“Today, gathered together, you who bear Christ’s name, let us crown with hymns of praise the earthly angel and heavenly man, and warmly cry out to him:
O blessed Father Seraphim, glorious praise of ascetics, pray to the Lord for us, that He may have mercy on our souls.”
(Hymn at Small Vespers, Tone 4)
The very name of Venerable Seraphim carries with it the sweet scent of a lily, a bloom of holiness and grace that grew and was picked on Russian soil. Saint Seraphim himself and his words form a landmark in the story of the Russian people. Through quiet, kind and tender words about gaining the Holy Spirit – the true meaning, task and aim of human life on earth – he unites Orthodox thought and living, leaving a legacy for all.
As Archbishop Nafanail (Lvov) tells us, “There can be no thinking Russian Orthodox believer who has not bowed in spirit before Venerable Seraphim, who has not felt thankful to him for directly guiding some and helping others to enter Orthodoxy, the Christian Church, and teaching them to know God.” The holy man’s likeness has flowed into Russian writing and religious thought; moments from his life now shine out from icons and paintings. And in the grateful souls of God’s people, heartfelt hymns and verses rise up in his name.
Holy One walking
Holy the man through the forest walked out there,
Praying he went, with a pious, fervent prayer:
“Holy to God flies the purified soul,
Soaring to God beyond all compare,
All of my hope, You make perfectly whole,
Happily live I, Your love I share.”
Holy One walking…
Hear, O my Lord, my deepest supplication,
Save this lost world from sin and guide it home,
Teach us to love with grace and humble devotion,
Fill all our hearts with faith that will not roam.
Holy One walking…
Grant patience true,
Hearts forged anew,
Minds sharp to pierce what’s holy and eschewed.
Worlds that drown in the dark seas of sin,
Nations caught in the tide’s mighty flow,
Heal them, Lord, with Your grace from within,
Draw them close where Your mercies still grow.
Holy One walking…
Those who stand with compassion and care,
Bless them, Lord, with Your infinite grace,
Fill their hearts with Your presence so rare,
Guide their steps to a holier place.
Holy One walking…
Those who turn with their hatred toward us,
Pardon, Lord, their transgressions we pray,
Souls that wander in darkness and fuss,
Light their path with Your love’s gentle ray.
Holy One walking…
Brothers loving, foes with hostile stance,
All now gathered, join as one in peace,
Strive to please the heavens with your acts,
Banish Satan’s wiles and dark decrees.
Holy One walking…
Russia lost and bearing endless pain,
Hold her kindly in your mercy’s sight,
Sorrow fills my heart for her domain,
Calm it with your holy hope so bright.
Those who love me, those who seek my aid,
Send them angels, quiet, pure and bright,
Guide their footsteps so they won’t be swayed,
Lead them to Your dwelling’s sacred light.
Holy One walking…
Pray for us now, O Venerable One,
That our lives be peaceful, true and clear,
Help us please the Lord in all we’ve done,
Keep the Christian path we hold so dear.
Holy One walking…
Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia reflected: “Venerable Seraphim of Sarov holds a singular place in the heart of any believer.” Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeyev), Patriarchal Exarch of all Belarus, once remarked during a sermon, “Without Venerable Seraphim, our more recent times would surely have been far gloomier.”
Saint Seraphim
Down from the bell-tower like a young dove he fell,
Standing before his widowed mother’s gaze,
Softly he smiled, whole and safe as well,
Guarded for sacred purpose all his days.
Scorning the world’s allurements from his youth,
Cherishing cloister life with pure delight,
Blessed with visions, witnesses to truth,
Honoured as Mary’s presence graced his sight.
Saw he the Christ with angels at his side,
Flooding his humble cell with heaven’s light —
Clear was the vision, filling him with pride,
Warming his soul with Spirit’s holy might.
Dressed in a cassock white as driven snow,
Bright as the dawn of Resurrection Day;
Carrying stones upon his shoulders so:
Bearing the one who seeks my soul to flay.”
Feeds he the woodland bear with crusts of bread,
Sharing with children treats of “sweet small root”…
Taught he so many souls to God instead,
Drawing repentant tears with wisdom’s fruit!
Thus did he scatter medals, clear to all,
Moving a general to humble tears,
Touching the soul with insight’s gentle call,
Healing the wounds that time could not erase.
Simpler than children in his gentle ways,
Wiser than scholars with their dusty tomes,
Kneeling in prayer through a thousand days,
Wetting the forest stone with tears he poured.
Poem by an unknown author
Personal effects of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Convent in Diveyevo
Many churches and monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church keep the memory of Venerable Seraphim alive. In the Nizhny Novgorod region alone, two monasteries and many churches bear witness to his life and works, most notably his own foundation — the Holy Trinity Convent in Diveyevo. In the early days of August each year, this convent becomes the heart of celebrations honouring Seraphim, drawing bishops, clergy and worshippers from far and wide. Nearby stands the Dormition Sarov Hermitage, where the elder lived and toiled in spirit. Above the monks’ living area, where Venerable Seraphim’s own cell once stood, the architect A. S. Kaminsky laid the foundation of the first church dedicated to the saint in 1897. It was consecrated in 1903, during his canonisation, attended by the imperial family.
The Far Hermitage of Saint Seraphim of Sarov today
A few versts from the Sarov monastery, in his Far Hermitage, the elder made another cell for a life of solitude and prayer. Here, he spent a thousand nights in prayer before an icon of the Holy Trinity fastened to an oak. A bronze statue of the kneeling saint, created in 1991 by sculptor V. Klykov, marks the spot today. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II blessed this memorial. Close by bubbles a well that, according to tradition, Father Seraphim dug with his own hands for his small garden.
The Hermit
In memory of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov
Here is the blessed hermit, seeking still
Treasures of heaven’s realm yet to come!
Clear in his sorrows, joyful through each ill,
Ready to give his soul for all and some!
Quietly walking forest paths alone
Clad in his leather mantle, head laid bare;
Swaying, the copper cross upon his own
Burdened by sand-filled bag his frame must bear.
Sarovka river winds through hollow deep,
Century pines stand tall in nature’s grace;
Leaning on forked staff as on he creeps,
Moves the Elder with his measured pace.
Bent is his body, humble is his soul,
Walking to pray in hermitage so small;
Even in secret prayer, he knows his role:
Carrying axe for work, he tends to all.
White is the robe he wears; his hair appears
Silvery beneath his ageing cap,
Inward he turns his gaze of radiant years,
Full of the tenderest love that souls can tap.
Graced with a strength beyond what eyes can see;
Sensing with soul what lies in distant hearts,
Feels he the wounds of man, though faint they be,
Hears every cry — and mercy he imparts.
Ready to comfort those who find no peace,
Saving weak children from death’s cold embrace,
Leading lost souls to light that will not cease,
Guiding through prayer to find amazing grace.
To all who struggle in life’s testing flame,
“Joy of my heart!” he says, “Do not despair,
Weather the storms of soul, though fierce they came,
Bear them with smile for sake of Lord who cares!
Glad to weep with those whose tears must fall;
Gently encouraging hearts lost in doubt;
Calls he to those who from God’s paths withdraw,
Teaching them love of neighbour, faith throughout.
Shows us to seek the wealth that cannot fade,
Lest our souls fall to vanity’s control,—
Knows that all treasures which on earth are made
Cannot replace what Christ gives to the soul!
Leonid Denisov, 1903
On the path from the Dormition Monastery to the Far Hermitage, near the banks of the Sarovka river, stood the Near Hermitage. Here, the saint spent his last years after he left his seclusion in 1825. People flocked to him in their thousands, seeking comfort and wise words. Throughout the region, more than ten communities and parishes now carry his name; an Orthodox gymnasium teaches under his patronage, and Seraphim readings bring children and youth together in faith.
Venerable Seraphim’s light reaches far beyond Russia. Orthodox Serbs, Romanians, Greeks, Americans, Germans and French turn to him in prayer. Serbia, for instance, has two churches built in his name, and his image can be seen in countless places of worship and Orthodox family homes. Services and hymns honour him, while books recount his deeds. In Greece’s Phocis region, a monastery bears his name. Churches and chapels honouring the saint have risen across Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Indeed, the light of Venerable Seraphim touches hearts the world over.
Scenes from the life of Venerable Seraphim in the Monastery of St Seraphim of Sarov in Phocis on Mount Trikorpho, Greece
The hermit’s legacy
The years have passed — the hermit’s resting now,
But where his spring still runs with grace,
And where the fir grove darkens high and proud,
A church has risen in forest space.
And there, where birds once sang their loudest songs,
In ceaseless praise to heaven’s dome,
The harmonies of choral sounds belong,
As voices lift in spirit’s home.
Where myriads of stars once twinkled bright,
And pale moonlight was pouring down,
Now brilliant lamps cast forth their shining light,
And chandeliers with sparkles crown.
And where the light-breath wind once swept the pines,
With resinous scents drifting free,
Now incense smoke in billows winds and climbs,
In misty waves of bluish sea.
And there, where once he prayed with humble heart,
Where holy altar rose in time,
The sovereign Tsar with bowed head stands apart,
Among his people, Russian shrine.
Lydia Kologrivova, 18 July 1908
Prepared by the team of obitel-minsk.ru
Photographs from the internet
Sources:
1. The Image of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov in Spiritual Literature (serafim-ussuriisk.ru)
2. 1.shevarenkova.pdf (unn.ru)
3. Map of Memorial Sites of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov — Orthodox Magazine “Foma” (foma.ru)
4. The Age of Seraphim: Life and Times — Orthodox Magazine “Foma” (foma.ru)
5. Spiritual Labours of Venerable Seraphim — Orthodox Magazine “Foma” (foma.ru)
6. Poetry Competition for the Feast of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov | VK
7. Seraphim of Sarov in Poetry. Discussion on LiveInternet — Russian Online Diary Service
