The icon of the Holy (Saint) St. Seraphim of Sarov
The Lord from his childhood made it clear to the boy Prokhor that he will serve the true faith with great force. And it is foretold came true, so much so that the Emperor Nicholas the Second took the initiative proposing to canonize St. Seraphim of Sarov. And, in 1903, the Seraphim called Holy Rus SIA. And it was that same Prokhor. But the sign he was unusual. Very young he fell from the bell tower of the temple then under construction. To fall down, but not killed. And this was the same sign. Growing up, Prokhorov made a pilgrimage on foot to Kiev, where he is one of the elders blessed and sent him back where he was supposed to become a novice and then a monk of sarovskaya deserts. And it happened: in 1778 – he was a novice, and in 1786, becoming a monk, in 1793 he was a monk.
But Seraphim is tracking seemed too small before God, and he decided to retire, but not so far from the monastery. Humility and labor, prayer and pillar-dwelling, huge abstinence in many respects, including clothing and food. He wore the same at any time of the year and have eaten something that could get himself or to grow in your kitchen garden, which was in his cell. He even found a common language with wild animals and fed from squirrels to bear, and shared a meal with them.
But with people of a common language, he was able to find not all. Someone came to him to worship, and someone not believing in the sanctity of a monk, came to him to plunder. There was an episode when the robber knowing how many pilgrims came to see him in his cell and decided to Rob him. After all, they had no idea that the elder for his prayers and advice but nothing helps. On the Seraphim attacked, striking the butt on the head and beaten. Rob had nothing, and left. But the Holy to the end of his received suvecha – he was severely charbila. But what was everyone's surprise when found the robbers were brought to him, and he humbly forgave, for they knew not what they were doing, and begged the magistrate not to punish the thieves.
In 1807, the Seraphim once again feels his faith and takes a vow of silence. He refuses to see anyone, didn't want to talk. In 1810 he returned to the monastery, but as it turned out for a while. In the monastery he goes to the gate and his term ended in 1825. And he again began to meet people. Among them was Alexander the great. This is the same man who later dies, but only the people will say that he actually became a monk and retired from St. Petersburg. Who knows, maybe the meeting of Sarov led him to thoughts to leave the world and come to another Holy world?
Never seen Seraphim of Sarov angry or pissed. On the contrary he always greeted everyone with a kind word, tried by God's word to comfort and help.
In 1831, he saw a vision of the virgin, which was surrounded by twelve saints and virgins. He took it as a sign of Holiness and would soon be leaving and therefore began to meet many people to help, to prophesy. Two years later he was gone. Monks after the morning prayer came to his cell and found him praying, but no longer alive.
So ended the world's way St. Seraphim of Sarov, but that does not mean that he left his children. Is to address him with a prayer and something may change, if not immediately, then later. The worship of Sarov went himself Tsar Nicholas II, went the pilgrims. The same thing is happening now. To him go on and people will go, until faith in him runs out. And this probably will not happen, and was not even in the years of repression of the Church. The Bolsheviks at first tried to forget and deny, but failed. How and why? Mystery.
