St Seraphim of Sarov and the Uncreated Light

Dr. Alexander Roman  alex@unicorne.org

One of the most significant Holy Fathers of these latter days is undoubtedly the Elder St. Seraphim of Sarov.  His entire life is really a dynamic summary of the Orthodox spiritual and ascetical tradition that is most appropriately celebrated during this Season of Light.

A native of Kursk, Seraphim was brought up in a very pious Orthodox home.  Early in life, he learned to memorize Scripture and the prayers of the Church.  He was especially devoted to the Mother of God who appeared to him several times during his earthly life.

Seraphim always carried with him his Slavonic "Vervitsa" or, in Russian, "Lestovka."  This is a leather counting device that resembles a little "ladder" used in praying the Jesus Prayer and other prayers.

One uses one's thumb in moving on the "steps" of the mystical Vervitsa which ends in a double leather triangle resembling the folds of a Roman stole.

The first 12 steps honour the Apostles.  After a larger "divider" step, there are 38 steps honouring the months and two days that our Lord was in His Mother's Womb.  After this follow 33 steps in honour of the years our Lord lived on Earth. 

Then there are 17 steps in honour of the Prophets (including St John the Baptist).  The four sides of the triangles honour the four Evangelists and the 9 divider steps honour the 9 choirs of Angels.

This is an ancient "prayer rope" of Kyivan Rus' and is now imitated by Roman Catholic "step ladders."  The Vervitsa continues to be made and used by the Old Rite Orthodox.

Seraphim was well versed in the traditions of Kyivan Christianity and travelled to Kyiv to receive the advice and blessing of the Archimandrite of the Kyivan Caves Lavra, St Dositheus.

St Dositheus was, in reality, a woman who concealed her gender until after her death (an acceptable practice in Eastern monasticism).

Seraphim received her blessing to go to Sarov in the north, there to take up the ascetical life.

Seraphim became a Hieromonk and soon desired to live the life of a hermit.  He lived in the nearby forests in an unheated wooden cabin.  

His Icon corner consisted of the Icon of Our Lady Joy of all Joys.  It is, in fact, a western representation of the Mother of God at the time of the Annunciation.  She is depicted on the icon with Her hands folded and appears to be looking into Her soul.  

St Seraphim blessed people who visited him with oil from the lamp that burned before the icon and many received miraculous cures as a result.  It was before this icon that he reposed, his head leaning forward, touching it.

St Seraphim was known for his ascetical life.  He once prayed for 1,000 days and nights on a rock in the woods.  Pilgrims to Sarov like to take a chip of this rock as a priceless relic.

Medals were struck with St Seraphim on one side, and his Icon on the other.  These are priceless and can still be found in antique stores and the like.

Fr. Seraphim became the spiritual counselor to a whole school of Orthodox Saints at the Diveyevo Monastery.

One of his favourite teachings was that of the Rule of the Mother of God.

He recommended to his spiritual children that they go around the monastery, vervitsa in hand and recite 150 Our Fathers and 150 Hail Mary's, for their relatives and friends, living or dead, and to then ask for one favour that they truly needed - and it would be granted.

St Seraphim counseled his clients in the frequent use of the Jesus Prayer and the invocation of the Name of our Saviour.  

His favourite sayings were, "The aim of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit" and "Acquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls will be converted around you!"

A journalist, Motovilov, once traveled to Sarov to interview the famous Elder.  As they walked through the forest on a winter day, it began to snow.

Motovilov then asked Fr. Seraphim how he could know that the Holy Spirit dwelt within him.

At that moment, Fr. Seraphim asked God to allow this experience for his young friend.  He turned to Motovilov and said, "Look at me."

Motovilov did and then wrote, "Imagine, if you will, what it is like to look into the centre of the sun, the light and brightness that you would experience."

He felt warm all over, even though it was the dead of a Russian winter (much worse than Canadian winter!)

Fr. Seraphim often exhibited the Uncreated Light on his face and body.  He was truly a Temple of the Holy Spirit.

He predicted to downfall of Russia and even wrote a letter to be given to the "fourth Tsar to visit Sarov" - who happened to be Tsar Nicholas II!  The Tsar read the letter and was seen to go quite pale.  The letter predicted the terror of Bolshevism that was on its way and also foretold the Tsar's death.

St Seraphim, in the best tradition of Slavic "starchestvo" or of the Spiritual Elders, said that those who wished to continue receiving his counsel and prayers should simply come to his grave after his death and speak to him.  He would hear them, he said.

The Bolsheviks confiscated St Seraphim's relics and were actually going to place them in an atheistic museum.  Somehow, they were lost on the way.  They were found after the fall of communism and are publicly enshrined for the veneration of the faithful.

St Seraphim is an extremely popular saint.  His icon, and that of his Icon Joy of all Joys, is everywhere in Ukraine and Russia, in the streets, in forests and wayside shrines.  An icon-corner without his icon would be unimaginable!

As the saint who foretold the downfall of communism, his icon of the Mother of God was used almost exclusively for weddings in the former Soviet Union.  It was almost as if this was a symbolic warning to the Soviets that "the end is coming!"

St Seraphim's teachings about the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, about the reading of the Scriptures, the invocation of the Name of Jesus and frequent Holy Communion - all these are means to an end.

That end is both personal and social.  "Acquire the Spirit of Peace, and a thousand souls will be converted around you."

May we all become such missionaries!

See also The Flame in the Snow: The Centenary of St Seraphim's Glorification