Orthodox Parables and Stories: "Blessed John the Wonderworker and Holy Water"

Blessed John loved church and together with Father Mitrofan he put much labor and care into it. This care was of course, mystical, "unseen to the naked eye," and seemed strange and odd to the wise and prudent of the world - even Orthodox clergy - but was a revelation unto babes (Matt. 11:25). He had great faith in the power of Holy Water. Every night he would bless the church with Holy Water from top to bottom and from bottom to top. I remember how we would walk around our whole city block, around those houses which were adjacent to or touching our church. I would sing and Blessed John would sprinkle all over, usually quite abundantly. Once we walked three times around all the houses which were connected to our house. Then we crossed the street and he blessed the mailbox into which he himself, as a rule, deposited his letters, walking to the box and sealing it with the sign of the Cross. He would never allow anybody else to drop his letters for him. Day and night, rain or snow, he would walk across the street often barefoot just to drop a letter.

As we were returning from the procession, some old French woman approached us and asked Blessed John to sprinkle her head and bless her, which he did. There were cases when some people who had been wet by him like that would come to us thanking him for favors granted. He then of course would act as if he he knew nothing.

Later, when Blessed John had already gone to San Francisco, that small mail box unfortunately was replaced by another one, and I was much grieved over this. But when he came to visit us, he at once told us: "Zuria, give me Hol Water and the sprinkling brush and follow me." I did as he asked. And what would you think he did? He immediately went to the new mail box and blessed it and sprinkled it wiht the Holy Water. How remarkable it is that he read all my thoughts!