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Every Christian knows who Saint Seraphim of Sarov is. He lived a long life, which he completely devoted to serving the Lord. People often turned to him on a variety of issues, and he never refused to help anyone. They pray to him for healing from diseases, in particular the legs and spine.
Life of a clergyman
Seraphim of Sarov was born in the middle of the 18th century into a very wealthy family. His worldly name is Prokhor. Despite the fact that his parents had a lot of money, they were believing Christians. The father of the future clergyman decided to build the Kursk Cathedral when his son was born, but he did not have time to complete his plan due to sudden death. Then his widow decided to take all her husband’s affairs into her own hands. She continued work on the temple that her husband so wanted to build. She often took her son with her to introduce him to work from an early age.
When the cathedral was already high, little Prokhor climbed onto the upper extensions to look at the surroundings. He was so enraptured by what was happening outside, by the beauty of nature and the sky, that he did not notice how he stepped over the fence. The fall from a height did not cause any damage to the boy; he simply sank gently to the ground. He decided that it was the Almighty who saved him. After this incident, Prokhor wanted to receive spiritual education.
He constantly read books written by various religious figures. Prokhor constantly read the Gospel and prayed. At the age of 17, he decided to go to study at the Kiev Pechersk Cathedral. There he stayed for several years, learning the basics of theology. After completing his training, Prokhor was sent to serve in the Saransk hermitage. There he spent many years and changed his name.
At the end of his service in the monastery, Seraphim of Sarov decided to live as a hermit. He built a small house on the edge of the forest. There was practically nothing in his home - only a small trestle bed for sleeping and a table. Seraphim lived as ascetically as possible - he ate only once a day and only what he could find or grow on his own. On Wednesdays and Fridays he drank only water.
People living in neighboring villages often came to him for help. More often the requests were for healing the bones of the legs and spine. The hermit treated heart disease. Young children were brought to Seraphim when they suffered from serious illnesses. The priest did not refuse anyone, but he did not take money for his help either - he considered verbal gratitude to be the highest reward.
Near his house there was a spring, the water from which was considered sacred. Everyone who drank from there regained their lost health. All diseases receded when a person drank water. The saint had prayers with which he healed people. He turned to God with requests for the salvation of people, and the Lord helps them.
“A man in a white linen robe down to his toes and bast shoes”
How can we become like St. Seraphim of Sarov, and how can we acquire the joy with which the saint greeted every person? These stories are about this on his memorial day.
Venerable Seraphim of Sarov
“These are my relics. Believe, don’t doubt, pray to me"
Metropolitan of Cheboksary and Chuvash Varnava (Kedrov):
– When the relics of St. Seraphim were discovered for the second time in St. Petersburg, I began to doubt: were these really his relics? I began to pray. But I still can’t calm down internally.
And then one day in the city of Cheboksary the Monk Seraphim himself appeared to me in a dream. He went out to the left side chapel in the Epiphany Yelokhovsky Cathedral in Moscow - there is such a niche there... And he turns directly to me:
- These are my relics. Believe, don't doubt, pray to me.
Metropolitan Varnava of Cheboksary and Chuvashia at the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov
And suddenly he became invisible. I woke up and believed!
And soon I found myself in Moscow, I entered the Epiphany Cathedral... And what do I see?! Exactly where the Monk Seraphim appeared to me, stand his relics, which have just been rediscovered for the second time! They have already been transported here from St. Petersburg. This strengthened my faith even more.
Since then, I have revered the Sarov Wonderworker even more and try to visit Diveevo twice a year, worshiping his relics.
Fulfillment of the prophecies of the Sarov miracle worker
Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk
Metropolitan Kirill (Pokrovsky) of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk:
– In the family of my parents – Archpriest Nicholas and Mother Claudia – St. Seraphim of Sarov was especially revered. There were always many of his icons in the house. Every week we tried to read an akathist to him. We have established a family tradition of reading akathists by day of the week: on Monday - to the Archangels and Angels, on Tuesday - to John the Baptist, on Wednesday - to the Holy Cross, and then depending also on the days of celebrating the memory of the saints. But the akathist to St. Seraphim was read constantly, as a last resort, if it was not possible weekly, once every two weeks. And then the Monk Seraphim called us one after another - three brother priests - to serve in Diveevo. Among the prophecies of Father Seraphim, by the way, there is this: “The time will come when families will be saved in Diveyevo.”
Transfer of the relics of St. Seraphim to Diveevo
The delight of the first days and years of service in Diveevo is unforgettable. I remember how in the winter of 1990/1991 we learned about the greatest event: the relics of the Venerable Father Seraphim were found in the Leningrad Museum of Atheism! Preparations began for the transfer of the relics. It was necessary to put in order the churches, cell buildings, and the territory of the monastery. In just one year, a tremendous amount of work was completed: the Trinity Cathedral was completely plastered inside and out, its base was strengthened with a stone stylobate, its domes were restored, crosses were installed, a granite floor was laid inside, an iconostasis barrier was erected, and a canopy was made over the relics of the saint. The premises of the bell tower were renovated, into which a little later, upon arrival, the first abbess of the revived monastery, Mother Sergia, settled. A temporary guest refectory made of glass was also built on the territory of the monastery.
The celebration of the meeting of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov became the greatest celebration. Then several of the saint’s prophecies were fulfilled. During his lifetime, Father Seraphim promised the Diveyevo sisters that he would rest with them. And so it happened. When the relics were found, it became clear that they could not be taken to Sarov - a closed zone; all of Russia would not be able to get there. The only way out is to transfer the relics to Diveevo. So Father Seraphim, as promised, came to his beloved Diveyevo children.
Transfer of the relics of St. Seraphim to Diveevo
And they greeted the saint with the candle that he gave to the Diveyevo sisters before his death.
Also, before his death, the monk handed the sisters a candle, saying that with this candle they would meet him in Diveyevo. During the Soviet years, it was kept by the last nun of the pre-revolutionary monastery, schema-nice Margarita (Lakhtionova). This candle was inserted into a large deacon’s candle, which was carried by my elder brother Protodeacon Vladimir, who has now passed away.
Another prophecy, the fulfillment of which I also witnessed: “In the middle of summer they will sing Easter.” About 100 bishops, hundreds of priests, thousands and thousands of laity met the relics of Father Seraphim at the walls of the Diveyevo Monastery. When the bishops, accompanied by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, began to bring the shrine into the territory of the monastery through the bell tower, they sang: “May God rise again, and let His enemies be scattered…”, “The sacred Easter has appeared to us today…” and they rang out: “Christ is Risen!” And all these days, His Holiness the Patriarch and all the clergy and laity greeted each other with the words “Christ is Risen!” - and they answered: “Truly he is risen!” Easter joy is still constantly felt in Diveevo today.
Meeting of the relics of St. Seraphim in Diveyevo. With that candle stub - Hierodeacon Vladimir
Let's be like the Reverend
Abbess Sergia (Konkova), abbess of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery:
– When I was still in the world, the confessor of our family was the resident of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Seraphim (Shinkarev). He was from Kursk and was named in honor of the reverend fellow countryman. He even looked like Seraphim of Sarov, just as bent, with a shock of gray hair.
Then, when I was tonsured, I really wanted to be named after my confessor, but they named me Sergius, since I spent all my childhood and youth years under the patronage of St. Sergius in Sergiev Posad. But the Monk Seraphim himself greatly revered the abbot of the Russian Land, even asking that the icon “Appearance of the Mother of God to St. Sergius” be placed in his coffin.
Mother Sergia (Konkova)
I think that through my confessor, St. Seraphim led me through life. And already in the abbess he helps with everything. It’s not easy to manage such a large herd – with more than 500 nuns.
I constantly remind my sisters: “We are all servants of the Queen of Heaven and Father Seraphim.” Just imagine, I say, if you are a servant of the Queen of Heaven and Father Seraphim, can you, for example, let a person go inconsolable, do something wrong with him? You can't, you shouldn't. Pray to the Mother of God and Father Seraphim - they will teach you.
Contrary to meteorological forecasts
Nun Sophronia (Shimanovskaya)
Nun Sophronia (Shimanovskaya), nun of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery:
- Without prayer to Father Seraphim, not a single thing is done in the monastery or in the monasteries. One day our sister prayed to us:
- Father Seraphim! Well don't you see? Everything in our garden is drying up...
And two hours later, contrary to all meteorological forecasts, heavy rain began to fall.
Here's a winter story. Once on a snow-covered road near Nizhny Novgorod, a respectable car stalled. Time passes, no one is there. It’s cold, it’s winter, everything around is white... It’ll get dark soon, there’s no cell phone reception. The sybaritic driver no longer knows what to do. Looks around. Suddenly he sees a man in a “white canvas robe down to his toes” (as the driver described him - Ed.) and bast shoes. “Lightly dressed,” the chilled man had only time to think before Father Seraphim disappeared. And the car suddenly started. This amazed Muscovite arrived as far as Diveevo and recognized the “man” on the icon. He took off his newfangled sheepskin coat and left it for the “lightly dressed.”
The sister begged: “Father Seraphim! Everything is drying up in the garden...” And soon the torrential rain started pouring down.
“Yes, Father is sunny, he doesn’t need a sheepskin coat,” the nuns answer. – Read his Conversation with Nikolai Motovilov.
- And what you need?
– And you read, read their story with Nikolai Alexandrovich, Conversation on a winter forest edge...
Groove
How Father Seraphim does not allow us to lose heart
Nun Feofaniya (Udaltsova), nun of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery:
– In the early 1990s, we arrived at the now well-appointed St. Nicholas monastery in Avtodeevo. At that time it was a completely uninhabited place. One of our sisters arrived, went to get a job in the nurses’ wing, and there instead of a floor there was a hole (the floors had been re-laid) and such a thin plank... She walked along it, sat down on the bed, and began to cry.
But we still did not lose heart; we came to understand the purpose of monastic life as self-denial and co-crucifixion with the Lord. Father Seraphim was encouraged by the words: “My joy, Christ is risen!” We constantly prayed to the monk. The sisters lived in love with each other. And overcoming difficulties together always felt like joy.
Nun Feofaniya (Udaltsova)
One day we needed to paint the windows for a holiday; they just donated a barrel of paint to us, but we didn’t know how to open it. They prayed like little children: “Father Seraphim! Nicholas the Wonderworker! After 10 minutes the car stops.
-What do you have here? - the master comes out of her.
“Diveevo monastery,” we answer.
“And I’m just on my way to Diveevo, bringing tools.” What do you need?
“We don’t know how to open the barrel...” we answer, dumbfounded.
He took out a chisel, a hammer, and other equipment, and he opened the barrel for us...
And there are many such stories. Through the prayers of Father Seraphim, the Lord does not abandon those who pray to His saint.
Secrets of acquiring Seraphim's joy
Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin).
Photo by Alexey Loven Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin):
– How joyful it is to be with God! St. Seraphim fasted, prayed, and read the Gospel every day. In a week - the entire New Testament. Lived entirely by God. And I couldn’t help but rejoice.
Now we are fasting during the Nativity Fast. Non-church people don’t understand: why? Why did St. Seraphim fast? The soul must be pure. It is said: Wisdom does not enter into an evil soul and does not dwell in a body guilty of sin (Wisdom 1:4).
Why pray? After all, if we want to learn something, even completely earthly knowledge or a craft, we go to the teacher and communicate with him. It’s the same with the Lord – in prayer.
But first you cleanse your soul in order to draw closer to Christ. More precisely, if a person strives for the Lord, He Himself cleanses every rod that produces fruit for Him, so that it bears more fruit (cf. John 15:2).
If we are constantly with God, then all our sorrows and disorders will dissolve in the joy of feeling that the Lord is with us
If we, like St. Seraphim, are constantly with God, all our difficulties, sorrows, illnesses, disorders will dissolve in this joy when we feel that the Lord is with us.
The mind, as St. Seraphim of Sarov said, must float in the Gospel. Without Christ the heart is empty. Only the Lord, Who alone is the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6), gives the soul peace in this vain world. And joy in the Holy Spirit, similar to Seraphim, which no one can take away from us (see: John 16:22).
The power of turning to a saint
Prayers to the saint are read not only in Russian. Among many other peoples and nationalities, Seraphim of Sarov is very revered. Prayers are offered to him, and services are held several times a year. People from almost all countries of the world come to his grave to get some water from a nearby spring. The prayer to Seraphim of Sarov for healing, which was read at his grave, has amazing properties. People are cured of the following diseases:
- paralysis, paresis;
- spine pathologies;
- leg diseases (for example, varicose veins);
- chronic diseases of the digestive tract.
After visiting the grave of a clergyman, there is an increase in vitality, the return of ability to work, and relationships in the family and at work are improved. People turn to the saint not only for healing from illnesses. There are cases where prayer to Seraphim of Sarov helps to conceive a child, therefore, if a couple has been unable to have children for a long time, they can be recommended to come and pray to the clergyman.
People turn to the saint for problems with the musculoskeletal system after injuries, especially sports. You can wash your face with holy water so that the disease leaves the body as quickly as possible. Young girls turn to Seraphim of Sarov when they need to create and maintain a strong and friendly family. After prayer, the atmosphere with my husband and children becomes calm and cozy. The sacred text can help with problems at work.
Parents usually turn to a clergyman when their children begin to perform less well in their studies. When a child has bad marks in his diary, this is a reason to turn to a saint. It can instill in a child perseverance and patience. You can involve children in joint prayer - this will help them to be more diligent and responsible.
In case of everyday problems, quarrels with parents and children, you can turn to the saint. He does not leave a person alone with his grief, but helps. In case of career problems, the prayer to Seraphim of Sarov must be read every day before going to work. This will help avoid problems with management and make the person more efficient.
Spiritual exploits of Seraphim
The asceticism that St. Seraphim showed in his life has no equal. There are still legends about him. The monk chose a solitary cell to live in and returned to the monastery only once a week to participate in the Liturgy.
- Near his modest home he raised bees and planted a vegetable garden, from which he ate. He ate very little, only food of plant origin.
- The righteous man wore the same clothes at any time of the year.
- I read the Gospel and soul-helping literature every day.
- For exactly a thousand days he prayed on the stone, imitating the great stylite monks. This moment of his biography is often depicted on icons. The importance of such prayer is difficult to overestimate - it is believed that only thanks to monasticism the Lord still tolerates a sinful world.
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Before the monk while standing in prayer, on a stone there was an image of the Most Pure Virgin Mary. His hands were raised to the sky, and all the saint’s thoughts were directed there. It was this monastic feat that the icon painter captured. Such spiritual work angered the enemy of the human race. He sent two robbers to the cell of the righteous man. They inflicted severe wounds on Father Seraphim with an axe. Only another intercession of the Queen of Heaven saved him from inevitable death.
The bandits were quickly caught, but the saint strictly forbade them to be punished. One of them later became a monk, as church tradition says. And Father Seraphim took on another monastic work - the abbot blessed him for three years of silence. During this time, he stopped receiving visitors and did not even communicate with the monastery brethren.
Very often sin begins with thoughtless words and wrong thoughts. Therefore, some monks remain in complete silence. This helped the monk to acquire the Holy Spirit, he became joyful, found spiritual peace and tranquility. In 1810, the Monk Seraphim returned to the monastery, but continued to remain silent and lived in seclusion. The Mother of God again appeared to him in his cell along with St. Clement and Peter. She allowed the monk to complete the retreat and end the silence. Then he began to accept people again.
Prayer for health
To make the prayer for good health to Seraphim of Sarov more effective, clergy recommend that people adhere to certain norms and canons. It is necessary to undergo cleansing of soul and body. To do this, you need to come to church and contact the clergyman. He will help you confess and repent of your sins. This procedure will cleanse the soul and help you make a request to heal yourself or your own child from illnesses. After this, it is necessary to begin cleansing the body. To do this, clergy recommend eating simple food three times a day. It is not recommended to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes during prayers for healing. There is no need to use bad expressions at this time - this reduces the healing power of words.
You can pray both in church and at home. To offer prayers in Russian in church, you need to prepare for this. It is advisable to do this on Sunday. From the very morning you need to get up early and read the “Our Father” in front of your home icons. This must be done three times. After each time, you must cross yourself and bow to the faces. After reading the prayers, you must wash yourself with holy water. This will cleanse the body of negative energy. Only now can you go to church and pray to the saint. You need to dress modestly - Saint Seraphim taught people this. There is no need to wear nice or fashionable clothes - the purpose of the visit is to ask for help, not to show off.
You can ask for help in healing at home. To do this, you need to purchase candles from the church in advance. There should be 3 of them. You need to buy the face of a saint. It is advisable to purchase it in two copies - one small and the other larger. A small icon should be placed at the head of the bed of someone who needs help.
The clergy recommend installing a large icon in a room where there are other faces of saints. For a person who asks for healing, you can purchase icons of 4 saints.
- Jesus Christ.
- Virgin Mary.
- Panteleimon the Healer.
- Matrona of Moscow.
They must be placed in the Red Corner. This is a place in which Christians have long placed icons and things that may be needed in the church. These include candles and holy water. Usually these faces are placed on a specially installed shelf. It is hung in the eastern part of the room. The energy in this place is especially clean, because... the sun rises here.
What do they pray to him for?
The canonization of Seraphim of Sarov was carried out 70 years after his death. More than three hundred thousand people came to the solemn glorification. The cell in which the saint lived for many years entered the Church of the Holy Trinity. Here, Seraphim’s belongings have been preserved to this day - a rosary, a bench and part of the stone on which he prayed, as well as other personal belongings. The relics of the saint are located in the Sarov Monastery in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
You can pray to Seraphim of Sarov for any adversity . During his lifetime, this saint was distinguished by his unique mercy and kindness. However, it is believed that the most powerful help of an icon can be in the following cases:
- absence of children for a long time
- health problems of any severity (especially diseases of the legs, spine, lower back)
- children have learning problems
- getting rid of cravings for sins
- finding family happiness
- problems in work matters (business)
- everyday difficulties
- exorcism and deliverance from demons
Basic Rules
You need to pray for health three times a day. The main time when it is necessary to read the sacred words is early in the morning, when the sun has barely risen. This is done to rid a person of the bad energy that has accumulated in his body overnight. It is widely known that at night all evil spirits become active and can cause harm, especially for a person whose body is weakened by illness.
Holy spring of Seraphim of Sarov
In order for the prayer for health for Seraphim of Sarov to be effective, you need to stock up on holy water. You can type it in the church or take it yourself from a source. After this, you need to bring the water home and pray using it. To do this, water is poured into a small bowl - it is better to take a shallow but wide one. After this, candles are lit near the icons. The Lord's Prayer is read 3 times, only after that the words are spoken to Seraphim of Sarov. You can use words taken from a prayer book or read your own text, but before pronouncing your own words, you need to think them through carefully. It is very important that your prayer contains words that come from a pure heart - this will enhance the effectiveness of prayer.
If a prayer book is used, it is better to read the text before pronouncing it before the face of the saint. This is necessary to feel more confident. You should not feel constrained or constrained during prayer - then the ritual will not be of much use. You need to try to relax as much as possible. Only in this case can you count on the fact that help will be provided as soon as possible.
There is no need to hope that a prayer for health to Seraphim of Sarov will help after the first reading. Like every prayer, it takes time - it can be from several days to a month. The more often a person prays, the greater the effectiveness of his words. One should use every free minute to read the sacred text.
It is worth considering that a person can be sick for a long time or often because he has committed many sins. Every time during prayer, it is worth asking for forgiveness for your sins and begging the Lord for mercy. Saint Seraphim will definitely convey every request to the Almighty.
Text of the prayer to the saint
In order for prayer to Saint Seraphim of Sarov to be effective, it is necessary to perform a certain ritual. It consists of praying for recovery from illness in the manner provided for by church canons. You need to be alone in the room. Strangers and even family members cannot be present at this moment. Prayer is a very personal conversation between a person and the Almighty, so you should try to be alone.
After this you need to wait until evening. You need to light a candle in the room - it should be the source of light. Holy water is collected in a small container. It will be needed at the end of the ritual. After this, you need to kneel in front of the icon and read the following words:
Each word of the prayer for health and healing from illness must be pronounced very accurately and clearly. A quick and unclear reading of the prayer is not allowed. All proposals must be comprehended, otherwise there will be no result in prayer.
Now you need to walk around the room with a lit candle three times, reciting the text of the prayer again. At the end of the ritual, you need to drink 3 sips of holy water and cross yourself. Do not forget about gratitude to the saint - you need to speak from a pure heart. After this, you need to leave the candle to burn out and go to rest.
Listen to the akathist prayer service to Seraphim of Sarov
Akathist is a laudatory appeal to the Lord or saint, which is read outside of divine services and daily prayer practice. This is a kind of sacred hymn that glorifies a person’s righteous earthly life, his sacrifices for the sake of faith and helping people.
Priests sing the akathist outside the church, for example, during a religious procession. Orthodox Christians at home, between reading the rules and during pilgrimage. If Seraphim of Sarov is mentioned during the akathist, prayers exalting his exploits and sacrifices in the name of God and faith should be present in the singing. The miracles and good deeds he performed aimed at helping people are also listed.
The Internet works its wonders. If you use it correctly, you can leave all your affairs at home, calm your feelings, drive bad thoughts out of your head and listen to the akathist to St. Seraphim of Sarov.
In difficult times, you should turn to Sarovsky for help. This must be done with a pure soul and bright thoughts. And then the saint will hear the prayer and come to the rescue.
About healing the musculoskeletal system
Due to the fact that Seraphim of Sarov survived a fall from a height and did not even receive any bone injuries, people come to him and pray for the health of the spine and legs. The text of the prayer is said before the face 3 times:
After this, you need to bow to the face and thank the saint for alleviating the condition. Priests recommend wiping painful joints with holy water - it not only cleanses the body of disease, but also reduces pain.
