Saint Seraphim of Sarov – Aged Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Aged Lithograph Depicting Saint Seraphim of Sarov

Saint Seraphim of Sarov (born Prokhor) lived, worked, and shone with grace during the 18th and 19th centuries. His memory is honored on January 2.

He was born on July 19, 1759, in the city of Kursk, where he remained until the age of 18. At that age, he decided to dedicate his life to God and become a monk at the Sarov Monastery. Upon his tonsure, he received the name Seraphim, meaning “fiery,” reflecting his fervent love and zeal for Jesus. Two months later, he was ordained as a deacon. As a deacon, he spent his days serving in the monastery, attending to the liturgical duties, and meticulously following the monastic rules. At night, however, he retreated to his hermitage in the forest, where he spent the hours in prayer. Early in the morning, he would return to the monastery.

At the age of 34, he was ordained as a priest. His thirst for greater spiritual challenges led him to leave the monastery, with the blessing of the abbot, and live in complete solitude, fasting, and unceasing prayer for 15 years. For 1,000 days and nights, he prayed atop a rock with his arms raised, repeating, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” He continuously studied the Holy Scriptures and had immense devotion to the Theotokos, often saying, “The Virgin Mary is joy, the greatest of all joys.”

In 1810, he returned to the Sarov Monastery and spent 15 years in seclusion in his cell, practicing silence. In 1815, at the age of 56, he began receiving visitors. Upon seeing people’s faces, he would exclaim, “My joy!” Some he would embrace and greet with “Christ is Risen!” However, he never left his cell for another ten years.

At the age of 66, following a vision and command from the Theotokos, he fully dedicated himself to serving others and began his work as a “starets,” a spiritual guide. Saint Seraphim was blessed by the Lord and the Theotokos with the gifts of foresight, insight, and healing. He confessed many and healed numerous sick individuals.

On January 1, 1833, a Sunday, he visited the hospital chapel for the last time, partook of the Holy Mysteries, and after the Divine Liturgy, sought forgiveness from all the brothers. He blessed them, embraced them, and comforted them with the words: “Be saved, do not despair, be vigilant, and pray. Crowns are being prepared for us.” Saint Seraphim passed away peacefully on January 2, 1833. The monks found him kneeling in prayer before the icon of the Theotokos, wearing his white cassock, with his bronze cross around his neck and his hands crossed over his chest. They initially thought he had fallen asleep.

Aged Lithograph: Characteristics

This specific image was created using the lithography technique, which is taught in the iconography workshops of Mount Athos and is also utilized by many monks to create exquisite works of art. In this particular case, the monk used a lithographed copy of Byzantine art and crafted this piece following the traditional artificial aging method. The lithography technique in iconography is essentially a printing technique.

Origin: Mount Athos