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← Life of Saint Seraphim of Sarov/Book 1 · Житие преподобного Серафима, Саровского чудотворца
Chapter 24ChichagovZhitieSerafima.1.24

Житие преподобного Серафима, Саровского чудотворца

The Healing of the Sick Woman

After a miraculous healing, Seraphim humbly attributes the miracle to the Queen of Heaven.

The people standing in the entry hall, when they saw the miracle, spread word throughout the entire monastery, and especially in the guest house, that Fr. Seraphim had healed the sick woman. When this event was over, there came to Father. Seraphim one of the Diveyevo sisters. Father.1 Seraphim said to her: — Mother, it wasn't poor Seraphim who healed her, but the Queen of Heaven.

Counsel on the Sign of the Cross

Seraphim instructs a Diveyevo sister to urge her relatives to adopt the Orthodox three-fingered cross and to pray for her departed kin.

Then he asked her: – Mother, don't you have anyone in your family who doesn't go to church? "There aren't any like that, Father," the sister answered, "but my parents and all my relatives pray with the two-fingered cross."2 "Ask them in my name," said Father.3 Seraphim, "that they fold their fingers in the name of the Holy Trinity."4 – I've told them about this many times, Father, but they won't listen. They'll listen; ask them in my name. Start with your brother, who loves me; he'll be the first to agree. And did you have any relatives among the departed who prayed with the two-fingered cross?5 – To my sorrow, everyone in our family prayed that way. "Though they were virtuous people," Father remarked.6 Seraphim, after thinking it over, “yet they’ll be bound: the Holy78 Orthodox Church does not accept this cross." .9 .10 And do you know their graves? The sister named the graves of those whose burial places she knew. – Go, Mother, to their graves, make three bows at each, and pray to the Lord that He would absolve them in eternity.11 The sister did just that. She also told the living that they should adopt the Orthodox way of joining the fingers in the name of the Holy Trinity, and they promptly obeyed the voice of Fr.12 Seraphim: for they knew that he was a saint of God and understands the mysteries of the holy.13 faith of Christ.

The Vision of Heavenly Dwellings

Seraphim shares with a trusted monk his rapture into the heavenly mansions and the ineffable joy that awaits the righteous.

Once Fr. Seraphim, in inexpressible joy, said to a trusted monk: "Look, I'll tell you about poor Seraphim! I delighted in the word of my Lord Jesus Christ, where He says: In My Father's house are many mansions (i. e. for those who serve Him and glorify His holy name). At these words of Christ the Savior, I, poor as I am, paused and longed to see those heavenly dwellings, and I prayed to my Lord Jesus Christ that He would show me these dwellings; and the Lord did not withhold His mercy from me, poor as I am; He fulfilled my desire and my petition; look, I was caught up into these heavenly dwellings; only I don't know whether in the body or apart from the body—God knows; it is beyond understanding. But about that heavenly joy and sweetness which I tasted there, it's impossible to tell you." And with these words Fr. Seraphim fell silent. . . He bowed his head and gently stroked his hand over his heart; his face began to change little by little, until it finally grew so radiant that it was impossible to look at him.✦ During that mysterious silence, he seemed to be contemplating something with tender devotion.14 Then Father15 Seraphim spoke again: "Ah, if only you knew," the elder said to the monk, "what joy, what sweetness awaits the soul of the righteous in heaven, you would resolve to bear every sorrow, persecution, and slander in this temporal life with thanksgiving." "If even this very cell of ours," — and with that he pointed to his cell — "were full of worms, and if those worms ate our flesh through our whole temporal life, we ought still to consent to it with every desire, if only we would not lose that heavenly joy which God has prepared for those who love Him." There is no sickness, no sorrow, and no sighing; there, sweetness and joy are beyond words, and the righteous will shine like the sun.16 But if even St.17 the Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 12:2–4), then what other human tongue can explain the beauty of the heavenly dwelling in which the souls of the righteous will settle?18 As he concluded his conversation, the elder spoke about how necessary it is now to care for one's salvation with the utmost diligence, while the favorable time hasn't yet passed.

Prophecy and Fulfillment for a Young Woman

Seraphim foresees the monastic vocation of a worldly woman, gives her cryptic instructions, and his words are later fulfilled when she becomes abbess Kallista.

Elder Seraphim’s spiritual foresight reached very far. He gave counsel for a future that an ordinary person could never foresee. So a young woman who had never thought of leaving the world came to him in his cell to ask for guidance on how she might be saved. Hardly had this thought crossed her mind when the elder began to speak: "Don't trouble yourself too much; live as you're living; in what is greater, God Himself will teach you." Then, bowing to the ground before her, he said: "I ask only one thing of you: please, take part yourself in every arrangement and judge fairly; by this you will also be saved." Still living in the world at the time and never once thinking she would ever be in a monastery, this woman could not at all understand what such words of Father Seraphim. And he continued, saying to her: "When that time comes, remember me." As she took her leave of Fr. Seraphim, the woman said that perhaps the Lord would bring them together again. "No," answered Fr. Seraphim,—we are already parting forever, and so I ask you not to forget me in your holy prayers." And when she asked him to pray for her as well, he answered: "I will pray, but you go now in peace: they are already murmuring strongly against you."19 Her companions did indeed meet her at the guesthouse with strong murmuring over her delay. Meanwhile, the words of Fr. Seraphim were not spoken in vain.20 By the inscrutable ways of Providence, the woman who had spoken with him entered monastic life under the name Kallista and, as abbess of the Sviyazhsk Monastery in Kazan province, remembered the elder's instructions and ordered her life by them.

Read the original Russian

Народ, стоявший в сенях, увидев чудо, разглашал по всему монастырю, и особенно в гостинице, что о. Серафим исцелил больную.

Когда это событие кончилось, то пришла к о. Серафиму одна из Дивеевских сестёр. О. Серафим сказал ей:

– Это, матушка, не Серафим убогий исцелил её, а Царица Небесная.

Потом спросил её:

– Нет ли у тебя, матушка, в роду таких, которые в церковь не ходят?

– Таких нет, батюшка,– отвечала сестра,– а двуперстным крестом молятся мои родители и родные все.

– Попроси их от моего имени,– сказал о. Серафим,–чтобы они слагали персты во имя Святой Троицы.

– Я им, батюшка, говорила о сём много раз, да не слушают.

– Послушают, попроси от моего имени. Начни с твоего брата, который меня любит; он первый согласится. А были ли у тебя из умерших родные, которые молились двуперстным крестом?

– К прискорбию, у нас в роду все так молились.

– Хоть и добродетельные были люди,– заметил о. Серафим, пораздумавши,– а будут связаны: св. Православная Церковь не принимает этого креста. . . А знаешь ли ты их могилы?

Сестра назвала могилы тех, которых знала, где погребены.

– Сходи ты, матушка, на их могилы, положи по три поклона и молись Господу, чтобы Он разрешил их в вечности.

Сестра так и сделала. Сказала и живым, чтобы они приняли православное сложение перстов во имя Святой Троицы, и они точно послушались голоса о. Серафима: ибо знали, что он угодник Божий и разумеет тайны св. Христовой веры.

Однажды о. Серафим в неизобразимой радости сказал доверенному иноку: «Вот, я тебе скажу об убогом Серафиме! Я усладился словом Господа моего Иисуса Христа, где Он говорит: в дому Отца Моего обители мнози суть (т. е. для тех, которые служат Ему и прославляют Его святое имя). На этих словах Христа Спасителя я, убогий, остановился и возжелал видеть оные небесные обители и молил Господа моего Иисуса Христа, чтобы Он показал мне эти обители; и Господь не лишил меня, убогого, Своей милости; Он исполнил моё желание и прошение; вот, я и был восхищен в эти небесные обители; только не знаю, с телом или кроме тела – Бог весть; это непостижимо. А о той радости и сладости небесной, которую я там вкусил, сказать тебе невозможно». И с этими словами о.

Серафим замолчал. . . Он поник головою, гладя тихонько рукою против сердца, лицо его стало постепенно меняться и, наконец, до того просветилось, что невозможно было смотреть на него. Во время таинственного своего молчания, он как будто созерцал что-то с умилением. Потом о. Серафим снова заговорил:

– Ах, если бы ты знал,– сказал старец иноку,– какая радость, какая сладость ожидает душу праведного на небеси, то ты решился бы во временной жизни переносить всякие скорби, гонения и клевету с благодарением. Если бы самая эта келия наша,– при этом он показал на свою келию,– была полна червей, и если бы эти черви ели плоть нашу во всю временную жизнь, то со всяким желанием надобно бы на это согласиться, чтобы только не лишиться той небесной радости, какую уготовил Бог любящим Его. Там нет ни болезни, ни печали, ни воздыхания; там сладость и радость неизглаголанные; там праведники просветятся, как солнце. Но если той небесной славы и радости не мог изъяснить и сам св. Апостол Павел (2Кор. 12,2–4), то какой же другой язык человеческий может изъяснить красоту горнего селения, в котором водворятся души праведных?

В заключение своей беседы, старец говорил о том, как необходимо теперь тщательнейшим образом заботиться о своём спасении, пока не прошло ещё благоприятное время.

Прозорливость старца Серафима простиралась очень далеко. Он давал наставления для будущего, которое человеку обыкновенному никак не предусмотреть. Так, пришла к нему в келию одна молодая особа, никогда не думавшая оставить мир, чтобы попросить наставления, как ей спастись. Едва только эта мысль мелькнула в её голове, старец уже начал говорить: «Много-то не смущайся, живи так, как живёшь; в большем Сам Бог тебя научит». Потом, поклонившись ей до земли, сказал: «Только об одном прошу тебя: пожалуйста, во все распоряжения входи сама и суди справедливо; этим и спасёшься». Находясь тогда ещё в мире и совершенно не думая никогда быть в монастыре, эта особа никак не могла понять, к чему клонятся такие слова о. Серафима. Он же, продолжая свою речь, сказал ей: «Когда придёт это время, тогда вспомните меня».

Прощаясь с о. Серафимом, собеседница сказала, что, может быть, Господь приведёт им опять свидеться. «Нет, – отвечал о. Серафим,– мы уже прощаемся навсегда, а потому прошу не забывать меня в святых своих молитвах». Когда же она просила помолиться и за неё, он отвечал: «Я буду молиться, а ты теперь гряди с миром: на тебя уже сильно ропщут». Спутницы, действительно, встретили её на гостинице с сильным ропотом за медлительность. Между тем, слова о. Серафима не были произнесены на воздух.

Собеседница, по неисповедимым судьбам Промысла, ступила в монашество под именем Каллисты и, быв игуменьею в Свияжском монастыре Казанской губернии, помнила наставления старца и по ним устрояла свою жизнь.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Matt.17.2;Exod.34.29-Exod.34.35 — And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as the light. Exod.34.29 — And it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai—with the two tablets of the testimony in Moses' hand as he came down from the mountain—that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he spoke with Him. Exod.34.30 — When Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. Exod.34.31 — Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke to them. Exod.34.32 — Afterward all the sons of Israel drew near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. Exod.34.33 — When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Exod.34.34 — Whenever Moses went before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out. Then he would go out and speak to the Israelites what he was commanded. Exod.34.35 — The Israelites would see Moses' face, that the skin of Moses' face was shining; and Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with him.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Russian о. is the standard abbreviation of отец (Father), rendered here as Fr.
  2. 2 ↩«двуперстным крестом» refers to the Old Believer practice of making the sign of the cross with two fingers, contrasted in the next section with folding the fingers in the name of the Holy Trinity.
  3. 3 ↩Source ends mid-title at «сказал о.»; with the next sentence this is the standard abbreviation «о. Серафим» (Father Seraphim).
  4. 4 ↩«слагали персты» refers to forming the fingers for the sign of the cross (Orthodox three-finger form), in contrast with the two-fingered crossing mentioned in the preceding section.
  5. 5 ↩двуперстным крестом denotes the Old Believer two-fingered sign of the cross, not merely a physical cross object.
  6. 6 ↩Source ends with truncated «о.»; with the next sentence this is clearly «о. Серафим» (Father Seraphim).
  7. 7 ↩«связаны» rendered as «bound»; the pastoral force is that those who prayed with the rejected cross remain bound by that practice, not merely «connected».
  8. 8 ↩«св.» is the truncated start of «св. Православная Церковь» (Holy Orthodox Church), completed in the next sentence.
  9. 9 ↩Source text is only a period; no recoverable lexical content.
  10. 10 ↩Source text is only a period; no recoverable lexical content.
  11. 11 ↩Russian разрешил in prayers for the departed means loose/absolve (forgive and set free); rendered as “absolve” rather than a generic “release.”
  12. 12 ↩«православное сложение перстов» refers to the Orthodox three-finger configuration for the sign of the cross, contrasted with the Old Believer two-finger form.
  13. 13 ↩«угодник Божий» rendered as «saint of God» (one pleasing to God / recognized holy man).
  14. 14 ↩Russian умиление names a tender, grace-touched devotion characteristic of Orthodox spirituality; rendered here as "tender devotion" rather than generic emotion.
  15. 15 ↩Russian о. is the conventional abbreviation for отец (Father), continued in the next sentence with the name Seraphim.
  16. 16 ↩неизглаголанные rendered as 'beyond words' (ineffable / unutterable); keeps plain modern diction without losing the sense of speechless heavenly joy.
  17. 17 ↩Source sentence is broken across s4–s6; св. is a truncated abbreviation for святой / Saint, continued in the next refs as Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 12:2–4).
  18. 18 ↩горнего селения rendered as 'heavenly dwelling' (celestial abode / upper habitation).
  19. 19 ↩«гряди с миром» is an elevated imperative; rendered as natural liturgical English "go ... in peace," without archaic diction.
  20. 20 ↩«произнесены на воздух» literally "spoken into the air"; rendered as the natural English idiom "spoken in vain."

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