Always a strict ascetic and true monk of
unceasing prayer, Vladika John was at the same time
an accessible archpastor whose heartfelt concern for
the individual members of his flock translated into a
voluminous correspondence when circumstances
scattered his sheep to various parts of the world.
After a 10 or 20 year separation, many people
continued to receive greetings on their Names days,
always with a word of encouragement, urging the
person towards a life dedicated to Christ and His
Church.
The first letter below was written three years after
Vladika John had been raised to the rank of
Archbishop over all the Russian faithful in China.
With the Communist advance many were being
evacuated, and in this atmosphere of confusion and
flux, Vladika John had to address many irregular
situations. This letter, written to a distant parish in
need of a priest, is particularly significant for us today
when there exist numerous individuals and families so
widely scattered and in such isolation that they have
no priest to regularly minister to their spiritual needs.
March 17, 1949
St. Alexis, Man of God
Always having you in my thoughts from the time
when I undertook your spiritual care, transporting
myself to you in spirit, and mentally looking upon
you whom I have never seen with my eyes, I am
deeply grieved that I cannot fulfill my archpastoral
duty with regard to you and satisfy your spiritual
needs.
Having assigned a priest to your church
dedicated to the Holy Spirit, I was sure that he
would come to you before the beginning of the
Nativity Fast, so that the day of the Entry into the
Temple of the Most Holy Mother of God would
mark the beginning of new life for your parish.
However, it was not pleasing to God that this
should be. At first there was no money for
transportation, although it was expected in so short
a time that there was hope you would have a
shepard by the Feast of Nativity .
There were then other complications. By God's
allowance for our sins, new misfortunes began which
also affected church matters. Because of the
conditions which have come about in the country, an
evacuation of the Russian population was declared,
and this began before Nativity.
The majority of our flock is already on the island
of Samar in the Philippines, where a large part of the
clergy has also followed them. The remainder are
awaiting further developments .
Remaining for now with a few clergy in our God-
preserved city of Shanghai, I am grieved in soul that you are still without a shepherd
and the possibility of receiving Holy Communion and
church services. I am grieved the more because it is
not known how and when these might be restored to
you. Events and circumstances are not within our
will. One must only pray to the Lord God for the
sending down of peace and the salvation of our souls,
for the peace of the whole world, for the good
condition of the holy churches of God, and for the
union of them all in one flock.
Do not become despondent in these sorrows, and
do not waver in these temptations. Be faithful children
of the Orthodox Church and continue, in the absence
of a priest, to gather in the temple of God on Sundays,
Feast Days, and during the approaching days of
Passion Week. Sing to God, and read the texts
appointed for that day from the Divine Services,
imitating the first desert-dwellers who were likewise
deprived of a priest for long periods.
Do not seek grace in any other faith, for truth is
only in the Orthodox Church, of which Christ said: "I
shall establish My Church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against her" (Matt. 16:18).
Do not allow any child to die unbaptized. In case
of danger, a layman should baptize, as I have
explained in a separate instruction.
Inform us concerning the newly-departed, so that
a funeral may be served in absentia. Likewise, you
may send us names for commemoration .
Lead a Christian life, refraining from anything
which spots and defiles a man. Live in peace and
harmony, not occupying yourselves in criticismm of
the sins and shortcomings of others. Forgive each
other your offences, so that the Heavenly Father
might forgive us. Raise up your children in piety.
And, most important of all, fervently pray that the
Lord might direct everything for the best and might
give to us what is profitable in this life and especially
in the life to come.
May the blessing of the Lord be upon each
and all of you.
+John. Archbishop of
Shanghai
(Reprinted from "Nikodemos, " May-June, 1977)
The following four letters were addressed to
two brothers who were 13 and 15 years old in
1949 when the first letter was written.
October 23, 1949
St. James, Brother of the Lord
Ascension Cathedral.
1841
Bathgate Ave.
New York, NY
Dear...and...!
Although I am quite far away
from you and have many things
to worry about in trying to ease
the departure from the island of
Samar to other countries, I
constantly remember you, the children whom I knew in Shanghai, the
ones who served in church.
I remember you very often, remember and at the
same time worry--what is happening with you now?
what are you like? A area deal in our lives does not
depend on us--but a lot also does. To become and
remain good depends to a greater degree on
ourselves. True, without God's help this is
impossible, but God's help is given to us when we
ourselves direct and force ourselves towards good
and pray to God for this.
You were good children in Shanghai; you served
with fervor, especially N.... You had your
weaknesses, but you worked to correct them.
However, when you came to .... I noticed that you
grew out of this habit and lost hold of yourself. With
my arrival you quickly got back into line and
became as you were before. At my departure I left
you as acolytes in the church and hope that you do
not desert this task. Are you faithful in your
responsibilities? Do you always come on time,
not missing any feast day services? Remember,
feastdays are God's days. Concerning feastdays it is
not said in the commandments "the seventh day is for
you and your pleasure," but rather, "the seventh day
shall be a feast to the Lord." As St. John
Chrysostom says, those who do not give these
hours of church services to God are, as it were,
stealing from God that which belongs to Him.
Everything is created by God and is given to us for
our use, and in gratitude to Him we must honor that
which God has reserved for Himself and which also
serves for our benefit. Everything that God
commands us through the Church must be preserved
by us in holiness . When we deviate from the Lord's
path, it is only for a short time that we may indulge in,
the flesh, for evil seems sweet at first, but later we
taste its bitterness. I hope that you will always walk
upon the path of goodness. How are your sisters?
Let them also read this letter. I await your reply.
May the Lord God preserve all of you and bless
you.
Your loving,
+John, Archbishop of Shanghai
Apri1 23, 1950
Great-martyr George, the
victory-clad
Ascension Cathedral
Bathgate Ave.
New York, NY
Dear . . . !
I greet you with your Namesday, with your
Heavenly Patron St. George the Victory-clad. May
He help you grow better and better, conquering all
your weaknesses and establishing yourself in
goodness. I thank you and ... for your letter. I often
remember you and the other children who were with me in Shanghai. I remember you very often. It
saddens me that at present you do not serve in
church. For you, ..., it is time to read on the cliros
and . . . can also start learning.
Here I have met many of those whom I knew as
altarboys in Belgrade's Russian church; they
were like you and now they are grownups.
Some of them have become priests during my
stay here; one day during Bright Week I served
together with the priest George and Hierodeacon
Anthony, both of whom were acolytes the last
time I was in Belgrade. There are also some old
priests here who have recently managed to get
out of Russia after having experienced all the
"pleasures" or life there.
Do you read the Gospel every day? This is
absolutely necessary--either to read the daily
Gospel reading (it is indicated in the Calendar) or, if
a Calendar is not available, to read 20-30 verses in
chronological order, thereby reading through the
complete Gospel. How are Tanya, Svetlana? Did
you receive the two books I sent you at the beginning of Great
Lent? May the Lord preserve and bless you, ..., your
parents and sisters.
Your loving,
+John, ABishop of
Shanghai
April 23, 1960
Holy Great-
martyr George the victory
clad
Brussels
Dear ...'
I greet you with your Namesday. May He direct
your life according to God's will and for the benefit of
yourself and others! May He protect you and guide
you upon the path of goodness! You would do well to
return to those aspirations which you had in your
youth. The lack of priests is becoming critical.
Whole areas are left without priests, churches have
no services, parishes are left without pastoral care.
Each year we feel the spiritual hunger more and
more. It is with pain of heart that one must deny
people the possibility of receiving Communion or deny
them a priest at Pascha because of lack of clergy.
Think about this. If in the past you had a
subconscious inclination towards this, think how
much you could do if you consciously undertook to
serve Christ and His Church. It is a podvig and the
highest blessing in the name of Christ. No earthly
pursuit can bring so much benefit to others and
yourself as this one. May the Lord bless you!
Your loving,
+
ABishop John
January 18,
1961
Saints
Athanasius & Cyril
of Alexandria and
St. Maximus of
Serbia
Dear ...!
I received your letters. I was unable to answer
you immediately, but I always pray and commemorate
you daily. I think that now you have come to properly
understand yourself. Of course, you could occupy
yourself in a worldly life--earn good wages, have a
family and, generally speaking, revel in contemporary
life. This would satisfy you for some period of time
and you would consider your previous yearning for
spiritual life a childish fantasy. But this would be so
only to a point. The wind direction would change, the
storm of life would erupt and you would very soon be
broken. And even without them you would eventually
feel that all you have gained is not what your soul has
been searching for and that it does not have that
which it needs. Such an awakening is frightening when there
is already no possibility of returning to the previous
path, when through your own fault it is irretrievably
lost.
Of course, the other path--the spiritual path--is
not an easy one. There are many sorrows and at
times it seems (and it is definitely so) that the whole
world, including your closest ones, is armed against
you. But then, in accordance with the degree of
growing sorrows, one feels an increase of Gracefilled
power, an increase in the help which strengthens and
gives comfort in sorrow, consolation and even joy.
The sorrows of the world, on the other hand, are
gloomy and bring us no benefit.
When I meet and observe the lives of those
whom I knew as young people and who have now
reached a ripe age, I see how weighed down they
ate with worldly cares and sicknesses, how bleakly
they spend their days if they have no higher
yearnings . But those who give themselves to
God's service, even if they suffer for it, are spiritually
vibrant end feel God's hand protecting them.
What should you do and where should you go?
I think I have already written you that anyone--both
the learned and unlettered--can serve God and live
righteously, but now the Church needs servers who
are able to guide the people in the faith and defend
Her from attacks. I would be very happy if you could
be with me, but I think it would be more beneficial for
you and the Church if you were to receive a
theological education and for this reason enroll at the
Holy Trinity Seminary, where ... is presently studying.
May the Lord help you and bless you on this
path.
The Lord's blessing to all your close ones.
Your loving,
+ ABishop John
Translated from Russkoe Vozrozdenie, #29,
by Fr. Peter Perekrestov, priest