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 [...]

St John of Novgorod Commemorated on September 7th St John was born in Novgorod, Russia in the 12th century to pious parents. When his parents died, John and his brother Gabriel used their inheritance to establish a monastery dedicated to Panagia, who miraculously provided for them when their funds ran out during construction. This began a life-long closeness to the Theotokos, who granted many miracles to St John and the people of Novgorod. In 1165, John was elevated to Archbishop of the city. He showed a keen awareness for the concerns of his flock and wrote letters to other bishops [...]