The Catalog of Good Deeds

Many people come to the Rehabilitation Center of St Elisabeth Convent in order to conquer their addictions. There are no locks or medical personnel — the usual attributes of rehabilitation centers — here but there is a church in honour of the Inexhaustible Chalice icon of the Mother of God, a farm, and a number of workshops. All the residents are treated as brothers, and the medicines used most often are repentance and the willingness to follow the commandments of one's conscience, Communion, prayer, and labour.

The Men's Rehabilitation Center is located near v. Lysaja Hara. I arrived here by bus in the morning. First of all, I saw some brothers queuing in front of a sister who was anointing them with holy oil. The sister's name was Helena, as it turned out. I took my place in the queue, approached the sister, and told her about my journalist's assignment.

— You'd better visit us in the evening, when we have an Akathist to the Inexhaustible Chalice icon of the Mother of God. The brothers read it together every Tuesday, — Sister Helena suggested.

Given that it was the beginning of a workday, I asked her to show me around the Center.

— Everyone who came here to stay are real heroes of faith, — Sister Helena tells me as we are walking towards the farm. — I can't think of any other name to describe them. A person who comes here by chance won't stay here even for a single day, or even for a single minute. These brothers are God's people whom the Lord brought and gathered here. They realise their sinfulness and their weaknesses and do their best to get saved. Certainly, they manage to do so with varying levels of success but I believe that thanks to God's mercy, everything will be fine. Father Andrew Lemeshonok, who is our spiritual father, prays for us, too.

I ask Sister Helena whether she has a personal story related to the Inexhaustible Chalice icon. It turns out that she does:

— My husband used to drink heavily but when I turned to the faith he started drinking even heavier and became more ill-tempered. He used to say, "If only you left for your Convent for good, at last! If only you let me free from your presence so that I could live as I please." I was praying to God and asking Him to settle down that situation and to transform my husband. I kept coming to the Convent and reading the Akathist to the Inexhaustible Chalice icon. I prayed to God while we lived together, and I continue to pray even now. I have been praying for thirty years now… He almost doesn't drink any longer because he has ended up in a difficult situation. He doesn't have a car or drinking buddies. He has become humbler. I'm sure that it was thanks to the Lord's power and our prayer. God never misses anything; His power is always active…

Finally, we are close to the farm. The brothers see that I take pictures of them, and they don't like it. I ask several men who are sitting at the door of the farm to share their stories but the majority of them leave immediately. No one wants to talk about their problems, past and present.

The remaining two men are Brother George and his friend. Brother George says that community and prayer are his ways of coping with the addiction. His friend nods approvingly. Finally, the brothers leave to do their jobs, and Sister Helena and I return to the repair shop. I am introduced to Brother Yury. He shows me the agricultural tools that he made with his colleague almost from metal scraps, and shares his testimony:

— I work in the garage. I used to work in a sawmill shop, then as an agronomist, then as a locksmith. When Kuzmich (the brothers have a habit of referring to each other by patronymics, not given names) moved closer to the Convent to do another job, I took his position here.

I have a disabled friend. We fought in Afghanistan together. I gave him an icon of the Mother of God the Inexhaustible Chalice with the Akathist. I had found this paper icon while I had still been working in the sawmill shop, so I had made a frame for it and had it put under a glass cover. When I came to visit my friend again after a while, I learned that he had quit drinking after receiving my gift. That's a miracle!

When I lived with my wife, I had terrible days from time to time… I would often travel to Moscow to do business. I assembled ventilation systems. It's a profitable business, I dare say. One day we finished work, and my boss told me to stay at home and wait for a new order. I had pockets full of money, so I went on a drinking spree… To be honest, I don't remember what was going on but someone called the police…

I met a white sister from St Elisabeth Convent and told her about it. She said, "If you go back to Moscow, you will be lost. Come to our Rehabilitation Center instead." That was how I found myself here. I'm happy, I have to admit! Because if I hadn't come to the rehab, I would've gotten jailed or just be dead now. I've spent almost five years here, not because I'm a holy man. I go out sometimes, I can drink some alcohol there but I'm always totally sober by the time I come back because I have to check in with the supervisors. After I report to them, I can continue to work. I don't drink as much as I used to five years ago. We go to the Akathist to the Inexhaustible Chalice icon every Tuesday, and a Divine Liturgy every Wednesday. That's the normal way of life. I praise God for this place! I'm truly blessed.

I saw a small pond, a chapel, and two men in the backyard of the repair shop. The men were fishing in this picturesque place. One of them, Brother Alexey, says that they have a day off today. He says that he works "with cows".

— We have cows, calves, and bulls, — he says. — It's hard work: we get up early and work till eight or nine o'clock in the evening. We do everything with our own hands. We go to church, pray and read the Psalter for two or three hours at a time! It's hard for me but I humble myself down. God gives me everything! Let's say someone invites me to drink but I reply that it's a devil's temptation and I don't need it. God has healed me, and I don't drink any longer. Lots of those who stay here do not drink alcohol and even quit smoking.

I turned to the Lord our God when I was in prison. There are churches and believers in prison, too. I became Orthodox and was baptised in 1994.

You know, it's all too easy to slip and fall into a muddy puddle. God saves and heals us. I've spent more than a year in the Rehabilitation Center. Father Andrew blessed me. I came to him in winter and fell on my knees. He said, "Get up! Will you go to the Rehab?" I responded, "Yes, I will."

During a communion, I go to the Chalice and find relief, as if I am born again…

May new brothers come to us! The Lord will empower them to get healed. God said, "I will release you and you will be really free." The Lord will see to it. We must obey him and be humble.

The Rehabilitation Center where most brothers stay is half a mile from the farm. It is surrounded by a forest. I suggested to Brother Vladimir, whom I met there, to take a walk around the rehab, relax, and talk. By the way, Brother Vladimir speaks in a soft and quiet voice, like a monk.

— It was here in the rehab that I came to realise that the Lord and his Mother love me and that I need nothing else. It was here that I quit drinking and smoking. Whatever I ask from the Mother of God and Jesus Christ, they give it to me. They help us and caress us so much! Glory to God for everything! I can only enjoy my life!

I see people willing to be closer to God and willing to become novices. I don't want to go back into the world, either. I would like to devote my life to God. I hope that there will be a monastery here. Metropolitan Pavel visited our Rehabilitation Center and told us that there would be a monastery here sometime…

Brother Alexander works in the Candle Workshop. He used to stay in the Rehabilitation Center but he lives in Minsk now. We arrived at the rehab in the same bus together. He is a kind-hearted, smiling, and easy-going person. He has gone through many hardships and cherishes every moment of his life.

— I took drugs for more than two decades. I was in coma for the first time when I was 13. I'm 37 now. I don't do drugs for two years. There was a point when I realised that I didn't have a normal way of dealing with my parents or with my family. I just couldn't see the way out. I was desperate all the time. I made countless attempts to take my life! To be honest, I was too tired of living…

I learned about this Rehabilitation Center from a friend. I came to see Father Andrew who blessed me to go here as soon as he saw me. I spent here more than a year and I stay in the world for the last eight months.

I've started my life from scratch. I just changed everything and did my best to forget my past. People go around looking for euphoria, for an outburst of emotions, while in fact, the best emotion is the feeling that you're alive! You can get a whole lot more from it. Think of what your life has given to you!

I spent a long time kneeling in front of the Inexhaustible Chalice icon and praying in all sincerity… I wish I changed my life earlier. I used to have a wife and three kids but I rarely see them now: my wife can't forgive me for my past offences.

Sometimes, I'm haunted by my thoughts but I know that even if I do it once, I'll keep doing it dozens of times. I know that if I shoot the drug, I'll lose the most valuable thing there is: the grace of God. I'll die. Do you know what a death of a junkie is like? It's hell. It's worse than anything! I've endured all that horror, and it's really terrible. That's why I would like to advise everyone against drugs: don't even try them!

Few people use drugs just for the sake of curiosity. Most people are looking for an artificial euphoria when they run into some real world problems. You can easily skip the drug and talk with your mum and have fun with your friends instead. You can go to church, take communion, and talk with people — all this while being sober and not having to find a way to get high. You can enjoy your life without drugs!

The Rehabilitation Center accepted me just as I was. I'm grateful to all brothers and nuns. Thanks to all those folks, the Lord really changed me. At least, He allowed me to see that I should be afraid of not receiving his forgiveness. Repentance in the last minute, like that of the good thief on the cross, is not for me… I really fear for my life, I don't want to end my life in an unknown place and to spend eternity in a mess similar to the one I used to live in here on earth…

It was a warm and sunny day in May. I was listening to the stories of all those people. It was hard to fathom the difficulties they had had to face in the course of their lives! However, I did not notice the burden of their past errors on their faces. I saw their smiling faces and thought, "You see, for them spring is not just a time of the year; it dwells in their souls, too! They did not see any escape but today, they testify how faith, prayer, and other people have helped them to find it."

I would like everyone who is distressed now to have this spring feeling after reading this text.

May 18, 2018

St. Elisabeth Convent

The Holy Confessor John the Russian was born in Little Russia around 1690, and was raised in piety and love for the Church of God. Upon attaining the age of maturity he was called to military service, and he served as a simple soldier in the army of Peter I and took part in the Russo-Turkish War. During the Prutsk Campaign of 1711 he and other soldiers were captured by the Tatars, who handed him over to the commander of the Turkish cavalry. He took his Russian captive home with him to Asia Minor, to the village of Prokopion.

The Turks tried to convert the Christian soldiers to the Moslem faith with threats and flattery, but those who resisted were beaten and tortured. Some, alas, denied Christ and became Moslems, hoping to improve their lot. Saint John was not swayed by the promise of earthly delights, and he bravely endured the humiliation and beatings.

His master tortured him often in the hope that his slave would accept Islam. Saint John resolutely resisted the will of his master saying, “You cannot turn me from my holy Faith by threats, nor with promises of riches and pleasures. I will obey your orders willingly, if you will leave me free to follow my religion. I would rather surrender my head to you than to change my faith. I was born a Christian, and I shall die a Christian.”

Saint John’s bold words and firm faith, as well as his humility and meekness, finally softened the fierce heart of his master. He left John in peace, and no longer tried to make him renounce Christianity. The saint lived in the stable and took care of his master’s animals, rejoicing because his bed was a manger such as the one in which the Savior was born.

From morning until late evening the saint served his Turkish master, fulfilling all his commands. He performed his duties in the winter cold and summer heat, half naked and barefoot. Other slaves frequently mocked him, seeing his zeal. Saint John never became angry with them, but on the contrary, he helped them when he could, and comforted them in their misfortune.

The saint’s kindness and gentle nature had its effect on the souls of both the master and the slaves. The Agha and his wife came to love him, and offered him a small room near the hayloft. Saint John did not accept it, preferring to remain in the stable with the animals. Here he slept on the hay, covered only by an old coat. So the stable became his hermitage, where he prayed and chanted Psalms.

Saint John brought a blessing to his master simply by living in his household. The cavalry officer became rich, and was soon one of the most powerful men in Prokopion. He knew very well why his home had been blessed, and he did not hesitate to tell others.

Sometimes Saint John left the stable at night and went to the church of the Great Martyr George, where he kept vigil in the narthex. On Saturdays and Feast days, he received the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

During this time Saint John continued to serve his master as before, and despite his own poverty, he always helped the needy and the sick, and shared his meager food with them.

One day, the officer left Prokopion and went to Mecca on pilgrimage. A few days later, his wife gave a banquet and invited her husband’s friends and relatives, asking them to pray for her husband’s safe return. Saint John served at the table, and he put down a dish of pilaf, his master’s favorite food. The hostess said, “How much pleasure your master would have if he could be here to eat this pilaf with us.” Saint John asked for a dish of pilaf, saying that he would send it to his master in Mecca. The guests laughed when they heard his words. The mistress, however, ordered the cook to give him a dish of pilaf, thinking he would eat it himself, or give it to some poor family.

Taking the dish, Saint John went into the stable and prayed that God would send it to his master. He had no doubt that God would send the pilaf to his master in a supernatual manner. The plate disappeared before his eyes, and he went into the house to tell his mistress that he had sent the pilaf to his master.

After some time, the master returned home with the copper plate which had held the pilaf. He told his household that on a certain day (the very day of the banquet), he returned from the mosque to the home where he was staying. Although the room was locked, he found a plate of steaming pilaf on the table. Unable to explain who had brought the food, or how anyone could enter the locked room, the officer examined the plate. To his amazement, he saw his own name engraved on the copper plate. In spite of his confusion, he ate the meal with great relish.

When the officer’s family heard this story, they marveled. His wife told him of how John had asked for a plate of pilaf to send to his master in Mecca, and how they all laughed when John came back and said that it had been sent. Now they saw that what the saint had said was true (Compare the story of Habakkuk, who miraculously brought a dish of pottage to Daniel in the lions’ den [Dan. 14:33-39], in the Septuagint).

Toward the end of his difficult life Saint John fell ill, and sensed the nearness of his end. He summoned the priest so that he could receive Holy Communion. The priest, fearing to go to the residence of the Turkish commander openly with the Holy Gifts, enclosed the life-giving Mysteries in an apple and brought them to Saint John.

Saint John glorified the Lord, received the Body and Blood of Christ, and then reposed. The holy Confessor John the Russian went to the Lord Whom he loved on May 27, 1730. When they reported to the master that his servant John had died, he summoned the priests and gave them the body of Saint John for Christian burial. Almost all the Christian inhabitants of Prokopion came to the funeral, and they accompanied the body of the saint to the Christian cemetery.

Three and a half years later the priest was miraculously informed in a dream that the relics of Saint John had remained incorrupt. Soon the relics of the saint were transferred to the church of the holy Great Martyr George and placed in a special reliquary. The new saint of God began to be glorified by countless miracles of grace, accounts of which spread to the remote cities and villages. Christian believers from various places came to Prokopion to venerate the holy relics of Saint John the Russian and they received healing through his prayers. The new saint came to be venerated not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by Armenians, and even Turks, who prayed to the Russian saint, “Servant of God, in your mercy, do not disdain us.”

In the year 1881 a portion of the relics of Saint John were transferred to the Russian monastery of the holy Great Martyr Panteleimon by the monks of Mount Athos, after they were miraculously saved by the saint during a dangerous journey.

Construction of a new church was begun in 1886, through the contributions of the monastery and the inhabitants of Prokopion. This was necessary because the church of the holy Great Martyr George, where the relics of Saint John were enshrined, had fallen into disrepair.

On August 15, 1898 the new church dedicated to Saint John the Russian was consecrated by the Metropolitan John of Caesarea, with the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine V.

In 1924, an exchange of the populations of Greece and Turkey took place. Many Moslems moved out of Greece, and many Christians moved out of Turkey. The inhabitants of Prokopion, when they moved to the island of Euboia, took with them part of the relics of Saint John the Russian.

For several decades the relics were in the church of Saints Constantine and Helen at New Prokopion on Euboia, and in 1951 they were transferred into a new church dedicated to Saint John the Russian. Thousands of pilgrims flocked here from all the corners of Greece, particularly on his Feast, May 27. Saint John the Russian is widely venerated on Mount Athos, particularly in the Russian monastery of Saint Panteleimon.

Saint John’s help is sought by travelers, and by those transporting things.

Source: https://oca.org/saints/lives/2018/05/27/101545-st-john-the-russian-and-confessor-whose-relics-are-on-the-island