I know, one should not make promises, but I made a promise to improve my Christian life in a certain way. And Basil The Great, in the prayers read at Pentecost, writes literally the following: But if souls have departed this life in faith and love, while nevertheless carrying with themselves certain faults, whether small ones over which they have not repented at all, or great ones for which -- even though have repented over them -- they did not undertake to show fruits of repentance: such souls, we believe, must be cleansed from this kind of sins, but not by means of some purgatorial fire or a definitive punishment in some place (for this, as we have said, has not at all been handed down to us). I don't remember how I formulated the internet search, but one of the first links that came up was about St. John, The Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco. [1], But when it leaves the body, the soul finds itself among other spirits, good and bad. Please continue to pray to God for us!Dn. At the end of services on Saturday, we introduced ourselves to one of the priests. Significantly, all of this testimony is confirmed by the liturgical prayers of the Church. I am writing about this because just before this trip, I read a story on the internet about Dr. Ducic and peripheral nerve decompression surgery. There have been many appearances of the dead and other occurrences which confirm how beneficial is the commemoration of the dead. St. John, Pray to God for us, sinners!Vera M. in PA. Grace from God's MercyReceived on August 8, 2011In April 2008, Holy Father John healed me by his prayers, through a dream, taking me to His sepulchre, and removing grief from my mind and heart. St. Theophan the Recluse, in a message to a dying woman, writes: "You will not die. Maximovitch was a patriot of his fatherland and was profoundly disappointed by what he saw as human weakness and impermanence during the tragic events of the 1917 Revolution. He served the Divine Liturgy daily, slept little more than an hour a day, and kept a strict fast until the evening. I still can not say I have fully delivered on my promise, but I am trying. So when the labor stopped progressing, our midwife told my wife to get out of the pool and lay down so she could try pulling our son out. St. John (Maximovitch), known as St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, was born in 1896 grew up in pre-Revolutionary Russia. I have connected with my birth family on my mother's side. The souls of the dead do not lose their consciousness, they do not even lose their dispositions -- that is, hope and fear, joy and grief, and something of that which they expect for themselves at the Universal Judgment they begin already to foretaste.". Our life would be pointless if it ended with death. On the second application, I was applying the oil to my vertical scare, fumbled with the bottle, and the oil spilled in a perfect line to make a cross on my knee. In the first two months of the new year I had some interviews, but didn't get a job. When I was done, I looked in the mirror and saw the damage. Official Documents | Terms of Use | Copyright Sources. I applied St John's holy oil and felt tingling in the knee after I said my prayers. The next morning she still felt tenderness in the jaw but she anointed the place again and the pain went away completely. The skin around my eye had red and purple blotches. He was given the baptismal name of Michael, after the Holy Archangel Michael. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, meditating on the brevity of our life, let us beseech of Christ rest for him who hath departed hence, and for our souls great mercy. [6] The Church's teaching on the state of souls in heaven and hell before the Last Judgment is set forth in its clearest fashion by St. Mark Of Ephesus in his dialogue with the Roman Catholics over the Roman doctrine of Purgatory (which the Orthodox reject as false). (1994), 2) Our altar boy, Oleg S., asked me after church services to anoint his hand. . Rent is pretty expensive in Moscow besides I didn't want to move too far away from our kids' school as I was expecting another child and knew it would be impossible for me to take the metro with the infant to get the older children to school if we move to another part of the city.We also wanted to sign a rent lease for at least 2-3 years ( usually in Russia the lease is signed for a year) to avoid this hassle again and to fix the price)but hardly anyone wanted such a long term lease. O wondrous hierarch John, thou didst stretch thy heart to encompass within it a multitude of people from among diverse nations and peoples who honor thee. What kind of goods? 1) Valentina A. is a member of our parish which is dedicated to the Reigning Icon of the Mother of God. Hiermonk John was consecrated a bishop in 1934 and assigned to the Diocese of Shanghai. She tried all the usual medical procedures and pumped him with oxygen, but nothing was working even after several minutes. What is Orthodox Christianity? It is not she whom they will put in the grave. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Rejoice, closet wherein Your holy labor of prayer was hidden. I had questioned my faith for so long and recieved much needed confirmation from blessed St John that day. I also told St. John that I would tell everyone of how God has glorified him.In the next five years, I accompanied my mother to many doctor visits during her treatment and subsequent follow up at David Grant Hospital. It was during a trip to Seattle, Washington in 1966 that Archbishop John reposed, and his incorrupt relics now rest in the new Joy of All Who Sorrow cathedral in San Francisco. Therefore, it is very doubtful that a soul, as long as there remain in it sympathies for the objects of any passion, will not be put to shame at the toll-houses. We started looking for a place,but couldn't find anything that would be suitable. O beloved Hierarch John, good shepherd and beholder of the hearts and minds of men! On the third day, He Who Himself rose from the dead on the third day, commands the Christian soul, in imitation of His Resurrection, to ascend to the Heavens to worship the God of all. We confidently recommend our web service provider, Orthodox Internet Services: excellent personal customer service, a fast and reliable server, excellent spam filtering, and an easy to use comprehensive control panel. He continued his education at the same university in Theology, where he finished in 1925. In three weeks I found out I was pregnant! Our external, biological and earthly life ends with death, but the soul continues to live on. And the angels and the demons reckon up, and if they find the good greater than the evil, the angels seize the soul and take it up the next rung, while the demons gnash their teeth like wild dogs and make haste the snatch that pitiable soul from the hands of the Angels. Limitless and without consolation would have been our sorrow for close ones who are dying, if the Lord had not given us eternal life. Glorifying the wonders of a holy hierarch who once walked among us, we cry out to God: Alleluia! St. GREGORY THE GREAT, in answering the question, "Is there anything at all that can possibly benefit souls after death?" ", In a prayer of the Midnight Service of Saturday (addressed to THE SAVIOUR) we pray: "Master, be merciful to me and let not my soul see the dark and gloomy sight of the evil spirits, but let bright and joyous angels receive it.". So, I picked a day and went there one morning in early March of 2009. St. John is the greatest saint and he has become like a grandfather to me. A parishioner of our church, Sts Constantine & Elena, Indianapolis, MO, gave us holy oil from Saint John and I anointed my husband every day with fervent prayers to Saint John to intercede for us. . glorified in Imperial Russia, St. John of Tobolsk was the distant ancestor, heav-enly patron, model, and guide of the newly-revealed Saint John (Maximovitch), Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco, the Wonder-worker. [5] Some souls find themselves (after the forty days) in a condition of foretasting eternal joy and blessedness, and others in fear of the eternal torments which will come in full after the Last Judgment. [4] There is absolutely no doubt that the teaching of the toll-houses is the teaching of the Orthodox Church. Help received during pregnancyReceived on May 11, 2011. * Hence, thy name is glorified throughout the East and West, * for thou didst shine forth with the grace * of the Sun of Righteousness, O John, our beloved shepherd. Until then changes are possible in the condition of souls, especially through offering for them the Bloodless Sacrifice (commemoration at the Liturgy), and likewise by other prayers. ,., ! ., Son's ankle healed immediately Received June 8, 2014, My son had pain in his ankle for a couple of weeks and I was unable to help him We rubbed the oil from St John on his ankle and asked for St John's help and the pain went away immediately. Usually it inclines toward those which are more akin to it in spirit, and if while in the body it was under the influence of certain ones, it will remain in dependence upon them when it leaves the body, however unpleasant they may turn out to be upon encountering them. John and his family were forced to flee Russia when the Bolshevik revolutionaries came. And so we also, marveling, cry out in awe:Rejoice, enlightener of those in the darkness of unbelief.Rejoice, thou who didst lead thy people from the Far East to the West.Rejoice, fountain of miracles poured forth by God.Rejoice, loving chastiser of those who have gone astray.Rejoice, swift consoler of those who repent of their sins.Rejoice, guide of those who walk the straight path.Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes! ", St. Gregory The Dialogist writes: "One must reflect deeply on how frightful the hour of death will be for us, what terror the soul will then experience, what remembrance of all the evils, what forgetfulness of past happiness, what fear, and what apprehension of the Judge. The future St. John was born on June 4, 1896, in the southern Russian village (current day Ukraine) of Adamovka in Kharkov province to pious aristocrats, Boris and Glafira Maximovitch. They might present something deceptive and seductive, according to the kinds of passions, to the soul as it passes through one after the other. In addition to these Memorials, our holy Church has ordained that the Sabbath (Saturday) be a day of commemoration of the Holy Martyrs and of all the deceased. I know for sure that every woman who has not yet had children and who truly believes in intercession of St. John to God can live the happiness that I and my husband live now.Georgiana Zaharia. How could this degree help him through his mission? KONTAKION VIIDesiring to glorify as is meet the ancient saints of the West, of lands which had fallen away from the truth, thou didst revive their veneration in the Orthodox Church, O lover of the saints of the East and the West. Show us who feel frightened and alone the same compassion that thou didst once show to the trembling fatherless ones. Subsequently we received Holy Oil from Saint John's vigil lamp and gave oil to our Orthodox church congregation and in return many believers at our church, healed their headaches, eye afflictions, heart bypass surgeries, pancreatic cancer, arthritic joints,etc. I anointed him with the oil of Archbishop John in a cross-like form in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the acolyte left for home. Then they would be correct who say: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die! If the deceased has departed unrepentant, a host of demons and rejected angels and dark powers receive that soul and keep it with them. By St. John Maximovitch, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco . Recently, I anointed my Mother, Eva, in hospital following a huge operation, for healing with Holy Oil sent from Fathers' lamp, and after 16 months of illness and prayer, the blessing finally came.She began to regain strength and came out of mental illness for a few days, was "herself" talking and remembering, but following this, we were told we should prepare for the end. My husband Alan (Andrew) was diagnosed with cancer stage IV, last year. Therefore, at the next church service, Olga wept from gratitude and was too emotional to tell us by herself. Each minute he would be racked by this cough. It is doubtful that any one man gave so much protection and comfort as he to the Russian Orthodox people in exile after the Revolution of 1917; he was an unwearying and watchful shepherd of his sheep in China, the Philippines, Europe, and America. While he resided in California, he established the new cathedral, dedicated to the Joy of All Who Sorrow Icon of the Mother of God. According to various revelations there are twenty such obstacles, the so-called "toll-houses," at each of which one or another form of sin is tested; after passing through one the soul comes upon the next one, and only after successfully passing through all of them can the soul continue its path without being immediately cast into gehenna. But the virtuous soul goes about those places in which it was wont to do good deeds. 2022. We know that in this thou wast illumined by God, with Whom thou wast ever in the mystical communion of prayer, and with Whom thou now abidest eternally. Rejoice, thou who didst ever guard thy flock with the sign of the Cross. When we moved back to Moscow, Russia we rented a small apartment near our kids' school. "It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb 9:27). Your prayers will do the same; do not forget to do this. And it was close to kids' school as well. There were many lesions on her skin, particularly on the face, and doctors said conservative treatment was very unlikely to be successful. I really believe that because of our experience at the cathedral, we felt more at ease pursuing treatment with Dr. Ducic. Keep praying for us sinners. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov cites over 20 examples of references to the Toll-houses in the Divine service books and this is not a complete list! She turned to doctors but they simply shrugged their shoulders and could say nothing concrete. , . OIKOS XThou art a wall sheltering us from adversity, O father John, for through thy heavenly intercessions are we delivered from the attacks of demonic passions and from afflictions which beset us on earth. I had Unction served over the daughter and later gave her cotton saturated with oil from Archbishop Johns lampada. So, again with The Saint's Oil,and the prayer, I anointed her for separation of body and soul. O blessed John, with all the saints we greet thee and give honor to thee:Rejoice, new star of righteousness which hath shone forth in heaven.Rejoice, new prophet who wast sent before the final reign of evil.Rejoice, thou who like Jonah dost warn all of the wages of sin.Rejoice, thou who like the Baptist John calleth all to prayer and repentance.Rejoice, thou who like Paul endured much for the sake of the Gospel and the preaching of the Faith.Rejoice, new apostle whose miracles instill in us faith and awe.Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes! She gave us a vile of St. John's holy oil and told us to anoint the baby if anything went wrong (we had heard of other stories of St. John's healing during emergencies at birth). Every apartment I saw was either too expensive, or the owners didn't want to rent out to a family with small kids and a dog on top of that, or it was too far away. I was hoping that it would be something that I could do, because I didn't want to disappoint co-workers. You can send your prayers to: St. John Maximovitch c/o Holy Virgin Cathedral "Joy of All Who Sorrow" 6210 Geary Boulevard San Francisco, CA 94121 - An episode of the Tending the Garden of our Hearts podcast on Ancient Faith Radio But just as at the hour of death the dead body is surrounded by relatives and friends, so also is the soul, which abandons the body and is directed towards its heavenly homeland, accompanied by the spiritual beings related to it. In December 2012 both my mother and my mother-in-law came visiting from Russia.The most important thing for them was to take a pilgrimage to St John The Wonderworker. , , . Glory to God! The Veneration of the Mother of God During Her Earthly Life. I know that if it was not for St. John's help, the outcome could have been different. In 1921, amid continued rising violence and other persecution against Orthodox believers by the Bolshevik regime, he and his family escaped to Belgrade. For our deepest wish is to live forever with Him, with the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Found Birth FamilyReceived November 11, 2014I am almost 48 yrs old. It was a clearly a miracle after so many years of trying! I put holy oil from St. John's lamp on the skin all around my eye and eyelid and prayed very hard. I saw what I can only describe as a miracle and it has changed my life. I asked her why she was weeping and all she could say was that everything was fine. The content on this page is under copyright and is used by permission. I started praying to St. John for help. 158-165. A translation from Romanian to English to the testimonial by Victoria Flueraru, a Romanian teacher. ", Every one of us who desires to manifest his love for the dead and give them real help, can do this best of all through prayer for them, and particularly by commemorating them at the Liturgy, when the particles which are cut out for the living and the dead are let fall into the Blood of the Lord with the words: "Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those here commemorated by Thy Precious Blood and by the prayers of Thy saints.". It is a miracle! But we have received that even the souls which are held in hell and are already given over to eternal torments, whether in actual fact and experience or in hopeless expectation of such, although not in the sense of completely loosing them from torment or giving hope for final deliverance. The body feels nothing then: it does not see its close ones who have assembled, does not smell the fragrance of the flowers, does not hear the funeral orations. Rejoice O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times. Saint Nino Orthodox Church - Stillwater, OK, Orthodox Church in Stillwater and Enid - Oklahoma. While some people absolutely revered him, there were others who ridiculed him severely, calling him a fool, accusing him of handling his episcopal role with incompetence and . Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger tell about a beloved saint. I felt unworthy to approach the relics of Saint John and stood by the candles next to the shrine. , . God glorifies His saints! Glory to God! Give to us who have fallen into sin, confusion and despair the same stern yet loving instruction that thou didst once give to thy chosen flock. In a little over a week even that was gone. The mother began to pray, asking help from St. John, that he would heal her son. Beholding the grace bestowed upon thee, we know that God hath not abandoned His people. I was adopted at birth and never knew my birth family. But when the heart has not been cleansed, the soul will rush to whatever passion the heart has most sympathy for; and the demons will take it like a friend, and then they know where to put it. PRAYER to our Holy and God-bearing Father Hierarch John Maximovitch the New, Wonderworker of Shanghai and Western America. My son Daniel is now 10 months, he is a healthy and happy baby, and we constantly thank St. John for helping to bring him in this world.VeraGratitude to St. JohnReceived June 24, 2014 , . When I looked at the apartment it was everything we wanted: a lease for as many years as we needed with no price changes, newly renovated, a wonderful landlord who was very happy to let a family in and loved dogs, and the best part that all I needed to do to visit my dying grandmother was go up in the elevator. We all prayed before his relics and asked St John to send my husband and me healthy children. 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