47. On the Benefit We Can Receive From Visiting the Places Where the Saints of God Lived and Labored

Many Christians love to visit the places where the saints of God lived, prayed, and labored, and where their bodies have found their eternal rest. Is there any benefit from visiting these places? And do Christians who visit them do well? Let us speak of this for our edification.

One of the devotees of Saint Seraphim of Sarov relates his visit to the cell in which the saint of God lived and labored as follows: “When we entered the cell,” he says, “an involuntary feeling of awe came over us: we vividly recalled how much that was spiritually great had taken place in this small space, how much spiritual wealth had been given out to what a multitude of people here, in this simple, humble dwelling! The Queen of Heaven Herself visited this simple, small dwelling; here She appeared to Saint Seraphim together with Saint John the Forerunner, Saint John the Theologian, and the twelve holy virgins. Here many thousands of people streamed, in need of instruction, admonition, spiritual and bodily healing. Here the sick received healing, the suffering received consolation, the despairing found peace, the erring were set right, and those toiling in good works were strengthened. How many came out of here—out of this small cell—spiritually reborn and inwardly enlightened, encouraged, cleansed, strengthened, abundantly nourished from the richness of the gracious gifts that flowed here through the prayers of the venerable elder. How many, who had been walking the path of sin and worldly temptation, went forth from here already onto a different path of life—the path of goodness and salvation. Here the pure soul of the venerable elder, through spiritual labors and fervent prayers, gradually ascended and was perfected—perfected to the likeness of the heavenly seraphim; and from here it flew away to the heavenly, paradisiacal dwellings. Here one seems to feel the unseen presence of the venerable elder. Here one seems to see the bent old man with his heavenly, love-filled gaze. Here one seems to hear that quiet voice breathing with love—the venerable elder’s voice, his fatherly greeting: ‘O, my joy!…’ Here more vividly does one recall his teachings, so full of wisdom and spiritual experience, about how we must travel our earthly journey, how to please God and attain the kingdom of heaven” (Soul-Edifying Reading, February 1904, pp. 268-269).

From this it is clear that there is benefit in visiting the places where the saints of God lived and where their bodies have found eternal rest, and that Christians do well in visiting them: as you see, in these places the mind’s impressions of how these saints lived, how they labored, what blessings they bestowed on people, how they drew near to God in spirit, faith, love, and purity, and how they were perfected to the likeness of the heavenly seraphim are reproduced with special vividness. And these impressions involuntarily stir greater love for the saints and zeal to imitate their faith, love, hope, manner of life, steadfastness in sorrows and temptations, and finally their endurance even to blood, even to the end. And in stirring greater love for the saints and zeal for their virtues, these same impressions then persuade all of us of that comforting truth: just as standing in the sun on a summer’s day one cannot help but begin to warm immediately, just as standing at the sea one cannot help but feel at once the refreshing breeze, so too, being in the places of the earthly life and eternal rest of the saints, one cannot fail to receive benefit, edification, and consolation. Amen.