Протоиерей Философ Орнатский. Саровские поучения.

In all the memoirs given in this book, the wonderful sermons of Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky are mentioned and often retold, which were etched into the soul of everyone who heard them in those days in Sarov. Like the main participants in the glorification of St. Seraphim - the Royal Passion-Bearers, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov) - Father Philosopher entered the bright host of new martyrs and confessors of Russia. Hieromartyr Philosopher Ornatsky was born in the Novgorod province into the family of a priest. One of his brothers was married to the niece of St. right John of Kronstadt. St. John of Kronstadt loved Father the Philosopher very much and often visited his house. The philosopher Ornatsky graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and accepted the priesthood. A few years later he was appointed rector of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. His preaching talent attracted those who were looking for the living word. More than once he urged his flock not to listen to the ideas of “equality.” During the revolution, Archpriest Pyotr Skipetrov, the husband of his wife’s sister, one of the first Russian new martyrs, was shot before his eyes. The funeral service for the martyr was conducted by Metropolitan Benjamin and the clergy. The sermon at the funeral service was delivered by Father Philosopher. In 1918, on the eve of the holiday of the Prophet Elijah, he and his two sons, Nikolai, a military doctor, and Boris, also an officer, were arrested. That same night they, along with other prisoners, were taken to be executed. On the way, he read aloud the death notice over the condemned. From his flock there were 22 people with him. All those killed were thrown into the sea on July 20/August 2, 1918. It is significant that Father Philosopher was arrested on the day of remembrance of St. Seraphim and was honored with martyrdom exactly 15 years after the great days of glorification of the Rev., when he spoke his “Sarov Teachings”... 1. Saint Seraphim - the ideal of life in Christ Word spoken in the Assumption Cathedral of the Sarov Hermitage July 13, during the late liturgy “And Jesus went through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matthew 9:35). These words, which we heard today in the Holy Gospel, unfold before the mental gaze of the believer a majestic picture: many people crowd everywhere where the Lord Jesus Christ appears with His powerful Word, with His healing power for mental and physical ailments. Not everyone is healed by Him, but everyone leaves Him joyful, calm, in the consciousness that there is a merciful Lord, that every unfortunate, sick, crippled, useless person is not alien to Him, one of his own, close, dear... Such a gospel picture is being repeated before our eyes today in Sarov. What a multitude of people, eager to hear some new word, thirsting, as it were, for a new revelation! What a collection of all kinds of sick people, the blind, the dumb, the lame, the crippled!.. You can’t help but cry at the sight of them. What brought this crowd of people here? Why did we come here from the shores of the Neva and the Baltic Sea and from distant Siberia, from the cold north and warm south? Why did we leave our homes and families, why did many expose themselves to hardships, hardships, scorching heat? Or did Christ descend to earth again here and again His Word and His gracious power draw those who hunger and thirst spiritually to Him? No, Christ did not come down. He once accepted humiliation on earth and redeemed the entire human race with the Cross. He will come to earth a second time, but this time to judge people and reward everyone according to his deeds. What brought us here? Oh, blessed and wondrous Father Seraphim, it was you who called us and united everyone around you! A few more days, and by the hand of the Church the great lamp of faith and piety will be kindled, and let it shine for everyone in Holy Rus'. A few more days, and a new bright star will rise in the horizon of the Church to be a guiding star for believers. This star was already shining brightly, the light of the lamp was already visible to the believers, the soul of the people in their hearts sensed the saint of God in Elder Seraphim, but only now does the people’s faith receive reliable support, when the Holy Church, “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15), has spoken its word about him and calls on everyone to please the blessed one. Oh, now the people’s faith will flare up with a bright flame and - we believe - the grace of healing will flow abundantly from the tomb of the holy elder and his healing remains! And so, again, “the great mystery of godliness is revealed before our eyes: God appeared in the flesh, and was justified in the Spirit” (1 Tim. 3:16). Christ the Savior is not with us in the flesh, but we tangibly feel the presence of His grace here, we experience the action of His power, which is accomplished in human weaknesses. “He is with us until the end of time.” “Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.” This is the property of holiness: it collects in itself all the power of God’s grace and, like the sun, casts its shining and warming rays on everything around us. Such is our God-bearing father Seraphim. How and by what means did he achieve holiness, for which reason did the Lord exalt him to the height of standing at His throne? When now, during the Divine Liturgy, the beatitudes of the Gospel were sung, and I applied the life of the saint to them, it became clear to me how he achieved holiness. These paths to bliss served as steps for him along which he ascended to heights. Wasn’t he, who became poor in body for the Lord’s sake, poor in spirit? His whole life, “poor Seraphim,” as he called himself, was imbued with the spirit of humility, and the higher he rose in spirit, the more he became aware of his unworthiness before God, his insignificance before people. And he acquired “high humility, rich in poverty.” This is the kingdom of heaven. The whole life of St. Seraphim was a cry about sins. Just remember the image of this wondrous old man, kneeling on a stone for a thousand days and nights and crying out to the Lord like an ordeal: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” “His meekness is known to all men.” Without saying too much, I recall facts from the life of the reverend. So the villains beat him half to death; physical doctors treat him fruitlessly; The Most Holy Theotokos herself heals him. And he not only forgives his enemies with all his heart, but also demands that they not be punished, otherwise he threatens to leave the monastery completely. Truth is not outside a person, it is inside him. We must find the truth within ourselves, illuminate it, strengthen it and develop it in every possible way. For this purpose, Christians were given the Holy Gospel, in which the whole truth is revealed, the grace of the Sacraments, which moves a person on the path to truth, indicates their own feat, strengthening a person in the truth. To hunger and thirst for righteousness, both in the sense of all virtue and in the sense of justification before God - both present and eternal - means to diligently use all these means in life. And just like a hungry Saint Seraphim sought truth, becoming poor for the sake of Christ, humbling himself in His image, shutting himself up, taking a vow of silence on himself. The mercy of Saint Seraphim is truly touching. Limiting himself to the bare necessities, he was ready to share his modest means with everyone, not only with people, but also with wild animals. Should we talk about his purity of heart? He, like a faithful guardian, stood over him, watching every hour, cleansing him with repentance and the Jesus Prayer. Let’s talk better about what constitutes the reward of the pure in heart. He truly saw God. Not only did the Queen of Heaven repeatedly appear to him in person, but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, during the Divine Liturgy, surrounded by holy angels, as if by a swarm of bees, appeared to his gaze. Moreover, the venerable one sees God in His eternal glory, where He stands before Him with the faces of the saints, glorifying God in the Trinity and interceding for us before Him. Thousands of healings, consolations, echoes of his heavenly voice in the soul of the people serve as proof of this. The Lord calls peacemakers sons of God. And who can really be called the son of God is the holy elder whom we honor, who not only lived in peace with everyone, but also reconciled fathers and mothers with children, husbands with wives, brothers and sisters in the Lord with each other. Yes, Elder Seraphim fully implemented the commandments of Christ in his life. And if he was not persecuted for the truth and he was not awarded the crown of martyrdom, although he received beatings from the villains, it was only because no hand was raised against the one who greeted everyone with a bow to the ground, magnifying with the words: “My joy,” who kissed everyone’s hands and feet. So Saint Seraphim loved the Lord, for “whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he loves Me; but whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and appear to him Myself” (John 14:21). Thus said the Lord, and His word is not false. The Lord, with all the fullness of His Divinity, dwelt in him, as far as is accessible to a human being. Saint Seraphim, like a branch on a vine, lived in Christ. And “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” And the word of the Lord Jesus Christ is true: “He who believes in Me, the works that I do will he also do, and greater works than these will he do” (John 14:12). Here is the answer to the events currently taking place in Sarov. The Lord did not descend in His flesh to earth and will not descend. But the Gospel picture of the people’s inspiration by faith is repeated again, the picture of human grief and misfortune, gathered in one place, awaiting consolation, relief, healing from above - a picture of the common joy of everyone for everyone who is consoled, encouraged, healed. This is done by the same Christ the Savior, only through His faithful servant, through his prayers and intercession. And I want, I really want to be worthy of at least a small share of Seraphim’s grace, although it is not enough to rise to its height with our shot wings. How? He lived in Christ—that says it all. And we must strive for the same thing, we must graft ourselves to Christ, just as a gardener grafts a branch onto a fruitful vine, and for this we must follow the same path that St. Seraphim walked. This path is difficult and long, but we will not deviate from it, for there is no other way to Christ. We would have to talk a lot and for a long time about this path - the Holy Church teaches us about it; I will limit myself to a brief instruction from Saint Seraphim on how we can constantly be with Christ. I mean his instruction to constantly repeat the Jesus Prayer within oneself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The holy elder commanded about this prayer: “Walking and sitting in action, and standing in church before the beginning of the service, entering and leaving, constantly keep this on your lips and in your heart. By calling on the name of God you will find peace, you will achieve spiritual and physical purity, and the Holy Spirit will dwell in you.” And in conclusion, dear brethren, allow me to remind you of the instruction of Saint Seraphim, which is as gratifying as it is easy to follow. “When I’m gone,” he said, “come to my grave. Walk as you have time. And the more often, the better. Whatever is in your soul, whatever you grieve over, whatever happens to you, come with it all to my grave. Yes, crouch down to the ground as if alive, and tell me. And I will hear you, and your sorrow will pass. Talk to me as if you were alive. And I will always live for you." This is what the elder said to one nun from Diveyevo, and through her to all of us, his admirers. Let us go, brethren, happy that we had the opportunity to come to the celebration of his glorification, and let us tell our sorrows and sorrows at his tomb; but we will pray to him even after leaving here, in our cities, villages and villages. “There is no God of the dead, but a God of the living.” God lives, His saint lives. As if we were alive, we will always cry out to him: “Reverend Father Seraphim, help us,” and he will hear us and help us. Amen. 2. On communion of the Holy Mysteries for union in Christ with Saint Seraphim Teaching delivered in the Assumption Cathedral of the Sarov Hermitage July 15, during the early liturgy How well done, brethren, are those of us who, having arrived in Sarov to worship our venerable father Seraphim, try here to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ! A few days will pass, and we will all go to our homes, and some will carry from here in memory of the monk his icon, some - prosphora, some - water from his source, oil from a lamp, crackers from a distant desert. As a shrine, dear to memories, celibate by faith in the boldness of the holy elder before God, we will bear these gifts in order to share the Sarov shrine with our relatives and loved ones. But above all shrines, those of us who will taste the “bread of life” with faith will be honored here with a heavenly gift and will take it with them. To you, fellow brethren, this is my word today. How impoverished in spirit our life is, how few manifestations of a gracious spirit there are in it, and how vain, petty, and boring it is! We do not find satisfaction in it and rush around to find peace for our souls. Is it not because this yearning of spirit occurs that our whole life has been spent worrying about a piece of bread, that we have been torn away from the heavenly life that ascetics are honored with on earth? The Lord Jesus Christ taught: “Do not strive for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:27). And this food is the bread of life: “he who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst” (35); “Whoever eats this bread will live forever; And the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (51). “My flesh,” says the Lord further, “is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink,” so that “he who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him,” and he “has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (54–56). This is the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ to people! There can be nothing higher than this gift: through it the Lord introduces us into the closest personal communication with Himself, introduces us to His Divine life, and gives us the guarantee of a blessed eternity. And the Lord not only promised this gift, but actually brought it to earth when at the Last Supper he said to His disciples: “Take, eat: this is My Body”... “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My Blood” (Matthew 26:26–28), and communed them with His Divine Flesh and Blood. Since then, the Holy Church at every Liturgy, like a mother, calls us to the cup of life: “Draw with the fear of God and faith.” But, alas! Rarely does anyone start, almost always only babies. Then the Church, condescending to our weakness, instituted four fasts, so that we would cleanse ourselves by repentance and be sanctified by communion at the four seasons, but Christians of our time do not receive communion more often during fasting. And so the Church calls us all to taste the bread of life at least once a year, but, oh woe! Many people do not receive communion even once a year, growing weaker in spirit year after year. I am not only talking about the renegades of the Church - about schismatics and all kinds of sectarians who have deprived themselves of the grace of the sacraments. No! I am talking about Christians who call themselves Orthodox, who, however, according to the words of the holy Apostle, “have only a form of piety, but have rejected its powers” ​​31 . Meanwhile, what great power does the Holy Sacrament have for the participants! It transforms a person, purifies, sanctifies and adores him. All of you, of course, have heard about the venerable shepherd Father John of Kronstadt: how everyone reveres him, turns to him with requests for prayerful intercession before God, is drawn to him like iron to a magnet, and receives healing by faith... How does he himself explain this attraction to him of people of all ages and positions? Yes, because he daily with heartfelt faith and tenderness celebrates the Divine Liturgy and daily receives communion, uniting with Christ the Lord, who through him creates all that is great and glorious... Blessed are you, brethren, who receive communion at home with your shepherds and here dare to partake of the Lord’s table. You came to Sarov, as if to visit the monk, and would like to be worthy of his mercies. You have chosen the best way to gain his favor: by uniting with Christ, in Christ you will be united with him. This is how he taught about communion: “whoever receives communion will be saved everywhere. And whoever doesn’t join in, I don’t remember.” Just remember, brethren, that the communion of the Holy Mysteries, introducing us into communion with Christ, also requires from us a preparatory feat. You, of course, recognized your sins, deeply regretted that you had committed them, repented of them and received permission from the shepherd, who received the power to bind and solve the sins of people. You have done good, but now, when “with the fear of God and faith” you approach the cup of life, once again confess with all clarity and firmness that Christ is the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, that this is His Most Pure Body and His life-giving Blood, and pray that He will forgive your sins and grant you to partake of the Holy Mysteries without condemnation. Then the coal of the Lord’s Body will touch your lips and the Lord will take away your iniquities and cleanse your sins, and you will feel in the Lord your kinship with His saint, Saint Seraphim, and, guided by his prayers and blessings, renewed in spirit and calmed, you will go to your homes. Amen. 3. About love for the Mother Church, who gave birth to her beloved child - Saint Seraphim Teaching on the same day and in the same cathedral, during the late liturgy Today is the day of remembrance of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. With this name comes to mind the beginning of Christianity in Rus', the position of the first stone of the Church of God in our fatherland. Running in thought from the beginning of the Holy Church in Rus' to the present day, what wondrous ways of God’s Providence we see in the destinies of our people! And, first of all, the Holy Church brought our people out of historical oblivion, forged an organic whole out of them, strengthened power, humbled the people, helped them endure the heavy blows of fate, poured a lot of foreign blood into the vessel of the people's life, transforming it into the blood of the Russian tribe, and united the scattered tribes into one mighty, numerous, glorious Russian people. Faith in Rus' makes everyone related, even people alien to each other by blood and language: whether a Jew, a Tatar or a Yakut, or another foreigner, but if he is Orthodox, he is already Russian. The church became the soul of the people in Rus', the cement that unites multilingual tribes. Our people understood this well and, when they repelled the enemy’s onslaught, they always brought before them a banner on which the first word was “for the faith.” “This Orthodox faith, this apostolic faith, this fatherly faith, this faith establish the universe” - it, our faith, also established our dear fatherland. Even greater is the importance of the Holy Church and the Orthodox faith for the inner, spiritual life of our people. Inspired by faith, the Russian people were reborn, became new people, charitable, sympathetic to the grief of others, receptive to everything high and good: “not to think evil against a Tatar” became a common character trait of the Russian people; Russian monasticism, combining the features of Eastern ascetic and practical Western monasticism, was of great importance for the education of the people's character - pious without hypocrisy, active without fanaticism. The Russian Church has brought forth from the depths of the people a great many ascetics, pearls of spiritual purity and holiness, who, like bright stars in the sky, shine with the purity of their lives, humility and faith and serve as an example for the living, indicators of the entire path of life's salvation, prayer books and intercessors for us before God. On them, as on the pillars of indestructible firmness, stands unshakably holy Rus', growing among the best part of the people, according to the Apostle, “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy language” (1 Pet. 2:9). Among these glorious sons of the fatherland is the newly-minted Pleasant of God, Saint Seraphim, the Wonderworker of Sarov. He is a true child of the Orthodox Church, begotten, nourished and nourished by it; he is a fragrant flower in the church pasture, the glory and adornment of his Mother Church. The child of pious parents Isidore and Agathia, he was raised from childhood according to the leadership of the holy Church; miraculously saved by God in childhood from death when falling from a high bell tower and miraculously healed from a serious illness during a religious procession, with his childish heart he loved the holy church, worship, holy sacraments and church rites; Having early renounced the world and its delights for the sake of monasticism, he went through, with the blessing of the elders, all the most difficult obediences, seclusion, silence, thousand-night prayer on a stone, and he had such humility that only in the 66th year, at the command of the Mother of God, he began to receive pilgrims for blessing, advice, instructions and consolations. The Lord Jesus Christ himself appeared to him, the humble servant of God, and I cannot help but remind you, brethren, of one such appearance of the Lord to the Venerable Seraphim, who at that time was in the rank of hierodeacon, in the church of God, during the Liturgy. He himself later told his elders about this phenomenon. “I have just proclaimed, poor one, “Lord, save the pious and hear us!” (he participated in the service of the Liturgy) and, pointing his orar at the people, he finished: and forever and ever, suddenly a ray of sunshine illuminated me, and I saw our Lord and God Jesus Christ, in the form of the Son of Man, in glory, shining with an indescribable light, surrounded by heavenly powers, angels, archangels, cherubim and seraphim, as if by a swarm of bees, and from the western church gates of the future in the air. Approaching the pulpit in this form and raising His most pure hands, the Lord blessed those serving and those present. Therefore, having entered His holy local image, which is on the right hand of the Royal Doors, He was transformed, surrounded by angelic faces, shining with an indescribable light throughout the entire church. But I, earth and ashes, when I met the Lord Jesus Christ, received a special blessing from Him. My heart rejoiced purely, enlightened, in the sweetness of love for the Lord.” Saint Seraphim considered himself to owe everything to the Holy Church. It is not surprising that special warmth emanates from his decisive instructions about love and obedience to the Holy Church, about fidelity to her covenants. “I ask and pray you,” he once told the Old Believers, “go to the Greek-Russian Church: it is in all the glory and power of God. Like a ship with many riggings, sails and a great helm, she is guided by the Holy Spirit. Its good helmsmen are the teachers of the Church, the archpastors are the successors of the apostles. And your chapel is like a small boat without a helm or oars; she is moored with a rope to the ship of our Church; floats after him, flooded by the waves, and would certainly drown if she were not tied to the ship.” Another time he taught: “What the Holy Church kissed and accepted, everything should be kind to the heart of a Christian. Don't forget holidays. Be abstinent, go to church, unless you are weak. Pray for everyone: you will do a lot of good with this. Bring candles, wine and oil to church. Alms will do you a lot of good.” The holy elder’s instruction on church fasts is also decisive: “bread and water are not harmful to anyone. How did people live for a hundred years? Man will not live on bread alone... And what the Church laid down at the seven Ecumenical Councils, then fulfill. Woe to the one who adds one word”; about the sign of the cross and the veneration of holy icons. Saint Seraphim gave us, the shepherds of the Church and mentors in the faith, the following instruction, in the person of the ascetic elder Father Timon: “This, Father Timon, this, this wheat given to you everywhere. This one is on the good ground, this one is on the sand, this one is on the stones, this one is along the way, this one is also in the thorns. Everything will vegetate somewhere and grow, and bear fruit, although not soon.” These, brethren, are the covenants of Saint Seraphim about the Church. With them he addresses us all even now from the heights of heaven. We are going through difficult times: many have broken away from the Church and blaspheme it, even more cold believers who have forgotten their Mother and are only considered her sons. The Holy Church equally pities all the lost and calls them into her arms. Now Saint Seraphim, whom we came to worship in Sarov, speaks in her voice. Let us listen, let us listen to the voice of the Reverend and love our Mother, the Orthodox Church, let us cling closer to her loving breast and drink the milk of her teachings from the Holy Gospel, the instructions of the fathers, liturgical prayers and chants, from the lips of pastors. Let us love our parish church - it contains the soul of the Church, we will visit it without laziness and decorate it, so that, standing in the church, we stand in heaven to think and see with the eyes of faith and a pure heart the Most Unapproachable and Ever-Everlasting Light - our Lord Jesus Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Word delivered on Wednesday, July 16, during the liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral It begins... The great celebration of the discovery of the holy relics and the glorification of the newly-minted saint of God, Saint Seraphim, begins. It’s already the second day since the Tsar of the Russian Land himself is on his way to Sarov with his Sovereign Empresses, and in Rus' it has always been the custom that where the Tsar is, there are the people with their eyes and their hearts. The eyes of all Russia are now turned to Sarov, and the Sarov celebration is acquiring the significance of a church-folk all-Russian celebration. Happy are we, brothers, participants in this celebration! Let us not only be outwardly present at it, but let us experience it with all our hearts, faith and love, so that we too may be worthy of the grace of God! The holy holiday begins, but it begins with a prayer for the repose of the deceased, for the forgiveness of their sins, and the proclamation of eternal memory. And not only will the Holy Church now pray for Elder Seraphim, 32 she will also remember all those persons who during the life of the saint had one or another relationship with him. The property of holiness is amazing: it is not only attractive in itself, radiant, fragrant, omnipotent with the grace of God, it shines and warms everyone, it comforts some, heals others, and sanctifies everything and everyone around it. Sacred is the time when the saint lived and labored, blessed is the reign that he adorned with his life, those persons who gave birth to the holy child of the Church physically or spiritually, who were the initiators, collaborators or continuers of his holy work, are forever remembered. That is why even now the Holy Church commemorates in God the most pious sovereigns and empresses of his time and later ones, the bishops who ordained him to the rank of hierodeacon and hieromonk, and all the deceased archpastors of Tambov, the parents of the venerable one - Isidore and Agathia, as well as all the deceased abbots and builders of Sarov, under whom the venerable laborer labored. But what does church remembrance mean, what causes it, and what benefits does it have for those who remember and those who are commemorated? Remembrance before God of our living and deceased brethren is evidence of our love for our neighbors. We ourselves are powerless to help our neighbors, we ask the Almighty Lord to grant them health, peace, forgiveness of sins, temporal and eternal blessings, and since love never ceases, even after the death of our neighbors, we also pray for the dead, asking them forgiveness of sins, peace and tranquility beyond the grave, eternal bliss in the abodes of the Heavenly Father. The custom of remembering the dead dates back to Old Testament antiquity; in the New Testament church it is especially associated with the offering of the bloodless sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord. “There will be great benefit to the souls for whom prayer is offered when a holy and terrible sacrifice is presented,” says Saint Cyril of Jerusalem. Then the souls of those who have died, by faith and prayer, making a bloodless sacrifice, acquire the power of this priceless sacrifice, are honored with the mercy of God, and receive “peace, weakening and freedom” from afterlife ordeals and eternal condemnation. The Monk Seraphim himself left touching lessons of love for others through prayerful remembrance of them; he himself constantly remembered those who asked for his prayers, and asked for prayers for himself. When an archpastor visited him four months before his death, the elder presented the bishop with a gift of a rosary, a bunch of wax candles wrapped in canvas, and a bottle of wooden oil, then separately he brought him a bottle of red church wine. All this meant that the elder asked to remember him after his death... Father Seraphim’s prayers were especially fervent for all Christians, dead and living, at the end of his life, when he achieved great boldness before God and heaven became his native element. In Father Seraphim’s cell there were many lamps burning, and especially many bunches of large and small wax candles. They were placed on round trays, and their constant burning caused constant heat in the cramped cell. Father Seraphim himself explained the meaning of these candles. “I have,” he said, “many persons who are zealous for me and do good to my orphans (Diveev). They bring me oil and candles and ask me to pray for them. So, when I read my “rules,” I first remember them once. And since, due to the many names, I will not be able to repeat them at every place of the “rule” where it should be, then there would not be enough time to complete my “rule”, then I put these candles for them as a sacrifice to God, one candle for each; for others - for several people one large candle, for others I constantly warm lamps, and where it is necessary to remember them according to the “rule”, I say: “Lord, remember all those people, Your servants, for their souls I, wretched one, lit these candles and candles for You.” And that this is not my, poor Seraphim’s, human invention, or my simple zeal, not based on anything, then I will give you the words of Divine Scripture to support it. The Bible says that Moses heard the voice of the Lord, saying to him: Moses, Moses, tell your brother Aaron that he may burn candles before Me day and night. This is more acceptable to eat before Me, and the sacrifice is acceptable to Me.” And here is how Saint Seraphim spoke about the fruits of prayer for the dead. “Two nuns, who were both abbess, died. The Lord revealed to me how their souls were led through aerial ordeals, that during the ordeals they were tortured and then condemned. For three days I prayed for them, poor thing, asking the Mother of God for them. The Lord, in His goodness, through the prayers of the Mother of God, had mercy on them: they went through all the airy ordeals and received forgiveness from God.” Thus, brothers, Saint Seraphim bequeathed to us both by word and example to pray for the departed. Let us fulfill our duty and fervently pray to God for the blessed elder himself and for all those fathers and brothers who are close to us now in connection with the memory of Saint Seraphim. But perhaps you are wondering why pray for a saint? Why ask for forgiveness of sins from someone who is already standing before the throne of God and interceding for us before God? This bewilderment is resolved by the consciousness based on the word of God, “that there is no man who will live and not sin, even if he lives on earth one day,” - on the other hand, that “the mansions in the house of the Heavenly Father are many.” Then the righteous women will be enlightened like the sun in the kingdom of the Heavenly Father, and they will no longer see Him as a mirror in fortune-telling, but face to face. So we will pray for Saint Seraphim, so that the Lord will remove from him, so to speak, every speck of sin, enlighten his face like the sun, make him worthy to see God and, placing him on the nearest steps of His throne, fulfill his great and powerful boldness in intercessions for all of us, for the Orthodox Tsar, for Holy Rus'. They say “the heart gives the heart a message.” True believers are convinced that secret prayer for the enemy can quench his enmity, that fervent prayer for loved ones separated from each other can unite them again. There is the power of prayer that mysteriously penetrates the hearts of people and disposes them to sympathy, compassion, and love. Can we not believe that our prayer for Saint Seraphim will reach his heart and arouse his compassion for us? Moreover, we are convinced that she will bring us into communication with him, will open his heart for us, and we, who pray for him, will ourselves acquire in him a warm prayer book for us before God. Let us pray, brothers, that the Lord will make our father Seraphim white like snow, that his face will be illuminated like the sun, that the Lord will see him face to face, that he may boldly lift up our prayers to the throne of God by the hand of an Angel. Word delivered on Thursday, July 17, during the late liturgy at the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Source Remember your mentors who spoke the Word of God to you, and as you look at the end of your life, imitate their faith. Today and tomorrow are the last days in which we will pray for St. Seraphim, as an ordinary person, to pray for the forgiveness of his sins, for eternal memory. Today the “orphans of Diveyevo”, who came to the celebration with the icon of the Tenderness of the Mother of God, before whom the saint died in prayer, and the nuns of Ponetaevsky will join the prayers of the monks of Sarov for the saint today. They left their monasteries, in which long-standing prayerful commemoration of the saint alternated with akathist singing to him, in the spirit of faith and love for him, their founder, father and leader, in order to unite their prayers with the national prayers for the saint in the place of his exploits. There is something touching in the knowledge that these are our last prayers, marking a turning point in our attitude towards the saint, a transition to the days of his satisfaction. From now on, incense will no longer be offered for the repose of his soul, which has rested in God, and the singing of “eternal memory” that he has in the Church of God and in the hearts of the people will no longer be heard. But, brethren, with the cessation of the prayerful commemoration of the saint according to the rite of remembrance of the departed, the more obligatory for us will be another way of remembering him - through asking for his prayerful intercession before God and imitating his faith. The Holy Apostle advises us, looking at the end of the lives of the saints, to imitate their faith. And I want, my brothers, to illuminate before you one feature in the lives of Christian ascetics, in particular St. Seraphim, which we should imitate, without which there is no true Christianity. I mean the virtue of humility. Humility is the soul of Christianity: on its basis, every virtue blossoms with a magnificent fragrant flower, without it, no virtue has either value or dignity. The great virtue is prayer, the queen of virtues: but the proud Pharisee prayed and was condemned, while the humble publican was acquitted. So even love, the totality of perfection, if it is not imbued with the spirit of humility, is condemned by the Lord. Remember His condemnation of Pharisee alms and hypocritical fasting. Humility, among the Christian virtues, can be likened to a field covered with a carpet of beautiful lush greenery, among which in places lush, fragrant flowers sparkling with all colors caress the eye. The general background of the field, the vegetation spreading like a carpet, is humility, the flowers growing on it are other Christian virtues. On a dry, rocky field there are skinny flowers or none at all, on a fat, cultivated field - the eye will not rest from the multitude and variety of flowers. We can say that without humility there is no virtue, for “without Me you cannot do anything good,” said the Lord, and “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Let us turn to the highest example of the Lord Himself, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, we will see that He also used humility for our salvation. He, the perfect God, the Creator of heaven and earth, condescended to take on the human image in order to elevate people to His image and likeness. And this is precisely what the holy Apostle desires for us when he writes to the Philippians: “Let this be wise in you, even in Christ Jesus, who in the form of God was not made equal to God by admiration, but was made less than Himself, having received the form of a servant, having become in the likeness of mankind, and being found in the likeness of man, He humbled Himself and was obedient even to the point of death, the death of the cross” ( Phil. 2, 5–8). Let us remember the greatest of women, the most honorable of the Cherubim and the most glorious of the Seraphim, the Most Holy Theotokos, we will also remember why the Lord chose Her as His dwelling. “The Lord,” She says of Himself, “look upon the humility of His servant.” The same virtue invariably distinguishes all saints. Humble in spirit, the Monk Seraphim apparently revealed the virtue of humility before everyone, when he greeted everyone with a bow to the ground, kissing hands, and belittling his exploits, visible to everyone. He was wise in humility; it was his nature. He taught: “We must always humiliate ourselves before everyone, following the teaching of Saint Isaac the Syrian: humiliate yourself and you will see the glory of God in yourself. So, let us love humility, let us see the glory of God: where humility flows out, there the glory of God flows out. I do not exist in the light, I am all gloomy: so without humility there is nothing in a person but only darkness.” What powerful words! How necessary is humility for a Christian! How much evil pride brings: it served as the beginning of sin, it alienates us from God, brings disagreement and discord into life, pits us against each other. These are the bitter fruits of darkness. We strive for heights and fall down with pride: “everyone who exalts himself will humble himself, but the one who humbles himself will exalt himself.” Let us learn, brothers, in Sarov, from the shrine of the holy relics of St. Seraphim, his humility. Let us decide to firmly fight pride in order to defeat it in life, humbling ourselves before God and all people. It's difficult, but not impossible. “All things are possible from God.” If only we had the determination, with God’s help, to embark on the path of virtue. Once asked, “why do we not have such a strict life as the ancient ascetics of piety led?” - Father Seraphim answered: “Because we do not have the determination to do so. If they had the determination, then they would live like the fathers who shone forth in ancient times, because the grace and help of God to the faithful and those who seek the Lord God with all their hearts is now the same as it was before. For, according to the word of God, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” This general answer of the monk will be applied in particular to our success in the virtue of humility. Let us strive, brothers, let us strive to humble ourselves, remembering the image of the humble Christ the Lord on earth, the humble Virgin Theotokos, the humble Saint Seraphim! 6. About the blessed death of the holy elder Seraphim Sermon delivered on July 18 during the early liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral in the presence of Their Imperial Majesties the Sovereign Emperor and Sovereign Empresses Dear brothers! Today is the last time we will remember St. Elder Seraphim according to the order of commemoration of our departed brethren 33, and commemorations involuntarily remind of death, and I want to talk with you about death and the blessed death of the holy elder. God did not create death; it came into the world as a punishment for sin. When the Lord created the first people and brought them into the paradise of sweets, he also gave them a commandment about not eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, under the threat: “if you eat one day from it, you will die” (Gen. 2:17). People transgressed the commandment of God and through this suffered death; immortal by creation by God, they began to die; death has become the common lot of all people. As a punishment for sin, death is terrible for sinners, and the more terrible the more a person sins. Here is a man dying: behind him there are only sins, many sins, and ahead, now, as soon as the soul is separated from the body, judgment, condemnation, and eternal torment await it. It’s scary, but fair: the more we sin, the more we are punished, according to the word of the Apostle. What goes around comes around. A person has lived his entire life in sin, how can he become a participant in a blissful, bright life? She is not akin to him, alien to his soul. So a drunkard, even after a refreshing sleep, gets up with a sore head, with a clouded consciousness, and work does not come to his mind, does not work in his hands; out of habit, he reaches for wine in order to plunge back into his usual state. The consciousness of the sins they have committed, the expectation of eternal torment, frightens dying sinners, and the word of the holy Psalmist is justified on them: “The death of sinners is cruel.” This is not the blessed death of the righteous. For them, earthly life is a vale of sadness, sorrows, and deprivations, voluntarily accepted or resignedly endured for the sake of the Lord. Nothing earthly attracts them to life and they recognize themselves as travelers who do not have an abiding city, but are seeking the future, or like swimmers in a stormy sea, waiting for a quiet pier. Death is a desirable destiny for them. The Holy Apostle says about himself: “for me life is Christ and death is gain.” He had a fiery desire to “be resolved and be with Christ.” “I rejoice as I go to Christ, my Bridegroom,” is sung in the troparion of one martyr. The death of the righteous is not something unexpected, frightening with the unknown, dark and gloomy, it is a long-awaited liberation of the spirit from the bonds of the flesh - a state often already experienced by the righteous on earth, visible with the eyes of faith. The blessed death of the righteous is only their dormition: the tired traveler fell asleep, a little short of reaching the goal of his journey, so that, waking up the next morning, with vigorous strength he could enter the heavenly city of the Living God. He is in one room, next to it is another; the door opened, crossed the threshold and was already in another room. Thus, the death of a righteous person is easy, quiet, joyful for the dying person and for those around him. “The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord.” Such was, dear brethren, the blessed death of Saint Seraphim. Having given his entire life to the Lord, he almost did not live for the world. At the end of his life, he said: “in spirit I seemed to be born now, but in body I’m dead.” He was, as the Church sings about the saints, “an angel in the flesh.” One sick person, for whose healing the monk prayed, saw him standing in the air in a position of prayer. The heavenly world was his own, dear. When, two years before the death of the elder, someone asked him if he needed to convey something to his brother and relatives, the elder pointed to the face of the Savior and the Mother of God and said with a smile: “here are my relatives.” During his lifetime, he was honored to see the heavenly abodes. He himself told one monk about this. “Now I’ll tell you about poor Seraphim. I took delight in the word of my Lord Jesus Christ, where He says: “In My Father’s house are many mansions.” At these words of Christ the Savior, I, poor one, stopped and longed to see these heavenly abodes, and prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ to show me these abodes. The Lord did not deprive me of His mercy. Behold, I was caught up into these heavenly abodes. I just don’t know whether it’s with the body or apart from the body, God knows: it’s incomprehensible. But it’s impossible to tell you about the joy and sweetness that I tasted there.” The Most Holy Theotokos, who repeatedly appeared to him, spoke of him - “this one of our kind” or “My beloved.” I cannot keep silent so as not to remind you of the legend about the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos to the holy elder on the day of the Annunciation (1831), in the presence of the Diveyevo Elder Evdokia. Early in the morning, on the day of the Annunciation, Father Seraphim, covering the nun with his mantle, began to read the canons and akathists. Then he said to her: “Do not be afraid, do not be afraid... The grace of God comes to us...” There was a noise like wind, the door of the cell opened on its own, a bright light shone, fragrance flowed, and singing was heard. Trembling filled the nun. Father Seraphim fell to his knees and, raising his hands to the sky, said: “Oh, Most Blessed Most Pure Virgin, Lady Theotokos!” Two angels walked ahead with branches in their hands, planted with newly bloomed flowers. They took the lead. Behind them walked: Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Theologian in shining white clothes. Behind them came the Mother of God and twelve virgins. The Queen of Heaven wore a robe, as it is written on the image of the Sorrowful Mother of God, of indescribable beauty, fastened with stone lined with crosses. The guards on Her hands and the epitrachelion placed over the dress and mantle were also lined with crosses. She seemed taller than all the maidens. On Her head a crown shone with crosses, and her eyes could not stand the light that illuminated the face of the Most Pure One. “The maidens followed her in pairs wearing crowns and were of different appearances, but all of great beauty. The cell became more spacious, and its top was filled with lights - as if from burning candles. It was clearer than noon, brighter than the sun. For a long time the nun was in trembling oblivion. When she came to her senses, Father Seraphim was no longer on his knees, but on his feet before the Lady, and She spoke to him as if she were a relative... From the conversation of the Most Pure Lady with Father Seraphim, the nun heard: “Do not forsake My virgins” (Diveyevo). The elder answered: “Oh, Lady, I am collecting them. But I can’t control them on my own.” The Queen of Heaven said: “I will help you, My beloved, in everything.” Blessing the elder, the Lady said: “Soon, My beloved, you will be with us.” This was two years before the blessed death of the holy elder. He foresaw his end in advance and predicted it. Blessing the nun he had healed five months before his death, who asked him if she could still hope to see him, the elder, pointing his hand to the sky, said: “I’ll see you there.” It’s better, better, better!” At this time, he often sat at the coffin he had prepared for himself and thought about death and the afterlife. Often he cried bitterly. Now, saying goodbye to many, the elder said affirmatively: “We will not see you again.” Before the new year (1833), the elder measured out a grave for himself at the altar of the Assumption Cathedral. The New Year came - it was Sunday. For the last time, the elder came to mass at his dear hospital church of the Solovetsky Wonderworkers. At the place where this church stands, he was miraculously healed by the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos to him. He went around Russia collecting money to build this church. In the altar, her cypress altar was built by his hands, and he always tried to commune here. He walked around all the icons, placing candles on them and kissing them, which he had not done before. He partook of the Holy Mysteries. Then, after the Liturgy, he said goodbye to all the brethren present, saying: “Save yourself, do not lose heart, stay awake. Today crowns are being prepared for us.” In the evening we heard Father Seraphim singing Easter songs in his cell: “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ,” “Shine, shine, new Jerusalem,” “Oh, great and most sacred Easter,” and other church songs. The death of the elder followed early in the morning of January 2. One of the monks, leaving his cell to go to early mass, smelled a strong smoky smell from the cell of Father Seraphim. When they opened the cell and brought a candle, they saw that Father Seraphim in his white robe was standing in the place where he usually prayed, on his knees, in front of a small lectern. His head was open, his arms were folded crosswise; A copper cross hung on his chest - a maternal blessing. Thinking that he had fallen asleep, having been tired of praying in front of his cell shrine - the icon of the Mother of God of Tenderness, they began to carefully wake him up. But there was no answer: the elder fell into the sleep of death. His eyes were closed, his face was animated by thoughts of God and the happiness of prayer. What a wonderful, blessed death - the crown of a righteous ascetic life! Dying in prayer is the highest happiness for a Christian. In prayer, a person, coming face to face with the invisible God, experiences all the holy feelings, pours out his whole soul before Him, surrenders all of himself into His hands. Death during prayer, freeing a person’s spirit from the bonds of the flesh, returns him to his native element of eternal bliss in the sight of the Divine, which constitutes the happiness of prayer itself. A dying person in prayer finds what he was looking for, what he ardently strived for. So, with prayer on his lips, the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, and with prayer for his enemies, Saint Stephen the First Martyr and many other righteous people died. May the Lord God not deprive us, brothers, of this happiness! Let us imprint in our hearts the image of St. Seraphim, resting in prayer, kneeling, before the image of the Mother of God! Here, before us is the same icon of the Most Holy Theotokos - “Tenderness” 34, before which the Monk Seraphim prayed, before which he died in prayer. Let us pray, brethren, with tenderness of heart to the Most Holy Theotokos, that She, together with the God-bearing Seraphim, may pray to the Lord God for us sinners: that we too may live like the elder whom we have blessed and accept “the Christian end of our life, painless, shameless, peaceful,” as the Holy Church prays for us daily. 7. About the significance of the church in Russia. The word spoken on July 21 at the consecration of the church in the name of St. Seraphim, over the saint’s cell, in the Sarov desert “We have an Orthodox faith, a Church without any blemish. For the sake of these virtues, Russia will always be glorious and terrible to enemies, and insurmountable, having faith and piety - as a shield and armor - the truth: the gates of hell will not prevail against these.” These words of our venerable and God-bearing father Seraphim, the Wonderworker of Sarov, involuntarily come to mind at a real church celebration. A series of glorious celebrations on the occasion of the discovery of the holy relics of the saint now ends with a truly churchly affair - the consecration of the first church in his name. But this end of the celebrations in Sarov is the beginning of them throughout Rus'. Tomorrow another church named after him in Diveyevo will be consecrated, long ago, in anticipation of the glorification of the holy elder, built by the “orphans” of Diveyevo. But we believe that these churches in the places of the wondrous glory of the saint are only the forerunners of many many churches in his honor throughout the entire space of Holy Rus', glorious with its best decoration - holy churches. They will be created with a penny of labor, by the diligence of the people themselves, and his holy name will be invoked everywhere, the people’s soul will be nourished by his instructions, the image of his life equal to the angels will be an example for believers! The monk himself will come along with the church, settle among the people, become their patron, prayer book and intercessor before God. In the places of his veneration, a new strong connection between the people and the Orthodox Church will be created, which will revive, renew and strengthen the people for a Christian life - saving. Great, brethren, is the significance of the holy church in Rus'! The settlement begins with it; everyone converges in it - young and old, simple and noble and finds satisfaction of their needs: the believer’s soul strives for the heavenly abodes, and the church serves as heaven on earth for her, she wants to learn - and the church serves for her as a school of piety, she seeks strength to do good, to organize her salvation - the church serves for her as a treasury of grace. The church is the best decoration of one’s native village, village or city; one is drawn to it by need, sorrow, and joy; from the cradle to the grave, and even beyond the grave, everyone needs him; it is the same as a lighthouse for swimmers in a stormy sea, a fortress for those besieged by a strong and skillful enemy armed with red-hot arrows. He is both a pointer to the true path and a guard for the traveler. Unfortunately, brethren, not everyone thinks so now. The number of people, Russian by origin, often even Orthodox by birth, is increasing more and more, who do not attend churches, considering them, together with the Orthodox Church, to be graceless, or breeding grounds for superstition, or not satisfying the new demands that have arisen in society. I mean not only our schismatics, who long ago jumped from the church ship on small boats in the middle of a stormy sea and are thinking of being saved on them; not only the newest sectarians, who have completely exposed themselves to the elements of the world according to human tradition, and not according to Christ, and do not even have a shadow of a church structure. Both old and new renegades of the Holy Church can equally be reminded of the answer of Saint Seraphim to one Old Believer, who asked him: “Tell me, Elder of God, which faith is better: the current church faith or the old one?” (add – and the most modern). “Leave your nonsense,” answered Saint Seraphim, “our life is the sea, our holy 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? But I do not mean these old and new renegades of the Church, but mainly those of our brothers who declare themselves not alien to the faith and the Orthodox Church, who, however, find that the Church has lost its living soul, has petrified in its forms, and in its churches does not satisfy the living demands of modern society. They would like to revive the Church, to breathe into it more love for humanity, its infirmities and weaknesses, for its vital needs. Dissatisfied with the path of faith, repentance and abstinence in life and unashamed hope in the hope of future blessings beyond the grave, by which the Holy Church leads believers to salvation, they outline a new path of life. This is not the place or time to introduce you, brethren, to this new path. Freeing from all the embellishments that surround the outline of this path, one cannot help but see that this is the old path, condemned by the Lord in the words: “No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one and neglectful of the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). This is also the path about which the Savior said: “Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go therein” (Matthew 7:13). The path indicated by the Church is simple and clear. It is not drawn with ink and a reed, but given in the living example of the Lord, Who said about Himself: “I am the way.” This is the path of humility and abstinence, work and prayer, service to others and self-restraint - in a word, the path of asceticism or the path of the cross, without any indulgence of sensuality in the ideal, with sincere repentance of sin in the event of a fall. Christ the Savior walked this path in earthly life; He commanded it to people. Showing this path to her children, the Holy Church gives them the strength to pass it, from birth to death, in the grace of the Holy Sacraments, in prayer, in the help of the saints and the example of their lives. Our churches, painted with the faces of saints and paintings depicting events from their lives, teach us without words the same path. In fact, imagine a church, all painted with pictures from the life of St. Seraphim - how many lessons would have been given to his mind and heart from childhood by obedience to the Holy Church, his obedience to his mother, then monastic feats in carpentry, in the forest, his seclusion, silence, thousand-night prayer on a stone, prostrations to everyone, feeding the bear, distributing crackers and water from the spring, healing the sick, consolation mourners, and all this with affection, with tenderness, with joy; then, his cell rule with prayer for the living and the dead, his way of tormenting those who were tormenting him, the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos to him, the vision in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and, finally, his blessed death in prayer before the image of the Mother of God. What a varied and complete path of selfless feat, voluntary martyrdom for the salvation of the soul! In this case, brothers, I would like you to imprint on your hearts the image of Elder Seraphim on the journey and take it with you to your homes. So, from early morning, at four, sometimes at two in the morning, he sets out from this cell, over which the now consecrated church is built, to the nearby desert. He walks in his white canvas robe, in an old kamilavka, with an ax in his hand. On his back he has a knapsack filled with stones and sand. The Gospel lies on top of the sand. They asked him why he oppresses himself with this burden. “I languish languishing me!” - answered the old man. Let us never forget this image and the elder’s short answer to explain it. It outlines the entire path of life: first defeat the enemy in yourself, and then help others defeat the enemy. “My joy! “- said the monk, “I pray you, acquire a peaceful spirit, and then thousands of souls will be saved around you.” In conclusion, I ask you again, brethren: let us pray to the Lord God, that he may spread the glory of the venerable and God-bearing Seraphim throughout the entire Russian land, that churches in his name may multiply, that the Russian people may assimilate in them and through them all the benefits of the holy faith and the Church, for, let us repeat the words of the saint: May this prophetic word of strong faith and fiery love of Saint Seraphim for the Mother Church be the conclusion of all the Sarov celebrations. Amen. Published according to the publication: Sarov teachings of Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky. St. Petersburg, Typo-lithography by M. P. Frolova, 1903. On this day, a solemn memorial service was scheduled in the Assumption Cathedral, as well as memorial services in all the monastery churches. The last funeral service was scheduled in the afternoon in the Highest Presence. The icon had been brought to Sarov the day before in a religious procession from Diveevo and placed on a lectern in the Assumption Cathedral.