1903 - 2003 - MIRACLE AND PROPHECY AT DIVEYEVO
1833 - On 2 January the priest-monk and hermit Seraphim, born in 1759, reposes at the Monastery of Sarov in Russia. In his lifetime he had visions, both of demons, but also of heaven. He was vouchsafed to see the Mother of God no fewer than twelve times. Twenty miles away at the convent of Diveyevo, founded by him and meaning 'the place of the miracle', nuns pray at his passing. St Seraphim has prophesied that Russia will suffer disaster, but that she will be cleansed of her unfaithfulness by the blood of her people after repentance. The Saint's relics will be returned to Diveyevo and Russia will be restored. From here St Seraphim will arise and appear to teach universal repentance.
1903 - It is 19 July and at Sarov, 'the Russian Jerusalem', Tsar Nicholas II, accompanied by his family and nearly half a million pilgrims, attends the ceremonies of canonization, instituted initially at the request of the pious Tsar himself. All is coming true as St Seraphim himself prophesied: 'The Tsar will come to us with his whole family. What joy there will be and they will sing the Easter service in summer'.
1915 - Shortly before her repose, Blessed Parasceva (Pasha) of Sarov, a fool-for-Christ, prophesies the martyrdom of the Russian Royal Family.
1927 - In the early summer the Monastery of Sarov is closed by order of the atheist government. The relics of St Seraphim are taken to an anti-religious museum. This only attracts pilgrims to venerate them. The relics are therefore taken to be stored in another atheist museum in St Petersburg. A few months later, in the autumn, Diveyevo Convent is closed. Its clergy are imprisoned, its 300 nuns and 800 novices are scattered to the four winds and its nine churches are closed. Another of St Seraphim's prophecies has come true: 'My sisters will be scattered like peas through the gate'.
1946 - After use as a prison camp and then as a home for prisoners' children, the Monastery of Sarov is turned into a nuclear weapons research centre. The area remains off limits to this day. In the years following, like the children before them, soldiers patrolling the military zone report seeing an old man in a white robe with a staff. Bullets cannot touch him and guards shake with fear.
1988 - Mother Margarita, the last surviving nun from the pre-1927 Convent, now aged 88, hears a man's voice from an old icon of St Seraphim. The voice says: 'Listen, listen, the Mother of God is going to speak'. A beautiful voice says: 'From this cell, from this holy earth, the world will be renewed'. Mother Margarita repeats another of the Saint's prophecies, that for seventy years churches will be destroyed but then they will be returned 'without your asking'. Mother Margarita also still awaits the return of the Saint's relics and of the great Diveyevo bell. At the ringing of this bell St Seraphim himself will appear and preach repentance. Then he will uncover the relics of others. Among them are believed to be Abbess Alexandra, Mother Martha and the clairvoyant Mother Evdokia, who was tortured and martyred by the atheists. Then the Saint will repose and soon after the end of the world will come.
1991 - Diveyevo Convent is returned to the Orthodox Church. In the summer of this year the relics of St Seraphim are found in the basement of a former anti-religious museum in St Petersburg and returned to Diveyevo. Tens of thousands of pilgrims gather. All is happening exactly as the Saint had prophesied over 150 years before.
1993 - There are now 200 nuns in the Convent and by 1995 two churches will have been restored. Many Orthodox families are now moving to the village of Diveyevo in order to be near the Convent which is led by the remarkable Abbess Sergia.
2003 - The Russian Orthodox world commemorates the 100th anniversary of the canonization of the great saint, whose veneration has spread throughout liberated Russia and indeed the whole believing world. Pilgrims come to Diveyevo and venerate the relics of St Seraphim and also of the newly-canonised Abbess Alexandra, Mother Martha and Nun Elena, some of St Seraphim's spiritual daughters. There are almost 400 nuns and novices and Diveyevo is now the largest Convent in Russia. There are also some 500 Orthodox families who have moved here in order to partake in the worship of the Convent. The deep perimeter channel encircling the Convent's lands is being redug by pilgrims, villagers, priests and nuns. According to tradition, this is the perimeter around which the Mother of God herself walks every day, as a defence against the Antichrist. Those who walk in her footsteps in prayer receive a special blessing.
As the book of history unfolds before us, with faith and hope we await other prophecies of St Seraphim to come true.
A Voice From Beyond the Grave Speaks to the Ukraine.
The Western and Westernized world prepares its annual Mammonmas celebration. In British town centres field hospitals are ready to pick the drunkards out of the gutters. The British Government tries to hide its embarrassment over an 'arrogant' senior Minister, who stole another man's wife, had one or two children by her, is forced to resign over accusations of corruption, but boasts of his 'responsibility and integrity'.
Meanwhile, the long suspected truth about foreign intervention in the Ukraine emerges. An American Congressman discloses that the United States administration has spent $65 million over the last five years, backing its candidate for President there, Viktor Yushchenko. Husband of an American citizen, a traveller to Washington, with close political links to the White House, all is revealed, in readiness for the new Ukrainian elections of 26 December.
Supported by American money and organization, pro-NATO forces, fresh from supervising the massacres in Serbia and victory in Georgia, prepare their entry into the Ukraine, which already has troops in Iraq. No doubt the American Mediterranean Fleet would love to have a Black Sea base in the Crimea. It would compensate for their catastrophic invasion of Iraq, where no 'exit strategy' (code for 'escape route') is in sight.
Supported by the money of the Turkey-loving European Union - no matter that Turkey is in Asia, except for those parts of Greece and Cyprus which they illegally occupy, no matter their genocide of a million Armenian Christians and persecution of Greek Orthodox, let alone the torture of Kurds - the Ukrainian Pora! organization is now training students in Moscow for an uprising there too.
Supported by the money of the billionaire Hungarian-Jewish financier, George Soros, dark forces plan their takeover of Orthodox Eastern Europe. Orthodox have not been able to put forward an Orthodox politician to fight against Yushchenko; the only alternative has been an 'ex'-Communist bandit. It is the same scenario as in Serbia, where Orthodox were ruled by another Communist bandit. We should not forget the reason for this: thanks to European and American-backed Communism, the Orthodox political elite were long ago massacred in Serbia, Romania, the Ukraine, Belarus, all over the Orthodox world. Temptations from the left side, Western stooges, and temptations from the right side, bandits, are all that remain.
Here is the voice from beyond the grave, speaking from the last will of the great Elder Zosima (+2002), the founder of several monasteries in the Ukraine, prophetically making clear what Orthodox in the Ukraine must do, if the worst comes to the worst:
I leave you my last will: even after my death, until your last breaths, guard, holy and for ever, all the heritage, the sacred traditions, the particularities of the services, which are recorded by the brethren and sisters in the monastery typikon, keeping them in every detail, forbidding a single change.
Adhere strictly to the Russian Orthodox Church and His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
In case the Ukraine should leave Moscow, through any sort of autocephaly -illegal or 'legal' - then the link with the Metropolitan of Kiev is automatically severed.
From the monasteries then existing, form a House of Mercy, which will fulfil the holy laws of mercy - serving people up to their funerals, and the monasteries must carry out this commandment for ever. Do not recognize any threats or curses, since they are uncanonical and illegal.
Abide firmly by the canons of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In case there should be a falling away from the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church - the ruling bishop does not exist, the monasteries will go over to stavropegic (independent) status under the jurisdiction of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. I pray to God and I hope that His Holiness will not refuse and will take us into his jurisdiction.
If this is not possible, then the monasteries will go over to an independent status under an Abbot, like the Monastery of Valaam at the beginning of the twentieth century, with the radiant perspective of future times with the unity of the Ukraine and Russia, which, I believe profoundly, will inevitably come into being, and with which I go into eternity...
Leaving for eternal life, I utter unto you my last word, brothers and sisters and all those who pray in our monastery: keep to the Russian Orthodox Church - in her is salvation.
From beyond the grave I give forgiveness to all of you, may God forgive you and have mercy according to His great and rich mercy. Those who came to me for spiritual guidance, hold fast to the holy monastery: the brethren and the sisters will help you and direct you in the path of salvation..
From beyond the grave, without breath and without voice, I give to you Peace, Love, and the Blessing of God.
Schema-Archimandrite Zosima
