The life story of St. John of Kronstadt
Memorial Days:
- January 2
- June 14 - Glorification
- December 1
He was born in 1829 into a poor family of a clerk. The boy grew up very sickly, studied poorly, but, accustomed to prayer from childhood, he tirelessly prayed that the Lord would grant him reason and the ability to learn. And then one night, while praying, he felt God’s grace overshadow him, and it was as if a curtain had fallen from his eyes. From that moment on, his studies went very successfully, and at the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary he was even the best student.
After graduating from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and receiving a candidate of theology degree, John married Elizabeth, the daughter of Archpriest Nesvitsky. The story of his family life is amazing: Elizabeth took a vow of virginity, even while married, and the couple lived their entire lives in unity and harmony as brother and sister.
After his ordination, John was appointed to serve in St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt. In those days, the tsarist government exiled all kinds of criminals to this city, who huddled in basements and dugouts. John visited these outcasts every day, but not only had soul-saving conversations with them, but also helped care for the sick, bought food and medicine for them with his own money, and sometimes even took off his shoes and cassock to give to the unfortunate. The townspeople observed this feat of mercy every day and sometimes brought things and shoes to mother, because they saw him walking down the street barefoot.
John understood that his modest means were not enough to help everyone in need, and then he turned to the residents of Kronstadt with a request for help. With their donations, he achieved the establishment of a House of Diligence in Kronstadt, where there were not only workshops, but also a kindergarten, a school, an orphanage, a canteen, a library, a free hospital, a lodging house and a hospice.
His selfless charity work soon gained wide fame, he received huge donations and spent all these millions for good causes. But Father John was concerned not only with providing people with normal living conditions, but also with their mental health, which he saw in faith. The temple was for him a place where grieving souls could receive hope and healing, and he celebrated the Liturgy with such passion, as if he were personally talking with God.
The prayers offered by Father John sometimes led to a real miracle, rumors about which spread throughout Kronstadt, St. Petersburg, and then throughout Russia. Hundreds and thousands of people flocked to him; in St. Andrew's Cathedral, which could accommodate up to seven thousand worshipers, there was nowhere for an apple to fall, and he himself received confessions for 12 hours a day, and the number of those who came to confess to him reached up to six thousand.
The very personality of Father John, his ascetic work had a colossal impact on all layers of society, he was considered a man of God, he became an indisputable spiritual authority
His confessional book “My Life in Christ” especially contributed to this. Emperor Alexander III also deeply revered him, who, before his death, called Father John to his deathbed. People not only from all over Russia, but also from Europe, America, and India wrote to him asking him to pray for them.
John of Kronstadt died in 1908, his death was quiet and peaceful.
Earthly glory
Stay of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt in Vyatka.
Photo. Morning of June 17, 1904. Photo from the site hranitel.club But glory “from man” for Fr. Joanna sometimes became heavy. Everywhere he appeared, a crowd of people eager to at least touch the miracle worker instantly grew around him. Admirers rushed even after a fast-moving carriage, without fear of being mutilated.
At the request of believers, Fr. John had to travel to different cities of Russia. While passing about. John on the steamer, crowds of people ran along the shore, many knelt down as the steamer approached.
On the Ryzhovka estate, near Kharkov, where Fr. stayed. John, during his stay in Little Russia, a crowd of thousands destroyed the grass, flowers, and flower beds of the estate: thousands of people spent days and nights camped near this estate.
Kharkov Cathedral during the service of Fr. John on July 15, 1890 could not accommodate all the worshipers. Not only the cathedral, but also the square near the cathedral could not accommodate the people, who even filled all the adjacent streets. In the cathedral itself, the singers were forced to fit into the altar. The iron bars were broken everywhere.
July 20 Fr. John performed a prayer service on Cathedral Square - there were more than 60 thousand people. And exactly the same scenes took place in the Volga cities: Samara, Saratov, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod.
What distinguishes the icon of John of Kronstadt?
Most of the saints lived in such ancient times that painters depicted their images on icons mainly in accordance with the traditions of icon painting. Icon of St. John of Kronstadt differs from them in that in the era when he lived, photography already existed, and many photographs of the saint during his lifetime have reached us. Thanks to this, we have an idea of his physical appearance, which icon painters also convey in icons.
John of Kronstadt, whose icon bears a portrait resemblance, looks like a man of deep intelligence and strong will; you can even feel the grace emanating from him. On the icons he looks like a living person, despite the halo around his head; it seems that he understands all the sorrows of the person praying and pours into him strength for a righteous life and resistance to evil.
How does John of Kronstadt protect and help?
Prayer in front of this icon protects against loss of moral guidelines and harmful temptations, and helps maintain mental health and the strength of marriage. During his lifetime, John of Kronstadt always prayed for those who were prone to drunkenness, and today both the repentant drunkards themselves and their relatives and friends turn to him with a prayer for deliverance from this vice.
They pray in front of the icon of John of Kronstadt for many things: for spiritual harmony in the family, for healing from physical and mental illnesses; young people pray for successful studies, old people - for maintaining spiritual and physical health. Such a prayer will help strengthen the soul in faith, bring peace and confidence into it, and guide it in following the righteous path.
Reading texts
About healing
Oh, great servant of Christ, holy righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wondrous shepherd, quick helper and merciful representative! Raising praise to the Triune God, you prayerfully cried out: “Your name is Love: do not reject me, who am erring; Your name is Strength: strengthen me, weak and falling; Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions; Your name is Peace: pacify my restless soul. Your name is Mercy: do not cease to have mercy on me.
Now, grateful to your intercession, the all-Russian flock prays to you: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! With your love, illuminate us, sinners and weaklings, grant us the ability to bear worthy fruits of repentance and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation; by your power, strengthen our faith in us, support us in prayer, heal ailments and illnesses, deliver us from misfortunes, visible and invisible enemies; with the light of your face, incite the servants and primates of the Altar of Christ to holy deeds of pastoral work, grant education to infants, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of churches and holy monasteries; die, wonderworker and visionary of the most extraordinary peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver from internecine warfare, gather the scattered, convert the wicked and unite the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, give comfort to the faint-hearted, freedom to those suffering from unclean spirits, have mercy in the needs and circumstances of our lives, and guide us all on the path of salvation.
From drunkenness
Lord, look mercifully on Your servant (name), seduced by the flattery of the belly and carnal joy. Grant him to know the sweetness of abstinence in fasting and the fruits of the Spirit flowing from it. Amen.
About teaching
O great servant of Christ, holy and righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wondrous shepherd, quick helper and merciful representative! Raising praise to the Triune God, you prayerfully cried out: “Your name is Love: do not reject me, who am erring.
Your name is Strength: strengthen me, who is weak and falling. Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions. Your name is Peace: pacify my restless soul. Your name is Mercy: do not cease to have mercy on me. Now the all-Russian flock, grateful to Your intercession, prays to You: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! With your love, illumine us, sinners and weaklings, grant us the ability to bear worthy fruits of repentance and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation.
With your power, strengthen our faith in us, support us in prayer, heal ailments and illnesses, deliver us from misfortunes, visible and invisible enemies. With the light of your face, incite the servants and heads of the altar of Christ to perform holy deeds of pastoral work, grant education to infants, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of churches and holy abodes. Die, O most wonderful miracle worker and prophet, the peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver them from internecine strife; Collect the squandered, convert the deceived, and unite the Holy Ones of Your Catholic and Apostolic Church.
By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, grant comfort to the faint-hearted, freedom for suffering unclean spirits, have mercy in the needs and circumstances of our lives, and guide us all on the path of salvation. In Christ living, our Father John, lead us to the unevening light of eternal life, so that with you we may be worthy of eternal bliss, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.
From damage
Glory to You, Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the beginningless Father, You alone heal every ailment and every illness in people, as you had mercy on the flesh of a sinner and delivered me from my illness, not allowing it to develop and kill me according to my sins.
Grant me from now on, Master, the strength to firmly do Your will for the salvation of my damned soul and for Your glory with Your beginningless Father and Your consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Oh, great servant of Christ, holy righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wondrous shepherd, quick helper and merciful representative! Raising praise to the Triune God, you prayerfully cried out: “Your name is Love - do not reject me, who am erring. Your name is Strength - strengthen me, who is exhausted and falling. Your name is Light - enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions. Your name is Peace - pacify my restless soul. Your name is Mercy - do not cease to have mercy on me.
Now, grateful to your intercession, the all-Russian flock prays to you: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! With your love, illumine us, sinners and weaklings, grant us the ability to bear worthy fruits of repentance and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation. With your power, strengthen our faith in us, support us in prayer, heal ailments and illnesses, deliver us from misfortunes, visible and invisible enemies.
With the light of your face, incite the servants and heads of the altar of Christ to perform holy deeds of pastoral work, grant education to infants, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of churches and holy abodes. Die, most wonderful miracle worker and visionary, the peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver them from internecine warfare; Gather up the squandered, convert and unite the most precious things of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, give comfort to the faint-hearted, freedom to those suffering from unclean spirits, have mercy in the needs and circumstances of our lives, and guide us all on the path of salvation. In Christ living, our Father John, lead us to the unevening light of eternal life, so that with you we may be worthy of eternal bliss, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.
Out of despondency
The Lord is the destruction of my despondency and the revival of my boldness. Everything is Lord for me. Oh, truly this Lord, glory to You! Glory to Thee, Father's Life, Son's Life, Soul's Life, Holy One - Simple Being - God, who always delivers us from spiritual death, caused by passions to our soul.
Glory to Thee, Trinitarian Master, for from one invocation of Thy name you enlighten the dark face of our soul and body and bestow Your peace, which surpasses all earthly and sensual good and all understanding.
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