Saint John Alexeyev: on November 29, 2018, the
Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Throne recorded in the Hagiologion of
the Orthodox Church the Venerable John of Valaam (1873-1958). John was born on
February 14, 1873 in the Tver province of Russia into a peasant family. He
graduated from the parish school of the village of Il’inskoe.
 |
| Painting of Saint John of Valaam (Alexyev). |
In 1906, John
became a novice at Valaam Monastery and, on May 22, 1910, he was tonsured a
monk with the name of Hyacinth. After repeated petitions, Hyacinth returned to
the monastery and lived initially in Prophet Elias Skete, then later in the
Skete of Saint John the Baptist.On October 19, 1921, he was appointed abbot of
Saint Tryphon of Pechenga Monastery. Then on November 13, he was ordained a
hierodeacon and on November 15 a hieromonk. At that time, the monastery was
within the territory of the newly independent Finland.
In 1932,
Hyacinth returned to Valaam and, in 1933, he was tonsured in Great Schema with
the name John and began to live in seclusion in the Skete of Saint John the
Baptist. In 1938, he was elected the spiritual father of the monastery.
In 1940, Fr. John was evacuated with the other brethren to Finland during the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland.
The elder
reposed on June 5, 1958, in the New Valaam Monastery in Finland.
Christ
is in our midst!
In your
last letter you told of having the same experiences again. But now, thank the
Lord, they are over. If there were no sorrows, neither would there be
salvation, said the Holy Fathers. Sorrows have two uses: the first is zeal
towards God and whole-hearted thankfulness. The second is being delivered from
vain cares and concerns. It is clear from the writings of the Holy Fathers that
they too, like us, became depressed and faint-hearted, and they even went
through experiences that they did not want to commit to writing lest they
should disturb those of us who were inexperienced in the spiritual life and
bring us to despair. Of course, the Lord permits sorrows in accordance with our
powers, in the amount that each can bear. These trials humble us. We have a
kind of self-confidence, we want to succeed in the spiritual life by our own powers
and it is in such sorrows that we learn humility, that our efforts cannot
achieve their aims without God's help. Ours should be the effort towards
virtue; but success even in virtue depends on grace, and grace is given by God
and only to the humble. No one becomes humble without humbling events.
The
wise spiritual life was explained with precision by the Holy Fathers in their
writings, but what they wrote can best be understood by being lived. If you
yourself work to free your heart of passions, then everything will be clearer
and more understandable. Holy Fathers, pray to God for us sinners, and open our
small minds to comprehend your writings.
 | |
| Schema monk John Alexeyev in front of the Monastery in Finland. |
You
write that your duties distract you from prayer. As you work, keep the memory
of God; this too is prayer. It is good that you have this striving for the
spiritual life and for prayer. This is already half of salvation, and God will
help you to go further. Only do not be depressed and fainthearted; may the
Lord help you.
You
also write that you have not even reached a beginning. This feeling is a good
thing; it leads to humility. According to the law of spiritual knowledge,
spiritual life has to be like this. The closer a man comes to God, the more
he sees his faults and his sinfulness. Lord, deliver man from seeing
himself as righteous. May the Lord help you and save you from eternal
suffering.
I
received your note and am answering it, but take my advice not as an order or
law, but simply as advice. You need not accept it if you feel that it is
inconsistent with Holy Scriptures and with the message of the Holy Fathers.
Do not
get excited; do not strive for the highest things prematurely. In the
spiritual Life one does not make leaps and bounds; it has to be gradual, with
patience. You have already begun partially to notice what is not good for
you: worldly books, politics and unnecessary going among people. Yes, all this
is harmful for a watchful person. Your way of fighting with passions is right.
Work against whatever passions you notice in yourself, but not only with your
own powers, but with God's help. However, pay most attention to the chief
passion, the one that is troubling you most. Remember too that the work must be
ours, but success depends upon grace, and grace will be given not for work,
but for humility, to each in the measure of his humility. And this ability to
persevere in virtue is dependent not on us, but on grace.
You
should also know that a person cannot always be in one state; changes come like
the weather. It is good to be on Tabor, but sometimes one has to be at Golgotha.
A watchful and sober-minded person will find many opportunities to understand
this. How well St Isaac the Syrian speaks of this in his 46th (72) chapter.
You
write: “There is little hope that I will get to where you go”. Take back those
words. We have no knowledge of God's judgment and of where anyone will go. It
is good that you made peace with N. Always act in that way, even though there
is no cause for enmity on your part. The Optina startsi are spirit-bearing.
They are steeped in the spirit of the Holy Fathers. I respect them highly and
revere them. In conclusion I would like to say: “Bear one another's burdens,
and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). What you do not want done to
you, do not do to others; that is the golden rule. Remind yourself often of
the hour of death and never condemn anyone for anything, because whatever you
condemn others for, you will fall into the same sins; it is never otherwise.
I call
God's blessing upon you.
Reference:
Christ Is in Our Midst. Father John.(1961).