Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. "The Path to Church"
This book contains the saint’s thoughts about the Church, Orthodox worship and its spiritual impact. The saint pays special attention to prayer, and also touches on issues related to human relationships.
Quotes
“The Church is our mother, intercessor, nourisher, enlightener, tender guardian, calmer, our intercessor and unbreakable wall, our cleansing, sanctification, our true ennoblement, affirmation, our guide, our deification, our glory. Together she is our spiritual air: our souls breathe her, her life-giving, healthy, encouraging air.”
“Liturgy is a counterbalance and rebuff for the faithful to the constant corruption that dominates the world, the sanctification of those defiled by the Fall, the correction of those who sin, the uprising of those who fall, driving away the stench of sin, the fragrance of the Holy Spirit.”
“Smoking incense means that Jesus Christ filled the whole earth with the fragrance of the grace of the Holy Spirit, that the Mother of God and all the holy saints of God received this grace in abundance, that we, who hunger and seek it, are worthy of it, that grace drives away the stench of sin from souls.” .
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. "The heart speaks of God"
In the biblical tradition, the heart is the spiritual center of a person, in which all of his conscious and unconscious, mental and emotional, moral and volitional, mysterious life is concentrated. Therefore, the Gospel says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8).
The book contains statements by Father John, explaining the role and place of the heart in spiritual life, teaching the heart to distinguish good from evil. The saint’s thoughts, set out in the book, are devoted to the essence of prayer and communion, the meaning of worship, and much more that is significant for every Christian.
Quotes
“The heaviness and languor of the heart in prayer comes from insincerity, from the deceit and deceit of our heart, just as in ordinary speech with people we feel internally awkward when we speak to them not from the heart, untruely, insincerely.”
“Do not attach your heart to any thing and do not make it the god of your heart: there is only one God of our heart, the Lord God who created it, for it is His breath. Do not attach your heart to any person, i.e. not to any flesh: for there is one God of our hearts, the Lord God, and to Him alone we must cleave. Clinging to a thing or to the flesh is a lie, demonic deception and the will of the devil.”
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. "The Path to God"
This book includes selected entries from the diaries of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, where the preacher talks about finding the true path, God's providence, His mercy to people, prayer experience, overcoming temptations and sins, faith and serving others.
Quote
“Do not hide your sins from yourself, do not conceal them within yourself; this is misfortune, trouble for you; open them carefully, diligently, accuse, expose, reproach yourself for all your weaknesses, habits and sinful inclinations and passions. Say: “I am proud, crafty, evil, envious, selfish, stingy, hard-hearted, greedy, lustful, unbrotherly, treacherous, flattering, deceitful, fickle, unfriendly, hateful, partial, bribe-seeking, cowardly, impatient, irritable, sad, fearful, grumbling.” When you sincerely remember your sins and repent, then your spirit will rejoice, and the Lord will have mercy on you, and your soul will be happy. People do not understand the benefits of thorough repentance."
You can read about John of Kronstadt:
Moscow Sretenskaya Theological Academy
Hierodeacon Pitirim (Anufriev) 07/06/201814032
The holy righteous John of Kronstadt, by his own living example, his zeal, desire to live in God and with God, tried to point the direction towards the path of salvation along which all humanity should follow. He strove for a constant, inextricable connection with the people around him, and he passed on all the experience of spiritual life to his flock, for whose members he was more than just a priest.
Contents:
1. Ministry of the Good Shepherd of Kronstadt
2. John of Kronstadt and Russian reality of the late 19th - early 20th centuries.
- Charitable activities of Father John
- About the Church and Salvation
- About the sacrament of the Eucharist
- About the Sacrament of Repentance
- About prayer
- John of Kronstadt and Leo Tolstoy
- John of Kronstadt about Russia and faith
- Human earthly life as preparation for eternity
- Spiritual life and its necessity in the matter of human salvation
3. Teachings of St. right John: the purpose and meaning of the life of an Orthodox Christian
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt is a great spiritual shepherd and teacher of the Church. No other public figure had such an influence on all layers of the Russian people as Saint Righteous John had, such fame as the loving shepherd and philanthropist enjoyed, and they knew about him even outside our country.
Ministry of the Good Shepherd of Kronstadt
The Kronstadt shepherd was born in 1829 in the Arkhangelsk province. He graduated from the Arkhangelsk parish school, then studied at the seminary there, after which he was admitted to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, which he graduated in 1855. At the same time, he met the daughter of the recently deceased rector of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Kronstadt, Elizaveta Konstantinovna Nesvitskaya. He proposed to her and they soon got married. Kronstadt became the city in which Father John was destined by God's providence to bear his pastoral cross until his death. At that time, all poor and unsettled residents from St. Petersburg, among whom there were many vicious people, were sent to Kronstadt. Poverty and suffering reigned everywhere. But it was these people who were close to Father John.
After fifteen years of his service, Kronstadt became sober, bright, and clean. The transformed city turned into a place of all-Russian pilgrimage. The poor found homes and jobs here. Atheists and skeptics returned as deep believers. From the city of sin, Kronstadt turned into the city of St. John the Righteous —
faithful servant of the Lord. People were drawn to him from all places.
More than twenty thousand pilgrims visited Kronstadt annually
Up to five to six thousand worshipers gathered in St. Andrew's Cathedral.
More than twenty thousand pilgrims visited Kronstadt every year. Almost every day, Saint Righteous John celebrated the Divine Liturgy, with the exception of those days when he was sick. Listening to his pastoral instructions, many corrected their lifestyle and brought true repentance. There were so many people wishing to confess to Saint Righteous John that this desire was physically impossible to fulfill. Therefore, he held general confessions for all those present. Father John received a huge number of letters. People expressed their love for Father John in various gifts, which very often went to the needs of the poor. In all his trials, he resorted to God and the Most Holy Theotokos. The Lord and the Mother of God never abandoned their servant with Their mercy. When Father John prayed, it seemed to everyone that he saw God before him and boldly spoke to Him. In the last years of his life, the popularity of Father John of Kronstadt reached completely extraordinary proportions. “As soon as he appeared in the capital, -
he was almost torn to pieces, transported from house to house... on the street it was difficult for him to get to his carriage; a crowd was running behind his carriage, clutching the wheels with their hands, ready to expose themselves to all sorts of dangers, just to see Father’s dear face, just to hear his word, catch his gaze”[1].
In the last three years of his difficult life, he was often sick. On December 9, 1908, he served his last Liturgy in St. Andrew's Cathedral. From that day on, he became completely weak and stopped leaving the house. Every day a priest came to him and gave him communion. Therefore, Father John found great consolation in union with the Lord. He had already stopped eating, only drank a little holy water. Fifteen years earlier, during the laying of the foundation stone for a new cathedral in Kronstadt, Father John seemed to predict his death, saying: “When the walls of the new church are brought under the roof, I will no longer exist.” And so it happened. At seven forty minutes in the morning on December 20, 1908, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt peacefully departed to the Lord. Hieromartyr John Vostorgov said in his sermon on December 22, 1908: “When this lamp burned out, when this candle of God went out, —
a general feeling of unspeakable sorrow gripped all hearts. It was as if everyone had lost a loved one, a loved one, as if everyone had suffered a personal, unrequited deprivation! There was not a corner and not a single small settlement on Russian soil where the news of the death of the All-Russian shepherd and prayer book was not greeted with tears of grief and prayer. Cry, Russia! Get sick, orphan! To whom will countless sufferers come for prayer and a word of consolation? To whom will they write and send pleading letters and telegrams? Who will they look to for miraculous prayer? Cry, Russia!”[2]
One of the last photographs of St. John of Kronstadt
John of Kronstadt and Russian reality of the late 19th - early 20th centuries
Charitable activities of Father John
At the end of the XIX—
At the beginning of the 20th century, a strong decline in faith and morals was observed in the spiritual life of Russian society. Disbelief reigned everywhere, especially in the educated part of society. The holy righteous John of Kronstadt, in his sermons since the late 60s of the 20th century, speaks of falling away from God. At this time, the traditional foundations of life in Russian society are being destroyed. The intelligentsia gradually ceases to recognize and understand the primary role of Christ in their lives. The difficulty in the ministry of Father John was that Kronstadt was a port city and, as already mentioned, served as a place of deportation for all vicious and incompetent people. There were many drunks in the city, many people begged for alms, and some committed robberies and robberies at night. Poverty reigned everywhere, people lived from hand to mouth.
John of Kronstadt himself visited the houses of the poor and vagabonds, providing them with both spiritual and material support
John of Kronstadt himself visited the houses of the poor and vagabonds, providing them with both spiritual and material support.
He tried not to refuse anyone any help he could. Father John, regardless of the condition of these people, comes to them to fulfill their needs and instruct them on the true path of salvation. Thanks to such selfless activity of the shepherd, the flame of salvation and hope began to kindle among these seemingly completely lost people. John of Kronstadt talked with them while sitting over dinner or tea, thanks to which all barriers between them were finally destroyed. John of Kronstadt himself grew up in a poor family and knew how difficult life was for the poor. Therefore, with great pastoral love, he cared for all the needy and burdened. Gradually, word spread about the charity and compassion for the poor of this wonderful shepherd. Therefore, gradually many beggars and disadvantaged people began to follow him, looking for support. And John of Kronstadt, as the true shepherd of Christ, never refused, and could not refuse them anything. It happened that when returning home late in the evening, a beggar would approach him, but Father John no longer had anything to give him. Therefore, he took off his shoes and outer clothing and gave them to the beggar, and in this form he went on to his home.
John of Kronstadt gave out alms and called on all the people around him to do the same. He reproached wealthy people who did not give to the poor and disadvantaged, but spent their huge funds on entertainment. He also reproached shopkeepers who do not do charity work, although they have a huge amount of goods that are not for sale, which they could use for their intended purpose.
However, there were a lot of poor people in Kronstadt. Therefore, Father John wanted them to earn their own bread through their own labor and thereby completely eliminate poverty. In 1881, the House of Industriousness was organized in Kronstadt for the homeless and beggars. Over time, all kinds of workshops, a pharmacy, a library appeared here, a school for the poor was organized, and even an Orthodox church operated. In addition to the House of Industriousness, John of Kronstadt supported other charitable organizations to help and support all those in need.
About the Church and Salvation
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt provided enormous pastoral care and concern to children in whom he saw the future of Russia, because thanks to them, sometimes their parents gradually came to God, if they were far from Him. This was a special way of instruction on the true path of salvation, which was so necessary at that time of general unbelief and spiritual crisis in Russian society.
Throughout his entire pastoral practice, John of Kronstadt spent a huge amount of time traveling to all corners of Russia, everywhere performing prayers and services, thanks to which he brought a huge number of people closer to the true path of salvation.
The All-Russian pastor in his sermons explained the Divine economy of salvation for all Orthodox people, the meaning of worship, prayers, and showed the importance of the personal participation of each person in the matter of his salvation in order to achieve eternal life in unity with God —
The creator of our world and all humanity. John of Kronstadt said only what he himself lived, what he himself experienced in his personal experience. All his words were imbued with pastoral love, cordiality, sincerity, and spiritual unity with his flock. All his sermons penetrated the soul of every listener and were distinguished by deep faith and devotion to the Lord.
John of Kronstadt considered the Church a real school for the salvation of all mankind. He saw in the Church the unity of all people who are inextricably linked with God and considered the Church the guardian of the truth. On the pages of his diaries and sermons, John of Kronstadt constantly warns against Catholicism and Protestant denominations, as well as against all kinds of sects that have spread so widely and multiplied and have stood in the way of the salvation of all mankind and are hindering it. He constantly says that only in the Orthodox Church is dogmatic teaching undistorted and therefore true. John of Kronstadt constantly says that without the Orthodox Church there is and cannot be salvation.
The holy righteous John of Kronstadt believed that worship and liturgical life play a huge role in the Christian improvement and education of every Christian. With the help of the divine service, the All-Russian shepherd lit the saving flame of faith in everyone who came to the temple. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt made it his duty to celebrate the Divine Liturgy every day, the celebration of which attracted a huge number of believers. The central place in the spiritual life of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt was occupied by public worship and his celebration of the Divine Liturgy, which he treated with special reverence and awe, completely withdrawing into himself. The people around him were greatly impressed by the zeal with which the Kronstadt shepherd served. While reading prayers, he cried, smiled, and exclaimed words from the service. All this zeal of the shepherd, of course, was transmitted to the flock around him, attracting more and more parishioners. Thanks to this, the entire flock began to participate together with their shepherd in this wonderful divine service. As you know, the state of prayer during worship is conveyed through the singing of the choir. Therefore, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt paid great attention and importance to this, thanks to which many people came to the true path of salvation. Ordinary people really liked church singing, especially if it was imbued with great enthusiasm and deep faith. Even John of Kronstadt himself climbed to the choir and began to preside, which gave the service a special character.
About the sacrament of the Eucharist
The central place in the life and pastoral practice of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt was occupied by the Sacrament of the Eucharist, about which he wrote so much of his experiences and reflections on the pages of his diaries and about which he spoke in his sermons. People believed that one should take communion no more than once a year. Therefore, the Sacrament of the Eucharist ceased to occupy a central place in the life of every Orthodox Christian.
At the end of 19 —
At the beginning of the 20th century, all officials, military personnel and students were required to partake of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ once a year.
Therefore, Communion for some part of Russian society was forced, and sometimes purely legal in nature. Thanks to his liturgical practice, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt broke the established order of infrequent communion. In his sermons and teachings, he calls everyone to frequent and regular Communion, to Eucharistic communion. The pastoral activity of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt is liturgical progress, a transformation in the life of the Church, a revival of the liturgical life of Russian society of the late 19th and
early 20th centuries. This is the enormous merit of the Kronstadt shepherd.
About the Sacrament of Repentance
Saint John of Kronstadt attached great importance in the spiritual life of Russian society to the celebration of the Sacrament of Repentance, on which much depends on the spiritual prosperity and improvement of every Christian walking along the path of salvation. When John of Kronstadt confessed, he strove for the confession to be fruitful. He tried to confess as deeply as possible to everyone who came and avoided formal and very short confession. The Kronstadt pastor insisted that everyone who came to confession repented with all their soul, reflecting on their entire life. Very often he accepted the confession of one penitent for several hours.
Gradually, word of this began to spread throughout the country. Over time, a huge number of penitents began to come to this wonderful shepherd, whom he simply could not confess due to lack of time. Therefore, with the blessing of the highest church authority, he resorted to the practice of general confession, which was accompanied by all kinds of teachings and instructions in spiritual life. For this general confession, several thousand penitents gathered at St. Andrew's Cathedral in the city of Kronstadt, who, without being embarrassed by the people around them, shouted out all their sins. The conduct of such a general confession left a very great impression both on John of Kronstadt himself and on all those confessing, thanks to which the barrier between the shepherd and the penitents was broken.
About prayer
The holy righteous John of Kronstadt considered prayer to be the basis of spiritual life. In his diaries, he gives instructions on how to pray and shows what invaluable benefits it brings in the spiritual life of every Christian seeking salvation. John of Kronstadt does not recommend in spiritual life during the feat of prayer the practice of imagining the bodily appearance of the Savior, the Mother of God and the saints. Thanks to the feat of prayer, the spiritual life of every Christian is transformed. Prayer is a tool that helps you get closer to God —
to our Creator. Therefore, prayer to God should form an integral part of the life of every Christian walking along the path of salvation. John of Kronstadt himself showed by his example how it is necessary to go through the feat of prayer. Through the prayers of this wonderful shepherd, in front of the people around him, by the grace of God, all kinds of miracles and healings were performed, many took the true path leading to salvation.
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt called on everyone to love and be lenient towards the people around them, to endure all kinds of insults and insults that are so often found in the world around us. He called for all efforts to be directed toward acquiring spiritual peace, which is so necessary for everyone walking along the path of salvation.
John of Kronstadt and Leo Tolstoy
When Count Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy appears on the arena of public life with his false teachings, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt directs all his efforts to denounce him, as well as to denounce the educated intelligentsia, which had a negative impact on the spiritual life of Russian society.
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy completely distorted the meaning of the Gospel and all Holy Scripture; renounced the Church, which was founded by the Savior Himself; He seduced many after himself and destroyed them. He completely trampled the grace of Communion, Repentance and all the sacraments. Tolstoy, through his activities, destroyed the foundations of the spiritual life of Russian society that had been established and existed for several centuries. He completely denied the Church, invented his own teaching about God, and distorted all of Christianity. Leo Tolstoy opposed the Church and God, denied the Resurrection of Christ. Tolstoy's followers insisted on preventing school-age children from going to church —
future generation of Russian society. Leo Tolstoy had many followers. Tolstoy's followers stopped going to the Orthodox church, confessing and receiving communion. They said that it is necessary to live according to your carnal life and satisfy all the needs of your flesh. They did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, the immortality of the soul, or the Judgment of God.
The holy righteous John of Kronstadt devoted a lot of energy and time to exposing the teachings of Tolstoy and his false Christianity; to guide all those who have succumbed to this temptation to the true path. John of Kronstadt calls Tolstoy an enemy not only of Orthodoxy, but of all of Russia and society. The Kronstadt shepherd constantly says that everyone needs to pray to God that He will open the eyes of the entire Russian people and everyone who follows Tolstoy.
John of Kronstadt about Russia and faith
In 1881, the assassination of Alexander II occurs, which shows the severe spiritual crisis of Russian society at the end of the 19th century. Terror reigned everywhere. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt called everyone to repentance and change their lives, moral transformation. He saw the spiritual crisis of Russian society in the government itself, which largely contributed to various unrest.
The holy righteous John of Kronstadt, in one of his sermons for 1907, said that the Russian Kingdom is wavering, vacillating and close to falling, and if things continue to go like this in Russia and it does not cleanse itself of all this, it will become desolate as if wiped off the face of the earth by God justice to the ancient kingdoms and cities for their godlessness and for their immoral life. But the Lord, in His mercy and love, leads Russia on the path of revival and does not leave it in a disastrous state.
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt tried with all his might to transform Russian society and direct it to the true path of salvation. He denounced all the time, spoke only the truth, regardless of the life of society, fearing no one. The holy righteous John of Kronstadt saw the revival of Russia and modern society only in life with God, being in the Church, as well as in love for the Tsar and, of course, his Fatherland.
Teachings of St. right John: the purpose and meaning of the life of an Orthodox Christian
Human earthly life as preparation for eternity
If we look at our modern world, we will see the most diverse understanding and understanding of human life. For some, the goal is her material development, the achievement of fame and honors. Others believe that happiness lies in acquiring earthly riches. Due to addiction to earthly goods, the human heart becomes empty.
John of Kronstadt said: “This is all the wisdom and merit of a Christian, to reject all earthly passions, to despise sweets, self-interest, earthly beauty, earthly glory, for, having despised all this, we conveniently love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves, and not We will have occasions to be indignant, oppressed, and despondent”[3].
Through our daily activities, the attachment to earthly goods grows and strengthens and the love for the people around us cools. “Why are we often seduced by earthly things? Because we love the flesh and the world very much and are careless about the immortal soul, because we love to eat sweetly, drink, and dress elegantly, but do not engage in the thought of God and spiritual contemplation”[4].
“Consider earthly blessings so unimportant and insignificant that because of them never even think of losing spiritual blessings.” —
love, which there is nothing higher in the world, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; never change the latter for the former. Having the latter, one can be happy and blissful without the former, but having the former without the latter, one can never be happy. Always remember this."[5].
“If we leave passion for ourselves and for earthly goods, then our hearts will be ours, and we will save our souls; and if we do not give up our addiction to earthly goods and to ourselves, then our hearts will be in the hands of the devil, and we will perish... A great loss for piety —
addiction to earthly things and destruction of mental and physical energy”[6].
“For there is no other way for the enemy to sow evil in our hearts than through addiction to earthly things, and no other way to ensnare us into destruction than through addiction. A person addicted to earthly goods is subject to pride, and malice, and envy, and luxury and intemperance, and fornication temptations, and murmuring with impatience, and blasphemy, and hardness of heart, which is so fatal, especially in a Christian, and unbelief, and despair, and others countless sins. And he who despises earthly goods has all the opposite virtues. Addiction to earthly things serves as an extreme obstacle for a Christian to Christian perfection.”[7]
Too many people view their lives and the world around them incorrectly. They forget about the perishability, impermanence and disappearance of all material goods and practically do not think about the purpose of their life. “The purpose of our life (and our creation) is union with God, from Whom we have fallen and are falling away through sin. Union with God and experiencing heartfelt peace in Him begins here, —
All church services and sacraments are directed towards this, especially Baptism, Repentance and Communion, the sacred rites of the Church,
and
will be completed finally in the next century. This is why we now have fasting, fasting, going to services and intense feats of prayer, Repentance, Communion”[8].
The holy righteous John of Kronstadt, on the pages of his diary, is surprised at the lack of understanding many people have of human life. "Strange affair. Most people, caring very little or not at all about achieving the Kingdom of Heaven, about cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, think that the Kingdom of Heaven will come to them by itself; don't care about Christ —
in communion, and then
-
out of blatant necessity, and then
-
as if according to a custom accepted by others”[9].
Unfortunately, many people throughout their lives never find Christ and do not understand their true purpose, both in this life and in the eternal one. “Those who have not found Christ live in this life without heartfelt faith, they think and care more about everyday things: how to have fun, drink sweets and eat; how to dress more elegantly, how to satisfy their lusts with which they burn day and night; as if to kill time, which they don’t know what to do with, although time is looking for them and, not finding them, quickly rushes in their eyes: days after days fly by, nights after nights, months after months, years after years, until finally the last one strikes , a terrible hour and they will say to him: stop, your course is completed, your time is measured, and your sins and iniquities have all come before you, and with all their strength they will fall on you, and with their weight they will forever suppress you.”[10].
“From time to time we need to grieve our earthly life, so that, due to constant enjoyment of it, we do not become attached to this life and forget about the future. For this purpose, the Lord allows us to be upset by human untruths, illnesses, misfortunes, losses, and temptations.”[11]
“Know, man, your greatness and insignificance. Know that you are born into the world with a nature corrupted by sin and you will have to struggle with sins all your life. Know that you have to give an account to God, who created you, throughout your life; remember that you will die and that death is now subject to private judgment.”[12]
If we look, we can see that no luxury, no pleasure can make a person truly happy. Having achieved one, a person does not calm down and begins to look for another, and so on. If a person does not find complete happiness in this world, then there must be another unearthly happiness. And this unearthly happiness lies in life with God, the Creator of our world. Therefore, the main goal for man is life in God. This life with God is what a person should strive for.
Spiritual life and its necessity in the matter of human salvation
A prerequisite for salvation is the spiritual life of every Christian. “The life of a true Christian cannot be imagined otherwise than by constant vigilance over oneself, attention to oneself, and the fight against the old man, inherited from our forefathers, which is decaying in the lusts of the deceitful. Yes, the life of a Christian is a constant struggle with passions and lusts, with a world lying in evil, with the principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this age, with the spirits of wickedness in high places. The life of a Christian is a constant spiritual war... Then, the life of a Christian is a constant exercise in self-sacrifice, mercy, cleansing oneself from all worldly addictions, exercise in contemplation of Divine beauty and goodness...”[13]
“Who among people is worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven? One who tries with all his might to become like God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in holiness, goodness, mercy towards his neighbor, who tries to become like the saints in repentance, prayer, abstinence, patience, meekness, quietness, obedience, humility, unfeigned love. In the sky —
a place only for holiness, love, like-mindedness, one holy and immaculate will”[14].
“A person’s heart energy should be directed towards God, towards His love, towards fulfilling the holy commandments, towards the fight against evil or sins of all kinds, towards preserving spiritual peace, meekness, humility, freedom of spirit, sympathy for humanity in its weaknesses. Meanwhile, the enemy intensifies to direct all the energy of our heart and will towards vanity, towards the passions of the flesh and spirit, towards the love of the world and everything in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and, thus, constantly steals the most precious good of man —
salvation of the soul"[15].
“But don’t think that if you are called Christians, if you go to church and take communion —
that’s how you’ll be saved: that’s not the case!
If you do not correct yourself and do not repent, then you are falsely called Christians and you
will perish.
Do you want to be saved? So correct yourself, make humble from the proud, good from the evil, chaste from the adulterous, generous from the money-loving; be merciful, wish -
it would be good if you created!
-
give alms and do it as much as possible.”[16]
Every Christian must be sure that God is constantly concerned about his salvation, that he is not left for a minute by God without concern for the salvation of his immortal soul. “A Christian must maintain peace of mind in the face of all human temptations and untruths. What am I saying? Even if the world begins to collapse, then he should be majestically at peace in his spirit, being confirmed in his heart in Christ. The sign of a truly Christian soul —
constant inner peace and tranquility. What are we like? We worry about everything, and we ourselves give space to restless thoughts in our hearts: grow and multiply to the misfortune of your soul.”[17].
The main goal of human life on earth is to achieve mental peace and tranquility. “There are moments in the life of a Christian when not a single bright thought shines in your head and does not respond to the call of your soul, and you feel only terrible darkness and confusion in your soul. At this time, a dark force covers the soul. Here we learn from experience that we ourselves —
not our own, but God’s, and from Him we receive strength.”[18]
“What is the sign that a Christian person is close to Christ? A person close to Christ often turns to Christ with faith and love, often pronounces His sweetest name, often calls on Him for help, often turns his eyes to Him, because he cannot help but pronounce, turn his eyes and call on: filling his thoughts and heart , Christ God naturally appears on his tongue and in his eyes, because without Christ he is weak, powerless, joyless. A person who is far from Christ rarely, rarely turns his thoughts to Christ, and then not with heartfelt faith and love, but —
only out of some necessity, and then as to a Person who is little known to his heart, who does not please or delight his heart, and has no attraction for him”[19].
Concluding the conversation about the life and some teachings of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, one cannot help but note one thing: it is surprising that throughout his life John did not have a spiritual father. Throughout his life, he was completely guided by the Holy Scriptures and the patristic heritage and lived by them, constantly seeking in them the path to salvation. It is also surprising that the Kronstadt shepherd spent his pastoral feat in the world with its all kinds of temptations and temptations. Many were surprised at this high pastoral dedication in everyday life. The whole life of John of Kronstadt was in Christ and only in Him, it was the fulfillment of His commandments. This is the main reason for his all-Russian popularity and people’s devotion to this wonderful shepherd. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt, by his own example, showed those paths of salvation that are necessary for every Christian who wants to inherit eternal life with God —
Creator of the world and all humanity.
Hierodeacon Pitirim (Anufriev)
Keywords:
John of Kronstadt, shepherding, sacraments, Church, repentance, history of Russia, churching
[1]Albitsky Peter, Archpriest.
O. John of Kronstadt as a shepherd and public figure / In the world of prayer. - New York, 1987. - P. 125.
[2] Word spoken on December 22, 1908 in Moscow in the Church of the Diocesan House at a memorial service performed by Metropolitan Vladimir in the concelebration of five bishops // Source: Vostorgov I., Prot.
Full composition of writings. — T. III (in two issues): Sermons and instructive articles on religious and moral topics. 1906-1908 - M.: Printing house “Russian Printing” B.V. Nazarevsky, 1915. - P. 773-781. // URL: https://pravoslavie.ru/50690.html (access date: 06/18/2018).
[3] John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 15. 1870-1871. // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-15-1870-1871-gg/9 (access date: 06/18/2018).
[4] John of Kronstadt, right.
The path to God // URL: https://www.litres.ru/svyatoy-pravednyy-ioann-kronshtadtskiy/put-k-bogu-11828170/chitat-onlayn/page-2/ (access date: 06.18.2018).
[5] John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 3. 1859-1860 // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-3-1859-1860/2 (access date: 06.18.2018).
[6] John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 15. 1870-1871 // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-15-1870-1871-gg/10 (access date: 06/18/2018).
[7] Ibid.
[8] John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 4. 1860-1861 // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-4-1860-1861/3 (access date: 06.18.2018).
[9] John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 3. 1859-1860 // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-3-1859-1860/2 (access date: 06.18.2018).
[10] Ibid.
[11]John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 15. 1870-1871 // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-15-1870-1871-gg/10 (access date: 06/18/2018).
[12]Ibid.
[13]John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 2. 1867-1868 // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-2-1857-1858/2 (access date: 06.18.2018).
[14] John of Kronstadt, right
. Pre-death diary // URL: https://predanie.ru/ioann-kronshtadtskiy-pravednyy/book/72161-predsmertnyy-dnevnik/ (access date: 06/18/2018).
[15] Salvation of the soul // Symphony based on the works of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/simfonija-po-tvorenijam-svjatogo-pravednogo-ioanna-kronshtadtskogo/256 (access date: 18.06 .2018).
[16] John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 5. 1862 // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-5-1862/3 (access date: 06.18.2018).
[17] John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 4. 1860-1861 // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-4-1860-1861/3 (access date: 06.18.2018).
[18] John of Kronstadt, right.
Diaries. - T. 3. 1859-1860 // URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ioann_Kronshtadtskij/dnevnik-tom-3-1859-1860/2 (access date: 06.18.2018).
[19] Ibid.
E-book from the “Thomas Collection”: “Saint John of Kronstadt: Prophet of the 20th Century”
This book contains author's materials, interviews and memoirs that were published at different times in the Foma magazine. They reveal many, sometimes unexpected, aspects of the personality of the great Kronstadt righteous man, man of prayer and miracle worker. Authors of the book: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, Alexander Moiseenkov, Yuri Pushchaev, Alexander Tkachenko. The publication also includes selected words of St. John of Kronstadt himself.
Quote
“True repentance does not require the repetition of the sins of which a person has repented, but the steady following of the path of virtue. And it often happens that a person repented of irritation, anger, hostility and soon gets carried away by them again, repented of intemperance, and soon the same thing again, repented of partiality, addiction to a person, and a minute later - the same thing again.”
On the screensaver is a photo fragment: Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. Color by Climbim
Prayers
Troparion, tone 1
Champion of the Orthodox faith. / The Russian land is sad, / a shepherd who rules and is a faithful figure, / a preacher of repentance and life in Christ. / A reverent servant of the Divine mysteries / and a daring prayer book for people, / the righteous Father John, / a healer and wonderful miracle worker, / praise the city of Kronstadt / and the adornment of our church, / pray to the all-good God / to pacify the world and save our souls.
Troparion, tone 4
You have appeared to the Russian lands as a good shepherd, / in serving the elders you have acquired life in Christ, God-wise Father John. / Thou hast received abundant grace from the Lord Christ: / to drive away ailments, / to console the faint-hearted, / in the Mystery of the Most Pure Body and Blood to unite the faithful with Christ. / For this reason we praise you, / as a prayer book for our souls.
Troparion, voice of the same
From the apostles came your message to the ends of the universe, / from the confessors of suffering for Christ, you endured, / you became like a saint by preaching the Word, / with the saints in the grace of God You have shone with life./ For this reason the Lord has lifted up the abyss of your humility above the heavens,/ and given us a name yours is the source of wonderful miracles./ Moreover, in Christ you live forever, the miracle worker,/ you who are merciful in your troubles,/ hear your children who call on you in faith,/ Joah More righteous, / beloved to our shepherd.
Kontakion, tone 3
Today the shepherd of Kronstadt / stands before the Throne of God / and earnestly prays for the faithful / Christ the Chief Shepherd, / who made the promise: / I will build my Church / and the gates of hell / will not prevail against it.
Kontakion, tone 6
A preacher of the truth, imitating the God-bearing father, / you went far away to serve God and your neighbors, / and you bore the dignity of the priesthood, you knew no rest, / constantly performing the services of God in the temple ,/ and in the houses of the faithful singing prayer songs,/ generously doing good to those in need ,/ thus you have acquired the title of benefactor and unmercenary, John./ Moreover, even after your dormition, the Russian people glorify your name,/ and proclaim your eternal memory,/ Bo sings gu: hallelujah.
