For faith in Christ in the days of terrible persecution arranged by wicked Roman emperors, many believers suffered from various executions and torments. In this difficult time for Christians, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138), there lived an Antiochian citizen, a girl named Seraphim (or in other words, Serapia).
Starting to consider the question "Saint Seraphim - the patroness of whom?", Let's find out how this saint lived and how she glorified her name.
Life
She was born into a Christian family at the end of the 1st century in Antioch. After the death of her parents, Seraphim sold all her property and distributed it to the poor, as she decided to devote her life completely to her God - Jesus Christ. Many men liked her and wanted to marry her, but she refused. And then she completely left for Italy and sold herself into voluntary slavery.
The village where she stayed was called Vinden, and she settled in the house of a woman named Savina, whofrom a rich and noble family, who began to patronize her in everything. The respectable girl Seraphim, with her hard work and charity, won the heart of Mrs. Savina and after a while also led her to the faith of Christ.
Saint Seraphim: patroness, biography
Hegemon Beryl did not like such an active activity in the confession of faith in Christ of the young Christian Seraphim, and then he sent a detachment of his soldiers to take her into custody. Savina could not stand aside and sharply opposed this, but Seraphim, trusting in her God, fearlessly followed the soldiers, only before that she asked her mistress to pray fervently for her. But blessed Savina still did not leave her alone with the wicked and also went with her to the hegemon.
When he saw Savina, a noble and influential person, he became embarrassed and confused and soon let her go home with Seraphim.
But three days later the hegemon decided to arrange a trial and ordered the blessed Seraphim to be brought to him. Then the girl was treacherously seized and brought to trial. Savina did not want to leave this matter like that and again came with her, but now she no longer had the opportunity to help her, she sobbed, shouted and cursed at the cruel hegemon, but everything was in vain, and she had to return home.
Sacrifice to God
Seraphim, the holy virgin of Antioch, refused to worship and sacrifice to pagan gods, because she believed that they were not gods, but demons, because she was a true Christian. Then hegemon Beryl offered to bring her the same sacrifice to her God Jesus Christ, but she said that the sacrifice to the Lord is faith in Him, worship and prayer. The hegemon then asked what was her sacrifice and where is the temple of Christ, to whom she prays? Seraphim said that there is nothing higher than the knowledge of Heavenly God, and her sacrifice lies in virginal purity, she led other girls to this feat with the help of the Lord, and added that the Holy Scripture says: “You are the temple of the living God.”
Miracle of Saint Seraphim
After interrogation, Seraphim - the holy virgin of Rome - was given into the hands of shameless and wicked Egyptian youths who wanted to stay with her all night. They took her to a dark temple. At this time, Seraphim began to pray frantically to her Lord. By one in the morning, when the young men wanted to abuse her, suddenly a noise and an earthquake began, and they fell exhausted to the ground. Seraphim, seeing that the Lord had protected her, prayed to Him all night with tears of gratitude. Early in the morning, the messengers of the hegemon came and saw that the holy virgin was praying, and the young men were lying like dead and could neither get up nor say anything, they only moved with crazy eyes. A lot of people gathered to see such a miracle.
Hegemon realized that his plan to seduce the virgin failed, Seraphim is a holy virgin and the bride of Jesus Christ, and therefore He did not let the young men do their dirty work. She said that the Lord - her guardian and guardian - is always with her.
Then hegemon, seeing all thesemiracles incomprehensible to him, and thinking that she was a sorceress, he asked her to call on her God and make sure that their bodily strength returned to the young men and that they themselves told what happened to them at night, and whether she was deceiving that she was able to save her virginity?
Salvation Prayer
Seraphim replied that she did not know how to conjure, the only thing she could do was pray heartily to God to send them his mercy. But she herself refused to go to them, because it would look indecent, and she wanted the miracle to be performed in front of all people and no one thought that she was a sorceress. Seraphim asked the hegemon to bring these exhausted, dumb young and relaxed young men to her.
Then the hegemon sent his people after them, and she began to pray, and after the words: “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command: stand on your feet!” they stood up and spoke. All who saw this miracle were horrified. The awakened guys began to tell that when they wanted to do their unclean deed, then suddenly an angel-like young man, beautiful in a shining light, appeared between the girl and the young men, after this vision they were attacked by fear, darkness, horror and complete relaxation.
Martyrdom
Hegemon could not believe until the last and asked Seraphim to give him his witchcraft secret, and then again began to force her to make sacrifices to the pagan gods, but she replied that she hated their evil teaching and would not worship demons and would not fulfill the will of Satan, because shebelieving Christian.
Then the judge gave her new torment, he ordered her body to be burned with fiery torches, but immediately those who were supposed to commit this torture fell to the ground, and the torches went out. Then they wanted to beat her with sticks, but suddenly there was a strong earthquake. A whisper bounced off one of the sticks and flew right into the hegemon's eye, and three days later Beryl went blind.
After what happened, he fell into a terrible rage and ordered the hated Seraphim, who despises the royal commandments and is guilty of various atrocities, to kill with a sword.
And then Seraphim - the holy martyr of Christ - was beheaded. After the execution, her body was taken by the pious Savina, who, with great reverence and honors, performed his burial. As the most precious pearl and great treasure, she laid it in her family crypt, while sending up prayers of praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. In a few years, this crypt will become the burial place of Sabina herself. Their common grave will be decorated and consecrated as a place of prayer.
Icon "Seraphim"
The prayer of this saint is given below. And the Orthodox Church honors the day of her memory on July 29 according to the old and August 11 according to the new calendar.
The relics of St. Seraphim of Rome are today in Italy in the church of St. Savina, which was rebuilt on the site of her house on the Aventine Hill. This church was founded in the 5th century under Pope Celestine I (422-432) and later became the church attached to the monastery. This holy monastery is also known for the fact that St. Dominic (1170-1221) is buried in it.gg.) - the founder of the monastic order of the Dominicans.
The icon of St. Seraphim depicts her holding a book, and sometimes together with St. Savina.
The Holy Martyr Savina is also revered by the Roman Church and is depicted with a crown and a palm branch. She became the patroness of housewives. After all, it was in the house of the widow Savina that Saint Seraphim once settled, who was martyred on July 29, 119, and her benefactor Savina was cut off in the same way after a while - on August 29, 126.
Canonization
Saint Seraphim is the patroness of all the unfortunate and destitute. She was canonized by the Byzantine Church and became revered in the Orthodox calendar.
The prayer to Saint Seraphim begins with the words: “Beloved bride of Christ, Seraphim…” (troparion, tone 8), “Thou hast loved the Lord with the love of Seraphim…” (kontakion, tone 2).
Saint Seraphim herself prayed with the words: “Lord Jesus Christ, the true guardian and guardian of my virginity, I call for help!” or “Almighty Lord God! You created the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them….”
