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It is difficult to imagine a more saint than Seraphim of Sarov. Dozens, hundreds of pilgrims come daily to the shrine (ark) with its relics at the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery. Each of them knows that Saint Seraphim will not leave them in trouble and will pray for those who suffer at the throne of Heavenly God. A few years ago, I was also in the monastery, I personally felt the help of the saint and the grace emanating from his relics. She makes her way to tears, to goosebumps, and you seem to be immersed in the atmosphere of love and kindness that surrounded Seraphim of Sarov during his lifetime.
When is the day of memory of Seraphim of Sarov celebrated?
The Orthodox Church celebrates the Days of Remembrance of St. Seraphim of Sarov 15 January и 1 August.
January 15 is the day of the death of the saint. August 1 – the acquisition of his holy relics.
The life story of Seraphim of Sarov
His name was Prokhor
The boy who gave birth in Kursk on July 19, 1759, was named Prokhor. His father Isidor Moshnin was a wealthy merchant, a pious man and generous in alms. He owned a brick factory and erected many stone buildings and churches. Prokhor’s elder brother was engaged in trade. The same future was predicted for the youngest, forcing him to sit at the counter. But Prokhor helped his brother only out of obedience, he was drawn to church, to church services.
By the way, even then God’s mercy was revealed to him. At the age of seven, Prokhor fell from the bell tower of the temple, where he climbed with his mother Agafya Moshnina, but was not nearly injured. Here is how it is written about this in the life of St. Seraphim: “Suddenly moving away from his mother, the quick boy leaned over the railing to look down, and, through negligence, fell to the ground. The frightened mother fled from the bell tower in a terrible state, imagining to find her son beaten to death, but, to inexpressible joy and great surprise, she saw him safe and sound. The child stood up. The mother tearfully thanked God for saving her son and realized that the son Prokhor was guarded by a special providence of God.
At the age of 10, Prokhor became very ill, there was no hope for recovery. But at some point in a dream, the Mother of God Herself appeared to him and promised to heal the boy. The mother put the sick son to the miraculous icon of the Sign of the Mother of God, and he gradually recovered.
Path to monasticism
As a 17-year-old youth, Prokhor asked his mother for blessings for the monastic life. And Agafya blessed her son with a copper cross. He carried it with him until his death.
Prokhor entered the Sarov Monastery on November 20, 1778. This is evidenced by documents that have survived to this day in the archives of the monastery. It is also written there that the novice Prokhor baked bread, prosphora, worked as a carpenter, and rafted timber. At some point, he was struck by a serious illness. Prokhor was ill for almost three years, half of which he spent in bed. As in childhood, the Most Holy Theotokos healed the novice, appearing to him in a dream with the apostles Peter and John: “This one is of Our kind,” said the Queen of Heaven. After some time, Prokhor recovered.
Eight years later, on August 13, Prokhor was tonsured a monk with the name Seraphim. Then he was ordained a hierodeacon, followed by a hieromonk. From that time on, he could perform church services, fulfill the requirements. In a word, serve the people. But the monk became a recluse. He went far into the forest, built a cell in the wilderness and devoted himself to unceasing prayer.
My joy
The monk ate biscuits, which he himself dried from the monastery’s bread, herbs, and berries. For a thousand days and nights he prayed on his knees on a stone with the Jesus Prayer: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Once he was attacked by robbers and badly maimed him with an axe. Seraphim was ill for a long time, but this time the Most Holy Theotokos did not leave her beloved child.
For a few more years, Seraphim of Sarov labored in complete solitude in the desert. This feat is called desert dwelling. And after that, he began to receive everyone who aspired to him as an old man for advice and prayer. True, for women the entrance to the reverend was forbidden. So Seraphim protected himself from unnecessary temptations and gossip of the monastic brethren. “Christ is Risen, my joy!” – this is how Saint Seraphim greeted everyone who came to him.
The Monk Seraphim died in 1833 during a kneeling prayer before the icon of the Theotokos “Tenderness”. In 1903 he was glorified as a saint.