Reverend Elder Seraphim of Sarov was an extraordinary prayer book and humble guardian of God's laws. Until now, he is a wise teacher and mentor for many Orthodox laity. His prayer rule acts every minute on those who fulfill it with true zeal, who truly believe in Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. Many prayers are also offered to Seraphim of Sarov himself, so that he will help in overcoming difficulties and protect him from various troubles. The days of his memory are celebrated by the Orthodox Church on January 15 - when the priest appeared before the Lord, and on August 1 - on the day of finding the holy relics.
Childhood of Seraphim of Sarov
The proposed prayer rule was literally suffered by the elder himself, who had to endure and endure a lot. And only by the will of God to stay alive. Even the Devil himself once became the tempter of Seraphim of Sarov, but more on that later.
So, Prokhor Moshnin was born (that was his name in the world) on July 19, 1754 (or 1759) inKursk in the merchant family Moshnin. His father was engaged in various construction contracts, including erecting churches.
Today, a church has been preserved in Kursk - the Sergiev-Kazan Cathedral, which the father of Seraphim of Sarov began to build, but he soon died, and his wife took over the construction of the church. Prokhor once ended up at a construction site with his mother and accidentally, due to a childish prank, fell off a high bell tower. However, to the surprise of everyone, he remained alive, since God had prepared a completely different fate for him. Today in this church, on this very spot, there is a monument to the Reverend Father Seraphim of Sarov.
Boyhood
From a young age, Prokhor tried to fulfill the prayer rule for the laity. He often attended church services and learned to read and write. The books of the Lives of the Saints and the Gospel he often read aloud to his peers. When he became very ill, his mother put his head to the icon of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos - and the boy received healing from her. Soon, quite young Prokhor wanted to become a novice in the monastery. His own mother blessed him and gave him a crucifix in his hands, with which he did not part all his life. Today it is kept by the nuns at the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery.
Monasticism
Soon Prokhor makes a pilgrimage to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. There he receives the blessing of the elder Dositheus for the service and goes to the Holy Dormition Sarov Hermitage. Upon the arrival of Prochorus at the monastery, Father Pachomius assigned him a confessor, Elder Joseph. Prokhor with a hugeHe fulfilled all his duties with pleasure and diligence and read the prayer rule with great zeal.
Then, following the example of other monks, he wanted to retire to the forest for the Jesus prayer. Elder Joseph blessed him for this.
After some time, dropsy began to torment the young novice. The disease did not let him go for a long time, but he did not want to see doctors and completely surrendered to the will of God. And then one day after communion at night he saw the Mother of God with John the Theologian and the Apostle Peter. She poked him in the side with her wand and the liquid immediately flowed out of him. From that moment on, Prokhor got better.
Inok
After eight years in the Sarov monastery, Prokhor becomes a monk with the name Seraphim. He began to live in a cell located in the forest not far from the monastery. It was then that he became involved in a monastic feat, in particular bodily, as he wore the same clothes both in summer and in winter. He earned his meager subsistence in the forest, as he mostly kept a post. He slept little, spending time in constant prayer and fulfilling the daily prayer rule, rereading the Gospel and patristic writings.
He reached such spiritual development that at church services he often saw Holy Angels helping the service. And once I even saw Jesus Christ himself, who entered the image at the Royal Doors. After such visions, Seraphim of Sarov prayed even more intensely. With the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, father Isaiah, he decides on a new feat - he goes several kilometers into the desert forestcell. He comes to the monastery to take communion only on Saturdays.
Tests
At the age of 39, he becomes a hieromonk. Father Seraphim devotes himself almost entirely to prayer and can even lie motionless for a long time. Over time, again with the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, he stopped receiving visitors, the path to it was almost overgrown, only wild animals, whom he loved to treat with bread, could wander there.
The Devil did not like such exploits of Father Seraphim. He decided to send robbers against him, who came to him and began to demand money from the poor old man. These intruders beat Father Seraphim almost to death. He was strong enough to fight back, but he decided not to shed blood, because he lived according to the commandments, his faith in the Lord was strong. They did not find money from him, and therefore, ashamed, they went home. The brethren were simply shocked when they saw the wounded priest. But the elder did not need a doctor, since the Queen of Heaven Herself healed him, once again appearing to him in a dream.
Reclusion
After several months, Father Seraphim returned to his deserted cell. For 15 years of hermitage, he was constantly in the Divine Thought and for this he was gifted with the gift of clairvoyance and wonderworking. When the priest became very weak from old age, he returned to the monastery and began to receive visitors, whom he treated with great respect and addressed only “My Joy.”
It is thanks to Seraphim of Sarov that we have a short prayer rule,which enables every Orthodox Christian to always and at any moment be closer to God.
Diveevo convent became his real brainchild, the development of which was inspired by the Mother of God herself.
Before his death, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov took communion and, kneeling before his beloved icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness", departed in peace to the Lord. This happened in 1833.
The canonization of the holy relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov took place on August 1, 1903. The Russian Tsar Nicholas II participated in this process.
Prayer Rule of Seraphim of Sarov
Seraphim of Sarov asked his spiritual children to pray tirelessly, believing that they needed prayer like air. He said that one should pray both in the morning and in the evening, before and after work, and at any time. However, it is difficult for ordinary parishioners to read all the necessary numerous prayers; not everyone has enough time for this because of the constant bustle and busyness of life. That is why, so that people would sin less, special short prayer rules of Seraphim of Sarov appeared.
Morning and evening prayer rule
These prayers do not require any special efforts and labors. But, according to the saint, it is these rules that will become a kind of anchor, reliably holding back the ship of life on the raging waves of everyday problems. By following these rules daily, one can achieve high spiritual development, since it is prayer that is the main essence of the foundation of Christianity.
The morning prayer rule saysabout the fact that every believer, waking up in the morning, must first cross himself three times and in a certain place in front of the icons read the prayer “Our Father” three times, three times “Our Mother of God, rejoice” and once the “Symbol of Faith”. And then you can safely start your business. During the day, you also need to periodically turn to God with a prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." If there are people around, then say the words: “Lord have mercy.”
Seraphim of Sarov's rule
And so on until lunch, and before it, you must repeat the morning prayer rule exactly. After dinner, a short prayer is read: “Blessed Virgin Mary, save me a sinner.” This prayer should be read periodically until the evening. In seclusion from everyone, read “Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
At the end of the day, the evening prayer rule is read. The text of his prayers absolutely coincides with the morning ones. And then, having been baptized three times, you can go to bed. This is the prayer rule for beginners from the most holy elder Seraphim of Sarov.
Designation of prayers
The Our Father prayer is the word of the Lord, set by Him as a model. The prayer "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice" became the greeting of the Archangel to the Mother of God. The "Symbol of Faith" prayer is already a dogma.
However, along with these prayers, it is necessary to say others, as well as be sure to read the Gospel, laudatory canons and akathists.
Our wise elder Seraphim advised if, due to heavy employment at work, there is no opportunityit is worthy to read prayers, then this can be done while walking, and in any business, even lying down. The main thing is to always remember his words: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Prophecies
The perspicacious old man could predict the future. So, he predicted the war, the revolution and the execution of Nicholas II and his family. He also predicted his canonization. But the main thing is that he predicted the revival of Russia (starting from 2003), that with all the heavy suffering, it will become a great power, since it was its Slavic people who became the guardians of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Russia that will become the world leader, many peoples will submit to it, there will be no stronger and more powerful state on Earth. Everything that the Holy Father Seraphim of Sarov predicted, certainly came true. And now we can only pray to God and the holy elder that this time all his prophecies come true.
