The Catalog of Good Deeds

By Archimandrite Andrew Konanos

And he replies: “Dear child, why do you say that I do not love you? Did you not asked Me for help in the morning? What happened to you is your lesson for today, it is your remedy. To create a statue one need to hit a piece of marble and chip off some parts of it. Then it will become a beautiful image. Today I have hurt you. I know you have suffered, but it cannot be otherwise.”

One woman told me a story similar to this. There was a period in her life when she was dealing with fixing her teeth. She had to visit the dentist many times, because she had to change all the bottom teeth. Going through different procedures, operations – all of this was pure martyrdom for her. But withstood that because she knew that the relief would finally come, and that her health would improve, and her life would change. Indeed, when it all ended, she found serenity. She had to withstand a lot, but she knew that she was visiting the doctor, who only wanted what was best for her.

We can say the same about our relationships with God. Everything that happens in our life is for our benefit. The benefit, which we cannot realize because of the pain that we feel.

When you pray, ask yourself no matter what, “Was it sent by the Lord? Yes. And this is it”.

I am trying to understand, what the Lord wants. We can understand this from the situation we are trying to cope with. I do not judge God. I am not angry with myself. I am not shocked or surprised. The Lord lets this happen. I think about it and peace comes.

My God, I see that we have a connection, and in some sense, our relationships are like “You give me something – I give you something”. You show me different signs in response to the prayers I read. I open up to You the needs of my soul, and You answer to me through various circumstances. Today Your answer is like this. I accept it. I will keep it. I will try to solve the mystery. What does this answer tell me? Could it mean patience, or maybe prayer or forgiveness? What should I do with what You have sent me? Tell me! You want me to cry? Or struggle? Or confront? Or may be seek for the truth? Or agree to withstand it all? What do you want from me, Lord?

Well, I do not judge this event. It is just something that happened. I accept it, because if I grumble all the time, nothing will change. If you are nagging what God sends you and complaining all the time, then it is you who strengthens this event. You are feeding it inside you, you perpetuate it. “Why did he tell me that? Why did he do that to me? Did you hear how he spoke to me?”

Do you know why you're mistaken? You are discussing something, what happened five hours ago, until the end of the day. You are stretching it until the very evening. You will think all day long about the quarrel, which lasted for five minutes. You repeat it again and again. What do you expect to get? You perpetuate the past. If you would have stopped that at the very beginning, it would stay where it was. It would happen. It would just pass and end.

Look ahead and say: “What should I learn in such circumstances? Can it be so that the Lord wants me to learn how to be patient towards other people?”

All the Divine senses and decisions come to mind only when this mind is in communion with God. And I hope that even more enlightened thoughts will come to your mind. They come to all of us in different ways. You will think about something. Another one will understand more. I will understand less. Someone else can see the whole truth. But the point is that you should understand where does the Lord lead you. In this case you will constantly feel that you are not alone. It will be a sign that you have come in contact with true prayer.

An excerpt from the book by Archimandrite Andrew Konanos

"At the bottom of the garden"

"...the good order of the Church becomes also the good order of the family..."

The Church: a Model

The perfect model 'for husbands and wives is the Church, where all is and must be done according to good order and for the express purpose of saving souls, of quickly and efficiently "catching" as many souls as possible in the sea of life, bringing them into the Ark of Salvation--which is the Orthodox Church--and then sailing safely with them into the harbor of eternal paradise. In order that the Ship of the Church might reach its appointed destination without shipwreck, she has a skilled Pilot, Christ, and under Him the officers, who are the bishops and their assistants, the priests and deacons, all of whom have charge of the passengers. It is a clear and necessary chain of authority. Without this authority, and the obedience it implies, there will be chaos, rioting, and rebellion among the passengers; no one will heed the Pilot's voice; the rudder will be seized by the ignorant and the evil, and the ship's course will change; many will falloff the Ark and be forever lost.

A microcosm of this is the Orthodox monastery, where the chain of command flowing from the Abbot or Abbess is well understood and fully respected if the monastics are to accomplish their goal. A monastery is therefore a perfect mirror-image and also an extension of--authority in Christ's Church. It is not a frivolous authority, nor a mere cultural or historical phenomenon; it does not exist for the pleasure or whim of those who command, It is a serious authority, with grave repercussions for those who abuse it. It has one purpose and one purpose only: the expeditious salvation of those in obedience. Thus, St. John Chrysostom sees that an Orthodox family is amazingly akin to a monastery: both exist for the salvation of souls. Both may, of course, have secondary aims--the monastery may publish books or paint icons, the husband and wife may have children, pursue careers, etc.-but the primary aim of getting into the Kingdom of Heaven must never be forgotten or given a lesse place. For this reason, Fr. Konstantine stressed, every young couple in love should ask himself this question: will my beloved help me to save my soul, or hinder me?

God Blesses Through Obedience

Just as God's grace flowed to the Hebrew people through the hierarchy of the Old Testament Church's high priests, prophets, patriarchs, etc., in the same way this grace comes to us in the New Testament Church through bishops (who are the "fountain of the sacraments") and priests. And licked to them are husbands, as heads of their families. The husband who stands before God and intercedes for his wife and children, as the parish priest intercedes for his flock, truly receives God's blessing upon his family and all "the work of his hands."

Furthermore, we can say that the husband who functions as the Orthodox spiritual leader in his family, praying for and instructing his wife and children, as well as showing them (by his example) the way--such a man is already satisfying his wife's deepest needs. Such a man is easily and willingly obeyed by his wife, just as Eve would have obeyed Adam had he acted as her loving head and leader, instead of her follower into sin.

Thus, the good order of the Church becomes also the good order of the family. And just as the monastery is a microcosm of the Church, so too is that family where God is rightly worshipped, and where His "chain of command" is upheld and respected.

Inferiority and Inequality

Does this mean that husbands are "superior" to their wives? Our society would see it as such, for the world today promotes the idea of two heads in a family, both the husband and the wife (in spite of the fact that from a worldly standpoint no organization or institution can withstand two chiefs at the same time!). No, there is but one head, again following the divine pattern given by Christ to the Church, where we find but one ruling bishop in a diocese and one rector in each parish. And just as bishops and priests must obey the Lord, wives must obey their husbands:

Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church. (Eph. 5:22-23)

We know that in Christ "there is neither male nor female." Obviously, then, the husband is not superior to his wife. But just as the President of the United States has no innate worthiness not equally shared with all citizens, but is respected and obeyed only because of his office and calling so too a husband and wife are completely equal one to another in God' s eyes (for which reason St. Paul even commands: "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ"), but a husband is obeyed and respected becauae of his office ane calling, which were bestowed upon him mystically in the Sacrament of Marriage.

If, then, they are both equal in God's eyes, why did God choose the man to be head of the wife, instead of the other way round? Because it was Eve that initiated the first sin. Thus, all her descendants must be in obedience to their husbands, giving them the initiative in all things; similarly all the sons of Adam are required to assume their original place as leaders in the marriage relationship, the place which Adam only too willingly abrogated to Eve, thus joining in her sin.

In St, Paul's instructions to husbands and wives there is a great mystery, and a seeming contradiction. A husband is appointed head of his wife, but he is also to be her servant. How can this be? "Husbands," says the Apostle, "love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify her..." In other words, a husband's authority is commensurate with his willingness to empty himself like a sacrificial lamb, in this way actually "sanctifying" his wife. It is a wonderful and worthy calling for a man, but one which too few husbands actually strive to attain.

The Wife's Role

What happens if a husband doesn't take his responsibilities seriously, or makes mistakes as head of the wife? Must he still be obeyed? Yes, in all things not sinful, he must be obeyed. Of course, a wife's first obedience is always to God, but in all other things she must submit, just as the Church constantly — although sometimes with groaning - submits to the will of Christ. It is not easy, but if wives trust that God will not allow their husbands to mislead or mistreat them, or in any way endanger their salvation, there is already a firm spiritual foundation to the relationship. (Similarly we read of instances where a monk saved his soul by being in obedience to a bad, incompetent, or foolish abbot, so long as he sincerely obeyed him in all things not sinful.) If a wife is suffering because of her husband's unworthy leadership, and she accepts this as a cross sent by a loving God, then she begins to walk the soul-saving path of martyrdom , as Scripture says: "The first shall be last, and the last shall be first."

To be second in a marriage (in other words, to be the wife) is a positive good, not an evil, for God does not hold the wife is free of the burden of responsibility-and it is a terrible burden — in a way that her husband can never be. Fr. Konstantine compared this to the parish priest, who carried the heavy burden of his spiritual children on his shoulders all through his life, never escaping it for one moment, and being accountable for the entire burden, whereas his deacon, or his reader, is relatively free of these responsibilities and therefore in a more enviable position. Wives, he said, often make the mistake--especially in today's society-of taking that responsibility away from their husbands (as Eve tried to do with to Adam), and this is what creates the famous "power struggle" that is so unedifying and unsatisfying in conternporary marriages.

All this, of course, makes sense only if both husband and wife are looking seriously at the purpose of life and marriage. If we understand that our first love must he not our spouse, but God and His Church, then everything falls into its proper place, all is in good order, and life is fruitful and meaningful. In such a context no wife will be afraid of being in obedience to her husband, just as the Church is in perfect obedience to Christ. To live under obedience is a safeguard against temptation and therefore a truly blessed role.

People in the world, filled with pride, seek authority and position; they seek to rule over others, believing that this brings happiness. But Christ has taught us that happiness comes only through self-sacrifice (the husband) and obedience (the wife). Obedience cannot be forced; it must come from the heart, voluntarily--this is true love. We are only pilgrams, preparing for the next world; therefore, how can we fail to rule wisely, lovingly, and givingly, if we are husbands'; And, if we are wives, how can we fail to be meek and humbly obedient supports to our husbands? In both of these consists true happiness, for in both is to be found the essence of man and woman, the undoing of the sin of Adam and Eve, and the path — through this world — to the Kingdom of Heaven.

By Fr. Alexey Young

Source: http://www.roca.org/OA/43/43g.htm

The rue de Crimée is an ordinary street in Paris. Yet go through the gates and into the courtyard and you find yourself in a different world. The noise and bustle of the big city disappears and you are in an oasis of unearthly quiet and peace. This is where the Orthodox Institute of St Serge hides. The builidings are old. The steps are worn down. On the doors of the church there is a two-headed eagle. But nowhere does it feel tired and worn out by age. There is a vibrant, warm feeling of a living joy in faith. Bogoslov.ru presents its readers with an interview with Archpriest Nikolai Chernokrak, lecturer at the Orthodox Institute of St Sergius.

Fr Nikolai, tell us a little about how theological education works in France.

The church and state in France have been separate since the beginning of the 20th century. Therefore, all religious schools are separate from the state. Today all church schools and institutes have the status of private schools. However, there are some educational institutions which have some cooperation with the minsitry of education and therefore have official government status. For example, our institute Saint Serge is recognised by the ministry of Education as an independent Institute of Higher Education; the Ministry even helps us financially. But we are still a completely independent school and can develop our programme of study quite freely.

Does that mean that they donʼt prescribe what you teach?

Yes. Three years ago we signed an agreement with the ministry. On their side they asked us to inform them of the number of students, their country of origin and level of education. This is needed because all private institutions contribute to a kind of national state register. Our theological school, however, is the only spiritual school with official status.

Tell us something about the institute.

The St Sergius Institute was opened in 1925 and within two years received accreditation with the state as a higher theological school in France.

There are three periods in the history of the institute. The first is from 1925 to the 50s. At this time the elite of Russian Orthodox theologians, philosophers and religious activists were working at the instute and the students were from the first wave of emigration. They were continuing and developing Orthodox religious thinking in the tradition of the old Russian academies – Moscow, Kazan and Kiev. This was reflected in the design of the study programme. In essence it was a church school, but wasnʼt called a seminary or academy. Those old professors preferred to call it an institute, perhaps reminding them of the theological institute that was opened for a brief time in St Petersburg at the beginning of the 20s. As it turned out, our institute was opening just at the time when all the theological schools in Russia were being closed. It was here that theological work and creativity continued. After the 50ʼs there was the second generation of teachers.

Where did this generation come from?

The Russian emigration was very strong at that time. For example, Fr. Alexei Knyazev, who had come to France as a 10 year old boy, graduated from the law faculty and (then the) faculty of theology and taught for us before becoming the rector. That was the second generation. We lived off memories, tales handed down about the old professors. Even if we hadnʼt seen them in the flesh, we recognised them straight away on photographs. We knew about them, we knew about their characters. We had that living heritage in the second generation. In its work of continuing to develop Orthodox theological thinking, the institute began to have dialogue with other Christian confessions. At first it was with the Protestants, as they were more open, and then with Anglicans and Catholics. At that time the institute had its mission: to acquaint the West with Orthodox teaching, theology and culture.

Things went on like this until 1974-1975. My generation was the last to have all lectures in Russian. Olivier Clement, a pupil of Vladimir Lossky, gave his lectures in French; he understood and read Russian, but did not speak it.

Now weʼre already onto the third, even the fourth, generation. Again there is something new. Orthodox schools are opening in many of the countries of the former USSR and they are developing their own spiritual education. What is more, today our institute does not just take Russian students. We have students from Africa, the Middle East, Syria, Ethiopia (I received a nun from Egypt recently) and, of course, from Eastern Europe.

How do you design your programme of study?

We joined the Bologna Convention more than ten years ago. Therefore, we have three cycles: the bachelor (baccalaureate) programme, the masters programme and the doctoral level. If we translate this to the Russian system, then it equates almost exactly to the system pre-Revolution. The programme does not just include lectures, but tries to teach students to work independently.

We have students here and a correspondence course. We have about 200 students, not counting the distance learners. The correspondence course is in Russian and French.

These days many of our lecturers do not speak Russian. After all our teachers have come from Greece, Holland, Yugoslavia and America.

What disciplines are taught in the Institute?

The classical disciplines: Old and New Testament, Church history, the Church Fathers, Liturgics, the history of the Western Church, ancient languages – Hebrew and Greek – pastoral theology, iconology, Russian Church history, the history of Russian philosophy, ascetic and dogmatic theology, canon law, methodology and moral theology. In his time, Fr Alexei Knyazev taught his particular subject – teachings on the Mother of God. Recently we included church singing into the programme, including understanding church singing.

Do you have any preferred subjects?

From the very beginning our old professors put a lot of work into the “neopatristic synthesis”, as it is called, as our school is very attached to the Church Fathers. You could even say that Church Fathers and liturgical theology was developed by our professors, starting with Fr. Cyprian Kern, Fr. Nicholas Afanasiev and Fr Alexander Schmemann, are at the heart of our programmes. Today we have a young professor – Andrei Lossky – who is developing this theme. Fr. Nikolai Osolin has developed the whole area of teaching about icons. He has taken a step away from art history towards the place the icon has in the development of Orthodox theological thought. We also think dogmatic theology is really important. We have our own points of view on these disciplines. We also insist that students learn Greek thoroughly because it is difficult to study theology without it.

Where do the students live?

We have a small residence where about 20 men can live. The rest find their own lodgings in the city.

Do they have any duties to carry out?

We are not very strict, so they have no duties, apart from laying the table and keeping their rooms clean.

Do students pay for tuition?

Yes. We are a private school we have neither a rich Church nor sponsors backing us. We live more for ideals than money. It is a constant miracle that we are still in existence!

What are the qualifications for becoming a student? What do you require?

Our first requirement is to have a good brain. More seriously, a desire to study theology is essential and, unfortunately, to know French, as our lectures are in French. What is more, Paris, as you remarked, is not a cheap place to live. Therefore a student needs to have means to support him or herself. We sometimes help students, but it is never much.

Are there entrance exams?

Yes, there is a formal exam to check general knowledge. We also look through a studentʼs records to make sure of the level of education and what has been studied.

Are there age limitations?

No there are no limitations. You can study with us after 40 and after 50. So, why donʼt you sign up? (laughs).

How many of the students complete the courses they start?

Last year about 20 people graduated: about 10 at masterʼs level and the rest at bachelor level. Itʼs not a lot but it is sufficient for us.

What are relationships like between teachers and students?

Very good, as you saw. The school is small and the lecturers set the tone. Just as in Russia some are strict and some are not so strict. We are like a family.

Are the students obliged to go to services?

We do require that the students attend services. We have kept Church Slavonic for the services because it has turned out to be easier to teach in French rather than pray in French. Even though we have students who do not understand Slavonic, they come along and pray. We have services every morning and evening, just as they do in the Russian theological schools.

What other theological schools are there in France?

About 5 years ago a Russian theological seminary opened in Paris. This is a kind of centre where there are courses for students who can then defend their masters or doctoral dissertations at other universities. We have good relations with the seminary. I teach there and am friends with them all.

With regard to Catholic schools: there are many in France. There is an ecumenical institute under the Catholic University and our lecturers teach Orthodox theology there. There are students from many different countries and sometimes they have not heard of Orthodoxy. That gives us an opportunity to acquaint them with Orthodox theology. Some of the students from the Ecumenical Institute study with us for masters degrees. Sometimes we organise seminars or lectures. Last year, for example, we organised a course on the Old Testament, according to the Septuagint, where Orthodox and Protestants looked at the specifics of the Septuagint in comparison with the Masoretic texts. St Serge is known as a Russian theological institute, as a centre of Russian theological thought which developed its work in France and the whole Orthodox world while the church in Russia was undergoing persecution.

Fr. Nikolai, what kind of relationships do you have with the theological schools in Russia, in particular the academies in Moscow and St Petersburg?

Last year when I was in the Moscow Theological Academy we signed an agreement on cooperation. We long ago agreed something similar with the St Tikhon University. Whenever possible we invite lecturers from Russia to conferences and they invite us. We travel to Russia most years.

What is your judgement of the situation in Russia?

I have nothing to say really, as I love Russia very much. Just the one thing: the Russian Church is just beginning to walk like a toddler. So that a toddler doesnʼt fall over he needs a hand or even a finger to hold on to. Criticism should be directed at specific situations. That is not my style. I wouldnʼt dare criticise in general as that has no point. You know, I have great sympathy for Russia. Sympathy in the Greek sense: fellow feeling. Fellow feeling for all that happens in Russia. Fellow feeling with love.

Source: http://www.bogoslov.ru/en/text/2816311.html

"Elijah suffered because he alone was faithful to the true God of Israel. Like Job, he showed patient endurance."

The four stained glass windows (two on each side) at the bottom of the north and south walls of our church temple are the major prophets of the Old Testament: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Together with the twelve apostles (six on each side) this demonstrates the intimate link between the faithful of the Old Covenant in Israel with the faithful of the New Covenant in Christ, also known as the Church or the Body of Christ. The four major prophets are recognized as such because their books form the longest prophetic writings that appear in the Old Testament of the Bible. Shorter books of the Twelve Minor Prophets also appear in the Old Testament: Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joe, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. And there are even more prophets that played a major role in the life of Israel.

One of those prophets is celebrated today, July 20th, every year and is very well known in Greece. He is the prophet Elijah. That is his Hebrew name. His Greek name is Elias. He is such an important figure in the life of the Orthodox Church that three Old Testament readings are appointed to be read at the Vespers service of his feast and the Epistle reading selected for his feast supersedes the customary epistle assigned for the Sixth Sunday of Matthew. That may not mean much to those not familiar with the details of our lectionary system but let it be known that this typically only occurs for the major feasts of the Lord, the Virgin Mary and a very few major saints. Thus, Elijah is very highly esteemed in the Orthodox Tradition. Why is that? What is about Elijah that makes him worthy of such attention.

Well today’s Epistle reading for Prophet Elijah is from James 5:10-20 and it provides a template for us to learn about this prophet and to learn from him as well. First, Elijah is mentioned specifically in verse 17: Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

This is referring to Elijah warning King Ahab of the drought to come. He says, “there shall not be any dew nor rain during these years except at my word” (1Kings 17:1). At that time, Ahab and his wife Jezebel were leading the Israelites to the worship of the false god of Baal including child sacrifices. This drought will set the stage for the dramatic victory of Elijah over the false prophets of Baal. We will return to that in a moment.

The second lesson mentioned in today’s Epistle of James is in the following verses (13-15): Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

In our Orthodox Christian Faith, this is exactly what we practice. The elders (presbeteroi) are the presbyters or priests whom we call when we are sick. They visit us if we cannot come to the church. They pray for us. They anoint us with the oil of the Sacrament/Mystery of Holy Unction (Euchelaion = literally the good/blessed oil). The prophet Elijah visited the widow of Zarephath (1Kings 17:8-24) whose son had died. Elijah takes the boy into his arms and prays over him three times and raises him from the dead. This dynamic is reemphasized in James 5:16 “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”

Thirdly, let us now return to the drought in Israel. The people had strayed so far from their traditional faith to the false worship of Baal that Elijah was the only prophet left of the true God, the Lord of Israel. In dramatic fashion, Elijah challenges Ahab (1Kings 18:18) to a contest to see whose God could end the drought. Elijah tells Ahab to bring the 850 false prophets (v.19) and they were given an ox to sacrifice to their god (v.23). The false prophets placed their ox on wood and called upon their God from morning till noon to send down fire from heaven but nothing happened (v.26). Elijah mocks them (v.27) and then he rebuilds the abandoned broken down altar of Israel (vv.31-32). He lays the wood and the ox on the altar and then drenches the sacrifice three times with water (vv.33-35). Then Elijah prays and (vv.36-37) and God sends fire down from heaven and consumes the ox, the wood and the water (v.38). After this dramatic victory, Elijah and the people gather all the false prophets and execute them (v.40). Elijah then prays seven times and the drought ends (vv.41-46).

How did Jezebel respond to this demonstration of Elijah’s faith and God’s power? Did she turn from her idolatry to the true God? No, she sets out to capture and kill Elijah. Here we see the fourth example of Elijah. In first verses of today’s Epistle it says, As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (vv.10-11)

Elijah suffered because he alone was faithful to the true God of Israel. Like Job, he showed patient endurance. Not only did he suffer persecution, but somewhat unjustly, he was taken from earth before the earthly destruction of Ahab and Jezebel.

In conclusion, can we imitate Elijah in his great and deep faith in the one, true God? Like him, do we turn to God in fervent prayer with abiding trust? When those prayers are not answered do we give up or do we continue to implore God, seeking to understand and accept His will? When we are sick, whether in soul or body, do we turn faithfully to the priest and ask for his righteous prayers and the anointing of Holy Unction Oil? Do we pray for others who are sick and encourage them also to receive the great Mystery of Healing? Are we willing to take them up into our arms and carry them to the upper room of the Church? Will we be like the friends of the paralytic who brought him to Christ in today’s Gospel from the Sixth Sunday of Matthew (9:1-8)? When we realize the continuing and constant illness our soul is due to our sins, will we follow the commandment of James in today’s Epistle when he says, “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed”?

Can we face the fact that we have set up many false gods in our lives and the lives of our children, sacrificing them to sports and all sorts of other entertainment at the expense of a growing, maturing, intimate relationship with God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the All-Holy Spirit? And, are willing to eliminate the false prophets who tell us lies and deceive us into abandoning our true Creator?

Finally, let us remember today on the Feast of Elijah, that he also appeared in the New Testament with Moses next to Christ when He was Transfigured on Mount Tabor before James, Peter and John (Mt.17:1-3; Mk.9:2-8; Lk.9:27-36). Elijah’s appearance at this moment is traditionally interpreted as him representing both the prophets of Israel and all the living because he was taken up alive into heaven on the fiery chariot (2Kings 2:1,6-14). Thus, Christ is the God of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets, as well as the God of the living and the dead (Moses). Ask yourself, is Christ the God of me? Amen!

Source: http://stgeorgegoc.org/pastors-corner/fr-ricks-sermons/example-of-prophet-elijah

The Venerable Seraphim of Sarov reposed in 1833 and seventy years later he was canonized by the Russian Church. On July 18, 1903 there were between 200,000 and 300,000 pilgrims in the streets of Sarov as the relics of St. Seraphim were transferred to the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos. There from the night of July 18th till the next morning there was an all-night vigil in all the churches of Holy Russia.

The uncovering of the holy relics of Saint Seraphim of Sarov on July 19, 1903 was attended by many thousands, among them the foremost of the clergy and royalty; the holy Tsar Nicholas II (July 4) was one of the bearers of the relics in procession, and the Grand Duchess Elizabeth (July 5) wrote an eyewitness account of the many miracles that took place. Not only had the Saint foretold the coming of the Tsar to his glorification, and that from joy they would chant "Christ is Risen" in summer, but he had also left a letter "for the fourth sovereign, who will come to Sarov." This was Nicholas II, who was given the letter when he came in 1903; the contents of the letter are not known, but when he had read it, the Tsar and future Martyr, though not a man to show his emotions, was visibly shaken.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

Thou didst love Christ from thy youth, O blessed one, and ardently desiring to work for Him alone, thou didst struggle in the wilderness with constant prayer and labour; and having acquired love for Christ with compunction of heart, thou didst prove to be the beloved favourite of the Mother of God. Wherefore, we cry to thee: Save us by thy prayers, O Seraphim, our holy Father.

Kontakion in the Second Tone

Having left the beauty of the world and what is corrupt therein, O Saint, thou didst settle in the Monastery of Sarov. And having lived there an angelic life, thou wast for many the way unto salvation. Wherefore, Christ hath glorified thee, O Father Seraphim, and hath enriched thee with the gift of healing and miracles. And so we cry to thee: Rejoice, O Seraphim, our holy Father.

In 1926 the Bolsheviks shut down the Monastery of Sarov and took the larnax which contained the relic of St. Seraphim. They first brought it to Arzamas then to Moscow. There they also brought many other holy relics from all over Russia, where a special committee considered which ones interested them the most. When they reached the coffin of St. Seraphim and opened it, the holy relic was miraculously not found.

The holy relic was discovered on January 11, 1991 in the Church of the Virgin of Kazan in St. Petersburg. That night thunder and lightning had crossed the skies of St. Petersburg, and all understood something was happening.

From St. Petersburg the holy relic of St. Seraphim was transferred to Diveyevo in order to fulfill the prophecy of St. Seraphim, who before his repose said that he would find rest in Diveyevo.

Source: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2013/07/translation-of-holy-relics-of-saint.html

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"Lord, Why Do You not Love Me?" By Archimandrite Andrew Konanos

An Orthodox Christian Perspective on Authority and Obedience in Marriage

Personal Stories: An Orthodox Theological School In France

The Examples of Prophet Elijah for Us to Follow

The Relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov Returned from Space Earlier this Year

Original Photos from the Translation of the Holy Relics of Saint Seraphim of Sarov

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