The Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov twice a year. On August 1, the discovery of his relics in 1903 is celebrated. And on January 15, Orthodox Christians celebrate the repose of the monk. On the days of remembrance of St. Seraphim of Sarov, a festive service is held in churches and monasteries throughout Russia, and men who bear the name of the saint celebrate their name day.
The future ascetic was born in 1754 in Kursk, into the Moshnin merchant family. Since childhood, he dreamed of a monastic life and at the age of 24 he went to the Sarov Hermitage in what is now the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Having lived for a significant time in the monastery, the monk Seraphim, with the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, built himself a cell in a deep forest a few kilometers from the monastery. He lived there for more than 15 years, coming to the monastery only on Sundays and holidays. During his seclusion, the monk was attacked by robbers who brutally beat him, and therefore for the rest of his life he remained hunched over — he is depicted as such on icons. However, Seraphim forgave his offenders and asked not to punish them.
The time of the saint's solitude was associated with special prayer works. The saint struggled with strong spiritual temptation through the feat of pandemonium. For a thousand days and nights, with his hands raised, the Monk Seraphim prayed on the stone: during the day — in his cell, and at night — in the forest. He later took on the feat of silence for three years, ceasing to visit even the monastery at that time.
For his labors, the ascetic gained the gifts of insight and miracles and, after a long shutter, began to accept everyone who came to him for advice and consolation. Contemporaries of Seraphim of Sarov especially noted that the saint healed not so much with a meek word, but with the love and joy that came from him. The monk addressed any person with tenderness «joy my».
Even during his lifetime, Seraphim of Sarov was respected; people from all over Russia flocked to the monastery to hear his instructions regarding spiritual life and receive advice. After the peaceful death of the Rev in 1833, veneration became special. According to eyewitnesses, miracles were often performed at his grave. In 1903, the monk was canonized.
Now the relics of Seraphim of Sarov rest in the Seraphim-Diveevsky Convent, which thanks to this is one of the most famous monasteries in Russia. Every year, on the days of remembrance of the saint, especially solemn services are held here with the participation of the Patriarch, where thousands of pilgrims flock.