The Venerable Seraphim Vyritsky (Muravyov, 1866–1949), while still a layman, was distinguished by Orthodox piety and a wonderful gift of spiritual consolation to all the “suffering and burdened” who met on his life’s path. The great ministry of the elder was replete with gifts of clairvoyance, healing of the sick and other miracles. The memory of this lamp of the Orthodox faith is reverently revered by Christians not only in the St. Petersburg diocese, but throughout Russia, as well as beyond its borders.
The life of Hieroschemamonk Seraphim surprises with its extraordinary righteousness; God's Providence in relation to a true believer is clearly visible in his fate.
Seraphim's childhood
Using the example of his life, the Vyritsky ascetic was able to answer numerous questions from believers who are seeking salvation in the modern world. For many years, Father Seraphim walked the difficult path of everyday, imperceptible feat, which was accomplished in inner solitude, where there is no place for ardor, irritability and despondency, there is only hope for God’s mercy and help.
Origin and birth
Vasily Nikolaevich Muravyov was born on April 12, according to the new style, 1866. His biography began in the small village of Vakhromeevo, Yaroslavl province. The next day after the birth, the baby was baptized and named Vasily in honor of St. Basil the New, confessor.
The boy grew up smart beyond his years and taught himself to read. His first books were: the Psalter, the Gospel and the Lives of the Saints. Vasily loved to pray and think about God; he was of little interest in the games of his peers. He read a lot and secretly dreamed of dedicating his life to God and becoming a monk.
Family
Vasily’s parents, Nikolai Ivanovich and Khionia Alimpievna Muravyov, were deeply religious people. On Orthodox holidays and on Sundays, the whole family visited the Church of God. This could not but affect the boy’s spiritual development. From the age of nine, he already observed strict fasting on the same basis as adults, read a large prayer rule, and defended the entire service to the end.
The pious family always tried to follow the commandments of the Lord: to welcome strangers, to help the sick and poor. Vasily grew up from such a good example, learning mercy and compassion.
The Muravyov family often visited the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in which Elder Barnabas (Merkulov) asceticised at that time. He was widely known for his high spiritual life, exploits and insight. Father Barnabas called everyone who came “sons” and “daughters” and was affectionate with visitors.
Among his spiritual sons were such famous personalities as:
- metropolitans;
- bishops;
- Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod V.K. Sabler;
- even Tsar Nicholas II himself.
The elder often said:
“Without God you can’t reach the threshold!”
When Vasily timidly approached the saint for a blessing, Barnabas said to him: “Whatever you do, think about God, and He will help you.” The boy remembered these words for the rest of his life.
Soon the family suffered great grief: the father died. Vasily was then only ten years old. Having lost their breadwinner, the family began to be in great need. Poor health did not allow Khionia Alimpievna to work. Then a fellow villager, who served as a clerk, decided to help her and take Vasya to his place in St. Petersburg for his care and training in the craft. The mother blessed her son with an icon for the journey.
Teenage years and early life
Thus, ten-year-old Vasily began his independent life. His childhood ended early; he studied in St. Petersburg in order to somehow feed himself and his sick mother. The boy was obedient, smart and quickly mastered the trade craft, began to make noticeable progress and was soon appointed assistant clerk.
Vasily sent his earnings to his sick mother, leaving some money for himself. The young man was still haunted by thoughts of monasticism, and he decided to go to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra for a blessing from the elder schema-monk. He, having listened to Vasily’s speech, answered, being guided by the Holy Spirit: “Vasenka, you still need to bear your cross and serve in the world for the sake of the Lord.”
The young man humbled himself and remained in the world, not suspecting that his obedience would continue for forty long years. On holidays, Vasily attended services in the church and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. In his free time he prayed a lot, and on weekends he went to his mother to help with the housework.
Vasily was distinguished by great hard work and obedience. This was noted by his superiors, and at the age of sixteen he was already working as a clerk. A year later, Vasily became a senior clerk. This was a great success; many could not get this position even after many years of work.
But despite this, Vasily did not become proud, but continued to work with humility. He never condemned anyone, considering himself a great sinner.
Personal life
Vasily was a fairly attractive young man. He was tall, stately, and rich, which attracted the fair sex. But the young man kept his body pure, not getting close to any of the girls. This cost him a lot of work, because he was always in the thick of worldly life with its temptations.
Vasily decided to find himself a confessor in order to be saved under his leadership. To do this, he went to the Gethsemane monastery, where Elder Barnabas Merkulov was still asceticizing. He accepted the young man with love and agreed to become his mentor. The spiritual connection between them remained from that moment until their death. Vasily was an obedient son, and the elder lovingly instructed him.
Soon the young man met Olga, a modest Orthodox girl from a wealthy class. They got married in 1890 with the blessing of the elder, five years later their son Nikolai was born, and then their daughter Olga, who died in infancy.
In 1892, Vasily opened his own business selling furs. His product was successfully sold abroad, and soon people learned about it in Germany, France, England and other countries. Muravyov became a very wealthy businessman, but managed not to get attached to his wealth.
Society for the dissemination of commercial knowledge
In 1895, Vasily joined the Society to disseminate commercial knowledge and entered the Higher Courses. In those days, the merchants formed the main backbone of society. Rich merchants became patrons of the arts and willingly engaged in acts of charity. In addition, they helped the Emperor build a united Russian state.
Two years later, Vasily Nikolaevich completed the courses, receiving an excellent education. He was given the title of merchant of the second guild. He communicated with representatives of high society in St. Petersburg. He had extensive connections.
Buying a home
By that time, the Muravyovs were still considered peasants of the Yaroslavl province, who had a residence permit in St. Petersburg, where they purchased a rich house. Olga helped her husband in his affairs, even managed the work of the enterprise. Love and mutual understanding reigned between the spouses; this marriage can be called ideal from a Christian point of view.
After the death of their daughter, the Muravyovs, by mutual consent and with the blessing of Elder Varnava, began to live like brother and sister. The prayers of their spiritual father helped them to be persistent in this decision.
On holidays, many poor people gathered in the Muravyovs’ house, for whom a rich table was laid. Vasily Nikolaevich usually congratulated everyone on the holiday, then read something spiritual. In this way, the husband and wife fulfilled the commandment of Christ. After a rich meal, the hosts gave the guests money and food for the journey, inviting them to visit their home on the next holiday.
In addition, the couple regularly donated large sums of money to almshouses. The largest of them was located at the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent. They often visited such houses, comforting the poor, giving rich gifts and books of spiritual content.
It was a custom in the Muravyov family to receive patients from hospitals at home. In a comfortable environment and with good care, these people recovered faster. The Muravyovs, despite the fact that they were seeing their charges for the first time, showed such love for them as if they were their good friends. At the same time, the Christian worldview was not imposed on any of the guests; the very virtues of the spouses served as the best example of faith and love for others.
In the period from 1896 to 1906, the Muravyovs lived in house number 56 on Gorokhovaya Street, and earlier in house number 7, on Cossack Lane. In 1906, the couple bought a house in the village of Tyarlevo, which was located between Pavlovsk and Tsarskoye Selo. It was a large, luxurious two-story mansion.
In 1905, Vasily Nikolaevich became a member of the Yaroslavl Benevolent Society. It was the largest organization that included St. John of Kronstadt and Patriarch Tikhon. Members of the society were required not only to make financial investments, but also to make spiritual donations. After all, people turned for help not only with financial problems, but also with other difficulties and sorrows.
Vasily Nikolaevich sometimes made donations in secret from his family, often giving the last. This circumstance made him incredibly happy. In 1903, the couple visited Diveevo to glorify the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
In February 1906, Vasily Nikolaevich’s confessor, Elder Varnava, passed away to the Lord.
Text of the book “Reverend Seraphim Vyritsky”
REVEREND SERAPHIM VYRITSKY
LIFE, INSTRUCTIONS, PREDICTIONS
St. Seraphim Vyritsky said: “Always and for everything, even for sorrows, thank the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos.”
He also said: “Be sure to pray for your enemies. If you don’t pray, it’s like pouring kerosene into a fire—the flame flares up more and more.”
Father Seraphim called the sin of condemnation one of the greatest spiritual illnesses of our time. He instructed: “We have the right to judge only ourselves. Even when we talk about a person, we already involuntarily condemn him.”
Worship cross in Vyritsa with the prophecy of St. Seraphim of Vyritsky
Reverend Seraphim Vyritsky (in the world Vasily Nikolaevich Muravyov) is a confessor who took monastic vows during the years of persecution of the Church, a great elder who acquired many gifts of the Holy Spirit, a prayer book for orphans, all those who mourn and suffer, an intercessor before the Lord for the entire Russian land.
In childhood, the first books of the future elder were the Gospel and the Psalter. He also read the lives of saints, which were then sold in the form of small multi-colored books. The exploits of the hermit monks Anthony, Macarius and Pachomius the Great, and the Venerable Mary of Egypt were especially close to his soul, and he had a dream to take monastic vows.
Vasily's father died early, and the boy, instead of dreaming of monasticism, had to plunge into the thick of worldly life and become the breadwinner of the family. Working as a delivery boy in one of the retail shops in St. Petersburg, he sent almost all of his salary to his sick mother.
An uncontrollable desire for monasticism led the fourteen-year-old boy to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where one of the schema elders predicted to him: “Vasenka! You are still destined to go through the worldly path, thorny, with many sorrows. Do it before God and your conscience. The time will come and the Lord will reward you.” Thus, the will of God was revealed to Vasily. His entire subsequent life in the world became preparation for monastic life. It was a feat of obedience that lasted more than forty years.
In all his affairs, Vasily Nikolaevich was guided by the advice of the famous elder Barnabas from the Gethsemane monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. With his blessing, the young man said the Jesus Prayer, learned to fight sinful thoughts, and led an intense spiritual life. Already in his youth he acquired unceasing prayer. With the blessing of Barnabas' father, Vasily married a pious girl.
Vasily Muravyov with his wife and son
The Lord wanted the young ascetic, before renouncing the world, to learn how to trade and help the poor. Having extraordinary abilities, Vasily graduated from the Higher Commercial Courses and became one of the largest fur traders in St. Petersburg. He and his wife Olga Ivanovna helped numerous almshouses and churches, received sick people from government hospitals, and hopelessly ill people got back on their feet.
Nun Ioanna (Shikhobalova) testified: “I have been in the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent since I was thirteen. In 1905, I became seriously ill and spent about a year in the hospital operating at the monastery. I recovered with great difficulty; there were many unexpected complications. Vasily and Olga Muravyov, large fur traders at that time, took me from the hospital. I was dependent on them until 1917.”
Vasily Nikolaevich tried to make numerous donations in secret from others. Olga Ivanovna subsequently admitted that, despite her mercy and kindness, sometimes even she found it difficult to understand her husband. It happened that without hesitation he gave away the last thing from home and at the same time rejoiced unspeakably.
Being a faithful spiritual child of Father Barnabas, Vasily Nikolaevich said: “All evil must be covered only with love. The lower your rank, the poorer you are, the dearer you are to me.” God alone knows how many poor and wretched people remembered with all their hearts the names of their benefactors Vasily and Olga in their fervent prayers.
Elder Barnabas from the Gethsemane monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra
Father Varnava introduced Vasily Nikolaevich to his other spiritual child, in whose person Vasily found a true friend. This was Archimandrite Feofan (Bystrov), confessor of the royal family and future Archbishop of Poltava, who was in those years an inspector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.
Revolutionary year 1917. Many wealthy people in Russia are transferring their capital abroad and fleeing the country. And Vasily Nikolaevich provides generous severance benefits to his employees and donates all his money to monasteries. He donated forty thousand rubles in gold coins to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra alone—a fortune at that time.
In 1920, Vasily Nikolaevich and his wife, by mutual consent, took monastic vows, he with the name Barnabas in the Church of the Holy Spirit in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Olga Ivanovna in the Resurrection Novodevichy Monastery in St. Petersburg.
A year later, Metropolitan Benjamin of Petrograd elevated Father Barnabas to hieromonk. Thanks to many years of experience in the world, good knowledge of all the habits and customs of different classes, as well as extensive experience in spiritual life, Father Barnabas finds words of support and consolation for everyone who turns to him for spiritual advice. His sermons, seasoned with gospel salt, are distinguished by their simplicity and accessibility, penetrating to the very depths of the soul. Visitors increasingly appear at the door of his cell, coming for spiritual advice and consolation. This is how the Lord prepared him for senile service. When tonsured into the great schema, the future elder was named Seraphim in honor of the Monk Seraphim, the Sarov wonderworker, whom Father Barnabas tried with all his might to imitate throughout his entire previous life.
Venerable Elder Seraphim
Father Seraphim rises from novice to confessor of the Lavra. Towards the end of the twenties, one of the earliest testimonies of the gracious gift of St. Seraphim of Vyritsky to heal the sick dates back.
One day they brought a woman to the priest who could not enter the temple. She began to shake so much that she could not even raise her hand to make the sign of the cross. Father Seraphim said: “Let’s pray together,” and knelt before the icons next to the unfortunate woman. After the prayer, he took oil from the unquenchable lamp that burned in front of the icon of the Mother of God, and anointed the sore woman’s forehead with a cross. The woman immediately fell in convulsions, and a rough dog barked. The elder quickly covered his head with the suffering stole and began to read a prayer. The patient began to calm down little by little, and then completely calmed down. When I came to my senses, I didn’t remember anything. Subsequently, she came more than once to thank the priest for the healing and joyfully visited the temple.
At the end of 1927, Archbishop Alexy (Simansky) came to the confessor of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra for advice and prayer. He feared another arrest for his noble origin and asked advice on whether he should go abroad so as not to be shot. Father Seraphim answered prophetically: “Master! And to whom will you leave the Russian Orthodox Church? After all, it’s up to you to graze her! Do not be afraid, the Mother of God Herself will protect you. There will be many serious temptations, but everything will be managed with God’s help.” And Vladyka Alexy forever abandoned thoughts of going abroad. Eighteen years before the election of Bishop Alexy as patriarch, Father Seraphim predicted his future ministry and indicated the term of his patriarchate - twenty-five years.
Father Seraphim spoke about the difficult years of persecution and repression: “Now the time has come for repentance and confession. The Lord Himself has determined punishment for the Russian people for their sins, and until the Lord Himself has mercy on Russia, it is pointless to go against His holy will. A gloomy night will cover the Russian land for a long time, a lot of suffering and sorrow awaits us ahead. Therefore the Lord teaches us: with your patience save your souls
(Luke 21:19).
We can only trust in God and beg Him for forgiveness. Let us remember that God is love
(1 John 4:16) and hope in His ineffable mercy.”
He also said: “The Almighty Lord rules the world, and everything that happens in it is accomplished either by the grace of God or by the permission of God. The destinies of God are incomprehensible to man... Only such a view of the essence of everything that happens attracts peace into the soul, does not allow one to get carried away by excitement, directs the vision of the mind to eternity and brings patience in sorrows. And the sorrows themselves then seem short-lived, insignificant and petty. Do not complain about the weight of the cross; on the day of sorrow, tell your sorrow to the Lord, and He will comfort you.”
At that time, the elder advised many to turn to the Jesus Prayer and instructed: “In the most difficult times, it will be convenient to be saved by those who, to the best of their ability, begin to strive in the Jesus Prayer, rising from the frequent invocation of the name of the Son of God to unceasing prayer.”
He also said: “Unceasing prayer of repentance is the best means of uniting the human spirit with the Spirit of God. At the same time, she is a spiritual sword that destroys all sin.”
Father Seraphim advised reading the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian “Lord and Master of my life…” as often as possible. He said: “This prayer contains the whole essence of Orthodoxy, the whole Gospel. With this we ask the Lord for help in acquiring the properties of a new person.”
He also instructed: “Personal human infirmities cannot take away the grace of ordination. During the performance of the Sacraments, the priest is only an instrument in the hands of God. All the Sacraments are invisibly performed by Christ Himself. No matter how sinful the priest may be, even if he is destined to burn in the fire of Gehenna, only through him can we receive permission from our own sins.”
For almost three years, Hieroschemamonk Seraphim bore the obedience of his confessor. The main temple of the Lavra, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, was almost not heated due to a lack of firewood, and frost often appeared on the walls. During daily confessions that lasted many hours, the priest had to stand for a long time on the cold stone floor. There is a known case when Father Seraphim continuously received confessors for two days.
The elder said: “What is my obedience? I’m like a repository where people put all their grief...”
Brothers of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Father Seraphim - second from right
The elder’s cell attendant, nun Veronika (Kotlyarevskaya), recalled: “Father Seraphim received countless visitors. Sometimes he literally fell off his feet from fatigue. Most often, he did not ask anything, but directly conveyed how to act and what to do, as if he knew in advance what they would talk to him about. How much human grief and suffering passed before him! There were both the possessed and the sick, thirsty for healing, and others with complex needs of their inner spiritual life - intelligent and simple, poor and rich, old people and young people. The stream of people rushed uncontrollably before the humble hieroschemamonk, who opened his sensitive heart to the sorrows and joys of others as if it were his own.”
Mother Veronica also recalled: “Sometimes there were strong temptations in my life: either a quarrel with the leading elder, or misunderstandings with unbelieving relatives. It was painful, hard and lonely. I’m going to the priest, asking for his blessing to visit my friends in order to take my mind off things. "What is this for? Are you waiting for help from people? Only God alone is able to help. If you want, go to Blessed Xenia or to the little window of Father John. But there is no point in going to people for consolation.”
The day came when the elder could not get out of bed: he became seriously ill. Father Seraphim accepted the illness with amazing calm and complacent patience, as another obedience from the Lord.
The elder said: “I, a sinner, am not yet worthy of this! There are people who suffer even worse diseases!”
He also said: “Let everything be God’s will. Illness is a school of humility, where you truly learn your weakness.”
He also said: “You should never ask the Lord for anything earthly. He knows better than we what is useful to us. Always pray like this: “I surrender, Lord, myself, my children and all my relatives and neighbors to Your holy will.”
Time passed, but despite the efforts of doctors, the old man’s health continued to deteriorate. Congestion in the lungs and heart failure appeared. Doctors strongly advised us to leave the damp urban climate for Vyritsa: centuries-old coniferous forest, dry sandy soil, healing air. From 1930 until his death, the elder lived in Vyritsa.
Together with him, with the blessing of Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov), schema-nun Seraphima (in the world - Olga Ivanovna Muravyova) and their twelve-year-old granddaughter Margarita, a young novice of the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent, went to Vyritsa.
Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov)
Perhaps by this departure the Lord protected his special chosen one from death. In 1932, on the night of February 18, more than five hundred monks of St. Petersburg were arrested. Soon the number of operating churches in the city sharply decreased, monasteries and farmsteads were completely looted and destroyed.
For twenty years of the old man’s life in Vyritsa, he was constantly surrounded by the same modest surroundings - a small table, a worn leather chair, a couple of chairs, a narrow iron bed. A frayed cotton cassock, a faded cassock, and the same scarf in summer and winter made up his entire attire. If they brought new things to the elder, he immediately distributed them to those in need.
Old dacha (left veranda and window near it), where St. Seraphim Vyritsky lived
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Father Seraphim did not take any food, and sometimes he did not eat anything for several days in a row. What he ate on those days when he took food could be called food with great difficulty: on some days the priest ate part of the prosphora and washed it down with holy water, on others he could eat half a potato, sometimes a little grated carrot. I drank tea extremely rarely, with very little bread.
The relatives were worried about the health of the elder, and he told them: “I am strengthened by the Holy Gifts, and what could be more precious than the Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries of Christ!”
The thinned flesh of the old man was only a cover for his huge soul, his loving heart, his great prayer. The ascetic appearance of the old man with his sunken cheeks and huge blue eyes reflected his closeness to heaven and amazed visitors. The old man's gaze penetrated into the very heart.
Often people who entered Father Seraphim’s cell began to cry involuntarily from the effect of grace on the soul. There is a well-known comparison between Father Seraphim and the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov - in the Vyritsky monk it is as if the great Sarov ascetic had been resurrected...
Imitating his heavenly teacher, the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, the elder prayed in the garden on a stone in front of the icon of the Sarov wonderworker. The first evidence of St. Seraphim Vyritsky praying on a stone dates back to 1935.
Venerable Seraphim Vyritsky. Praying on the stone
A stream of people reached Vyritsa. The relatives tried to protect the elder from unnecessary meetings, but Father Seraphim firmly said: “Now I will always be unwell... As long as my hand is raised for blessing, I will receive people!”
Each time the elder himself called to himself those who needed him most. How he found these people remained a mystery - usually the cell attendant came out onto the porch and invited this or that person to go to the cell, usually calling his name and the place from which he came.
Father Seraphim received all the mourning and suffering, helped not only in spiritual life, but also with practical advice, finding a job, and helped with money. Taking donations from visitors, he immediately distributed them to those in need.
The elder said: “How will I look before the Lord if I keep the money for myself! If you have a ruble in your wallet, give it to the poor, leaving a penny for yourself, and you will never have money transferred. Let's do it without regret, then God will reward you! If you regret and grumble, you will lose the latter.”
Father Seraphim consoled the mourners with affectionate words: “Dear ones, dear ones, loved ones”... He hugged, kissed the head, stroked, treated and encouraged with an affectionate joke. He spoke very warmly and simply, almost always smiling. In the whole appearance and manner of the old man there was something infinitely familiar and fatherly. For the monk, there was no age, nationality, or social status of his visitors - everyone was equally dear.
No one had ever heard strict moral teachings or reproaches from Father Seraphim, but the elder had an amazing ability to awaken human conscience, in some way, unnoticed by the interlocutor, to change the course of his thoughts from the vain to the spiritual.
One could often hear from visitors to the elder: “Father was all glowing... We had a clear feeling that light was emanating from the corner where the elder lay”... And it was the light of God’s grace.
Many famous people of that time came to the elder: the father of modern physiology, Academician Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, the outstanding astronomer, Academician Sergei Pavlovich Glazenap, one of the founders of the modern pharmacological school, Professor Mikhail Ivanovich Gramenitsky, the famous homeopathic professor throughout Russia Sergei Serapionovich Favorsky, who was called the “luminary” Petersburg". Outstanding Russian scientists, world-famous academicians often came - physicist Vladimir Aleksandrovich Fok, known for his works in the field of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity, biologist Leon Abgarovich Orbeli, student and follower of Pavlov.
During the day, the elder collected many notes about health and repose, which were left by visitors, asking for his holy prayers. At night, Father Seraphim prayed with tears and heartfelt sighs for everyone whose names were in the notes. The next day, these notes were taken for commemoration to the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the elder said quite sincerely: “What kind of prayer book am I? I'm lying..."
Chapel over the grave of St. Seraphim in Vyritsa
Sometimes Father Seraphim stopped receiving pilgrims and remained in prayerful solitude and silence. At such moments, the family tried not to disturb the elder’s peace, and an announcement appeared on the gate that Father Seraphim would not receive him in the near future.
In solitude, the elder apparently received revelations from the Lord and strengthened himself for further exploits. Coming out of the retreat, the elder thoughtfully said to his close spiritual children: “And how good it will be there! If only you knew how good it would be there”...
The elder acquired the gifts of the Holy Spirit: spiritual reasoning, insight and prophecy, healing of souls and bodies, the gift of spiritual consolation. Ardent faith and pure love for the Lord and for neighbors crowned this wondrous bouquet of grace-filled gifts.
Archpriest John Mironov recalled: “The spiritual influence of the Vyritsa elder had extraordinary power. People's hearts themselves opened up to him. No one left Father Seraphim without tears. The touch of heavenly purity made people feel their own sinfulness, and the elder, with his sensitive soul, immediately saw everything. He had a special gift - to call for repentance. The Holy Spirit rested on him, and this was clearly felt by everyone who crossed the threshold of his cell.”
Vera Ivanovna Barysheva talked about her friend Ekaterina. A friend was expecting her fourth child, but her husband was arrested, and her relatives insisted that Catherine get rid of the child. She went to the monastery to see Father Seraphim, and the elder said: “Your husband will be acquitted, and your boy will be born such that everyone will love him. Name him Nicholas in honor of the saint of God...” After a while he said thoughtfully: “Do you know how difficult it is when a seventeen-year-old daughter dies from tuberculosis?” That’s how it all happened: the husband was released, a wonderful son was born, and the eldest daughter caught a cold and became seriously ill. The disease turned into tuberculosis. Doctors advised taking the girl to Crimea, but Father Seraphim did not give his blessing to do this. The parents disobeyed the elder’s advice and still got a ticket to the sanatorium. The girl died on the way...
A doctor-professor from the University named after Academician Pavlov, Mikhail Sergeevich Favorsky, recalled his youth: “Out of negligence, I failed the entrance exams to the medical institute, and we immediately went to see my father. I still remember his words: “Don’t be upset, everything will be fine. Next year you will enter and will also be a professor.”
A.I. Yakovleva recalled how, through the elder’s prayers, she was cured of tuberculosis, when doctors had already declared her hopeless and sentenced her to death. She also recalled: “With the blessing of the priest, the life of our only brother, Ivan, was settled. When he was in seventh grade, Father Seraphim blessed him and said: “Study well, you will be an engineer.” Subsequently, my brother became an engineer-colonel of the Air Force, a candidate of technical sciences.”
Elder Seraphim Vyritsky. 1927
Elena Kuzmina, the daughter of the famous St. Petersburg professor Mikhail Ivanovich Gramenitsky, recalled how her father suffered a massive heart attack. The doctors threw up their hands in helplessness. Then Father Seraphim greeted them with their mother with the words: “I know everything, I pray. Mikhail Ivanovich will live, he will live. He will come here again, and more than once.” After this, my father lived for almost six more years. When he died, Elena herself became seriously ill with typhus. Father Seraphim, through a messenger, demanded that family members come to him as soon as possible, and upon arrival he said: “Where have you been until now? Why didn't you come to me? Mikhail Ivanovich came for Lenochka and wanted to take her to him, but my sinful prayers and fervent maternal prayers helped - she will live... Go and thank God.” From that hour on, Elena's health began to improve.
Valentina Ivanova lived in Vyritsa, her mother and daughter were disabled - the girl was mute, and the mother moved only with the help of crutches. The elder invited Valentina to pray together for her loved ones and knelt before the icons. After the prayer, he said: “Get up, the Lord has heard your prayer. Great is a mother’s prayer.” The girl was healed and began to speak. A few days later, Valentina’s mother, who had barely reached the old man’s house on crutches, returned home in unspeakable joy without outside help.
After visiting Father Seraphim, a blind girl suddenly received her sight. The elder said to the grateful mother: “What am I? St. Seraphim of Sarov healed your daughter, thank him for the rest of your days!”
The elder healed a demon-possessed woman living not far from the Vyritsa Kazan Church. She loved to attend services, but could not do this due to terrible seizures and barking. After the healing, she joyfully said: “Father Seraphim gave me the opportunity to go to church!”
One day a girl was brought to the elder with a severe form of dysentery, dying of dehydration. Father Seraphim prayed and then communed the child with the Holy Mysteries of Christ. On the same day, complete healing occurred.
One day, security officers came to the elder’s cell. Lying on his sick bed, Father Seraphim asked the eldest of them to come to him, put his right hand to his head and said: “May your sins be forgiven you, servant of God...” - and called his name exactly. At the same time, the elder pacified the hearts of the rest of the security officers. The eldest of them said: “If there were more such elders, then we would all be believers” - and began to cry. And the father, smiling, asked his family: “Treat them some tea.”
Father Seraphim knew about the approach of the Great Patriotic War and secretly spoke about this to his close spiritual children.
Maria Titova, the daughter of a repressed archpriest, recalled how, while a singer in the choir, she met Father Seraphim’s spiritual child Peter, a pious man who invited her to go to the priest and ask for blessings for the wedding. Father Seraphim said firmly: “No wedding - soon there will be a great war!” He not only did not give his blessing for the marriage, but forbade even thinking about marriage. Further life showed that the elder had every reason for this - at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Pyotr Vasilyevich Molchanov died at the front.
With the beginning of the war, the elder intensified his feat of prayer on the stone - he began to perform it daily. By that time, the disease had greatly weakened Father Seraphim and he practically could not move without assistance. The elder prayed for several hours in a row, regardless of rain and wind, frost or heat, for a thousand days.
Father Seraphim prayed for the salvation of the Vyritsa temple, and an amazing incident occurred. The high dome could have been used by the Germans for aiming during shelling, and a decision was made to blow up the temple. For this purpose, a demolition team was sent from the station. The team officer was the first to enter the church. After some time, the soldiers heard the sound of a single revolver shot and rushed to the temple: the lieutenant was lying lifeless, his revolver was lying nearby. The soldiers were seized with panic and, without following the order, they fled, forgetting about the explosion. Thus, the Vyritsa church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was saved from destruction by the Providence of God...
The Germans, having occupied Vyritsa, stationed a unit consisting of Orthodox Romanians in it. In the fall of 1941, at the numerous requests of the residents of Vyritsa, the temple was opened, and regular services began there. And this was the only Orthodox church that operated in the front line!
Kazan Church in Vyritsa
M.A. Lapina recalled how at the beginning of the war, Father Seraphim said briefly to her grandmother and mother: “You need to leave Vyritsa!” At first they were overcome with some confusion and murmuring, for they knew that other people had been blessed to remain in their homes. Nevertheless, they fulfilled everything according to the elder’s word. When the war ended, they returned to Vyritsa, and, approaching their house on Siverskoye Highway, they saw a pile of ruins. Their house, one of the few residential buildings in Vyritsa, was completely destroyed during the hostilities.
In Vyritsa itself, as predicted by the elder, not a single person died.
Lyubov Spiridonova told how during the war her son Boris seriously bruised his leg, and chronic inflammation of the periosteum in the ankle joint began. The bone was festering, and there was a bleeding, non-healing tumor in the heel area. He could not step on his injured leg. Doctors declared that this disease was incurable. In the spring of 1945, the elder received her and her son and said: “Everything will be fine! Boris’s leg will definitely heal.” Gave me holy water for compresses. A month later, my son’s pain subsided and the swelling began to subside. Soon there was no trace left of the “incurable” disease. In 1948, Boris was drafted into the army, where he served in the airborne troops and successfully made parachute jumps.
Klavdia Mikhailovna Golubeva, a parishioner of the Vyritsa church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, recalled: her husband fought at the front, and she was very worried about him. At the end of the war I asked Father Seraphim: “Father! Will my Kolenka come home? Is he alive? The elder reassured her: “Your Kolenka is alive, alive! When he comes home, Kolenka’s head will only hurt so much...” Nikolai actually returned, having received a severe wound to the head. He was acutely aware of the slightest changes in the weather and often experienced severe headaches. However, through the prayers of the elder, Nikolai lived for more than fifty years after being wounded.
During the blockade, the Soshalsky family lived in Leningrad. During the bombings, Zoya Soshalskaya asked with all her heart, mentally and sometimes out loud: “Father Father Seraphim! Save-help! After the blockade was lifted, Zoya rushed to the dear old man. First of all, she asked: “Father! You’ve probably already forgotten me?” The elder responded with a kind smile: “Where can I forget you! I’m tired of shouting: “Save, help, Father Seraphim!” He blessed her to become a monk at the Pukhtitsa Monastery. Moreover, he noted: “You will still be the abbess in Jerusalem...” Then he somehow concentrated and added: “No, perhaps obedience to the treasurer is enough for you!” In Pyukhtitsa, Zoya underwent various obediences and was tonsured into a mantle with the name Victorina. In 1955, she was sent to the Gornensky Monastery in Jerusalem. Here Mother Victorina worked for the Lord for almost twenty years. In recent years, the treasurer has been obedient.
Olga Georgievna Preobrazhenskaya recalled: “The war scattered all my relatives in different villages, and the main thing for me was to find out something about their fate. The elder told me: “Sisters and brothers will be found, but you won’t see your mother again...” - and promised to pray for me and all my relatives. After the blessing of the great elder, the Lord especially protected me all my life. In 1946, my sisters Maria and Alexandra, who were in captivity, returned, and then my brother Vasily. Brother John arrived from Riga. Mom died in the Pskov region in 1943. Everything came true as Father Seraphim said.”
From the first days of the war, Father Seraphim openly spoke about the upcoming victory of Russian weapons.
The Monk Seraphim of Vyritsky was so full of God’s love and grace that even the warlike German officers, breaking into the elder’s cell, could not harm him. Father Seraphim spoke to them in good German, since he visited Vienna and Berlin when he was a merchant. When asked when the German units would take Leningrad, he humbly replied that this would never happen, and the officer who asked him was destined to die near Warsaw, which soon came true.
Venerable Seraphim Vyritsky
At the beginning of the war, the elder predicted a future captivity and subsequent safe return from captivity to a number of residents of Vyritsa. One of the former old residents of Vyritsa, Leonid Viktorovich Makarov, recalled that the elder predicted this for his family, noting that in the future they would live in a big city. That's how it all happened.
Evdokia Vasilyevna Fedorova testified that Father Seraphim helped her find her husband, who was in a German prisoner of war camp. At the elder’s prayers and his wife’s tearful request, the camp authorities unexpectedly sent the family’s only breadwinner home.
In the spring of 1944, shortly after the blockade was completely lifted, Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) visited Vyritsa. Moreover, Father Seraphim warned his surprised family in advance about the upcoming visit of the ruler. This was the farewell of two ascetics. They never saw each other in earthly life, but until the end of their lives they fervently prayed for each other.
Klavdia Ivanovna Pechkovskaya, a resident of Vyritsa, recalled: “Immediately after the war, my friend turned to the elder: “My husband has gone missing. How can I pray for him?” “Pray for health, he will soon return from captivity,” answered the priest. Indeed, after a short time, her husband came, having been a prisoner in Austria. Father healed my elderly mother from a number of diseases. He covered her with an epitrachelion and, laying his hands on the sick woman’s head, said: “All your sins will fall away from you, and then all illnesses will pass away.”
Tatyana Nikolaevna Alikhova, a geologist, recalled: “My mother was tormented by chronic thrombophlebitis for many years. She had open wounds on her legs that had to be bandaged up to eleven times a day. In February 1946, she developed sepsis... Doctors said that my mother was unlikely to live until the morning. On February 8, early in the morning, we arrived at the priest in Vyritsa. From his appearance we guessed that our case was far from simple. Nevertheless, the elder said: “Let us pray! God willing, he will live...” Sepsis was gone in three days! After that, my mother lived another fifteen years.”
Mature age
A difficult time has come for Russia - the bloody, turning point year of 1917. Many rich Russian people sought to leave the country, but Vasily Nikolaevich firmly decided to stay in Russia and share the fullness of suffering with his homeland. During the years of the revolution, when many wealthy people in Russia transferred their capital abroad, he paid generous severance pay to his employees and donated all his funds to the monasteries
In 1917, the Muravyov family moved to Tyarlevo, because it had become dangerous to remain in St. Petersburg. In those years, many rich people were shot without trial. Vasily Nikolaevich read a lot of spiritual books on his estate, reflected, took stock of his whole life, because he had to radically change it.
Monasticism
The very fact that a rich, well-known merchant in Russia and abroad, an exemplary father and family man, a loving husband suddenly leaves everything accumulated through hard work and goes to a monastery is surprising. Not many are capable of taking such a step, especially in such difficult times, when not only monastics, but also ordinary believers were persecuted by the new government.
But Vasily’s soul had longed for this moment; from a young age he dreamed of becoming a monk. And finally, his long-standing wish came true. At first, the novice was going to take monastic vows at the monastery of St. Sergius, but Metropolitan Benjamin of Petrograd blessed him to settle in the Lavra of Alexander Nevsky. Subsequently, it turned out that such a decision was prophetic: the Trinity-Sergius Lavra was soon closed, while Alexander Nevskaya was still operational for a long time.
In 1920, Vasily was accepted into the ranks of the brethren and served as a sexton for some time. His wife Olga became a novice of the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent, and upon tonsure she received the name Seraphim. The couple distributed all their property to the poor. In October 1920, Vasily was tonsured a monk with the name Varnava (in honor of his spiritual mentor). The following year he was ordained a hieromonk.
He obeyed the chief candle maker of the Lavra; his previous commercial skills helped in this matter. The time was difficult then: innocent people died in internecine warfare. Father Barnabas had to perform funeral services several times a day. The monastics collected funds to help the poor, hungry, sick, and homeless.
In addition, the Lavra constantly suffered invasions by the Red Army, who unceremoniously invaded the territory of the monastery and committed various atrocities. When the priest served the Liturgy, his face lit up with an unearthly light. Knowing the needs of ordinary people, priest Barnabas successfully cared for his flock. Soon rumors about the blessed hieromonk spread throughout Rus', people came to him from all over the country, asking for spiritual consolation and advice.
Difficult times had come for the Lavra: monks and novices could be arrested and sentenced to death at any moment; none of them had confidence that they would return to their cell when leaving for service. Many of Barnabas's father's close friends were arrested.
In 1922, the priest managed to go to his sick mother. Upon his return, he learned that the Renovationists had seized power in the monastery and prohibited commemorating the Patriarch at services. The monks, although they did not enter into Eucharistic communion with the schismatics, were forced to make concessions to them in order to save the monastery from plunder and abolition, and the brethren from repression.
In 1926, Father Barnabas accepted the great schema with the name Seraphim in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov and became the confessor of the monastery.
Even before accepting monasticism, Vasily saw an old man in a dream. It was St. Seraphim of Sarov. They entered the forest together, where Varnava Merkulov was waiting for them. In a dream, Vasily sat between two elders and listened to their instructions, but he did not remember what exactly they said.
He told this dream to his mentor Barnabas, who laughed: “I was sitting between two elders, but you don’t remember what they said.” This vision turned out to be prophetic: it was these two saints who played an important role in Muravyov’s life and became his intercessors for the rest of his life. First he was tonsured into monasticism with the name Barnabas, and then into the schema with the name Seraphim.
Many came to the elder for spiritual guidance. His blue eyes seemed to see right through the man. Meekness and great humility were in this look, and, as many noted, Heaven was reflected in these eyes. The elder greeted everyone who came with great love and took people’s pain upon himself. Sometimes he consoled with short words: “Be patient” or “The Lord will enlighten you,” and the person felt better from the priest’s very participation.
Often people who received order in their lives through the prayers of the elder came to thank him. But he answered: “I mean, thank St. Seraphim of Sarov.” The elder often confessed to parishioners in an unheated church, standing for hours on the cold stone floor, and sometimes for days without a break or rest. He was very tired, but never complained that he was in pain. But the day came when the old man could not get out of bed. Doctors found he had rheumatism, blockage of the veins of the lower extremities, heart and pulmonary failure.
Moving to Vyritsa
Father Seraphim needed rest in nature. Then the bishop blessed the elder to move to the village of Vyritsa, located near St. Petersburg. This happened in 1930. To care for the patient, it was decided to send his ex-wife, nun Seraphim, and their twelve-year-old granddaughter.
The elder endured a serious illness with amazing humility, submission to the will of God and patience. He never grumbled, did not complain about pain, did not moan. He considered grief a gift from above, because it is easier to be saved.
Seraphim kept the strictest fast, although he needed good nutrition for treatment. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday he either ate nothing at all, or ate one small potato, and occasionally drank a glass of tea. But despite this, the elder was always cheerful, as he ate Heavenly food. The Lord Himself gave him strength. He refused medical help altogether and completely surrendered himself into the hands of the Savior. “Everything is God’s will,” said the elder.
Every week he was given communion by a priest from the nearby Kazan Church. The elder prayed constantly, day and night. Often, entering his room, Mother Seraphim found him with his arms outstretched to Heaven and with tears of tenderness in his eyes. He told her: “It’s so good in Heaven!”
Soon people learned about the elder’s relocation to Vyritsa, and again a stream of sufferers reached out to him. Mother Seraphim at first prevented them from going to the elder, but he told her: “Now I will always be sick, but while I’m alive, I must help people who come for blessings.” Father was very weak, but he still received people from morning to night.
He looked bad:
- thin weak hands,
- sunken cheeks,
- only the eyes still shone with meekness and love for people.
In the 30s of the 20th century, repression intensified. It was hard for believers. The arrests followed one after another. One day the guards came to Father Seraphim, but mother said that the elder was very weak and could not stand the move. To confirm the diagnosis, a doctor was called, who attested to the serious health condition of his patient.
Meanwhile, the priest called one of the security officers to him and, placing his hand on his head, said: “Your sins are forgiven, servant of God...” and called him by name, although this was the first time he had seen this man and he did not introduce himself. The priest’s foresight had such a strong effect on the security officer that he said: “If all the elders were like this, then we would all become believers.”
War years
After the start of the Great Patriotic War, the flow of visitors increased; many went to the elder to share their grief and anxiety. Father Seraphim did not leave anyone without consolation. He himself intensified his feat of prayer: he began to pray on the stone every day, like St. Seraphim of Sarov. His asceticism was so necessary for Russia, because the fate of the country was decided during this bloody war.
Thanks to the prayers of the elder, not a single residential building in the village was damaged, although the Germans came close to Vyritsa. The Kazan Church in the village was miraculously saved. The Reds thought that the high dome served as a tip for the Germans, and decided to blow it up. When the military came to carry out the order, the officer entered the temple in order to familiarize himself with the “object of destruction.” After some time, the soldiers heard a shot, ran into the temple and saw that their commander was lying dead, and his pistol was nearby. An order to retreat soon followed. Thus, miraculously, the temple was saved from destruction. In the fall of 1941, at the request of parishioners, services were resumed there. The church has been closed since 1938.
In 1945, nun Seraphima, the elder’s faithful companion, reposed. In the same year, priest Alexy Kibardin arrived in Vyritsa, having gone through many exiles and camps. The priests became confessors and mentors to each other. The victory over the Germans was won on the day of the celebration of the memory of St. George the Victorious, as Seraphim prophesied.
last years of life
In the last years of his life, the elder could no longer get out of bed, but continued to receive visitors. The day of his departure to the Lord was revealed to him. In the morning, the Most Holy Theotokos herself appeared to the elder, pointing her hand to the sky. Then he stopped receiving visitors and ordered everyone to pray. Then he took communion and asked to read the Psalter and Gospel.
In the evening he was transferred to a chair. At about two o'clock in the morning he asked to read “Sequel to the Exodus of the Soul from the Body.” Then he crossed himself, prayed for the whole world and quietly went to the Lord. This happened on April 3, 1949.
The funeral service for Seraphim Vyritsky was solemn, many people gathered, representatives of the clergy arrived, and three choirs sang. Before the coffin they carried the image of Seraphim of Sarov, as the elder bequeathed.
Revolution and rebellious times
As soon as the revolution took place, the rich people of Russia left it forever, transferring capital abroad, but this did not affect Vasily Nikolaevich and Olga Ivanovna. They could not imagine life without their people, and the time of persecution was predicted by the holy saints.
In 1920, the Muravyovs left the capital and moved to live in the country, having lost their trading business. Not accustomed to inaction, Vasily Nikolaevich immerses himself in the study of theological messages, often being in solitary prayer.
The miraculous help of a saint
Numerous cases of healing of the sick and demon-possessed during the life of the saint and after his repose are known.
Examples of Father Seraphim’s miraculous help to people:
- Once a woman came to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra to the elder who could not enter the temple, she was shaking so much that she could not even cross herself. The elder went out to her in the vestibule, stood next to her and prayed. Then he anointed her with oil from the lamp. The unfortunate woman fell to the floor and began to scream terribly, the sounds she made sounded like a dog barking. The elder continued to pray. The woman lost consciousness for several minutes, and when she came to, she was healthy and did not remember anything.
- A woman with a blind daughter arrived in the village of Vyritsa. After the elder’s prayer, the girl regained her sight.
- A woman named Catherine came to the elder and asked for advice. Her husband was arrested during the years of repression, she was pregnant with her fourth child. Relatives insisted on abortion. The priest prayed and said: “Don’t do anything, your husband will be released in 40 days. You will have a son, you will name him Nikolai.” Then he added: “How hard it is when a seventeen-year-old daughter dies of tuberculosis.” The visitor then did not understand why he said this. Soon, as the elder predicted, she gave birth to a boy, and her eldest daughter died of tuberculosis, she was 17 years old.
- A woman suffering from severe headaches after a concussion came to the elder. The doctors could not help her. Father took her head with both hands and said: “Now we will cure you,” and began to pray. After that, the visitor never had a headache.
The saint named hidden sins for many people, even children’s sins, long forgotten. He said to one visitor: “Remember how you broke your friend’s favorite comb out of anger.”
Father Seraphim helped the future Patriarch of Moscow Alexy II, as well as his father, Archpriest Michael. They often came to him for blessings. At the end of 1927, Archbishop Alexy (Simansky), the future Russian patriarch, came to the confessor of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra for advice and prayer. He was afraid of another arrest because of his noble origin and asked the elder if he should go abroad to avoid execution.
Father Seraphim replied: “Master! And to whom will you leave the Russian Orthodox Church? After all, it’s up to you to shepherd her! Do not be afraid, the Mother of God Herself will protect you. There will be many serious temptations, but with God’s help everything will be overcome.” And Alexey forever abandoned thoughts of going abroad. This happened 18 years before he was elected patriarch. Seraphim Vyritsky predicted not only the future service of the bishop, but also indicated a period of 25 years.
Orthodox texts in Russian
Prayers to the holy elder help believers overcome life’s difficulties and maintain faith in the Lord in their hearts. Seraphim helps everyone who sincerely repents of their sins.
Prayer
They pray to St. Seraphim for forgiveness of sins, mercy and salvation of the sinful soul. Believers, turning to the schema-monk, ask him for intercession before the Lord.
“O God-blessed and most merciful Father Seraphim! Leading you even after death as a living being, we fall down with faith and cry out to you: do not forget your poor to the end, but mercifully look upon your spiritual flock and protect them, good shepherd, with your favorable prayers to God.
Ask us from the Lord time for repentance and correction of sinful lives, for we weigh all the weaknesses of our soul: not imams of works of faith and salvation, not imams of zeal for true pleasing to God, we are captivated by the mind in destructive passions, corrupted by the heart in vile lusts.
What we lose and what we hope for is not included, having destroyed the temples of our souls; To her, holy father, stretch out your hand in prayer to the Lord and beg the Savior of the human race to touch our petrified hearts with grace, wash us with tears of repentance, restore us in faith, strengthen us in piety and bestow everything useful for salvation.
Do not disgrace our hope, which we place in you according to God and the Mother of God, but be a quick helper to us, a comforter in sorrow and a protector in times of need, so that through your prayers we may be worthy to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, where all the saints constantly glorify and sing the most honorable and magnificent name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".
Translation of prayer
Oh, our blessed and most merciful father Seraphim! Knowing you and remaining alive after death, we fall to you with faith and cry: do not forget your unfortunate ones to the end, but mercifully turn your gaze to your spiritual flock, and protect them, good shepherd, with your favorable prayers to God.
Ask us from the Lord time to repent and correct our sinful life, for you know all our spiritual weaknesses: we do not have firm faith, we do not have good deeds for salvation, we do not lead a truly godly life, our minds are obsessed with destructive passions, our hearts have been corrupted by disgusting lusts. What do we expect and what do we hope for, having destroyed the temples of our souls?
Oh, holy father, stretch out your hands in prayer to the Lord and beg the Savior of the human race to give grace to our hardened hearts, to wash us with tears of repentance, to strengthen our faith, to strengthen us in piety and to grant us everything useful for salvation.
Do not let down our hope, which, after God and the Mother of God, we place on you, but be a quick helper to us, a comforter in sorrows and a patron in troubles! And may we, through your prayers, be worthy to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, where all the saints constantly glorify and sing the most honorable and magnificent name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Troparion
The words of the troparion glorify the man of prayer, who, even during the years of persecution of Christians, did not cease to pray to the Savior and ask for salvation for everyone. Christians still pray to Seraphim to intercede for them before God.
Voice 4
As a great prayer book for our land / and a warm comforter of those who flock to you, / we honor you, second Russian Father Seraphim, / for you have left all that is red in the world, / you have rushed with all your heart to the palace of the sweetest Christ / and in times of fierce persecution you have left an image of meekness and you were humble to everyone: / do not stop praying for us now, / so that in patience we may find the path of repentance / and with you we will glorify the Most Holy Trinity.
Translation of the troparion
As a great prayer book for our land and a zealous comforter of those who come to you, we glorify you, second Russian Father Seraphim, because you, leaving all earthly goods, rushed to the palace of the sweetest Christ (to the Kingdom of Heaven) and in times of fierce persecution you were an example of meekness for everyone and humility: do not stop praying for us now, so that we patiently find the path of repentance and always glorify the Most Holy Trinity with you.
Kontakion
In honor of the saint, a kontakion is read, glorifying his feat in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and Vyritsa. Believers sing a song of joy to the schema-monk, who intercedes for them before Christ.
Voice 5
Imitating the God-bearing saint of Sarov,/ You have abundantly acquired the grace of the Holy Spirit:/ The Alexandro-Nevsky laurels are very fragrant,/ Vyritsky weighs praise,/ for this reason we call you M:/ Rejoice, O venerable Seraphim, // our merciful representative before the Lord.
Translation of kontakion
Imitating the God-bearing righteous man of Sarov, you received abundantly the grace of the Holy Spirit: the Alexander Nevsky Lavra is a fragrant spring, the glory of the village of Vyritsa, therefore we cry to you: “Rejoice, Venerable Seraphim, our merciful intercessor before the Lord.
Greatness
Believers consider the saint a mentor of monks and interlocutor of angels. Christians venerate and magnify the holy elder.
“We bless you, Reverend Father Seraphim, and honor your holy memory, teacher of monks and interlocutor of angels.”
History of the relics of the saint
For more than half a century, seekers of incorruptible blessings have been walking in an endless line to the place where the relics of the great ascetic are located. This is a small church graveyard near the walls of the Vyritsky Kazan Church. The monk receives all people who come with simple earthly requests, as in life, with love. Here the Lord especially responds to the requests of believers, and everyone receives their own piece of God’s grace.
Finding
In 2000, the hieroschemamonk was canonized at the anniversary Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, held in Moscow. Seraphim (Muravyev) was canonized with the rank of saint.
Current location
After his death, Father Seraphim was buried next to the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Vyritsy. In 2001, a chapel was built on the site of his grave, in which the relics of the saint were placed, and the remains of his faithful companion, Mother Seraphim, were placed nearby.
The Chapel of St. Seraphim is located in the village of Vyritsa, Gatchina district, Leningrad region. Address: Kirova proezd, 49.
The relics are buried under cover.
How to get there:
- From St. Petersburg you can get there in an hour by train, which runs from Vitebsky station (near the Pushkinskaya metro station). You need to get off at the “Vyritsa” station, from there you can get to the temple by bus (stop “Rakeevskaya”).
- Communal Avenue is located perpendicular to the platform. You will have to walk along it for approximately 1.3 km to the store (brown building with a green roof). Near it, turn left onto Kirov Avenue and walk a little more than a kilometer. In total, the journey will take 45 minutes.
- You can take a taxi, which is located near the train platform.
Miraculous power
During the period after the repose of the saint, a huge number of cases of healing from his relics were recorded. Immediately after the elder’s departure to the Lord, a girl, blind from birth, kissed his body and received her sight. At the burial site of Father Seraphim, candles were always burning, lit by visitors. Many people came to the saint, asked him for help, wrote notes with requests and left them at the grave.
The elder said during his lifetime:
“Come to my grave as if I were alive, talk, and I will always help.”
Honor and glorification
The saint is well known to Orthodox Christians; many people come to him and receive help. The goodness and love emanating from his relics made the monk one of the most revered saints.
Temples in the name of the saint
In addition to the Church of Seraphim of Vyritsky in Vyritsa, several more churches were erected, named in honor of this saint.
Name of buildings:
- In the village of Reshetnikovo, Moscow region, the temple was built at the beginning of this century. It contains part of the stole of St. Seraphim.
- Temple of Seraphim Vyritsky in Kupchino, St. Petersburg region. This is a cross-domed building, its interior decoration is currently underway.
- Temple in the northeastern part of the military town of Dolgoprudny, Moscow region.
- House church at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. It is located on the second floor of the Fedorovsky building, where the saint’s cell was located.
- Chapel at the Apraksin Dvor shopping center in St. Petersburg. It contains an icon of the saint, in which a particle of earth from his grave is placed.
In all churches, services are held on Sundays and Orthodox holidays.
Other
There are many icons depicting an old man that show miracles of healing. Orthodox Christians know and love the creations of Father Seraphim, left to posterity. The elder wrote spiritual poems, many of them had chants written on them.
Instructions of the Holy Elder
Father constantly instructed his children, who wrote down his words.
About prayer
The elder commanded us to pray more often, especially for our enemies.
According to him:
“Be sure to pray for your enemies. If you don’t pray, it’s like pouring kerosene into a fire—the flames flare up more and more.”
For everything he called to thank God and the Most Holy Theotokos.
About sorrows
Everything that happens to a person happens only by the will of a merciful and all-knowing God, so you cannot grumble when difficulties arise. The Lord knows well what will be better and more useful for a Christian.
His famous saying:
“Do not complain about the weight of the cross; on the day of sorrow, tell your sorrow to the Lord, and He will comfort you.”
The elder himself gave people an example of patience with sorrows.
About the priesthood
Father urged not to condemn priests, because they are instruments of God.
He said:
“No matter how sinful the priest may be, even if he is destined to burn in the fire of Gehenna, only through him can we receive permission from our own sins.”
About the disease
The elder called illnesses a school of humility; through them a person can learn about his weakness.
Spiritual father
At the beginning of 1927, Father Barnabas accepted the great schema with the name Seraphim, in honor of the Elder of Sarov, who was deeply revered by him, after which Hieroschemamonk Seraphim was elected confessor of the Lavra. Both priests and ordinary people went to the newly elected spiritual father for advice, and no one was refused.
The Time of Troubles united people under the protection of a wise mentor, who foresaw the suffering and sorrows of the Russian people, took this as a lesson in patience and great trust in God, he called on people to constantly remain in prayers and petitions to the Creator, to repent and hope.
Icon of Saint Seraphim
There are several icons of the saint, which, despite the difference in writing, have similarities.
Description of the image
On the icon the saint is depicted in a schematic robe. With his right hand he blesses, and in his left he holds a scroll with a text from Scripture, which is a symbol of learning.
How it helps
By reading prayers to the saint in front of his icon, believers receive help and consolation.
Prayer to the monk helps in such cases:
- disease;
- searching for a spouse;
- confusion, lack of peace in the soul;
- sorrow;
- difficult situations;
- financial difficulties.
Prayers and troparia
You can turn to the saint in your own words and ask for help. There is also a special prayer to Seraphim Vyritsky for healing from illnesses and strengthening faith.
2 troparions were written for the saint for the 4th tone and one each for the 3rd and 8th. The elder in them is called “the great prayer book”, “merchant”, “comforter”, “blessed star of the Russian land”. A troparion in Orthodoxy is a short prayer chant, which reveals the essence of the holiday in honor of the saint, and also contains lines of glorification of the saint and calling on him to help the believers.
Canons and akathists
The canon and akathist are types of conversations with saints. A church hymn glorifying the feat of a saint or martyr is called a canon. This genre appeared in the middle of the 7th century. The canon is a work of complex structure, aimed at glorifying a specific saint. It is divided into 8 cantos, each of which includes an irmos and a troparion.
In the Orthodox Church, troparia are most often read, and irmos are sung. In the canon of Seraphim Vyritsky, the choir performs them in the 2nd voice. For this purpose, special irmos voices were created, there are also eight of them, just like the troparous ones. The canon is read mainly at prayer services. The work belongs to the church penitential genre. It is also read at home, when the soul is heavy, you need to repent or ask the saint for something.
If the drafting of canons is mainly done by the holy fathers, then an akathist can be written by a simple layman. The senior clergy reviews such works and decides whether they can be read in church during services or not. This work is a song of gratitude, praise or ode, which is best read on holidays. Akathist is a joyful and solemn work. During the days of Lent, reading it will be inappropriate, since it does not correspond to the calm and quiet mood of these days.
What requests are made?
Being a deep admirer of Seraphim of Sarov, the Monk Seraphim of Vyritsky, following his example, had the courage to pray before the Lord for the entire people. And during the war years - for the victory of the Russian army. Therefore, today they turn to him with requests for the salvation of souls, for the protection of righteous people and the admonition and enlightenment of sinners. In addition to yourself and your family, you can always pray for people who are strangers by blood, but close to your heart and mind, as well as for everyone who needs help.
It is customary to ask the saint’s icon for health, because, as already noted, his achievements in the sacrament of healing were truly amazing. Regardless of the severity of the ailments, and whether they are mental or physical, Elder Seraphim always rewards those who ask according to their faith.
Remembering the great deeds of the righteous man, his patience, courage, and the strength of faith, it is worth asking Saint Seraphim for the ability not to lose heart and to withstand any tests sent down with wisdom from above.
Finally, in prayers to St. Seraphim of Vyritsky, you can always ask any questions related to worldly life - about family, human relationships, work. After all, possessing a rare ability of foresight, Seraphim always guided his parishioners on the path of truth, helped in difficult decisions and accomplishments.
