Soon John graduated from the Theological Academy and was ordained a priest. Of course, he was to serve in the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called, in Kronstadt.

Elizabeth did not want such a marriage. She complained to her father about the strange behavior of her son-in-law. My father complained to the bishop. But despite the insistent demands of the spiritual authorities to live a normal family life, John remained adamant.

Однажды епископ вызвал молодого священника к себе и в который раз стал увещевать вести правильную семейную жизнь, рожать детей.

– Простите, владыка, – вздохнул отец Иоанн, – но на сие нет воли Божией!

Хотел было епископ резко возразить молодому батюшке, как вдруг у него потемнело в глазах, а с груди сорвалась и упала на пол висевшая на золотой цепи панагия – овальное изображение Матери Божией. Архиерей, имевший огромный религиозный опыт, понял, что все случившееся – указание свыше о том, что отец Иоанн говорит истину.

Православная традиция сдержанно относится к толкованию внешних происшествий нашей жизни как непосредственных знамений Промысла Божия или вмешательства его в регулярное течение человеческого бытия. Однако, в целях Божественного Промысла иногда происходят чудесные знамения и откровения воли Божией великим праведникам. Ведь каждый шаг в жизни праведника находится под непосредственным водительством Бога, Который направляет его шаги и устраняет все, что мешает неправильному развитию жизни такого человека.

How could the golden chain on the archbishop's chest suddenly break by itself? I couldn't, because it's not a thin thread! The third sign that the young priest was God's chosen one was given visibly and obviously.

One of the Moscow merchants, V. P. Mikhailov, had a very seriously ill eldest daughter Olga, a 14-year-old girl. The disease turned out to be scarlet fever, complicated in its most difficult period by inflammation of the throat and therefore took the form of an almost incurable disease. Many of the best doctors in Moscow were invited to save the sick girl from the danger threatening her life, but all their efforts were in vain. The girl was getting worse and worse every day – she was visibly fading away.

Finally, the doctors told the parents that the patient's condition was hopeless, and even determined the approximate time of her death, explaining to them that any earthly help was now completely useless for their daughter, and therefore they could only turn to heavenly help and prepare the girl for the transition to a better world.

Needless to say, the despair of the unfortunate parents knew no bounds. They were completely losing their heads and did not know what to do, what to do to save their dear child. At that very time, the father of the sick girl learned that Fr. John of Kronstadt had arrived in Moscow, but he did not know where he was staying and how long he would stay in this city. He knew only from others that Fr. John would stay in Moscow only one day and that in the evening he would leave Moscow back for Kronstadt.

The father of the sick girl went to the station of the Nikolayevskaya Railway, at the time of the departure from Moscow of the courier train, with which Fr. John constantly traveled, to see him and ask him to pray for the health of his sick daughter. Indeed, at the station Mr. Mikhailov learns that Fr. John will soon arrive and depart by courier train to St. Petersburg, but that he usually arrives just before the departure of the train and such a mass of people are waiting for him at the station that there is absolutely no opportunity to see him, and even more so to talk to him at this time. Then Mr. Mikhailov took a ticket for the courier train to the first station "Klin" and got into the same carriage in which Fr. John was traveling, hoping to see the respected priest on the way and convey to him his most earnest request.

Mr. Mikhailov's hope was indeed justified. Fortunately for him, there were not many passengers on the train at all, and even fewer in the car where Fr. John was sitting. As soon as the train left Moscow, Mr. Mikhailov, entering the section occupied by Fr. John, fell on his knees before him and, bursting into bitter tears, first asked the pastor for a blessing, and then begged him to listen to the request of the suffering and exhausted father.