St Seraphim Day, Fr Seraphim Majmudar

Today we're here to celebrate the great and beloved

St. Seraphim, my patron saint. And if you'll

permit me, just indulge me a moment to reflect

on this. celebration this particular year is

30 years ago I was being brought into the Orthodox

Church at St. Athanasius in Santa Barbara and

Father Nicholas Spire said, well, you need to

pick a patron saint before you're baptized. And

I said, well, I don't know how to pick a patron

saint, Father. And he said, well, read this book.

And he gave me the book of the life of St. Seraphim

of Sarov by Valentin Zander. Remember the red

cover? And I was studying to become a teacher,

which I eventually became an elementary school

teacher. And the part in the life of St. Seraphim

in that book describes, it's a recollection by

by a man who recalls the time that as a group

of children, they were off in the forest sent

by their parents to go find the hermit Seraphim

off near his Cali. And St. Seraphim had been

troubled by so many hundreds and hundreds of

people all the time coming to see him. that if

he heard people coming, he took to hiding. And

so people figured that out. And then they figured

out he couldn't resist children. He loved children

so much that the adults figured out a way to

get a hold of St. Seraphim. And by using bait

for the hook, they sent their children on ahead.

So this man tells the story of going deep into

the forest with a group of children. And they

were getting scared because the adults were way

back. And they were getting closer to his caliva.

They didn't know where he was. And then this

man tells about the moment when he hears something

rustling in the bushes. And then he said, what

is that? And then he looks inside and he sees

this beautiful, as your blue set of eyes looking

at him. And he goes, and he hears this, shh,

shh, come over here, like this. And then the

kids realize it's St. Seraphim in the bushes,

not wanting the adults to see him. And then he

said, my fear melted away. And I had, my heart

was electrified with joy, this man said. And

we went over to the bushes and he quietly, God

bless you, my joy. Christ has risen, my joy.

God bless you, my joy. And he kisses and hugs

them and says, now remember, don't tell your

parents where I am. And then he sent them back.

And it was that moment that I realized that this

is going to be my patron saint. Because reflecting

now for 30 years on his life and this beautiful

parish dedicated to him, that moment encapsulates,

for me, and perhaps maybe for you too, so much

about innocence in this world. Because it was

a group of innocent children that were off in

the dark woods, scared, and it was the innocence

of St. Seraphim that drew people deep into the

woods where they were afraid. And it was in the

depths of that fearful place, a scary place,

a lonely place, that they discovered the triumph

over fear. And that triumph over fear was overcome

through innocence. And I think in a time when

there's so much anxiety, so much fear, People

can't stand other people because who they vote

for or all these things and the sense of a war

happening. We crumple with fear and we crumple

with anxiety like that young boy off in the woods

of Saurav. And it presents, I think, the question

of what's going to win? Like, can innocence actually

prevail? Because it's a risk to be innocent.

Because in a world that's mad and angry and fearful

and anxious, I mean, you almost feel like you

have to put up your defenses and draw your sword

and enter the fray. Because if you don't, there's

a lot of pointy blades everywhere. And if you

are vulnerable, if you're innocent like a child,

then you're going to get stabbed. So the great

risk of innocence in a mad and angry and ferocious

world, I think is answered by our saint today.

we can follow Jesus Christ and have our heart

be soft and supple and kind and innocent in a

world that's just not innocent. Everywhere around

us there's so much sin and so much decrepit lives

that are riddled with sin and anger and anxiety.

So are we going to Take the risk and acquire

that spirit of innocence and peace that St. Seraphim

always used to speak about. Because it's rolling

the dice. I mean, I think it's rolling the dice.

Because there's a lot of beasts in the forest.

There's darkness. And like, shouldn't I try and

be a good person but also protect myself or stand

up for what's right or whatever? If I'm innocent,

I'm too vulnerable, and then I'll get steamrolled.

The beast will come out. So I want to read a

couple of paragraphs about that same forest.

And this is a recollection of Sister Matrona.

She was in great pain and perplexity and anxiety.

And she goes out there into the forest, just

like those kids did, to go see Elder Seraphim.

And she writes this, just a few paragraphs here.

I went to him after lunch and wept all the way.

It was on the third day after St. Peter's feast.

Father Seraphim took me by the hand and led me

into his cell saying, there my joy, I've been

waiting for you all day. Then he wiped my tears

with his handkerchief saying, mother, your tears

do not fall on the ground in vain. And then he

led me to the image of the heavenly queen of

tenderness and said, kiss her mother, the heavenly

queen will comfort you. I kissed the icon, and

my soul was filled with such joy that I felt

quite revived. Father Seraphim said, Well, Mother,

now go to the hostel, and tomorrow come to the

distant hermitage. And I did so. And as I approached

the hermitage, I suddenly saw that Father Seraphim

was sitting on a tree trunk near his cell, and

beside him stood, you know who's with him, right?

Misha the bear, right? And beside him stood a

huge bear. I was paralyzed with fear and shouting

with all my might, Father, this is my death!

Father, this is my death! And I fell down. On

hearing my voice, Father Seraphim hit the bear

and waved his hand at him. And the bear, as though

he were a rational being, went at once in the

direction pointed out to him by the elder into

a thicket. Seeing that I was shaking with fear,

and even when Father Seraphim came up to me with

the words, Don't be scared, don't be afraid.

I continued to shout as before, this is my death.

The elder said in reply, no, mother, this is

not death. Death is far from you. This is joy.

And then he led me to the same tree trunk and

having prayed, made me sit down. And he sat down

himself. And we hardly had time to sit down when

that same bear came out of the thicket again

and lay down at St. Seraphim's feet. And finding

myself close to such a terrible beast, I was

at first trembling with terror, but afterwards,

seeing that Father Seraphim treated him as a

gentle lamb without any fear, and even fed him

with his own hands with bread which he had brought

in his bag, little by little my confidence revived.

And then the face of the great elder seemed to

me especially wonderful. It was as joyful and

radiant as an angel. And at last, when I had

grown quite calm and most of the bread had been

eaten, the elder gave me the remaining bit. and

made me feed the bear myself. But I replied,

I am afraid, Father, he will bite off my hand

too. But at the same time, I felt glad as I thought,

but if the bear bites off my hand, I won't have

to cook anymore. Father Seraphim looked at me

and smiled and said, No, Mother, I believe he

will not bite off your hand. And so I took the

bread he gave me. And the feeding gave me such

pleasure that I wished I could feed the bear

longer, for the beast was gentle with me, even

with me, a sinner. And seeing me quiet, Father

Seraphim said to me, Do you remember, my mother,

how a lion served Gerasimos in the Jordan? As

for poor Seraphim, a bear serves him, and you

see, even the beasts obey us. And you, mother,

you feel despondent, but don't feel despondent.

I beg you in the name of God, Mother, never in

a no account lose hope, but always imitate the

humility of the saints. So, I think that's just

a picture of life. The boys running into the

forest, afraid, what's going to get them? There

are bears there. Sister Matrona, fearful, this

is my death, this is my death. And yet, The beast

that could have torn them both apart was meek

as a lamb because Misha the bear responded to

not Father Seraphim's violence, not his overpowering

of the bear, but the bear responded to his innocence,

that he was able to face all the dangers of the

wilderness and tame them. Because of his innocence

and the peace in his heart. Not of the warfare

and weaponry in his hands that he tamed the beast,

but through his innocence. And I hope that maybe

you'll reflect on that too as you're facing anxieties

and difficulties and conflicts and a society

rubbed down to the bone. And know that not only

our own lives that are filled with different

anxieties, but the lives of the people all around

here. What do they really need most? They need

to encounter, I think, innocence. To go to confession,

to repent of our sins, to love Jesus Christ and

his most pure mother, and honor his saints like

Saint Seraphim, and to acquire a spirit of peace,

at least a little bit. So that everywhere we

go, we're not bringing conflict or anxiety. We

don't have to have any defenses. We can be a

defenseless people that have nothing to protect

ourselves and nothing to hide. And the only thing

that comes out of us is innocence. And that innocence

will tame every beast, not just bears in the

forest of Saurav, but the worst beasts in men

and... in the spiritual world, because the innocence

comes from Christ, who gives us the peace which

passes all understanding, and the peace which

our saint today tells us, if we acquire it, not

only will we be saved, but thousands around us

will be saved. Through the prayers of our Father

among the saints, seraphim of sorrow, of the

holy wonder worker, Lord Jesus Christ, our God

of mercy.