St. Seraphim - Wonderworker of Sarov (the presentation)

St. Seraphim - Wonderworker of Sarov

Helen Kontzevitch

St. Seraphim's Glorification

After his righteous repose, the praise of Fr. Seraphim's holy life did not fade, but spread far and wide. Strengthening this were new miracles being spoken of everywhere. Actually, it would be impossible to enumerate or record all the miracles. We know from the Abbot of Sarov (Fr. Heirotheus), that the Monastery was not so very desirous of writing down all of the thousands of peoples' accounts of help from the Saint - there was too many of them. From the very moment of his death, people began to serve Pannikhidas for him, and his image could be seen frequently in peoples' houses - one of him feeding the bear, another of him praying on the rock, another of him traveling through the forest with an axe...

Thus, the voice of the Church and the movement of the Holy Spirit had canonized Fr. Seraphim indisputably as a Saint even earlier than his open glorification. It remained only to be officially and ceremonially accepted by decision of the church authorities. The first person to officially bring this holy thought to light was the Sarov Superior, Archimandrite Raphael. At this time there was a special commission established to study the question of the glorification of Fr. Seraphim. It gathered material about his life and miracles and presented them to the Tambov Ecclesiastical Consistory. But the effort for some reason died out... Just the same, their blessed names are remembered for what they did, especially Archimandrite Raphael. Even now we commemorate his blessed name.

Twenty years later, in 1903, on January 11; Tsar Nicholas II approved a resolution of the Holy Synod to form another commission with Metropolitan Vladimir of Moscow as director, and the grave of St. Seraphim was investigated. The canonization was set for July 19, Fr. Seraphim's birthday. From all corners of Holy Russia converged no less than a thousand persons. Space for them was created around the Monastery, becoming a "little city" of makeshift barracks. Holy Russia came to the celebration of her Saint and native son. With great faith the pilgrims were drawn to the sacred places of Sarov.

The crowds gathered. Processions came from all ends of Russia. On July 17, a procession came from Diveyevo and Ponetaevka, bearing at the front St. Seraphim's Icon of the "Umilenie" Mother of God... The orphans had awaited the glorification of their Batiushka. How touching was the sight - as if St. Seraphim himself had come to meet his spiritual children. Many tears were shed. On that same day, towards evening, the Tsar arrived with Grand Prince Sergei Alexandrovich and Grand Princess Elizabeth Fyodorovna, Grand Princes Nicholas and Peter Nicholaevich, along with other members of the Royal Family and their attending ministers. The people joyfully greeted their Tsar. At 7:00 that day a Matins service for the dead was served for Fr. Seraphim. At 11:00 at night his coffin was carried from the hospital chapel to the former tomb, which had been specially decorated with marble slabs and an entrance built with an iron staircase.

On July 18, at 5:00 in the morning, an early Liturgy was served in all churches of the Monastery. The Tsar and both Empresses attended services in the Antonevsky side-chapel of the Dormition Cathedral and received the Holy Mysteries. After the late Liturgy the ringing bells summoned all to perform the final Pannikhida for the slave of God, Fr. Seraphim. Even the Tsar himself attended. Afterwards, Metropolitan Anthony sanctified the shrine area where the God-pleaser was to lie. Built at the Tsar's and Tsaritsa's expense, it was the truly lavish artwork of the Russian "Moscow Tsarist" style. The shrine was of a yellowish-gray marble. Over it was a roof five feet high with five arches and three inches of gold-covered bronze. All around were marvelous lampadas. For the last time they commemorated "Hieromonk Seraphim of blessed memory" as a simple hieromonk. From that time forward he would be glorified as a Saint...

On July 19, the late Liturgy began at 8:00 in the morning. At the small entrance, when the clergy sang, "Come let us worship and fall down before Christ...," the archimandrites took the cypress coffin with the relics and carried it before all to the altar. Thus the holy God-pleaser preceded in the worship of our God and Saviour. One instantly recalls an earlier time, long ago, when the humble hierodeacon Seraphim was deemed worthy to behold the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, also at the Liturgy, and at nearly the very same moment in the service. The mysterious blessing with which our Saviour had delighted the monk's soul had now come to fruition, fulfilled by the Saviour's Godly love. Then the relics, after being carried around the throne, were again laid in the sacred sepulchre - the coffin; this time not in the center of the church, but in a case prepared in a special hall. There "poor" Seraphim, who all his life had fled from praise, found his resting place. The humble shall be exalted...

After the Liturgy, a Moleben was begun to the new Wonderworker. During the singing of the troparion: "From thy youth didst thou love Christ, O blessed one," the coffin was taken from the receptacle and handed over to the Tsar and Grand Prince, who with the help of the archimandrites, carried it from the Cathedral for a procession around the church. An exalted religious fervor again seized the thousands of people. At this the relics were interred in their designated place for continuous veneration. Thus the glorification, or canonization, of the holy and righteous one came to and end. On the next day, the Tsar and some other persons visited Diveyevo and venerated the "Umilenie" Icon of the Mother of God, visited Fr. Seraphim's hermitage and venerated the relics there. After their departure on the following day, July 21, a new five-domed Church was sanctified in Sarov in honor of the newly glorified Saint, and was built over his former cell.

Instructions for Monastics

"Sow, sow everywhere; sow the kernels that have been given to you. Sow on good ground, sow on sand, sow on the rocks, sow along the road, sow in the towns. Somewhere it will germinate and grow and bring forth fruit, though it may not be soon. Do not hide in the earth the talent given to you, and you will not be tormented by your Lord; but give it to the merchants, and let them make it profit. Again, I say to you, do not enter in friendship or unite yourself, firstly, with enemies of the Church of Christ, that is, with heretics and schismatics; secondly, with those who do not keep the holy fasts; thirdly, with women, for the bring us monks much harm."

"Your way is blessed, but watch, write down these my words, not on paper, but in your heart: 1) Study mental prayer of the heart, as the Holy Fathers teach in in the Philokalia, for the Jesus Prayer is the light on our path and a guiding star to Him. 2) To the usual Jesus Prayer add: 'Mother of God, have mercy on me.' 3) Outward prayer alone is not enough, for God heeds the mind, and that is why those monks who do not unite outward prayer with inward prayer, are not monks, but black, smoldering logs. 4) Fear, like the fire of gehenna, the jackdaws that are painted women, for they have many times turned warriors of the King into slaves of satan. 5) Remember, that the true monastic mantle is the indifferent bearings of cursings and slander. Without sorrows, there is no salvation. 6) Do everything gradually, by easy stages, and not suddenly. Virtues are not grapes, you cannot eat of them immediately."

Below are three sections taken from a book of St. Seraphim's teachings, originally compiled by Fr. John Tikhonov. His notes were later published through the efforts of Archimandrite Anothony and Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow.

No. 4, On Love of God

"He who has attained perfect love exists in life as though he did not exist. For he considers himself a stranger to the visible, patiently awaiting the invisible. He has been completely changed into love of God, and has forgotten every other love. He who loves himself cannot love God. He who does not love himself for the sake of love for God, truly loves God. He who truly loves God considers himself a pilgrim and stranger on this earth; for in his yearning for God with his soul and mind, he contemplates Him alone. The sould that is filled with love of God, at the time of its departure from the body, does not fear the prince of air, but takes flight with the angels as if from a foreign country to its native land."

No. 17, On Guarding the Heart

"We must vigilantly guard our hert from unfitting thoughts and impressions, according to the words of the writer of Proverbs: With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it. From constant guarding of the heart, purity is born in it, by which it is possible to behold the Lord, according to the assurance of the Eternal Truth: Blessed are thepure in heart, for they shall see God. We should not pour out without need the good which has flowed into the heart, for what we gather can only be free of danger from visible and invisible enemies when it is guarded within the heart. Do not reveal the secrets of your heart to everyone."

No. 21, On Works of Mercy

"One must be merciful to the needy and to travellers - the great luminaries and Fathers of the Church took great care over this. We should strive by every means to fufill the commandment of God: Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. And again, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. The wise heed these saving words, but the foolish do not: therefore it is said, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. The example of Peter the Breadgiver, who for a piece of bread gieven to a beggar received forgiveness for all his sins, as it was shown to him in a vision, should move us to be merciful to our neighbors; for even a little mercy makes us fit to receive the kingdom of Heaven. We must do works of mercy with a good disposition of soul, according to the teaching of St. Isaac the Syrian. "When giving to one who asks, for the joy of your countenance precede your gift, and console his sorrow with good words."

Presented by librarian Lawrence Walker Jr.