48. On the Occasion of the Opening of the Relics of Saint Seraphim

A pilgrim who was present at the opening of the relics of Saint Seraphim spoke, among other things, as follows: “Wondrous are Your works, O Lord! And who can explain the mystery of God’s works! The Lord guards all the bones of the righteous, and not one of them shall be broken. After all, bones differ from bones. The bones of ungodly people are dead, as the Lord said of the tombs of sinners—that they are full of dead bones and all manner of uncleanness. But the prophet Elisha’s bones were living—even after his repose they continued to prophesy, as the wise son of Sirach tells us. The prophet Ezekiel also saw bones come to life. And King David says: ‘All my bones shall say: Lord, Lord! Who is like You? I will praise You in the great congregation; among a numerous people I will glorify You.’ So now the bones of Saint Seraphim of Sarov are glorifying the Lord in the great assembly of the Russian people” (Soul-Edifying Reading, 1903, November, p. 393).

So speaks the pilgrim who was present at the opening of the relics of Saint Seraphim. And here is confirmation of his words: “The celebrations that took place in the Sarov Hermitage on the occasion of the opening of the holy relics were marked by many wondrous manifestations of God’s grace: through the prayerful intercession of Saint Father Seraphim, the blind received their sight, the deaf heard, the mute spoke, and the lame walked. At Father Seraphim’s spring, several healings took place each day—sometimes more than ten. On one such day about fifteen crutches were gathered near the spring, left behind by lame persons who had been healed, and the people burned these crutches on the bank of the Sarovka River, as if thereby visibly testifying to the power of the prayerful intercession of Saint Father Seraphim. At the spring, one could with one’s own eyes at any time see someone who had been healed and hear from them a sincere, simple account of their healing. Among the healings there were also remarkable ones: one boy, mute from birth, began to speak; one woman who had been blind from birth began to see sunlight, trees, and other objects. Another blind woman began to see clearly altogether. One man who had been without the use of his legs, tongue, and hearing for seven years began to hear, speak, and walk. When a mother of a mute girl touched the coffin of the venerable elder with a cloth and wiped the face of her sick daughter with it, the daughter, to the great joy of the mother, at once began to speak. So wondrously and manifestly did the Lord display His mercy through His newly glorified saint” (from the report of His Eminence Anthony to the Holy Synod).

Truly, if one may so express it, the bones of Saint Seraphim of Sarov have glorified the Lord in the great assembly of the Russian people. What shall we add to this, and with what shall we conclude our homily? We shall add the words of Saint Chrysostom and close with them. “Not only the bodies,” he says, “but even the tombs of the saints are filled with spiritual gifts of grace. Therefore,” continues the universal teacher, “I call upon all—whether you are in grief, or in sickness, or in injury, or in some other worldly misfortune, or in the depths of sin—come to the relics with faith: you will receive help and return from them with great joy, having received relief of your conscience by the mere act of looking upon them. This treasure is of use to all: this haven is safe both for the unfortunate, freeing them from their distresses, and for the fortunate, confirming them in their good fortune, and for the sick, restoring their health, and for the healthy, warding off illness” (Christian Reading, 1835, Part III). Amen.