From Russia with Love.
“Never condemn each other. We condemn others only because we shun knowing ourselves.
Seraphim of Sarov was born in 1754 and baptized Prokhor Isidorovhich Moshnin and is one of the most renowned saints venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church. He lived in Kursk, Russia and as a child, was healed by Our Lady of Kursk, the Virgin Mary. He later experienced a number of visions.
At the age of 19, he joined the Sarov monastery, and was given the religious name of Seraphim, meaning “fiery” or “burning” in Hebrew. After becoming the spiritual leader, he retreated to a log cabin in the woods and led a solitary lifestyle for 25 years. He gradually increased his fasting habits to the point of only eating grass for 3 years.
He was attacked by thieves, which he didn’t resist, and was left for dead. At their trial, he pleaded to the judge for mercy on their behalf and spent months in the monastery recovering. He developed a hunch in his back due to the attack and pain.
In 1815, he began admitting pilgrims to his hermitage as a confessor, which grew to hundreds per day. He became immensely popular due to his reputation for healing powers, the gift of prophecy, and being able to answer their questions before they could ask.
He was kind and gentle toward others, always greeting guests with a prostration, a kiss, and exclaiming “Christ is Risen!”, and calling everyone “My joy”.
He died while kneeling before an Umilenie icon of the Theotokos (Our Lady of Tenderness), which is currently kept in the chapel of the residence of the Patriarch of Moscow.
Following the Bolshevik Revolution, Soviet authorities severely persecuted religious groups and confiscated many relics of saints and Seraphim Chichagov, his biographer. He was executed by firing squad in 1937 and became a Russian Orthodox Saint. In 1991, Seraphim’s relics were rediscovered, causing a sensation in post-Soviet Russia with a special religious procession.
“Oh, if you only knew what joy, what sweetness awaits a righteous soul in Heaven, you would decide in this mortal life, to bear any sorrows, persecutions, and slander with gratitude.”
His feast day is January 2.
For God’s Glory.
