"Memory eternal righteous" (Ps.111: 6-7)
Ivan (John French) Jouravsky Petrovich was born on 12/25 September 1867 in the rural district near Madonsk Laudon. His father and grandfather were priests, and officiated in both the Russian Orthodox Eparchy of Polotsk. John aside, the family of Father Pierre (1826-1892) and his wife, Matouchka Melanie, had four children: Simeon, who became a priest and three daughters.
's grandfather, a brilliant mind, yet died young, during a religious service (probably a baptism) in private homes, killed by schismatics.
Peter was sent by his mother at the Ecclesiastical School of Polotsk, and then he entered the seminary of St. Petersburg, where he completed the course in 1847. The following year, March 7, 1848, he was ordained a priest of the Church in the Eparchy of Balov Polotsk (now Balvi, Latvia). From 1853 to 1856, he officiated at the Church of the Eparchy of Skrudalin in Riga. From 1841, a movement toward orthodox Lutheranism was beginning among the Latvians and Estonians in the diocese of Riga. Therefore, we began to build churches in Orthodox and Baltic regions to bring in priests.
Jouravsky Pierre's father, wanting to be helpful to orthodoxy within the Latvian people, asked to be assigned to a parish where the majority of the faithful was Latvian and where the religious service was done in Latvian. By decree of the archbishop of Plato and Mitavsk Gorodetsky, he was appointed priest at the church Kaltsenav the superintendence of Kerstenbem.
Then began his priesthood among Latvians, which continued until his death in the same superintendence. It was three years Kaltsenav priest, officiated Martsien about eight years, nine years was a priest of Golgotha, the administration of parishes and Stomerz Boutskovsk, and was the last ten years a priest from the church to Lidern Vidzeme. He served 44 years as a priest with.
Father Peter was a simple man and sociable, dedicated servant of God. Where he officiate, there was always a good impression. At the end of his life, he received from God the gift of pure prayer. Farmers came from afar to pray with him, they were Orthodox or Lutherans. Whatever his condition, even if he was ill, he went to the first call to his parishioners for prayers and offices, at any time and in any weather.
He knew many tribulations during his life in this region where we do not share his faith. Father Pierre Jouravsky died June 10, 1892. The Office of the dead was celebrated by eight priests, including two of his son, Simeon the priest and the deacon John Jouravsky, at whose head there was the superintendent of Kerstenbem, Father Basil Pokrovsky. The liturgy took place in Latvia, and the burial service in Slavonic.
About 2000 people attended the funeral. The day was clear and tranquil, beautiful songs. We felt the atmosphere of worship the exceptional importance of the event.
Father Jean Jouravsky addressed more than once to his father asking for help and received it (see "Diary of an old priest").
In his childhood, little Jean Jouravsky saw angels, and this marked his mysterious vision of the soul divine imprint. It is likely that in his childhood with his brother Simeon and his sisters, he regularly went to services at the church where his father officiated, helping to sing in the choir. Little John loved the early church hymns and prayer.
Having left school in 1884, Jean Jouravsky entered the seminary in Riga who was, like the church attached to the Protection Seminar at 9 Boulevard Kronwald (currently the faculty of the institute Medical Riga). When the school left him time, he sang in the choir Archbishop of Riga, in the Cathedral of the Nativity, under the direction of choirmaster Kislov, a former student director of the choir of St. Petersburg composer Alexander Lvov . He acquired a profound knowledge in the field of church music, which enabled him in 1900 to publish a collection of liturgical singing in Latvian church, with scores (éd.Riga 1900), whose followers be used extensively in the parishes of Latvia. Father John told his parishioners that prayer is the song of the soul to God. "We must pray as we sing, the singers are the lights of the house of God. " He particularly liked the Cherubic Hymn (No. 69), Mira Milost (Nos. 11, 12, 13 in the Book of Song).
Concerned church singing and praying together, with a prayer that the priest is "the people, and not instead of the people", he submitted for publication in the late 30 a collection of pocket-format convenient for parishioners, the book of hours / Pesnoslov / (Vigil, Liturgy Vigil fasting) in order to standardize the song in the Orthodox churches, schools and families. Unfortunately the collection was lost during the Second World War. It would be appropriate that such a collection can be edited by the spiritual heirs of Father John. Perhaps this collection has been retained by one of the readers of these lines?
In 1890, at the end of the seminar, John was sexton at Vindava (Ventspils), at the Church of All Saints of Zamkov whose superior was the famous Father Basil Aliakritsky. In 1891, John was sexton at the parish of Ascension Latvian Riga (street Menes). February 19, 1892, Archbishop Arsene (Briantsev) ordained deacon at the Church of the Holy Spirit Jakobstadt, and February 12, 1895, a priest from the church to Martsien Vizdem (where his father had officiated). Here in Martsien, Father Jean Jouravsky continued the holy work of his father: he restored the iconostasis of the church of Saint-Alexis (1898), and built a chapel in honor of St. Alexander Nevsky in the cemetery Orthodox (1897), and the parish school of ecclesiastical Martsien (1899). Its activity was several times noted with appreciation by the Archbishop of Riga Agathange (Preobrazhensky).
known for years of service at John's father was a teacher Martsien it done, well, soft and affable. Its good soul was the Word of God to his students in a non-altered, in the light of love and prayer.
In 1900, the holy and righteous Father John (Sergiev) Kronstadt [1] went to Riga and Vindava (Ventspils). In Riga he celebrated the Divine Liturgy (or Moleben) in the Church of the Consolation-of-all-the-afflicted, and May 12 at Vindava a Moleben for the consecration of a sanatorium for children and a liturgy at the church. A Vindava always, Father John of Kronstadt concelebrated with priests of the diocese of Riga, Father Basil Aliakritsky, Father Vladimir Pliss, the sacristan of the Cathedral, Father Winter, Jankovic's father, the father Tserin. It is possible that the Father Jean Jouravsky had met Father John of Kronstadt at that time in the Church of the Consolation-of-all-the-afflicted, as it is also possible that he had met when he was still seminarian during a visit to Kronstadt. It is only evidence that this holy priest of the Church gave John a cleric coat and gave him spiritual teachings. The people could say afterwards: "It's a gift that has been passed from John to John."
Until the last years of his life, Father Jean Jouravsky retained the mantle of Father John of Kronstadt. A photograph of the holy father was still in the apse of the altar. He tried to practice his teachings. But what were they?
Father Jean Kensington had nothing, he was the antithesis of Scrooge, he distributed his salary to the poor, he refused an advantageous position at the Cathedral, and took upon him the cross to serve the church in the prison of Riga and in the home for the elderly Sadovnikov. He always taught catechism in the schools (except in Soviet times), never refused to give communion to the sick, and brought the Holy Gifts to those who longed for a visit from God. He bore with meekness many afflictions from his family, especially his wife, with whom he lived as brother and sister. He was the best instructor and confessor of the young priests of Riga. But as it is now full, it was above all a great man of prayer, praying continually, especially at night. We report the cases where it appeared to the young priests in their dreams by lecturing.
Father John celebrated the Divine Liturgy Jouravsky remarkably. His spiritual children consider that this gift came from his father John of Kronstadt. He officiated with fervor and in strict observance of the rite. The singing was smooth and full of the spirit of prayer. The father was often on his knees in the altar.
During the service, Father John could sometimes see the invisible world, including the souls of the dead. Its celebrations were filled with fear. With the audacity of Father John of Kronstadt, Father was reading the secret prayers aloud, and opened the Royal Doors for the Eucharistic canon. The commemoration of the living and the dead were read aloud twice during the prosthesis and the Liturgy.
The Church of the Consolation-of-all-the-afflicted when he officiated was always packed, while those who were beside were empty. Tell the faithful service in the Church of the Consolation began at 8am and ended at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Then all went to him for advice, as an elder, and to receive his blessing. We left the church to go home with wings, so powerful was the grace poured on people.
Father Jean Jouravsky received God's other gifts: the gift of healing - it happened that heal by anointing with holy oil - the gift of clairvoyance, which manifested itself in the precision of his advice in the vision of what had been or was about to happen. He warned his flock of dangers, seen spiritually, "seized" the man as a whole. The prayer of protection and elder brought relief.
From 1902 until the exodus of 1915 (when Germany occupied Latvia) Father Jean Jouravsky officiated at the Church of St. Nicolas Vindava. Where was the father during the years of the Exodus (1915 to 1918), we know. But there is evidence certifying that he would be returned to Kiev where he met the spiritual. We owe to his pen a poem inspired "On the inside Christianity," which is a synthesis of the orthodox teaching of the Holy Fathers on "intelligence work" and prayer interior. This poem became the favorite book of many, priests or laity. He understood the prayer, humility and above all the diligent research of the Kingdom of God to many people. This book belongs to the "first" Jouravsky (he wrote at the age of 40/50 years), his style is high, inspired. (The author says in the introduction that he is the "fruit of forty years ago to listen carefully to the Divine Symphony of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church." In 1918 the father was 51 years old). Father John has left tens of thousands of responses to letters from his spiritual children. But, unfortunately, the archives of the elder were lost after his death, the letters having been brought outside the borders of Latvia without that we could discover them. The collection of these letters and their publication is perhaps the next step in studying the life of Father John.
From 1920 to 1940, Father John was a priest attached to the prison in Riga. He served in the Riga Central Prison Street Matis, where had been since the days of Tsar Nicolas Church St. and transfer to the prison in Riga, where was the church of St. Sergius. He also went to the asylum for the aged. The Father John recalls the time St. Nicolas the good shepherd. The numerous pockets of his coat were always full of gifts for the inmates. For the High Holidays, he went round cells with bags full of gifts.
In prison, he founded four choirs and two libraries of spiritual literature: through song and prayer, lost souls returned to God. Preparing inmates for various church items, such as carved frame for the Gospel (almost like in the houses of Toil's father John of Kronstadt). It is said that many inmates returned to the Church and that Father Jean helped much to save their souls.
In Soviet times the church of the prison closed, the books were removed to the library, the church of asylum was destroyed and looted. It is amazing and miraculous that the father had been spared by God during these disasters. The Germans arrived in 1941. The Gestapo and the SS did shoot mass Jews of Riga. The father baptized many Jews and thus saved from spiritual death and physical. It could cost him to be shot. But God protected him.
1944. Troops Soviets were again in Riga. Should he save himself? A group of 25 people, consisting of priests headed by Bishop John of Riga (Garklavs), left forever. The father asked his beloved icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, with whom he always spoke, whether to go or not. The Mother of God shook his head disapprovingly, "Do not go! "
Since 1940 and until 1962, Father Jean Jouravsky was the dean of the Church of the Consolation-of-all-the-afflicted father when John of Kronstadt officiated one day. This is the last place where he officiated. In 1940, he had 73 years. He then devoted himself entirely to his work as pastor, and prayer. He had behind him a great service experience. But we must "suffer through". It is dangerous to assimilate the wealth of the Gospel who, having amassed property, calms down. The father officiated without fail. He especially loved to pray the Mother of God, devoting the Akathist. He loved the children he "sized up" from the womb, when he saw they were not yet born. He coaxed the children always gave them candy. His sermons were bold, direct accusers, he answered all questions of those who came to see. He spoke openly of godless communism. It was observed by spies informers, but God protected him. Most importantly he taught the congregation prayer, the main virtue of the Christian.
The father's attitude toward the mystery of John's death, the world of the dead, is instructive. He had a rich experience of supernatural revelations, visions of the souls of holy relics with which he prayed, and souls of the dead in cemeteries and in the church during the service, especially during the Divine Liturgy. Those for whom he prayed lui apparaissaient. La prière du starets était si forte qu'elle révélait le monde invisible. Il disait qu’il faut prier pour les défunts en versant des larmes. Son âme était toujours proche de ceux pour qui il priait, et des effets mystérieux s'en suivaient. Ses enfants spirituels ressentaient physiquement la proximité du starets, sa présence.
Cet enseignement vivant sur le monde de ceux qui se sont endormis et nous ont précédé dans le Seigneur, car « Dieu n'est pas le Dieu des morts, mais le Dieu des vivants » (Marc 12,27) est très important pour la conscience rationnelle actuelle, souvent froide et ignorante live links with the deceased, their actual proximity.
In recent years, when he was 90 years ago, a special light shone around him. Let us remember St. Seraphim of Sarov that God prepared 47 years to serve people, then He revealed to all. It is the same for Father John. At the end of his life he was an elder, a "golden father," as they called in the people. He was a true spiritual guide from God. We came to see the whole of Russia and even abroad. He wrote every day dozens of letters and still brought and again to help ... It "united in Christ" Christ's flock. It was a close friend of former starets Valaam, the spiritual father of the chapel of the Riga Transfiguration of the Saviour, Father Archimandrite Kosma (Smirnov). He was the spiritual father of many spiritual fathers.
is at this moment that the Lord awakened in him the gift of seeing the future. He spoke of the holiness of the land Latvian, future release, future affliction, punishment of God, that "your children are still studying the Act of God" and many other things, and everything came true effectively. At the end of his life Father Jean had to endure persecution. First it was a warning from his own colleagues the clergy, followed by an official decree banning the mention in the sermons of "phrases, examples and facts corrupt and uncouth" (presumably the Communists), and asking "strictly limited during the Service as specified by the service book ... Royal Doors open at the appointed time." Then, two years before his death (the elder had predicted) on termination of his colleagues, he was ruled out of offices in the Church of the Consolation-of-afflicted and he was forced to write his own request off. He was 95 years, but it was still an officer, he had already done so much for the Church of Christ ... Parish Church of Consolation-of-afflicted wrote to the Archbishop to defend the father: "All of us had a family, a house. Most of us have a prayer of ten, twelve years with Father John, kneeling before the altar. We pray Thee, Most Holy and revered Bishop ... Let us rejoice in our afflictions that are already painful daily. Because we would have no greater joy than to find and review the archpriest John at the altar of Consolation-of-all-the-afflicted, which he has been so shamelessly chased! Alas, the bishop did not hear the voice of the people ...
The father had predicted when it would be rejected and die, the church would be destroyed. This was the only church destroyed in Riga during the Soviet era. And one wonders why. If we ourselves, Orthodox, had not betrayed our elder, external enemies could they defeat us?
Yes, we are invulnerable until peace is with us. It's worth thinking about. To all the destroyers of churches, those who destroyed in 1925 the chapel of the Mother of God of Kazan on the station square in Riga, who closed the Cathedral of the Nativity and those who have slandered the elder has predicted the punishment of God, and he 's is accomplished during his lifetime, for all, and rigorously.
The father died on Palm Sunday, the day of the Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem, March 31, 1964, and we believe he came to Heaven. The Office of the Dead was celebrated at the Church of St. John the Forerunner in Riga on April 4, the eve of Good Friday. Twenty priests of the Russian Orthodox diocese of Riga, in headed by Bishop Nikon (Fomitcheva) from Riga and Latvia attended the funeral service before a large crowd. The grave of the elder cemetery lies on the right side of the Church of St. John the Forerunner, and almost opposite the entrance in the old church of Our Lady of Kazan.
I confess my weakness to write these pages on a spiritual elder whose size is immeasurable. What can I say in conclusion? Reading the memories of the spiritual children of Father John, speaking with many people who knew him and received spiritual help, we can see how the elder recalls so amazing the holy figure of St. Nicolas the Miracle Worker: his spiritual teaching, his calm, gentle devoid of acrimony or vainglory, his generosity, his detachment, his concern for the oppressed, prisoners, the hungry, to whom he bore the saints Mysteries of the poor he dressed, his purity of heart, the strength of his prayer that could be healed many people, his vision that enabled him to anticipate troubles, afflictions, and the loss of ingrates.
Life of Father Jean Jouravsky does not end there. He himself said: "When I die, come pray on my grave, but only after the office, because during the service, I am at the church. " Those who come to pray to know that aid is given. They are healing, blessing, and an attentive ear to their request.
CONCLUSIION
What made John a father's elder? How a married priest, celebrated in a parish, he could achieve spiritual elevation that only a chosen few reaches to the monasteries?
his hard work, his dedication and continued daily in the service, gave him no personal freedom. Everything about him was dedicated to God and people. His parish and his spiritual children were the result of his continual sacrifice. He said "go," and he went, "come" and he had (Luke 7.8). He sent a request and it was reached, not by fear, but according to conscience. Father Jean completely assimilated the words of Christ on the Last Judgement, where it is clearly stated why the Lord will reward the righteous and condemn sinners. Throughout his life, the elder executed, and executed to the letter, the will of God, feeding the hungry, dressing the naked, welcoming travelers, rescuing prisoners, visiting the sick and doing communion. "Nobody has left him helpless."
The elder observed fasts, he was always measured in his food, but it was not a strict ascetic. Rather, the spiritual fast that dominated his life: peace of mind, purity of heart, prayer. We know ourselves how we annihilate our fasting by irritation or by acts or words inappropriate. The Father John always acted in prayer. He did everything to the glory of God. The prayer of Jesus in his heart became part of himself.
Contemplation of misconduct that may seem insignificant but that was huge for him was his usual practice, such as vigilance, attention permanent sobriety, the tears shed on oneself and the inaccessibility of God, the pardon granted to relatives, humility, gentleness when he was pursued and driven away. He did not enter any party within the Church and had no personal request to be sent to Bishop in place, or when crossing the Latvian Orthodox Church under the jurisdiction of Constantinople during the unrest of 1936, under the authority of Metropolitan Sergius Voskresensky (1940-1944), or the time of the bishops of the period after the war. The elder was afraid to damage the wheat by spreading the bad ...
's father John was blessed gifts of the Holy Spirit, that made him heroic elder for his life, and especially for having complied with the recommendation of St. Seraphim of Sarov Healer: "He who is at peace draws in God's Spiritual Gifts "of the Holy Spirit.
FATHER JOHN GOD CALLS FOR U.S.!
Collected and composed by the priest André Golikov
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