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We are remembering St. Seraphim of Sarov, the

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Wonder Worker, who was born July 19, 1754, and

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died, although yet he is still alive, we know,

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in heaven, January 2, 1883. And this day we commemorate

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him on the day of his death. prayers of Saint

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Seraphim are still of great value to all of us

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here this very day. In his life, he lived something

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that some of us don't know, and some of us know,

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but we can't quite do it. And that is, he knew

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that God's plan is always the best plan. and

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he knew that God's timing is always the best

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timing. And yet, for us in our lives, we can

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even acknowledge that and know it in our hearts,

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and yet our lives don't match that great life

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of St. Seraphim that blessed so many people.

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And why is that? Because we trust our own minds.

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We think we know better. Sometimes, without even

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knowing it, we think we know better than God

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knows. God forgive us. Sometimes we trust in

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what public opinion is. We want to be popular.

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We want to have people like us. And so we make

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decisions based on how others will think of us.

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And we forget that first part that St. Seraphim

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knew. To seek God's will first. Whatever the

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case, whenever we do not follow God's plan, how

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can it be that we are still surprised when it

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doesn't work out right? And yet that can be.

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And so as we walk through our lives, let us look

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to this wonderful saint, St. Seraphim, who from

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his youth chose to follow God's will, sought

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after God's will, and through his whole life

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followed God's will to the point where he knew

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when he was going to die and he was prepared

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and he said, let us all be ready for the crowns

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we have in heaven and to those that were with

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him at the time. and St. Seraphim is the example

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for us to follow. Psalm 146 .3 says, Trust not

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in princes, nor in sons of men, in whom there

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is no salvation. Psalm 118 .8 .9 says, It is

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better to trust in the Lord than to trust in

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man. It is better to hope in the Lord than to

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hope in princes. The words of Saint Tikhon of

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Zadonsk. Not all men have the same hope. One

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man hopes in princes and in the sons of men.

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Another hopes in his wealth. Another hopes in

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his honor. Another hopes in his intelligence.

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Another hopes in his strength. And another man

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hopes in something else. Only true Christians

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set their hope on God alone, forsaking everything

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else. The latter have true hope, and the former

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have false hope, and therefore they have wandered

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astray. Let us follow the example of this great

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Saint, Saint Seraphim, whose life blessed those

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around him. and continues to bless us to this

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very day by realizing this lesson and seeking

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to live it in our lives, that God's plan is always

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the best plan. And let us listen to the Lord

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with all of our heart, trusting in his timing,

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in his provision, in his protection, and let

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us walk forward in faith as this great saint

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was an example for us. Glory to Jesus Christ.