Waldemar asks, What if Saint Seraphim of Sarov Resurrected?

[Waldemar]

On May 21, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus arrived in Nizhny Novgorod, where they were greeted by His Grace Bishop Georgii of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamassk.

"The aim of our pilgrimage is to visit Holy Trinity-St. Seraphim Diveevo Monastery," said Metropolitan Laurus. "This great saint, the 100th anniversary of the glorification of whom the believers in Russia and abroad marked a year ago, and the 250th anniversary of whose birth will be celebrated this August, is warmly revered in the Orthodox world."

"We are happy that everywhere there are churches of God opening, that the people are striving for spiritual life," remarked His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, responding to a question on his impressions of Russia. "It gives great joy that we are making a pilgrimage to the holy monastery where St. Seraphim labored. Here we will pray and have fraternal communion," said Vladyka Laurus.

"We make this trip on the eve of the great task being undertaken by both sides, in order to heal those wounds inflicted upon Russian Orthodoxy through the divisions of the revolutionary era and the civil war. We hope that the joint work of our committees created for this purpose will enjoy success and will permit the resolution of the situation that has developed, and these labors will begin shortly," said Vladyka.

Arriving in Diveevo, the delegation venerated the holy relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, went along the Bogorodichnaya Canal with His Grace Bishop Georgii and Hegumen Sergii, who all the while--as prescribed by the saint--read "O Mother of God, Rejoice" 150 times, and visited the will-spring dedicated to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

During the festive luncheon organized in honor of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, Bishop Georgi of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamassk said in part: "Each Orthodox Russian person holds dear the image of St. Seraphim of Sarov. This is an image of that person whom each one of us has the possibility to be, should we free ourselves from passions, and be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit. St. Seraphim said: "My joy, acquire the Spirit of peace and a thousand around you will be saved." And so here, now, it is necessary for us to obtain this peaceful spirit and understand that our power is not in division, but in unity with Christ and with each other."

The following morning, the delegation prayed at divine liturgy and a moleben to the saint performed by Bishop Georgii and the monastery clergy. At the end of the service, Vladyka Laurus turned to the worshipers with warm words of greeting: "I thank the Lord Who brought me to this holy monastery to pray and prostrate myself before the relics of Saint Seraphim. Here is the holy soil of Russia. When after liturgy, they began to sing the akathist to the saint, I remembered the years of the Second World War, the worst years of suffering of the Russian people. At this time, young Russian women, sent into forced labor in Germany, came to the cathedral in Berlin, where they prayed for Russia and tearfully sang the akathist to St. Seraphim. For the Russian person there are no borders, no distances, for the unity of the Russian people is founded on spiritual soil. The rector of the cathedral at the time was Protopriest (later Bishop Adrian) Rymarenko, who possessed a part of the relics of the saint and a portrait of the pleaser-of-God, painted during his lifetime. Now this portrait is in the USA, at Novo-Diveevo Convent, as one of the greatest holy items of the diaspora. There, in the outskirts of New York, the akathist to St. Seraphim is sung according to the Sarov tone."

Then His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus presented the abbess of the convent with a copy of the portrait of St. Seraphim painted during his lifetime, which is kept at Novo-Diveevo Convent, and to Bishop Georgii he gave an icon of St. John (Maximovich +1966) the Wonder-worker with a portion of his relics.

Source: http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/01n ... image.html

[Waldemar]

Troparion of St. Seraphim, Tone 4

Thou didst love Christ from thy youth, O blessed one,/ and longing to work for Him alone thou didst struggle in the wilderness with constant prayer and labor./ With penitent heart and great love for Christ thou wast favored by the Mother of God./ Wherefore we cry to thee:/ Save us by thy prayers, O Seraphim our righteous Father.

Kontakion of St. Seraphim, Tone 2

Having left the beauty of the world and what is corrupt in it, O saint,/ thou didst settle in Sarov Monastery./ And having lived there an angelic life,/ thou wast for many the way to salvation./ Wherefore Christ has glorified thee, O Father Seraphim,/ and has enriched thee with the gift of healing and miracles./ And so we cry to thee:/ Rejoice, O Seraphim, our righteous Father.

http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/01n ... 4/vnn.html

[Waldemar]

The Lord bestowed upon Grand Duchess Elizabeth (the Sister of Tsarina-Martyr Alexandra) the gift of spiritual discernment and prophecy. Fr. Mitrofan Srebrianski related that not long before the Revolution he had a dream. It was very vivid and clearly prophetic, but he did not know how to interpret it.

The dream was composed of a sequence of four pictures, in color. The first revealed a beautiful church. Suddenly, it became surrounded by tongues of fire, and the whole church went up in flames - a terrifying spectacle. The second showed a portrait of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in a black frame; the corners of the frame sprouted forth shoots bearing lily buds that blossomed, becoming so large as to conceal the portrait. The third showed Archangel Michael holding a flaming sword. In the fourth picture, St. Seraphim of Sarov stood on his knees on a rock, his hands upraised in prayer.

Perplexed by this dream, Father Mitrofan described it to the Grand Duchess one morning before Liturgy. Saint Elizabeth (Editors notes: the Grand Duchess Elizabeth is recognized by both the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow as a Saint) said she understood the dream.

The first picture signified that there would soon be a revolution in Russia, that a persecution would be raised against the Church, and for our sins, for our disbelief, the country would be brought to the brink of destruction. The second picture signified that her sister and the entire Royal Family would receive a martyr's death. The third picture signified frightful tribulations. The fourth signified that by the prayers of Saint Seraphim and other saints and righteous ones of the Russian land, and by the intercession of the Mother of God, the country and its people would obtain mercy.

Source: http://www.fr-d-serfes.org/royal/propheticdream.htm

[fserafim]

When in 1947 Metropolitan Elias of Mt Lebanon (later Patriarch Elias IV) visited Russia, he told how he had had a vision of the Theotokos, who told him that Russia had been saved from the Germans through the prayers of her holy people including Elder Serafim of Vyritsa, MP. Like his heavenly protector, St Serafim of Sarov, be prayed on a stone at night during the war years. I saw this stone on my last visit to Russia. When I get my slides converted to jpegs, I will post a picture.

Fr Serafim

[Waldemar]

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II has called on the society to begin a dialogue on Russia's future. The Russian patriarch addressed a scientific conference "The heritage of St. Serafim of Sarov and Russia's future" held at the Russian Academy of Science, saying that Russia might build its future, guided by our objects of worship.

"Life has convincingly demonstrated that without this support we might land up in the captivity of ideas alien to us," the patriarch said.

(TASS, 6/15/04)

[Liudmilla]

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.

[Justin Kissel]

In spite of all that we have said, it is not perfectly clear why the Saint appeared to prefer good laymen to Monks. But perhaps we can discover a further reason for it. That spiritual deadness among Monks as well as among Hierarchs and Priests which the Saint had so sharply rebuked when he called those whose life was external and formal, "charred logs," had it not already begun in his life-time? Was not the time at hand when true Christians would be determined nto by their badge of office, rank or profession, not by their name or label, but by their actual life? Are we not witnessing in our days how those who ought to defend the truth remain indifferent to it, while people who hold no official position in the Church, simple laymen with a religious outlook, are the mainstay of the Church? And the word of God comes true: "The last shall be first" (Matt. 19:30)

It is well known that among the prophecies of St. Seraphim one still remains unpublished in order that it many not give offense. This is the prophecy about the fall of the members of the episcopate and their lack of zeal for the glory of God. Neither can the Monasteries boast of such zeal, for they are more concerned with outward organization than with the art of contemplative prayer and holiness of life. It is not for nothing that in our time both Bishops and Priests are having to bear a purifying punishment. It is not without the will of God that Monasteries, which were previously provided with everything, have been closed, even the best of them." - Archimandrite Lazarus Moore, St. Seraphim of Sarov: A Spiritual Biography, (New Sarov Press, 1994), pp. 277-278