Seraphim of Sarov
Encyclopedia
Saint Seraphim of Sarov ( – ), born Prokhor Moshnin (Прохор Мошнин), is one of the most renowned Russian monk
s and mystics
in the Orthodox Church. He is generally considered the greatest of the 19th century startsy
(elders) and, arguably, the first. He is remembered for extending the monastic
teachings of contemplation
, theoria
and self-denial
to the layperson, and taught that the purpose of the Christian life was to acquire the Holy Spirit
.
Seraphim was glorified
(canonized) by the Russian Orthodox Church
in 1903. The date of his death is his major feast day. Reverence for him is not limited to the Orthodox; Pope John Paul II
referred to him as a saint in his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope.
One of his "spiritual children", Nicholas Motovilov, wrote most of what we know about him today.
Perhaps Seraphim's most popular quotation amongst Orthodox believers is "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved."
Born 19 July 1759, he was baptized
with the name of Prochor, after Saint Prochorus
, one of the first Seven Deacons
of the Early Church and the disciple
of John the Evangelist
. His parents, Isidore and Agathia Moshnin, lived in Kursk, Russia. His father was a merchant, but Seraphim had little interest in business. Instead, he began a life that was very devout to the Orthodox Church at a young age. According to Orthodox tradition, as a small boy he was healed by a wonderworking icon
of the Theotokos
(Virgin Mary), Our Lady of Kursk
. It is claimed that during his life he experienced a number of visions
.
In 1775, at the age of 17, he visited Saint Dorothea in Kiev
.
In 1777, at the age of 19, he joined the Sarov
monastery as a novice
(poslushnik). In 1786 he was officially tonsure
d (took his monastic vows) and was given the religious name of Seraphim, which means "fiery" or "burning" in Hebrew
. Shortly afterwards, he was ordained a hierodeacon
(monastic deacon
). In 1793 he was ordained as a hieromonk
(monastic priest
) and became the spiritual leader of the Diveyevo convent, which has since come to be known as the Seraphim-Diveyevo Convent
. Soon after this, he retreated to a log cabin in the woods outside Sarov
monastery and led a solitary lifestyle as a hermit
for 25 years. During this time his feet became swollen to the point that he had trouble walking.
One day, while chopping wood, Seraphim was attacked by a gang of thieves who beat him mercilessly until they thought he was dead. He never resisted and was beaten with the handle of his own axe. The thieves were looking for money, but all they found in his hut was an icon
of the Theotokos
(Virgin Mary). The incident left Seraphim with a hunched back for the rest of his life. However, at the thieves' trial he pleaded to the judge for mercy on their behalf.
After this incident Seraphim spent 1,000 successive nights on a rock in continuous prayer with his arms raised to the sky, an almost super-human feat of asceticism
, especially considering the pain he was already in from his injuries.
In 1815, in obedience to a reputed spiritual experience
that he attributed to the Virgin Mary, Seraphim began admitting pilgrims
to his hermitage as a confessor
. He soon became immensely popular due to his reputation for healing powers and gift of prophecy
. He was often visited by hundreds of pilgrims per day and was reputed to have the ability to answer his guests' questions before they could ask.
As extraordinarily harsh as Seraphim often was to himself, he was kind and gentle toward others — always greeting his guests with a prostration
, a kiss, and exclaiming "Christ is risen!"
, and calling everyone "My joy." He died while kneeling before an icon of the Theotokos at the age of 74. This icon is currently in the house of the catholic Community of Beatitudes in Bad Driburg, Germany.
tradition is somewhat contradictory. From one hand, in all the memoirs and biographies, and in the collections of his sayings, he is undoubtedly portrayed as a convinced supporter of the Reformed Church and official hierarchy. From the other hand, on icons of St. Seraphim he is usually depicted with a lestovka
in his left hand, and in some cases even in old Russian, Old-Believers-style monastic garments (with a peculiar klobuk
, and an old-fashioned cast bronze cross), as it is with these objects that he is depicted on the only lifetime portrait of him . The lestovka used by St. Seraphim is preserved up to this time among his personal belongings.
According to some sources, the known problems with the beatification of Seraphim of Sarov did happen exactly due to his general support and sympathy towards the Old Believers tradition, in which case the negative assessment of the old rite, ascribed to him, would have being interpreted as inventions of his followers, who tried to put their teacher in the most favorable light in the eyes of the official church functionaries . It was also suggested that St. Seraphim could have descended from a family of Edinovetsy
(old-rite uniates), or from a family of secret, cryptic Old Believers (that were widespread in northern and eastern areas of Russia), possibly with consequent gradual shift towards edinoverie
.
Despite of some (alleged) controversy, St. Seraphim was known, at least at the level of official hagiography
, for his rejection of the Russian old rites. The majority of old believers authors doubt virtually all the facts known about St. Seraphim, as well as the very legitimacy of his beatification
, and his name is invariably used in interdenominational polemics.
(canonized as a saint
) by the Russian Orthodox Church
. As part of this process, on 3 July 1903, his relics were translated (removed) from their original burial place to the church of Saints Zosimus
and Sabbatius, where they had remained until the day of the glorification. Tsar
Nicholas II
and Tsarina Alexandra provided a new cypress coffin to receive the relics.
On 18 July 1903, Metropolitan Anthony officiated at the Last Pannikhida (Memorial Service) in the Dormition Cathedral at Sarov, with the royal family in attendance. These would be the last prayers offered for Seraphim as a departed servant of God; from that time forward, prayers would instead be addressed to him as a saint.
At 6.00 pm the bells rang
for All-Night Vigil
, the first service with hymns honoring Seraphim as a saint, during which his relics would be exposed for public veneration. This occasion is celebrated to this day as the feast day of the Uncovering of the Relics of St. Seraphim. Since in Orthodox liturgical practice the day begins at sunset, the feast is celebrated on 19 July (the Russian Orthodox Church
follows the traditional Julian Calendar
, so 19 July corresponds to 1 August on the modern Gregorian Calendar
). At the time of the Litia during vespers
, Seraphim's coffin was carried from the church of Saints Zosimus and Sabbatius and into the Dormition Cathedral. During Matins
, as the Polyeleos
"Praise ye the Name of the Lord..." was sung, the coffin was opened. After the Matins Gospel
, Metropolitan Anthony and the other hierarchs venerated
the relics. They were followed by the royal family, the officiating clergy, and all the people in the cathedral.
On 19 July, Seraphim's birthday, the late liturgy began at 8 o'clock. At the Little Entrance, twelve archimandrite
s lifted the coffin from the middle of the church and carried it around the Holy Table (altar), then placed it into a special shrine which had been constructed for them.
The festivities at Sarov came to an end with the consecration
of the first two churches dedicated to St. Seraphim. The first such church had been constructed over his monastic cell in the wilderness of Sarov. The second church was consecrated on 22 July at the Diveyevo convent
.
Following the Bolshevik Revolution the Soviet authorities severely persecuted all religious groups. As part of their persecution of Christians
, they confiscated many relics of the saints, including St. Seraphim, and the whereabouts of his relics became forgotten. In 1991, St. Seraphim's relics were rediscovered after being hidden in a Soviet anti-religious
museum for seventy years. This caused a sensation in post-Soviet Russia, and indeed throughout the Orthodox world. A crucession
(religious procession
) formed to escort the relics, on foot, all the way from Moscow to Diveyevo Convent, where they remain to this day.
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s and mystics
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
in the Orthodox Church. He is generally considered the greatest of the 19th century startsy
Starets
A starets is an elder of a Russian Orthodox monastery who functions as venerated adviser and teacher. Elders or spiritual fathers are charismatic spiritual leaders whose wisdom stems from God as obtained from ascetic experience...
(elders) and, arguably, the first. He is remembered for extending the monastic
Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
teachings of contemplation
Contemplation
The word contemplation comes from the Latin word contemplatio. Its root is also that of the Latin word templum, a piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices, or a building for worship, derived either from Proto-Indo-European base *tem- "to cut", and so a "place reserved or cut out" or...
, theoria
Theoria
For other uses of the term "contemplation", see Contemplation Theoria is Greek for contemplation. It corresponds to the Latin word contemplatio, "looking at", "gazing at", "being aware of".- Introduction :...
and self-denial
Self-denial
Self-denial is altruistic abstinence - the willingness to forego personal pleasures or undergo personal trials in the pursuit of the increased good of another. Various religions and cultures take differing views of self-denial, some considering it a positive trait and others considering it a...
to the layperson, and taught that the purpose of the Christian life was to acquire the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
.
Seraphim was glorified
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
(canonized) by the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
in 1903. The date of his death is his major feast day. Reverence for him is not limited to the Orthodox; Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
referred to him as a saint in his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope.
One of his "spiritual children", Nicholas Motovilov, wrote most of what we know about him today.
Perhaps Seraphim's most popular quotation amongst Orthodox believers is "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved."
Life
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
with the name of Prochor, after Saint Prochorus
Prochorus (deacon)
Prochorus was one of the Seven Deacons chosen to care for the poor of the Christian community in Jerusalem . According to the later tradition he was one of the Seventy Apostles sent out by Jesus in Luke 10....
, one of the first Seven Deacons
Seven Deacons
The Seven Deacons were leaders elected by the Early Christian church to minister to the people of Jerusalem. They are described in the Acts of the Apostles, and are the subject of later traditions as well; for instance they are supposed to have been members of the Seventy Disciples who appear in...
of the Early Church and the disciple
Disciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
of John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
. His parents, Isidore and Agathia Moshnin, lived in Kursk, Russia. His father was a merchant, but Seraphim had little interest in business. Instead, he began a life that was very devout to the Orthodox Church at a young age. According to Orthodox tradition, as a small boy he was healed by a wonderworking icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
of the Theotokos
Theotokos
Theotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
(Virgin Mary), Our Lady of Kursk
Our Lady of Kursk
Our Lady of Kursk is an icon of Theotokos of the Sign, apparently painted in the thirteenth century and discovered in a forest near Kursk ca. 1300. It was preserved in the Black Hermitage of the Roots , an abbey founded on the spot of its discovery...
. It is claimed that during his life he experienced a number of visions
Vision (religion)
In spirituality, a vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation.Visions generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations...
.
In 1775, at the age of 17, he visited Saint Dorothea in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
.
In 1777, at the age of 19, he joined the Sarov
Sarov
Sarov is a closed town in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. Until 1995 it was known as Kremlyov ., while from 1946 to 1991 it was called Arzamas-16 . The town is off limits to foreigners as it is the Russian center for nuclear research. Population: -History:The history of the town can be divided...
monastery as a novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
(poslushnik). In 1786 he was officially tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
d (took his monastic vows) and was given the religious name of Seraphim, which means "fiery" or "burning" in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
. Shortly afterwards, he was ordained a hierodeacon
Hierodeacon
A Hierodeacon , sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a monk who has been ordained a deacon...
(monastic deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
). In 1793 he was ordained as a hieromonk
Hieromonk
Hieromonk , also called a Priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism....
(monastic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
) and became the spiritual leader of the Diveyevo convent, which has since come to be known as the Seraphim-Diveyevo Convent
Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery
Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery, or Saint Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery, or Holy Trinity-Saint Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery near Sarov , and near the city of Nizhny Novgorod , in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is situated in a region considered to have immense spiritual significance...
. Soon after this, he retreated to a log cabin in the woods outside Sarov
Sarov
Sarov is a closed town in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. Until 1995 it was known as Kremlyov ., while from 1946 to 1991 it was called Arzamas-16 . The town is off limits to foreigners as it is the Russian center for nuclear research. Population: -History:The history of the town can be divided...
monastery and led a solitary lifestyle as a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
for 25 years. During this time his feet became swollen to the point that he had trouble walking.
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
of the Theotokos
Theotokos
Theotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
(Virgin Mary). The incident left Seraphim with a hunched back for the rest of his life. However, at the thieves' trial he pleaded to the judge for mercy on their behalf.
After this incident Seraphim spent 1,000 successive nights on a rock in continuous prayer with his arms raised to the sky, an almost super-human feat of asceticism
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
, especially considering the pain he was already in from his injuries.
Vision (religion)
In spirituality, a vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation.Visions generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations...
that he attributed to the Virgin Mary, Seraphim began admitting pilgrims
Pilgrims
Pilgrims , or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States...
to his hermitage as a confessor
Confessor
-Confessor of the Faith:Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith, but not to the point of death. The term is still used in this way in the East. In Latin Christianity it has come to signify any saint, as well as those who have been declared...
. He soon became immensely popular due to his reputation for healing powers and gift of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
. He was often visited by hundreds of pilgrims per day and was reputed to have the ability to answer his guests' questions before they could ask.
As extraordinarily harsh as Seraphim often was to himself, he was kind and gentle toward others — always greeting his guests with a prostration
Prostration
Prostration is the placement of the body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Major world religions employ prostration either as a means of embodying reverence for a noble person, persons or doctrine, or as an act of submissiveness to a supreme being or beings...
, a kiss, and exclaiming "Christ is risen!"
Paschal greeting
The Paschal greeting is an Easter custom among Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Christians, as well as among some Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians...
, and calling everyone "My joy." He died while kneeling before an icon of the Theotokos at the age of 74. This icon is currently in the house of the catholic Community of Beatitudes in Bad Driburg, Germany.
Relation to Old Believers
The available information about relations between Seraphim of Sarov and Russian Old BelieversOld Believers
In the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers separated after 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66...
tradition is somewhat contradictory. From one hand, in all the memoirs and biographies, and in the collections of his sayings, he is undoubtedly portrayed as a convinced supporter of the Reformed Church and official hierarchy. From the other hand, on icons of St. Seraphim he is usually depicted with a lestovka
Lestovka
Lestovka or vervitsa is a special type of prayer rope made of leather, once in general use in old Russia, and is still used by Russian Old Believers today, such as the Russian Orthodox Oldritualist Church.-Form and symbolism:...
in his left hand, and in some cases even in old Russian, Old-Believers-style monastic garments (with a peculiar klobuk
Klobuk
thumbA klobuk is an item of clerical clothing worn by Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic monastics and bishops, especially in the Russian tradition...
, and an old-fashioned cast bronze cross), as it is with these objects that he is depicted on the only lifetime portrait of him . The lestovka used by St. Seraphim is preserved up to this time among his personal belongings.
According to some sources, the known problems with the beatification of Seraphim of Sarov did happen exactly due to his general support and sympathy towards the Old Believers tradition, in which case the negative assessment of the old rite, ascribed to him, would have being interpreted as inventions of his followers, who tried to put their teacher in the most favorable light in the eyes of the official church functionaries . It was also suggested that St. Seraphim could have descended from a family of Edinovetsy
Edinoverie
Edinoverie is an arrangement between certain Russian Old Believer communities and the official Russian Orthodox State Church, whereby the communities are treated as a part of the normative Orthodox Church system, while maintaining their own traditional rites...
(old-rite uniates), or from a family of secret, cryptic Old Believers (that were widespread in northern and eastern areas of Russia), possibly with consequent gradual shift towards edinoverie
Edinoverie
Edinoverie is an arrangement between certain Russian Old Believer communities and the official Russian Orthodox State Church, whereby the communities are treated as a part of the normative Orthodox Church system, while maintaining their own traditional rites...
.
Despite of some (alleged) controversy, St. Seraphim was known, at least at the level of official hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
, for his rejection of the Russian old rites. The majority of old believers authors doubt virtually all the facts known about St. Seraphim, as well as the very legitimacy of his beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
, and his name is invariably used in interdenominational polemics.
Relics
In 1903, Seraphim of Sarov was glorifiedCanonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
(canonized as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
) by the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
. As part of this process, on 3 July 1903, his relics were translated (removed) from their original burial place to the church of Saints Zosimus
Zosimus
Zosimus was a Byzantine historian, who lived in Constantinople during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I . According to Photius, he was a comes, and held the office of "advocate" of the imperial treasury.- Historia Nova :...
and Sabbatius, where they had remained until the day of the glorification. Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
and Tsarina Alexandra provided a new cypress coffin to receive the relics.
On 18 July 1903, Metropolitan Anthony officiated at the Last Pannikhida (Memorial Service) in the Dormition Cathedral at Sarov, with the royal family in attendance. These would be the last prayers offered for Seraphim as a departed servant of God; from that time forward, prayers would instead be addressed to him as a saint.
At 6.00 pm the bells rang
Russian Orthodox bell ringing
Russian Orthodox bell ringing has a history starting from the baptism of Rus in 988 and plays an important role in the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church.-Theology:The ringing of bells is one of the most essential elements of an Orthodox church...
for All-Night Vigil
All-Night Vigil
The All-Night Vigil , Opus 37, is an a cappella choral composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff,written and premiered in 1915. It consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox All-night vigil ceremony. It has been praised as Rachmaninoff's finest achievement and "the greatest musical...
, the first service with hymns honoring Seraphim as a saint, during which his relics would be exposed for public veneration. This occasion is celebrated to this day as the feast day of the Uncovering of the Relics of St. Seraphim. Since in Orthodox liturgical practice the day begins at sunset, the feast is celebrated on 19 July (the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
follows the traditional Julian Calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
, so 19 July corresponds to 1 August on the modern Gregorian Calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
). At the time of the Litia during vespers
Vespers
Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...
, Seraphim's coffin was carried from the church of Saints Zosimus and Sabbatius and into the Dormition Cathedral. During Matins
Matins
Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
, as the Polyeleos
Polyeleos
The Polyeleos is a festive portion of the Matins or All-Night Vigil service as observed on higher-ranking feast days in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches...
"Praise ye the Name of the Lord..." was sung, the coffin was opened. After the Matins Gospel
Matins Gospel
The Matins Gospel is the solemn chanting of a lection from one of the Four Gospels during Matins in the Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic churches which follow the Byzantine Rite....
, Metropolitan Anthony and the other hierarchs venerated
Veneration
Veneration , or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a saint: an angel, or a dead person who has been identified by a church committee as singular in the traditions of the religion. It is practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic, and Eastern Catholic Churches...
the relics. They were followed by the royal family, the officiating clergy, and all the people in the cathedral.
On 19 July, Seraphim's birthday, the late liturgy began at 8 o'clock. At the Little Entrance, twelve archimandrite
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
s lifted the coffin from the middle of the church and carried it around the Holy Table (altar), then placed it into a special shrine which had been constructed for them.
The festivities at Sarov came to an end with the consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
of the first two churches dedicated to St. Seraphim. The first such church had been constructed over his monastic cell in the wilderness of Sarov. The second church was consecrated on 22 July at the Diveyevo convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
.
Following the Bolshevik Revolution the Soviet authorities severely persecuted all religious groups. As part of their persecution of Christians
Persecution of Christians
Persecution of Christians as a consequence of professing their faith can be traced both historically and in the current era. Early Christians were persecuted for their faith, at the hands of both Jews from whose religion Christianity arose, and the Roman Empire which controlled much of the land...
, they confiscated many relics of the saints, including St. Seraphim, and the whereabouts of his relics became forgotten. In 1991, St. Seraphim's relics were rediscovered after being hidden in a Soviet anti-religious
Religion in the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was the first state to have as an ideological objective the elimination of religion and its replacement with atheism. To that end, the communist regime confiscated religious property, ridiculed religion, harassed believers, and propagated atheism in schools...
museum for seventy years. This caused a sensation in post-Soviet Russia, and indeed throughout the Orthodox world. A crucession
Crucession
A Crucession, or Cross Procession , is a procession that takes place in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic liturgical traditions. The name derives from the fact that the procession is headed by a cross....
(religious procession
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
) formed to escort the relics, on foot, all the way from Moscow to Diveyevo Convent, where they remain to this day.
See also
- StaretsStaretsA starets is an elder of a Russian Orthodox monastery who functions as venerated adviser and teacher. Elders or spiritual fathers are charismatic spiritual leaders whose wisdom stems from God as obtained from ascetic experience...
- MonasticismMonasticismMonasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
- HesychasmHesychasmHesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Byzantine Rite, practised by the Hesychast Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches,...
- Eastern Orthodox ChurchEastern Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
- Diveevo conventSerafimo-Diveevsky MonasterySerafimo-Diveevsky Monastery, or Saint Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery, or Holy Trinity-Saint Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery near Sarov , and near the city of Nizhny Novgorod , in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is situated in a region considered to have immense spiritual significance...
- SarovSarovSarov is a closed town in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. Until 1995 it was known as Kremlyov ., while from 1946 to 1991 it was called Arzamas-16 . The town is off limits to foreigners as it is the Russian center for nuclear research. Population: -History:The history of the town can be divided...
- KurskKurskKursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
- ThaumaturgyThaumaturgyThaumaturgy is the capability of a saint or magician to work miracles. It is sometimes translated into English as wonderworking...
- Tabor lightTabor LightIn Eastern Orthodox theology, the Tabor Light is the light revealed on Mount Tabor at the Transfiguration of Jesus, identified with the light seen by Paul at his conversion.As a theological doctrine, the uncreated nature of the Light of...
Further reading
- Dmitri Mereschkowski et al. Der letzte Heilige - Seraphim von Sarow und die russische Religiosität. Stuttgart 1994
- Archimandrite Lazarus Moore: St. Seraphim of Sarov - a Spiritual Biography. Blanco (Texas) 1994.
- Michaela-Josefa Hutt: Der heilige Seraphim von Sarow, Jestetten 2002, Miriam-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-87449-312-3
- Igor Smolitsch: Leben und Lehre der Starzen. Freiburg 2004
- Metropolit Seraphim: Die Ostkirche. Stuttgart 1950, pp. 282 ff.
- Paul Evdokimov: "Saint Seraphim of Sarow", in: The Ecumenical Review, April 1963
- Iwan Tschetwerikow: "Das Starzentum", in: Ev. Jahresbriefe; 1951/52, pp. 190 ff.
- Claire Louise Claus: "Die russischen Frauenklöster um die Wende des 18. Jahrhunderts", in: Kirche im Osten, Band IV, 1961.
- Bezirksrichter Nikolai Alexandrowitsch Motowilow: Die Unterweisungen des Seraphim von Sarow. Sergijew Possad 1914 (in Russian)
- Bishop Alexander (Mileant), "Saint Seraphim of Sarov", Orthodoxy and the world, December 2007.
External links
- St. Seraphim article on OrthodoxWiki
- St. Seraphim of Sarov: Ten Sayings
- St. Seraphim of Sarov life, writings and icons on Kursk Root (Korennaya) Icon Hermitage of the Birth of the Holy Theotokos site
- On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit Spiritual conversation of Saint Seraphim
- A wonderful revelation to the world, www.stseraphim.org
- Uncovering of the relics of the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox iconIconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
and synaxarion - http://www.romfea.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1752&Itemid=2 Greek article on his "exodus" from Russia & grand entrance in Greece!
- Glorification of Saint Seraphim. Sarov, 1903
- Photos of St. Seraphim glorification solemnity in Sarov (1903), Martha and Mary Convent site
- Photos of St. Seraphim glorification in Sarov (high res images), sarov.net
- St. Seraphim's biography by Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes
- Portal devoted to 100-th anniversary of St. Seraphim of Sarov glorification (in Russian)
- English page on Sarov monastery web-site