" ... in fiery, convincing words"
I love looking for books, especially old books. I found a jewel a few days ago at a thrift store not far from where I work. It's called "Under Three Tsars" by Elizabeth Narishkin-Kurakin, royalty and lady in waiting to Grand Duchesses and Empresses of Russia. The publisher date is 1931 and it was written in Paris from her memoirs and dairies by her after an inquisitive French editor, Rene Fulop-Miller, who loved to hear her accounts of almost 100 years of memories, urged her to write it out. He edited them for her and it was later translated to English from German.
Here is an excerpt from the book I found curiously exciting, in 1886, she had been very ill and after recovery her daughter had fallen ill from typhus:
In addition to my anxiety over my daughter's health, I was considerably worried about the progress of my son, whose school work had been so splendid at first but which he was now beginning to neglect. The atmosphere surrounding him at law school was so completely different from his home environment, that I often wondered whether the principles of my bringing-up could prevail over these new influences. All this troubled and depressed me mentally as well as physically.
Then it happened that one of my friends advised me to see the famous Johann of Kronstadt; he would surely know how to console and comfort me. I became interested, and my friend promised to speak to the godly man about me.
And indeed a few days later, just as I was preparing to go out for a drive, the visit of the priest was announced. I hurried to the reception room and faced Father Johann. There he stood in the middle of the room in his bright-blue priestly garments with the sun pouring down upon him. His clear blue eyes turned to me and he greeted me with a kindly smile. He said that he had just been with the Grand Duchess Alexandra Yosefovna and had come directly from her to me.
I took him into my study and there told him of my daughter's illness, of my anxiety about Kira, and all that had oppressed my soul. He asked me to pray with him, and then spoke to me for a long while in fiery, convincing words. He had a consolation for each of my troubles, and succeeded in imbuing me with such faith in God that I no longer despaired but looked forward to the future with faithful trust.
Wow! Consoled by God through Saint John of Kronstadt!!! How about this for a New Year's resolution: Do not despair - have faith in God and look forward to the future with faithful trust.
