This priest, who miraculously acquired the gift of healing and divination, can rightfully be called the last prophet of the Russian Empire. With amazing accuracy, he managed to predict the fate of the country.
The "clear-cut" lord
The future saint was born in 1829 in the village of Sura, Arkhangelsk province. By that time, his family already consisted of several generations of clergy, and therefore the boy's future did not raise questions. John graduated from the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary, after which he was sent to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy at public expense. There, the son of a village shepherd fully revealed the abilities given to him from above and in 1855 he graduated from the academy with the title of candidate of theology.
Initially, John was going to devote himself to missionary activity, preaching the word of God among the pagans of Asia, and then decided to stay in Russia, since, in his opinion, the Russian people no less needed Christian enlightenment.
And the place of the future service to John was suggested by a prophetic dream. In the last year of the academy, he dreamed of an unfamiliar temple, on the altar of which he enters in the full vestment of a priest. After some time, the aged archpriest of the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called in Kronstadt, going on a well-deserved rest, invited John to take his place. However, according to the laws of that time, a young priest, before getting a place of service, had to marry the daughter of his predecessor. But John, who had made a vow of secret virginity to God, did not want to tie the knot. But, having arrived in Kronstadt to refuse the tempting offer, he saw St. Andrew's Cathedral and recognized it as a temple from his dream. Then John invited his bride Elizabeth to share with him the feat of secret virginity, and when she agreed, he began to live with her after the wedding, not as with a wife,but as with my sister.
At first the young girl was satisfied with her strange married life, but soon she began to feel weary about her thoughtless promise to her groom. To call her husband to order, Elizabeth even complained about him to Metropolitan Isidore, and he tried to force John to “have fellowship with his wife” with threats. But even the screams and scolding of Vladyka could not break the will of the future saint, and with the words: "This is the will of God, and you will recognize it" - he left the metropolitan's office. But as soon as John left the residence of Isidor, Vladyka immediately went blind! And only after he returned the young priest and asked for his forgiveness, the vision returned to the metropolitan.
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Build Father John
It must be said that in the middle of the 19th century the city of Kronstadt was a rather sad sight. Yes, of course, there was a powerful fortress here - a stronghold of the northern waters of the Russian Empire, but few people know that this city was a place of administrative exile for poor vagabonds and guilty townspeople. All this "socially disadvantaged element" huddled in the dirty slums that occupied most of Kronstadt.
Seeing this terrible poverty, Fr. John regularly visited the shacks of the poor, helping them with prayer and a kind word of consolation and distributing all the money he had with him. It even happened that he gave his clothes and shoes to people in need, which is why he returned home barefoot several times. All his not-so-large salary of a young priest went to help the poor, and therefore the leadership of the parish ordered that his wife Elizabeth be given his salary. However, Father John's fame grew. Soon it became known that through his prayer the most serious bodily ailments recede from people, and drunkards, completely forgetting about the sin of drunkenness, give a cruel rebuff to the green snake. There were many benefactors who wished to help both Father John in his difficult work and the poor.
The kind father distributed all their donations to the needy. Every morning, huge ranks of beggars awaited him, who in the city were nicknamed "The formation of Father John", they sometimes numbered up to a thousand people. But, no matter how many people gathered, each received twenty kopecks from the priest - an amount that could satisfyingly feed an average family of the 19th century.
Despite his kindness, Fr. John gave money only to those people who really needed it, and the swindlers faced severe punishment, as evidenced by the following incident. One peasant, hearing about the generosity of the father, came to him and asked for money for the treatment of the mare. In fact, his horse was alive and well, and funds were needed for a revelry. John listened attentively to the petitioner's complaints and gave him 25 rubles. Not remembering himself with joy, the deceiver hurried home, where he learned that a young mare, "for the medicine" of which he beat out a subsidy, unexpectedly fell, which became a serious punishment for him.
Monsters in the palace
However, most of all, John of Kronstadt was remembered by his contemporaries and is known to descendants as a soothsayer, whose predictions have always come true with exceptional accuracy. Moreover, many of Fr. John's prophecies concerned not only himself or the petitioners who came to him for help, but also the fate of all of Russia.
Often, reading a sermon, the priest called upon his flock to repent before it was too late, for a terrible and bloody time was coming. For sins and apostasy from the true faith, the Lord will take away the good and pious tsar from the Russian people, and in return will give cruel rulers who will flood the whole country with blood and destroy people in multitudes. But, unfortunately, people did not heed their pastor, since this prediction of Father John was fulfilled a hundred years ago.
And here is what a vision of the coming October Revolution of 1917 was recorded in his diary by John of Kronstadt shortly before his death: “I looked and see: the royal palace, and around there were different breeds of animals and animals of different sizes, reptiles, dragons, hissing, roaring and climbing into the palace and have already climbed onto the throne of the anointed of God Nicholas II. Suddenly the throne reeled, and the crown fell, rolled. The beasts roared, fought, crushed the anointed one. Tore up and trampled like demons in hell, and everything disappeared."
However, John foresaw not only the overthrow of the royal order, but also the execution of the last emperor, as well as his canonization. “The involuntary anointed one appeared before me, on his head he had a crown made of green leaves. The face is pale, bloody, a gold cross on the neck. Then he told me with tears: “Pray for me, Father Ivan, and tell all Orthodox Christians that I died as a martyr. Do not look for my grave - it is difficult to find … I also ask: pray for me, Father Ivan, and forgive me, good shepherd. Then everything disappeared into fog …"
And yet, according to the records of St. John of Kronstadt, Russia will certainly be a great country!
“I foresee the restoration of a powerful Russia, even stronger and more powerful. On the bones of the martyrs, remember how on a strong foundation, a new Russia will be erected - according to the old model, strong with its faith in Christ God and the Holy Trinity! And it will be according to the covenant of St. Prince Vladimir - how the Church is one! The Russian people have ceased to heed what Russia is: it is the foot of the Throne of the Lord! A Russian person should understand this and thank God for being Russian …”And here, as they say, no comment!
The relics are hidden
Saint John of Kronstadt died on December 20, 1908. According to the recollections of his relatives, the father foresaw the approaching death and more than once predicted the date of his death. The future saint was buried in the crypt of the Ioannovsky monastery founded by him in St. Petersburg on Karpovka.
Soon after the funeral of the good priest, rumors spread throughout the capital of numerous miracles of healing at his grave. Moreover, in 1909 alone, twelve miraculous recoveries were recorded at the monastery.
But, when in 1923 the monastery was closed, the relics of John, to which "dark people" were traveling from all over the country, several times the new authorities tried to take out and reburied in an unknown place. However, fortunately, this did not happen, and the remains of the saint (John of Kronstadt was canonized in 1964 by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which was in exile) are still buried under a marble slab in the underground church-burial vault of the John monastery.
They say that the good father still gives comfort, healing to those in need, and relieves the addictions of every person who turns to him.
Elena MUROMTSEVA