www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Beautiful book of Saint John of Kronstadt

When you may, please, read the book My life in Christ of Saint John of Kronstadt.
It is simply beautiful and good for soul.
Marian

I agree with you Marian, I bought the book "My Life in Christ" when I lived in the Washington DC area when I was in the Marine Corps. It is a very good book for one's soul! I recommend it to all of my friends.

The edition of St. John of Kronstadt's book "My Life in Christ" that I have lacks an index, table of contents, etc. (If memory serves, it was likely his journal or diary.) It is not so easy to find his thoughts on a specific topic as a result. Some years back there was a published cross-reference index, but it appears to have dropped from the marketplace. Its return would help in using the book for reference purposes. It IS a wonderful book.

"My Life in Christ" is a marvelous spiritual work. A masterpiece from a holy Orthodox priest. I would only caution that there is a bit of anti-Catholic bias here and there; Mostly about the Papacy. However, if you can get past these very few references, the work is certainly one that will profit the soul of anyone searching to grow in their own Life in Christ. St. John of Kronstadt is very strong on the greatness of the Blessed Eucharist, the Divine Liturgy and the Sacraments and their importance in our lives. He is also wonderful when it comes to the Communion of the Saints. Blessings! Silouan, old monk

Here is a link for the Diary, "my life in Christ"

http://www.ccel.org/k/kronstadt/christlife/htm/ii.htm#ii

in Christ,

Khalid

Dear Marian,

'My Life In Christ' is the most 'total' book ever written on and about living and understanding Christianity. ...except for the New Testament of course.

Dear Jim,

I usually make penciled checks and notes at the parts in the book that I might want to use as references some day.

Dear Monksilouan,

I have never really completed the book, but I did not find anything that I would consider biased against the Catholic Church...at least so far. What I do recall is that Saint John of Kronsdadt said that 'Luther' was a 'spirit' of dissension.

If there was anything against the Pope, then I might have just ignored it, assuming it was a bit of information he gathered from others around him.

But then again, Popes are not perfect, nor would Saint John have been able to perceive anything the Pope was doing from the 'eyes' of the West. Rather he would have perceived it from his own 'eyes' within his 'eastern' enclave...Russia.

I know that Father Arseny, (a future saint that spent over 30 years in the gulag), said that had the people in Russia read and followed Saint John of Kronstadt the communist revolution would have never come about. Father Arseny said that it's cause was the moral and spiritual lapse of the priests... who of course the people followed.

I am always amazed at how our Lord sends his great saints to revive His Church, no matter where it is. The rest though is up to the people. If they repent, then the Church will recover. Many times and in many places it has. At other times and places it has not. But in the end, even the gates of hell will not prevail.

Zenovia

I agree that My Life in Christ [amazon.com] is one of the must-reads of Orthodox Christianity.

The only books that lead you in living the Life in Christ nearly as well are Journey to Heaven: Counsels on the Particular Duties of Every Christian [amazon.com] by Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk and translated by Archpriest George Lardas and The Path to Salvation: A Manual of Spiritual Transformation [amazon.com] by Saint Theophan the Recluse, Bishop of Tambov.

In Christ,
Deacon Nikolai