Icon of St. John Maximovitch streamed myrrh as he was celebrated in skete in his honor in his home village

Svyatogorsk, Ukraine, July 7, 2017

Photo: svlavra.church.ua Photo: svlavra.church.ua
    

On July 2, the commemoration day of the holy hierarch and wonderworker St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, the patronal feast of the Svyatogorsk Lavra skete named for St. John in his home village of Adamovka, Donetsk Region, was festively celebrated. An icon of the holy hierarch began to stream myrrh during the celebrations, reports the lavra’s site.

Photo: svlavra.church.ua Photo: svlavra.church.ua
    

Services began in the skete with the Rite of Confession at 6:15 AM, followed by the reading of the Hours in the lower church in honor of the miracle of St. Michael the Archangel at Colossae, and the early Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Hieromonk Clement (Perchik) of St. Vladimir’s Church in the nearby village of Nikolskoye. A moleben with the blessing of water and an akathist to St. John was celebrated at 7:00 AM in the church courtyard by Archimandrite Ambrose (Bobrov) of the lavra’s Skete of All Saints and other local clergy. The blessing of the waters and the subsequent late Divine Liturgy were sung by three choirs: the choir of the Svyatogorsk Lavra, the choir of the village of Adamovka, and a choir invited from Kharkov. Around 500 pilgrims had arrived by this time to celebrate the great saint.

Photo: svlavra.church.ua Photo: svlavra.church.ua
    

Metropolitan Arseny of Svyatogorsk, abbot of the Svyatogorsk Lavra, was liturgically greeted after the blessing of the waters, then served the late Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. John, concelebrated by the clergy of the lavra. More than 1,000 people were present at the service.

Photo: svlavra.church.ua Photo: svlavra.church.ua
    

After reading the Gospel, Met. Arseny gave a sermon, stating, “Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us,” quoting from the service of Palm Sunday. “Although the cities of Shanghai and San Francisco are far and alien from us, the saint’s home of Adamovka, his home village, in which a skete has been built in his honor, makes him native to us,” the bishop stated, adding that everyone present was as if a guest of St. John, in the village where he was born and raised. He also recalled the saint’s pious parents Boris and Glafira, who managed to raise such a holy child and cited several examples from St. John’s life, showing the depth of his humility, piety, and love of God and people, calling upon all present to put all aside excuses and strive after such holiness and union with Christ.

Photo: svlavra.church.ua Photo: svlavra.church.ua
    

The Divine Liturgy was followed by a procession around the church with the reading of the Gospel. Spiritual father of the Skete of St. John Archimandrite Vsevolod (Georgitsa) greeted Met. Arseny and gifted him with a copy of the She Who is Quick to Hear Icon of the God, thanking him for the monastery’s great work in taking in so many refugees during this difficult period in the life of Ukraine, thereby again emulating their heavenly patron who sheltered so many homeless and destitute children. “You love us all, we all live by your prayers and your example. We all love you very much and thank you greatly,” the archimandrite concluded.

Photo: svlavra.church.ua Photo: svlavra.church.ua
    

The abbot of the lavra later spoke about a “small miracle” that occurred during the feast: “On the feast of St. John, today, a small icon, bought by one woman in the monastery store, began to stream myrrh.” St. John thereby visibly revealed his presence at the celebration. The icon was placed on the stand in the church, and everyone had the opportunity to venerate it, after which they were all gifted with a small icon of St. John and processed to a celebratory meal.

Photo: svlavra.church.ua Photo: svlavra.church.ua
    

7/7/2017

Comments
Sherri Swank11/13/2021 3:52 pm
One night I woke and was very sad and discouraged by my lack of ascetics and failures in discipline. I listened to a podcast from a monastery about St. John. It was a 45 minutes long podcast, but I fell asleep on my couch while listening in the first 10 minutes. When the podcast ended, I awoke and knew St. John Maximovitch was sitting on the end of the couch. I didn't know what the podcast had said about him, but I knew he was with me because I felt so comforted and encouraged by his presences. I just knew he was here blessing me in my sadness. We are not alone in our struggles! Later I listened to the full podcast, and learned that he rarely slept, but went around the monastery blessing the monks as they slept.
Karen Krilanovich7/9/2017 6:47 pm
May Saint John pray for me and my family and friends and I want to Thank Him for Praying for me over The Years... I am Thankful to The Lord That I was Blessed to be able to Attend with Presbyteria Anna CC Saint John's Canization July 2, 1994...This was such a Blessing for Us and My Daughter Darlene... Also many friends from my Church in Santa Cruz, CA 95060 and at That Time Anna CC was going to Saint Nicholas in Saratoga and now She is with Him in Heaven... Such Joy...We will All Together Soon... Won't it be Wonderful There... Rejoicing Together ?!
Tatiana Eaglesham 7/8/2017 5:00 pm
What a Blessing to have further confirmation that our Holy Vladka continues to protect and defend us.
Holy St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco have mercy on us and pray for us!
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