St. John of Shanghai - knower of the Serbs

A young Serb was a student of theology in France and was divided in heart: get married or become a monk? He went to Brussels, where Archbishop John was then living, and asked Vladyka: should I become a monk? Vladyka John had lived for a long time in Serbia and understood well the ways and character of young Serbs. He knew that they tend to be stubborn and irascible, and answered the student: No.

This Serb became a monk after all. When this same Serb, already a monk, had the pleasure of meeting Archbishop John in America, Vladyka blessed him with the shining face of a clairvoyant knower of Serbs... Vladyka knew that if he had told this Serb, "Yes, become a monk," that Serb would never have done it...