St. John the Most Merciful: Icon, Akathist and Prayer

John the Most Merciful is the Alexandrian Patriarch. According to different versions, he died between 616-620 years. Memory is performed on the day of his death - November 25 (according to the Julian calendar on November 12).

Biography

John the Merciful is the son of Epiphany, the governor on the island of Cyprus. He was born in Amafunt (Limassol). John lost his wife and children. After some time, he began to help the poor and lead an ascetic life. John was neither a monk nor a clergyman, but the people wished to be elected patriarch. The decision was approved by Emperor Irakli.

So, John the Most Merciful became a patriarch in 610. He counted all the poor in Alexandria and distributed all his possessions among them. The patriarch sent a donation to the Holy Sepulcher, provided assistance and shelter to the needy, bought out prisoners. His merciful work is described in the hagiographic literature (for example, in Rostov Dmitry - "The Life of John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria"). And John struggled with the false doctrine of Monophysites.

Once the Persians invaded Egypt and began threatening Alexandria. Her population fled, and John had to go to Constantinople to petition for the imminent departure of the army for the defense of the city. Unfortunately, when he stopped in his hometown of Amafunta, he reposed about 619.

Canonization

John the Most Merciful was ranked by the church to the rank of saints as a prelate. The first life of the righteous John was written by his companion Leontius of Naples in the 7th century. Metaphrastus describes the miracles that occurred after his death at his relics.

The relics of the saint were preserved in Constantinople, in 1249 they were transported to Venice. Some parts of the relic have been kept since 1489 in Budapest (now in Bratislava). It is known that the relics of Patriarch John are also kept in such monasteries in Athos: Vatoped, Dohyar, Dionisiat (right), Pantokrator and Karakal.

Life

So, St. John the Most Merciful was born in the 6th century, in the family of the noble dignitary Epiphany in Cyprus. When he was fifteen, he had a vision that affected his entire subsequent life.

He was granted the highest virtue - compassion - in the form of a beautiful maid. She was dressed in light clothes, an olive wreath was seen on her head. The maid said: "If you make friends with me, I at the King will test you immeasurable bliss and bring you to Him, for He no one owns such strength and boldness as I do. I sent him down from heaven and clothed him in human flesh. "

This virtue was the companion of his whole life path, for which John was nicknamed in the people by the Gracious. "He who trusts in the compassion of the Lord, first of all, must himself be merciful to all," said John the Most Gracious of Alexandria.

At the request of his father and mother, he married, he had children. The wife and children of the righteous reposed, and he took monastic vows and became a strict fast, brother-brother and prayer book.

Virtues and spiritual deeds acquired fame for St. John the Gracious, and when the Patriarchal pulpit was orphaned in Alexandria, the lord of Heraclius and all the ministers of the altar persuaded him to become a patriarch.

Hard John was a proper archpastoral ministry, worried about the spiritual education of the parishioners. During his work, he caught in the heresy monofilament - the Antiochian Fullon, and expelled from Alexandria his supporters. But the most important of his duties, John considered the benefits and alms to all the poor. At the beginning of his service at the department he ordered the account of the poor and the poor in Alexandria: there were more than seven thousand souls. All these needy John daily gave free food.

It is known that the patriarch John the Most Merciful appeared every Friday and Wednesday at the door of the cathedral and handed out alms, parried quarrels, supported the deprived. Three times a week he was in the infirmary, he helped the sick.

At that time, the ruler of Irakli fought with the Persian ruler Khazroi II. The Persians seized a large number of prisoners, devastated and betrayed Jerusalem. St. John singled out an impressive portion of the treasury for their ransom.

Beggar

John never rejected those who asked. One day he decided to visit the hospital, met the indigent on the way and ordered him to give six pieces of silver. The beggar changed his dress, overtook the saint and again asked for alms. John again gave him six pieces of silver. When the indigent begging was asked a third time, and the servant began to drive a pesky beggar, John ordered to give him twelve pieces of silver, saying: "Is not Christ tempting me?"

It is known that twice John gave money to a merchant, whose ships were drowned in the sea, and for the third time gave him a ship packed with wheat, which was the property of the patriarchate. It was on him that the merchant made a successful journey and returned the loan.

A blanket

Many believers constantly read the Akathist to John the Merciful. They want to get rid of poverty as soon as possible, because the saint always cared for the suffering. On that day, when John could not help anyone, he considered this day lost. John cried with tears: "Today I did not bring anything to my Redeemer for my sins!" There is a well-known case that points to the extraordinary modesty of the saint.

One wealthy dignitary, having learned that John was asleep under an ordinary blanket, sent him an expensive blanket as a present. The prelate took a present, but could not fall asleep for a minute: "Woe to me, I rest under such a chic veil, and the poor brothers of Christ at this moment, perhaps, die of hunger and spend the night in the cold without sleep."

The next day, John ordered the blanket to be sold, and the coins distributed to the poor. The nobleman, having discovered the veil on the market, again acquired it and sent it to the saint. This went on several times. As a result, the third time, when the blanket was again in the patriarch's office, he again sold it, while stating the grandee: "Let's see who gets tired faster - whether you buy or I sell!"

Monk

St John with all his heart forgave his resentment and himself with the deepest meekness and humility asked for an apology from those to whom he grieved and sorrow caused. Once a monk was accused of unlawful communication, and the saint believed this slander. The monk was locked up in a dungeon.

At night, this monk had a dream. Having exposed his body, covered with wounds and sores, he said to John: "Do you see this? Are you well? Was that how the apostles instructed to lead the flock of God? You have believed in slander. "

The next day John called the monk from the dungeon, and he told him that the relics of the divine martyrs John and Cyrus in Gaza baptized the virgin. Then he wished her to be identified in one of the women's monasteries and accompanied her in the simplicity of the heart.

John listened to the monk and was very sad: he sincerely apologized to the innocent victim. After this incident, the patriarch was extremely cautious in his judgments about his neighbors, and asked others not to condemn anyone. "We will not condemn anyone," said John, "we only see evil deeds, and we can not see the secret grief and repentance of the sinner hidden from us."

Icon

Many unfortunates helped John the Most Merciful. His icon also works wonders! Before her pray:

• With the loss of the breadwinner.
• On healing from malice.
• In poverty, hunger and other worldly difficulties.

Cleric

John was generally recognized as a patriarch, very meekly related to the laity. One day, he was forced to excommunicate a cleric from the church for some kind of fault. The perpetrator was embittered by the patriarch. John wanted to talk with him, but soon forgot about his desire.

When he performed the Divine Liturgy, he remembered the saying of the Gospel: "If you bring your gift to the Altar and remember anything against yourself - you need to give this gift and first make peace with your brother." (MF.5.23-24).

The saint came out of the Altar, called to himself the sinful cleric and, kneeling before him, apologized profusely. The surprised cleric instantly repented of the deed and subsequently turned into a pious priest.

Lesson

Once George, nephew of John, insulted the townspeople. George asked the saint to take revenge on the offender. John promised to repay the offender so that the whole of Alexandria will be amazed. His promise pacified George. The saint began to teach him, talking about the need for humility and meekness, and then, inviting the offender, proclaimed that he was saving him from payments for land. Alexandria was truly amazed by this "payment". George learned his uncle's lesson.

The relics of the saint

Akathist to John the Merciful protects from poverty and gives prosperity, for St. John was a strict prayer book and ascetic, he constantly thought about death. The Patriarch ordered a coffin for himself, but the masters told him not to finish it completely. He told them to come to him every holiday and in the presence of everyone to ask if it's time to finish the work.

Before his death, John fell ill and was forced to leave his pulpit and go to the island of Cyprus. When the enlightened traveled, he saw a sign. A luminous husband appeared to him in a sleepy vision and said: "The king of kings calls you to himself!" This phenomenon foretold the demise of John.

The saint arrived on the island of Cyprus, in the paternal city of Amafunt, and with peace returned to the Most High (616-620). Before he died, he said: "Thank You, Most High, that You allowed me to give You for You, I did not save anything from the riches of the world, except for the third part of the silver piece, and I will sacrifice that to the poor." The relics of St. John were taken to Tsargrad, where in 1200 the Russian pilgrim Antony saw them. Then they were transferred to the Buddha, and then to the Hungarian town of Presburg.