WEBVTT 00:00:03.879 --> 00:00:07.339 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 00:00:07.339 --> 00:00:15.859 of the Holy Spirit. Glory to Jesus Christ. They 00:00:15.859 --> 00:00:22.420 will sing Pascha in the summer. That's what St. 00:00:22.519 --> 00:00:26.160 Seraphim mysteriously once said to someone. And 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:30.420 I think St. Seraphim would be overjoyed hearing... 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:33.939 Not the Devea Volan singing, but the St. Cassini 00:00:33.939 --> 00:00:39.399 singers, women's quartet singing. St. Seraphim 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:44.340 was a saint mostly for women, especially monastics. 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:50.679 He didn't have many disciples among the men, 00:00:50.840 --> 00:00:54.259 but many, many of women. So today is just perfect. 00:00:54.299 --> 00:00:56.679 This is glorious. Thank you. Thank you, Nicholas. 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:00.979 It is like Pascha a little bit. First time we've 00:01:00.979 --> 00:01:04.599 heard this kind of singing in a long time. Pascha 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:07.379 in the summer sounds lovely, but of course that's 00:01:07.379 --> 00:01:11.840 exhausting. But Pascha in summer actually did 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:16.599 occur, fulfilling one of St. Seraphim's many 00:01:16.599 --> 00:01:24.200 prophecies, 117 years ago, July 19, 1903. The 00:01:24.200 --> 00:01:28.439 venerable and priest monk Seraphim was glorified 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:32.030 by the Russian church. This clairvoyant man, 00:01:32.230 --> 00:01:37.390 man with the gift of prayer, the man with the 00:01:37.390 --> 00:01:42.950 gift of healing. As you heard about Christ, many 00:01:42.950 --> 00:01:45.549 came to him that were sick and they were healed. 00:01:46.450 --> 00:01:49.189 They were comforted by St. Seraphim. They were 00:01:49.189 --> 00:01:51.730 corrected. He was a me -corrector of those that 00:01:51.730 --> 00:01:54.150 have gone astray, it says in the Akathist. He 00:01:54.150 --> 00:01:57.329 consoled them and he was joyful and he imparted 00:01:57.329 --> 00:02:01.109 that joy to others. And he was long -suffering. 00:02:02.530 --> 00:02:06.150 And he helped hundreds who came to him every 00:02:06.150 --> 00:02:11.409 day for counsel and help. From the imperial family 00:02:11.409 --> 00:02:17.430 members and the intelligentsia and famous people 00:02:17.430 --> 00:02:20.610 to peasants alike, discerning what was best for 00:02:20.610 --> 00:02:24.770 each person, hearing confessions so that... The 00:02:24.770 --> 00:02:27.330 person who confesses sins like the young man 00:02:27.330 --> 00:02:30.770 in the gospel today. Jesus said, son, your sins 00:02:30.770 --> 00:02:34.689 are forgiven. Pharisees are thinking, well, that's 00:02:34.689 --> 00:02:37.210 easy to say. And besides, he can't say that. 00:02:37.250 --> 00:02:41.650 He's not God. But that's what's most important. 00:02:43.669 --> 00:02:46.949 Because it saves us from spiritual death. And 00:02:46.949 --> 00:02:49.849 it gets us ready for the resurrection. And that's 00:02:49.849 --> 00:02:52.699 why that young man could get up. and those who 00:02:52.699 --> 00:02:55.479 came to St. Seraphim for confession and heard 00:02:55.479 --> 00:03:00.879 the prayer of absolution leapt up with joy. When 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:05.620 we leave confession, we should be joyful. He 00:03:05.620 --> 00:03:09.919 helped everyone, even a peasant man who came 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:13.319 inconsolable because his horse had been stolen, 00:03:13.379 --> 00:03:16.000 and St. Seraphim told him exactly where the horse 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:18.639 was, such and such a road, take a left, it's 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:21.360 in this guy's yard, and you get it, take it back. 00:03:22.729 --> 00:03:28.210 On that July day in 1903, over a hundred thousand, 00:03:28.310 --> 00:03:31.610 think of it, we can't even imagine this, a hundred 00:03:31.610 --> 00:03:34.270 thousand pilgrims came to Sarov for the many, 00:03:34.330 --> 00:03:37.389 many church services. A final panekhita was served, 00:03:37.610 --> 00:03:41.449 followed by the festival vigil with newly composed 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:45.250 hymns in honor of the saints of Russia, the priest 00:03:45.250 --> 00:03:48.210 monk Seraphim. And when the hymns for the saint 00:03:48.210 --> 00:03:52.930 began, healings began too. in the many people 00:03:52.930 --> 00:04:00.030 that were gathered. As I say, for us, maybe it's 00:04:00.030 --> 00:04:03.569 well nigh impossible to imagine and conceive 00:04:03.569 --> 00:04:08.710 of all that. The 79 years of life of St. Seraphim, 00:04:08.810 --> 00:04:14.770 the monastic life there in Sahara, the outpouring 00:04:14.770 --> 00:04:19.990 of love and veneration of the... 100 ,000 plus 00:04:19.990 --> 00:04:24.189 that gathered on that glorification day in 1903. 00:04:24.550 --> 00:04:28.470 And it would be less, it would be 20 years later, 00:04:28.589 --> 00:04:33.310 1923, that the Bolsheviks would close that monastery. 00:04:35.910 --> 00:04:39.050 They would continue their reign of destruction 00:04:39.050 --> 00:04:44.269 and terror and atheism, making martyrs for the 00:04:44.269 --> 00:04:47.029 glory of the church, it must be said. Hundreds 00:04:47.029 --> 00:04:50.220 and thousands of them. And the relics of St. 00:04:50.300 --> 00:04:53.319 Seraphim, what happened to them? They were put, 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:56.959 ironically, in deep storage in the Museum of 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:02.240 Religion and Atheism in Leningrad. And they would 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:06.199 be uncovered in 1991 and returned to the Church. 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:10.079 What great and joyful encouragement the Church 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:14.220 received on that day in 1991. And now, more than 00:05:14.220 --> 00:05:18.250 ever, our time as we... go through this COVID 00:05:18.250 --> 00:05:23.009 -19 period, emotionally, spiritually, economically, 00:05:23.110 --> 00:05:28.829 we need encouragement. We need the encouragement 00:05:28.829 --> 00:05:32.129 that God loves us. We need the encouragement 00:05:32.129 --> 00:05:36.110 that comes from being united in the Orthodox 00:05:36.110 --> 00:05:39.189 faith. We need the encouragement for remembering 00:05:39.189 --> 00:05:44.149 our sins too have been forgiven, and now we have 00:05:44.149 --> 00:05:49.699 life. dwelling within us. So I thought this morning 00:05:49.699 --> 00:05:54.100 when I woke up this paper is pretty useless. 00:05:54.660 --> 00:05:58.660 I thought this morning what marks distinguish 00:05:58.660 --> 00:06:04.399 us in this parish as members of St. Seraphim 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:10.100 Cathedral? What do we manifest in our life from 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:13.279 being given this saint by Bishop Teek on way 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:20.519 back in 1996 as our patron. How do we identify 00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:24.139 as members of the parish named after St. Seraphim? 00:06:25.860 --> 00:06:32.240 Let me suggest something. First, St. Seraphim 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:36.279 told someone this, true hope seeks the one kingdom 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:44.589 of God. Let that sink in. And he's sure that 00:06:44.589 --> 00:06:47.589 everything necessary for this mortal life will 00:06:47.589 --> 00:06:53.290 surely be given. St. Paul wrote the Romans, you've 00:06:53.290 --> 00:06:55.949 all been given grace according to the gift of 00:06:55.949 --> 00:06:59.949 Christ. And he wrote to the Galatians and told 00:06:59.949 --> 00:07:03.970 us what it means. Joy, peace, love, long -suffering, 00:07:04.050 --> 00:07:10.410 mercy, kindness. The heart cannot have peace 00:07:10.410 --> 00:07:12.970 until it acquires this hope, said St. Seraphim. 00:07:13.639 --> 00:07:16.100 This hope in the one kingdom of God. This hope 00:07:16.100 --> 00:07:19.459 pacifies the heart, brings peace to it, and brings 00:07:19.459 --> 00:07:23.300 joy to it. The most holy lips of the Savior spoke 00:07:23.300 --> 00:07:27.439 about this very hope. Come unto me, all ye that 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:30.980 labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you 00:07:30.980 --> 00:07:38.139 rest. This was St. Seraphim's life. He interacted 00:07:38.139 --> 00:07:45.319 with the faithful like that. hope and with comfort. 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:50.259 This is our first calling, the first necessity 00:07:50.259 --> 00:07:54.639 that we as members of this congregation under 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:56.860 the umbrella of the protection of the Virgin 00:07:56.860 --> 00:08:00.500 and St. Seraphim are to manifest to those around 00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:04.680 us. But first we have to do what St. Seraphim 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:10.399 did. We fast. We pray. We're obedient to the 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:15.870 life of the Church. The second thing, since you 00:08:15.870 --> 00:08:19.230 heard St. Paul say that we all have to live according 00:08:19.230 --> 00:08:21.750 to the grace that's been given us, the gift, 00:08:21.829 --> 00:08:25.430 whatever it might be, teaching, preaching, ministering, 00:08:25.430 --> 00:08:28.970 comforting. This is what St. Seraphim says about 00:08:28.970 --> 00:08:31.389 that. He says, the good deed done for Christ's 00:08:31.389 --> 00:08:34.330 sake brings us the fruits of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:34.509 --> 00:08:38.269 You heard all about that in Galatians. The fruit 00:08:38.269 --> 00:08:42.580 of the Spirit. That's grace. Grace is put to 00:08:42.580 --> 00:08:46.460 use in our lives, he says, brings dividends of 00:08:46.460 --> 00:08:50.080 more grace. His parents were merchants. He spoke 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:53.919 in this concrete language. St. Seraphim did not 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:56.840 become what he was through a momentary gift, 00:08:56.899 --> 00:09:01.440 a one -time thing, but a lifetime of ascesis. 00:09:01.460 --> 00:09:07.960 He reinvested that grace given to him. Grace 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:11.750 is nothing other than the life of Christ. His 00:09:11.750 --> 00:09:15.669 light, which he manifested. So bring forth the 00:09:15.669 --> 00:09:19.330 fruit of the Spirit. Start with the little things. 00:09:19.990 --> 00:09:23.409 If we're going to do the first thing, bring comfort, 00:09:23.529 --> 00:09:27.350 hope, peace, joy, then start with the little 00:09:27.350 --> 00:09:30.789 things every day. Make the sign of the cross 00:09:30.789 --> 00:09:36.870 when you arise. Say, thank you, God. Pray. Bless 00:09:36.870 --> 00:09:40.669 your food before you eat it. Manifest Christian 00:09:40.669 --> 00:09:45.470 joy when you receive absolution and you hear 00:09:45.470 --> 00:09:48.830 the words that your sins are forgiven, when you 00:09:48.830 --> 00:09:51.610 receive Holy Communion, when you come before 00:09:51.610 --> 00:09:57.909 the icons. Be joyful. God has given us his heavenly 00:09:57.909 --> 00:10:00.970 kingdom, but we have to start with the small 00:10:00.970 --> 00:10:08.149 things to manifest that in our life. Third, especially, 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:14.659 Third, what's lacking in our world? There's plenty 00:10:14.659 --> 00:10:17.700 of cynicism. There's plenty of anger. There's 00:10:17.700 --> 00:10:20.279 plenty of anxiety. There's plenty of trouble 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:24.279 and suffering. On one occasion, St. Seraphim 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:27.139 heard, he overheard, they didn't know he was 00:10:27.139 --> 00:10:29.620 there, two monastic brothers bitterly, bitterly 00:10:29.620 --> 00:10:34.039 complaining about the monastery, about other 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:36.879 brothers, about those that were in charge of 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:40.960 them. Our parish is this. Our parish is that. 00:10:41.179 --> 00:10:43.740 This priest is this. The priest is that. Why 00:10:43.740 --> 00:10:48.440 can't we do this? They were complaining about 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:50.179 the things they were asked to do, which they 00:10:50.179 --> 00:10:53.159 felt were stupid. And Father Seraphim came up 00:10:53.159 --> 00:10:56.659 to them. They didn't know he was there. And he 00:10:56.659 --> 00:11:00.559 said, but brothers, forgive me. I understand 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:03.840 you have some complaints. I can hear that. But 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:08.679 did you not hear that Christ has risen? And so 00:11:08.679 --> 00:11:13.240 all those things are not so bad after all. So 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:16.460 let's ask ourselves, brothers and sisters, if 00:11:16.460 --> 00:11:19.820 we have some bitterness in our heart, and this 00:11:19.820 --> 00:11:24.340 day make a correction to find grace. God gave 00:11:24.340 --> 00:11:28.220 us finally number four, a great spiritual guide. 00:11:29.179 --> 00:11:32.639 If we are to manifest anything about St. Seraphim, 00:11:32.700 --> 00:11:36.210 whether it be comfort or joy, paschal joy, and 00:11:36.210 --> 00:11:44.429 consolation. Let us pray to him. Let us ask daily 00:11:44.429 --> 00:11:47.509 for his intercessions. He was a great wonder 00:11:47.509 --> 00:11:51.669 worker when he was alive and even greater after 00:11:51.669 --> 00:11:54.330 he passed into the realm of the kingdom of God. 00:11:55.450 --> 00:11:58.929 St. Seraphim greeted his guests on most days 00:11:58.929 --> 00:12:03.690 with the Paschal greeting. So I boldly and hopefully 00:12:03.690 --> 00:12:07.899 without pretension greet you as he did, my beloved 00:12:07.899 --> 00:12:09.659 friends. Christ is risen.