St. Seraphim of Sarov
by Aaron Farha (Jan. ’02)
On the 2nd of January the Orthodox Church celebrates the glorious feast day of the holy staretz (elder), St. Seraphim of Sarov. It would do us well to reflect upon the mystical and awe-inspiring life and teachings of St. Seraphim. St. Seraphim was born in the holy land of Russia on July 19, 1759 in the town of Kursk. In the summer of 1786, St. Seraphim made his monastic vows at the monastery of Sarov. He was soon after ordained a deacon and four years later elevated to the priesthood.
After living within the community of the monastery for fifteen years, St. Seraphim withdrew and spent the next thirty years of his life in seclusion. These years spent in solitude came to be his training for the office of eldership. In 1825 St. Seraphim opened the doors of his cell to the people and spent his energy on the spiritual direction of the people. Because of his humility and his concern for people, Sarov became a center of pilgrimage until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. St. Seraphim is well known for his experience of and teachings on the Holy Spirit. The following is part of his famous conversation with Motovilov:
Then Father Seraphim took me very firmly by the shoulders and said: ‘My son, we are both at this moment in the Spirit of God. Why don’t you look at me?’ ‘I cannot look, Father,’ I replied, ‘because your eyes are flashing like lightning. Your face has become brighter than the sun, and it hurts my eyes to look at you.’ ‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said. ‘At this very moment you yourself have become as bright as I am. You yourself are now in the fullness of the Spirit of God; otherwise you would not be able to see me as you do.’ Then bending his head towards me, he whispered softly in my ear: ‘Thank the Lord God for His infinite goodness towards us…But why, my son, do you not look me in the eyes? Just look, and don’t be afraid; the Lord is with us.’
The whole account of St. Seraphim’s conversation with Motovilov is of great significance for our understanding of the goal of our life. The goal of our life is to become like God, to acquire the Holy Spirit. In the Orthodox Church this is known as deification. St Seraphim says, “Prayer, fasting, works of mercy-all this is very good, but it represents only the means, not the end of the Christian life. The true end is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.”
Through the prayers of our Holy Father, St. Seraphim of Sarov, may God bless us on our journey to acquire the Holy Spirit. And as St. Seraphim would say, ‘Learn to be peaceful, and thousands around you will find salvation.’
