Homily by His grace Bishop Theodosy
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!
On this Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Uncovering of the Relics of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco. This saint of universal significance appeared to the world in our own times—one might even say he was our contemporary.
It is easy to speak and write about sinners—as I count myself among them—but it is far more difficult to speak about the Saints and the righteous. One fears to omit something from their spiritual labors and thus fail to do justice to their holy lives. Therefore, when speaking about the Saints, we must do so with reverence and discernment, emphasizing above all the key aspects of their spiritual life and the shining example of their deeds.
Let us begin with what is most important—the Divine Liturgy. The Troparion to Saint John contains these words: “Wholly sanctified by God through the ministry of the all-pure Mysteries…” Saint John was profoundly liturgical. After his ordination to the priesthood, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy daily, partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and spending long hours in prayer before the altar.
Often lacking altar servers, he would celebrate the services alone, vested in his priestly garments. This did not trouble him in the least, for he truly lived in the church—not merely serving or laboring within it, but inhabiting the Church’s inner life in its fullness. Immersed in the Holy Scriptures and the Lives of the Saints, he seemed to live in direct communion with them, drawing strength from their intercession and example.
Saint John may rightly be called a pan-Orthodox bishop, for his care extended not only to the Russian Orthodox faithful in exile but to the whole of Orthodoxy itself, beyond the borders of his homeland.
While living in Western Europe, he brought to light the memory of ancient Western Saints who had long been forgotten. Through his efforts, their names were restored to our Church calendars—Saints such as Dunstan, Ansgar of Bremen, Patrick the Enlightener of Ireland, and many others. He sought out their lives, obtained portions of their relics, and prayed to them as fellow citizens of the early, undivided Church.
Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) once called Saint John “an angel in the flesh.” His teacher, Saint Nicholas of Serbia, spoke of him to his students as a Saint even during his earthly life.
Saint John never ceased from prayer, neither by day nor by night. He labored ascetically to the point of near sleeplessness until his repose. Yet his compassion extended far beyond the Orthodox faithful—he helped all who were in need, regardless of confession or background.
In Shanghai, he founded an orphanage dedicated to Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, which he later relocated to San Francisco after the revolution in China. He found children abandoned in the streets, baptized them, gave them the names of Saints, and gathered them under his care. The spiritual and physical well-being of the young was one of his foremost concerns. When visiting the orphanage and its church school, he would ask the children whether they knew the lives of their patron Saints and could recite their Troparia.
Rare indeed is the Saint who combines so many forms of asceticism. Saint John did precisely this. He was at once a hierarch and a fool-for-Christ, as the Apostle Paul says: “We are fools for Christ’s sake.” He was also a bloodless martyr, enduring slanders, misunderstandings, and false accusations with patience and humility. The number of miracles wrought through his intercession is beyond counting.
To imitate Saint John in all things may seem impossible—but each of us can find something in his life to emulate. Let us strive to follow his devotion to the Divine Services, his love for the Church’s Sacraments, and his prayerful communion with God. This is the primary calling that the Holy Hierarch presents to us today.
After his repose, Saint John appeared to Maria Shakhmatova, the caretaker of his orphanage, and said to her:
“Tell everyone who knew me that although I am dead, yet I am alive.”
Let these words remain in our hearts as we turn now to Saint John—alive in the Kingdom of God—and offer the brief prayer dedicated to him:
“Holy Hierarch Father John, pray to God for us!”
+ Theodosy,
Bishop of Seattle
