Today, August 18, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks the Dormition of St. John of Rila – the heavenly patron of Bulgaria. He is the most beloved saint in Bulgaria and is revered even beyond the borders of this country. We associate him with the Rila Monastery founded by him, which guards his legacy and attracts pilgrims from all over the world. There, in the Rila Monastery, in addition to the imperishable relics of the hermit, there is also the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria" (Guide), one of the oldest relics of our Church. It shows the spiritual path of believers and gives them strength to walk it.
It is in front of this holy image of the Virgin Mary that icon painter Ekaterina Titova pondered the common things and continuity between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Russian one in a spiritual-historical and educational context. And while she was looking for information about the saints, the strong spiritual connection between two saints with the name John became clear. They are connected not only by the date October 19 – the feast of the Rila Wonderworker and the birthday of St. John of Kronstadt, but also by the power of Christ, through which they perform wonderful miracles. That is how she was inspired to create an icon – a prayer of St. John of Rila and St. John of Kronstadt to the Mother of God.
"I took as a basis the miraculous icon of the Holy Mother of God from the Rila Monastery, with the relics of 32 Christian saints around it, because it is inextricably linked to Bulgaria, to St. John of Rila and is closer to the people. And here are the two saints praying to her to show the way to salvation for Orthodox Christians from our two countries. The two of them are praying in front of the altar. They are together, because our Church is one, indivisible. Despite the fact that there are many divisions in the world, we are still together. Because when such saints pray for us, it is impossible to be separated in any way. We are one and this is the prayer that unites all believers in Christ."
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The thin threads connecting the two saints are remarkable. St. John of Kronstadt was born in a small village in the Arhangelsk region. He looked weak and sickly, but he was born on the feast of the Rila Hermit, so his mother named him John and prayed to the saint to protect him. From a young age, John loved and revered his heavenly patron very much and following his example wanted to become a hermit. However, his spiritual path took him to Kronstadt, where he helped the most disadvantaged. He often gave his coat and shoes to the poor and returned home barefoot in the coldest weather.
"I wanted to convey to people the information that there really was such a saint of Kronstadt and what an incredible and righteous man he was," Ekaterina Titova says. "He healed many people with his prayers before the revolution. Various royal figures also wrote him telegrams for prayerful intercession. Once a telegram arrived that the Bulgarian crown prince Boris was very ill. The royal family asked for help from St. John of Kronstadt to intercede for Boris before God. Thanks to his fervent prayers, Boris recovered very quickly."
With his strong faith and fervent prayers, he was an example for his flock, which was very far from a righteous life, but he managed to turn many people to God so that their souls would be saved. He often distributed icons with the image of St. John of Rila to those in need and in his honor founded the "St. John" monastery in the city of St. Petersburg. In the early 90s, the monastery was visited by Bulgarian Patriarch Maxim, who brought there a piece of the relics of the protector of Bulgaria. Nowadays, the veneration of St. John of Kronstadt has long gone beyond the borders of his homeland, as is the case with St. John of Rila. This is because in Orthodoxy, saints are venerated by all believers because all are one in Christ.
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Iconographer Ekaterina Titova: "Bulgaria is wonderful! Love it and cherish it!
Author: Darina Grigorova
Publication in English: Alexander Markov
Photos: Darina Grigorova, BTA, pravprihod.ru, ru.wikipedia.org, hramioann.ru
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