St. John of Kronstadt: Pray for Others' Salvation as Your Own
The post consists of a single passage attributed to St. John of Kronstadt. The saint describes a condition: if you suffer for the sufferings of others and for the distress of their souls, to the point that this leads you to pray for them with a sorrowful and contrite heart. He then gives a directive: pray to God to have mercy on them and forgive their sins, just as you pray for yourself that He may forgive your own transgressions.
He specifies: ask God with tears to forgive them. Pray for the salvation of others in the same way that you pray for the salvation of your own soul. The saint then states a consequence: if you succeed in this, and praying in this manner becomes a habit for you, you will receive an abundance of spiritual gifts, the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
He explains the reason: the Holy Spirit loves the soul that cares for the salvation of others, because He Himself, the Holy Spirit, desires to save us all, if we do not resist Him and harden our hearts. He provides a scriptural foundation: "For the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26).
The text ends with the attribution "St. There is no further commentary, discussion, or context provided in the source.
Main points
- St. John of Kronstadt teaches that suffering for others should lead to tearful intercessory prayer for their forgiveness and salvation.
- Believers are to pray for others' salvation with the same intensity as for their own.
- Habitual prayer of this kind brings an abundance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit loves souls that care for others' salvation because He desires to save all who do not resist.
- The teaching is supported by Romans 8:26 on the Spirit's unutterable intercession.