What is the holiday of November 1? The holy righteous John, the Kronstad Wonderworker, was born on October 19 (November 1, according to a new style) in 1829 in the far north in the village of Sura, Arkhangelsk province, in the family of poor deacon Ilya Sergiev.
Parenting
The newborn was in poor health and often sick, so his parents rushed to christen him. What kind of holiday? On November 1, John was born in a new style, they named him in honor of a saint whose memory was celebrated by the holy church that day, St. John of Rylsky. Soon after the sacrament of baptism, the child became better. Pious parents attributed healing to the gracious action of the holy church and began to direct the child’s thoughts and feelings for God with special enthusiasm. Theodore's mother taught her to earnest church and home prayer, and his father took with him to worship, raising a special love for them.
What kind of holiday? On November 1, John was born and was in extreme material need, he early knew the joyless pictures of poverty, suffering and tears. All this left an imprint on his heart and fostered a compassionate love for the poor, so he showed deep sympathy and grew concentrated, reserved, thoughtful. He did not have a penchant for games characteristic of children, but carried in his soul thoughts about God, even when he admired nature, because it also recalls the greatness of the Creator.
Study
What is the holiday of November 1? On this day the sixth anniversary of the future miracle worker John happened, and his father began to teach him to read and write. But the teaching was not given well to the boy, which upset him very much, but at the same time inspired him to fervent prayers for help. When he was nine, his father collected the last crumbs of funds and sent him to the Arkhangelsk parish school.
There, he acutely felt his helplessness and loneliness, finding only solace in prayer. He often and fervently prayed, asking God for reason. And suddenly, at night it seemed to dawn on him, as if a veil had fallen from his eyes, he remembered the details of the lesson of the previous day. From that moment, his memory improved, and he began to understand everything.
Church holiday on November 1 for all Orthodox Christians. This day gave us a priest whose sermons were distinguished by simplicity of presentation and the power of conviction. John graduated with honors from the Arkhangelsk seminary and even entered the state theological academy of St. Petersburg at the public expense.
Prophetic dream
Metropolitan life did not harm John; he remained the same as at home, focused and serious. When his father died, the young man procured a place in the office, where he received meager money, which he sent to his mother in full.
John wanted to devote his life to missionary work, to bring the word of God to the savages of North America and Siberia. But God was pleased to see him in a slightly different pastoral work.
Once having returned from a walk home, he fell asleep, and he had a dream in which he saw himself as a priest of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral. John took this as a command from above. Soon the prophetic dream came true. After graduating from the academy, John was invited to marry his daughter K. Nesvitsky, who served as archpriest of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Church and be a priest of this cathedral. He accepted the offer, remembering his dream.
November 1 is a holiday in Russia. This date is marked by the birth of a man whose good and disinterested deeds glorified him all over the world. At the end of 1855 he was ordained a priest, and since then his whole life has been connected with this cathedral, which is why many even called John Kronstadsky, forgetting his last name "Sergiev", and he often signed it like that.
Brother and sister
For the Orthodox Church, it is necessary that a priest serving in the world be married, so John concluded him. In reality, their marriage with Elizabeth was fictitious, covering up his selfless pastoral feats. The couple lived like brother and sister. John on his wedding night said to his wife: “There are so many happy families, and we will serve God.” Until the end of his days, he remained a virgin.
Activities of John
Acquainted with his pastoral duties, he realized that there are no less things to do for selfless service than in distant pagan lands. Kronstadt was a place where people with various vices were sent. In faith, unbelief, sectarianism flourished here. Laborers employed in the port huddled in miserable dugouts and shacks, begging and drinking. The locals had to endure a lot from them. It was unsafe to walk the streets of the city at night, the risk of becoming robbed was great.
It was with such people, who died morally, all despised, that the great shepherd began to work. Every day I began to go to their wretched shacks to look after the sick, help financially, console, and talk. Often he returned home naked and without boots, distributing everything he had. These "tramps" were the first to notice the sanctity of John, because by the strength of his compassionate love, he returned to them the lost human appearance. Then the whole believer in Russia learned about the priest, who has since celebrated the Orthodox holiday on November 1.
Such activities of the young shepherd were criticized from all sides. Many mocked, some did not believe in sincerity, slandered, called a holy fool. Even the diocese for some time did not give him a salary and called for explanations. But no one and nothing managed to break him, trying to change his lifestyle - he courageously endured all the trials.
Church holiday on November 1 marks the whole of Orthodox Russia. People finally realized that before them was a true follower of Christ. All that they laughed and blasphemed began to glorify.
"Discovery" of the gift
November 1 is a holiday in Russia, on this day St. John was born, who received from God a great gift of miracles. The news of him spread not only throughout Russia, but also abroad. At first he himself went to people, and now people began to flock to him from all sides. Thousands of pilgrims came daily to Kronstadt, hoping to see John and get help. Enormous sums of letters and donations to charity came to him, he immediately handed out everything. Also, with these funds, John fed the poor, built the "House of industriousness" with a shelter, workshops, a school and a church. In his native village he erected a large temple, built a convent, in St. Petersburg on Karpovka founded a convent, where he was later buried.
November 1 - Orthodox holiday: the birthday of Saint and righteous John.