Saint Jean de Tobolsk
Métropolite (+ 1715)
Originaire de Tchernigov,
il fit de solides études à l'Académie théologique de Kiev, puis il y fut
professeur. Il publia plusieurs ouvrages où il révéla son don d'écrivain. Lors
de l'invasion turque dans la Petite Russie, il fut délégué pour demander aide et
secours au tsar. Au retour (1677) devenu higoumène du monastère des Grottes, il
développa ses dons multiples au service de l'Eglise pendant vingt ans. Sacré
évêque de Tchernigov en 1697, il y fonda le premier séminaire de la Russie.
Nommé métropolite de Tobolsk, immense diocèse de Sibérie, il mit en œuvre
l'évangélisation des nombreuses tribus encore païennes et en même temps
organisa la mission de Pékin. Son zèle et sa vie ascétique donnèrent un grand
dynamisme à son diocèse
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/7245/Saint-Jean-de-Tobolsk.html
Glorification de Saint Jean de Tobolsk le 10/23 juin 1916
SAINT JEAN MÉTROPOLITE DE
TOBOLSK ET DE TOUTE LA SIBÉRIE
Saint Jean, Métropolite
de Tobolsk et de toute la Sibérie, Thaumaturge, s'appelait dans le monde Jean
Maximovitch, et naquit dans la ville de Nezhino en 1651. Son père, Maxim
Vasilelich et sa mère Euphrosyne eurent sept fils, dont Jean fut le plus âgé. Après
avoir terminé le collège de Kievo-Mogilyansk (qui deviendra l'Académie
Spirituelle de Kiev), le futur hiérarque en sortit comme professeur de Latin.
Ensuite, en 1680, il rentra dans la vie monastique au Monastère des Cavernes de
Kiev, et s'absorba dans l'activité spirituelle intérieure. Avec le consentement
général des frères, le jeune Moine reçut l'autorisation de prêcher. Dès cette
époque, il démontra une exceptionnelle éloquence. Il attachait une importance
particulière à la connaissance intérieure de la religion. Le but principal de
sa vie pourrait se résumer en une maxime comme celle-ci : "Que doit faire
un homme pour conformer sa volonté à la Volonté de Dieu?" Il développa ce
thème tant dans ses prédications, que dans son service missionnaire. En réponse
à cette quête, il publia vers la fin de sa longue vie d'Ascète un ouvrage titré
"Heliotropion" ou "Fleur de tournesol", ou "Conformer
la volonté humaine à la Divine Volonté". Parmi les nombreux travaux des
Saints Pères de l'Eglise orthodoxe, ce travail donne une réponse très précise à
cette grande question de la sotériologie chrétienne.
En 1658 il fut envoyé en
mission à Moscou. Là il fut nommé par le Patriarche Joachim (1674-1690) comme
vicaire du Monastère de Bryansk-Svensk, qui dépendait alors de la Grande Laure
de Kiev.
En 1695, peu avant sa
propre naissance céleste, Saint Théodose, Archevêque de Chernigov, nomma le
Hiéromoine Jean comme Archimandrite du Monastère Eletsk de Chernigov, et le
désigna pour lui succéder comme Evêque. (Saint Jean vénérait la mémoire de
Saint Théodose, confiant dans la puissance de ses prières d'intercession devant
le Seigneur. Grâce à sa Foi, il reçut la guérison d'une grave maladie par les
prières de Saint Théodose. Au paroxysme de la maladie, Saint Théodose lu apparut
et dit : "Sers demain, et tu seras guéri". Le lendemain, Saint Jean,
en pleine forme, et à la surprise générale, il servit la Divine Liturgie. Ce
miracle de la guérison de Saint Jean marqua le début de la vénération de Saint
Théodose comme porteur un Saint de Dieu porteur de la grâce).
Le 10 janvier 1697 le
Patriarche Adrien de Moscou et Toute la Russie (1690-1700) consacra
l'Archimandrite Jean comme Evêque de Chernigov, dans la cathédrale de la
Dormition du Kremlin de Moscou. A son arrivée dans l'administration du diocèse,
l'Evêque Jean créa un collège près de la cathédrale archiépiscopale, similaire
à l'Académie de Kiev, que le Saint entendait faire servir comme une
"Athènes à Chernigov", une école de pieuses illuminations.
Du fait de son haut niveau
d'éducation et d'entraînement théologique, l'école de Saint Jean gagna une
large renommée. En fait, ce fut le premier des séminaires de Russie. Les
séminaires sur le modèle de celui-ci commencèrent à s'ouvrir dans les autres
diocèses de l'Eglise russe.
Le Saint fit par la suite
installer une imprimerie, dans laquelle lui et ses successeurs publieront
nombre d'ouvrages spirituels et moraux.
La vie de Saint Jean fut
illuminée par de nobles vertus, et en particulier l'humilité. Cela se reflète
aussi dans ses ouvrages : "Le réflecteur moralo-didactique"
(Chernigov, 1703 et 1707); "l'Alphabet, avec rimes" (1705); "La
Vierge Mère de Dieu" (1707); "Le Théâtre, ou disgrâce
moralo-didactique" (1708); "Excursus sur le Psaume 50"
(Chernigov, 1708); "Excursus sur le "Notre Père" et "Les 8
Béatitudes des Evangiles" (1709); "La Voie Royale de la Croix"
(Chernigov, 1709); "Pensées sur Dieu au bénéfice des Bons Croyants"
(1710 et 1711); "Synaxaire en Commémoration de la victoire de
Poltava" (1710); "Le Pèlerin" (en manuscrit); "Pensées
spirituelles" (Moscou, 1782).
A Chernigov en 1714, le
Saint publia d'abord aussi son chef d’œuvre, écrit en latin. C'était une
particularité des gradués de l'Ecole de Kiev qu'ils rédigeaient leurs travaux
en latin classique. En 1888, le professeur I.A. Maximovich traduisit le
"Héliotropion" en russe moderne et le publia en première partie des
"Nouvelles diocésaines de Chernigov", et plus tard dans un livre
distinct (Kiev, 1896). On rattache aussi son nom au "Lexique Latin - Grec
- Russe".
Saint Jean était connu
pour avoir des relations avec le Mont Athos. Il s'intéressait en particulier au
sort des habitants russes de la Sainte Montagne, et leur envoya des ressources
matérielles substantielles durant ces difficiles années. Sa lettre archiépiscopale
au Monastère russe de Saint-Panteleimon a été conservée, et elle atteste de son
souci pour ceux qui étaient sur l'Athos.
Le 14 Août 1711, après
son élévation à la dignité de Métropolite, Saint Jean arriva au siège de
Tobolsk et de Toute la Sibérie. Le saint se préoccupait sans cesse de
l'édification de son diocèse. Là, il poursuivit l’œuvre entamée à Chernigov. Il
améliora l'école ouverte par son prédécesseur, le bien connu missionnaire
Métropolite Philotée (Leschinsky, + 1727), et il continua la prédication
apostolique parmi les païens de Sibérie, en amenant des milliers au Christ. En
1714, Saint Jean partit pour Pékin afin de guider une mission avec
l'Archimandrite Hilarion (Lezhaisky). A Tobolsk, il reprit aussi son activité
de publication, utilisant l'imprimerie qu'il fit établir à Chernigov. Sa
publication de son "Héliotropion" en langue slavonico-russe appartient
aussi à cette époque (1714), ce qu'il fit pour que les Sibériens puisse aussi
le comprendre.
Le chroniqueur décrit la
vie du Saint en Sibérie : "Il était paisible et sans prétention,
gracieusement attentionné, plein de compassion pour le pauvre, et miséricordieux."
Il aidait souvent les gens secrètement, et souvent en habit de simple moine, il
allait apporter de généreuses aumônes au domicile de nécessiteux en disant
"Acceptez ceci au Nom de Jésus-Christ". Sa demeure à Tobolsk était
toujours ouverte à ceux dans le besoin d'aide ou d'une parole de réconfort.
Même le jour de son repos, le 10 juin 1715, après la Divine Liturgie, Saint
Jean avait dressé une grande table pour le dîner chez lui, pour le clergé et
les pauvres, et il servit lui-même à table. Plus tard, ayant donné son congé à
chacun, le Saint se retira dans sa chambre. Quand les cloches de l'église
sonnèrent pour les Vêpres, on le retrouva endormi à genoux, en prière. Le Saint
fut enterré dans la chapelle de Saint Jean Chrysostome de la cathédrale de la Dormition-Sophia
de Tobolsk.
Saint Jean a été fort
longtemps vénéré en Sibérie. A la vue des innombrables miracles et de la
permanente vénération locale de Saint Jean, en 1916, l'Eglise a institué la
célébration pour toute la Russie du saint au 10 juin, jour de son repos.
La mémoire de saint Jean
est tenue avec ferveur par les Sibériens et par les fidèles du peuple russe. Il
repose à présent à Tobolsk, dans la cathédrale de la Protection de la Mère de
Dieu.
SOURCE : http://orthodoxie-libre.actifforum.com/t452-saint-jean-de-tobolsk-10-23-juin
St John Maximovitch the
Metropolitan of Tobolsk
Commemorated on June 10
Saint John, Metropolitan
of Tobolsk and All Siberia, the Wonderwonder, in the world was named John
Maximovitch, and he was born in the city of Nezhino in 1651. His father Maxim
Vasil’evich and mother Euphrosyne had seven sons, of which John was the eldest.
Upon his completion of the Kiev-Mogilyansk College (afterwards the Kiev
Spiritual Academy), the future hierarch emerged from it as a teacher of the
Latin language. Thereafter, in 1680, he accepted monasticism at the Kiev Caves
monastery and became absorbed in inner spiritual activity. With the general
consent of the brethren, the young monk was given the obedience of preaching.
From this period he demonstrated an exceptional eloquence. He attached a
special significance to inner religious knowledge. The chief theme of his life
can be defined at a stroke as, “How ought man to conform his will with the will
of God?” He developed this theme both in his preachings, and in his subsequent
missionary service. In answer to it appeared the work, published towards the
end of his long ascetic life, and entitled “Heliotropion” or “Sunflower,” or
Conforming the Human Will to the Divine Will.” Of the many works of the holy
Fathers of the Orthodox Church, this work gives a very thorough answer to this
great question of Christian soteriology.
In 1658 they sent him on
a mission to Moscow. There he was appointed by Patriarch Joachim (1674-1690) as
vicar of the Briansk-Svensk monastery, which was then under the Kiev Caves
Lavra.
St Theodosius, Archbishop
of Chernigov, in 1695 shortly before his own death (February 5) appointed
Hieromonk John as Archimandrite of the Chernigov Eletsk monastery, and
designated him as his successor as bishop. (St John revered the memory of St
Theodosius, believing in the power of his prayerful intercession before the
Lord. Because of his faith, he received healing from a serious illness through
the prayers of St Theodosius. At the very height of the sickness, St Theodosius
appeared to him and said, “Serve tomorrow, you will be well.” On the following
day St John, completely well and to the amazement of everyone, served the
Divine Liturgy. This miracle of St John’s healing marked the beginning of the
veneration of St Theodosius as a grace-bearing saint of God.)
On January 10, 1697
Patriarch Adrian of Moscow and All Rus (1690-1700) consecrated Archimandrite
John as Bishop of Chernigov, in the Dormition cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
Upon entering into the
administration of the diocese, Bishop John created a Collegium near the
archbishop’s cathedral, similar to the Kiev Academy, which the saint intended
should serve as an “Athens at Chernigov,” a school of pious enlightenment.
In view of its high level
of theological education and training, St John’s school received wide renown.
In essence, this was the first seminary in Russia. Seminaries on the model of
this one began opening in other dioceses of the Russian Church.
The saint also later
opened a printing press, at which he and his successors published many works of
spiritual and moral content.
The life of St John was
illumined by lofty virtues, and especially humility. It is reflected also in
his works, “The Moral-Didactic Reflector” (Chernigov, 1703 and 1707); “The
Alphabet, with Rhymes Added” (1705); “The Virgin Mother of God” (1707); “The Theatre,
or Moral-Didactic Disgrace” (1708); “Excursus on Psalm 50” (Chernigov, 1708);
“Excursus on the “Our Father” and “The Eight Gospel Beatitudes” (1709); “The
Royal Way of the Cross” (Chernigov, 1709); “Thoughts on God to the Benefit of
Right-Belief” (1710 and 1711); “Synaxarion Commemoration on the Victory of
Poltava” (1710); “The Pilgrim” (in manuscript); “Spiritual Thoughts” (Moscow,
1782).
At Chernigov in 1714 the
saint also first published his chief work, written in the Latin language. It
was a peculiarity of the graduates of the Kiev school was that they wrote their
works in classical Latin. Professor I. A. Maximovich in 1888 translated the
“Heliotropion” into the modern Russian language and published it at first in
parts in the “Chernigov Diocesan Newsletter”, and later on in a separate book
(Kiev, 1896). With his name is connected also “The Latin-Greek-Russian
Lexicon.”
Saint John was known to
have connections with Mount Athos. He had a special interest in the fate of
Russian inhabitants on the Holy Mountain, and sent them substantial material
aid during these difficult years. His archbishopal grammota to the Russian
monastery of St Panteleimon has been preserved, and it testifies to his concern
for those on Mount Athos.
On August 14, 1711, after
his elevation to the dignity of metropolitan, St John arrived at the see of
Tobolsk and All Siberia. The saint concerned himself constantly with the
enlightening of his diocese. There he continued with his work, started at
Chernigov. He improved the school which had been opened by his predecessor, the
renowned missionary Metropolitan Philotheus (Leschinsky, + 1727), and he
continued the apostolic preaching among the pagans of Siberia, converting many
thousands to Christ. In 1714 St John set off to Peking to head a mission with
Archimandrite Hilarion (Lezhaisky). At Tobolsk he again undertook publishing
activity, using the printing press he set up at Chernigov. To this time belongs
also the publication by Metropolitan John of the “Heliotropion” in the Slavonic-Russian
language (1714), so that the Siberians could also understand it.
The chronicler describes
the life of the saint in Siberia: “He was quiet and unpretentious, graciously
considerate, sympathetic to the poor, and merciful.” He often helped people
secretly, and sometimes in the garb of a simple monk, he would bring generous
alms to the homes of the needy saying, “Accept this in the Name of Jesus
Christ.” His home at Tobolsk was always open to all those in need of help or a
word of comfort. Even on the day he died, June 10, 1715, after Divine Liturgy
St John had set up a dining-hall at his home for the clergy and the
impoverished, and he himself served at table. Later on, having taken his leave
of everyone, the saint withdrew to his chambers. When the church bells rang for
Vespers, he died at prayer on his knees. The saint was buried in the chapel of
St John Chrysostom at the Tobolsk Dormition-Sophia cathedral.
St John has long been
venerated in Siberia. In light of numerous miracles and the longstanding local
veneration of St John, in 1916 the Church established the all-Russian
celebration of the saint on June 10, the day of repose.
St John’s memory is
fervently kept by Siberians and by all the believing Russian people. He at
present rests in the Tobolsk cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God.
The service to him was republished, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch
Alexis I, by Metropolitan Bartholomew (Gorodtsov) in 1947 at the city of
Novosibirsk.
SOURCE : http://oca.org/saints/lives/2013/06/10/101683-st-john-maximovitch-the-metropolitan-of-tobolsk
St. John of Tobolsk
An important personality
in the Church, outstanding Hierarch, great ascetic, God-inspired poet,
educator, missionary, friend of the poor, the last Saint to be glorified in
Imperial Russia, St. John of Tobolsk was the distant ancestor,
heavenly patron, model, and guide of the newly-revealed Saint John
(Maximovitch), Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco, the Wonder-worker.
The great Caves Monastery
of Kiev was, from the earliest years of Orthodox Christianity in Russia, a
fount of sanctity for the whole of the Russian land. The Monastery was
destroyed in the Tartar invasion of the 13th century; but it was later
restored, and again in the 17th century it entered upon a period of spiritual
blossoming that produced a whole series of holy hierarchs. Among them, to name
only the closest contemporaries and associates of St. John, were St. Dimitry of
Rostov (1651-1709), St. Theodosius of Chernigov (1630-1696), and Blessed
Philotheus of Tobolsk (d. 1727); slightly later there were such holy men as St.
Innocent of Irkutsk (1680-1731), St. Ioasaph of Belgorod (1705-1754), and St.
Paul of Tobolsk (1705-1770). In this company of hierarch-saints, St. John of
Tobolsk occupies his own significant place.
A member of the noble
family of Maximovitch, which enjoyed high favor with the Russian Tsars, St.
John was born, one of six brothers, in the year 1651 in the city of Nezhin in
central Russia. Already in his childhood he was particularly fond of reading
the word of God and the writings of the Holy Fathers, and he loved to attend
the services of the Church. This strong religious inclination in his early youth
determined the whole of his later life.
* * *
The future hierarch was
educated in the Kievan College of Metropolitan Peter Mogila, which was later
transformed into a Theological Academy. There he learned to love theological
studies, to which he gave himself with all the ardor of youth, and he finished
the course brilliantly. He remained to teach there for eight years, showing
himself an industrious scholar and a deeply religious man. At the same time,
from his visits to the Caves Monastery in Kiev, there was planted in him a
burning desire for the monastic life, and it was there that he became a monk.
In the Lavra the young ascetic revealed himself as highly gifted in letters and
in the art of oratory. When in 1677 the Turks were threatening to attack the
Ukraine, the then Hieromonk John was chosen by the monks, despite his youth, as
their envoy to Tsar Feodor Alexeyevich to ask for help in the face of the
threatened destruction of the Lavra. The Tsar sent a strong detachment and
designated Svensky Monastery near Bryansk to be the place of refuge for the
monks of the Lavra in case of attack, and Hieromonk John was appointed its
abbot. This brought out the humble ascetic from the holy caves of Kiev and
placed him high on the Church candlestick to shine before men.
For the next twenty years
Fr. John was placed at the head of various monasteries in southern Russia,
inspiring the monks by his personal example and great ascetic endeavor. The
holy life and great talents of Abbot John soon came to the attention of St.
Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov. St. Theodosius (Ouglitsky) was a model
hierarch and Orthodox enlightener full of flaming love and devotion to his
flock. After his death he manifested his greatness before God with an abundance
of miraculous intercessions coming from his incorruptible relics. He called St.
John with the idea of making him his successor in Chernigov. In 1695 he made
him Archimandrite of Eletsky Monastery, of which he had himself once been the
head.
In the next year, 1696,
St. Theodosius died, but his closeness to his chosen successor did not end with
his death; for St. John himself received the first miraculous healing by the
prayers of St. Theodosius. To St. John, who was seriously ill with influenza
and apparently on his deathbed, St. Theodosius appeared and said:
Do not sorrow, brother;
the Lord has heard your prayers, and you will be well. Rise from your bed and
prepare to serve the Divine Liturgy; this will be a sign to you.
Awakening after the
vision, the Saint had his vicar informed that he would serve on the following
day. Because of his condition, these words were ascribed to delirium.
But in fact, on the following day the Saint, already well, served the Liturgy. After this healing St. John ordered the cave opened where St. Theodosius was buried, and he hung there a large portrait of his healer, himself composing some verses for an inscription.
* * *
St. John being the
logical successor to St. Theodosius, he was unanimously elected Archbishop of
Chernigov by the local clergy and officials, and sent to Moscow with a request
of the Tsar and Patriarch to consecrate him for Chernigov. The consecration
took place on January 10, 1697.
Chernigov was a
flourishing city not far from Kiev. St. Theodosius had seen well to the
Orthodox enlightenment and education of his diocese, and St. John, his worthy
successor, took up this task where that great Saint had left off. St. John
understood well that for fruitful results in Church life more was needed than
his own personal efforts, and so he worked to educate the clergy. For this
purpose he established a diocesan college, similar to the Kievan Academy, which
was to become, according to the Saint’s idea, a “Chernigovan Athens” of
enlightened piety. The high level of its theological education and its
instruction in the rules of Christian living made this school widely known. It
became a pattern, in imitation of which seminaries began to be opened in other
dioceses.
St. John strove always to
live the life of his flock. He taught the truths of Christian faith and life in
a form accessible to the simplest of his listeners, and he pointed to the
grace-bestowing powers of the Holy Church, which aid one to stand firmly on the
path of salvation.
The high virtues with
which the life of St. John was radiant were reflected also in his many
writings, a list of which follows:
1. The Mirror of
Moral Instruction, 1703 and 1707;
2. Alphabet of
Saints (in verse), 1705;
3. O Mother of God,
Virgin (also in verse), 1707;
4. Commentary on the
50th Psalm, 1708;
5. A Meditation on
the Prayer “Our Father” (in verse), 1709;
6. The Eight
Beatitudes of the Gospel (in verse), 1709;
7. The Royal Way of
the Cross, 1709;
8. Religious
Reflections, 1710-11;
9. Iliotropion, 1714
(all published in
Chernigov).
His most important work,
Iliotropion, was begun by St John while he was still a teacher in the Academy
of Peter Mogila. He published it in Latin, and only later, in Tobolsk, when he
had completed it in its final form, did he publish it in Slavonic. The title is
the Greek word for helianthus (sunflower). The image of the sunflower, dear to
the Saint even from his youth, was for him an analogy which helps to explain
the agreement of the human will with the will of God. The sunflower has the
particular characteristic of daily turning its face from one side to the other
following the movement of the sun. Sunflowers are a common sight in the rural
landscape of southern Russia, and St. John could not but be attracted by the
natural symbolism they afford. The book Iliotropion, in fact, treats of the
Divine and human wills:
The only true means for
attaining our happiness in this life and in the next is the constant turning of
our attention within ourselves, to our own conscience, to our thoughts, words,
and deeds, so as to raise them to passionlessness: this will reveal to us our
mistakes in life and indicate the only path to salvation. This path is the
entire devotion of our whole being, of our whole self with all the
circumstances of our life, to the will of God. As a symbol of this our turning
to God we may take the growth of the sunflower; let it be ever before our eyes.
Christian! Observe once
and for all how the sunflower even on gloomy days pursues its circular course,
following the sun with the unchanging love and attraction natural to it. Our
sun, illuminating our path through this world, is the will of God; it does not
always illuminate our path in life without clouds; often clear days are
followed by gloomy ones: rain, wind, storms arise... But let our love for our
Sun, the will of God, be so strong that we may continue, inseparably from it,
even in days of misfortune and sorrow, like the sunflower on gloomy days, to
navigate faultlessly on the sea of life, following theindications of the
‘barometer’ and ‘compass’ of the will of God, which leads us into the safe
harbor of eternity.
In the words of this
ascetic of faith there is placed before us the spiritually transfigured man,
filled with the determination to accept in all things the will, good and
perfect, of the Heavenly Father.
It will seem to us that
we are deprived of everything; even if we have a great abundance in everything,
we will always be in fear, despondent, agitated, faint-hearted, every hour full
of cares and various anxieties, sorrow and vain sighing, until we sincerely
return to God and devote ourselves and each other completely to the will of
God, as the sunflower strives toward the sun. Let us begin diligently to
examine the visible signs of God’s will in events and conform our will to them.
Let the will of God be for us the guiding star in life, and let each of us
engrave and hold forever in his heart this one thing: 'Blessed be the Name of
the Lord!' (Job, ch. 1.)
* * *
In 1700 Tsar Peter I
ordered the Metropolitan of Kiev to select a suitable candidate for the mission
of preaching the Gospel to the pagan peoples of the vast Siberian lands. Two of
St. John’s close schoolmates were chosen for this task, being assigned to the
rapidly-growing Siberian diocese of Tobolsk. The first choice was St. Dimitry
Tuptulo, who, however, due to his frail health was never sent to Tobolsk but to
Rostov; in his place Blessed Philotheus Leschinsky was made Metropolitan and
sent to Tobolsk, and his zeal, his ascetic life, and his love for the natives
earned for him recognition as one of Russia’s greatest missionaries. In 1709
Metropolitan Philotheus became sick and, thinking his end near, took the skhima
and retired to private ascetic labors. His friend St. John was called to
succeed him in the Tobolsk cathedra.
In Chernigov St. John had
by this time earned the unquestioning respect and love of his flock, being
known as a great man of prayer and an outstanding prince of the Church. He was
adorned also with supernatural gifts, such as the ability to see the future; he
predicted Tsar Peter’s victory over the Swedes, and in the Tobolsk Chronicles
it is recorded that he foresaw the Napoleonic invasion a century in advance.
In the middle of the year
1711 St. John left Chernigov with its culture to bring the light of
Christianity to the cold and primitive Siberian frontier. For his protection he
took with him a copy of a miraculous Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God, that
of Ilyin, which only several decades before had manifested the rare miracle of
tears, and had granted since then numerous miraculous healings. He arrived in
the middle of August in the same year with a great suite: church singers,
educated clergymen, episcopal vestments, service books, together with many
trunks. He at once gained the respect and admiration of all and was able
without difficulties to apply himself to missionary endeavors.
Always a friend of
education, St. John took loving care of the Slavano-Latin [sic] School
established by his predecessor. He established courses in icon painting. He
took charge of local missionary work, freeing the Skhima-Metropolitan
Philotheus to preach Christ to the wild tribes farther away. He sent a
well-equipped mission to Peking.1
St. John loved to do good
in secret; he sent money and various objects through trustworthy persons to
poorhouses and the homes of poor people, especially widows. He would go to a
window, knock, and say: “Accept this in the Name of Jesus Christ”—and quickly
leave. He grieved especially over impoverished clergymen. He was drawn with his
whole soul to wherever there were sorrow and need. He loved to go to prisons;
he comforted, taught, and likewise diverted the prisoners with gifts. He never
went out just to visit, and he never stepped into the houses of the rich.
Even while occupied with
his many pastoral cares, St. John managed to lead also a life of the strictest
asceticism. In his personal life he was quiet, humble, compassionate, and very
strict with himself. Possessing a great capacity for work, he was never idle;
he was always reading or writing, teaching or thinking. Above all he prayed;
shutting himself up in his cell, he would pray for hours on his knees.
* * *
For his God-pleasing
deeds, St. John was granted a righteous death that revealed the sanctity of his
earthly life. Foreseeing his approaching death, he prepared for it: the evening
before, he went to confession, and the next day, June 10, 1715, he solemnly
celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Afterwards, as was his custom on major feast
days, he held a dinner in his quarters for the city clergymen and the poor. He
himself waited on the latter, thus literally obeying the Gospel injunction:
“When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and
thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be
recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (St. Luke 14:13-14).
After the dinner the
Saint touchingly bade farewell to his clergy, and then detained for a short
time two of his best-loved priests. What he said to them was never divulged.
Having dismissed them, he closed himself into his inner quarters. Before
vespers, when it was customary to ask the Metropolitan’s blessing for the
ringing of the bells, his house servants came many times to his quarters,
knocked and called him; but the door was not opened, and they heard no voice.
The residents of Tobolsk, who deeply revered and loved the Metropolitan, did
not hear the vesper bells at the usual time; and having been thrown into
perplexity by the tales that quickly spread through the city about the entirely
extraordinary farewell of St. John with his clergy, they gathered in large
numbers in the enclosure before the bishop’s house.
Finally the Siberian
governor, Prince Gagarin, arrived and, after renewed vain attempts to call the
Metropolitan, he took the responsibility upon himself and ordered the door
broken in. And they beheld: Metropolitan John, in an attitude of prayer, was on
his knees before the holy Icon of the Chernigov Mother of God—already long
dead.
His death was
supernaturally revealed to his beloved brother in Christ. On the same day
Blessed Philotheus, being miles away in the wild regions of the Konda River,
said to those who surrounded him: “Our brother John has passed away. Let us go
from here”; and he at once returned to Tobolsk.
The Saint was buried in
his cathedral to the great lamentation of his flock. But immediately a series
of visions and miraculous intercessions followed, so that there was no doubt of
his sanctity; and Tobolsk patiently waited for the day of his canonization.
This took, however, 200 years, and even then it was almost postponed because of
the First World War. It took the ardent intercession of the local Bishop
Varnava, the future Patriarch Tikhon, and the Martyr-Tsar Nicholas II to bring
about the long expected canonization, which took place on June 10, 1916, in the
presence of all the Siberian hierarchs and tens of thousands of Orthodox
believers from all over Holy Russia. It was the last canonization before the
Satanic Revolutionary storm broke.
The incorruptible relics
of St. John are said to be still preserved in Tobolsk today.
By the holy intercessions
of the Holy Hierarch John, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us!
1. Interestingly enough,
the largest and most active center of Orthodoxy in China two centuries later
was headed by the Saint’s relative, [St.] John Maximovitch, Bishop of Shanghai,
whose life and activity strikingly resemble St. John’s.
Apolytikion in the Fourth
Tone
Guide of piety, provider
for orphans, helper of the afflicted, and unmercenary physician of the sick,
swift succor of suffering souls and fervent intercessor with the Lord for all:
O Father and Hierarch John, intercede with Christ God that He save our souls.
Source: The Orthodox
Word, Vol. II, No. 5 (11) (November-December 1966), pp. 158-165.
SOURCE : http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/06/saint-john-maximovitch-metropolitan-of.html
God’s Sunflower: On St.
John (Maximovitch) of Tobolsk
Archpriest Leonid Konstantinov
Jun 23rd, 2012
St. John (Maximovitch),
Metropolitan of Tobolsk, whose memory we celebrate today, is today best known
by many only as the ancestor and patron saint of St. John (Maximovitch) the
Wonderworker, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco. Yet the life of the
first St. John (Maximovitch) is at least as remarkable as that of the second,
as demonstrated by the following sermon, originally given in the Cathedral of
St. Nicholas and Ioasaph in Belgorod.
Our Holy Church
celebrates the memory of St. John, Metropolitan of Tobolsk, on June 23. He was
the last Russian saint to be glorified by the Church in pre-revolutionary,
tsarist times. To a certain extent, the canonization of the God-pleaser John
could only have taken place thanks to the personal insistence of the
Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II and his most august spouse, the Tsarina-Martyr
Alexandra Feodorovna, who shared a profound veneration for the Siberian
wonderworker. In the resolution of Nicholas II regarding the canonization of
the saint, we read: “I believe in the intercession of St. John (Maximovitch) in
this time of travails for Orthodox Rus’.”
Like St. Ioasaph of
Belgorod, he was a native of the Ukraine and a descendent of an ancient noble
family. He was born in the middle of the seventeenth century, in 1651, as the
oldest son in a family with seven more sons. His pious parents strove to
provide him with the best education then available. After giving him a wholly
church-centered upbringing at home, they gave their first-born son to the Kiev
Theological Academy, where he grew close to the ascetic strugglers in the
Kiev-Caves Lavra; he himself became a monk around the age of twenty-four. With
the general consent of the monastery brethren, the young monk was given the
important obedience of preaching. There is evidence that the future saint’s
preaching activity in the Lavra lasted for five years. Only three of the
sermons he gave in those years have come down to us. Composed in accessible,
conversational language, and free from rhetorical devices, these works of the
young ascetic were full of life.
From that time forward
his primary goal in life was defined by this question: “How to align my human
will with the Divine will?” The answer to this question came in his literary
work, Heliotropion (that is, “The Sunflower”). Just as this remarkable plant
always turns towards the sun and light, so too should we always turn to God and
the Gospel in order to align our will with, and build our lives on, the Law of God.
Meanwhile, the Ukraine
was under real threat of Turkish occupation. At this difficult time, the
Ukrainians decided to ask help from Russia. An embassy was sent from Kiev to
the Russian Tsar in Moscow that included the twenty-four-year-old monk John. In
1685 the Russian Patriarch Joachim appointed him deputy abbot [namestnik] of
the Svensky Monastery near Bryansk. How closely this resembles the life path of
our St. Ioasaph! It is also interesting that nearly all the holy hierarchs of
this era – Innocent of Irkutsk, Dmitri of Rostov, Theodosius of Chernigov, John
of Tobolsk, and Ioasaph of Belgorod – were of Ukrainian origin. Incidentally,
ten years later St. Theodosius of Chernigov would choose Hieromonk John
(Maximovitch) as his episcopal successor; before his blessed repose he put John
forward as the only candidate, although a Little Russian Rada [Assembly] was
called to elect the new bishop. At that time in the Ukraine, not only hetmans
were elected, but even church hierarchs. In its gramota, the Rada characterized
the now-Archimandrite John as “a man of piety, a monastic from his youth, and
known as a skillful preacher of the Word of God.” Thus John (Maximovitch) was
unanimously elected as Bishop of Chernigov by both the civil authorities and
the Orthodox clergy. The Russian Patriarch Adrian confirmed his appointment to
the see of Chernigov and Tsar Peter I. The Patriarch, moreover, blessed him “to
serve in the sakkos.” In those days few bishops were granted this honor; before
the abolition of the patriarchate only Patriarchs and Metropolitans served in
the sakkos.
One of the new bishop’s
first acts was to raise Abbot Dmitri of Yeletsky Monastery – the future holy
hierarch of Rostov – to the rank of Archimandrite. Thus, inheriting the
cathedra held before him by a saint, he passed along his first gift of grace to
another saint.
It should be said that
St. John held the memory of his predecessor, Vladyka Theodosius, in great
reverence. Once, during a time of severe illness, St. Theodosius of Chernigov
appeared to him in a dream and said: “Serve tomorrow and you will be in good
health.”
The next day, while
serving the Divine Liturgy, Bishop John did in fact feel better. This
miraculous healing served as the beginning of St. Theodosius of Chernigov’s renown
as a grace-filled saint of God. The wondrous spiritual connection between these
two holy hierarchs was revealed by the Lord through their very canonizations.
Both were glorified two hundred years after their repose. Moreover, the solemn
opening of the relics of St. Theodosius of Chernigov was the first to take
place during the reign of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, and that of St. John of
Tobolsk was the last during this holy Sovereign’s reign.
Another case of heavenly
assistance by St. Theodosius of Chernigov to St. John is also known. The
saint’s intercession saved Bishop John from the slander of the traitor Mazepa,
who tried to falsely denounce him before Peter I. [1] The Tsar saw through
everything and St. John’s innocence was fully established.
Several extant royal
gramotas demonstrate the special favor in which Peter I held Vladyka John, as
does the emolument he received from the Tsar. During this period several great
holy hierarchs labored in the Russian Orthodox Church: Sts. Mitrophan of Voronezh,
Dmitri of Rostov, and Theodosius of Chernigov, all of whom Vladyka John knew
personally, serving for him as constant examples of the spiritual and ascetic
life.
Shortly after he began
administering the Chernigov Diocese, St. John founded a theological seminary
that his contemporaries referred to as the “Athens of Chernigov.” This
theological school became widely known in Russia; it was essentially the first
Russian seminary and served as the model for seminaries that opened in other
dioceses. Vladyka himself served as its Professor of Latin. St. John’s teaching
experience is reflected in Peter the Great’s Spiritual Regulation, in which we
read: “Foolishly do many say that learning is the begetter of all heresies.
Good and sound learning is the source of great benefit, both for the Fatherland
and the Church.”
The saint also
established a printing press, where many of his best works on spirituality and
morality were printed, among which the most notable were The Royal Way of the
Cross, O Theotokos and Virgin, Spiritual Thoughts, and The Wayfarer. A century
and a half later, The Royal Way of the Cross would become St. Ambrose of
Optina’s most beloved book; he always kept sufficient quantities for presenting
to his more honored guests.
This good shepherd guided
his flock in Chernigov for fourteen years. But in March 1712, to the great
sorrow of the people of Chernigov, he was appointed Metropolitan of Tobolsk and
All Siberia.
On the one hand, of
course, gaining the rank of Metropolitan was an advancement. But on the other
hand, the transfer to Tobolsk – bearing in mind the difficulties in Siberia,
the remoteness of the area, and the severity of the climate – could have been
seen almost as an exile. There were rumors that the Metropolitan’s transfer to
Siberia was the work of the all-powerful Menshikov. [2] The fact of the matter
is that one of the estates of the Tsar’s favorite was located within the
Diocese of Chernigov. Once St. John received an invitation from Menshikov to
consecrate a house chapel – with the day for the consecration already noted.
Vladyka, however, remarked that it was the responsibility of the bishop, and
not of a prince, to appoint a day for the consecration. St. John then appointed
a day suitable for himself. Inasmuch as it took place during a fast, Vladyka
left immediately after the consecration, refusing refreshments. Following this
incident, Menshikov began to harbor resentment against Vladyka, and soon
arranged for his removal from the diocese. The saint spoke these prophetic
words: “Yes, I have a long way to go. But he will have to go even further than
I.” As is well known, soon after the death of Peter I, the all-powerful
Menshikov fell in disgrace, exiled to Siberia, and stripped of all ranks and
orders. He ended his days in far-away Berezovo. At the same time, the words of
Peter I himself were fulfilled: “Menshikov was conceived in iniquities, and in
sins did his mother bear him, and in knavery shall his life end.” In Siberia
there is a tradition that when the banished Menshikov was sailing under escort
along the Irtysh River on a raft, the saint, who by that time had already
reposed, appeared at the riverbank, made a full prostration in the direction of
the boat, and blessed it.
But all this was to come.
For now, Vladyka had to leave his native Ukraine, where he had lived for
fifty-eight years. Here he had once left behind his parents, brothers, and
ancestral home. Now he had to leave behind his motherland. Lying ahead of him
was far-away Siberia, with its intense cold and native peoples who did not know
Christ.
But what kind of
sacrifice would this have been had he not offered that which was most precious
to God, including his freedom and will? After all, throughout his entire life
Vladyka sought not personal gain, but the profit of many [1 Corinthians 10:33],
which also meant those natives made by the Creator in His image and likeness,
but abiding in darkness and the shadow of death. It remained for him to
enlighten this darkness with the light of the Gospel, if only he would have the
strength: “Lord, may Thy will be done! For the strength of God is made perfect
in weakness.”
Vladyka left Chernigov
for Moscow with a large retinue of thirty-six people. From Moscow to Siberia
only seventeen people accompanied him. And only three arrived at Tobolsk:
Vladyka, his cell attendant, and their coachman.
It should be noted that
Tobolsk was founded at the same time as our Belgorod, but its first bishop was
sent there only in 1620, under Tsar Michael I.
The Siberians joyously
greeted Metropolitan John, and were not mistaken in their joy, for the saint
was to initiate truly apostolic preaching in Siberia, attracting many thousands
to Christ. Metropolitan John’s episcopal service in Siberia was short – only
three years – but it could be called the “deliverance from darkness” of many
Siberian peoples. It bears mentioning that Tsar Peter’s attitude towards
Vladyka John was very benevolent. Despite his enormous responsibilities, the
Sovereign strove to reply to each of Vladyka’s letters, each time attaching
monetary assistance. Of course, cut off by a large distance from the center of
Russia, the saint did not have an opportunity to participate in certain
important governmental and ecclesiastical affairs, but he followed them to
whatever extent possible. So, for example, when news of the victory of the
Russian troops over the Swedes reached Tobolsk, Vladyka wrote a warm letter
with prayerful good wishes to Peter I.
During his short time in
Tobolsk, more than twenty orphanages and almshouses were constructed. Like St.
Nicholas the Wonderworker, Vladyka frequently walked through the city at night
secretly to distribute clothes and money to the poor. Naked, and ye clothed Me:
I was sick, and ye visited Me [Matthew 25:36]. Vladyka was often seen in places
of detention, both in prisons and among those sentenced to hard labor. To
gladden the prisoners with unexpected gifts, to comfort them with the words of the
Gospel, and to present them with gifts for Nativity or Pascha – all this
brought a quiet joy to Vladyka. I was in prison, and ye came unto Me [Matthew
25:36].
Vladyka also ordered
repairs to be done, old churches restored, and new churches built in the cities
and villages of boundless Siberia. How many natives he Baptized – Zyrians,
Ostyaks, Tartars, and Voguls – is known to God alone.
According to the Siberian
chronicle, the first missionary journey brought little success, although many
idols and graven images throughout the taiga were destroyed. The second
journey, in 1713, was much more successful. Many were Baptized and eagerly
listened to the missionaries’ preaching. Resistance to the mission was met with
at only one location, on the Ob River. Here, clearly by Divine Providence, a
ship with missionaries ran aground. The natives cried out: “Get away from us,
old man! We will not accept your faith because it rejects our gods!” However,
scorning the threat of massacre, the missionaries walked to the shore in water
up to their chests, bearing the Cross and the Gospel. Even before reaching the
shores, they entered into conversation with the angry mob. For two days they
exhorted the natives, who were maddened by demons. On the third day all were
Baptized. During this journey alone, 3,500 natives were Baptized – an enormous
number for those days. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His
life for the sheep [John 10:11].
Once, with the help of a
Tartar prince to whom Vladyka had shown much kindness, on a single day he
managed to Baptize nearly 300 Tartars, who immediately requested permission to
build a church. Vladyka personally donated to this church an icon of the Mother
of God called the “Galaktotrophousa” with a handwritten inscription.
It is interesting to make
note of a pious custom that existed in Tobolsk in those years. On Palm Sunday
the bishop would be seated on a horse and led through the city, led by the
governor of Siberia. The bishop would bless the people with the sign of the cross
and sprinkle them with holy water, while the choir and deacons joyfully cried
out: “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord!”
Vladyka gained fame in
Siberia as a missionary, religious writer, and pioneer of theological schools.
The territory under his omophorion, from the Urals to Chukotka, was twice the
size of Europe.
Vladyka derived special
joy from literary work. The Siberian chronicle testifies to this: “He had one
diversion and recreation: to write edifying works.” This handwritten document
was kept for many years in the library of the Tobolsk Theological Seminary.
In his everyday life,
Vladyka did not tolerate amusements and entertainments. Tireless in his
diocesan work, he was a man of fervent prayer, dedicating every free minute to
this labor, so difficult yet sweet. Even during his lifetime, the people of
Siberia knew him as a man of clairvoyance, strict fasting, and bold prayer.
Vladyka’s ties to the
Holy Mountain of Athos, to which he sent large donations during their difficult
years, are also known. A gramota witnessing to his help to the Athonites during
the difficult time of Muslim domination is preserved at the Russian Monastery
of St. Panteleimon. It was with Vladyka’s blessing that Hieromonk Hippolite of
Chernigov traveled to Athos, Jerusalem, and Sinai.
Another of Vladyka’s
traits should also be mentioned: he never appeared in secular society. Only
once did he dine with the governor, and then only because of the latter’s
insistence. The modesty of his refreshments, when receiving guests after
services, was made up for by his wise words in conversation. The same chronicle
says of him: “He was quiet, modest, prayerful, and compassionate towards the
poor. He left an indelible mark on the minds of the people, who saw in him a
saint of God.”
The saint was undoubtedly
forewarned of the day of his blessed repose. The last day of his life became a
literal fulfillment of the Lord’s words. On June 9, 1715, after celebrating the
Divine Liturgy, the saint unexpectedly ordered the table in his home to be
laid. He offered a plentiful meal for all, during which, like the Savior, he
girded himself and began to wait upon those eating. He then parted touchingly
with the clergy, retaining two especially beloved priests for some time. What
he spoke to them about remains unknown. Having dismissed them, he retired to
his cell and shut himself in. The next morning Vladyka did not come out. The
clergy meanwhile began to assemble in front of his residence, but they knocked
and cried out in vain. When people began to assemble, the governor was called
for. Once he had arrived, he crossed himself and ordered the doors to be
broken. An extraordinary sight presented itself to the onlookers: having
already given his soul to the Lord, Vladyka was kneeling before an icon of the
Mother of God next to an extinguished candle. The prayer he had begun on earth
was continuing in eternity before the Throne of God. This marvelous occurrence
is testimony that the saint, following his repose, stands in prayer before God
and His Most Pure Mother for all of us who live on earth and turn to him for
help. Sincerely mourned by his orphaned flock, he, as befitting a monk tonsured
in the Kiev-Caves Lavra, was buried in the side chapel of Sts. Anthony and
Theodosius.
How much he has in common
with St. Ioasaph! Both came from the Ukraine, from ancient and noble families.
Both fulfilled their obedience in the famous Kiev-Caves Lavra and graduated
from the Kiev Theological Academy. Both had heavenly patrons in their early
youth: for one, it was St. Athanasius of Constantinople; and for the other, it
was St. Theodosius of Chernigov. Both were beloved by members of the Romanov
dynasty. Both gained fame for their literary works. Both were numbered among
the saints during the reign of Nicholas II. Both saints were preserved
incorrupt following their repose, for the Lord keepeth all their bones [Psalm
33:20].
Today, celebrating the
memory of this wondrous saint, Metropolitan John of Tobolsk, we who live in the
third millennium – so far removed from our holy hierarchs in time, but so close
to them in faith and spirit – should follow them as our spiritual guides in
prayerful boldness towards the Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ, our Holy God, Who is
living, near, and dear.
Translator’s notes:
[1] Ivan Stepanovych
Mazepa (1639-1709) was a Cossack Hetman who deserted his army before the Battle
of Poltava and sided with Charles of Sweden.
[2] Aleksandr Danilovich
Menshikov (1673-1729) was a statesman and military commander who was a great
favorite of Peter the Great.
SOURCE : http://www.pravmir.com/gods-sunflower-on-st-john-maximovitch-of-tobolsk/
