Prayers to John of Kronstadt. Orthodox Faith - John of Kronstadt on Communion

First prayer

O great servant of Christ, holy and righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wondrous 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, weak and falling. Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions. Your name is Peace: pacify my restless soul. Now, grateful to your intercession, the all-Russian flock prays to you: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! With your love, illumine us, sinners and weaklings, grant us the ability to bear worthy fruits of repentance and to partake of the Mysteries of Christ without condemnation. With your power, strengthen our faith in us, support us in prayer, heal ailments and illnesses, deliver us from misfortunes, enemies, visible and invisible. With the light of your face, incite the servants and primates of the Altar of Christ to holy deeds of pastoral work, grant education to an infant, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of churches and holy abodes! Die, most miraculous and visionary, the peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver from internecine warfare, gather the scattered, convert the seduced, and unite the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, give comfort to the faint-hearted, free those suffering from unclean spirits, have mercy in the needs and circumstances of our lives, 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.

Second prayer

O great wonderworker and wonderful servant of God, God-bearing Father John! Look at us and listen compassionately to our prayer, for the Lord has vouchsafed great gifts to you, so that you may become an intercessor and a constant prayer book for us. Behold, we are overwhelmed by sinful passions and consumed by malice, we have neglected the commandments of God, we have not brought heartfelt repentance and tears of sighing, for this reason we are worthy of appearing through many sorrows and sorrows. But you, righteous father, having great boldness towards the Lord and compassion for your neighbors, beg the All-Bountiful Lord of the world to add His mercy to us and tolerate our iniquities, not to destroy us for our sin, but to mercifully grant 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, the Truth of God will be put to shame in our untruths, but may we be honored 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 time, and for our Fatherland, ask for peace and abiding and preserve it from all evils, so that our people, preserved by God, are in unanimity of faith and in all piety and purity, in the beauty of spiritual brotherhood, sobriety and harmony testify: that God is with us! In Him we live and move, and we are, and we will remain forever. Amen.

Prayer three

Most wonderful Father John! You have drawn close to God through many virtues and have been granted spiritual gifts from Him: to heal ailments, to drive away passions and to quench sorrows. In the same way, we humbly pray to you: grant healing to our illness and healing to our passions, satisfy the sorrows that come upon us and infuse spiritual joy into our hearts. And help us to be imitators of your holy life and all your good deeds, so that together with you we may be worthy of inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

Troparion to Righteous John of Kronstadt

Troparion, tone 1

Champion of the Orthodox faith, saddener of the Russian land, ruler of the shepherd and faithful image, preacher of repentance and life in Christ. Reverent minister of the Divine Mysteries and daring prayer book for people, righteous Father John, healer and wonderful miracle worker, praise the city of Kronstadt and the adornment of our church, pray to the All-Good God to pacify the world and save our souls.

“Oh, great servant of Christ, holy righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wondrous shepherd, quick helper and merciful representative!

Raising praise to the Triune God, you prayerfully cried out: “ Your name is Love: do not reject me, who am erring; Your name is Strength: strengthen me, weak and falling; Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions; Your name is Peace: pacify my restless soul. Your name is Grace“Don’t stop having mercy on me.”

Now, grateful to your intercession, the all-Russian flock prays to you: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! With your love, illuminate us, sinners and weaklings, grant us the ability to bear worthy fruits of repentance and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation; by your power strengthen our faith in us, support us in prayer, heal ailments and illnesses, deliver us from misfortunes, visible and invisible enemies; with the light of your face, incite the servants and primates of the Altar of Christ to holy deeds of pastoral work, grant education to infants, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of churches and holy monasteries; die, wonder-worker and visionary of the most extraordinary peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver from internecine warfare, gather the scattered, convert the wicked and unite the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, give comfort to the faint-hearted, freedom to those suffering from unclean spirits, have mercy in the needs and circumstances of our lives, and guide us all on the path of salvation.

Living in Christ, Our Father John! Lead us to the unevening light of eternal life, so that with you we may be worthy of eternal bliss, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen".

Prayer to John of Kronstadt for healing

“Most wonderful Father John! You have drawn close to God through many virtues and have been granted spiritual gifts from Him: to heal ailments, to drive away passions and to quench sorrows. In the same way, we humbly pray to you: grant healing to our illness and healing to our passions, satisfy the sorrows that come upon us and infuse spiritual joy into our hearts. And help us to be imitators of your holy life and all your good deeds, so that together with you we may be worthy of inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen."

Prayer to John of Kronstadt for healing from demons

“O great wonderworker and wonderful servant of God, God-bearing Father John! Despise us and listen compassionately to our prayer, for the Lord has vouchsafed great gifts to you, so that you may become an intercessor and a constant prayer book for us. Behold, we are overwhelmed by sinful passions and consumed by malice, we have neglected the commandments of God, we have not brought heartfelt repentance and tears of sighing, for this reason we are worthy of appearing through many sorrows and sorrows. But you, righteous father, having great boldness towards the Lord and compassion for your neighbors, beg the All-Bountiful Lord of the world to add His mercy to us and tolerate our iniquities, not to destroy us for our sin, but to mercifully grant 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, the Truth of God will be put to shame in our untruths, but may we be honored 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 time, and for our Fatherland, ask for peace and abiding and preserve it from all evils, so that our people, preserved by God, are in unanimity of faith and in all piety and purity, in the beauty of spiritual brotherhood, sobriety and harmony testify: that God is with us! In Him we live and move, and we are, and we will remain forever. Amen."

Prayer to John of Kronstadt for drunkenness

“Lord, look mercifully on Your servant (name), seduced by the flattery of the belly and carnal merriment. Grant him to know the sweetness of abstinence in fasting and the fruits of the Spirit that flow from it. Amen."

Prayer of John of Kronstadt against corruption

“Glory to Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the beginningless Father,Alone heal every ailment and every illness in people, for you have had mercy on themsinner and delivered me from my illness, not allowing it to develop and killme according to my sins.

Grant me from now on, Lord, the strength to firmly do my willYours for the salvation of my damned soul and for Your glory with Your beginninglessFather and Your consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."

Prayer of thanksgiving by John of Kronstadt

“I thank You, Lord my God, for giving me existence, for giving me birth in the Christian faith, for the Most Pure Virgin Mary, Intercessor for the salvation of our race, for Your holy Saints praying for us, for the Guardian Angel, for public worship that supports us faith and virtue, for the Holy Scriptures, for the Holy Sacraments, and especially Your Body and Blood, for the mysterious grace-filled consolations, for the hope of receiving the Kingdom of Heaven and for all the blessings You have given me.”

Prayer of thanksgiving for all God's blessings, St. John of Kronstadt

"God! What will I bring to You, how will I thank You for Your constant, greatest mercies to me and to the rest of Your people? For behold, every moment I am enlivened by Your Holy Spirit, every moment I breathe the air You have diffused, light, pleasant, healthy, strengthening, I am enlightened by Your joyful and life-giving light - spiritual and material; I feed on sweet and life-giving spiritual food and the same drink, the holy Mysteries of Your Body and Blood and material sweet food and drinks; You dress me with a bright, beautiful royal robe - with Yourself and material clothes, you cleanse my sins, heal and cleanse my many and fierce sinful passions; You take away my spiritual corruption in the power of Your immeasurable goodness, wisdom and strength, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit - the Spirit of holiness, grace; You give my soul truth, peace and joy, space, strength, boldness, courage, strength, and you endow my body with precious health; You teach my hands to fight and my fingers to fight with the invisible enemies of my salvation and bliss, with the enemies of the holiness and power of Your glory, with the spirits of wickedness in high places; You crown with success my deeds done in Your name... For all this I thank, glorify and bless Your all-good, fatherly, all-powerful power, O God, our Savior, our Benefactor. But be known by Your other people as You appeared to me, O Lover of Mankind, so that they may know You, the Father of all, Your goodness, Your providence, Your wisdom and power, and glorify You, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen."

About communion

Oh, what great happiness this is! The Lord enters the sinful soul and burns away all the iniquities in it, and the human soul becomes the house of God. So, the Savior left us, as it were, a testament to perform the liturgy and partake of His life-giving body and blood. Liturgy is a wonderful gift from Jesus Christ. Liturgy is a bridge over which one can pass into eternal life. Remember: this is the testament of Jesus Christ! Follow this golden bridge that will save you from the abyss of hell. Do not listen, beloved, to those people who run from the cup of the Savior. These are unfortunate, lost, pitiful people, far from the river of Christ; they fall into the abyss. My dears, love the Divine Liturgy, consider that day of your life lost when you were unable to attend the Liturgy, especially on a holiday. Saint John Chrysostom says that the Divine Liturgy is a great wonderful gift; God's angels envy us, people who have been given the happiness of eating the Divine body and blood.

He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him [John. 6, 56]. It is tangible, and experience confirms this. Blessed, filled with life, is the person who partakes of the Holy Mysteries with faith, with heartfelt repentance for sins. - This truth is tangible, it is clear from the contrary. When you approach the Holy Chalice without sincere repentance for sins and with doubt, then Satan enters you and remains in you, killing your soul, and this can be extremely noticeable.

Appreciate the greatest miracle of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, revealed in communion with faith in His divine Mysteries. What miracle? The repose and revitalization of your heart, deadened by sin, so obvious after the heartache and spiritual death that often precedes communion. Out of habit, never regard it as something ordinary and unimportant: such thoughts and dispositions of the heart bring the wrath of the Lord upon you, and you will not taste peace and life after communion. With the most lively, heartfelt gratitude for the gifts of life, obtain life from the Lord, and let your faith grow more and more. Fear and anxiety come from unbelief. Consider their appearance during communion as a sure sign that you are moving away through unbelief from the Life presented in the Chalice, and do not pay attention to them. O faith! faith! You yourself are a miracle for us! You save us: your faith will save you [Mr. 5, 34]. And after living faith in the truth of God, we always depart from the Lord in the world; on the contrary, after lack of faith - always without peace. Oh! Satan often enters after unworthy communion of the Holy Mysteries, and he tries in every possible way to plant his lies in our hearts, i.e. unbelief, because unbelief is the same as lying. A murderer from time immemorial, he tries in every possible way and now to kill a person with his lies and various thoughts, and, having crept into the heart in the form of unbelief or some kind of passion, he then shows himself in a manner worthy of himself, more so with impatience and malice. And you see that it is in you, but you don’t suddenly get rid of it often, because it usually tries to lock in your heart all the ways to get out of it - with unbelief, bitterness and other creations of its own. You labor in vain in me, fallen archangel. I am a servant of my Lord Jesus Christ. You, exalted pride, humiliate yourself by fighting so hard against me, weak. So speak mentally to the evil spirit that lies as a heavy burden on your heart and forces you to do evil of various kinds. These words are like a fiery scourge to a proud spirit, and he, disgraced by your firmness and spiritual wisdom, will run away from you. You will now see it, feel it and be surprised at the wonderful change in yourself: the heavy, soul-killing burden in your heart will no longer be, it will become so light, easy, and you will be tangibly convinced that there are spirits of evil in the heavens, constantly seeking our destruction, with the poison of the dark and evil thoughts that poison our heart, intensifying to destroy love for people and sociability with them.

I am with you always, even to the end of the age [Matt. 28, 20]. So, Master, You are with us - all the days, not a single day, we live without You, without Your co-presence. You are with us especially in the sacrament of Your Body and Blood. Oh, how truly and essentially you are in the Mysteries! You clothe yourself, Master, at every liturgy with a body subservient to us, except for sin, and feed us with Your life-giving flesh. Through the Mysteries You are completely with us, and Your flesh is united with our flesh and Your spirit is united with our soul - and we feel, feel this life-giving, most peaceful, sweet union, we feel that, clinging to You in the Eucharist, we become one spirit with You As it is said: cleave unto the Lord; there is one spirit with the Lord. We become like You, good, meek and humble, as You said about Yourself: I am meek and lowly in heart [Matt. 11, 29]. True, often the evil and blind flesh or the prince of this age living in our sinful flesh whispers to us that in the Mysteries there is only bread and wine, and not the very Body and Blood of the Lord, and sends sight, taste and touch as evil witnesses for this. But we do not allow ourselves to listen to his slander and reason like this: for You, Lord, everything is possible; You create flesh for people, animals, fish, birds, reptiles - all creation; Do You not create flesh for Yourself, Who art everywhere and fulfill everything? What sculptor, making sculptures for others, is not able to make one for himself? Moreover, You transform dead matter into a living being, for example, the staff of Moses into a serpent, and nothing is impossible for You. Will You not create flesh for Yourself from bread and wine, which are so close to our flesh, being consumed as food and drink and transformed into our flesh and blood? You do not allow our faith to be tempted more than it can bear, You do not transform the lump of the earth into Your most pure Body and Blood, but white, soft, clean, pleasant-tasting bread; You do not create water with Your blood, but wine suitable to the color of blood (which is called the blood of grapes in Holy Scripture [Sirach. 50, 17]), pleasant to the taste and gladdening the human heart; You know our weakness, the weakness of our faith, and therefore you deigned to use the most suitable substances for the sacrament of Your Body and Blood. Let us firmly believe that under the guise of bread and wine we partake of the true Body and true Blood of Christ, that in the sacrament of communion the Lord will be with us all the days until the end of the age [Matt. 28, 20].

The Lord, with whom I unite daily through holy communion, strengthens me. Otherwise, where could I draw strength for such constant, intense labors, with which I try to serve for the glory of His holy name and for the salvation of my neighbors?

Both after unworthy communion and after unworthy, cold prayer, the soul feels equally bad. This means: the Lord does not enter our hearts, offended by our heartfelt unbelief and coldness, and allows evil spirits to nest in our hearts in order to make us feel the difference between His yoke and theirs.

Peace and abundance of life of the heart after communion is the greatest, invaluable gift of the Lord Jesus Christ, surpassing all gifts related to the body and taken together. Without spiritual peace - with a cramped and tormented heart - a person cannot enjoy any benefits, neither material nor spiritual, for him then there are no pleasures that come from a sense of truth, goodness and beauty, because the very center of his life - the heart - is suppressed and killed , or inner man.

The future life is the perfect purity of the now gradually purified heart, which is most often closed, darkened by sin and the devil’s breath, and sometimes - through the action of God’s grace - it becomes clearer and sees God, uniting with Him sincerely, in prayer and the Sacrament of Communion.

You wrote a book, let’s say, about the Holy Trinity, and printed it in a thousand copies, or as many as you like. And in all these books you have not only the same spirit, but the same words, the same form. So it is with the offering of the Body of Christ. Throughout the universe, in countless churches it is offered, on all the altars of Christian churches the same Trinity operates, in all lambs there is one and the same Christ and His Spirit (as in the book its contents), everywhere the same form of offering - and it turns out that this Most Holy Sacrament is, as it were, one great sacred book of the Lord’s love for the human race, which is prepared in countless quantities throughout the universe in the same form with the same loving Spirit living in it, taking upon himself the sins of the world, the spirit Christ's. Another similarity: what a multitude of individual human personalities there are on earth: they all have the same body shape, they all have the same soul, with the same, although not the same, abilities, and all these individuals have the same name - man. All people are like one person, and from one beginning they all originated: initially from God the Father and the Son and His Spirit, and then from one couple. Therefore, by the way, God’s commandment commands us to love everyone as ourselves, according to identity, i.e. our nature. So, you see many faces, and they are one in the identity of the nature of soul and body. So the Lord, in His life-giving Mysteries, wherever they are offered, is the eternally one and indivisible Creator from the one blood of the entire human race [Acts. 17, 26]. Through His one Spirit, living in the Mysteries of the Body and Blood, performed in all the churches of the world, He wants to unite us with Him, who have fallen through sin and obedience to the devil from union with Him, and that which in all of us is separating from Him and from each other , cut off and cleanse: that they may all be one: as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us [John. 17, 21]. This is the purpose of communion!

Is it surprising that bread and wine are the Body and Blood of Christ and Christ rests in them, like the soul in the body? Is it surprising that when the devil nests in the insignificant embryo (in the heart) of a baby, it intensifies along with the growth of the body, so that later the baby is born with the devil hidden and nesting in his heart? Oh, what infinite goodness and wisdom of the Lord is revealed in giving us the most pure Mysteries of His Body and Blood, in the fact that they are accepted by a Christian into the very heart! Notice, in the heart - where the devil, who has the power of sin and death, nests [Heb. 2, 14] - as a perfect antidote to it, in giving us holiness and life and in driving away sin and death! Just as it is certain that the devil and every sin often nests in our hearts, so it is also certain that Christ the Giver of Life, our shrine, dwells in our hearts. Our Lord is more than the devil, but if the devil lives and acts in our hearts through our various attachments to earthly objects, then how can Christ not enter our heart through faith and repentance, when it was created by Him to be the temple of God? into our hearts to Christ, precisely in His flesh and blood, in accordance with our spirituality and together with fleshiness? Also: if the devil can give spirit and words to an animal icon [Rev. 13:15], then how can Christ not dwell in bread and wine and not transform them, not completely assimilate them to Himself, like flesh and blood?

By partaking of the Life-giving Mysteries with undoubted faith, I tangibly learn from the omnipresence of Christ. How? This is how: in every particle of the body and in every drop of blood I accept the Whole Christ and, thus, I see with the eyes of my heart that He is at the same time complete in all particles and drops, no matter how many there are, to infinity. In the same way, the Lord is all in every temple, in the Holy Mysteries and in every smallest particle, and just as Orthodox churches are located throughout the entire earth, the Lord is present not only in Divinity, but also in His soul and body throughout the entire earth, everywhere communicating with the believers all inseparably and producing sweet fruits in them: the cleansing of sins, the sanctification of Christian souls and bodies, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, uniting everyone with Himself, with the Father and His Holy Spirit. We know, moreover, that through fervent prayer He dwells in the souls of believers with His Father and the Holy Spirit. Being inherent in the entire material world and at once animating it all and every part of it separately, the Lord is all the more inherent in people and especially Christians, living in them: Or do you not know that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are unskilled in nature? Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit living in you?

Participants of the Divine Mysteries! know how you truly commune with the Lord if you commune worthily. What boldness you have towards the Lord and the Mother of God! What purity they must have! What meekness, humility, gentleness! What dispassion for earthly things! What an ardent desire for heavenly, purest, eternal pleasures!

Many people pray hypocritically, and their hypocritical prayer has become a habit; They themselves do not even notice and do not want to notice that they are praying hypocritically, and not in spirit and truth, so that if someone told them in reproof that they were praying hypocritically, they would be angry with the one who dared to say such, in their opinion, inconsistency. A person does not reach hypocrisy suddenly, but gradually. At first, perhaps, he prayed from the heart, but then - since praying always with the heart is significant work, to which one must always force oneself, for the Kingdom of Heaven, it is said, is forced [Matt. 11, 12] - he begins to pray more with his lips, superficially, and not from the depths of his soul, since this is much easier; and finally, with the intensified struggle between the flesh and the devil, he prays with his lips, without bringing the power of the words of prayer to the heart. There are a lot of such people. The Lord says about them: these people draw near to Me with their lips, and with their lips they honor Me, but their heart is far from Me [Matt. 15, 8 (Isaiah 29, 13)]. What has been said about prayer should also be said about the communion of the holy, immortal and life-giving Mysteries. Often, at first a person receives communion with living faith, with a feeling of love and reverence, and then, with the constant opposition of the flesh and the devil to the truth of God, he gives in to them victory over himself and receives communion hypocritically, not of the Body and Blood, but, according to his thoughts of the heart, of bread and wine . The Mysterious Being is spirit and belly [John. 6, 63], as the Savior said, does not fit [John. 8, 37] in it; he is internally robbed by Satan. God save everyone from such communion, from such blasphemy against the Lord! The same happens with the sacrament of repentance.

Just as the Spirit of God lives in a multitude of Christians and in all of them is completely with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and at the same time He is all and everywhere - in heaven and on earth - so the Lord Jesus Christ is in every part of His Body and Blood, completely and completely in all Christian churches and at the same time all everywhere in heaven and on earth; like God, He is all everywhere, and there is no place where He is not all. - I take one particle of communion: He is all here, I take another - He is all here; the third and so on, but in all there is one and the same Christ.

Instead of the tree of life - the bread of life; instead of the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - the same life-giving bread of life. Then it is said: touch not, lest ye die [Gen. 3, 3], now it is said: eat and live [cf. John 6, 51, 58]. Then Eve and Adam believed the seducer and died; now, on the contrary, we believe the words of the Lord of life: this is My Body, this is My Blood [Matt. 26, 26, 28; Mrk. 14.22, 24] and are revived; by what they fell, they rose; fell through unbelief in God, through disobedience, and rose up through obedience to faith. There we agreed with the devil against God and united with him - a liar - to our own death; Now we wholeheartedly agree with the Truth Himself - God the Savior and with a true heart we unite with Him for life, peace and joy. Ole terrible sacrament! Ole the mercy of God! How I partake of the Divine Body and Blood of clay and become incorruptible [canon for communion, canto 8]!

Christian hope is our hope for union with God in the next century. In our present Christian situation, everything corresponds and is directed towards this union: both material and spiritual goods: the grace of God in the Church, Divine services, sacraments, conscience, God’s inner testing and purification, prayers, the fruits of prayers, sorrows that cleanse the heart, illnesses (take his cross [Matt. 16, 24; Mark 8, 34]). The present union in fervent prayer, in the sacrament of communion prepares for heavenly union: the pledge of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of Christians assures us of this. For the same reason, any other connection of the heart, except for God and not for God, is strictly forbidden to us. For the same reason, we must guard ourselves from carnal lusts, from all sin.

Means that affirm Christian hope: prayer, especially frequent, sincere prayerful confession of one’s sins, frequent reading of the Word of God, especially frequent communion of the Holy Life-giving Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Some put all their well-being and service before God in reading all the prescribed prayers, not paying attention to the readiness of the heart for God, to their internal correction; for example, many read the rule for communion this way. Meanwhile, here, first of all, we must look at the correction and readiness of the heart to receive the Holy Mysteries; if your heart became right in your womb, by the grace of God, if it is ready to meet the Bridegroom, then thank God, although you did not have time to read all the prayers. The kingdom of God is not in words, but in power. It is good to obey the Mother of the Church in everything, but with prudence and, if possible, let it accommodate long prayer. But not everyone can comprehend this word [Matt. 19, 11]; if prolonged prayer is incompatible with fervor of the spirit, it is better to say a short but fervent prayer. Remember that one word of the publican, spoken from a warm heart, justified him. God does not look at the multitude of words, but at the disposition of the heart. The main thing is the living faith of the heart and the warmth of repentance for sins.

Christ Himself vouches for the truth of the Mysteries of Christ. Truth is the visible and invisible worlds created by Him and standing in existence, the cleansing of sins, peace and joy of the heart upon communion.

Never despair of God’s mercy, no matter what sins you may be bound by the temptation of the devil, but pray with all your heart with the hope of mercy, push through the door of God’s mercy - and it will be opened to you. I, a sinful priest, am an example to you: no matter how I sometimes sin through the actions of the devil, for example, sometimes you treat your brother with enmity because of something, even because of a just cause, and you will become completely upset, and turn your brother against yourself , and you perform the holy sacrament unworthily, not through voluntary neglect, but through unpreparedness and the action of the devil, however, through repentance, the Lord forgives everything, everything, especially after worthy communion of the Holy Mysteries: you will be whitened like snow or a wave by the Blood of Christ; heavenly peace will dwell in your heart; and it will be easy, easy on your heart, you will become blessed. You will forget all the disturbances, worries and oppression of the devil, you will become completely new and as if you will rise from the dead. Do not despair, brothers, no matter what sins you have committed, just repent with a contrite heart and a humble spirit. Glory to Your mercy, Lord! Glory to Your long-suffering, O Lord!

The prayer to John of Kronstadt, the intercessor of the human race before the Almighty, is distinguished by its special healing power. Before the image of the Saint, Orthodox Christians ask for intercession, protection and deliverance from addictions and various ailments.

The meaning of prayers to John of Kronstadt

John of Kronstadt, who in the world bore the name John Ilyich Sergiev, was born into the family of a poor rural deacon Ilya Sergiev and his wife Fedora, who lived in the small village of Sura in the Arkhangelsk region. According to historical information, the date of birth of the Righteous Wonderworker falls on October 19, 1829.

The newborn was so weak and sickly that his parents rushed to baptize him immediately. Soon after the sacrament of baptism, the boy began to recover and grow stronger.

Having experienced hardship and need from early childhood, John grew up thoughtful and reserved, but never refused help and compassion to the poor and needy.

Noticing his son’s interest in the Orthodox faith, his father often took the boy to church services. In the sixth year, the parents began to teach their son to read and write, but science was difficult for the child. Once in the Arkhangelsk parish school, the guy found solace in prayer and study of the Holy Scriptures. One day, after a sleepless night, which John spent in prayer to God and the Most Holy Theotokos, as if scales had fallen from his eyes, inspiration and interest in science and knowledge opened up.

From then on, John became a diligent student. Having successfully graduated from college and the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary, he was admitted to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, where he studied at public expense.

The pastoral life of the Saint occurred in troubled times, when riots, drunkenness, poverty and revolutionary ideas were all around. Despite the difficulties of enlightening non-believers and directing them to the true path, the saint continues to carry good intentions and work miracles. Left without means of subsistence, the shepherd gave all his money to the poor and needy. Thanks to the patience and perseverance of the saint of God, prudence and peace of mind began to return to people who had lost faith in the Lord God.

Succumbing to the influence of the sermons of God's mentor, more and more non-believers began to turn to God in their prayers and petitions.

Orthodox Christians note that prayers to John of Kronstadt are endowed with special power and are capable of working real miracles:

Prayer for healing relieves gluttony and worldly temptations, helps to cure even the most serious illnesses that were beyond the control of medicine and traditional healers. You can ask not only for your own health, but also for the recovery of your family, friends and acquaintances.
Prayer for drunkenness. Those addicted to alcohol, tobacco products and drugs, having tried various methods to cope with their addictions to no avail, ask the Saint for help and grace.
Prayer from corruption. As the rector of the temple, John often expelled evil spirits and demons from the human body, healed from a terrible misfortune, and helped remove damage and the evil eye.
Prayer for despondency. Experiencing despondency, confusion and turmoil, Christians turn to the Holy One, asking for alms and prosperity.
Prayer for teaching to John of Kronstadt helps to learn various facets of science, prepare for and successfully pass exams, cope with complex subjects and believe in one’s own strength.

Every day many parishioners come to churches to turn to John of Kronstadt with a request for intercession, patronage, healing from various ailments and restoration of faith in themselves and their strengths.

Video “Akathist to the holy righteous John of Kronstadt”

From this video you will learn about the akathist to the holy righteous John of Kronstadt.

Reading texts

About healing

Oh, great servant of Christ, holy righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wondrous shepherd, quick helper and merciful representative! Raising praise to the Triune God, you prayerfully cried out: “Your name is Love: do not reject me, who am erring; Your name is Strength: strengthen me, weak and falling; Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions; Your name is Peace: pacify my restless soul. Your name is Mercy: do not cease to have mercy on me.

Now, grateful to your intercession, the all-Russian flock prays to you: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! With your love, illuminate us, sinners and weaklings, grant us the ability to bear worthy fruits of repentance and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation; by your power strengthen our faith in us, support us in prayer, heal ailments and illnesses, deliver us from misfortunes, visible and invisible enemies; with the light of your face, incite the servants and primates of the Altar of Christ to holy deeds of pastoral work, grant education to infants, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of churches and holy monasteries; die, wonder-worker and visionary of the most extraordinary peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver from internecine warfare, gather the scattered, convert the wicked and unite the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, give comfort to the faint-hearted, freedom to those suffering from unclean spirits, have mercy in the needs and circumstances of our lives, and guide us all on the path of salvation.

From drunkenness

Lord, look mercifully on Your servant (name), seduced by the flattery of the belly and carnal joy. Grant him to know the sweetness of abstinence in fasting and the fruits of the Spirit that flow from it. Amen.

About teaching

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. Your name is Mercy: do not cease to have mercy on me. Now the all-Russian flock, grateful to Your intercession, prays to You: Christ-named and righteous servant of God! With your love, illumine us, sinners and weaklings, grant us the ability to bear worthy fruits of repentance and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation.

With your power, strengthen our faith in us, support us in prayer, heal ailments and illnesses, deliver us from misfortunes, visible and invisible enemies. With the light of your face, incite the servants and heads of the altar of Christ to holy deeds of pastoral work, grant education to infants, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of churches and holy abodes. Die, O most wonderful miracle worker and prophet, the peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver them from internecine strife; Collect the squandered, convert the deceived, and unite the Holy Ones of Your Catholic and Apostolic Church.

By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, give comfort to the faint-hearted, freedom for the suffering unclean spirits, have mercy in the needs and circumstances of those who exist, and guide us all on the path of salvation. In Christ living, our Father John, lead us to the unevening light of eternal life, so that with you we may be worthy of eternal bliss, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.

From damage

Glory to You, Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the beginningless Father, You alone heal every ailment and every illness in people, as you had mercy on the flesh of a sinner and delivered me from my illness, not allowing it to develop and kill me according to my sins.

Grant me from now on, Master, the strength to firmly do Your will for the salvation of my damned soul and for Your glory with Your beginningless Father and Your consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Oh, great servant of Christ, holy righteous Father John of Kronstadt, wondrous shepherd, quick helper and merciful representative! Raising praise to the Triune God, you prayerfully cried out: “Your name is Love - do not reject me, who am erring. Your name is Strength - strengthen me, who is exhausted and falling. Your name is Light - enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions. Your name is Peace - pacify my restless soul. Your name is Mercy - do not cease to have mercy on me.

With the light of your face, incite the servants and heads of the altar of Christ to perform holy deeds of pastoral work, grant education to infants, instruct youth, support old age, illuminate the shrines of churches and holy abodes. Die, most wonderful miracle worker and visionary, the peoples of our country, by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit, deliver them from internecine warfare; Gather up the squandered, convert and unite the most precious things of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

By your grace, preserve marriage in peace and unanimity, grant prosperity and blessings to monastics in good deeds, give comfort to the faint-hearted, freedom to those suffering from unclean spirits, have mercy in the needs and circumstances of our lives, and guide us all on the path of salvation. In Christ living, our Father John, lead us to the unevening light of eternal life, so that with you we may be worthy of eternal bliss, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.

Out of despondency

The Lord is the destruction of my despondency and the revival of my boldness. Everything is Lord for me. Oh, truly this Lord, glory to You! Glory to Thee, Father's Life, Son's Life, Holy Soul's Life - 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 Your peace, which surpasses all earthly and sensual good and all understanding.

I thank Thee, Lord my God, for giving me existence, for giving me birth in the Christian faith, for the Most Pure Virgin Mary, Intercessor for the salvation of our race, for Thy saints praying for us, for the Guardian Angel, for public worship that supports us faith and virtue, for the Holy Scriptures, for the Holy Sacraments, and especially Your Body and Blood, for the mysterious grace-filled consolations, for the hope of receiving the Kingdom of Heaven and for all the blessings You have given me.

Prayer Appeal to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Oh, Lady! Let it not be in vain and in vain that we call You the Lady: reveal and continually manifest over us Your holy, living, effective dominion. Reveal, for you can do everything for good, as the all-good Mother of the all-good King; disperse the darkness of our hearts, repel the arrows of crafty spirits, flatteringly driven towards us. May the peace of Thy Son, Thy peace reign in our hearts, and let us all ever joyfully exclaim: who is after the Lord, as our Lady, our all-good, all-powerful and most swift Intercessor? That is why you are exalted, Lady, that is why you have been given an indescribable abundance of divine grace, that is why ineffable boldness and strength at the throne of God and the gift of almighty prayer have been given to you, that is why you have been adorned with indescribable holiness and purity, that is why you have been given unapproachable power from the Lord, that You may preserve, protect, intercede, purify and save us, the inheritance of Your Son and God, and Yours. Save us, O Most Pure, All-Good, All-Wise and All-Powerful! For you are the Mother of our Savior, Who of all names was most pleased to be called Savior. It is common for us who wander in this life to fall, for we are covered with many-passionate flesh, surrounded by spirits of wickedness in high places, seducing us into sin, we live in an adulterous and sinful world, tempting us to sin; and You are above all sin, You are the most luminous Sun, You are the Most Pure, All-Good and All-Powerful, You tend to cleanse us, defiled by sins, like a mother cleanses her children, if we humbly call on You for help, You tend to raise us, who are constantly falling, to intercede , to protect and save us, those who are slandered from the spirits of evil, and to instruct us to march towards every path of salvation.

Prayer to the Lord

God! Your name is Love - do not reject me, the erring one.
Your name is Strength - strengthen me, who is exhausted and falling.
Your name is Light - enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions.
Your name is Peace - pacify my restless soul.
Your name is Mercy - do not cease to have mercy on me. Amen.

Morning prayer

God! Creator and Lord of the world! look mercifully upon Thy creation, adorned with Thy divine image in these morning hours: may Thy Eye live, may Thy Eye enlighten, in darkness so much brighter than the rays of the sun, my dark soul, mortified by sin. Take away from me despondency and laziness, grant me joy and spiritual vigor, so that in the joy of my heart I glorify Your goodness, holiness, Your boundless greatness, Your endless perfections at every hour and in every place. For You are my Creator and the Lord of my life, Lord, and You are due glory from Your rational creatures for every hour, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer for drunkenness

Lord, look mercifully on your servant (name), seduced by the flattery of the belly and carnal joy: grant him (name) to know the sweetness of abstinence in fasting and the fruits of the spirit that flow from it. Amen

Prayer for recovery

Glory to You, Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the beginningless Father, who alone heals every ailment and every illness among people, for you have had mercy on me, a sinner, and delivered me from my illness, not allowing it to develop and kill me for my sins. Grant me from now on, Master, the strength to firmly do Your will for the salvation of my damned soul and for Your glory with Your beginningless Father and Your consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to save someone from bodily death, e.g. from drowning, from death due to illness, from fire or from any other disaster, (praising the faith of those who ask)

Blessed be your faith, according to your faith may the Lord grant the fulfillment of my unworthy, little-faithful prayer and may He add faith to me.

Prayer for the proud and obstinate

Lord, teach Your servant, who has fallen into the pride of the devil, meekness and humility, and remove from his heart the darkness and burden of satanic pride!

Prayer for the evil ones

Lord, do this Thy servant good by Thy grace!

Prayer for the money-loving and greedy

Our treasure is incorruptible and our wealth is inexhaustible! Grant to this Thy servant, created in Thy image and likeness, to know the flattery of wealth, and how all earthly things are vanity, shadow and sleep. Like the grass are the days of every man, or like the abyss, and like You alone are our wealth, peace and joy! Don’t be embittered by anything, conquer everything with love: all sorts of insults, whims, all kinds of family troubles. Know nothing but love. Always blame yourself sincerely, admitting that you are the culprit of the troubles. Say: I am guilty, I am a sinner. Remember that just as you are weak, so is your neighbor, and weakness is destroyed for weakness, and there is nothing to blame for the weak and sinners if they admit their weakness. The devil, strong in evil, must be blamed.

Prayer for the envious

Lord, enlighten the mind and heart of this Thy servant to the knowledge of Thy great, countless and unsearchable gifts, which they have received from Thy innumerable bounties, for in the blindness of their passions they have forgotten Thy rich gifts, and impoverished themselves to be imputed, rich in Thy blessings, and For this reason, he looks with delight at the goodness of Thy servants, in the image, O most ineffable Goodness, who has inflicted mercy on everyone who is contrary to his power and according to the intention of Thy will. Take away, O all-merciful Master, the veil of the devil from the sight of the heart of Thy servant and grant him heartfelt contrition and tears of repentance and gratitude, so that the enemy does not rejoice over him, captured alive from him into his will, and may he not tear him out of Thy hand.

Prayer to the Mother of God

Lady Theotokos! You, whose love for Christians surpasses the love of every earthly mother, every wife, listen to our prayers and save us! May we always remember You! May we always pray to You fervently! May we always resort to Your holy roof without laziness and without doubt.

Grant me, Lord, to love every neighbor of mine as myself, always, and not to become embittered towards him for any reason and not to work for the devil.

Let me crucify my self-love, pride, covetousness, lack of faith and other passions.
Let our name be: mutual love; Let us believe and trust that the Lord is everything to all of us; let us not worry, let us not worry about anything; may You, our God, be the only God of our hearts, and besides You there is nothing.

Let us be in the unity of love among ourselves, as it should be, and let everything that separates us from each other and separates us from love be in contempt for us, like dust trampled under foot. Wake up! Wake up! Amen.

If God has given Himself to us, if He abides in us and we in Him, according to His true word, then what will He not give me, what will He spare me, what will He deprive me of, what will He forsake me?
The Lord shepherds me and will deprive me of nothing ().
So, be very calm, my soul, and know nothing but love.
This I command you, that you love one another ()

Prayers for healing to the Lord

Lord, it is possible for You to do (this) and (that) to Your servant (name); do this to him, for Your name is the good Lover of Mankind and the Almighty. If we, the wicked one, know how to give good things not only to our children, but also to strangers, how much more do You give all kinds of good things to those who ask You. Good Lover of Mankind! Who made creation with one word and created man from it, visit Thy fallen servant with Thy ineffable love for mankind, so that the work of Thy hand may not perish completely. Amen.

Someone who was mortally ill with inflammation of the stomach for nine days and did not receive the slightest relief from medical benefits, as soon as he received communion of the life-giving Mysteries on the ninth day in the morning, by the evening he became healthy and rose from his sick bed. He took communion with firm faith. I prayed to the Lord for him, so that He would heal him. God! I said: Heal Your servant from his illness. He is worthy, this is to him, he loves Your priests and sends his gifts to them. — I also prayed in church at the throne of the Lord during the liturgy, during prayer: “He who has given us prayers that are common and concordant...” and before the Mysteries themselves. Among other things, I prayed like this: God! Our belly! Just as it is easy for me to think about healing, so it is easy for you to heal every disease; Just as it is easy for me to think about the resurrection from the dead, so it is easy for You to raise every dead person. Heal your servant Vasily from his cruel illness and do not allow him to die, so that his wife and children do not give in to weeping, - and the benevolent Lord pardoned. And then he was on the verge of death. Glory to Thy omnipotence, goodness and good obedience, Lord!