Sainted John, Metropolitan of Tobol'sk and All Siberia, the Wonderwonder
Commemorated on June 10
Sainted John,
Metropolitan of Tobol'sk and All Siberia, the Wonderwonder, in the world
was named Ioann Maksimovich, and he was born in the city of Nezhino in 1651.
His father Maksim Vasil'evich and mother Evphrosynia had a total of seven sons,
of which John was the eldest. Upon his completion of the Kievo-Mogilyansk
College (afterwards transformed into 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 Kievo-Pechersk monastery and became
absorbed in the deed of inner activity. With the general consent of the
brethren, the young monk was entrusted the responsible obedience of preaching.
From this period of time there was revealed in him an exceptional talent of
eloquence and graced abilities. He attached an especial significance to inward
religious self-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: "Iliotropion " (the
"Heliotropion" or "Sun-Flower" – a sun-turning plant), or
the Conforming of the Human Will with the Divine Will". Of the great many
works from the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church, this work gives most fully
an answer to this great question of Christian soteriology.
In 1658 they
dispatched him on a mission to Moscow. There he was appointed by Patriarch
Joakim (1674-1690) as vicar of the Bryansk Svensk monastery, which was then
under the Kievo-Pechersk Lavra.
Sainted Theodosii,
Archbishop of Chernigov, in 1695 shortly before his own end (+ 1696, Comm. 5
February) appointed Priest-monk John as archimandrite of the Chernigov Eletsk
monastery, and designated him as his successor for the cathedra-seat. (Saint
John revered the memory of Saint Theodosii, believing in the power of his
prayerful intercession before the Lord, and through his faith he received a
graced healing from serious illness through the prayers of Saint Theodosii. At
the very height of the sickness, Saint Theodosii appeared to him and said:
"Serve thou tomorrow – thou wilt be well". On the following day
Saint John, completely well and to the amazement of everyone, served out the
Divine Liturgy. And this miracle of the healing of Saint John marked the
beginning of the veneration of Saint Theodosii as a grace-bearing saint of
God.)
On 10 January 1697
the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus Adrian (1690-1700) with a sobor of bishops
ordained Archimandrite John as Bishop of Chernigov, in the great
Uspensky-Dormition cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
Upon entering into
the guidance of the diocese, Bishop John created nearby the archbishop's
cathedral a Collegium, 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, the school of Saint John received
wide reknown. And in essence, this was the first seminary in Russia, on the
model of which there began opening spiritual seminaries 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-moral content.
The life of Saint
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 Theatron-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.
(A peculiarity of the graduates of the Kiev school was this, – that they wrote
their works in classical Latin. Professor I. A. Maksimovich in 1888 translated
the "Iliotropion" 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 Holy Mount Athos. He had an especially warm interest
in the fate of Russian inhabitants on the Holy Mountain, and rendered them
substantial material aid during these difficult years. His archbishopal
grammota-document to the Russian Panteleimonov monastery has been preserved,
and it testifies to his concern for those on Holy Mount Athos.
On 14 August 1711,
after his elevation to the dignity of metropolitan, Saint John arrived at the
cathedra-seat of Tobol'sk and All Siberia. The saint concerned himself
constantly with the enlightening of his diocese. And there also he continued
with his work, started at Chernigov: he improved the school, which had been
opened by his predecessor, the reknown missionary metropolitan Philothei
(Leschinsky, + 1727), and he continued the apostolic preaching among the pagans
of Siberia, converting many thousands to Christ. In 1714 Saint John set off to
Peking in heading a mission with archimandrite Ilarion (Lezhaisky). At Tobol'sk
he again undertook publishing activity, using the printing press set up by him
at Chernigov. To this time period belongs also the publishing by Metropolitan
John of the "Iliotropion" in the Slavonic-Russian language (1714), so
that the Siberians likewise should understand it.
About the life of the
saint in Siberia the chronicler reports: "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 to the home of the needy generous alms with the words: "Accept this
in the Name of Jesus Christ". His home at Tobol'sk was always open for all
those in need of help or word of comfort. Even on the day he died, 10 June
1715, after Divine Liturgy – as was his custom even earlier, Saint John had
set up at his home a dining-hall 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 and at the time of the church-bells for Vespers
he died at prayer, on his knees. The saint was buried in the chapel of Saint John
Chrysostom at the Tobol'sk Uspenie-Sophia cathedral.
Saint John has long
been venerated in Siberia. In light of numerous miracles and the longstanding
local veneration of the memory of Saint John, in the year 1916 the Church
established the all-Russian celebration for the day of repose of the saint to
God – 10 June.
The memory of Saint
John is fervently kept by Siberians and by all the believing Russian people. He
at present rests in the Tobol'sk cathedral of the Pokrov-Protection of the
Mother of God. The service to him was republished, with the blessing of His Holiness
Patriarch Alexei, by metropolitan Vartholomei (Gorodtsov) in 1947 at the city
of Novosibirsk.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.