Blessed Ksenia of Petersburg is one of the most revered saints in Russia. She is prayed for various needs, thousands of pilgrims flock to the Smolensk cemetery of St. Petersburg annually to ask for holy help. Others write letters to Ksenia of Petersburg.
How did the feat of foolishness begin?
Nothing is known about the childhood of the servant of God, although the years of her birth fluctuate between 1719 and 1730, the exact date has not been established. Attention to the life of the ascetic was attracted after she buried her husband and became, allegedly, "insane." But let's talk about everything in order.
Ksenia was married to a court songwriter named Andrei. Spouses lived in a happy marriage for more than three years, but the unexpected happened. The young man died, leaving his wife as a widow. And Ksenia was only 26 years old when her beloved husband died. On the day of the funeral, the widow put on his clothes and in this form went behind the coffin, assuring those present that Andrei Feodorovich was alive and his wife had died. Relatives decided that the young woman moved her mind with grief.
Foolishness
Before we talk about how to write a letter to Ksenia of Petersburg, let's recall her earthly life. And those who have not yet read the life of the saint can familiarize themselves with a brief summary of it in our article.
So, we settled on the fact that the relatives considered blessed Xenia distraught. Their opinion was strengthened after she decided to give her wealth to the poor, and the estate was signed by a poor woman who rented her room. After the completion of worldly affairs, St. Xenia of Petersburg took upon herself the most difficult feat of foolishness. She walked around the city in miserable rags, behaved like crazy, which caused ridicule and poking from the side of its inhabitants. And if the adults simply mocked the saint, then the evil children threw stones and sticks at her. But the blessed one humbly accepted the ridicule and beatings, patiently carrying her cross.
Miracles in life
How and where to send letters to Ksenia of Petersburg, we will tell in a separate subsection. In addition, we will give the address of the Smolensk cemetery, where the chapel and the grave of the holy servant of God are located. She is famous for her posthumous miracles, but she also performed them during her lifetime, although few people know about this.
It all began with the enlightenment of people, if earlier they considered Ksenia a "fool", then over time some things were noticed behind her. The saint practically did not take alms, and if she did, then the smallest coin. And not everyone will take it, but only from very kind and cordial people. Merchants noticed that it’s worth it to be blissful to go to the counter and take something, so the sales will be just excellent.
Saint Xenia predicted fate for people, but she did so confusedly, telling some stories and picking up strange words that the first time you won’t guess what it was about. Only with time did understanding of the visionary of the blessed come that once told a certain allegorical form of a situation.
But there were times when the ascetic spoke in plain text. The most famous of them is the "gift" of his friend in the form of a child. Blessed went to Paraskeva Antonova, the same woman who had rented her room once and received a Xenia’s house as a present. Paraskeva was sewing at that moment, patting her stockings. And blessed Ksenia said to her: “here you are sitting and darn stockings, but you don’t know that God has sent your son! Go rather to the Smolensk cemetery!”
Paraskeva was embarrassed by such blessed words, but she obeyed, postponing work and going to the cemetery. It was just not far from him that a terrible thing happened: the cabman shot down a pregnant woman, who immediately resolved herself as a healthy boy, and she herself died. Paraskeva took the child, raised him in a strict Christian faith.
What is known about the death of blessed Xenia?
There is no exact date for her repose. It is known about the duration of the feat of foolishness - 45 years, and this gives reason to consider the date of death the holy beginning of the XIX century.
Blessed Xenia of Petersburg was buried in the Smolensk cemetery. There is also a chapel above her grave. At present, anyone can visit the chapel, pray to the holy woman there, and leave a note asking for help.
What are these notes?
Why do they write letters to Ksenia of Petersburg, what are they, how to send? Well, let's start with the answer to the first part.
Not everyone has the opportunity to come to St. Petersburg to personally pray at the saint’s grave. He reads the akathist of Blessed Xenia, but considers this insufficient, wanting to at least somehow ask for the blessed additional. Then it comes to mind to write a letter or little note, as these messages are called by the people.
The letters of Ksenia of Petersburg are notes with a brief summary of her request. They are written in a certain way, and how to send - we will tell in another subsection.
How to write a letter?
How to write a letter to Ksenia of Petersburg? In the same way as you would write to a loved one. Without any hesitation, outlining a detailed request and a mandatory greeting. If you are planning to send a note, be sure to pray to the blessed saint of God. After that, sit down at your desk, arm yourself with a paper sheet and a pen, state your request, pack it in an envelope and go to the post office.
There are some rules to follow when writing notes. We talked about them in an article so that a person wishing to write a letter to Ksenia of Petersburg would not have to waste time searching for these rules:
Writing paper can be any. There is a rule in the temple: write notes on special paper. For remembrance of health, it is separate, for peace - its own. But now we are not writing a church note, but our personal letter. That is why preference can be given to any paper, either a plain white sheet or a notebook in a cell or ruler.
Any letter begins with a welcome address. And our note is no exception, turn to blissful. You can write: "Holy Blessed Xenia, Blessed Mother Xenia, Holy Xenia, God's Servant."
After the greeting they state the petition. Do not be shy. Here we tell the reader in detail how to write a letter to Ksenia of Petersburg, a sample of the health note that is served in her chapel is presented below.
List the names of those whom you ask and pray. Speaking of this: it is not forbidden to write a letter asking for help and well-being to loved ones.
How to send a letter?
A sample letter from Ksenia of Petersburg (note on health to her grave) is given above, the reader has an idea of how to write it. What to do next? Where to go with a written letter?
In our age of modern technology, it is not necessary to go to the post office. It is enough to be able to use a computer and have e-mail. On it we can send a letter. The address for notes in electronic form: Kseniya-blessed@yandex.ru
For those who wish to send a real paper letter to Ksenia of Petersburg, the address of the chapel is given here: 199048, St. Petersburg, ul. Kamskaya, 24.
How to get to the chapel?
To send letters to Ksenia of Petersburg, very little effort is required. It is much more difficult to pack up and get to visit the saint. And the difficulty lies not only in human laziness, but also in financial, temporary problems, too distant location from St. Petersburg.
And yet, sooner or later everything will work out. There will be time for a pilgrimage, funds will appear, the distance will seem not so huge. It remains only to find out where the Smolensk cemetery and the chapel are located.
Her address is the same as above, we will not repeat. Better publish a map with the location of the necessary cemetery.
There is a chapel on Vasilievsky Island, very close to the famous church in honor of the Mother of God of Smolensk. It was built during the life of the holy saint Ksenia, she personally carried bricks at night for the construction of this temple.
The miracle of the prayers of the saint
The letters of Ksenia of Petersburg and requests for help reach the saint very quickly. If a person sincerely believes in her prayer before God, sincerely asks for help, then blessed Ksenia will respond to the call. Numerous believers who have received help from the blessed tell of the miracles performed by her. Here is one of them in expanded form.
Once upon a time there was a young girl, she was very unlucky in terms of personal happiness. And the girl was only 25 years old, she strove for marriage, wanted to have children. In addition to the fact that it did not work out with his personal life, even at work problems started, our heroine had to quit.
And so, after leaving work, the girl goes to St. Petersburg. Just like that, on an excursion, still not knowing anything about the blessed saint of God. But the guide mentions a certain Saint Xenia, focusing on her help with arranging her personal life. Hearing this, our heroine, together with her roommate, goes to the Smolensk cemetery, where she submits a note with her request. She asks about work, first of all, and then about the dispensation of personal happiness.
Three months pass, the girl’s work is such that one can only dream of. Only with the personal is still quiet, there are no shifts. Three years fly by, our heroine is getting older, loneliness just depresses her, and then parents also grumble at their side that grandchildren can’t wait for them.
Then the girl remembered Ksenia of Petersburg, and began to ask her for help in her own words. And she made a promise: if she becomes a mother, she will call her children Ksenia and Andrey.
A little time passes, the girl gets acquainted with a believing man. He was a parishioner of the church in honor of St. Blessed Xenia of Petersburg. Young people got married, they had three children. Two daughters, named Xenia and Mary, and son Andryusha.
Conclusion
Miracles through the prayers of Blessed Ksenia occur very close by, only you need to believe in her help and intercession.
About how to convey letters to Ksenia of Petersburg, we described in an article. Would you like to visit her grave? The address is given above, be sure to go to the servant of God, pray and ask for help. Ksenia will not refuse someone who sincerely believes.