St John of Kronstadt Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple In his homily on the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos (November 21), St John of Kronstadt (1828-1908) asks “How did the most blessed Virgin spend her time in the Temple?” He notes just four things, and pleads with us to imitate the Theotokos in these, adding that the Church is the “school of faith and piety” which we too, like her, must make the centre of our life. First he states that she spent her time learning how to pray directly by the Holy Spirit, showing us [...]

Spiritual Counsels by St John of Kronstadt Published by St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1967 (1st Edition) ISBN: 0-913836-92-3 “In what does the Christian life consist? In having nothing in the heart but Christ, or, if possessing earthly blessings, in not in the least attaching oneself to them, but in clinging with the whole heart to Christ.” (Chapter 8: The Spiritual Warfare, Part 3: The Life of the Spirit p. 141) ‘Spiritual Counsels’ by St John of Kronstadt is filled with such gems of wisdom, clarity and insight. This book is composed of selected short passages from St John of Kronstadt’s [...]