January 15, what a saint. Church Orthodox holiday of January. Sylvester's Day, or Chicken Feast
Female and male names (how to call boys and girls in December)
Name days in January:
1 - Bonifatius, Gregory, Ilya, Timothy.
2 - Anton, Daniel, Ivan, Ignatius.
3 - Leonty, Mikhail, Nikita, Peter, Procopius, Sergey, Theophan.
4 - Anastasia, Dmitry, Fedor, Fedosya.
5 - Vasily, David, Ivan, Makar, Naum, Nifont, Pavel, Theoktist.
6 - Eugenia, Innokenty, Klavdia, Nikolay, Sergey.
8 - August, Agrippina, Alexander, Anfisa, Vasily, Gregory, Dmitry, Efim, Isaac, Constantine, Leonidas, Maria, Mikhail, Nikodim, Nikolai.
9 - Antonina, Luke, Stepan, Tikhon, Fedor, Ferapont.
10 - Agafya, Alexander, Arkady, Babila, David, Efim, Ignatius, Joseph, Leonid, Nikanor, Nicodemus, Nikolai, Peter, Simon, Feoktist, Yakov.
11 - Agrippina, Anna, Varvara, Benjamin, George, Evdokia, Euphrosinia, Ivan, Lawrence, Mark, Markel, Matrona, Natalia, Theodosius.
12 - Anisya, Anton, Daniel, Irina, Lev, Makar, Maria, Fedora, Fedosya.
14 - Alexander, Vasily, Vyacheslav, Gregory, Ivan, Mikhail, Nikolay, Peter, Platon, Trofim, Fedot, Emilia, Yakov.
15 - Vasily, Gerasim, Kuzma, Mark, Modest, Peter, Seraphim, Sergey, Sylvester.
16 - Gordey, Irina.
17 - Alexander, Andronicus, Archippus, Athanasius, Anisim, Aristarkh, Artemy, Athanasius, Denis, Efim, Karp, Clement, Kondraty, Luke, Mark, Nikanor, Nikolai, Pavel, Prokhor, Rodion, Semyon, Siluan, Stepan, Timofey, Trofim, Thaddeus, Theoktist, Philemon, Philip, Yakov.
18 - Apollinaria, Gregory, Eugene, Joseph, Lukyan, Matvey, Micah, Roman, Semyon, Sergey, Tatiana, Thomas.
19 - Theophanes.
20 - Athanasius, Vasily, Ivan, Paphnutiy.
21 - Anton, Vasilisa, Victor, Vladimir, Dmitry, Georgy, Grigory, Eugene, Emelyan, Ilya, Mikhail, Sidor, Feoktist, Julian.
22 - Antonina, Zakhar, Nikandr, Pavel, Peter, Philip.
23 - Anatoly, Gregory, Zinovy, Makar, Pavel, Peter, Theophanes.
24 - Vladimir, Mikhail, Nikolay, Stepan, Terenty, Fedor, Theodosius.
25 - Eupraxia, Makar, Peter, Savva, Tatiana.
26 - Athanasius, Maxim, Nikifor, Nikodim, Pakhom, Peter, Yakov.
27 - Agnia, Adam, Andrew, Aristarchus, Benjamin, David, Eremey, Ivan, Ilya, Joseph, Isaac, Makar, Mark, Moses, Nina, Pavel, Paphnutii, Savva, Sergey, Stepan.
28 - Varlam, Gabriel, Gerasim, Elena, Ivan, Maxim, Mikhail, Pavel, Prokhor.
29 - Ivan, Maxim, Peter.
30 - Anton, Antonina, Victor, Georgy, Ivan, Pavel, Theodosius.
31 - Alexander, Afanasy, Vladimir, Dmitry, Eugene, Emelyan, Efrem, Hilarion, Kirill, Xenia, Maxim, Maria, Mikhail, Nikolai, Sergey, Feodosia.
Church Orthodox Holidays in January
Venerable Elijah of the Caves
On the first day of the year, the church celebrates the memory of the Monk Elijah of the Caves, nicknamed Chobotok. Ilya was a native of the city of Murom, folk and folk tradition identified him with the famous hero Ilya Muromets, about whom Russian epics told.
The Savior was born in the reign of Emperor Augustus in the city of Bethlehem. During the census, everyone had to be in the place where his family originated. Arriving in Bethlehem, Virgin Mary and righteous Joseph did not find free places in hotels and stayed outside the city in a cave intended for keeping livestock. At midnight, the news of the birth of the Savior from the jubilant Angels came to the shepherds who came to worship the God-man. The feast in honor of this event was established in Apostolic times, but until the 4th century. he combined with the celebration of the Epiphany.
Having learned from the Magi about the birth of a new Tsar, Herod ordered to kill all babies under two years old, hoping that among them there would be a Divine Infant, in whom he saw his rival.
On this day, according to the Old Testament law, the Lord accepted the circumcision established for all male infants as a sign of the Covenant of God with the forefather Abraham and his descendants.
On the same day, the memory of the Archbishop of Caesarea of \u200b\u200bCappadocia is celebrated.
Basil lived in the IV century, in Constantinople and Athens, he received an excellent education. Returning to Caesarea, he taught rhetoric, then was baptized and embarked on the path of an ascetic life. Together with his friend Gregory the Theologian, he retired to the desert to devote his life to God. Later, the saint was ordained a presbyter, during the reign of the emperor Valens, a supporter of the Arians, he became an archbishop and made great efforts to save his flock from heresy. He compiled the rite of the Liturgy, wrote Conversations on the Sixth Day, on psalms, as well as a collection of monastic rules.
January 15 is the day of the repose (1883) and the second acquisition of the relics (1991) of one of the most beloved Russian saints among the people -. Taking monastic tonsure at the age of 27, the monk until the end of his life asceticised in the Sarov monastery, or in the forest desert. For his devotional feat, he was honored with repeated visits to the Queen of Heaven. The Monk Seraphim departed to the Lord during prayer before the icon of the Mother of God. The monk was glorified as a saint in 1903. After the October Revolution, the relics of the saint disappeared and were discovered only in 1991, in the storerooms of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, which was located in the building of the Kazan Cathedral in Leningrad.
January 17 - Council of 70 apostles of Christ, chosen by the Lord to preach the gospel to the whole universe.
The memory of these apostles is celebrated separately during the year, and this holiday was established in order to show the equality of each of the seventy and thereby prevent differences in their veneration.
January 19 is celebrated - the twelveth holiday, established in honor of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River and in honor of the appearance of the Most Holy Trinity during this event. The Father spoke from heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by the holy Forerunner of the Lord John, and the Holy Spirit descended on the Son in the form of a dove. The next day, the Cathedral of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John is celebrated - the one who served the cause of the Baptism of Christ, laying his hand on the head of the Savior.
On January 24, we remember the Monk Theodosius the Great, who became the founder of communal monasteries. He was born at the end of the 5th century. in Cappadocia. For about 30 years the saint lived in the Palestinian desert, abiding in fasting and prayer. Those who wanted to live under his leadership constantly came to him, as a result a communal monastery, or Lavra, which existed according to the charter of Basil the Great, arose.
The memory of the holy Martyr Tatiana falls on January 25. Tatiana, the daughter of the Roman consul, refused to marry, wishing to devote her life to the Lord. She was appointed as a deaconess in one of the Roman temples and served God, caring for the sick and helping those in need. During the reign of Emperor Alexander Sever (between 222 and 235), Tatiana was martyred for Christ, refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods and enduring terrible tortures.
On January 27, the church remembers the enlightener of Georgia. She was born about 280 in Cappadocia into a noble pious family. Once Nina saw in a dream the Most Holy Theotokos, who handed her a grapevine cross and sent her with apostolic ministry to Iveria (Georgia). Nina came to Georgia in 319 and made a lot of efforts to educate this country - five years later Christianity was established in Georgia.
January 30 is the day of remembrance of the famous ascetic, the founder of the hermitage, called the father of monasticism. Anthony was born in Egypt in 251. After the death of his parents, who instilled in him love for God and piety, he began an ascetic life. He had to fight with the hardest temptations and attacks of unclean forces, but with God's help he overcame the tricks of the devil and went into the depths of the Thebaid desert to serve the Lord all alone. The saint spent 85 years in desert solitude; his example was followed by many of those who wished to spend their lives in ascetic exploits for the sake of the Lord.
Seraphim of Sarov is one of the most revered Orthodox saints. Many unusual facts are associated with this person, which will be interesting to know for every believer.
Seraphim of Sarov is highly revered by the church because of his deeds. He underwent many problems on the way to harmony with the outside world and with God. Some of his exploits are still considered impossible, so faith plays an important role in matters of reliability. Those who are strong in their faith make a pilgrimage to the relics of the saint in Diveyevo in order to put their hands and head to the place where one of the greatest Russian saints is buried in peace. January 15 is the official day of remembrance of the saint according to the church calendar.
The history and wonders of Seraphim of Sarov
This great man was born in Kursk in 1754. Despite the fact that the family of Seraphim was rich and noble, he dedicated himself to God. The child's father died when he was still at an early age.
Miracles began to happen to him as a child. Prokhor, as the saint was called before taking monasticism, once fell from the bell tower, but remained unharmed. Soon he fell seriously ill, but in a dream the Virgin Mary came to him and promised to heal him. After a while, it happened. The boy was surrounded by faith, so he devoted a lot of his personal time to studying Christianity. His faith grew stronger day by day.
When Prokhor was 17 years old, he decided to leave his father's house. He took monastic vows on the advice of the eldress in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The choice fell on the Sarov monastery in Tambov. In 1778 he became a novice and a full-fledged monk in 1786. The rank of hieromonk was conferred on him seven years later. Monk Seraphim always had a penchant for solitude, so he tried to live away from other people. He lived in a forest in a cell, looked for food for himself, observed the strictest fast and prayed constantly. He did not consider it a feat - that was his sincere desire.
According to historical sources, Seraphim was engaged in pillage, that is, constant prayer for many years. He prayed on a stone, which people learned about and began to come to him for advice. Day and night he devoted himself completely to prayer. They say that miraculously wild animals constantly came to him, including even bears, which the saint fed with bread. In the forest, trouble happened to him - the news reached the bad people that the rich were visiting him, leaving him gifts. The robbers found a place of solitude for Seraphim of Sarov and severely beat him, causing serious injury. After the monk recovered, he remained hunched over for life. They say that he did not even resist, and later completely forgave his offenders, stating that they needed to be released. These people were never brought to justice.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the saint took a vow of silence, which he tried to fulfill for almost 20 years. For the last 7-8 years of his life, he healed people's illnesses and accepted everyone who wanted to see him. Even Tsar Alexander I was among the guests. The old man died at the age of 78 during prayer. He was canonized only 70 years after his death. On August 1, the uncovering of the relics of the saint is celebrated, and January 15 is the official day of remembrance and the name day of all a man named Seraphim.
January 15 - Memorial Day of Seraphim of Sarov
People like Monk Seraphim can be counted on one hand. Only devoted faith and selflessness were almost nonexistent. He demonstrated strength of spirit and faith in Christ, which helped him live a worthy life.
Icons and prayers are dedicated to Elder Seraphim. It is believed that Saint Seraphim helps us in alleviating suffering and in healing diseases. Every home should have an icon of this saint, which will bring good luck to all believers. Prayers in front of the icon to Seraphim of Sarov help restore faith in God, therefore mothers of children who have lost faith in God often resort to this prayer.
On January 15, every church in the Orthodox world from year to year remembers the life of St. Seraphim. On this day, the clergy recommend not to quarrel with loved ones, do only good deeds and believe in miracles. God is merciful to all who devote their time to prayer on this day.
Prayers to Seraphim of Sarov have special power not only on Memorial Day or August 1. On January 15 and on any other day ask the monk to pray for our souls and for the health of all those close to us. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and
11.01.2017 06:05
On February 6, 2017, Christians celebrate the Day of Remembrance of St. Xenia of Petersburg. Her veneration was lifelong ...
The question of what kind of holiday is today is relevant every day. The interest of the inhabitants of our country is enormous for the simple reason that every new day is fraught with some memorable date or an event of the appropriate kind.
Today, January 15th, is no exception. Let's tell you more about several holidays at once that affect both Russia and the whole world. In addition, it is necessary to dwell in more detail on church holiday... Summarizing this, we note that the following holidays are celebrated today: World Snow Day, World Religion Day and Memorial Day of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
In 2012, another good tradition appeared in the world. Starting in winter 2012, on one Sunday in January, a new holiday is celebrated on the initiative of the International Ski Federation (FIS) - World Snow Day. Its other name is International Day winter species sports.
The purpose of the holiday is to increase interest in winter sports and involve young people in an active lifestyle. According to the FIS plan, "snow festivals" should take place on this day, during which children and adults can take part in ice skating, skiing or snowboarding competitions. According to the organizers, "this day will give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the snow, get to know someone and plunge into the bright future of winter sports, which will be perceived not only as a competition, but also as entertainment."
“Today's children are often pessimistic about the future, and we hope that through this event we will be able to show them and their families how much fun they can get from the snow, while maintaining a healthy, safe and environmentally friendly lifestyle,” said the President of the International Gian-Franco Casper Ski Federation.
The organization of this holiday was the second step in the implementation of the FIS program "Take the children out into the snow". The date of the Snow Day was not chosen by chance: at the end of January, when the season of Christmas and New Year's holidays ends, it is important to draw attention to the ski resorts.
Today, 01/15/2017, what holiday: World Day of Religion
"God is one - there are many ways to him." This truth has existed for more than one decade, and maybe longer. It symbolizes, in fact, the variety of earthly roads leading to the Creator, which are religious movements, or, in other words, confessions. Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism - each of these trends is nothing more than an ordered faith, "chained" in tradition.
Every year on the third Sunday in January in the world there is a celebration of a unique, solemn and somewhat historical date - World day religion.
The Baha'i adherents became the founders of the World Day of Religion. Bahá'í teachings are based on the principles of the unity of God, the unity of faith and the unity of peoples. In keeping with this philosophy, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States in 1949 announced the establishment of World Religion Day to teach that religion should be a unifying force, not a cause of division. The Spiritual Assembly called on all believers to recognize that all religions have a right to exist, and they are united by common spiritual goals, therefore, since 1950, it was decided to celebrate the holiday at the international level.
Each religion is a valuable heritage of humanity and deserves the most careful consideration and study. Therefore, the most important task today is to rebuff all sorts of abuses in religion, and especially when it is being drawn into extremist movements. It is necessary to create all conditions for its constructive and creative potential in every area of \u200b\u200bhuman activity. For multinational Russia, this is an extremely important issue. In our state, work is continuously being carried out at the highest level, where pressing issues are raised about nationalities and small peoples living in the country, about spiritual enlightenment, about respect and tolerance for each other, because this serves as the basis for maintaining peace and harmony in the future and the present.
The Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov twice a year. The uncovering of his relics in 1903 is celebrated on August 1. And on January 15, Orthodox Christians celebrate the repose of the monk. On the days of the memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov, a festive service is performed in churches and monasteries throughout Russia, and men who bear the name of the saint celebrate their name days.
The future ascetic was born in 1754 in Kursk, in the Moshnin merchant family. Since childhood, he dreamed of a monastic life and at the age of 24 he left for the Sarov desert in the territory of the present Nizhny Novgorod region.
Having lived for a considerable time in the monastery, Monk Seraphim, with the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, built a cell for himself in a deep forest several kilometers from the monastery. He lived in it for more than 15 years, coming to the monastery only on Sundays and holidays. During his retreat, robbers attacked the monk, and they brutally beat him, in connection with which he remained hunched over for the rest of his life - this is how he is depicted on icons. However, Seraphim forgave his offenders and asked not to punish them.
The time of the monk's solitude was associated with special prayer labors. With a strong spiritual temptation, the saint fought the podvigation. For a thousand days and nights, with raised hands, the Monk Seraphim prayed on the stone: during the day - in his cell, and at night - in the forest. Later, he took upon himself the feat of silence for three years, ceasing even at that time to visit the monastery.
For his colossal labors, the ascetic acquired the gifts of clairvoyance and miracles, and after a long seclusion began to receive everyone who came to him for advice and consolation. Seraphim of Sarov's contemporaries especially noted that the saint healed not so much with a meek word, as with love and joy that emanated from him. The monk addressed any person with emotion, "my joy."
It just so happened that even during his lifetime, Seraphim of Sarov was respected, people from all over Russia flocked to the monastery to hear his instructions regarding spiritual life, to receive advice. After the peaceful death of the monk in 1833, veneration became special. According to eyewitnesses, miracles were often performed at his grave. In 1903 the monk was canonized.
* Forefeast of the Epiphany. * Saint Sylvester, Pope of Rome (335). Righteous Juliana of Lazarevskaya, Murom (1604). *** The repose (1833), the second uncovering of the relics (1991) of the Monk Seraphim, the miracle worker of Sarov.
PriestMartyr Theogenes, Bishop of Paris (c. 320). The Monks Theopemptus, Mark the Deaf, Peter of Rome. Martyr Sergius (304). Saint Sylvester of the Caves, in the Near Caves (XII). Martyrs Theopistus, Modestus, Zacchaeus, Zorzis (1770). Saints Theodotus, Isidora.
Saint Sylvester, Pope of Rome
Saint Sylvester lived at the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th centuries. and was a pope, or patriarch, in Rome. The word papa from Greek means father. At present, this name belongs to the patriarchs of Alexandria and Rome. Roman Catholics consider their pope to be the visible head of the Church, the vicar of Christ on earth, the bishop of bishops, and infallible in matters of faith. The Orthodox Church honors only those of the popes who became famous for their holy life before the fall (in 1054) of the Roman Church from the holy Orthodox. Such was also Saint Sylvester (a contemporary of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine). St. Sylvester in Rome from godly parents. His parents gave him a pious upbringing, and he was especially distinguished by his love for the poor and strangers. The mayor, Tarquinius, forced Sylvester to renounce Christ and subjected him to various tortures for his firmness. But the saint predicted the death of Tarquinius. Then the Christians began to respect Sylvester even more; many of the pagans were carried away by his conversations about faith and turned to Christ. At the age of 30, Sylvester entered the clergy and soon became a priest and then a bishop. He was a zealous shepherd and was famous as a deep connoisseur of the Holy. Scriptures and an unshakable defender of the faith of Christ. At the competition, he repeatedly refuted the learned Jews and Gentiles. He baptized Tsar Constantine. Having ruled the Roman Church for over 20 years, St. Sylvester died peacefully in 335. Most of his relics are kept in Rome, in the church named after him.
Venerable Seraphim of Sarov miracle worker
The Monk Seraphim of Sarov, in the world Prokhor, was born on July 19, 1759 in the city of Kursk into a pious merchant family. His whole life is marked by signs of God's mercy. When, as a child, his mother took him with her to the construction of the temple and he fell from the bell tower, the Lord saved him unharmed. During the boy's illness, the Mother of God in a dream vision promised his mother to heal him. Soon near their home with religious procession carried the Kursk Root Icon of the "Sign" of the Most Holy Theotokos, the mother carried the patient out, he venerated the icon and then quickly recovered (kontakion 3). At the age of seventeen, the young man had already firmly decided to leave the world, and his mother blessed him for monastic deed with her copper cross, with which the monk did not part until the end of his life (kontakion 2). The elder of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Dositheus (Venerable Dositheus) blessed Prokhor to go to save himself in the Sarov Assumption Hermitage, on the border of the Nizhny Novgorod and Tambov provinces, known for the strict observance of monastic rules and the ascetic life of the inhabitants (ikos 3). After two years of monastic labors and deeds of obedience, Prokhor fell seriously ill and for a long time refused the help of doctors. Three years later, the Mother of God appeared to him with the apostles Peter and John and healed him (kontakion 5).
The Monk Seraphim of Sarov On August 18, 1786, the novice took monastic vows with the name Seraphim ("The Flaming One") and in December 1787 he was ordained a hierodeacon. Already at that time, the young ascetic was honored at divine services to contemplate the holy Angels and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, coming through the air, surrounded by Heavenly Forces (ikos 6). In 1793, Saint Seraphim was ordained a hieromonk and initiated the feat of hermitage and solitary prayer in a forest cell, on the banks of the Sarovka River (kondak 6). The devil aggravated the war against the ascetic, and the monk took upon himself the feat of pillage. For a thousand days and nights, he prayed on the stone with raised hands: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (kontakion 8). Powerless to depose the ascetic spiritually, the devil sent robbers against the monk, who inflicted mortal wounds on him, but the Mother of God appeared and healed him for the third time (ikos 5).
The Monk Seraphim of Sarov Upon his recovery, the Monk Seraphim struggled for three years in the exploit of silence, and in 1810, after a 15-year stay in the wilderness, he opened up in the monastery cell. For his love for God, humility and deeds, the Monk Seraphim was honored with the spiritual gifts of clairvoyance and miracles. On November 25, 1825, the Mother of God with Saints Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria appeared to the ascetic and allowed him to finish the seclusion. The pre-like elder began to receive those who came to him for blessing, advice and spiritual comfort, calling everyone with love: "My joy, my treasure" (kontakion and ikos 9).
The Monk Seraphim of Sarov, as his whole life, the Monk Seraphim invariably based on the word of God, the works of the holy fathers and examples from their lives, while he especially honored the holy champions and zealots of Orthodoxy. He loved to talk about Russian saints. The monk urged all those who turned to him to stand for the steadfastness of the faith, and explained what the purity of Orthodoxy consists in. He persuaded many schismatics to leave error and join the Church. The monk abundantly backed up his teaching word with prophecies, healings and miracles. Many soldiers, who received the blessing from the Monk Seraphim, testified that through his prayers they remained unharmed on the battlefield.
The Monk Seraphim of SarovThe Monk Seraphim took care of and directed the sisters of the Diveyevo monastery and, at the direction of the Mother of God, founded a separate Seraphim-Diveyevo mill community for the girls. The Queen of Heaven announced in advance to the ascetic about his death, and on January 2, 1833, the Monk Seraphim gave up his soul to the Lord, during a kneeling prayer before the icon of the Mother of God (kontakion and ikos 10).
Through the prayers of the Monk Seraphim, numerous signs and healings were performed at his grave. On July 19, 1903, the glorification of the saint of God took place.
Uncovering of the relics of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov.
The uncovering of the relics of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, the miracle worker. At the beginning of the last century on the Russian candlestick Orthodox Church a new bright candle lit up. The Lord was pleased to send our land a great prayer book, ascetic and miracle worker.
In 1903, the glorification of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov took place, 70 years after his death. (The life of the saint is placed on January 2, the day of his repose). On July 19, the saint's birthday, his relics were unveiled with great celebration and placed in a prepared shrine. The long-awaited event was accompanied by many miraculous healings of the sick, who arrived in large numbers in Sarov. Revered very widely during his lifetime, the Monk Seraphim becomes one of the most beloved saints of the Orthodox Russian people, as well as Reverend Sergius Radonezh.
The spiritual path of the Monk Seraphim is marked by the great modesty inherent in Russian saints. From childhood, chosen by God, the Sarov ascetic without hesitation and doubt ascends from strength to strength in his striving for spiritual perfection. Eight years of novice labors and eight years of temple service in the dignity of hierodeacon and hieromonk, hermitage and pillar-dwelling, seclusion and silence replace each other and are crowned with elders. Feats that far exceed natural human capabilities (for example, prayer on a stone for a thousand days and nights) harmoniously and simply enter the life of a saint.
The mystery of lively prayerful communion determines the spiritual heritage of the Monk Seraphim, but he left to the Church one more treasure - short but beautiful instructions, written partly by himself, and partly by those who heard them. Not long before the glorification of the saint, the "Conversation of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov on the Purpose of Christian Life" was found and published in 1903, which took place at the end of November 1831, a little over a year before his repose. This conversation was the most precious contribution of the ascetic to the treasury of Russian patristic teachings. In addition to teaching about the essence of Christian life, it contains a new explanation of many of the most important passages of Holy Scripture.
“Fasting, prayer, vigilance and all other Christian deeds,” taught the Monk, “no matter how good in themselves, but not only doing them is the goal of our Christian life, although they serve as means for achieving it. The true goal of our life is Christian is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. " Once, being in the Spirit of God, the monk saw the entire Russian land, and it was filled and, as it were, covered with the incense of the prayers of believers praying to the Lord.
In the descriptions of the life and deeds of Saint Seraphim, there are many testimonies of the grace-filled gift of insight, which he used to awaken in people repentance for sins and moral correction.
“The Lord revealed to me,” he said, “that there will be a time when the bishops of the Russian Land and other clergy will shy away from preserving Orthodoxy in all its purity, and for that the wrath of God will strike them. I stood for three days, asked the Lord to have mercy on them and asked it is better to deprive me, poor Seraphim, of the Kingdom of Heaven than to punish them. But the Lord did not bow to the request of the poor Seraphim and said that he would not have mercy on them, for they would teach the teachings and commandments of men, but their hearts would stand far from Me. "
Showing the blessed gifts and power of God to people, the Monk Seraphim edified those who came to him how to walk the narrow path of salvation. He commanded obedience to his spiritual children, and he himself was faithful to him until the end of his life. Having spent his whole life in exploits beyond the strength of ordinary people, he advised to follow the patristic "royal (middle) path" and not take on excessively difficult deeds: "one should not take a higher measure of exploits; but try so that our friend - our flesh - is faithful and we are a way to create virtues. "
The monk considered prayer to be the most important feat and means to acquire the Holy Spirit. "Every virtue, done for Christ's sake, gives the blessings of the Holy Spirit, but ... prayer most of all brings the Spirit of God, and it is most convenient for everyone to correct it."
The Monk Seraphim advised during the Divine Services to stand in the church now with closed eyes, now to turn his gaze to an image or a burning candle, and, expressing this thought, offered a wonderful comparison of human life with a wax candle.
If the holy elder was complained about the impossibility of fulfilling the prayer rule, then he advised him to pray constantly: both during work, and walking somewhere, and even in bed. And if anyone has the time, said the Monk, let him add other soulful prayers and readings of the canons, akathists, psalms, the Gospel and the Apostle. The saint advised him to study the order of worship and keep it in memory.
The Monk Seraphim considered long prayer rules optional and gave his Diveyevo community an easy rule. The Mother of God forbade Fr. Seraphim oblige novices to read long akathists, so as not to impose unnecessary burden on the weak. But at the same time, the saint strictly reminded that prayer should not be formal: "Those monks who do not combine external prayer with internal prayer are not monks, but black firebrands!" The Seraphim rule became famous for those laity who, due to life circumstances, cannot read ordinary morning and evening prayers: in the morning, before lunch and in the evening, read "Our Father" three times, three times - "Virgin Mary, rejoice", once "I Believe" doing the necessary deeds, from morning till noon to do the Jesus Prayer: "Lord, Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" or simply "Lord, have mercy", and from lunch to evening - "Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner" or "Lord, Jesus Christ Have mercy on me, a sinner, Mother of God. "
“In your prayers, pay attention to yourself,” the ascetic advised, “that is, gather your mind and unite it with your soul. First, for a day, two or more, do this prayer with one mind, separately, paying particular attention to every word. Then, when the Lord will warm your heart with the warmth of grace His own and will unite this in you into one spirit: then this prayer will flow in you incessantly and will always be with you, enjoying and nourishing you ... "The monk said that by fulfilling this rule with humility, one can achieve Christian perfection in worldly life. ...
"The soul must be supplied with the Word of God. In all, one must exercise most of all in reading the New Testament and the Psalter. From this, there is enlightenment in the mind, which is changed by the Divine change," instructed the holy ascetic of Sarov, who himself constantly read the entire New Testament during the week.
Every Sunday and every holiday, unforgivably partaking of the Holy Mysteries, the Monk Seraphim, when asked how often one should start Communion, answered: "The more often, the better." To the priest of the Diveyevo community, Vasily Sadovsky, he said: "The grace given to us by Communion is so great that no matter how unworthy and no matter how sinful a person may be, if only in a humble consciousness of his sinfulness he approaches the Lord, who redeems all of us, even from head to feet covered with ulcers of sins, and will be cleansed by the grace of Christ, brighten more and more, completely brighten and be saved. "
“I believe that, according to the great goodness of God, grace will be marked in the race of the one who partakes ...” The saint, however, did not give everyone the same instructions regarding frequent communion. He advised many to fast during all four fasting periods and on all feast days. It is necessary to remember his warning about the possibility of communion with condemnation: "It sometimes happens like this: here on earth they commune; but with the Lord they remain uncommunicated!"
“There is nothing worse than sin and nothing more terrible and destructive than the spirit of despondency,” said Saint Seraphim. He himself shone with spiritual joy, and with this quiet, peaceful joy he filled the hearts of those around him with abundance, greeting them with the words: “My joy! Christ is risen! "Every burden of life became light near the ascetic, and a multitude of grieving and seeking God people constantly crowded around his cell and desert, wanting to partake of the grace pouring out from the saint of God. In front of everyone's eyes, the truth expressed by the saint himself in the great angelic appeal was confirmed: “Acquire the world, and thousands will be saved around you.” This commandment about acquiring the world leads to the doctrine of acquiring the Holy Spirit, but in itself it is the most important step on the path of spiritual growth. what the spiritual work of future generations will be like, and taught to seek spiritual peace and not to condemn anyone: “He who walks in a peaceful dispensation, he seems to draw spiritual gifts from a liar.” “To preserve the peace of the soul ... in every possible way one should avoid condemning others ... To get rid of condemnation, one must listen to oneself, not accept extraneous thoughts from anyone and be dead to everything. "
The Monk Seraphim can rightfully be called a disciple of the Mother of God. Holy Mother of God three times she healed him from deadly diseases, appeared to him many times, instructed and strengthened him. Even at the beginning of his journey, he heard how the Mother of God, pointing to him, who was lying on the bed of illness, said to the Apostle John the Theologian: "This is from our kind."
After leaving the seclusion, the monk devoted much effort to the organization of the maiden monastic community in Diveyevo, and he himself said that he did not give a single instruction from himself, he did everything according to the will of the Queen of Heaven.
The Monk Seraphim stands at the beginning of the astonishing rise of Russian Orthodox spirituality. His reminder sounds with great power: "The Lord seeks a heart filled with love for God and neighbor; here is the throne on which He loves to sit and appear in the fullness of His heavenly Glory." Son, give Me your heart, - He says, - and that's it. the rest I myself will add to you "- for in the human heart the Kingdom of God can be contained."