Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim (Bit-Kharibi)
They taught the people, instructed them in the faith, destroyed the darkness of superstition and destroyed the idolatry and temples remaining in the mountain gorges, instead of which they erected the holy cross and holy temples, and established citizenship among the people.
In Georgia, 25 kilometers from the capital, there is the Assyrian village of Kanda, where the Assyrian schema-archimandrite Seraphim (Bit-Kharibi) serves in a monastery in honor of the thirteen holy Assyrian fathers. He is the second clergyman in the world to serve the Divine Liturgy in Aramaic (the language spoken by Christ the Savior). Previously, services in this language were performed only in the Syrian city of Maaloula. About how he chose this path and how he became a clergyman, with a correspondent from the Orthodoxy portal. Father Seraphim talks.
– Father Seraphim, please tell us how you recognized God and how you became a monk - after all, you had a family and three children...
– When I was 10–11 years old, my mother gave me a children’s Gospel, which I read several times, but then for me it was a beautiful fairy tale, because I always doubted the existence of God. And when I believed in God, I became a monk. I had a family and three children. In 2001, my wife became seriously ill. She was eight months pregnant. The doctors did not leave us hope for salvation, they openly said that it was impossible to save her, that we needed to think about how to save the child.
At the grave of Elder Gabriel (Urgebadze)
At the elder’s grave, I turned to him: “If what they say about you is true, I beg you, pray before God that my wife and my child remain alive.”
When I woke up in the morning, I didn’t recognize my wife: she was very swollen, and the doctors could not make a diagnosis. Hemoglobin dropped to forty. She was urgently hospitalized. For 10 days her situation was critical. Then I took her from the hospital, because I no longer hoped for anything. Then I took her to the grave of Elder Gabriel (Urgebadze, now canonized as St. Gabriel, confessor and holy fool). We arrived, and I turned to the elder. I spoke as best I could, as best I could. I said: “If what they say about you is true, I beg you, pray before God for my family, so that my wife’s birth ends safely, so that both she and the child survive. If you help me with this, I promise that I will give up everything and become a monk.” On the second day, a miracle happened - she began to recover. This happened in just one night - from evening to morning. I realized that this was how it had to be for me to go through this path. Of course, God doesn’t like our torment either - He is love. But we must have needed these temptations.
Subsequently, of course, I forgot my promises. Then I was involved in sports and was a four-time champion of Georgia in oriental wrestling, I have a black belt and second dan. The President of the Federation just recently found out that I was already a clergyman, they came and awarded me the third dan. This, of course, makes me happy, but it doesn’t mean anything anymore.
On the 27th my daughter, Ketevan, was born. After my wife recovered, I went to Kyiv and opened a sports school there. But my nerves were getting worse, my heartbeat was getting worse... Then I decided to change jobs, I didn’t remember my vow, this is how my life went.
Mother Ksenia hit me with a stick: “I asked for your blessing!”
I often went to the Holy Trinity Monastery of St. John in Kyiv, where there was an icon of St. George, painted by a Georgian icon painter. All Georgians usually gathered there.
Holy Trinity Monastery of Jonah, Kyiv
One day, leaving the monastery, I met Mother Ksenia on the path. She was Belarusian by nationality, walked with a stick, had very poor vision and poor hearing. But she was visionary. I was then a young guy in jeans, with a cigarette in my hands, walking like that for fun, and she walked towards me. When I passed by her, she said: “Bless, Father Seraphim...” I didn’t even look in her direction, because I thought that some Father Seraphim was walking behind me, and she was asking him for a blessing. I continued on my way, but then she hit me on the head with a stick so hard that I fell.
- Madam, what are you doing? Shame on you? - I said. She was not wearing a nun's robe, and I did not understand that she was a nun.
“I asked for your blessing,” she replied.
I thought she was kind of crazy.
- How can I bless you? Here is the monastery, go and ask the monks for a blessing, I am a simple layman, and I am going my own way.
- No, you are Seraphim. God chose you in your family, because you no longer have a brother or cousins (she meant men), everyone died.
Orthodox way
At that time, Eugene was interested in Buddhism. But one day, one of the students drew his attention to the treasury of patristic works, the Philokalia. For Eugene, this work was a revelation. Another time, the same acquaintance invited him to attend a service in the Orthodox Cathedral. He responded. What he saw in the temple touched his soul and heart.
Even if not immediately, but gradually, in the end Eugene lost interest in Buddhism and turned towards Orthodoxy. At the same time, he began to study the Russian language.
When Eugene told his parents about his passion for Orthodox culture, they did not immediately understand what he was talking about, because they knew practically nothing about Orthodoxy. Eugene's father, Frank, who was brought up in the spirit of Catholicism, even thought that we were talking about Catholicism, because his son explained to him that he was imbued with respect for the true faith. The mother, out of ignorance, assumed that Russian Orthodoxy was akin to communism and at first did not want to support her son in his endeavor.
In 1961, Eugene, having completed his master's degree, unexpectedly left the university, preferring to devote the near future to working on a book on the topic of studying the problems of the spiritual state of modern people. And this despite the fact that a brilliant scientific and teaching career could await him at the university.
In February 1962 he converted to Orthodoxy. Administratively, it became part of the ROCOR community (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia).
The knowledge previously acquired and natural curiosity contributed to a thoughtful and deep understanding of the truths of the faith. Eugene owes much of his spiritual education to St. John of Shanghai, a strict ascetic who became his spiritual father. During this period, Eugene served as a reader in the church, improved his knowledge of the Russian language, and studied Church Slavonic.
His acquaintance with Gleb Podmoshensky, a young Russian graduate of Holy Trinity Jordanville Seminary, also had a great influence on his life. Despite some differences in character, they became close through common views and ideas. Gradually, a strong friendship began between them.
After some time, the friends became “business” partners: they began publishing the educational bulletin “Orthodox Messenger”, and then organized one of the first Orthodox shops in the United States selling spiritual literature, church utensils and holy icons. With the proceeds they planned to purchase a printing press, lay the financial foundation for missionary work, help the Orthodox Brotherhood, and also buy land for the construction of an Orthodox monastery.
During this period, Eugene completed three years of theological courses, tried his hand at conducting missionary conversations, and wrote articles. Sometimes, in his free time from work, he hurried into the forest: he loved to retire and pick mushrooms.
In 1967, a monastery was founded on a plot of land acquired in the California forest, near the town of Platina. At first, the founders encountered many organizational and technical difficulties, but as they arose, with God’s help the difficulties were resolved.
Mother Ksenia said that I will be the one who prays for my people, that this is the will of God
I was very surprised by her words, because I was more of a realist than a mystic. And she said that I would be the person who would pray for my people, that this was the will of God.
After that my life changed a lot. I started seeing different dreams. Later, I met with Mother Ksenia again, and she repeated to me: you will be what I said.
“I beg you, mother, explain,” I asked, “what kind of monk am I, I’m the father of a family, I have three children, it’s too late for me to become a monk...”
“You yourself will understand,” she answered.
– When will this be? – I asked.
“God Himself will let you know about it,” was the answer.
And there, in Ukraine, on March 14, 2006, on the day of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise, I really became a monk (and then a schema-monk). And in 2010, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Ilia II, I was ordained to the rank of deacon. This already happened in Georgia.
With His Holiness Patriarch Elijah
– How did you meet His Holiness Patriarch-Catholicos Elijah?
“I didn’t even think that I would ever meet him.” This was in 2008. The rector of the Church of St. Dionysius was then Archimandrite Seraphim (Kikonishvili). Subsequently, he adopted the schema with the name Mikhail. On October 11, 2013, he reposed in the Lord. It was he who introduced me to His Holiness the Patriarch, who invited me to stay in Georgia. And then I was going to Holy Mount Athos.
-Are you an Assyrian? – His Holiness asked me.
I nodded.
“So, I thought maybe I could send you to an Assyrian village so that you could serve there in your native language.” After all, these are your people, you know their nature and character, and you can look after them...
I couldn't answer. I realized that this was a blessing from Christ... I love His Holiness Elijah very much...
– But the situation in this village was quite difficult. It took you a lot of effort to bring these people to the temple... How did you manage to convert the entire village to God ?
– With God’s help... We met once a week (this became a tradition) and talked. They talked about everything - from primitive issues to serious and theological issues. This is how we got to know each other... If I saw guys sitting on the street, I invited them to the monastery courtyard and offered to meet them and talk. The blessing of His Holiness played a big role - he knew exactly what he was doing...
In search of truth
Hieromonk Seraphim Rose was born in the United States, in the Californian city of San Diego, on August 12, 1934.
His ancestors were immigrants from Europe. In the world, Seraphim's future father's name was Eugene Dennis Rose. Eugene's grandfather, John, who came to the United States from Norway, worked for a time as a driller in the diamond mining industry, then took up farming. His middle daughter, Esther, later became Eugene's mother. Growing up in an atmosphere of moderate need, she knew how to be thrifty and count every cent.
Her lover, Frank Rose, was of French and Danish descent. Frank's father was the owner of a confectionery shop, but by no means was one of the rich people. As a child, Frank served in the temple: that’s what his mother wanted. Having matured, he joined the army and was a participant in the First World War.
Frank met Esther at his father's (who was her employer) candy store. Despite the eleven-year age difference (Frank was older), they fell in love and got married. In 1924, the Rose family settled in California. In San Diego, Frank opened his own candy store, but the income from it did not live up to expectations, and, abandoning the business, he got a job as a cleaner.
Eugene Dennis was not the first child in the family and was born during the economic crisis in the country (the Great Depression). There was not enough food, we had to save on everything. Eugene's mother, Esther, a Protestant, was demanding of the children, kept them in pedagogical rigor, did not indulge them with excessive tenderness and affection, although in her heart she always loved them and admired them at every opportunity. The eldest daughter, Eugene's sister, helped her mother look after him.
Eugene was a modest and obedient child. From his father he borrowed such traits as evenness of character, calmness, the ability to be content with what he has, and from his mother - practicality, activity and even efficiency.
As a child, he stood out from his peers for his special restraint and thoughtfulness. During classes at school, I grasped the material on the fly. But this did not overshadow such an important quality in him as diligence. Quite early he began to learn to play the piano. At the same time, Eugene did not refuse the opportunity to take part in games with the boys. As a teenager, he joined the Scouts.
I finished the school course with honors, the first student. By decision of the school administration, he received an impressive scholarship, which delighted his mother. The year was 1952.
At that time, Eugene did not think deeply about what profession he should connect his future life with. He continued his education at a private college in Pomona, near Los Angeles. This college was one of the best in California.
Eugene moved into the hostel. By that time, he had somewhat moved away from the ideas of Protestantism towards a philosophical understanding of the world and his place in life, and had lost interest in Christianity as a system of a special worldview and worldview. According to his personal confession, during that period he was looking for the Truth, but did not find it.
Upon graduation from college in 1956, Eugene continued his studies at the Academy of Oriental Studies located in San Francisco.
Here he entered the circle of recognized intellectuals. This, of course, affected the way I spent my time. So, with the money he saved, he visited restaurants, the opera, the theater, allowed himself to smoke expensive cigarettes, and became a wine connoisseur.
As for the main purpose of his stay in San Francisco, education, he did not forget about this. Here, among other things, he was engaged in research, analysis and comparison of various religious views. It is noteworthy that when studying fundamental religious sources, he preferred, whenever possible, to use texts compiled in the original language.
In 1957, Eugene entered the University of Berkeley. Mainly, he was driven by the desire to study Chinese wisdom and the Chinese language.
Our heart breaks and weeps for the fate of Assyrian Christians in the Middle East
We grieve immensely, our hearts break with pain and weep for the fate of Assyrian Christians in the Middle East. Today, more than ever, persecution of Christians has reached the scale of the first centuries of Christianity, when murders and executions were widespread. More recently, during the First World War, heinous crimes began to be committed against the Assyrians. This systematically escalated into the destruction of an entire people, when about 4 million people were killed, a million of which were Assyrians.
The wounds of those times have not yet healed, and we are again standing on the threshold of a new wave of genocide, which in its inhuman cruelty is not inferior to those bloody events. We call on all Orthodox Christian believers to unite in prayer, become a united wall, and raise their voices in support of those who are persecuted and who are defenseless in these difficult days! Our brothers in Christ are being killed in their homes simply because of their faith.
We organized a rally, and not only Assyrians, but also Georgians stood next to us, they shared our pain, thanks to them for this support...
He didn't have the first and second
Iconostasis of St. Nicholas Church in Rakitnoye.
Photo from pravlife.org Restoration of the temple of Fr. Seraphim begins not with the walls and dome, not with household chores, but with prayer.
“It seemed that we should, without hesitation, take on repairs, look for people, funds, materials. But the priest did not make any visible efforts to begin restoration work. Just daily prayer,” recalled the cell attendant, Arch. Seraphim is the mother of Joasaph.
And over time, everything began to improve: people came and offered help.
The temple was repaired, electricity was installed, and one of the best icon painters of our time, Arch. Zinon (Theodore) painted the walls and dome of the temple. Soon a parish was formed.
“All people, without exception, had the right to his love,” wrote the spiritual son of Father Seraphim. – He didn’t have first and second, everyone was first, everyone was desired; every person is the image and likeness of God, which means he is worthy of respect and love.”
For everyone who surrounded Father Seraphim, his inexhaustible prayer was support and support. Believers and non-believers felt this: local sugar factories and enterprises worked without interruption, there was an excellent harvest in the fields, rains fell at the right time, the weather was always good during the harvest season, while in neighboring areas there was hail and frost.
Easter farewell
Archimandrite's grave
Seraphim Tyapochkina at the walls of the temple in Rakitnoye. Photo from mapio.net On the second day of Easter, on Bright Monday, April 19, 1982, the earthly life of Father Seraphim ended.
More than 100 telegrams were sent to spiritual children, but few were able to arrive on time - the date of the funeral was changed on the telegrams. But the prayers at the grave of Fr. Seraphim was not interrupted. On April 21, Wednesday of Bright Week, Archbishop Chrysostom (the same one whom the priest did not allow to condemn) served the Liturgy and funeral service according to the Easter rite.
And the main exclamation of the Easter requiem was not “I cry and weep,” but “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs!”
Before the burial, the bishop was given an order from the authorities so that the coffin with the body of the deceased should not be carried around the temple, as required by the order of a priestly burial. To which the brave ruler replied: “Tell them that I myself know how to perform a burial!”
The coffin with the body of the priest was carried around the temple three times and placed for farewell at the grave next to the altar.
It was unusually cold for the end of April - it was either wet snow or an icy wind that knocked us off our feet.
But those who came to say goodbye to their beloved elder remembered his words: “If I find mercy and grace from the Lord, then even then, after my departure, standing at the throne of the Lord, I will pray for you, my dear children,” and their hearts warmed.
Reply to three young people
With parishioners.
Photo from the site pravlife.org O. Seraphim hid his spiritual gifts: insight, the ability to heal, which he certainly possessed, according to the word of the Lord: “in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will take snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Gospel of Mark, 16:14-18).
The gift of insight helped him to extremely reduce the time of conversation with visitors. The elder walked among people on the street or in a temple, and, approaching someone, gave an answer to a question that had not yet been asked.
Once, to a young man, a candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, who asked the elder: why no one now becomes a priest (approximately 1975), the priest answered with a smile: “Here you go.” The questioner was none other than the current rector of the Orthodox St. Tikhon's Humanitarian University, Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov .
The same advice was given to two more guests who were then sitting at the priest’s table - employee of the Rublev Museum of Art History Alexander Saltykov and graduate of the Moscow State University Physics and Mathematics Nikolai Likhomanov. Archpriest Alexander Saltykov today is the rector of the Moscow Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kadashi, dean of the Faculty of Church Arts of PSTGU, senior researcher at the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after. Andrey Rublev. And Nikolai Likhomanov is Bishop Veniamin of Rybinsk and Danilovsky .
