History of the stone of Seraphim of Sarov
The Stone of Seraphim of Sarov is called the boulder on which the famous hermit, kneeling, prayed for 1000 nights. It is believed that thanks to this he acquired healing powers and is able to cleanse the soul and body of a pilgrim through touch.
When the monk became a hermit, he settled in an old cell in the city of Sarov, Nizhny Novgorod region. There, in the Far Desert in the forest, he found a large boulder on which he prayed at night. During the day, he moved to a block of stone, which was located in the cell, so that the pilgrims would not be distracted from communicating with God.
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Pre-Soviet period
After the death of the priest, the shrine was split into separate parts. There is a legend that after his death the hermit appeared in Molotilov’s dreams. He asked to light a fire next to the boulder, which the landowner ordered to do. As soon as the flame touched the stone block, it crumbled into many fragments.
Parts of the famous boulder were dismantled by those who wanted to touch the shrine. People believed that if the fragment was placed in water, the liquid would become sacred. The largest part of the shrine was donated by Metropolitan Nicholas of Arzamas to the Sarov church parish.
In 1980, in the place where Father Seraphim’s stone lay, a similar boulder was placed, on which there were depressions reminiscent of knee marks.
The small stone on which the priest prayed in his cell was sent to the Church of the Transfiguration.
Soviet period and destruction of the shrine
During Soviet times, the second boulder was bulldozed into a deep ditch. The chapels that believers had built in the holy place were destroyed.
Despite everything, the place where the stone block stood was preserved. The believers erected a small wooden cross there.
At this time the small stone was also lost. After the loss of the shrines, the place of pilgrimage was temporarily closed.
Post-Soviet period
In 1990, members of the historical association “Sarov Wasteland” met Mother Seraphima. They carried food and medicine, for which the old woman thanked them, telling the stories of the city of Sarov and the holy places.
One day she mentioned that in her yard she kept a large original stone fragment of the place of worship of Father Seraphim and allowed her to break off several pieces from the relic. A large fragment was sent to the museum, and other parts were taken by members of the historical society.
Historians decided to restore the place of pilgrimage, and found a similar stone in the forest, which was transported to the desired site. Soon a sculpture of Father Sarovsky praying was erected on the boulder.
While the place of worship was closed for pilgrimage, people transferred their reverence to similar boulders located in the Royal Skete. There are shrines there, the most revered of which are the Little Bear and the Great Bear.
Despite the fact that Seraphim himself did not pray on the stones, there are several legends about them. According to one of them, other monks were kneeling on the boulders, trying to repeat the feat of the famous priest. According to another version, the Big Bear is a petrified beast that turned into a block out of longing for its friend Seraphim.
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Brief Life
The Monk Seraphim of Sarov became famous during his lifetime, gaining fame as a righteous man. He was not endowed with clergy, but was given the honor of beholding the image of the Mother of God.
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Saint Seraphim was born in Kursk in 1759 and was named Prokhor. His father was a prayerful and righteous man named Moshnin. This man was a merchant and constantly invested in the construction of churches. However, Seraphim's father died early, when the boy was at most three years old.
Seraphim's mother Agafya continued to manage her husband's unfinished business and took part in the construction of a church in honor of St. Sergius. One day, while inspecting the construction of a temple, little Seraphim fell from the bell tower, but miraculously survived. The mother saw God's protection in this.
At the age of ten, the boy saw the face of the Mother of God in a dream when he was seriously ill. The next day, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God was carried around the city. When the boy touched her, he received a miraculous cure from an incurable disease. After this, Prokhor was constantly drawn to the temple to pray. He refused to study as a merchant, as his older brother wanted.
At the age of 17, Prokhor finally chose the spiritual path and went to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra as a pilgrim. The young pilgrim remained there as a monk for two years, and later went to the Sarov Monastery, which was located in the Tambov province. Prokhor was a diligent novice, fulfilling all the orders of the abbot with joy in his heart. Then Prokhor decided to pray in the forest, where the monks let him go.
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The young man was distinguished by enviable patience and perseverance, endured all illnesses on his feet and diligently performed the feat of prayer. During a crisis, when his life hung by a thread, the face of the Mother of God appeared again in a dream and healed his servant.
At the age of 28, Prokhor took monastic vows, and 12 months later he was appointed hierodeacon. At the age of 35, the saint left the monastery for the forest on the banks of the Sarovka River. There he had a cell with a stove and no other amenities. One day he was attacked by robbers and severely beaten. Saint Seraphim of Sarov had his head pierced and his ribs broken. And again the image of the Mother of God appeared to him to heal his wounds.
The hermit came to the monastery wounded, and after some time returned to his forest cell. When people learned about his miraculous healing and salvation from death, they began to come for advice and help.
Orthodox:
09/18/2017 at 22:45
In the 10th century, Rus', together with Christianity, adopted three-fingeredness from the Greeks, for all Eastern Orthodox patriarchies from time immemorial were baptized with three fingers and there was no change from two-fingered to three-fingered at the end of the 12th century and EARLIER! This is very easy to prove: Georgia adopted Christianity as the state religion in 326 AD. (IV century). In the Georgian Orthodox Church people were ALWAYS baptized with only three fingers. If you don’t believe me, study the chronicles of the Georgian Orthodox Church or ask the Georgian clergy: have they ever been baptized with two fingers in Georgia? They will look at you with surprise. ______________________________________________________________
Here are the statements of Rev. Seraphim about the Old Believers and the correct formation of the finger from the book about Father Seraphim “The Life of our Venerable and God-Bearing Father Seraphim, the Wonderworker of Sarov” (compiled by L.I. Denisov. M., 1904. pp. 239–240).
Five episodes from the life of Rev. Seraphim clearly outlines his attitude towards the Old Believers and the rituals they contained, because of which they stubbornly separated from the Holy Orthodox Church. We present two of them for the edification of both “those who accept the priesthood,” that is, the self-proclaimed Belokrinitsky hierarchy, and “those who do not accept it,” that is, the non-priests. One day, four people from the zealots of the Old Believers came to him - residents of the village of Pavlova, Gorbatovsky district, Nizhny Novgorod province, to ask about the double-fingered addition, with some miracle or sign confirming the truth of the old believer's answer. They had just crossed the threshold of the cell, and had not yet had time to say their thoughts, when the elder approached them, took the first of them by the right hand, put his fingers in a three-finger formation according to the rite of the Orthodox Church and, thus baptizing him, gave the following instruction: “ This is the Christian folding of the cross! So pray and tell others. This composition was handed down from St. Apostles; and the two-fingered constitution is contrary to the holy statutes. I ask and pray you, go to the Greek-Russian Church: it is in all the glory and power of God! Like a ship that has many tackles, sails and a great helm, it is controlled by the Holy Spirit, who provides in it both teachers and shepherds in succession from the Apostles. And your chapel is like a small boat that does not have a helm or oars: it is moored with a rope to the ship of our Church, floats behind it, flooded by the waves, and would certainly sink if it were not tied to the ship.” At another time, one Old Believer came to him and asked: “Tell me, Elder of God, which faith is better: the current church faith or the old one?” “Leave your nonsense,” answered Fr. Seraphim, - our life is the sea, St. Our Orthodox Church is a ship, and the helmsman is the Savior Himself. If with such a Helmsman, people, due to their sinful weakness, have difficulty crossing the sea of life and not everyone is saved from drowning, then where are you striving with your little boat and on what do you base your hope - to be saved without a Helmsman?
These cases are also described in one of the first biographies of Father Seraphim, published by N.V. Elagin in the first half of the 19th century, long before the glorification of the elder.
Answer
Prayers to the Reverend Elder
Troparion, tone 4
From your youth you loved Christ, O blessed one, / and you ardently desired to work for Him alone, / you labored with unceasing prayer and labor in the desert, / with a tender heart the love of Christ Having acquired the wealth,/ the chosen one, beloved of God, appeared to the Mother./ For this reason we cry out to you // Save us with your prayers, Seraphim, like our Father.
Translation: From your youth you loved Christ, O blessed one, and having ardently desired to serve Him alone, you labored in the desert with unceasing prayer and labor, and having acquired the love of Christ with a tender heart, you appeared as the chosen beloved of the Mother of God. Therefore we cry to you: “Save us with your prayers, Seraphim, our reverend father!”
Kontakion, tone 2
Having left the beauty of the world and the corruption in it, O monk, / you moved into the Sarov monastery, / and there you lived like an angel, / you were the path to salvation for many, / for this reason, Christ is for you, oh Father Seraphim, glorify / and enrich us with the gift of healings and miracles ./ Moreover we cry to you: Rejoice, Seraphim, like our Father.
Translation: The beauty of the world and everything that is corruptible in it, leaving, reverend, you moved into the Sarov monastery and, having lived there like an angel, became for many the path to salvation. That is why Christ, Father Seraphim, glorified you and enriched you with the gift of healings and miracles. Therefore we cry to you: “Rejoice, Seraphim, our reverend father!”
First prayer
Oh, wonderful Father Seraphim, great miracle worker of Sarov, quick and obedient helper to all who come running to you! During the days of your earthly life, no one was tired of you and was inconsolable when you left, but everyone received the sweetness of the vision of your face and the sweet voice of your words. Moreover, the gift of healing, the gift of insight, the gift of healing for weak souls has appeared in you abundantly. When God called you from earthly labors to Heavenly rest, your love ceased from us, and it is impossible to count your miracles, multiplying like the stars of heaven: behold, to all the ends of the earth You appear to the people of God and grant them healing. In the same way, we cry out to you: O humble and meek servant of God, bold man of prayer to Him, deny those who call upon you! Offer up your merciful prayer for us to the Lord of strength, may He grant us all that is beneficial in this life and all that is useful for spiritual salvation, may He protect us from the falls of sin and may He teach us true repentance, without any recourse novena usher into the eternal Kingdom of Heaven, where you now in ever-shining glory, and there sing with all the saints the Life-Giving Trinity forever and ever. Amen.
Second prayer
Oh, great saint of God, our reverend and God-bearing Father Seraphim! Look down from the heights of glory upon us, the humble and weak, burdened with many sins, your help and consolation to those who ask. Reach out to us with your kindness and help us to preserve the commandments of the Lord immaculately, to firmly maintain the Orthodox faith, to diligently offer repentance for our sins to God, in the piety of Christians prosper with grace and be worthy of your intercession in prayer to God for us. To her, Holiness of God, hear us praying to you with faith and love, and do not despise us who demand your intercession: now and at the hour of our death, help us and protect us with your prayers from malicious slander of the devil, may not those powers possess us, but May we be honored with your help to inherit the bliss of the abode of paradise. We place our hope in you now, O merciful Father: be truly a guide to our salvation and lead us to the eternal light of eternal life through your pleasing intercession at the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity, yes We glorify and sing with all the saints the venerable name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer three
Oh, reverend Father Seraphim! Offer up for us, servants of God (names), your merciful prayer to the Lord of hosts, may He grant us all that is beneficial in this life and all that is useful for spiritual salvation, may He protect us from the falls of sin and true repentance and knowledge He reads to us, and let us know without stumbling to the eternal Heavenly Kingdom, where you now shine in everlasting glory, and there sing with all the saints the Life-Giving Trinity forever and ever.
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How does the icon of Seraphim of Sarov help?
Seraphim of Sarov was always distinguished by his special love and reverence for God, and for all his life’s exploits he was gifted. He gained the ability to heal people and began to predict the future. He knew absolutely all the details of future phenomena and events of past days and gave life advice to everyone in need and helped in solving difficult situations. Therefore, to this day, the icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov brings grace and help from the elder to the house.
There is nothing special about the description of the holy image, but if you know the life, then an idea appears about what to think about and the believer understands what power lies behind this person.
Not all people believed Seraphim’s words and were skeptical about them. However, all those who followed his instructions were convinced of their veracity. Therefore, ordinary people always turned to Seraphim for help and advice, making requests to heal their mortal bodies and prevent impending troubles. Also, the image of Seraphim of Sarov still helps all believers. Especially those who apply with sincere prayer.
His methods seemed simple, because he helped people only with the help of prayer and water from the holy spring. Despite this, he healed even the most seriously ill and sometimes hopeless people. And quite a lot of such miraculous cases of cure have been recorded. Water drawn from the holy spring continued to have a healing effect even after the repose of Seraphim. People who now come to Diveevo give high importance to the icon of St. Seraphim, and many sick people go to bathe in the spring and receive healing.
But his gift was not only in healing water, but also in prayer, because people gifted by God do not heal themselves, they send their prayers for healing to the Almighty, who always fulfills their requests. Even after his repose, prayers help people in difficult situations, because Seraphim still prays to God for the healing of those in need.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov and his prayer
“My joy, I pray you, acquire a peaceful spirit, and then thousands of souls will be saved around you.”
Seraphim of Sarov
Saint Seraphim
Seraphim of Sarov was born in 1754 in the city of Kursk into the family of merchant Isidor Moshnin and Agathia. Lost my father early. In his adolescence, he fell from the bell tower of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, which was under construction, but remained unharmed.
In 1776 he made a pilgrimage to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where Elder Dosifei blessed and showed him the place where he should accept obedience and take monastic vows. This place was named the Sarov Desert. Two years later he became a novice under Elder Joseph at the Sarov Monastery in the Tambov province. In 1786 he became a monk and was ordained a hierodeacon, and seven years later he was ordained a hieromonk.
Having a penchant for solitude, he began to live in the forest in a cell, not far from the monastery. Already at this time, he demonstrated various feats, and in particular: physical (he wore the same clothes in winter and summer, got his own food in the forest, slept very little, had strict abstinence and fasting in many respects), reading books (re-reading the Gospel , patristic scripture), daily long prayer, pillar service.
Near the cell, Seraphim planted a vegetable garden and built a beehouse.
Seeing the exploits of the Monk Seraphim, the enemy of the human race armed himself against him and, wanting to force the saint to leave silence, decided to frighten him, but the monk protected himself with prayer and the power of the Life-giving Cross.
The devil brought “mental warfare” upon the saint—a persistent, prolonged temptation. To repel the onslaught of the enemy, the Monk Seraphim intensified his labors by taking upon himself the feat of pillar-building. Every night he climbed a huge stone in the forest and prayed with raised hands, crying out: “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” During the day, he prayed in his cell, also on a stone that he brought from the forest, leaving it only for a short rest and strengthening his body with meager food. The saint prayed like this for 1000 days and nights.
The Life reports an incident in which the monk fed bread to a bear from his own hands. One day, robbers attacked him in the forest and, in great anger, broke his head with the butt of an ax. Having searched Seraphim’s cell for themselves, they found nothing there. Later these people were identified, but Father Seraphim forgave and begged the authorities not to punish them.
In 1807, Seraphim took upon himself the monastic labor of silence, trying not to meet or communicate with anyone. Three years later he returned to the monastery, but went into seclusion for fifteen years (1825).
The holy elder in solitude was sometimes so immersed in inner heartfelt prayer that he remained motionless for a long time, neither hearing nor seeing anything around him.
After the end of the retreat, he received many visitors from monastics and lay people, having, as it is said in his life, the gift of clairvoyance and healing from illnesses. He was visited by noble persons, including Emperor Alexander I. He addressed everyone who came to him with the words “My joy!”, and at any time of the year he greeted him with the words “Christ is risen!”
In 1831, Seraphim was granted a vision of the Mother of God surrounded by John the Baptist, John the Theologian and 12 virgins.
Venerable Seraphim of Sarov at the beginning of the 19th century predicted the execution of the royal family, revolution and war, millions of victims, but said that great glory awaited Russia.
He said: “There will be a time in Rus' when the angels will not have time to receive the souls of the dying.”
Seraphim of Sarov died in 1833 in the Sarov Monastery in his cell during prayer.
In 1903, the elder’s grave was opened and he was canonized.
According to the prophecy of Seraphim of Sarov, a hundred years after the discovery of his relics, Russia will begin to be reborn: “The Lord, through suffering, will lead her to great glory.” But this will happen after nationwide repentance.
Seraphim of Sarov wrote: “The Slavs are loved by God because they maintain true faith in the Lord to the end. And they will be rewarded with the great blessing of God: there will be an omnipotent language on earth, and there will be no other kingdom more omnipotent than the Russian-Slavic one on earth.”
Rev.'s instructions Seraphim of Sarov on prayer
Those who truly decide to serve the Lord God must practice the memory of God and unceasing prayer to Jesus Christ, saying with their minds:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”
In the afternoon hours you can say this prayer like this:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of the Mother of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”
Or actually resort to the Most Holy Theotokos, saying:
“Most Holy Theotokos, save us!”
or say angelic congratulations:
“Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.”
By this exercise, while protecting yourself from distraction and maintaining peace of conscience, you can draw closer to God and unite with Him, according to the words of St. Isaac the Syrian:
“Without unceasing prayer we cannot draw closer to God.”
In prayer, listen to yourself, that is, collect your mind and unite it with your soul.
First, for a day, two, or more days, do this prayer with one mind, separately, paying particular attention to each word.
Then, when the Lord warms your heart with the warmth of His grace and unites it in you into one spirit, then this prayer will flow within you incessantly and will always be with you, delighting and nourishing you.
Prayer of Saint Seraphim
The Monk Seraphim of Sarov considered prayer to be as necessary for life as air. He asked and demanded from his spiritual children that they pray unceasingly, and commanded them a prayer rule, which remained in the memory of the church under the name “Rules of Father Seraphim.”
Having awakened from sleep and standing in the chosen place, everyone must protect himself with the sign of the cross and, standing in the chosen place, read that saving prayer that the Lord Himself conveyed to people, that is, “Our Father” (three times), then “Rejoice, Virgin Mary” (three times), and finally once the Creed.
Having completed this morning rule, let every Christian go to his work and, while studying at home or on the road, should read quietly to himself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
If you are surrounded by people, then, while doing business, say only with your mind: “Lord, have mercy,” and continue this way until lunch.
Before lunch, do the morning rule.
After dinner, while doing his job, everyone should read quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner,” which continues until nightfall.
Whenever you happen to spend time in solitude, you need to read: “Lord Jesus Christ, through the Mother of God have mercy on me a sinner,” and when going to bed at night, every Christian must repeat the morning rule, and after it, fall asleep with the sign of the cross.
“By adhering to this rule,” says Father Seraphim, “one can achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for the three prayers indicated are the foundation of Christianity.
At the same time, the monk spoke, pointing to the experience of St. fathers, that if a Christian adheres to this small rule, as a saving anchor among the waves of worldly vanity, fulfilling it with humility, he can achieve a high spiritual measure, for these prayers are the foundation of Christianity:
The first (Our Father) is like the word of the Lord Himself and set by Him as a model for all prayers
The second (Hail, Virgin Mary) - brought from heaven by the Archangel as a greeting to the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord
The last (Creed) - contains all the tenets of faith
Let him who has time read the Gospel, the Apostle, other prayers, akathists, and canons. If it is impossible for someone to follow this rule - a servant, a forced person - then the wise old man advised to follow this rule while lying down, and while walking, and in action, remembering the words of Scripture: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Prayer rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov pravmir.ru
About a short prayer rule (Seraphim of Sarov) azbyka.ru
Prayer rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov for the laity...blagobor.by
Rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov for the laity...diveevo.ru
Rule of Seraphim of Sarov vdp.talezh.ru
Alexander A. Sokolovsky
Cartoon about Seraphim of Sarov
On the last weekend of August 2015, the premiere of a cartoon took place, telling children about St. Seraphim of Sarov. The plot of the cartoon is dedicated to the story of the girl Seraphima, who was orphaned during the Great Patriotic War. She faces many trials - she is the daughter of a repressed priest, she is required to renounce her faith. But one day the heroine finds herself in an ancient temple. From that moment on, her life changes greatly. She makes an extraordinary journey into a wonderful world and meets her heavenly patron, Saint Seraphim of Sarov.
The 70-minute cartoon “The Extraordinary Adventures of Seraphim” was created by the KinoAtis studio on the initiative and with the financial support of the Russian Ministry of Culture, as well as the Foundation of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
Stage director: Sergei Antonov, producer: Igor Meshchan, scriptwriter: Timofey Veronin
Miracle works
The years of life of Seraphim of Sarov were filled with righteous deeds from infancy. The faithful ascetic of Christ did not stop for a minute his godly thoughts, and his feat of prayer inspires believers to diligently serve the Lord. When people turned to him for advice, he taught everyone to live a God-fearing life. No matter how many times the saint was offered to take up honorary church positions, he did not give up his seclusion.
In 1810, the hermit returned to the monastery from the forest monastery, where he had lived for 15 years, and took a vow of silence. For 10 years he was a recluse, diligently preparing for the afterlife. The Monk Seraphim ended his vow of silence after the face of the Mother of God appeared to him.
In 1825, Saint Seraphim had a vision of the Mother of God, who pointed to the holy spring by tapping her staff near the Sarovka River. The elder took a shovel in his hands and began to dig in the indicated place, and since then the miraculous Seraphim spring has been a life-giving force for many sick people. The Diveyevo Monastery was founded in this place.
The Monk Seraphim died on January 2, 1833, and after his death he was canonized. After 70 years, the relics of the great righteous man were transferred to the sarcophagus, and at the same time Seraphim was canonized.
