9. The Saints Dwelling in Heaven Commune With Those Living on Earth

We all believe that the saints dwelling in the heavens have communion with those living on earth. Is this so?

Saint Seraphim of Sarov said to one of the nuns of the Diveevo women’s community on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos: “We shall have a vision of the Mother of God.”

And his words were fulfilled.

The nun says: “Here is what happened. At that time there arose a noise like the sound of a great wind in a forest. When it had died down, singing was heard, resembling church singing. Then the door of the cell opened of itself, and it became brighter than the brightest day, and the cell was filled with a fragrance like frankincense in bloom, only better. Dear Father Seraphim was kneeling with his hands raised to heaven. I was frightened. Father Seraphim rose and said to me: ‘Do not fear, my child—this is the mercy being sent down to us from God. For the Most Glorious, Most Pure Queen, our Most Holy Theotokos, is coming to us.’”

“Two angels walked ahead, each holding in hand a branch adorned with freshly opened blossoms—one in the right hand, the other in the left. Their hair resembled golden-yellow flax and lay loose upon their shoulders. They took their places in front. After them came: Saint John the Forerunner and Saint John the Theologian. Their garments were white, gleaming with purity. After them came the Mother of God, and after her twelve holy virgins. The Queen of Heaven wore a mantle resembling the one depicted in the icon of the Mother of God of Sorrows—resplendent, of indescribable beauty, and she shone with an extraordinary light. The dress beneath her mantle was girded. Over the mantle was something like an epitrachelion, and on her arms were cuffs, which, like the epitrachelion, were adorned with crosses. On her head was an elevated crown adorned variously with crosses, beautiful and wondrous, shining with such light that it was difficult to look upon it, just as it was upon the very face of the Queen of Heaven. Her hair was loose upon her shoulders and was longer and more beautiful than that of the angels. The virgins walked behind her two by two, wearing crowns, in garments of various colors; they were of various heights, various faces, and various colors of hair, also lying loose upon their shoulders—all of great beauty. All took their places around us. The Queen of Heaven stood in the center. The cell became spacious, and the entire ceiling was filled with lights, as from burning candles. The light was wondrous, special, unlike the light of day—it was brighter and whiter than sunlight. I was frightened and fell down. The Queen of Heaven came to me and, touching me with her right hand, graciously said: ‘Rise, maiden, and do not fear us; the same kind of maidens as you have come here with me.’ I did not feel how I rose. The Queen of Heaven was pleased to repeat: ‘Do not fear—we have come to visit you.’ Father Seraphim was already standing on his feet before the Most Pure Theotokos, and she was speaking with him as graciously as with one of her own. Overcome with great joy, I asked Father Seraphim: ‘Where are we?’ — I thought that I was no longer alive. Later, when I asked him ‘Who is this?’, the Most Holy Theotokos bade me go to the virgins and ask them myself. They stood in order on both sides, as they had walked: in the first places stood the great martyrs Barbara and Catherine; in the second, the first martyr Thecla and the great martyr Marina; in the third, the great martyr and queen Irene and the venerable Eupraxia; in the fourth, the great martyrs Pelagia and Dorothea; in the fifth, the venerable Macrina and the martyr Justina; in the sixth, the martyrs Juliana and Anisia.”

“I went up to each of them, and all of them told me their names and their feats of martyrdom and of life for the sake of Christ, in accordance with what is written about them in the Menaion; all of them said to me: ‘Not so did God grant us this glory, but through suffering, through reproach. And you too will suffer from tribulation and persecution.’ The Most Holy Theotokos spoke at length with Father Seraphim, and I could not make out what was said—only one phrase: ‘Do not abandon my maidens.’”

“The vision lasted more than an hour, and then in an instant everything became invisible. After that wondrous vision, Father Seraphim turned to me and said: ‘See what grace the Lord has counted us, the unworthy, worthy of. For me this has already been the twelfth such appearance from God, and now the Lord has counted you worthy as well. See what joy we have attained! Conquer the enemy-devil and be wise against him in all things, and the Lord will help you in everything. Call upon the Lord and the Mother of God and all the saints for help, and remember me, the unworthy. Remember and always say in prayer: Lord, how will it be when I must die? Lord, how will I come before the dreadful judgment? How, O Lord, shall I answer for my deeds? Queen of Heaven, help me!’” It is thus clear that the saints dwelling in the heavens commune with those living on earth. And this communion, as the example of the venerable one shows, may at times be accompanied by extraordinary appearances of the heavenly dwellers. All of this, of course, ought to strengthen us in faith in God and in love for him, in faith in life beyond the grave and in recompense after death, and lead us to strive ourselves to enter into communion with the saints who have departed to the world on high. How is this to be achieved? Clearly, through a holy life, through the constant directing of mind and heart toward the heavenly, eternal, and divine—and above all through frequent attendance at the churches of God and devout presence within them, where communion with God and his saints is most easily attained. “There, that is, in the churches,” says Saint Chrysostom, “we together with the heavenly dwellers raise that mystical song, we sing the Trisagion together with them. There we stand in one choir with the seraphim, we join the heavenly assembly, we are numbered among the ranks of angels, we converse with the Lord, we enter into fellowship with Jesus Christ.” One common celebration is shared by heavenly and earthly beings alike. One thanksgiving, one joyful rejoicing. The ineffable mercy of the Lord has joined them together; the Holy Spirit has united them; the All-Good Father has harmonized their singing into one melodious song. See what close communion we can have with God and his saints in the churches of God! Let us seek this communion both through the holy churches and in general. This seeking will teach us, while we live on earth in body, to live in heaven in spirit; it will open before us the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and kindle in us zeal to imitate the life of the saints. Amen.