Seraph of Sarov

Seraph (or " Séraphim") of Russian Sarov (: СерафимСаровский) is one of the Russian Saints most known and most popular among the Orthodoxes.

Biography

Born on July 19th, 1759, wire of a brick-maker building contractor of Koursk (500 km in the South of Moscow), Prokhore MOCHNINE (ПрохорМошнин) between as beginner at the monastery of Sarov (350 km in the East of Moscow) at 19 years, and receives, eight years later, with its dress of monk, a new name: Séraphim (what means " Flamboyant" , in Hebrew). Ordered deacon, then priest, it obtained higoumene of his monastery, in 1890, the permission to withdraw itself as a hermit, in the forest. He lived thus, sharing his life between his hermitage and the monastery of Sarov, a rigorous asceticism, made of fast, of loneliness of humility and prayer, with like permanent objective of " to bring closer to the Christ ". Its readings were the Bible (it read New Testament in entirety each week), as well as the writings of the Pères of the Church.

In its immense desire all to pay to Jesus, it had given around its hermitage of the biblical names. With " Nazareth " , he sang the anthems " akathists " with the Virgin; recited the offices of sexte and nun to the " Golgotha " ; read the Gospel of Transfiguration to the " Thabor" mount; , and entonnait with " Bethlehem " the " Glory with God with highest of the skies ".

He even lived, during a time, the life of the stylites. Thus, during thousand day and nights, it spent the hours on a rock, to request. However, as itself did it noticed with a beginner who rented it, compared to Syméon Old the, it was little of time.

An event, which failed to cost him the life, illustrates the character of the " well; Séraphim" poor wretch; (as it was defined itself):

In September 1804, it was attacked with its hermitage by three " brigands" (of the peasants of a nearby village) which wanted to steal it (him which did not have anything!). Not having found anything, they beat it and left it for death, with a several broken coast and fracture of the skull.

Later, " brigands" having been found, the Séraphim father who had been brought back to the monastery opposed formally so that they are punished: he had forgiven.

Nevertheless, after this incident, its higoumene did not authorize it any more to turn over to its hermitage, and it is in the monastery of Sarov that he lived the years following. Even if it received sometimes some visits, like any monk and any hermit, it is only as from 1822 (it was then 63 years old) that its fame was spread. It was then continuously attacked visitors: farm from the vicinity, soldier, monk, pilgrim, prince, priest, society woman, dignitary of the church, trading, all came, per hundreds, and were pressed around him, to question it, to hear it, to see it.

And what did they see? Little old woman, " any white, very ratatiné, all sec" with the blue eyes and the smile " incomprehensibly radieux". Little old woman who received each visitor by these words " Hello, my joie" , and still " Christ is ressuscity! "

And its reception, its wisdom, its " clairvoyance" (it did not accommodate certain people by these words: " I know, I sais" , making them pass in front of everyone, lavishing councils and consolation to them before even as they said which they were or why they came?) brought encouragement, raising with all these visitors sometimes a little too pressing.

However, its gift of préconnaissance and its councils were not the only causes of the popularity of the Séraphim Father: many patients came to see it and obtained by its prayers of the cures of which most spectacular were those of Michel Mantourov (who allowed later the creation of the female convent of Divéyévo), and of Nicolas Motovilov (with whom it had a long talk which is regarded as one of the tops of orthodoxe spirituality).

In spite of the annoyances which inflicted to him sometimes its hierarchy (already had one considering a monk also " indiscipliné" ?), it could found a monastic community women with Divéyévo, with a few kilometers of the monastery of Sarov.

In the night of the 1° at January 2nd, 1833, though one was in the " time of Noël" , one intended it to sing the anthems of Easter, in particular the tropaire of resurrection.

They were its last words. It was found in the small hour in its cell, knelt in front of an icon of the Theotokos as in prayer, died.

Canonization

July 19th, 1903, 70 years after its death, fascinating act of the veneration whose Starets Séraphim was the object, " persuaded of the authenticity of the miracles allotted to the prayers of the starets Séraphim, and returning thanks to God glorifié in his saints" the Saint Synod proceeded to his canonization.

In the presence of the Tsar Nicolas II, of an abundant clergy and an huge crowd took place the office of canonization during which one sang the tropaire made up in the honor of the " new saint" . During the night which followed, crowd remained on the spot, to request, then, contrary with use, the anthems of Easter were entonnés.

It became one of the most popular saints of the Russian church.

He is celebrated on January 2nd, as well as on July 19th.

Several parishes of the Russian emigration were placed under the patronage of St Seraphim. There is thus, in France, with Paris and another in Chelles (77)

Its spirituality

The spirituality of Séraphim, very anchored in the Bible and the orthodoxe tradition (in particular the Philocalie) is expressed in particular in its " Discussion with Motovilov" like in the " Instructions spirituelles" who were gathered by the moniales of Divéyevo.

Its prophetic vision

Man of prayer, deeply spiritual, the Seraphim father saw " beyond the apparences". He is for this reason (and with others) to bring closer to his French contemporary, the catholic priest Jean-Marie Vianney. In addition to many words " personnelles" that he lavished on his innumerable visitors, it is reported that he announced times of disorder occurring after a great joy (" In full summer, one will sing Pâques" , but " this joy will be of " short duration; , " The life will be short, then, the angels will have hardly time to collect the hearts… ") that one did not have any evil to identify with the Russian Révolution occurring a few years after the canonization of St Seraphim.

Documents in external bond

The maintenance with Seraphim with Motovilov

Extracts of the spiritual Instructions Photographs of the canonization of St Seraphim, 1903

Sources

Seraphim de Sarov, Its life, by Irina GORAINOFF, DDB ED.

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