The seven teachings of St. Seraphim of Sarov

On 1 August, the Church celebrates the uncovering of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Wonderworker. We offer our readers a selection of his teachings is about the essence of the Christian life and the specific “applied” aspects.

  • About romance of St. Seraphim of Sarov
  • Seraphim – world lamp

About the love of God

Having attained perfect love of God exists in this life as if it never existed. For considers himself a stranger to the visible, patiently awaiting the invisible. It all changed in the love of God and forget all else to love.

Who love themselves, to love God can not. And who doesn’t love themselves for the love of God, he loves God.

Who truly loves God considers himself a wanderer and a stranger to this land; for soul and mind in his pursuit of God contemplates Him alone.

The soul filled with the love of God, during the Exodus from my body, I will not fear the Prince of the air, but with the Angels vzletit, as if from a foreign country to the homeland.

Against excessive popechitelnogo

Excessive care about worldly things peculiar to man faithless and cowardly. And Woe to us if we caring about themselves, not approved by the hope we walk in God, cares for us! If visible benefits are in the present age, do not belong to It, how can you expect the benefits promised in the future? Are you of little faith, and it is better we seek first the Kingdom of God, and this all will be added to us according to the word of the Savior (Matt. 6, 33).

Better for us to despise what is not ours, i.e., temporary, and transitory, and wishing us, i.e., incorruption and immortality. Because, when we are incorruptible and immortal, will then be awarded visible Bogorodichniy, like the Apostles at the Transfiguration Bozhestvennaya and reach beyond smart Union with God like a heavenly minds. Because we are like Angels and sons of God, the resurrection, the children of Jehovah (LK. 20, 36).

Care of the soul

People the body like a lighted candle. The candle must burn and the man must die. But the soul is immortal, and therefore our care should be more about the soul than about the body: Kai Bo is a man profited, if pribrame the whole world and otmetit his soul or what will a man give treason for his soul (MK. 8, 36; Matt. 16, 26), which, as we know, nothing in the world can be a foreclosure?

If one soul is itself more precious than the whole world and the worldly Kingdom, then much more the Kingdom of heaven. Soul same honor is most precious for the reason, says St. Macarius the Great, that God is nothing deigned to communicate and connect with your spiritual nature, to any visible creature, but with one person you loved more than all His creatures.

Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Ambrose of Milan and the other from adolescence to end of life were virgins; their whole life was directed to the care of the soul, not the body. And we all efforts should have about the soul; the body is to reinforce in order only it contributed to reinforcement of the spirit.

About the world peace

There is nothing better than peace in Christ, it also destroyed all the language of the air and earth spirits: bear Bo our struggle to flesh and blood, but the beginning and blastem to masteritem the darkness of this world, to the spirit of wickedness in high places (Eph. 6, 12).

The sign of the rational soul, when man immerses the mind inward and is doing in your heart. Then the grace of God prosenjit him, and he is in a peaceful dispensation, and through this and premimum: in the peace, i.e., with good conscience, in premimum same, for the mind sees in himself the grace of the Holy spirit, the word of God: in His world (PS. 75, 3).

Is it possible, seeing the sun sensuous eyes, not rejoice? But how much more joyful it is when the mind sees the inner eye of the Sun of righteousness of Christ. Then truly rejoice with the joy of the angel; about this the Apostle said: our life is on in heaven (Phil. 3, 20).

When someone in the peace dispensation goes, he like a deceitful draws spiritual gifts.

The Holy fathers, having a peaceful state and being overshadowed by the grace of God, lived for a long time.

When people come to the peaceful state, then he can from himself and others to shed light enlightenment of the mind; but before this person ought to repeat these words Anna the prophetess: Yes, no circumlocution would issue out of your mouth (1 Sam. 2, 3), and the word of the Lord: the hypocrite of izmi first the beam out of the flock of thine: and then shall see izati suces of the flock of thy brother (Matt. 7, 5).

This world, as a priceless treasure left by our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples before His death, proclaimed: peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you (Jn. 14, 27). About it also speaks the Apostle: and the peace of God, prevoshodnyi every mind, will guard your hearts and your understanding is yours in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4, 7).

If not wasserdic people about the needs of the mundane, can have no peace of mind.

Inner peace is acquired tribulations. The Scripture says: proidoha squoze fire and water and thou plagued us in peace (PS. 65, 12). Wanting to please God, the way lies through many sorrows.

Nothing promotes the acquisition of inner peace, as silence as possible, and constant conversation with him and rare with others.

So we need all your thoughts, desires and actions to focus to ensure that to obtain the peace of God and the Church to always cry out: o Lord our God! the world give us (ISA. 26, 12).

About keeping the peace

All measures ought to strive to preserve peace of soul and not to resent the insults from others; for this reason, you should try to keep the anger and through attention to the mind and heart to abide from indecent movements.

This exercise can bring to the human heart the peace and make it an abode for God Himself.

The image of such bushneva we see in Gregory the Wonderworker, which in a public place wife a harlot asked for bribes, allegedly for what he’s done with her sin; and he, it is not in the least angry, he murmured to one of his friend: give her the price, Colico requires. Wife just took the wages of unrighteousness, was attacked by the devil; the Holy one has rid her of the demon by prayer .

If it is impossible not to resent, at least, ought to try to keep the language, the verb of the Psalmist: mathsa and verbs (PS. 76, 5).

In this case, you will be able to afford to take sample of St. Spyridon and of St. Ephrem the Syrian. The first suffered insult: when, at the request of the king Greek, he entered the Palace, one of the servants in the house of tsarist ex, regarding it for a beggar, laughed at him, wouldn’t let him into the house and then hit and lanita; Saint Spyridon, being gentle, and by the word of the Lord, turned to him and the other (Matt. 5, 39).

Prep. Ephraim, fasting in the desert, stripped was a student of food this way: the student, bringing him food, crushed on the road, reluctantly, vessel. The monk, seeing a sad pupil, said to him: do not grieve, brother, if thou Bo not of his own have made us food, we will go to her; and they went and sat down at the brokenness of the vessel and, collecting food tasted her, so he was bushaven.

How to win anger, these things can be seen from the lives of Paisius the great, which appeared to him the Lord Jesus Christ asked, that he released him from the wrath; and Christ said to him: if anger and rage, kupno pobediti homesi, necesare covet nor poznanovici one, no unicity.

In order to preserve peace of soul, must alienate himself from the sadness and try to have a spirit of joyous, not sad, according to the word of Sirach: sorrow Bo many UBI and carry use it (Sir. 30, 25).

When a person has a major flaw in the body needs things, it is difficult to beat depression. But this, of course, for the weak souls should be treated.

For preserving peace of soul is also strongly should avoid condemnation of others. By not speaking out and silence, peace of soul: when in this dispensation is the man, he receives Divine revelation.

To preserve the peace of the world ought often to enter into yourself and ask: where am I? Herewith must see to the bodily senses, especially sight, serve the inner man and not entertained soul sensual objects: for fertile talents get only those koi have an internal action and guarding the souls of his.

How to treat family and friends?

With others must be handled gently, without making even a form of abuse. In relation to others we must be as the word, and thought, clean, and equal in all things, otherwise our lives will make useless. Should not be in the heart of anger or hatred for one’s neighbor rival, but should try to love him, following the Lord’s teachings: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”.

Why do we judge our brethren? Because do not try to know themselves. Who is engaged in the study of the self has no time to notice others. Judge yourself and then you will cease to judge others. Themselves should we consider krishnasami all and every bad thing to forgive, while hating only the devil who has tempted him.

In silence endure when insulting the enemy, and the Lord open his heart. For the offense, whatever was done to us, not only shall not avenge, but on the contrary, had yet to forgive from the heart, though it opposed them, and to bow his conviction of the word of God: “But let not men their trespasses, your heavenly father will not let go of your sins.

As a Christian relate to unbelievers?

When you happen to be among people in the world, about spiritual matters to say it shouldn’t, especially when they do not primchatsya and desire for hearing. When the need or need it comes, it was for the glory of God to act should the verb: “AZ glorifying Me I will glorify,” because the path is already opened. With the spiritual man ought to speak of human things, with human beings having a spiritual mind, one must talk about heaven.

Shall not without the need to open another of his heart – from thousands can only find one that would preserve his secret. When we do not store it in themselves to hope that she may be keeping others? What flowed in the heart of the best, we no need to pour should not, because then only assembled can be safe from visible and invisible enemies, when it is stored inside the heart. Not open all the secrets of your heart.

All measures must try to hide a treasure of talents, otherwise, you will lose and not find. For the experimental dictum of St Isaac the Syrian: “it is Better to have help, like from storage, less assistance, which is shed from the cases.”

Should be milostivy to the poor and strange – about this a lot had all sorts of priests and fathers of the Church. We should by all means try to fulfill the word of God: “Awake, son of the merciful, as also your Father is merciful is.” When we turn away from someone or offend someone, it is applied on the heart like a stone.

See also:

  • World lamp. St. Seraphim Of Sarov
  • We see what Christianity in the image of St. Seraphim
  • Among the summer sing Easter

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