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:
SAINT OR FEAST POSTED THIS DATE 2014(with 2013's link here also and further:, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and even 2008!):
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