Day of Remembrance of Seraphim of Sarov the Wonderworker

One of those whose name became a symbol of religious asceticism is the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, whose day of worship is one of the favorite Orthodox holidays. For all the labors incurred in the name of the Lord, He received from Him the gift of foresight, the gift of miracles and the gift of healing the suffering. He never lived for himself. From childhood, having loved the Lord, he ascended from strength to strength, having before him the highest goal - the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. And having succeeded in this, he generously shared his fruits with the people, many of them flowing to his cell. Therefore, the day of the memory of Seraphim of Sarov is celebrated all over Orthodox Russia with special love.

Heroic deeds

The Lord placed upon him the greatest cross, the feat of the eldership. In monastic life there is no higher ministry. All his former life was only a prelude to the future mission. The elder in Orthodoxy is not just a monk who has reached old age. This is a person who has received from the Lord the gift of doing miracles. In the will of God, choose for this mission anyone who pleases Him, but the whole history of Christianity shows that the Lord only chooses his own choice for the most worthy ones.

In his life, Saint Seraphim followed the example of ancient ascetics, and managed to refute the so often held opinion that the heights of their spiritual growth are unattainable in our time. He always kept in his heart the words of the apostle Paul that at all times, and in the past, and in the present, the Lord God is unchanging. Consequently, the same requirements are imposed on serving Him - to fulfill the commandments of Christ and to imitate the example of His earthly life.

In veneration of the elder

Day of remembrance of Seraphim of Sarov is celebrated twice a year: January 15 is the day when Saint Seraphim, standing on prayer in his cell , peacefully departed to the Lord, and on August 1 - the day of his relics and canonization. By the face of the saints, he was numbered in 1903, but his reverence began even in the days of earthly life.

The father of Seraphim, who was in the Sarov monastery, was the place of continuous pilgrimage of many thousands of people. They carried to him their troubles, their ailments and everything that could not be resolved by ordinary life measures. The times of his eldership are not so far from us, so the memories of living people who had the good fortune to communicate with the elder were preserved.

The works of spiritual nourishment

The day of Seraphim of Sarov always began and ended with the work of spiritual nourishment of all those who needed his wise word. It is written about him that he literally radiated inner light. Father Seraphim taught that there is no greater sin than despondency - the product of unbelief in the mercy of God. Hence his constant Easter greeting to all who crossed his threshold: "Christ is risen!" The joy that we all experience on the day of the Bright Resurrection did not leave him all year round. After all, if the Savior has risen, then we, his children, are ready for eternal life. Therefore, everything that happens in this life is so insignificant in comparison with the Kingdom of God prepared for us, that there is no reason for tears. He even addressed people only as "Joy"!

Strength in the Consciousness of His Infirmity

Showing deep humility, he always called himself "poor Serafim." This was not contrived and hypocrisy. It's just the consciousness that everything good is in us from God. We are His creations, and our dignity is not our merit.

Whether material wealth or spiritual is all of Him. Yes, we work to achieve them, but the Lord gives us the strength for these works. Therefore, wisdom consists precisely in the realization of all the infirmity and wretchedness before the omnipotence of God. And this consciousness contains a great power.

Posthumous blessings of the holy elder

Even after his fair demise in 1833, Seraphim of Sarov brought healing to everyone who addressed him in his prayers. The history of his ascetic life was kept in numerous legends, passed from mouth to mouth. Very much to save the memory of the father Seraphim made the sisters of the female Diveevo Monastery, which was founded, and subsequently we feed them. These nuns and novices are due to many memories of the old man, as well as his predictions that have come down to us. In them Saint Seraphim, with amazing accuracy, predicted the upheavals that awaited Russia in the next century.

The canonization and celebrations associated with it

The day of memory of Seraphim of Sarov, celebrated on August 1, is established in memory of his canonization, which took place in 1903. It should be noted that the admirers of the holy elder were not only among the common people, but also among the aristocracy, and even the royal family. It was from them proceeded the initiative of including him in the person of saints. The birthday of Seraphim of Sarov was the day when, in an atmosphere of special solemnity, his holy relics were discovered and transferred to silver cane made for this occasion.

In those days the press widely covered this significant event in the life of Russia. It was noted that more than 150,000 people took part in the celebrations associated with the canonization of the new heavenly intercessor of our Motherland. They passed in the presence of the emperor-emperor and members of his family, who personally carried on the shoulders of cancer with precious relics. To this great day the akathist, the canon and the troparion of Seraphim of Sarov were compiled in advance. According to the Orthodox tradition, the glorification of the saint was accompanied by numerous religious processions.

Veneration of the memory of the saint in the years of God-seeking

When in the time of the God-fight, so visionary for them predicted, the church holidays were the lot of only the most convinced followers of Orthodoxy, the day of memory of Seraphim of Sarov was rigorously celebrated in all the temples of our country. Only to bow to holy relics the Russians had not had an opportunity for almost seventy years. After the revolution, godless authorities opened up the cancer and seized the shrine, and only in 1990 the relics were recovered, and after a while they were placed for general worship in the Diveevsky Monastery - the creation of the Monk Seraphim.

The day of St. Seraphim of Sarov is also celebrated on January 15. This is the day of his death. The life of a saint is very touchingly described as the cell-attendant discovered his already cooled body, in a prayerful position, inclined before the image of the Blessed Virgin. On this day, the memorial service is performed in the temples and the troparion of Seraphim of Sarov is read.

The spiritual heritage of St. Seraphim

It is impossible not to recall the spiritual legacy that Serafim Sarovsky left us. The day of his reverence is August 1, it is also the anniversary of the day from which the world began to get records containing his famous instructions. Prior to the glorification of Seraphim of Sarov, they were kept by the heirs of NA Motovilov, the Simbirsk landowner, the first biographer of the saint. And only after the famous Diveevo celebrations became public domain. Motovilov himself was healed by his father Seraphim from a serious illness, and after recovery he remained for many years next to him, fulfilling the duties of both the cell-attendant and the secretary.

In his instructions, the Monk Seraphim points out the main goal of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. Being wise with the rich experience of ascetic life, he assigns only a supporting role to the fulfillment of all religious prescriptions. He stresses that no matter how useful the post, prayer and reading of spiritual literature, but they are only tools that should be used in the works to achieve the main goal. What does the Reverend mean by these words? He himself gives this explanation. The Holy Spirit is identified with the Spirit of Peace. Motovilov quotes him: "Stretch the Spirit of Miren, and then thousands around you will be saved"! Find the world in yourself!