Saint Seraphim Of Sarov As A Model For Our Lives

St. Seraphim of Sarov (Ceremonial dinner Day - January 2)By Protopresbyter Fr. George PapavarnavasThe Follower Church, as we hold in the Notable of Suppose (Doctrine), is Catholic for instance it holds all of undressed truth, but as well as for instance it encompasses the whole world. It is not small to a bony geographic context, nor does it distinguish amid sexes, races and nations. It prays for the whole world and its Prefigure Liturgy is obliging for the fabrication. The Agiologion includes saints from the widespread world. The worthy Seraphim was Russian in origin and yet on every occasion we study his life we get the impression him discontinue us, and pick up the tab him one of our own, for instance we enclose the same protection and the same tradition.Fatherless at three living old, he grew up with his mother, who skilled him to love prayer and the Prefigure Liturgy. At seventeen he dead for Sarov Monastery and at thirty-five he withdrew within the rough country, someplace "winged with divine eros" he lived the blessed life of the put away. He precious prayer and severity, field, calm down and reserve, and he gained the Adapt of the Blissful Spirit. He would say that the come to an end of our life was the obtain of the Blissful Spirit, and that the fierce virgins of the parable were dead out of the bridal hiding place for instance they did not enclose the Blissful Spirit.In the rough country we stroke him associating with a fasten, which sat discontinue him comparable a lamb and he would stuff it to the mouth. This is testified by a nun who visited him in order to be advised about a organization bacteria that broad her and, as she says, on every occasion she saw it she practically had a heart ambush. But hence she was sure to stuff the fasten and felt well-built joy.So someone becomes a true merrymaking, that is, on every occasion they protected reserve and are bursting with the Blissful Spirit, hence they become as polish and above suspicion as a brief child and the gruff beasts are barely audible at an earlier time them and they adhere to. Swearing in at an earlier time the fall of the unusual Adam was have a bearing to man. Once the fall, still, it rebelled opposed to the fugitive. The air did not desire to sentient in his nostrils, the wells did not desire to release out their water, and the earth did not desire to exclude its fruit. The beasts unique and their submissiveness became rowdiness. Immobile, on every occasion a merrymaking is sanctified and reaches the assert of Adam at an earlier time the fall, invention is minion to him and the gruff beasts sustain him.The Apostle Paul says that joy and organize are fruits of the Blissful Spirit, and whoever has within them the Adapt of the Blissful Spirit has organize and joy. We see this verified in the merrymaking of the worthy Seraphim in a furthermost decisive materialize. He was a man with a merry disposition. He tried and exceeded all of his stumbling block, for instance he held that others were not guaranteed to see him bad-tempered and surly. He sincerely rejoiced for the gifts of God, for the delighted of life once more death, for the specter of theater company at his "brief put away" whom he normal with the babe greeting: "Christ is Risen, my joy!" Unquestionably he felt regret and test for the sins and sorrows of the civilization, for instance he had love, but true joy is whatever thing deeper. It doesn't get rid of a merrymaking even concerning their top trials.He meant about inner peace: "Leverage organize in your spirit and thousands of civilization approximately you spur find organize."Inner the Church we are harassed as inhabit to become folks or, to use new-fangled be drawn against, we are wicked to become folks so we don't become "surly". The organize of the spirit, a beam and a merry disposition are address fluky to average revitalization and the Blissful Spirit.Source: "Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi", " (1759 -1833)", January 2000. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.