Saint Seraphim of Sarov 19th Century Russian is Sometimes Depicted Feeding a Bear
Saint Seraphim of Sarov was born in 1754, though we are not that sure, and he died on January 14, 1833. His real name was Prókhor IsÃdorovich MoshnÃn. Saint Seraphim of Sarov is one of the most renowned Russian saints. He is generally considered the greatest of the 18th-century elders. Saint Seraphim of Sarov extended the monastic teachings of contemplation, theoria, and self-denial to the layperson. He said the purpose of the Christian life was to receive the Holy Spirit. His most popular quotation amongst his devotees is “Acquire the Spirit of Peace, and thousands around you will be saved.” Saints in Russia, like Saint Seraphim of Sarov, are a bit of a mystery. Have you heard of him?
Saint Seraphim of Sarov Biography
Saint Seraphim of Sarov was born July 19, 1754, and was baptized with the name of one of the first Seven Deacons of the Early Church and the disciple of John the Evangelist. So, it was probably fated that he was going to be a saint. He was born in Kursk. When he was a seven-year-old, he accidentally fell from the bell tower of Sergievsko-Kazansky Cathedral in Kursk. According to legend, he was protected from harm by Our Lady of Kursk, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
When he was 17, in 1775, Saint Seraphim of Sarov visited Dorothea of Kiev. In 1777, at the age of 19, he joined the Sarov monastery as a novice. He took his monastic vows in 1786 and was given the religious name of Seraphim, which refers to a kind of Angel in the bible. Shortly afterward, he was ordained a deacon. In 1793, he was ordained as a priest. He became the spiritual leader of the Diveyevo Convent.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov soon retreated to a log cabin in the woods outside Sarov monastery and lived as a hermit for 25 years. His feet became swollen while he was a hermit, and he had trouble walking. His eating and fasting habits became stricter. At first, he ate bread obtained from the monastery and vegetables from his garden, then only vegetables. For three years, he ate only grass.
One day, while chopping wood, Saint Seraphim of Sarov was attacked by a gang of thieves who beat him mercilessly with the handle of his own axe. He never resisted and was left for dead. The robbers never found any money, only an Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Because of the beating, he had a hunched back for the rest of his life. However, at the thieves’ trial, he pleaded to the judge for mercy on their behalf, a very Christian thing to do.
After the robbery, Saint Seraphim of Sarov spent a thousand consecutive nights on a rock in continuous prayer with his arms raised to the sky. In 1815, he began admitting pilgrims to his hermitage as a confessor. He had the power of prophecy and healing and became very popular. Many, maybe Hundreds of pilgrims per day visited him, drawn as well by his ability to answer his guests’ questions before they could ask.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov was kind and gentle toward his visitors and always greeted his guests with a prostration, a kiss, and exclaiming “Christ is risen!”, and calling everyone “My joy.” He died while kneeling before a tenderness icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which he called “Joy of all Joys.” That very icon is currently kept in the chapel of the residence of the Patriarch of Moscow.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov Veneration
There was a belief in Russia that a saint’s remains were supposed to be incorrupt, which was not the case. This, however, did not delay his canonization. The canonization happened in Sarov on July 19, 1903, and was attended by the Tsar, his wife, his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, his sister-in-law Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, and other senior members of the Imperial Family.
Following the Bolshevik Revolution, Soviet authorities severely persecuted religious groups. As part of their persecution of Christians, they confiscated many relics of saints, including Saint Seraphim of Sarov. In 1991, his relics were rediscovered after being hidden in a Soviet anti-religious museum for seventy years.
On October 19, 2016, some relics of Seraphim were launched into space aboard the Soyuz MS-02. In his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Pope John Paul II called Seraphim of Sarov a saint. Pope Francis had a relic of his and prayed with it daily for peace.
Conclusion
Saint Seraphim of Sarov is probably the most famous of the Russian saints. Readers can see this because his relics were taken into space, almost 200 years after his death. Also, one contemporary Pope referred to him as a saint, and another used him daily to pray for unity between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. This is definitely someone readers should know about.
