A father talks about the healing of his son from demonic possession:
My son was possessed, he hated everything holy, all holy icons and crosses, he split them into the thinnest sticks and was very happy about it. I took him to Vladyka John, and he put him on his knees, placing either a Cross or the Gospel on his head. My son was very sad after this, and sometimes ran away from the cathedral. But Vladyka told me not to despair. He said that he will continue to pray for him, and over time he will get better, but for now let him continue to be treated by doctors: “Don’t worry, the Lord is not without mercy.”
This went on for several years. One day he was reading the Gospel at home. His face was bright and joyful. And he told his father that he needed to go to Minhon (30-40 km from Shanghai), in a mental hospital, where he sometimes went: “I need to go there, there the Spirit of God will cleanse me from the spirit of evil and darkness, and I then I will go to the Lord,” he said. They brought him to Minhon. Two days later, his father came to visit him and saw that his son was restless, constantly moving on the bed, and suddenly began shouting: “Don’t, don’t come near me, I don’t want you!”
My son was possessed, he hated everything holy, all holy icons and crosses, he split them into the thinnest sticks and was very happy about it. I took him to Vladyka John, and he put him on his knees, placing either a Cross or the Gospel on his head. My son was very sad after this, and sometimes ran away from the cathedral. But Vladyka told me not to despair. He said that he will continue to pray for him, and over time he will get better, but for now let him continue to be treated by doctors: “Don’t worry, the Lord is not without mercy.”
This went on for several years. One day he was reading the Gospel at home. His face was bright and joyful. And he told his father that he needed to go to Minhon (30-40 km from Shanghai), in a mental hospital, where he sometimes went: “I need to go there, there the Spirit of God will cleanse me from the spirit of evil and darkness, and I then I will go to the Lord,” he said. They brought him to Minhon. Two days later, his father came to visit him and saw that his son was restless, constantly moving on the bed, and suddenly began shouting: “Don’t, don’t come near me, I don’t want you!”
