Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) The following are excerpts published in Parish Life from a homily by Archimandrite John (Krestiankin), a renowned contemporary Elder of the Holy Dormition Pskov-Caves Monastery. The Elder’s earthly life, which became an example of spiritual struggle for the Faith, a life dedicated to constant assistance to his neighbor, ended on February 6, 2006, the day of commemoration of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
Fr. John was born on April 11, 1910, in Orel. In 1950, after completing four years of the Moscow Theological Academy, he wrote his [doctoral candidate] dissertation. However, he was unable to complete his work toward the degree of doctoral candidate. On the night of 29/30 April 1950, he was arrested for performing pastoral service and was sentenced to a term of seven years in corrective labor camps. He did not have to serve the entire sentence. On February 15, 1955, he returned and was assigned to the Pskov Diocese, and in 1957 was transferred to the Ryazan Diocese, where he served as a priest for almost eleven years.
On March 5, 1967, Hieromonk John entered the Pskov Caves Monastery. Thereafter, for almost forty years, his life was connected with that Monastery.
Archimandrite John left a great legacy. Fr. John’s talks and letters have been translated into and published in several foreign languages.
***
Throughout all time, man’s salvation was accomplished, is being accomplished and will continue to be accomplished only by faith and only within the Church. Throughout all time, the leprosy of sin, that seed of death, has been treated and healed only there, and only by God the Savior…
If the enemy of humankind fights so unremittingly, so persistently for the soul of each person, then he has had an entirely special “concern” for the Church of Christ from its very beginning, for only in the Church and through the Church is man’s salvation accomplished.
The mystery of transgression is the direct opposite of the mystery of Christian piety. Among the tireless activities of the devil, destruction of faith in Christ the Savior as God is a fundamental mission.
After all, only the Holy Orthodox Church of Christ is the living organism that planted and that cultivates Christ’s vineyard. Only within it is the pledge of life and salvation for man, and only within it does Christ always live and act.
St. Cyprian of Carthage used to say, “Whoever does not have the Church as his Mother does not have God as his Father...” That is why the enemy, the underdoer, so persistently accords attention to the Church.
At each point throughout the history of the Church, the enemy has fashioned particular means of battling against It; each time, he would rise up against the Holy Church with methods refined to be consonant with the times, he would by turns oppose it from without, through persecutions visited upon the Church by those in power, or plunge into the bosom of the Church with schisms, or with a swarm of heresies, delusions and untruths to pervert the truth, destroying unity and overthrowing faith.
It is essential for us, my beloved, to know not only everything that has to do with the wiles of the devil against our souls, lest we find ourselves imprisoned; we also need to know all of the ways he battles the Church, lest we not ultimately find ourselves in the church of the dissembler, the church of the Evil One, instead of within the Church of God.
Already in the first Christian century, the Holy Spirit cautioned all of those living in that time that, in the latter days some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (I Tim. 4: 1). Now the apostasy from God and the Faith is spreading throughout the earth. Rejecting good and choosing evil, man becomes a co-participant with the dark power in the battle against the works of God, against the building of life on earth. We can see this happening.
That is how awful a danger is threatening the world! How are we to live on this world which has been driven mad by evil? Listen carefully. God’s Holy Hierarch Ignite replies: “Those who will truly work for God, will wisely hide themselves from men and will not perform signs and wonders in their midst. They will follow the path of action diffused with humility, and in the Heavenly Kingdom will turn out to be greater than the Fathers renowned for miraculous signs.” My dear ones, this is a direction of extreme importance to us! Avoid noise, beware of showy action, and beware of anything that deprives you of humility. Wherever there is no humility, one is not, and cannot be, truly pleasing to God. Now is a time in which grace- filled directors of truly spiritual life have died out. Now it is safer to be guided by the Sacred Scriptures, the writings of spiritual strugglers after piety. The Lord will send help here as well to the “little flock” which is seeking Him. Books of the writings of true Fathers, bearers of the Spirit, have once again seen the light of day, have once again [become available] to the faithful. Read Holy Hierarch Theopan the Recluse. Take heed of what you have read; and those who heed that counsel, the enemy will not dare touch with his wiles…
And here is the final word to us who live in such difficult times: “God has allowed apostasy to happen. Do not attempt to stop it with your weak hand… Remove yourself from it, protect yourself from it; for you that will be enough. Recognize the spirit of the times, study it, so that you might, as much as possible, avoid its influence.” My dear ones! Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6: 11-12). And the Lord will be with you, He will be our Helper. Amen.
