Ioan din Kronstadt

Icoană a Sf. Ioan din Kronstadt

Binecredinciosul Părintele nostru Ioan din Kronstadt (n. 19 octombrie 1829 în Sura – m. 20 decembrie 1908 în Kronstadt) a fost arhiepiscop al Bisericii Ortodoxe din Rusia.

S-a născut în 1829, primind numele de Ivan Ilici Sergheiev. Din 1855 a slujit ca preot la catedrala Sfântului Andrei din Kronstadt. Aici s-a dedat cu multă osârdie activităţilor filantropice/actelor de binefacere în special pentru cei înstrăinaţi de biserică. A călătorit foarte mult pe întreg teritoriul Imperiului Rusiei. A fost membru al mişcării extremiste de dreapta Soiuz Russkogo Naroda (Alianţa Poporului Rus), dar nu s-a implicat în politică. Era deja foarte cinstit încă din timpul vieţii.

Biserica Ortodoxă Rusă din afara Rusiei l-a proslăvit ca sfânt începând cu anul 1964, iar Biserica Ortodoxă Rusă din 8 iunie 1990. Una din mănăstirile cele mai mari din St. Petersburg, a doua ca număr de vieţuitori, este dedicată Sfântului Ioan de Kronstadt.

Prăznuirea sa se face pe 19 octombrie şi pe 20 decembrie.

Sf. Ioan din Kronstadt - fotografie din 1905

Citate

"When you are praying alone, and your spirit is dejected, and you are wearied and oppressed by your loneliness, remember then, as always, that God the Trinity looks upon you with eyes brighter than the sun; also all the angels, your own Guardian Angel, and all the Saints of God. Truly they do; for they are all one in God, and where God is, there are they also. Where the sun is, thither also are directed all its rays. Try to understand what this means."

"There is nothing impossible unto those who believe; lively and unshaken faith can accomplish great miracles in the twinkling of an eye. Besides, even without our sincere and firm faith, miracles are accomplished, such as the miracles of the sacraments; for God's Mystery is always accomplished, even though we were incredulous or unbelieving at the time of its celebration. "Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" (Rom. 3:3). Our wickedness shall not overpower the unspeakable goodness and mercy of God; our dullness shall not overpower God's wisdom, nor our infirmity God's omnipotence." — My Life in Christ

"Oh, what great happiness and bliss, what exaltation it is to address oneself to the Eternal Father. Always, without fail, value this joy which has been accorded to you by God's infinite grace and do not forget it during your prayers; God, the angels and God's holy men listen to you."

"The enemy of our salvation especially strives to draw our heart and mind away from God when we are about to serve Him, and endeavours to adulterously attach our heart to something irrelevant. Be always, every moment, with God, especially when you pray to Him. If you are inconstant, you will fall away from life, and will cast yourself into sorrow and straitness."

"Do not be despondent when fighting against the incorporeal enemy, but even in the midst of your afflictions and oppression praise the Lord, Who has found you worthy to suffer for Him, by struggling against the subtlety of the serpent, and to be wounded for Him at every hour; for had you not lived piously, and endeavored to become united to God, the enemy would not have attacked and tormented you."

"Do not fear the conflict, and do not flee from it; where there is no struggle, there is no virtue. Our faith, trust, and love are proved and revealed in adversities, that is, in difficult and grievous outward and inward circumstances, during sickness, sorrow, and privations."

"Prayer for others is very beneficial to the man himself who prays; it purifies the heart, strengthens faith and hope in God, and arouses love for God and our neighbor."

Imnografie

Tropar (Glas 1) [1]

As a zealous advocate of the Orthodox faith,

As a caring Solicitor for the land of Russia,

Faithful to the rules and image of a pastor,

Preaching repentance and life in Christ,

An awesome servant and administer of God's sacraments,

A daring intercessor for people's sake,

O Good and righteous Father John,

Healer and wonderful miracle-worker,

The praise of the town of Kronstadt

And decoration of our Church,

Beseech the All-Merciful God

To reconcile the world and to save our souls!

Tropar (Glas 4)

With the apostles your message has gone out to the ends of the world,

And with the confessors you suffered for Christ!

You are like the hierarchs through your preaching of the word;

With the righteous you are radiant with the grace of God.

The Lord has exalted your humility above the heavens

And given us your name as a source of miracles.

O wonder-worker, living in Christ for ever,

Have mercy on those beset by troubles;

And hear us when we cry out in faith, O our beloved shepherd John!

Condac (Glas 3)

This day the pastor of Kronstadt

Appears before the throne of God

Praying fervently on behalf of the faithful

To the chief pastor Christ, who has promised:

"I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it!"

Surse

• Wikipedia: John of Kronstadt (Previous revision)
• Articles at FatherAlexander.org: [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]

Legături externe

• ro: Viaţa, acatistul, icoane şi fragmente din scrierile Sf. Ioan de Kronstadt
• Orthodox Poetry By St. John of Kronstadt
• Photos and icons: [7], [8]
• Icon of St. John of Kronstadt
• Article at Wikipedia