Venerable Seraphim of Sarov: biography and exploits

“Obtain a peaceful spirit and thousands around you will be saved.”

St.
Seraphim of Sarov If we speak in artistic terms, then, without exaggeration, Saint Seraphim of Sarov can be compared with the “golden ratio” of Russian Orthodoxy, if in musical terms - with the tuning fork of Truth. However, for many believers, Saint Father Seraphim is a close, dear, beloved patron saint of Rus' and the intercessor of our sinful souls. St. Seraphim of Sarov proves with his life that the path to salvation is like a full-flowing river: sometimes it quickly sweeps away everything that is sedimented, cleanses the banks, sometimes, like confession, it tests the muddy waters of temptation, sometimes it calms down in the silence of fasting, it pacifies, like heartfelt prayer is life-giving water. , without which it is impossible to heal your soul.

Let's try to understand the spiritual wealth that St. Seraphim of Sarov left us.

Life

Hieromonk Sergius began to describe the life of Seraphim four years after his death. It became the main source written about Sarovsky. However, it was also edited many times.

Life of Seraphim of Sarov

So, in 1841, Metropolitan Philaret himself rewrote the life. The desire to bring the life in line with the requirements of the censorship of that time was reflected.

The editor of the next edition was the abbot of one of the deserts, George. He supplemented the book with details about the animals that the monk fed, about the increase in food and the appearances of the Virgin Mary.

Life of Seraphim of Sarov

Seraphim means “fiery” in Hebrew. Fiery and unquenchable was the faith of St. Seraphim of Sarov. He walks ahead of his flock like a pillar of fire, showing us the true path. How many trials and ordeals of life the saint had to overcome during his 79 years of life: thirty years of hermitage, three years of stylite life, the feat of silence, seclusion, persecution.

Saint Seraphim of Sarov (in the world Prokhor Isidorovich Moshnin) was born on July 19, 1754 in Kursk, into a merchant family. The boy Prokhor miraculously managed to escape death after falling from the bell tower of the cathedral, which his father began to build, and after his death, Prokhor’s mother. Another miracle was revealed when a boy was healed by the icon of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Miraculous rescue after falling from the bell tower.

In his youth, Prokhor decided to devote his life to God. Taking his mother’s blessing, the young man went on a pilgrimage to Kyiv to worship the saints of Pechersk. There, the schemamonk Elder Dosifei blessed him and sent him to the Sarov hermitage.

Upon his short return home, Prokhor went to Sarov, where he was accepted as a novice. In the desert, Prokhor followed all instructions with zeal and zeal. Two years later, Prokhor fell seriously ill with dropsy, the brethren looked after him, but the boy’s strength left him. The Queen of Heaven appeared to Prokhor, accompanied by the holy apostles Peter and John the Theologian. Pointing her hand at the sick man, the Most Holy Virgin said to John: “This one is from our generation.” Then she touched the patient’s side with the staff, and immediately the liquid that filled the body began to flow out through the hole formed, and he quickly recovered. A hospital church was built at the site of the apparition.

After eight years of novitiate, Prokhor took monastic vows with the name Seraphim. A year later, Seraphim was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon. In 1793, at the age of 39, St. Seraphim was ordained to the rank of hieromonk. Then he asked for a blessing and went to a deserted cell several kilometers from the monastery, in a deep forest. There he led a very ascetic lifestyle, limiting himself in everything worldly: he ate once a day, worked in his garden and small apiary, and prayed a lot. Lay people began to come to the hieromonk for advice and spiritual guidance. Soon the Monk Seraphim completely abandoned communication with people; wild animals often visited his home; he fed bears from his hand.

“And he lived for 47 years in various feats of seclusion, silence, and seclusion. But on this path he encountered his second temptation: when he was already deprived of everything, he was faced with the question of preserving his life, of avoiding suffering. He was attacked by robbers, he was armed with an ax, he could defend himself - but he did not want to save his life at any cost, but gave it again to God. And God accepted this sacrifice; he was beaten, wounded, and his blood remained on his clothes, a piece of which we can contemplate here. He remained faithful to God to the point of blood, his life was preserved by the Lord...” (Metropolitan Anthony (Sourozhsky) about Seraphim of Sarov).

The holy Venerable Seraphim of Sarov died on January 2, 1833, in a position of prayer before the image of the Mother of God. His last words were: “Save yourself, do not lose heart, stay awake, today crowns are being prepared for us.”

Seraphim of Sarov the Wonderworker: short biography

Biographies of saints in the Church are usually called “lives.” The life of St. Seraphim is quite comprehensive, because the elder led a very simple lifestyle and sought monasticism from his youth.

Therefore, the brief life of Saint Seraphim can be summarized in just a few phrases:

born 1833;
at the age of 22 he left home and became a monk,
ten years later he was tonsured a monk,
spent his entire monastic life in the forests near the Sarov monastery or in seclusion in the monastery itself
and died at the age of 78.

“My joy” - this constant warm appeal of the old man to everyone can definitely be heard even now from his grave; as if this precious word stands, forever remaining indelible, in the air of places sanctified by the presence of his holy soul. These thoughts about the extraordinary feat of life of Elder Seraphim

Seraphim of Sarov, the wonderworker, is known for his predictions, he caught the winds of future changes, and was a real folk hero

Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov. Overview of Major Miracles

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It is known that for about three and a half years the Reverend Father Seraphim ate only one herb, which grew around his cell. He spent a thousand days and a thousand nights in the feat of pillar-building on a stone boulder. They say that the old man in his solitude was visited only by birds and wild animals.
Those who came to him for spiritual advice saw a large bear, which Father Seraphim fed bread from his hands.

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The life of Seraphim of Sarov says that once he was attacked by robbers. Having learned that rich visitors often came to the monk, dashing people decided to rob him.
While praying in the forest, they beat Father Seraphim and broke his head with the butt of an ax. Sarovsky did not resist, although he could have done it - then he was young and strong. The robbers did not find any wealth. Father Seraphim miraculously survived, but after this incident he remained hunched over forever. The robbers were caught, but at the insistence of Sarovsky, they were not punished. 3

. Written evidence of the miracles and feats of prayer of Father Seraphim was available in the Sarov and Dieevskaya monasteries, where many manuscripts were kept. There were miracles of all kinds. For example, Archpriest Vasily Sadovsky recalled how he visited the distant hermitage (skete) with the archimandrite, where Sarovsky was located.

Seeing the guests, he was delighted and said that they must be treated.

“Taking me by the hand, Father Seraphim led me to the corner of his desert.

It is unknown where and when a raspberry bush suddenly grew from the floor, and the priest said, pointing to three large, ripe and beautiful berries:

“Pick them, father, and treat our guests!”

Confused by this miracle, I tremblingly picked the wonderful berries and gave them to the priest, and he began to regale them, saying:

“Eat, eat, what poor Seraphim is happy to treat you with!”

And, putting a berry for each of us, he added:

“It is the Queen of Heaven herself who treats you, fathers!” It was in September, the berries, according to the archpriest, turned out to be of extraordinary sweetness, aroma and taste.

. Many miracles are associated with the source of Father Seraphim in the Sarov monastery. In 1903, a lame girl was brought to him, who could not find help anywhere for a serious illness - for 18 years he did not allow her to get out of bed.

After her family dipped her into the spring three times, her sore leg became stronger and the girl recovered.

There are also cases where people received their sight, gained hearing and voice, after praying and washing themselves from a holy spring.

. After the religious procession, in front of which they carried the miraculous icon of the Tenderness of the Mother of God (the Monk Seraphim died before her during prayer) and a large image of the saint, the mother placed a deaf-mute girl on the holy face.

Coming out of the church, the little girl exclaimed:

“Mom!”

The people around became worried, money rained down from all sides - the girl was forced to hold the hem, into which two-kopeck pieces, fifty-kopeck pieces and rubles were folded.

. The facts of healings in Sarov were carefully recorded, they were confirmed by officers on duty and witnesses from the people. Here are some excerpts from the monastery records:

At the spring of St. Seraphim, the 19-year-old daughter of Paraskeva Ershova Matryona, a soldier from the Vetluzhsky district of the Kostroma province, was healed of a serious illness. Her limbs were cramped, her hands were clenched. After bathing, the patient stood up, her limbs straightened, and she began to walk.

A peasant woman from the Sarapul district of the Vyatka province, Evfemia Ivanovna Smolnikova, who had been paralyzed for six years, received healing. After bathing, she felt completely healthy.

In the chapel over the grave of St. Seraphim, Elena Nikitichna Kulomzina, 25 years old, who fell ill five years ago from the village of Korovenki, Bogoroditsky district, Tula province, was healed of blindness.

And there are more than one book of such examples.

. The woman, crushed by the sorrows that befell her (she lost her husband in the war, misfortunes happened to her relatives) decided to hang herself. She took the rope and went into the forest near Moscow.

After some time, the unfortunate woman felt tired and sat down on a stump.

Next to her was an old man in a canvas robe.

Looking sternly and at the same time carefully, he asked:

“What are you thinking?”

The woman did not answer - she realized that the old man knew everything.

He told her:

“Let's go,” and she went.

I woke up only near the house, there was no one nearby.

For the first time in a long time of a terrible state of depression, the woman cried, she felt better. In the temple she found the image of St. Seraphim of Sarov, in whom she recognized her savior.

Prayers to Saint Seraphim of Sarov

Troparion of St. Seraphim, tone 4:

From your youth you loved Christ, O blessed one, and passionately longed for the One who worked, you labored in the desert with unceasing prayer and labor, and having acquired the love of Christ with a tender heart, you appeared as the chosen one beloved of the Mother of God. For this reason, we cry out to you: save us with your prayers, Seraphim, our reverend father.

Kontakion of St. Seraphim, voice 2:

Leaving the beauty of the world and the corruption in it, reverend, you moved into the Sarov monastery; and having lived there like an angel, you were the path to salvation for many. For this reason, Christ will glorify you, Father Seraphim, and enrich you with the gift of healings and miracles. In the same way we cry to you: Rejoice, Seraphim, our reverend father.

Prayer to St. Seraphim of Sarov

O wonderful Father Seraphim, great Sarov wonderworker, quick and obedient helper to all who come running to you! During the days of your earthly life, no one left you weary and inconsolable, but everyone was blessed with the vision of your face and the benevolent voice of your words. Moreover, the gift of healing, the gift of insight, the gift of healing for weak souls has appeared abundantly in you. When God called you from earthly labors to heavenly rest, your love ceased from us, and it is impossible to count your miracles, which multiplied like the stars of heaven: for throughout the ends of our earth you appeared to the people of God and granted them healing. In the same way, we cry out to you: O most quiet and meek servant of God, daring man of prayer to Him, denying no one who calls you, offer up your powerful prayer for us to the Lord of hosts, may He strengthen our power, may He grant us all that is useful in this life and all that is spiritual useful to salvation, may he protect us from the falls of sin and teach us true repentance, so that we can enter without stumbling into the eternal Heavenly Kingdom, where you now shine in unfathomable glory, and there sing with all the saints the Life-Giving Trinity until the end of the age. Amen.

Second prayer to St. Seraphim of Sarov

O Reverend Father Seraphim! Offer up for us, servants of God (names), your powerful prayer to the Lord of hosts, may He grant us all that is useful in this life and all that is useful for spiritual salvation, may He protect us from the falls of sins and may He teach us true repentance, in order to heed us without stumbling to the eternal Heavenly Kingdom, where you now shine in eternal glory, and there sing with all the saints the Life-Giving Trinity forever and ever.

Prayer three to St. Seraphim of Sarov

O great servant of God, venerable and God-bearing Father Seraphim! Look down from the heavenly glory on us humble and weak, burdened with many sins, your help and consolation to those who ask. Approach us with your mercy and help us to preserve the commandments of the Lord immaculately, to firmly maintain the Orthodox faith, to diligently bring repentance for our sins to God, to gracefully prosper in piety as Christians and to be worthy of your prayerful intercession for us. To her, Holiness of God, hear us praying to you with faith and love and do not despise us who demand your intercession: now and at the hour of our death, help us, and protect us with your prayers from the evil slander of the devil, so that those powers do not possess us, but yes With your help, let us be worthy to inherit the bliss of the abode of paradise. We now place our hope in you, merciful Father: be truly a guide to our salvation and lead us to the unevening Light of eternal life by your God-pleasing intercession at the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity, may we glorify and sing with all the saints the venerable name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever centuries. Amen.

Day of Seraphim of Sarov

August 1 marks the discovery of the relics of St. Seraphim - a more important date; festive services are held in churches. On this day we especially visit the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery, where the holy relics of Seraphim of Sarov are kept.
January 15 is the day when Seraphim of Sarov introduced himself - the second important date. On the one hand, this is the day of his departure into eternity, and on the other, the day of the second discovery of the relics of the Saint, which were stolen from the shrine after the events of the 1917 revolution.

Monastery of Seraphim of Sarov

Seraphim-Diveevo Convent. Photo by Vladimir Eshtokin

The Diveyevo monastery is the beloved brainchild and last refuge of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, a place of veneration of his relics, a monastery in which the saint himself bequeathed to be buried.

The Seraphim-Diveevo Convent in the name of the Holy Trinity is located in the Nizhny Novgorod diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Crowds of pilgrims flock here for consolation, healing, to bow to the feat of the great elder, to walk along the Holy Kanavka and to pray to the Queen of Heaven for their family and friends.

The monastery arose in the second half of the 18th century. The first building was the Kazan Church. St. Seraphim spoke about the Kazan Church:

“The Kazan Church, my joy, this will be a temple like no other! At the end of the world, the whole earth will burn, my joy, and nothing will remain. Only three churches from all over the world will be taken completely undestroyed to heaven: one in the Kyiv Lavra, the other... (the sisters forgot), and the third is yours in Kazan, mother. Wow, what a Kazan church you have!”

For more than a hundred years, first the community, and then the monastery (1861), expanded with lands and new churches thanks to the help of local residents, landowners and the dedication of the abbess.

In 1917, according to the list, 270 nuns and 1,474 novices lived in it - with a population of 520 people in the village of Diveevo. On September 21, 1927, the monastery was closed. Some of the sisters and the abbess moved to Murom, to a house near the walls of the Annunciation Monastery.

The revival of the monastery began in 1988, when a church parish was registered. On July 21, 1991, the Holy Synod decided to renew the monastery. On July 31, 1991, the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, rediscovered in St. Petersburg in the Kazan Cathedral, which was then the Museum of Atheism and Religion, solemnly arrived in Diveevo. In April 1992, according to the behest of Seraphim of Sarov, an unquenchable candle was lit in front of the image of the Savior in the Church of the Nativity. On February 20, 1995, by presidential decree, the Kazan Church was given the status of an architectural monument of federal significance. Large-scale restoration work began, seven churches were consecrated. Now more than 400 nuns live in the monastery. The center of spiritual life remains the Trinity Cathedral with its main shrine - the holy relics of St. Seraphim, the Wonderworker of Sarov.

The groove of the Queen of Heaven in the Diveyevo Monastery is one of the main shrines of the monastery. On November 25, 1825, the Mother of God appeared to St. Seraphim and commanded the founding of the Mill Community, indicating how this place should be surrounded by a ditch and a rampart. The ditch was created in the last years of the life of St. Seraphim. He was in a great hurry to create this groove - the path along which the Virgin Mary walked. The ditch along the path, according to the instructions of the Queen of Heaven, was to be dug only by the sisters of the community, and the laity could help carry the earth and fill the shaft. The Monk Seraphim said that this Canal is high to heaven and will always be a wall and protection from the Antichrist: “Whoever passes this Canal with prayer and reads half a hundred “Theotokos”, everything is here: Mount Athos, and Jerusalem, and Kyiv!” The last section of Kanavka was transferred to the monastery only in 2006, and its restoration was completed on July 31. With prayer on their lips and rosary in their hands, pilgrims walk along the Holy Canal, according to the behest of the Venerable One, following the Queen of Heaven, in Her footsteps.

Father Seraphim is digging a ditch

The exploits of St. Seraphim of Sarov

The future Elder Seraphim accomplished his first visible feat even before he was tonsured a monk - when he went on foot from Kursk, where he was born and lived, to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra: to venerate the relics of the Pechersk saints and receive a blessing for monasticism. He did not travel by train, he did not travel by car, and he did not fly by plane. In those days, pilgrimage was not a comfortable “tourism”, as it is now, but truly a feat.

Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, XIX century

But of course, most of all he became famous for the asceticism he carried out while already a monk. From the very beginning, he stood out from the brethren by his strict rules. And he spent 30 years of his life either as a hermit in the forest, a few kilometers from the Sarov monastery, or in the monastery itself, but in seclusion.

His way of life in the forest seems incredible. Saint Seraphim could wear the same clothes all year round, he wore chains, and at times he ate only grass.

His most famous feat is the feat of stylite, when he stood in prayer alternately on two stones for a thousand days and a thousand nights.

He began to receive visitors only in the last years of his life - and it was then that people learned about Seraphim of Sarov and glorified him as a saint during his lifetime.

Icons of Seraphim of Sarov

With hands folded in prayer at the heart - only the right hand touches the heart or the hands lie on the chest in the area of the heart crosswise, the right hand on top of the left

In front of the icons, people turn to the holy saint for help in mental and physical healing.

There are four main iconographic images of Seraphim of Sarov:

1. With hands folded in prayer at the heart - only the right hand touches the heart or the hands lie on the chest in the area of the heart crosswise, the right hand on top of the left

2. Blesser - the right hand blesses, in the left hand there are prayer beads

3. Prayer on a stone - Father Seraphim stands kneeling on a stone, raising both hands to the sky

4. An image where the Monk Seraphim of Sarov is depicted as an old man with a staff.

Half-length icons and icons are also painted, where Saint Seraphim is depicted in full growth. For the “blessing image” on the icons there is a mandatory attribute: prayer beads in the left hand.

Icon painted from the lifetime portrait of Seraphim of Sarov:

The relics of Seraphim of Sarov: where are they located?

The relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov are now kept in the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery.

There you can worship them. Diveevsky Monastery is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. From Moscow, for example, you can get by train to Nizhny Novgorod and then by bus to Diveevo. The bus schedule can be found here

By car: 450 kilometers from Moscow.

There are hotels and private houses at the monastery and you can always find somewhere to stay, but it is better to book accommodation in advance - especially on great Church holidays or on the days of the saint’s memory.

And in Moscow there is the Diveevsky Monastery Compound - it is located a two-minute walk from the Prospekt Mira-Koltsevaya metro station - if you follow the path to the Garden Ring. The courtyard with a house church inside is located right on Prospekt Mira:

House temple: what is it and how does it differ from an ordinary temple?

Source of St. Seraphim of Sarov

Source of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Photo from the personal archive of Yulia Denisova.

Not far from the Sarov monastery there is a quiet picturesque place, a small lake with clear spring water - a holy spring in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The source opened on the banks of the Satis River.

According to eyewitnesses, in the 60s of the last century, in the forbidden territory where the spring is now located, an old man in white robes appeared to the border guards. When asked what he was doing here, the old man remained silent, only hit with his staff - the water began to flow, and a spring opened. Later they wanted to cover the source with earth, but the old man appeared again and said: “Do not fill up my source.”

Now on the territory where the source is located, there is a log chapel; on holidays, solemn prayers are held here. Behind the chapel, baths are open to pilgrims all year round. There is a lot of evidence of healings after washing in the source of St. Seraphim.

Source of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Photo by Yulia Denisova.

Teachings of St. Seraphim of Sarov

To some extent, teachings are truly the most important thing that Saint Seraphim of Sarov left behind.

“Acquire a peaceful spirit and thousands around you will be saved,” this is one of the most famous sayings of St. Seraphim of Sarov, which simply and briefly conveys the whole essence of his teaching.

Finding peace in the soul and acquiring grace: this is the main goal for a Christian, and not fulfilling the commandments. Fulfilling the commandments is natural for a person, and this must be done in any case, but a person has a higher purpose on earth than simply doing good deeds and not offending loved ones. This goal is deification

: that is, a change in the nature of the soul is already here - on earth.

In fact, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov tried to convey the ideas of hesychasm - the “Greek” teaching, one of whose apologists was St. Gregory Palamas in the 14th century, and which is being built to this day on Holy Mount Athos. The idea of hesychasm is based on the doing of the mind, and not just actions.

Saint Gregory Palamas

The Monk Seraphim of Sarov reminded that the life of a Christian begins not with actions, or even with thoughts, but even earlier - with the nature of his soul. Therefore, an Orthodox Christian must follow not only his thoughts (because all actions come from them), but direct his hope and aspirations further - to the state of his soul. A soul that cries for the Holy Spirit and finds its true integrity and true healing only through the acquisition of Grace and thus in Christ.

Well, keeping the commandments and a pious life are just one of the best tools for achieving this highest goal - acquiring a “peaceful spirit.”

Relics of Seraphim of Sarov

Relics of Saint Seraphim of Sarov

In the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery, under the canopy in the left aisle of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, are the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. There is also the staff of Father Seraphim.

“I will die, I will lie in the grave, but you come to my grave, here, as if alive, tell me everything that your heart wants to say, and I, as if alive, will hear you from the grave,” the elder said to his friends before his death . Thousands of people go to the monastery to venerate the holy relics.

The history of the discovery of the relics is very dramatic and full of tragic twists: the canonization and discovery of the relics of St. Seraphim took place under the care of Tsar Nicholas II in 1903, in the 1920s the relics of the saint were taken away, then desecrated by being in an anti-religious museum, in 1934 they completely disappeared and rediscovered only on January 15, 1991 in the storerooms of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, which was located in the building of the Kazan Cathedral in Leningrad. However, today anyone can venerate the relics of one of the most revered saints of Rus', ask for the gift of health, remission of sins, and correction of life.

“Rejoice today, all Russian land, and, holy monastery of Diveyevo, rejoice. The multitude of the faithful, who have gathered together today, let us glorify the venerable father, shepherd and teacher, the God-wise mentor to the lost, the quick healer of all the sick, the Russian land, a great adornment, praising him, Sitserce: Reverend Seraphim, save us with your prayers” (stichera on the litiya).

Relics and veneration

Through the prayers of St. Seraphim, numerous signs and healings were performed at his grave.

On July 19, 1903, the glorification of the saint of God took place. In the same year, a temple in the name of St. Seraphim was consecrated in the Sarov monastery. According to other sources, the first temple in the name of St. Seraphim in 1904 became the lower altar of the cathedral church of the Pochaev Holy Spiritual Skete [2].

On November 17, 1920, during the campaign to “open and liquidate the relics,” by decision of the IX Congress of Soviets of the city of Temnikov, the commission opened the shrine containing the relics of St. Seraphim. The relics of the saint rested in the Sarov monastery until its destruction in 1927, when they were taken to an unknown destination.

In 1991, the relics of the saint were rediscovered in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in the Museum of the History of Religion (Kazan Cathedral). In the same year they were transferred to Diveevo and since then have been in the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery.

Cancer with the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Diveevo.

Rule of Seraphim of Sarov

St. Seraphim of Sarov left us the following prayer rule:

“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before St. icons, let him read the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father” three times, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, then the hymn to the Mother of God “Rejoice, Virgin Mary” also three times and, finally, the Creed once. Having completed this rule, let everyone go about their work to which they have been assigned or called.

While working at home or on the road somewhere, let him quietly read: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner,” and if others surround him, then, while doing business, let him say with his mind only: “ Lord have mercy,” and continues until lunch. Just before lunch, let him perform the above morning rule. After dinner, while doing his work, let him read quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner,” and let him continue this until sleep.

When going to bed, let every Christian read the above morning rule again; after that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross.”

For those who, due to various circumstances, cannot follow this small rule, Rev. Seraphim advised reading it in any position: during classes, while walking, and even in bed, presenting the basis for this as the words of Scripture: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Who is Seraphim of Sarov - the beginning of the monastic path

While young Prokhor was wondering which monastery he should go to, he decided to go on a pilgrimage to the city of Kyiv. He wanted to see for himself the works of the Kiev-Pechersk monks, ask for the guidance of the elders and receive a blessing for monasticism.

Prokhor went on pilgrimage on foot in the company of five Kursk merchants. In Kyiv he learned that not far from St. Pechersk Lavra, a recluse named Dositheus, who has the gift of clairvoyance, is saved. It was to him that the young man decided to go.

The perspicacious Dositheus, seeing the grace of God resting on the future saint, blessed him to go to the Sarov hermitage and said in conclusion:

“Come, child of God, and remain there. This place will be your salvation, with the help of the Lord. Here you and your earthly journey will end. Just try to acquire unceasing memory of God through the constant invocation of the name of God like this: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner! Let all your attention and training be in this; walking and sitting, doing and standing in church, everywhere, in every place, entering and leaving, let this unceasing cry be both in your mouth and in your heart: with it you will find peace, you will acquire spiritual and physical purity, and the Spirit will dwell in you The Holy One, the source of all good things, will direct your life in holiness, in all piety and purity. In Sarov, the rector Pachomius lived a godly life; he is a follower of our Anthony and Theodosius!”

A conversation with the wondrous old man Dosifei finally confirmed the youth in his decision. After fasting and communion of the Holy Mysteries, he left the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery and set off on a long journey. He returned briefly to Kursk to his mother's house, and this was his last farewell.

What does Seraphim Sarovsky help with?

Great, comforted and healer, the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov is an ambulance to all who ask for his help. During his lifetime, he helped people a lot - through deeds and prayer to God for them. People asked him to pray for healing from envy, for those who hate and offend, for the cooling of love for neighbors, for good relationships in the family, for spiritual adversity (despondency, apathy) ... About this and in any other difficult situations, when the heart tells us that without With the help of the patron saint, it will be difficult for us to cope on our own; we can pray to him now.

Prayer for the gift of love, read for yourself, for loved ones and for enemies

Reverend Father Seraphim, filled with Divine love, unceasing servant of Divine love, beloved of the Mother of Divine Love, hear me, who loves you little and grieves you a lot.

Grant that I too may now be a zealous servant of God-pleasing Love. That kind of love that is long-suffering, does not envy, does not boast, is merciful, is not proud, does not act outrageously, does not seek its own, does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices about others. Pray to Primordial Love, and having served Her love on earth, through your intercession and prayers I will reach the Mother of God and all the saints in the Kingdom of love and glory and light, and I will fall at the feet of my Master, who gave us the commandment about true love.

Loving Father, do not reject the prayers of the heart that loves you, and beg a loving God for the forgiveness of my sins. Help us to bear each other’s burdens, not to do to others what we don’t want for ourselves, everyone loves, in truth; He loves everything, he has faith in everything, he endures everything, even though he falls away!

This love should be a servant to me and all my relatives, and known, and to cover with love, and with a heartfelt song of love, having ended earthly life, begin with it a joyful eternal life in the land of true love. Pray for us, Father, our beloved Father, who loves us! Amen.

A short prayer for help and intercession, indicating the name of the person praying

Heritage

Orthodox Christians still pray to Seraphim of Sarov today. The press has repeatedly written about healings from various ailments of people who came to the relics of the saint, and other miracles associated with him.

The most famous icon, which depicts the monk, has survived to this day. The source for painting the icon of Seraphim of Sarov was a portrait that was made five years before the death of the hieromonk by an artist named Serebryakov.

Lifetime portrait of Seraphim of Sarov (left) and an icon painted on its basis (right)

Also, to this day, Orthodox Christians know not a single prayer to Seraphim of Sarov. How does this saint help: believers ask him for peace and an end to suffering, healing from illness, harmony and mental fortitude. Often people come to the icon with prayer so that the saint can guide them on the right path. Young girls ask for messages from their companion. Often businessmen pray to Seraphim, wanting success in business and trade.

Today there is a temple of Seraphim of Sarov in almost every city in Russia. Among them are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan. There are parishes in honor of the saint in small villages. This suggests that the saint is still revered among believers.

Cartoon about Seraphim of Sarov

On the last weekend of August 2020, the premiere of a cartoon will take place, telling children about St. Seraphim of Sarov. The plot of the cartoon is dedicated to the story of the girl Seraphima, who was orphaned during the Great Patriotic War. She faces many trials - she is the daughter of a repressed priest, she is required to renounce her faith. But one day the heroine finds herself in an ancient temple. From that moment on, her life changes greatly. She makes an extraordinary journey into a wonderful world and meets her heavenly patron, Saint Seraphim of Sarov.

The 70-minute cartoon “The Extraordinary Adventures of Seraphim” was created by the KinoAtis studio on the initiative and with the financial support of the Russian Ministry of Culture, as well as the Foundation of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

Stage director: Sergei Antonov, producer: Igor Meshchan, scriptwriter: Timofey Veronin

Seraphim of Sarov: years of life - when he lived

The Monk Seraphim of Sarov lived in the 18th–19th centuries. He was born in 1754 and died in 1833.

He lived for 78 years, and during this time the country in which he lived - the Russian Empire - survived six emperors and changed a lot: from a large state it became a real Empire, which was able to eventually defeat Napoleon himself.

The rulers who were “found” by Saint Seraphim of Sarov: Empress Elizabeth; Peter II; Catherine II; Peter III; Alexander I; Nicholas I. Although, of course, the Monk Seraphim himself thought least of all about the kings of the earth and thought more about the Eternal Kingdom, which is what his life tells about.

Motovilov and Seraphim Sarovsky

Nikolai Aleksandrovich Motovilov (1809-1879) - Simbirsk and Arzamas landowner, “Seraphim’s servant”, was the secret man of St. Seraphim of Sarov in the Diveyevo monastery.

ON THE. Motovilov graduated from Kazan University, served as an honorary warden of the Korsun district school, a judge of the Simbirsk conscience court, a member of the Nizhny Novgorod-Ardatov Prison Committee, and was elected a member of the special commission of the State Connoisseur. (E.I. Motovilova. From memories of her husband)

It is known that at the beginning of their acquaintance, St. Seraphim healed N.A. Motovilov from a long illness: “A year before I was given the commandment to serve the Mother of God at the Diveyevo monastery, the great elder Seraphim healed me of serious and incredible, great rheumatic and other diseases, with relaxation of the whole body and the removal of legs, crumpled and swollen at the knees, and with bedsore ulcers on my back and sides, with which I suffered incurably for more than three years.” ON THE. Motovilov became the first biographer of Saint Seraphim of Sarov. He wrote down the teachings and prophecies of the great old man.

The “Conversation of St. Seraphim with N. A. Motovilov” about the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, which took place in November 1831 in the forest, not far from the Sarov monastery, and was recorded by Motovilov, is also widely known. The manuscript was discovered 70 years later in the papers of Nikolai Alexandrovich’s wife, Elena Ivanovna Motovilova.

According to the will of St. Seraphim of Sarov, it was N.A. Motovilov who completed the creation of the Diveyevo convent. ON THE. Motovilov was buried in 1879 in the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery.

Miracles of St. Seraphim of Sarov

Miraculous phenomena began to happen to the Monk Seraphim when he was still a seven-year-old boy, Prokhor. He fell from the bell tower to the ground, but remained alive.

The feats that he accomplished while staying in the forest for thirty years can also be considered a real miracle - but more on that below.

His holy life made the most formidable animals meek. The monk said that wolves, hares, foxes, snakes and mice, and even a big bear came to him at night. And he fed everyone, and miraculously there were enough treats for everyone. “No matter how much bread I took,” said the ascetic, “it miraculously did not decrease in the basket!”

Like any saint, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov did not strive to work miracles, and in any miraculous phenomenon he saw first of all the generosity and Love of God and an example of how boundless the world becomes during life with Christ.

The attacks of the devil intensified. At first they manifested themselves in a mystical way - during prayer, Elder Seraphim could be thrown up and thrown back to the ground - these were the demons “having fun”. And one day, during his exploits in the forest, he was attacked by real robbers. It was the devil, seeing the spiritual firmness of the elder, who now attacked, using earthly “improvised” tools—people—to break the monk’s spirit in such an “earthly” way.

The robbers beat the monk, broke his ribs, fractured his skull and inflicted many other wounds. The wounded Seraphim of Sarov was found some time later, and the doctors were surprised: it was unclear how he remained alive. The monk himself said that on one of these days the Mother of God appeared to the monk, and this finally calmed him down, helped him surrender everything to the will of God and thereby save his life.

The appearance of the Mother of God to St. Seraphim of Sarov is also one of the miracles that happened to him more than once. According to legend, there were twelve of them. The first - in childhood, when Prokhor was 9 years old - the boy was seriously ill and the Mother of God promised to heal him. It was after this that he decided to become a monk. And the last appearance happened a couple of years before his death - when the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him surrounded by John the Baptist, John the Theologian and 12 virgins.

The novitiate of Seraphim of Sarov

From childhood he felt that he was created for a life of prayer. When the young man turned 17, he made a pilgrimage to the famous Kiev Pechersk Lavra, and this pilgrimage determined his future. In the Kitaevskaya hermitage near Kiev, Elder Dositheus, known for his perspicacity, instructed a young man to go to the Sarov hermitage: “Come, child of God, and abide in the Sarov monastery.” And so it soon happened. In November 1778, Prokhor headed to the Sarov Hermitage. On the young man’s neck hung a copper cross, which Agathia gave to her son before parting. Prokhor did not part with him until the end of his life.

The young novice took on any task at the monastery. He baked bread, operated a plane in the carpentry, considering boredom one of the dangerous temptations. “This disease is born from cowardice, carelessness and idle talk,” he loved to repeat, having already become the monk Seraphim. After two years of living in the monastery, he was again attacked by a serious illness, and severe pain began. And again, almost on his deathbed, the Mother of God appeared to him. She put her hand on his head. Immediately a wound opened in the sufferer’s side, through which the disease left his body. Only the depression on the body later reminded of this miraculous healing. And then the years of asceticism began - living in the desert, silence, seclusion, pilgrimage... For a thousand nights he stood in kneeling prayer on a stone.

Miracles of Seraphim of Sarov

The miracle worker spent his entire life helping people who came to him for help. However, he himself experienced the miracles of the Lord:

One day, standing with his mother on the bell tower, little Prokhor leaned out over the railing, lost his balance and fell. The frightened mother who ran downstairs noted with surprise that her son was not injured. This was the first miracle associated with Seraphim.
When the boy was ten years old, he became seriously ill. One day the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him in a dream, promising deliverance from his illness. Soon the icon of the Heavenly Queen was carried around the city. The mother took her child in her arms and brought it to the holy face. Almost immediately Prokhor felt better, and after a short time he completely recovered.
Taking bread with him to feed the animals, the monk himself said that it never diminished from his basket.

According to Tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Seraphim of Sarov twelve times. Her last coming was with John the Baptist, when the Mother of God informed the monk of his imminent death.

The childhood years of St. Seraphim of Sarov

Isidore's youngest son, Prokhor, was born in 1759. He saw this grandiose construction project from his youngest years. The Orthodox church grew, and the boy grew up. Their fates were miraculously intertwined. One day his mother climbed with him to the very top of the bell tower under construction. Prokhor leaned over the scaffolding and, unable to maintain his balance, fell down. Agathia rushed down the stairs with a cry of horror, and when she ran down, she saw that her son was standing on the ground, alive and unharmed. For a long time, people later said that it was God’s power that saved the boy from certain death.

Three years passed, and a miracle happened again. Prokhor fell seriously ill, he was practically on the verge of death. However, in oblivion, he saw the Most Holy Theotokos, who promised a quick deliverance from the disease. And so it happened. A few days later there was a religious procession in Kursk with the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. The recent rain had left the road so muddy that the monks had to turn away from their usual path to Agathia’s courtyard. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Agafya carried her sick son into the courtyard, placed him next to the miraculous icon and brought it under its shade. They noticed that from that time Prokhor began to improve in health and soon completely recovered.

Canonization of St. Seraphim of Sarov

The veneration of the great ascetic quickly spread among the Russian people, but church authorities were in no hurry to canonize Seraphim of Sarov. In the book by A. A. Ikonnikov-Galitsky “Saints of the Russian Land”, we read: “Chief Prosecutor of the Synod K.P. Pobedonostsev could not admit that some kind of faith lived among the people that was not spelled out in the circulars of his department.” St. Seraphim was canonized only in 1903, on the personal initiative of Tsar Nicholas II.

The fact is that the last Russian emperor accidentally learned from Archimandrite Seraphim (Chichagov), later glorified as a martyr, about the prophecy of the saint. The learned monk’s daughter was a nun of the Diveyevo Monastery, the object of special care of the Sarov elder. The prophecy said that Tsar Nicholas II would come to power, that the second half of his reign would be more successful than the first, and that he, Seraphim of Sarov, would later glorify the tsar who would glorify him first. The Empress passionately prayed to Saint Seraphim of Sarov for an heir.

A year after Seraphim of Sarov was canonized, a long-awaited son was born into the royal family... And many years later, the entire royal family and Nicholas II were also canonized. It turns out that the saint’s prophecy came true.

Another miracle happened to the saint’s relics. A few years after the revolution, in 1922, they were taken out of the monastery by the authorities and, it seemed, disappeared forever. More than half a century passed and suddenly in 1990 the remains of the saint were discovered in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Now they again rest in the convent in Diveevo, near the city of Sarov.

Biography of Seraphim of Sarov

Seraphim of Sarov (Prokhor Isidorovich Mashnin, in a number of sources - Moshnin) is a great Russian ascetic, miracle worker, man of prayer, who performed many good deeds, miracles and ascetic deeds: standing on a stone for a thousand days, silence, desert living, seclusion, old age.

Seraphim of Sarov

He is one of the two most revered monastic saints in Russia who, during canonization, received the face of a god-like figure, that is, a saint (along with Sergius of Radonezh).

Sarov desert

In 1776, Prokhor made a pilgrimage to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Elder Dosithea was there, showing the young man the place to take monastic vows and become obedient. The Sarov Desert became such a place, where the future monk headed. Before that, he returned home briefly to say goodbye to his family and friends.

The clergyman reached Sarov on November 20, 1778. There he met Father Pachomius, who was the rector. The young man was appointed Elder Joseph as his confessor, under whose strict guidance Prokhor received knowledge about life in the monastery. He worked in the bakery and carpentry, and helped his mentor in all matters. The guy did everything with sincere zeal; he was driven by an irresistible desire to serve the Lord. At the same time, he was constantly looking for something to do to avoid boredom. It was this that Sarovsky considered the most terrible evil for newcomers.

The elder blessed the young man to go into the forest to pray. There he could remain completely alone. Two years after the start of his service, Prokhor became seriously ill: his entire body was swollen, every movement caused unbearable pain. The abbot intended to call a doctor, but the young man refused, citing the fact that he had given his soul and body to his God. During this period, he had a new vision in which the Blessed Virgin touched him with a rod, instantly healing him.

The novice spent a little over eight years in the monastery, after which he took monastic vows, choosing for himself the name Seraphim. According to him, it was this name that perfectly expressed his incredibly strong love for the Lord and his desire to devote himself entirely to service. A year later, the man was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon. He constantly prayed, stayed for a long time after the service, and Sarovsky was repeatedly visited by various visions. On September 2, 1793, Seraphim was appointed hieromonk.

Seraphim of Sarov: biography

The future saint was born in 1759 in the Kursk province into a family of wealthy parents. The boy's father died early, and his mother took on all the burdens of family life on her shoulders. Prokhor (as Seraphim was named) was destined from above to take the path of truth. One day a boy climbed a high bell tower, which his family was building, and fell from it to the ground. But there was not a single scratch on his body, nor any bruises.

After this, the boy’s character changed greatly; she began to be interested in the Holy Scriptures. At the age of 17, Prokhor decides to renounce worldly life and completely devote himself to serving the Lord. Mother approved this decision. In his twentieth year, he became a novice in the Sarov desert, where he became a monk. After being ordained as a hieromonk, Seraphim retired to a deep forest and built a monastery there, in which he lived and prayed.

The Most Holy Theotokos saved the saint from a fatal illness three times.

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Over the many years spent in complete solitude, Saint Seraphim was more than once rewarded with godly visions. When the Mother of God herself appeared to the hermit, she ordered him to end the life of the hermit and begin to serve people. Since then, Saint Seraphim has instructed, consoled, and healed all those who suffered. He affectionately called everyone who turned to him “my joy.” With just his appearance and gentle voice, this holy elder could melt a frozen heart and soften a hardened soul. After talking with him, people opened their hearts to God, said a prayer of repentance and strived for virtue.

The holy elder became famous for his feat of prayer: for 1000 days and nights he stood kneeling on a stone in the forest in front of the icon of the Mother of God.

Where did the holy elder get so much love for people? He saw with his inner gaze the very essence of man, his divine nature and what he could become when serving the Lord. This insight inspired him and motivated him to selfless service to all humanity. Having spent many years in the hardships of living in the desert, this holy man taught that the main thing in Christianity is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. It is not in seclusion that one can find it (although this is not excluded), but in the pursuit of finding the Kingdom of God within one’s soul.

A person’s merit before God does not lie in long prayer vigils, but in the sincere, fiery prayer of the heart. He taught that external prayer (saying words) must certainly be combined with internal prayer (searching for God in the soul). Those monks who do not know how to connect the external with the internal are formal monks. During services, Saint Seraphim advised looking at an icon or candle, or closing your eyes for better concentration.

“Get peace, and thousands around you will be saved,” - this is how Saint Seraphim taught and instructed.

The holy elder understood perfectly well that a simple peasant does not have time to read morning and evening prayers every day, so he created a prayer rule:

in the morning/at lunch/evening, reading the Our Father and the Theotokos - three times, the Creed - once;
from morning until lunch, continuously read the Jesus Prayer to yourself;
From lunch to dinner, read a prayer to the Mother of God.

This simple prayer rule can be mastered by any busiest person, and the creation of continuous prayer within oneself will help balance emotions and protect from sin.

Discovery of the relics of Seraphim of Sarov

At one time, unknown relics were accidentally found in the storerooms of the Leningrad Museum of the History of Religion, which were not listed in any inventory. The relics, which are called skeletal composition, were wrapped in old tapestries; on their hands were mittens with the inscription “Reverend Father Seraphim, pray to God for us.” A commission from the Patriarchate was created, and experts began to compare the discovered relics with the inventory of the opening of the shrine with the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov by NKVD officers. As Archbishop Arseny (Epifanov) of Istra later recalled:

“Everything found was in complete agreement with the remains of St. Seraphim of Sarov! Even this fact: do you remember from the life of the Reverend how he was beaten half to death by robbers who were looking for money from him? And even this agrees: the found relics have a rather strong dent on the sternum!”

Then, at the Sofrino plant, a shrine was made for the relics of the saint. The reliquary with the relics first stood in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, then in a religious procession it was transferred to the Moscow station, from where it arrived in Moscow in a special carriage. There the relics were placed in the Epiphany Cathedral. This happened on the day of the celebration of the icon of the Mother of God “Quench my sorrows.” The believers recalled that it was a frosty day, drifting snow was running along the ground, but joy overwhelmed all the people gathered in the cathedral.

The relics remained in Moscow until mid-summer 1991. And in July, a truly grandiose automobile religious procession took place. Accompanied by His Holiness the Patriarch, hierarchs and priests, the relics of the saint were transported to the revived Diveyevo convent, to the Trinity Cathedral. Thousands of believers lined up along the route of the cortege to venerate the shrine.

And to this day the flow of people to the relics of St. Seraphim in the Holy Trinity Cathedral does not dry up.

Life of the Wonderworker Seraphim of Sarov

The life of St. Seraphim of Sarov has earned the national veneration and love of the Orthodox people: he is always close to our souls and invisibly remains with us in suffering, sorrow, and trials.

Therefore, you cannot find a temple in Russia where the face of Seraphim does not reside on the iconostasis.

Lives of other Orthodox saints:

Life and biography of Alexander Nevsky
Life and biography of Stefan of Perm
Life of the Holy Venerable Kuksha of Odessa

Icon of Seraphim of Sarov

Infancy

The baby Prokhor came into the Light of God in 1754. His father served as a merchant and was involved in the construction of buildings. At the end of his life, he decided to build a cathedral, but did not live to see the completion of the construction. The boy remained with his mother, she raised him and instilled in the child a deep faith in Christ.

After the death of her husband, the widow continued the construction of the cathedral. One day she took Prokhor with her to a construction site. But he unexpectedly stumbled and fell from a high bell tower. The mother rushed down and found her child safe and sound. Thus, the Creator Himself preserved the life and health of His future lamp.

Prokhor had an excellent memory and science was easy for him. The teenager loved to attend services and read Lives and the Gospel to his friends. One day the boy became seriously ill, and doctors could not find a medicine to cure him. But in a dream vision, the Mother of God promised to cure a serious illness. Soon a religious procession with the “Sign” icon took place at the family estate.

The mother carried the sick man out and placed him on the Face of the Virgin Mary, after which the boy quickly recovered.

Beginning to Serve the Lord

From a young age, Prokhor dreamed of dedicating his life to the Savior and entering a monastery. The mother did not interfere with her son’s will and blessed him for monasticism with a crucifix. The saint wore this cross on his chest all his life.

Once Prokhor, as part of the pilgrims, went on foot from Kursk to Kyiv to worship the Pechersk saints. There he decided to flee to the Sarov desert. Returning to his father’s house, Prokhor said goodbye to his mother forever and went to Sarov. The abbot kindly received the God-loving young man and appointed him a confessor, under whose leadership the future saint performed his obediences.

The young man was a cell attendant, worked in a bakery, a prosphora bakery, worked as a carpenter, and was a sexton. He performed any type of work with special zeal.

A couple of years later, Prokhor fell ill with dropsy, his body became very swollen, he was in great pain and difficulty. He was looked after both by his mentor and by those monks who loved the kind and hardworking young man. The illness plagued his body for about three years, but none of those around him heard a drop of grumbling from Prokhor. The elders wanted to call a doctor to see him. But Prokhor strictly forbade them to do this; he wanted only one thing - a speedy Communion.

Then a vision happened: the Most Holy Mother of God appeared in the Divine Light and touched the patient’s side with a rod - immediately the liquid, which was in abundance in Prochorus’ body, began to flow out through the resulting hole. The young man quickly recovered.

Pavel Ryzhenko “Seraphim of Sarov”

tonsure

Prokhor lived as a novice in the monastery for 8 years, after which he was honored to accept monasticism. In his tonsure he was given the name Seraphim. A year later, observing the young monk’s fiery love for the Lord, the abbot decided to elevate Seraphim to the rank of hierodeacon.

The monk served in the temple every day, and after the service he prayed incessantly.

The zealous service of the monk was rewarded by the Almighty: Seraphim was granted visions of grace during the services. He repeatedly contemplated the heavenly Angels who co-served the monastery brethren.

And one day during the service, when the abbot pointed the orar at the prayer books, a golden ray overshadowed him. Seraphim looked up and saw the Savior Himself, He walked from the temple doors, accompanied by the Ethereal Heavenly Forces. The monk froze with admiration and delight; he could not even move from his place.

After the miraculous vision, Seraphim began to be more zealous about his service: during the day he worked as hard as he could in the monastery, and at night he left his native walls and went into the forest to pray.