Troparion, voice 1*
Audio:
2:42
Champion of the Orthodox faith, / the sad land of Russia, / a pastor who ruled and a faithful figure, / a preacher of repentance and life in Christ, / a reverent minister of the Divine Mysteries, / and a bold one for the people, a prayer book,/ righteous Father John,/ a healer and wonderful miracle worker,/ the city of Kronstadt praise/ and adornment of our Church,/ pray to the all-good God// to pacify the world and save our souls.
Translation: Champion of the Orthodox faith, guardian of the Russian land, rule and example for believers for shepherds, preacher of repentance and life in Christ, reverent servant of the Divine Mysteries and bold prayer book for people, righteous Father John, healer and amazing miracle worker, glory to the city of Kronstadt and adornment of our Church, pray to the all-good God to pacify the world and save our souls.
Prayer for despondency by John of Kronstadt
“The Lord is the destruction of my despondency and the quickening 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 Thy peace, which surpasses all earthly and sensual good and all understanding.”
Kontakion, voice 3*
Today the shepherd of Kronstadt/ stands before the Throne of God/ and fervently prays for the faithful/ Christ the Chief Shepherd,/ who made the promise:/ I will build my Church/ and the gates of hell// shall not prevail against it.
Translation: Today the Shepherd of Kronstadt stands before the Throne of God and earnestly prays for those who believe in Christ the Chief Shepherd, who made the promise: “I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
All-Russian priest
Receiving letters asking for help, the holy righteous man prayed, and the sick recovered without seeing the priest himself.
The fame of the power of his prayers was so great that St. Andrew’s Church, in which he served (with a capacity of 5,000! thousand people) was always overcrowded. Devotees of shrines tore the epitrachelion into pieces when he visited Riga. Here is an example of how he prayed: They called Fr. John to a patient who had a volvulus. The doctors could not do anything; the man was dying. The priest began to pray like this: “Lord, you made him the father of six children. Don't leave them orphans. Heal the afflicted." In the morning, to the surprise of the doctors, the dying man began to recover.
All people are different, especially in misfortunes, but saints are very similar to each other. They have the amazing ability to love both the good and the bad, seeing the Image of God in everyone. John of Kronstadt dreamed that everyone would be like this. Man, with the help of God, must acquire the Spirit of Love, then there will be no beggars, hungry or suffering on earth.
The inherent pain of the saint of God for the fate of the country, the future of which he saw, made him a fiery fighter against the destructive trends of unbelief - an All-Russian priest. He visited many cities with his sermons. There were no indifferent listeners. Despite the attempts of the revolutionaries to erase the dear name from the memory of the people, destroying St. Andrew's Church and filling the relics with concrete, his fame is growing. How Fr. is remembered. Joanna:
- very kind and compassionate towards the sick, the poor, and drunkards;
- loving, especially towards children;
- generous - helped financially thousands of people in need;
- not acquisitive - billions passed through his hands (at the current exchange rate);
- a worker - he slept about three to four hours a day, spending all his time either in prayer or helping people;
- benefactor - built temples, a house of industry, hospitals, monasteries, etc.
Listen to the online prayer of St. John of Kronstadt:
Memories of his former concern for the needs of ordinary people are still alive. Nowadays wonderful help is given to everyone who turns to him. For him there is no soul rejected; he is ready to serve anyone both during life and after death.
Prayer 1**
Oh, great miracle worker and wonderful servant of God, God-bearing Father John! Look upon us and listen compassionately to our prayer, for the Lord has granted you great gifts, and you will be an intercessor and a constant prayer-book for us. Behold, overwhelmed by sinful passions and consumed by malice, the commandments of God were neglected, heartfelt repentance and tears of sighing were not brought, for this reason we are worthy of appearing through many sorrows and sorrows . But you, righteous father, having great boldness in the Lord and compassion for your neighbors, begged the All-Bountiful Lord of the world, may He extend His mercy to us and tolerate our iniquities, and not destroy us. sin is for our sake, but he mercifully gives us time for repentance. O Saint of God, help us to immaculately observe the Orthodox faith and piously preserve the commandments of God, so that all iniquity may not possess us, and the truth of God will be put to shame in our iniquities, but may we be worthy to achieve a Christian death, painless, shameless, peaceful and partakers of the Mysteries of God. We also pray to you, Righteous Father, for our Holy Church to be more established until the end of the age, and for our Fatherland, ask for peace and abiding in the righteousness of God and save it from all evils, so that the people ours, preserved by God, in unanimity of faith and in all piety and purity, in the beauty of spiritual brotherhood, sobriety and harmony they testify: that God is with us! In Nemzha we live, and we move, and we are, and we will abide forever. Amen.
Translation: Oh, great wonderworker and wonderful saint of God, God-bearing Father John! Look at us and listen mercifully to our prayer, since the Lord has vouchsafed you great gifts, so that you will be a mediator and constant prayer book for us. Because we neglected the commandments of God, did not bring heartfelt repentance and tears of sighing, we are subjected to sinful passions and consumed by malice, therefore we are worthy of many sorrows and sorrow. You, righteous father, have great boldness towards the Lord and compassion for your neighbors, beg the All-Bountiful Lord of the world to extend His mercy on us and tolerate our untruths, not to destroy us because of our sins, but to mercifully grant us time for repentance. O Saint of God, help us to preserve the Orthodox faith in purity and to preserve God’s commandments in piety, so that every lawlessness will not dominate me, and God’s truth will not be put to shame in our iniquities, but may we be honored to reach the end of life in a Christian way, not painfully, fearlessly , peacefully and to be involved in God's Mysteries. We also pray to you, righteous father, that our Holy Church will hold fast until the end of time, ask our Fatherland for peace and preservation in the righteousness of God and save us from all evils, so that our peoples, preserved by God, are in unity of faith and in all piety and purity, in the beauty of spiritual brotherhood, vigilance and harmony, they testify: because God is with us (Is. 8:9)! In Him we live, and we move, and we have our being, and we will abide forever. Amen.
Briefly about the saint
Right John of Kronstadt
Before the revolution, his photograph was in almost every home. Even during his earthly life, Father John was recognized as a saint of God. And now people come to his relics for help. This flow did not stop even during the Soviet years.
A native of the distant Arkhangelsk village of Sura, the son of a village clerk, Ivan Sergiev, thanks to his abilities, managed to graduate not only from theological school, but also from the seminary, and then from the Academy among the best graduates. The place of service of the young priest was Kronstadt, a city that was extremely disadvantaged both financially and especially spiritually. Many vagabonds and petty criminals were sent here from the capital. The poor huddled in miserable shacks, drunkenness flourished. It was to these people rejected by society that the young priest went.
Here is the story of one of them, written down many years after the meeting with the priest turned his life upside down. According to the worker, he and his family lived poorly because he was constantly drinking. Therefore, there was always no money, “my wife collected money from all over the world.” And then one day a young priest came to the house:
“I come one day, not very drunk... I see some young priest sitting and holding his little son in his arms and affectionately saying something to him... I wanted to swear: here, they say, they are wandering around. Yes, the priest’s eyes are gentle and serious... they stopped me. I felt ashamed... I lowered my eyes, and he looked, looked straight into my soul... He began to speak. I won't be able to convey everything he said. He talked about the fact that I have paradise in my closet, because where there are children, it is always warm and good, and that there is no need to exchange this paradise for the children of the tavern. He didn’t blame me, no, he justified everything, but I had no time for justification... He left, I sit and remain silent... I don’t cry... although my soul feels as if it were before tears... My wife looks on. And from then on I became a man.”
According to the word of the Lord, “the city that is on the top of the mountain cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). Therefore, only a few years passed, and the holiness of the Kronstadt priest became obvious to many. When he served, they brought bundles of letters and telegrams directly to his altar asking him to pray for the healing of the sick, for those suffering from everyday sorrows.
Interesting fact
Many of those who turned to the righteous man testify: often help came even before the message reached the addressee. Already during his lifetime, the holy spirit saw through the needs of people.
Prayerful service to his neighbors was his main feat throughout his life. It did not end after his righteous death on January 2, 1908.
Moreover, now, standing before the Throne of the Lord, the saint prays even more fervently and more diligently for everyone who needs his support.
Prayer 2**
Oh, holy and righteous Father John, All-Russian lamp and wonderful miracle worker! From your infancy, you were chosen by God and, with a fiery spirit, like a true shepherd, you served people with your life, word, love, faith, and purity. For this reason we pray to you, righteous father: pray to God, the Lover of mankind, to protect the Holy Church with peace and silence, to preserve the Russian land in prosperity, shepherds of grace and truth abundantly and fulfill, make the authorities wise, strengthen the Orthodox army, heal the weak, correct the corrupt, educate the young, elders and widows comfort us all in the Kingdom of Heaven to be honored with all the saints to glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Saint John
When in the village of Surna, Arkhangelsk region, a very sick and weak child named Ivan appeared in a poor family, no one could have imagined that he would soon begin to heal people.
His mother was a very pious and strict woman, and his father served as a psalm-reader in the church. The constant lack of money and poverty, his mother's tears and his father's gloomy silence made the boy withdrawn in character. The only thing the family could afford was to send the child to a parochial school, after which the young man entered the Theological Academy of St. Petersburg.
John envisioned his life serving the Lord as a missionary somewhere in China or America. But fate had its own way. After graduating from the academy, he was sent to serve as a spiritual father at St. Andrew's Cathedral, where he served for more than fifty years.
St. Andrew's Cathedral was located on the territory of Kronstadt. It was a place for exiled people, beggars and vagabonds. Father John saw hunger and poverty, misery and terrible living conditions in shacks here. He began to show concern for the people living in Kronstadt, who at first treated him with hostility and distrust. Father John brought food and medicine to the sick, called and paid for doctors, he distributed his last money to the poor, he could leave dressed and return naked, because he gave things to the needy. A whole line lined up at his house with an outstretched hand.
He understood that the problem could not be solved this way and, according to his project and savings, the first “House of Diligence” was built in Kronstadt, and then houses were opened throughout Russia, there were more than a hundred of them. He opened workshops, organized an orphanage and a school for poor children. He built churches and founded a convent for women in his homeland in the village of Surna.
Before his death, the priest was very ill and experienced terrible pain. The Saint died quietly and calmly after the liturgy in 1908. His relics are kept in the St. John's Monastery in St. Petersburg. During the twenties of Soviet power, it was decided to wall up the tomb of the Saint. Perhaps that is why he was canonized only in 1990, eighty years later.
Also read: Prayer to find a lost item
Prayer 3
Oh, great servant of Christ, holy and righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wondrous to the shepherd, quick helper and merciful representative! Raising praise to the Triune God, you prayerfully cried out: Your name is Love: do not reject me, the erring one. 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. Now, grateful for your intercession, the All-Russian flock prays to you: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! Illuminate us, sinners and weaklings, with your love, grant us to bear worthy fruits of repentance and to partake of the Mysteries of Christ without condemnation. By your power, strengthen our faith in us, support us in prayer, heal ailments and diseases, deliver us from misfortunes, enemies, visible and invisible. With the light of your face, move the servants and primates of the Altar of Christ to the holy deeds of pastoral work, bestow education on children, instruct youth, support old age, shrines of churches and holy The inhabitants are illuminated! Die, most miraculous and prophetic, the peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver from internecine warfare, gather the squandered, convert the seduced, and unite the Holy Cathedral and the Apostolic Church. By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and like-mindedness, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, give cowardice consolation, freedom to those suffering from unclean spirits, in the needs and circumstances of life. Have mercy on those and guide us on the path of salvation. In Christ living, our Father John, lead us to the Everlasting Light of eternal life, so that with you we may be worthy of eternal bliss, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.
What do believers pray to the righteous man for?
Right John of Kronstadt
The many miracles performed by the saint during his life on earth give believers reason to now ask for his prayers. Prayer to John of Kronstadt helps people:
- in recovery from drunkenness, drug addiction; There are many known cases when even the meek glance of a true servant of God cured a sufferer from harmful addictions;
Here is a story about one such healing from the words of the former drunkard himself: “I stood at the carriage, opened the doors for him, I myself tried to stay upright... Then I looked into his eyes, and his eyes were looking at me, not just angry, but endlessly deep, The further you look, the deeper it gets, and they burn with such fire that I felt terrified. I grabbed my head, not wearing a hat, they say, I: it became so scary. The priest was obviously angry. Then, apparently, he had mercy. “Why are you drinking, my dear?” Since then I haven’t drunk.”
- in children's education; The saint knew firsthand what the difficulties of learning were: he himself admitted that for a long time he could not master reading and writing, until God Himself heeded his childhood prayer, granting him understanding; Moreover, the saint taught the Law of God for several decades at the Kronstadt gymnasium, being very beloved by his students; therefore, it is worth turning to the saint not only for children, but also for parents, teachers, needs, the difficulties of which were well known to the saint during his lifetime;
- when fighting despondency; here not only prayer to the saint will help, but also reading his books, especially the spiritual diary “My Life in Christ”; here the saint of God gives a lot of advice on how to combat this passion, and without mentoring or exaltation; the reader for him is a brother, sister in Christ, with whom the saint shares his own weaknesses, as well as the experience of overcoming them: “Do not lose heart, sinners like me, but only believe in the Son of God. Respect each other, sinners, and do not despise any sinner, for we are all sinners, and the Son of God came to save, cleanse and lift everyone to heaven.”
- in healing diseases; cases of such miracles are countless during the life of the saint. Nowadays, at his relics, or simply through prayer to the saint of God, miracles of healing even terrible diseases occur, for example, cancer;
- in family troubles and marriage problems.
