrior of Christ who is not defeated by them! From the very moment of receiving the grace of the priesthood, the shepherd becomes, as it were, a double man: an earthly angel and a heavenly man (church hymn); Without ceasing to be a carnal, servile person, he at the same time must preserve in himself the light of truth and purity of God-likeness, and shed it on all his flock; so those who are wisely preparing to accept pastoral ministry cannot help but be aware of its heights and difficulties. Is it possible to describe the sublime feelings of the soul that took possession of the entire being of the pious and meek, young in age, but not in spirit, priest of God John! “My heart rejoiced at the thought that, by virtue of my pastoral duties, I was becoming, as it were, an associate of God (1 Cor3:9), in the matter of saving people, but it trembled with fear, realizing the difficulty and importance of this work,” he says. But to whom will I look? Only to the meek and silent one, who trembles at My words, says the Lord. He saw the intentions and aspirations of the soul of his chosen servant, and felt for himself, gave him His timely help (Heb. 4:16), - as Father John himself writes in his diary: “From the very beginning of my priestly service, I had to wage an unequal, stubborn and cruel struggle to the stomach and to death; from the very beginning of my priestly service, I had to pray intensely to the Lord of hosts, as I pray now, that the all-merciful One may teach my hands to fight, my fingers to fight (Ps. 17:35), invisible, stubborn, fierce warfare. And I am not left helpless in this saving battle; I raised my eyes, full of tears, to heaven, from where help always came to me (Ps. 120:1), although sometimes not suddenly and not quickly, due to my former inexperience in temptations in prayer.” Awareness of the height of his calling aroused in him deep self-attention, so that life, no less than words, would serve as an edification for his flock. This is how Father John himself spoke about this: “With constant internal temptations, I had to constantly turn my spiritual eye inward to see the attacks of internal enemies, and thus I accustomed myself to almost unceasing spiritual contemplation and secret prayer” (Diary of Father John). Under such conditions of his life, prayer, to which his heart had become accustomed since childhood, became an increasingly greater need for him, or, as he puts it, “his air,” without which he cannot breathe. For him it is not limited to either time or place, but everywhere and always his mind is prayerfully tuned. Not content with the opportunity to satisfy such a need of the spirit in the continuation of the day, part of which is certainly taken over by various duties and the very topic of the day (Matthew 6:34), he also devoted part of the night’s rest to it, if one can call his nightly solitude “rest.” How many bright thoughts and blessed insights illuminated the ascetic priest then! Compiling them in his heart, in secret from everyone, he trusted them only to paper, which thus served as a repository of treasures. “The Lord often granted me,” says Father John, “wonderful inner insights and bright thoughts; I tried not to let them go unnoticed and write them down in my diary.” Such records multiplied even more when, by the will of his superiors, Father John was appointed teacher of the law, first at the school, and then at the men’s gymnasium. He himself speaks about this: "Teaching the lofty truths on the subjects of faith and piety to the students, I tried to explain them to them as clearly as possible, so that they would not give rise to bewilderment and doubts in them, but would achieve the goal - spiritual enlightenment and moral success. To do this, I myself had to think and go deeper, and often I felt some kind of enlightenment of thoughts and feelings; it embraced not only the subjects taught students, but also enlightened my mind much more widely. I wrote down such bright thoughts, and over the course of many years, entire books were compiled from these notes, which have now been published under the title “My Life in Christ.” Indeed, the life of Father John was and is life in Christ; he never lived in himself or for himself, but in Christ and for Christ, Whom he constantly contemplated before him mentally, prayerfully and saw Him in the face of his neighbors, according to the word of the great Apostle of love, St. John the Theologian: he who loves God loves his brother (1 John 4:21). For them he did not spare himself, being everything to everyone, so that everyone might gain something (1 Cor. 9:22). And now the residents of Kronstadt still remember with tears about that unforgettable and happy time for them, when their dear father Father John, not yet so burdened with outside visitors and his own absences for the needs of suffering humanity, belonged more to them, or rather, gave himself entirely to them. Often he himself visited them without prior invitation, especially when some kind of grief or illness occurred, or where a person’s mental state required reproof, admonition or reinforcement. There would be many examples of this if you asked the residents of the city of Kronstadt; but here, without any preliminary questions, I can cite several of them, which I heard completely by chance from the very people with whom they happened: One Kronstadt merchant (merchant or tradesman is unknown to me), and to this day is still engaged in his business, once in a conversation with me about Father John told me the following: "When I was still a very young man, I lost my wife, who left a young and only son in my arms. I grieved greatly, at times I reached the point of despondency; not only the loss of my dearly beloved life friend tormented me, but also the thought of my future fate. I felt and I realized that I was not able to raise my six-year-old son, who, as one would expect, began to play around without his mother’s supervision, so I could rightly fear for his morality. In the process of trading, I began to consider it pointless. For whom and for what, I thought, was my son so young, and what else would come of him? To get rid of the oppressive life. I felt sad, I began to seek solace outside the house, with friends in wine, and, unbeknownst to myself, little by little I became a drunkard. Time passed: my little son grew up according to his will, I was almost not involved in trade, leaving the shop to the clerks, and was only waiting for the opportunity to completely finish it. One morning I was walking down the street, and I saw Father John Sergiev coming towards me, probably straight from the cathedral from mass; met me, blessed me, and said: “I’m coming to you, brother, I need to talk with you a little.” So we came to my apartment, the priest sat down, and said: “I feel sorry for you, servant of God! I’ve been watching you for a long time, wondering if you would come to your senses, but finally I came out to help you; listen to me, throw off the blues, it’s the enemy who is trying to catch you with it, if you don’t correct yourself, look, it will be bad. Stop drinking, don’t leave home unless absolutely necessary, quit trading and don’t think, take care of it yourself; remember that you are not alone - you have a son, don’t ruin him and yourself; teach him to read and write, take him with you to the shop, teach him a little about the work; and with the help of God he will learn to work - he will be a man, your helper, and in his old age your breadwinner, your consolation. Do you hear, start from today, stop wandering the streets idle; You were a man, and remain a man!” With these words, the priest stood up, put on his stole, and said: “Well, at the beginning of the matter you need to pray; Let us pray more fervently to the Lord God that He will help us to repent and come to the mind of truth.” And he began to pray, and with tears, our dear, he prayed for me, a sinner. Then he blessed my son and me, promised to visit and pray for us, and left. It was as if I had woken up from a long, heavy sleep; and our apartment seemed to become dearer to me. With tears of repentance, I hugged my son, and only then did I feel how guilty I was towards him, because I almost ruined him. With my father's blessing, I set to work. Father really visited me, sometimes talked for a long time, consoled me, supported me, caressed and instructed my son, the trade situation improved within a year, and I became a “man”, for the prayers of our angel father. So this is what our Father John is like—there aren’t many like him in the world!” – the merchant added and thus ended the story. Indeed, how dear is timely help and support to a person in grief and temptation, it can save his life; especially if this support comes from the shepherd, in whose person the Christian sees something higher, sacred, and treats him with comparatively great trust and respect. Another example: one highly noble maiden N.T. personally known to me told me the following about herself: "Fate early made me suffer and languish with life; from an early age I was not loved in my family; by nature sickly, undeveloped, incapable of anything, but pampered, nervous, I was a burden to others and to myself. They sent me to college, but after three years they turned me out because of my inability to study; learning was difficult for me, and the desire for it, as never before, was why, I didn’t; they called me “a loser” there, and this nickname rings in my ears all my life, and I can’t help but recognize its justice. At the time when I was expelled from the institute, my father was no longer alive; my mother, a weak, sick woman, did not have the means to support me as we lived with my father; and even without any possibility of earning food for myself by any labor. Where could I lay my head? Always sick, boring, dissatisfied, alienated from everyone, or, as it seemed to me, neglected by everyone, I stayed alternately with some relatives or friends, but seeing or imagining that I was not welcome anywhere, I continued to wander, not being able to find shelter anywhere. One of the families I knew (the Karpinskys) lived in Kronstadt, where I went with them. Having stayed with them for several days and not having, as it seemed to me, encountered sincerity, I soon got bored and began to think about leaving, but where? The only good thing about Kronstadt was that no one knew me there; taking advantage of the summer, I could freely retire from everyone, either somewhere on the shore or on the boulevard, huddling on a secluded bench, and indulge in my sad thoughts and tears. One day it was especially hard for me: my situation seemed so bleak and hopeless that I was thinking about a plan to end my useless and painful existence, even if it was a violent death, since I could not find any other outcome. Sitting in such a sad mood, I did not notice how the priest came up to me, bowed affably, and silently sat down at the other end of the bench. Not knowing him, like anyone else in Kronstadt, and not wanting to share my difficult impression with anyone, I got up and wanted to leave; but the unfamiliar priest stopped me and, as if apologizing, said: “I disturbed you, it seems, I’m sorry, but, passing by here, I could not help but notice the heavy mood of your soul, testifying to deep sorrow, and, like a shepherd, although unfamiliar to you, but not alien to the rank of shepherd, I allowed myself to approach you and talk with you with a feeling of sincere participation; do not hesitate - tell me your sorrow; perhaps through me the Lord will calm the sinner and comfort you.” Touched by such participation of a complete stranger to me, I cried bitterly, but could not say anything other than: “I’m unhappy, superfluous in the world!” “The great mind of the Creator could not create anything superfluous!” - the priest answered me, and, pointing to a bug crawling on the sand, he continued: “Look, what is more helpless, more insignificant than this insect? But it is not superfluous and it brings some benefit, and it is not forgotten and not abandoned by the Creator! And you, being a man, this beloved creation of God, despair of His mercy! Tell me sorrow yours, tell me what happened to you.” Here I poured out my whole soul before the good father; it seemed to me that no one had ever spoken to me with such sympathy, no one had consoled me so much. He seemed to me like an angel sent by God to save me from death, to which I was no longer so far away. He talked to me with sincere fatherly love: he encouraged me, consoled me, showed me the path of life, which I have followed to this day, and I never cease to thank him. He did not reveal his name to me, calling himself only one of the cathedral priests. When, returning to my friends, I explained to them his appearance, they recognized him as Father John Sergiev, adding that he was a wonderful, holy man.” Here are two examples of many similar ones in the multifaceted pastoral activity of Father John at the beginning of his priestly service: he not only responded to those asking him for help, but he himself sought those who required it, as a true shepherd, as a successor and imitator of the apostles, so that in every way, i.e. in any way to save (1 Cor. 9:22) the helpless, wandering sheep of Christ. And he brought not only moral relief, but also material help to all those who suffered, providing it to all who asked, without exception, without distinction, according to the word of the Lord: give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away anyone who wants a loan from you (Matthew 5:42). Where did not the hand of Father John’s mercy extend, both openly and even more secretly? Everywhere, like a bright comforting angel, he shed the light of goodness and mercy, and not only did this himself, but persuaded others, both private individuals and public figures, to do the same. He was the first to propose the idea of ​​​​building a House of Industriousness in Kronstadt, where a homeless poor man could earn his daily bread by honest work, and thus not serve as a burden for his fellow citizens. He was the first to insist on the necessity and benefit (for which he had to work for a very long time) to open a “guardianship” for the poor at the cathedral. He is also one of the first advisers to build another House of Diligence to perpetuate the memory of the Tsar Liberator, and when this house, not yet finished, burned down, then Father John, together with his employees, extended his hand in the matter of public assistance, not only in building a new one, but even in providing it with inviolable capital. All such merits of Father John as a public figure were described repeatedly, both in magazines and in individual publications; here, speaking about him as a true shepherd, we mention him only briefly, so as not to ignore his external merits, as having such a broad and beneficial significance. Over time, the activity of Father John expands more and more, and finally reaches such proportions that one cannot help but be surprised at how strong the physical and moral strength of this selfless worker, the good shepherd (John 10:11) of Christ's flock is. It fulfills the words of the Apostle Paul, which he said about himself: he who faints, I also faint (2 Cor. 11:29), but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13). Every day, from early morning, Father John appears in the Church of God to perform Matins and then the Divine Liturgy. Long before the start of Matins, hundreds and thousands of people crowd at the entrance of the church where his service is supposed to take place, and, despite any weather, they stand in the open air, waiting for the doors to open. Everyone is vying to take a place closer to the grid, i.e. to the salt, in order to see and hear the dear and dearly beloved priest more conveniently and closer, in order, if possible, to have the opportunity to say a few words with him, to open your conscience, to submit your request, or simply to receive a blessing. Some of the men try to get into the altar for this purpose. And the loving father leaves no one unattended, as far as time allows him, he tries to satisfy and console everyone. Father John always listens to the reading of the Six Psalms with special attention, for which, in order to avoid conversations with visitors addressing him, he usually retires for this time to the altar or altar (when another priest is serving Matins) to some more secluded place on the altar, where he is completely immersed in prayerful concentration. He always reads the canons himself in the choir, where he helps the singers and sing the irmos; his reading is always particularly expressive and clear; it is clear that his soul is completely imbued with what he reads and he is transported to the region of the celestials, whose memory the church pleases with the words of the canon. “Divine service,” he writes in his diary, “is for me the priceless and greatest good in life; in Divine service is the whole life of our soul, all its treasure; here is its homeland, its education, healing, its food and drink, its strength and glory, its shrine and life” (See “Russian Pilgrim” for 1892). I said it not once, but many times Father John and to me personally, from the abundance of his heart (Matthew 12:34), warmed by love for the Lord and His saints: “How great is God’s mercy towards us sinners! What invaluable heavenly consolation He has left for us on earth in His holy Church! And every day this joy and spiritual sweetness is given to us; here we sing the praises of the holy saints of God, - we remember the exploits of the saints, the sufferings of the martyrs, the valor of the saints, the apostles, and most of all our most blessed Intercessor, the Mother of God - we are transported mentally to the days of their earthly life, we see high examples to follow - after all, they were the same people as we, but they loved the Lord and managed to please Him; here we glorify them and please them, and they, in turn, as if in reward for our love for them, remember us before the throne; God in heaven, they pray for us as for their younger brothers, and we feel it tangibly, tangibly! – Do you believe this? - “I believe, father,” I answered, how could one not believe! - “Yes, truly,” he continued, “how could one not believe, but unfortunately there are unfortunate people - non-believers, we must pray for them! And the Divine Liturgy - what a wondrous sacrament! This is a foretaste of future bliss, this is a heavenly mystery, incomprehensible to angels, and we, people commit sins, perform sacred acts!” Once, in such a conversation, I dared to tell him: “You, father, feel so strongly and deeply, as if you were experiencing everything you do.” “I’m not worried,” he answered, “but I’m feeling it, and how could it be otherwise? After all, the Body and Blood of Christ are presented before me; The Lamb of God is ever slain, sanctifying those who receive communion (Canon for Communion). God appears in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16), as it is said: the word became flesh and dwelt in us, and we saw His glory (John 1:14). Yes! indeed, we see and feel it all!” Anyone who saw Father John perform the Divine Liturgy (not in concelebration with others, but himself personally), I think, could not help but notice some special freedom and greatness of spirit, giving his service some kind of solemnity. Once I once expressed this to Father John himself, to which he answered me: “You are not the only one who says this; many have noticed this to me; I myself cannot say anything to this.” His prayer about this is beautifully expressed in his diary: “Oh, Most Holy and Almighty, All-Blessed Head of Your Church, Lord Jesus Christ, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End! Grant me, unworthy, the grace to “perform Your holiness,” i.e. Your worship is holy, peaceful and firm; cleanse my heart from the spirit of passion and from all slander enemies! Inflame me with Your heavenly fire, and not only me, but also all those who stand and pray to You during my service! Humble the hearts of the arrogant of this age; subdue their minds to Your truth, and renew your people, O Lord! At almost every Liturgy, Fr. There are communicants of John, and there are always a lot of people who want to confess to him and partake of the Holy Mysteries. Here is a review of this confession by a St. Petersburg resident, expressed by him quite accidentally. Coming out of the Kronstadt Cathedral, we met him at the door; Surprised by this surprise, I turned to him: “And you are here, D.E.?” - “But of course, after all, we also want, as they say, “to come into the mind of truth”; If you stay here and listen to the priest’s speeches, your soul will soften and you will live better. I’m here with my family, my wife and son, they’re still in church, they stayed for late mass.” “Do you come here often?” – I asked. “Yes, they now begin to visit Kronstadt often, and they begin to fast at home more often; Father Father John orders us to fast as often as possible; when he comes to our apartment in St. Petersburg, he keeps asking: “Has it been a long time since you cleared your conscience through repentance? Fast more often, fast more often,” he says. “Yes, thanks to him, he has reborn our capital,” he added. In this story there is not only not a shadow of fiction, but also not a single added word; on the contrary, I tried to convey it more concisely for the sake of brevity. Indeed, one of the features of Father John as a shepherd is, by the way, that he always tries to instill in everyone the need for the most frequent fasting and communion of the Holy Mysteries as the only source of our spiritual renewal and reunification with God. "Poor people! - he exclaims in his notes - if you knew, if you fully understood what a great treasure, what gift you are depriving yourself of by moving away from the Holy Chalice! What a Divine, priceless, life-giving, immortal gift of God, what help in your spiritual needs and weaknesses! That is why there is no true life in Orthodox Christians, life according to the spirit of Christ - because they are moving away from Christ! That is why vices and disasters have multiplied in people! That is why all creation has armed itself against us - in revenge on the enemies of God who have retreated from their Creator! All nature, all the elements: air, water, fire, death in all its forms, execute the one who has retreated from the Source of life! “Oh, how many blessings God gives us every day in the Divine Liturgy! How do Christians feel about it? Cold, indifferent, inattentive. What boundless love of God for us sinners is expressed daily in the Divine Liturgy! How close God is to us! Here He is here - on the Throne: come and see (John 1:46)! Taste and see (Ps. 33:9)! What a wonderful conversation! What happiness and blessedness of our nature is in this acceptance of Christ within ourselves - purification, renewal, peace, greatness, freedom, glory, life and immortality! Oh, poor, poor people, what are you depriving yourself of under the empty pretexts of vain worldly concerns! You say: “I am not worthy, I am a sinner.” - Repent, here is purification, here is the Son of God, who came into the world to save sinners, not the righteous! You say: “I’m busy, I don’t have time.” - Work six days and do your work in them, but although one day in a week, give the seventh to the Lord your God (Ex. 20:9). Render what is Caesar's to Caesar's, and what is God's to God (Matthew 22:21). Be abolished and understand (Isa.45:11). We find time for everything: for food and drink, for rest and peace, for the bustle of life, for fun, theaters, games, which are often harmful and sinful in pleasing our passions - there is time for everything, but to visit the church of God, to listen with due attention to the Divine Liturgy, much less to speak and partake of the Holy Mysteries, we have no time, no leisure. Meanwhile, we know that at first Christians stood up in church, praising and blessing God (Luke 24:59); We know that they began the Holy meal every week, repenting and confessing their sins out loud before the whole Church.” This is how Father John writes, this is how he preaches in church, this is how he teaches from home, wherever he goes, and he confirms his teaching with his own example, partaking of the Holy Mysteries every day. To this daily communion he attributes the strength and strength that supports and encourages him in his amazing labors among his extensive activities. “The Lord strengthens me,” he says, “the Lord, with whom I unite daily through Holy Communion, otherwise where could I draw strength for such constant, intense labors, with which I try to serve for the glory of His Holy Name and for the salvation of my neighbors!” Directly from the church, Father John goes to the apartments of the city of Kronstadt, where many people who came to see him are waiting for him. In each room he serves a short prayer service with blessing of water, and sometimes not just one, but several. “Having entered the room, Father John first of all invites all those present to prayer: “Let us pray,” he says, “Our Lord Jesus Christ said: where there are two or three congregations in My Name, I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). So we, who have gathered here in His name, must believe that He Himself is present here with us, invisibly being “in the midst of us,” accepting our prayers, which we will send to Him with undoubted faith and warm love, like children to their Heavenly Father. Then everyone begins to pray. At the end of the prayer, Father John greets everyone with his gentle, loving gaze; he tries to console, encourage, satisfy everyone; listens to those who separately turn to him for advice or with their needs; He provides those who ask him for material help to the best of his ability, often giving him money for prayer services or for memorials - he immediately gives it to those asking. Having thus satisfied everyone in one house, he goes to another, where the same thing is repeated. Having visited all the private apartments and the House of Diligence, where visitors stay, Father John hurries to the steamship pier, and in the winter to Oranienbaum on a railway train, from where he goes to St. Petersburg, where, in turn, tens and hundreds of families await his arrival, like a bright holiday: where a desperately ill person, abandoned by doctors, awaits relief from the holy and powerful prayers of Father Father John; where a difficult family issue awaits a solution from his blessing; where a misunderstanding in some important matter seeks guidance in the advice of Father John, in which they see an instruction from above. Yes, in essence, this is how it happens; Often, to questions of a serious and more spiritual nature, even if, in our opinion, they do not require delay, Father John does not immediately answer, saying: “We need to pray about this - as the Lord will indicate,” - and then, after some time, he answers decisively and firmly. Others wait for Father John as a comforting angel, considering his visit to be the great mercy of God, bringing peace and blessing from above into their homes; and it is also the custom of Father John, upon entering each apartment, to greet its owners with the words of the Savior: peace be with you (John 20:19:21)! And what is surprising if this peace is felt by the sons of peace and rests on them, according to the true word of the Savior: if there be that son of peace, your peace will rest on him (Luke 10:5-6). What joy, what delight is felt in the family that Father John visited. And not only the owners themselves, but also those strangers who, thanks to a lucky chance, managed to get into the apartment where he prayed and talked, enthusiastically tell their friends: “We saw Father John, he was here,” or: “We received a blessing,” etc. Why is this happening? Is it due to the people’s, sometimes even unconscious, faith in Father John? Or is there really some kind of force in him that attracts people’s hearts to him, and if there is one, what exactly is it, and how can one explain this attraction of hearts to him, this selfless trust and love for him? One day he himself was asked a similar question: “Father, why is it that I feel so light in my soul when I’m around you, so good that I wouldn’t even want to part with you?” “According to your faith,” answered the humble shepherd, “but in addition, the grace of God, which is poured out abundantly on the servants of God, His priests, is communicated to the believers according to their own readiness and ability to accept it. We, shepherds, must only help God’s actions over human hearts, we must catch their ready dispositions for improvement and try to support and strengthen such dispositions. We, shepherds, must be in the circle of our flock, in the spiritual world the same as in nature - the sun: just as light and warmth are inseparable from the sun, so the holiness, teaching and love imparted to them by the grace of God must be inseparable from the face of the shepherd. Light and warmth closer to the sun - warmth and lightness of the soul next to the shepherd, adorned by the grace of God.” This is what Father John says, teaching everyone not to distance themselves from their shepherds, to whom the Lord entrusted the entire work of saving His people, redeemed by Him with His most holy blood (Acts 20:28). He himself takes advantage of the slightest opportunity to admonish and strengthen people in the matter of salvation. Having thus traveled until late evening through the streets of the capital from one house to another)7 with the aim of providing spiritual help to the suffering and mutual prayer, Father John finally sets off by train to go back to Kronstadt, where he arrives no earlier than 11 o’clock in the morning. Both on the way and at the very house he is met and accompanied by whole rows of beggars, whom he bestows alms through some trusted person. Every day more than a thousand of these poor people (1500 or 1700) come to receive this alms as “an inalienable pension” from Father John for their daily bread, as they put it. Around midnight, and often even after midnight, Father John finally enters the threshold of his apartment, exhausted to the last extreme. But even here it is doubtful to assume that he could use the remaining four hours of the night entirely to calm himself down with sleep. How many letters he brings with him every day, which are thrust into his hands at almost every step - on the ship, wherever they expect his appearance. This is how Father John’s toiling life goes from day to day. And how many sick, crippled, possessed by spirits are brought to Father John every day from different places asking for his holy prayers for healing. His loving heart cannot refuse anyone, especially those who are suffering; he willingly takes on prayer work, which he considers not work, but only the fulfillment of his pastoral duty, a pleasant, sweet deed - “a poor soul.” “I stand,” he says, “at the Source of life daily, hourly, unceasingly, i.e. I stand with my Lord, both in the church at His throne, and at home, and on the way, and on the street - and everywhere I stand before Him in mind and spirit! (“Russian Pilgrim.” 1892) His whole life is a continuous thread of prayer, which is interrupted only by those who turn to him with verbal requests and questions, but at the same time his always prayerfully disposed soul, having satisfied the interlocutor, again returns to its inner work (monastic expression) - to secret prayer. And the prayer of faith of this shepherd, according to the word of the Gospel, saves the sick (James 5:15) from mental and physical ailments. He does not wonder proudly about whether the sick person will be healed through his prayer or not; he knows that if it is for the benefit of the sick person, the Lord will return him to health, and if he does not return it, then this is His holy will, to redeem the soul from eternal torment through temporary suffering. He sees a suffering person, hears his cries, and cannot help but strive to help him. He hears in his heart the words of the Lord: ask and it will be given to you (Matt. 7:7), and if you ask in prayer - believingly - it will be for you (Matt. 21:22), hears and on the basis of these words asks for nothing without hesitation (James 1:6), but with firm faith in the Almighty, with undoubted hope in the Merciful, with selfless love for the Source of love and all good. And what a success this prayer has is evident from the reviews of grateful petitioners from afar and from different localities, who come specifically to “thank the priest” for the healing received through his prayers! Father John himself tells everyone this: “The great mercy of God appears on me, unworthy and most sinful of all, but do not attribute anything like my strength or prayer, what do I have to do with it? I am weak, like everyone else, and even weaker than others! This power of God’s grace is based on your faith, and not on my sinful prayers.” He repeats these very words at the beginning of his book “Diary”: My power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9), says the Apostle Paul; this power, the grace of the Lord, and in me, weak and sinful, abounded all the days of my life. Glory, O Lord, to Thy power and Thy mercy!” Such is the humility of a great man of prayer, a selfless worker! These are the properties of true humility: not to us, Lord, but to Thy name, give glory to Thy mercy and Thy truth. Yes, not when the pagans say: where is their God (Ps. 113:9-10) (i.e., so that those of little faith do not say that now there are no more miracles, now is not what it was before). From the beginning of Christianity to the present day, the Lord God has not ceased and does not cease to show various signs and wonders to strengthen our weak faith - both from miraculous icons, and from the Holy relics of the Pleasants of God, or in some other way. The proud, arrogant, but at the same time blind human mind, or as the Apostle says, looking to the mind of God (2 Cor. 10:5), seeks how to eclipse the glory of God with its imaginary wisdom and present its truth to the truth of God (Rom. 10:3), always tries to explain such signs and wonders by chance, circumstances, predisposition, or whatever it is, just not allow the triumph of truth and the power of faith. But among the very people of our century there appears one of them, a man of faith, in the person of the shepherd of the church. He expresses this faith with one humble, warm prayer to God, like a child to his father, he speaks artlessly, trustingly, simply-heartedly, sincerely. And this prayer of faith is accepted by those who promised to listen to all those who call on Him in truth, to do the will of those who fear Him and to hear their prayers (Ps. 144:18,19). – Isn’t it buii, that is? Has not God chosen the simple-hearted and humble to put to shame the wise of this age (1 Cor. 1:27)? O holy faith! You clearly prove to us that now, as before, everything is possible for those who believe (Mark 9:23) - and every word with God fails (Luke 1:37), but he speaks and does not abide (Ps. 33:9)? You rise before us in the same power with which you shone in the first times of Christianity!” You move the mountains of arrogant modernity and drown them in the sea of ​​your greatness!” (Matthew 21:21) “Oh, holy faith,” writes Father John in his “Diary,” “with what words, with what songs will I glorify You for the endless blessings that You have given me, for all the powers that You have done and are doing on me and through me, a sinner, on the people of God! Glory to Thee, God, our Benefactor forever and ever! Be known, O Lord, in Thy faith, to all Thy people, and to all the tribes of the earth, as Thou art known to me, unworthy! Be known, O Lord, that all may glorify You with one mouth and one heart, from the east of the sun to the west. Wake up, wake up!” “What is most precious to me,” writes Fr. John in another place in his “Diary” - what is higher than everything in the world for me? What is dearest and highest to me is my God, my Creator, the Lord and the glory of His Name! He is my life and my strength, He is the light of my soul, the true light that enlightens every person (John 1:9), Christ is my strength, my God and Lord (Irmos 4th, 6th voice). And after God, the most precious thing for me is the soul of my neighbor, my brother, for whom my Lord died and acquired it for Himself at such a dear price. After this, will I neglect my brother, whom the Lord has exalted so much! Will I spare him anything perishable, temporary, and not only anything, but also myself! “Oh, holy all-encompassing love! In how many hearts do you reign completely, in how many souls do you shine with such a flame? Yes, happy is the one who can say so, and Father John justifies these words with his very deed: love for God and his neighbors in him is not differentiated from one another. They are like two wings, one without the other does not act, but together they lift him above the earth, and spiritualize his outer man to the point of oblivion. For the sake of his neighbors, he does not spare himself, does not give himself rest, does not know peace, completely surrendering himself to the needs of his neighbors. “The priest,” he writes, “is the Apostle in his flock; he must preach the Kingdom of God in time and without time (2 Tim. 4:2): he must awaken those who are careless, careless, and living in passions to repentance and correction; to admonish the ignorant, to encourage the pious and encourage them with the hope of future reward. For this purpose, he must go from house to house, visit his flock, directly observe their way of life, so that he can more conveniently guide them in the work of salvation, and not just accept refreshments from them.” As for this latter, in this respect too the way of life of Father John is exceptional. Each of us, who has our own corner and home, has a certain hour to refresh ourselves with food. Does Father John have such a time and place? Didn’t he voluntarily condemn himself to labor and hardships of all kinds, not excluding this last one? Of course, everyone who invites him to their apartment considers it the greatest happiness to accommodate their dear guest, but doesn’t Father John himself shy away from this, which everyone who pays close attention to him cannot help but notice? Firstly, he can never set an hour for his visit, due to the multitude of requests, between which there are impatient delays, such as those who are seriously ill or leaving on a journey, etc. Wanting to satisfy everyone as much as possible, Father John is always in a hurry, and having completed his pastoral prayer work, although he eats a little of the meal offered to him, mostly consisting of tea, fruit and a glass of wine, which is absolutely necessary to strengthen his always tense and exhausting strength, he hastens to continue his journey further. It often happens that during the whole day he does not have to adequately refresh himself with food anywhere, but he does not seek this, being content with little, accepting everything that happens to him as from the hand of God, to the guidance of which he completely surrenders, like a submissive son to his father, caring only about pleasing Him by fulfilling his pastoral calling: “My purpose is,” he says in the words of the Savior, “let me do my will.” Him who sent me and will finish His work (John 4:34). This is the will of Him who sent Me, that you may have eternal life (John 6:40). One St. Petersburg archpriest once said to Father John: “You are so tired, father, you don’t give yourself any rest!” To this Father John answered him: “What do I need peace for, my friend! Our peace will be there (he pointed to the sky), if only we earn it here. And can the shepherd be at peace here when not all the sheep yet hear his voice (John 10:27), and some do not want to hear it? others groan and beg for help themselves; shouldn’t the shepherd rush to their aid? How many groans of tears, needs, sorrows, infirmities, how many sins our sheep have! Should the shepherd rest and slumber when their destruction does not sleep” (2 Peter 2:3). Yes, this valiant shepherd Father John does not sleep and does not slumber - he does not give himself rest! It was as if he had set his mind to sacrificing himself entirely to his pastoral service, and there were no obstacles for him in this! Oh, that this lofty example of Father John would find more imitators! Oh, if only there were more such shepherds! Many tears would be wiped away, many moans and screams would subside! Many cold souls would be warmed by love, and a spark of life-giving faith would flutter in hearts suppressed by despondency! The harvest is plentiful, says Jesus Christ to the shepherds in the person of his Apostles, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may bring forth laborers into his harvest (Matthew 9:37,38; and Luke 10:2). Abbess Taisiya Leushinskaya Poems by Abbess Taisia about Father John of Kronstadt Dedicated to Father John of Kronstadt I saw him, listened to his speeches, I knew like a tree from its fruits: The gaze sparkles with love, the word breathes with love, And, full of love, ready to help everyone His blessed and pure soul, - God's light and peace and silence are visible in it. It is not the pomp of speech that is the golden word, It does not thunder with empty wisdom, it is simple, But the conversation is full of something unearthly. The soul trembles with joy, listening to it! And it’s as if he sees the charter open All your thoughts, and your confession From the depths of your soul he himself will wear it out to you, And brings gracious peace into a sorrowful heart. With his prayer he bows the sky; Whoever heeded that prayer knows and knows That prayer is a gift, a wonderful and sacred gift, It is accessible only to souls that are pure and humble. There are people on earth, but there are unearthly people; They are not angels, but our dear brothers, They were sent to help us the poor, The chosen ones of heaven and God's servants. And if they weren’t between us And they didn’t enlighten our darkness, What would happen to people?! Among the vanities of earth - they would perish!... Tell me who are you? – Is it like all mortals? Participated in the infirmities of earthly nature? Or above them, by the mysterious Council Have you been appointed Hand of the Divine? Or you, like the ancient Prophet, “From his mother’s womb I knew Jehovah”; To the “new” people, lost in vices, Has He sent you to proclaim His will? Or as the beloved Confidant of God the Word, Did you love Sweet Jesus with all your heart? You are the wonderful properties of John the Theologian, Have you placed the Apostle of Love in your soul? And embraced by that love for the Lord, And your soul is full of love for your neighbor, You gave yourself over to her so completely and so sacredly, That you sacrifice yourself, seeking their salvation. In serving the brethren you never feel tired, Your soul flies on wings of joy To help the suffering, the grieving in consolation, Your spirit always burns with prayer for them. Tell me, who are you? Or in awe Shouldn't we ask you about this? In humility, only after giving thanks to the Creator, I bow before you as children do before their father. On the anniversary of Father Archpriest John Sergiev of Kronstadt On the day of the fortieth anniversary of the priesthood, December 12, 1895 Allow us, priceless father, To honor your glorious anniversary Not with loud, inspired speech, Your holiday is a common holiday, Thoughts and hearts merged in him, One goal for all, one joy for all: Everyone's faces are shining with joy, In an abundance of feelings everyone congratulates And you, in deep humility And in your holy simplicity, - You all listen to the lofty thought, The beauty of the priesthood is sacred, You stand like a pillar, unshakable In the midst of storms, adversity, life's waves. Your lamp of faith is shining For everyone, like a bright candle, The flame of love warms According to the words of the ancient Prophet, “From the edge of heaven from the east The rays of your love shine. Forty years have already passed, How did you receive the rod of shepherding; And your heart knew that That the Lord Himself called you. You are the spirit of undoubted faith I felt the voice of God in my heart: “Feed My priceless sheep, Oh, good shepherd! You're not asleep In prayer you secretly listen to God, “Yes, you will save everyone!” And happy is the one who returns the pasture Simple at heart, unfeigned (From the anniversary greeting) For everyone, like a bright candle, "From the edge of heaven from the east “Feed My priceless sheep, “Yes, you will save everyone!” Greetings to Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Father John Sergiev On his 45th birthday, December 12, 1900 To you, worthy hero of the day, Let's pray with you But how strong will the offering be? Or our word, or hello, To express all respect And all the love for you? - Oh, no!.. After all, you, like a warrior, selflessly In full guard near the Tsar You stand and wait for the dawn in the morning, Until the dawn flashes from the sky! You stand and listen to the Lord In His mysterious destinies, And silently in your heart you put everything together, Praying for suffering souls. The years are rushing before you, Time rushes them quickly into eternity, And people groan from adversity, With Christ at the Most Holy Table. And mysteriously feeding on Him, You are lofty in thought and soul!.. The Slain Lamb for the Whole World “Surpass all understanding” Your peace! Oh, grant us that heavenly peace too! And without him our path is narrow So difficult in a foreign country! Pray, pray for us, our shepherd, Pray for us, holy father, So that the spark of faith does not fade away In blessed memory of Father John of Kronstadt † 20th December 1908 With pure, holy, selfless love, They found all the happiness and peace in Him. And the joyful days passed stormily, imperceptibly. But suddenly they suffered a terrible loss - Their teacher, the Lord died on the cross; Everything was lost for them, they died without return. Hopes are bright and expectations are all. The events of those days are sadly discussed; And Jesus approaches them unnoticed, “Why are you so sad?” He asks mournfully. They did not recognize the Teacher - Christ in Him, But the painful sorrow that tormented their hearts, They didn’t hide it from Him, they willingly told it. And the Companion opened His mouth to them in response: “O foolish ones, slow in faith! For the Son of God, Messiah and Christ Isn't it so Moses and all the prophets of old Have you predicted the path of suffering and the cross?” In sweet conversation we reached Emmaus, And then, as soon as their eyes opened, Only here did the disciples come to know Jesus When, having given them bread, he became invisible to them. We, brother friends, are all travelers on earth We walk the road of sorrows and sorrows; And Shepherd John walked with us in the days of old, And our path was sweetened, it was the “Lamp” of our days. In a sweet conversation with him you will forget everything earthly, And only pure, heavenly, holy And the mind contemplates, and the soul feels!.. And he has already completed his long-suffering journey, How Christ Himself and the righteous walked. He left us for a better, luminous world, And with the memory of him, we follow him. Will we really forget his instructions to us? Shall we extinguish the fire of his holy words? Oh, no!.. Is that why the Angel of consolation was given to us, He is the friend and shepherd and father of all who mourn! Let us remember him not only in word, but in deed; We strive to imitate His holy love, To the best of our ability, let us boldly undertake the feat, And God, the Father of generosity, will help us. Mutual love, mutual prayers, - Here is the mutual chain between heaven and earth; God has no dead, everyone is alive in salvation, And Shepherd John lives with a loving soul. On the first anniversary of the death of Father Archpriest John of Kronstadt Let us honor your memory, unforgettable father, Orthodox Christians flocked from different parts: And the consecrated cathedral of the “good shepherds”, Nobles, laymen and a host of simpletons. They were united by their own grave, Living in the spirit of mutual love, And everyone was united by that simple faith, That here you will hear their cries of the soul. They bring you tears of selfless love About the fact that their father abandoned them, orphans, About the fact that in their sorrows, in their hopeless sorrows There is no consolation for poor hearts. This is the year since the dust of the earth hid you From the rebellious world, storms and waves, In which you suffered, forgetting yourself In service to neighbors, full of love for them. The whole Orthodox world has seen and knows: You bowed the Heavens to the cries of the unfortunate By your prayer; and is now accomplishing Through your prayer, the Lord performs miracles. And the heart strives, O beloved shepherd, Sing your memory in gratitude; There is a lot of zeal, but weak strength, And the word weakens - speech becomes silent. Is a word necessary?! Isn't it better?! There is so much of it in Christ’s field; Let us devote ourselves entirely to serving our neighbors And the memory of the shepherd will be honored!.. Father John of Kronstadt and Abbess Taisiya Leushinskaya Abbess Taisiya Leushinskaya (in the world - Maria Vasilievna Solopova, 1842–1915) was the closest spiritual daughter of the holy righteous father John of Kronstadt (1829–1908). Their spiritual communication lasted almost 40 years. She became Father John's closest assistant in the revival of Russian female monasticism, and a deeply dear person in spirit to the Kronstadt shepherd. Her spiritual gifts were not hidden from the All-Russian priest, and both ascetics called their communication nothing more than “comfort.” The first acquaintance of the two saints of God took place in the mid-1870s, when Father John was not yet a famous and revered priest, and Mother Taisiya was a simple nun of one of the Novgorod monasteries. Real spiritual nourishment began during the period when Taisiya became the abbess of the large Leushinsky monastery in the late 1880s. Left without care after the death of her spiritual father, Elder Archimandrite Lavrenty of Valdai († July 2, 1876), Mother Taisiya found in Father John a congenial leader on the path of salvation and from that time on became his most devoted spiritual child. Gradually, their relationship outgrew the usual spiritual nourishment and more closely resembled the companionship of two equal ascetics. The Leushinsky Monastery, located not far from the banks of the Sheksna River between Cherepovets and Rybinsk, through the works of Abbess Taisia, turned into a great lamp of Orthodoxy for the surrounding lands, a center of education with two women's schools, an icon-painting, gold-embroidery and other workshops, a magnificent choir and an exemplary economy. This monastery, which numbered at the beginning of the 20th century. about 700 nuns, became the main spiritual brainchild of Father John of Kronstadt, just as Diveevo was for Seraphim of Sarov or Shamordino for Elder Ambrose of Optina. Nothing was done in the monastery without his blessing and participation. “Abbess Taisiya saw Father Archpriest John (of Kronstadt) many times, without whose blessing she did nothing,” notes the “Historical Description of St. John the Baptist Leushinsky Monastery,” published in 1907. Every year since 1891, returning from a trip to his homeland, Father John visited Leushino and spent several days to two weeks in his beloved monastery in silence and intimate prayer. These visits were not only the greatest holiday for the monastery, “summer Easter,” as the sisters called them, but also a genuine spiritual rest, which allowed Father John to regain strength for his sacrificial service to everyone. Abbess Taisiya called these visits to Father John: “my holiday, my rest, i.e. literally – mental rest, renewal of strength and lifting of spirit” (Conversations). The famous spiritual writer Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) expressed the spiritual meaning of Father John’s attitude towards the Leushinsky Monastery in his monograph “Father John of Kronstadt”: “Fr. John had a “spiritual family.” The whole Church is a family; the entire Orthodox people are his family; the nuns are his sisters. And Abbess Taisiya is also a sister in Christ, a mother in the Lord, a daughter in the clergy. And from this “holy chosen one” of the Mother of God, Father John found a place to rest, and help in setting up his monasteries (Sursky, Ioannovsky, Vorontsovsky, Vaulovsky, etc.), and care in his illnesses, and simply consolation in spiritual communication, in the love of sisters, “communion” and so on. That is why he was drawn to vacation in these holy places, to Christian souls. That’s why he loved to serve in the Leushinsky metochion in St. Petersburg on Basseynaya.” A monument to the spiritual friendship between Father John and Abbess Taisia ​​was their correspondence. Mother carefully preserved all 182 letters of Father John and after the death of the priest in 1909, she prepared the publication of 149 of the most significant of them under the title “Letters of Father John of Kronstadt to Abbess Taisia.” In the preface, she notes “that for admirers of the unforgettable Shepherd, every line, every word of him is precious.” Several letters from the abbess herself to Father John found in the archive testify to the special cordiality and directness of their relationship. In one of his letters (dated April 20, 1897), Father John directly testifies to this: “Unappreciated Mother Taisia! <...> You have a strong lever that forces you to write: this is love about Christ. And indeed, it is in you; it is “living water” that sets both your heart and your hand in motion. <... .> I appreciate, highly appreciate your feelings of spiritual friendship, devotion and trust towards me. May they be for your salvation and for me. Your humble prayer book and constant friend, Archpriest John Sergiev.” In his letters, Father John repeatedly calls Abbess Taisia ​​“the old lady of God,” “hard-working and unappreciated,” “the chosen one of the Queen of Heaven,” “the venerable daughter and sister in the Lord,” and even “his spiritual matter,” and himself “Your novice and pilgrim.” Metropolitan Benjamin deeply expressed the spiritual connection between the two ascetics: “But I especially want to note his extraordinary spiritual love for his venerable colleague and novice - the all-honorable Abbess Taisia. We saw how kindly Father John called God’s servant Taisia.” Another monument of this communication was “Conversations between Father John of Kronstadt and Abbess Taisia” (1909), carefully recorded by Mother and preserving for us an example of the mysterious communication of ascetics “about objects of a spiritual, sublime nature.” A series of poems by Abbess Taisia, dedicated to Father John, reveals another side of their communication - the special reverence that mother always kept towards her spiritual father, and her amazing ability to convey those feelings that almost everyone around the dear priest experienced, but few knew how to express. Published more than 100 years after the first edition and for the first time after the revolution, the work of Abbess Taisia ​​“Father John of Kronstadt as a Shepherd” became a unique understanding of the spiritual experience of mutual communication. This book is unusual in its genre. Abbess Taisiya does not set out to retell the biography of Father John or tell about his miracles. She tries to reveal to us the path of spiritual development of the ascetic’s personality, and it is from this angle that she presents selected facts from his biography, often of a unique nature. In particular, she conveys Father John’s statements about himself, which she heard personally. Abbess Taisiya strives to reveal the true meaning of seemingly ordinary circumstances or seemingly insignificant episodes in the life of Father John - such as eating a meal or a simple conversation with a girl on the boulevard, with a small merchant - in his house. Thanks to her pen, we learn to notice behind them the gracious action of the great ascetic. This book is an expression of Abbess Taisia’s deep veneration for her spiritual father and the love for him that allowed her to penetrate into the hidden depths of his spiritual experience. Among the many books about Father John, the book by Abbess Taisia, despite its small volume, is one of the most striking and significant for understanding the image of the All-Russian shepherd. For Abbess Taisia, the most important thing is that “the pastoral activity of Father John, due to the exceptional way of his life and the especially grace-filled power of his prayers, involuntarily transfers our thought to the times of the primacy of the Church.” The meaning of this book is not only to praise its spiritual father, but also to call on the modern priesthood to follow the Kronstadt shepherd. “Oh, if only there were more such shepherds! Many tears would be wiped away, many moans and screams would subside! Many cold souls would be warmed by love, and a spark of life-giving faith would flutter in hearts suppressed by despondency!” Archpriest Gennady Belovolov