1904, St. Tikhon visits St. Michael's Church, Pueblo CO.

An article from the Pueblo newspaper "The Chieftain" dated, Tuesday, April 26, 1904.*

Original title: Greek Catholics Hold Impressive Services, Bishop Tikhon, Head of Church in America, Conducts Ceremonies.

St. Tikhon, as a Bishop.

"Bishop Tikhon, head of the Greek Catholic church in the United States, was in Pueblo yesterday and conducted services in the little frame church on Spring street.** There were present to take part in the high honor the entire Greek Catholic population of the city that could possibly get there.

The ritual was especially elaborate for the occasion. In addition to Bishop Tikhon, who conducted high mass, there were present Father Anthony, Father Jacob, Father Theoclitos, Father Kalneff of Denver, all high church dignitaries who are accompanying the head of the church in his tour of the United States. All appeared in the elaborate robes of the ceremonial. Bishop Tikhon was draped in a long purple robe of silk embroidered in gold. The other churchmen wore white and blue robes, according to their office, the deacons in white and gold embroidered satin and the priests in plain blue. The headdress of the bishop was a turban set with pearls and other sparkling gems. According to the requirements of the religion he wore his hair in long, flowing locks. Resplendent among decorations of Bishop Tikhon was an image of the Virgin presented by the czar of Russia, who himself is the titular head of the Greek Church. The church was elaborately decorated for the occasion. 

After the services in the church the bishop and the dignitaries with him were

Fr. Theoclitos

entertained at the home of Andrew Dragash. In the entertainment party were Buda Ratkovich, Pava Ziga, Christ Nasagos and John Mandjuk. All are well known churchmen of this city. After lunch at the home of Mr. Dragash the distinguished guests took the train to Denver. They will proceed from there to the summer home of Bishop Tikhon in southern California.

The presence of the bishop was to stimulate the efforts of the Greek congregation to collect funds for a new edifice. The present quarters are considered inadequate and are only temporary. The numbers of the faith are increasing rapidly.

One feature of the congregation is that the services are held in four different languages, to accommodate the people of several nationalities."

Original church building

* Orthodox Pascha (Easter) was April 10th this year.

**This church building was destroyed in 1921 by a flood. The church was rebuilt on higher ground in 1924 and has housed the congregation since.

A Prayer For the Church, by St. Ephraim the Syrian

May Thy compassion be praised, O Christ, our King, 
O Son of God worshiped by all! 
Thou art our King, Thou art our God, 
Thou art the Author of our life and our great Hope.

Thou didst establish on earth the Holy Church in the image of the heavenly Kingdom; Thou didst build Her with love, establish Her with compassion, and Thou didst spiritually betroth Thyself to Her, and gain Her by Thy suffering.

But the hater of mankind, in his shameless impudence, attacks Her in the person of Her servers.

O Lord, do not leave Thy Church without Thy care, that the promise that Thou didst utter concerning Her invincibility may not be shown false.

Do not let Her majestic beauty be disfigured or Her wealth stolen. Fulfill Thy promise which Thou didst make to Peter; seal Thy words with deeds.

Fortify Her gates, strengthen Her bars, exalt Her horn, raise up Her head.

Bless Her sons, preserve Her children, give peace to Her priests and subdue those who wish Her evil.

May Thy peace dwell in Her and drive away from Her all evil schisms.

Grant that we may lead a calm, peaceful life in fear of Thee.

May we maintain our faith with great confidence and perfect love.

May our lives be pleasing to Thee and may we find compassion in Thee in the day of reckoning.

May we ceaselessly bring praise to Thee, O Lord, and to Thy Father and to Thy Holy Spirit. Amen!


By St. Ephraim the Syrian

Humanistic and Theanthropic Education, Part One. By St. Justin Popovich

By St. Justin Popovich

Part One-

The existence of education reveals the fact that man is an imperfect and incomplete being, as has been witnessed and continues to be witnessed from the experience of the human race. All philosophies, all religions, the sciences, and a myriad of civilizations testify to this fact. Man is a being who must be perfected and completed. Therefore, the main purpose of education is to perfect and to complete man. Immediately, however, the following inevitable question arises: With what must man be perfected and with what must he be made complete?

Observe from every side, man is, according to his essence, “open” towards other beings and to other worlds. He is in no way the closed monad of Leibnitz. With all his being, both his natural and psychic self, man weaves together, consciously or subconsciously, willingly or instinctively, the enormous and incomprehensible bet of life encompassing the whole world. Education, if it wants to be truly human, must begin from observable facts, as well as from fundamental logical principles. The existence in human history of the search for what is perfect and complete give birth in our conscience to the passionate question: Who is a perfect and complete human being? 

From the first to the last man: (history is) on sorrowful parade of imperfect and incomplete men. Yet in the middle of them stands That One who had the fullness of mystery, the wondrous God-man: in a divine way perfect and humanly real. His human goodness is divinely perfect and complete; so is His righteousness, and His mercy, and His compassion, and His immortality, and his eternity and His beauty: all are humanly real but also divinely perfect and complete … He has completed and perfected everything by the divine. In one word, the whole man in Him is divinely perfected and divinely completed …

… All divine perfection is humanly real and concrete in Christ. There is not one perfect good or one perfect truth or one perfect beauty which is not incarnate in His Person or realized in His life. On account of all of these, He is precisely the perfect and complete man, the one whom the human race, the human mind, the human heart, has been seeking through a myriad of religions and philosophies, through the sciences, the Arts, and civilization. If we apply this conclusion to education we would say: Christ is that ideal man whom education seeks as its goal, its meaning, and its ideal. With Him and from Him we know what constitutes the true man. In Him we have the type from which each man can build for himself an ideally good, just, perfect and complete man. This is possible without great and insuperable difficulties, because in every labor His gives His divine powers in order that one may obtain all His goodness.

You sense that we are already on the main path of the God-human philosophy of education. Pay attention with seriousness and objectivity tot he internal structure of this education. The plan, the materials, the program, the soul, and the spirit are all according to the Gospel – they are all God-human. The values are divine and the methods are centered on the Gospel. God always occupies the first place, man the second. Man lives and thinks, feels, and works for God. This means that man is illuminated by God. Here specifically the question is not about some abstract, super-heavenly God of Plato or Kant, but about a God of concrete, humanly, earthly reality, of a God who became man and infuses into human categories all that is divine, immortal, and eternal. Therefore, only this one among the human race, namely, the God-man Christ, had the right to seek from men divine perfection (“You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” Mat. 5:48) and to place divine perfection as the goal of life and as the goal of the whole endeavor of man. By doing this, He gives to men at the same time all the necessary means and all the necessary strength with which to realize this goal of obtaining divine perfection.

What are these means? The holy gospel-oriented virtues: faith and love, fasting and prayer, meekness and humility, compassion and goodness, hope and patience, truth and justice. Applying these virtues produces a holy man, namely, a perfect and complete man. Such a man knows the real meaning of the world and of life, and he lives with his whole being directed towards realizing his given purpose in the arena of human activity. Formed by the holy virtues, such a man draws unceasingly from the aorta of his existence all the immortal powers of the everlasting God-man. Thus. Already in this life he feels immortal and eternal; for this reason he sees every man as an immortal and eternal being. The evangelical virtues are the conduits of divine light; each on instills in man a beam of light. As a result of this a saint radiates, illuminates, and enlightens. He carries in himself “the light of the world”; this light illuminates the whole world so that he also might see its eternal meaning and eternal value. The light of the world is simultaneously “the light of life.” It illuminates the road which leads to immortality and to eternal life. In our human world light and life are synonymous as are darkness and death.

The saints of the Orthodox Catholic Church of God are proof of what has been said above. Education and training are nothing other than the extensions of holiness, the radiance of holiness. The saints sends forth light, and on account of this he enlightens and educates. Education presupposes with all its being holiness. True education is in fact the saint. Without the saints there are no true teachers and educators. Not is there true education without holiness. Without illumination there is no enlightenment. Holiness is holiness through divine light. True education and enlightenment are nothing other than the radiance of holiness; only the saints are truly illuminated. Holiness lives and breathes by light simultaneously shinning and teaching. There is, therefore, an identity common to holiness and illumination.

Education without holiness, namely education without sanctification by the Holy Spirit and without the perfection and the completion of man through the God-man, that is, atheistic education, influenced Europe in its humanistic idolatry. It is immaterial whether or not this idolatry is manifested in the divinization of the Pope or in the divinization of culture, of science, of civilization, of the arts, of politics, of fashion. Everywhere the main objective is to organize man, society, and the world without God, without Christ. This is also true of education. There, the main objective is to illuminate man and humanity without Christ, God. Towards this direction, humanistic education occupies itself with the creation of the new man. The plan for this new man is simple: Christ or anything of Christ cannot exist in the new man. Europe applied itself to the task and began to create the new man without God, society without God, humanity without God.

The Renaissance had filled many hearts with hope. This was natural since European man had essentially withered on account of the Vatican … Therefore, the renewal of European man with the humanist spirit of ancient Greece was seen as essential in order to prevent his impending death, For this to be realized it was necessary for European man to be carried away from Christ and to server his every bond with the invisible world.

Rousseau took many things from nature and introduced them to man. The following question quickly arises: What constitutes the nature of man? The senses, answers the empirical philosophy of Locke and Hume. The entire nature of man is derived from the senses and is summarized in the senses. When that which is not essential for man is subtracted from him, only the senses remain to define who he is.

The man who is essentially defined by the senses is very primitive and boorish. For this reason, rationalistic philosophy under the leadership of Descates and Kant proposes a new type of man: man as intellect. Man is above all a rational being. Everything else in him is unimportant to the extent that reason is able to claim primacy in his being.

Yet, the volitionists who were led bySchopenhauer and Styerner, protest that the most important element in man has been omitted. Man's essence cannot be summed up in the senses nor in his reason, since he is neither of these. Rather, he is foremost comprised of volition. Indeed, they say, man as volition is the true man; he is the new man.

Afterwards, Europe was directed towards the search for the new man among inferior creatures in order to, based on the animal kingdom, create man without God. There was great joy and hysterical shouts were heard when the hypothesis that man originated from (a common ancestor with) the ape and other mammals was put forward. Nietzsche with his storms and earthquakes rushed into the world of the slothful and destructive though of Europe. With the passion of a prophet and the ardor of a poet he announced to the world his gospel about man. More ardent in his thought than in his sense, he extrapolated from the volitionism of Darwin the bold but logical conclusion: if the ape is the transitional link to man, why cannot man be the transitional link to the superhuman? Indeed, (Nietzsche surmised) man is a being who stands between victory and transgression. “What is the ape to man? He is an object of laughter and disgraceful shame. The same must be true for what man is to the superhuman: laughter and disgraceful shame.” The superhuman is the reasoning of the earth and the purpose of history …

To be continued.

Excerpted from "Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ", Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies. 2005.

The Proper Response to Scandal

By St. John Chrysostom

And you, therefore, when you see some who are stumbling because of what has occurred (scandal), first take into account that their stumbling does not result from the events but from their own weakness - which is clearly shown by those who have not stumbled. Then, consider that as a result, many have shone even more brightly, glorifying God, and with all earnestness giving thanks to Him even for these things. Therefore, regard not those who are shaken to and fro, but those who are standing firm and remaining steadfast, and in this way are becoming stronger. Do not regard those who are thrown into confusion, but those who are sailing before the wind, and who are much more numerous than those who are being swept away. But even if the latter were more numerous, one man doing the will of God would be superior to thousands of transgressors.

From "On the Providence of God", p. 126. St. Herman Press.

Images of Heavenly Worship

By St. Dionysius the Areogapite

.... The sacred institution and source of perfection established our most pious hierarchy. He modeled it on the hierarchies of heaven, and clothed these immaterial hierarchies in numerous material figures and forms so that, in a way appropriate to our nature, we might be uplifted from these most venerable images to interpretations and assimilations which are simple and inexpressible. For it is quite impossible that we humans should, in any immaterial way, rise up to imitate and to contemplate the heavenly hierarchies without aid of those material means capable of guiding us as our nature requires. Hence, any thinking person realizes that the appearances of beauty are signs of an invisible loveliness. The beautiful odors which strike the senses are representation of conceptual diffusion. Material lights are images of the outpouring of an immaterial gift of light. The thoroughness of sacred discipleship indicates the immense contemplative capacity of the mind. Order and rank here below are a sign of the harmonious ordering toward the divine realm. The reception of the most divine Eucharist is a symbol of participation in Jesus. And so it goes for all the gifts transcendentally received by the beings of heaven, gifts which are granted to us in a symbolic mode.

The source of spiritual perfection provided us with perceptible images of these heavenly minds. He did so out of concern for us and because He wanted us to be made godlike. He made the heavenly hierarchies known to us. He made our own hierarchy a ministerial colleague of these divine hierarchies by assimilation, to the extent that is humanly feasible, to their godlike priesthood. He revealed all this to us in the sacred pictures of the scriptures so that He might lift us in spirit through the perceptible to the conceptual, from sacred shapes and symbols to the simple peaks of the hierarchies of heaven.

From: The Celestial Hierarchy

I Was Made This Way: the Image of Christ for All Humanity

 At every Divine Liturgy Orthodox Christians sing, “We have seen the true light, we have received the Heavenly Spirit, we have found the true faith, we worship the indivisible Trinity: for He has saved us.” In the season of Great Lent during the Presactified Liturgy the priest turns at one point with a lit candle raised aloft and proclaims, “The Light of Christ illumines all!” It has always been the Christian confession that the Revelation of Jesus Christ gives guidance and illumination to every aspect of human life. Indeed a person truly lives in a human manner by abiding in Christ God, the Theanthropos. We confess that since we, humanity, are God's creation He alone knows, and has fully revealed, what is truly good for us and what is truly destructive. Christianity is not a vague notion of feel good ideas and “love” but an all- encompassing way of life and love, which is God Himself (cf. 1 John 4:8). According to the revelation of God the standard for human living is Christ, and every person, if they follow God, is called to Christofication. A Christian is one who is losing his life, that which this corrupt world counts as valuable, to gain Christ, that One Thing Needful, the Everlasting One (Cf. Matt. 16:24ff).

It is clear from the Scripture and the life of the Church that the Christian way also encompasses and guides our sexual life. Christianity has always proclaimed that the only God-given means of sexual expression is within a marriage between one man and one woman. Even then the married couple is called by the Church to a life of chastity, that is marriage is not a license for whatever kind of “sex” I desire, nor is it but some contractual legal sex. Sexual immorality is thoroughly condemned in the Scriptures. The Gospel exposes sin so that we may be healed of it; the point is spiritual health and wholeness. In a similar manner, a doctor reveals malady not to condemn his patient, but to help him in therapy and thus a road to recovery. (And if a patient left a doctor's office and complained that the doctor was judgmental and condemning because he diagnosed his illness, would this not be thought of as ridiculous? The diagnosis is not a condemnation of the person, but the illness; moreover, the diagnosis has as its goal the well-being of the person. We may speak of the “evil” of cancer without condemning a cancer patient. Again, not to speak of the potential threat would be the most uncaring thing to do, the illness is addressed to save the person. In a similar manner, sin is addressed to save humanity from its destructive energy.) God has revealed human wholeness in Christ, and He exposes our fleshly fallen weakness not to condemn but to heal. Of course, if a patient refuses treatment then the sickness becomes of his own doing, in a like manner if humanity refuses the spiritual healing in Christ then the ensuing death, spiritual death, is its own doing. God is abundantly clear: to reject Life leaves one only with death. Adultery, fornication, masturbation, pornography, sodomy, and so forth (cf. 1 Tim. 1:8ff, 1 Cor. 6:9-10) have always been counted as contrary to Godly living. In fact, one may not actively and unrepentantly be living and indulging in sin and be a Christian, for a Christian is one who is conforming his life to Christ through repentance and grace. The simple fact is, according to the revelation of Jesus Christ mankind is created to live a certain way, and outside of that manner of life, there is only death.

Thus, for Christians to remain silent about the grave consequences of sexual sin (and sin in general) is one of the most hateful things they could do. If one knew a road led to certain death and one was silent, would not that person be complicit in the death of those who traveled on it? If a doctor knew a patient had cancer and was silent, actively not informing him of treatment plans, rather telling him that cancer is normal and a blessing, a sign that he is healthy, would not that doctor be of the worst sort? And if a day of “celebrate cancer” were proclaimed would a good doctor, who knows the grave effects of the disease, rejoice in such a day? Or would he not try to inform and warn as many as he could regarding the insanity of such a measure? Those who claim to be Christians and are passively silent and even go so far as to approve of modern sexual immorality are like unto the situations of heedlessness mentioned above. Indeed they have lost evangelic charity and have become complicit in the destruction of their fellow man. To approve of sexual immorality reveals a grave, troubling, and false understanding of morality and anthropology.

In our times the issue of sodomy, which is currently in the limelight, is simply the end result of a society that has lived for its own pleasure, and has for many years now approved of a long list of sexual perversions, starting with the heterosexual sort. It is evident from Divine revelation that we receive that which we desire, if we, in truth, desire God we will receive Him, and if we do not then we will receive the opposite. In Romans chapter one, it is clear that sodomy and sexual debauchery, in general, are the result of mankind's homo-eros, self- infatuated love. God having revealed Himself to mankind, which He created, is rejected by it; rather mankind turns in on itself and begins to see in itself the end of all things, which is self-deification. At some point in history, this homo-eros was manifested in classic idolatry; today idolatry continues in a more sophisticated manner. Nonetheless, the essence is the same. Modern man in his “free thinking” worships his every thought and emotion as a god, and he follows the whims and dictates of his mutable corrupt heart like a slave does his master. Some, even in Orthodoxy, continue to claim Christ, for it is always easier to worship self under another name, while explicitly denying the most basic Christian teachings. We may as well hang mirrors in our icon corners and pray in front of them, and if it makes one feel better one could draw a little beard and halo on the mirror. We refuse Him and yet claim to be His. We skeptically question revelation and the teaching of the saints, because, the excuse goes, they did not live in the age of progress (!?), and blindly follow “modern research.” Do we, as Christians, take seriously Christ's words in the Revelation of St. John concerning entrance into Life, “there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes abomination, or a lie” (cf. Rev. 21:27)? Or have we also forgotten that “No one can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24) and “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4)? "There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways" (The Didache).

We as Christians are called to reason in the Light of Christ and to let that Light alone guide our path. Humanity's “reason” will be guided by something, everyone submits his mind to some ideology, philosophy, or such thing; a Christian chooses Christ and conforms his mind to the mind of Christ. We are called to repentance, as is the whole world. If we as Christians cease to issue a call for repentance, either by giving approbation or passive silence to explicit sinful death at work in our neighbor, then we are simply salt without flavor worthy of nothing but to be trampled underfoot (cf. Matt. 5:13). Let us not forget that the Church is called to be the leaven and salt of this world, its conscience which reminds it of the ultimate heavenly reality to which all mankind will be held accountable (whether one believes it now or not), even when the world does not want to hear it. 

The call to inner self-examination and repentance does not make us impotent and mute before evident and manifest sins. Thus the misuse of certain people who claim that it is Christian love to approve of sin, conveniently hiding behind "who am I to judge," is nothing short of heresy and godlessness, it is indeed truly hateful for we become willing accomplices in the spiritual destruction of our neighbor. While in reality, it is his spiritual well-being which should be our sincere and heartfelt concern. Love is the keeping of Christ's commandments, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 Jn. 5:2-3), even those concerning our sexuality. This is the Gospel love of neighbor, the intent and will to live in the image Christ. So we see that Godly love is not the detached amorphous, evanescent “love” of the modern world, something St. Theophan the Recluse calls “indifferentism” (see on this blog the article “On Truth and Love” for more on that subject). Modern man is just fine with spiritual suicide, while a Christian is concerned for the eternal soul and life of a person, and indeed all of humanity. Real abiding Love is grounded in the person of God and is manifested in the keeping of His commandments: that is the desire and intent of will to live according and be conformed to the clear revelation of Christ. Christians, of course, rise and fall and struggle with sin, but the issue at hand is a blatant justification of sin, its “normalization,” which indeed is the greatest lack of love. The justification of sin is the justification of death, hatred, and the devil, and all that is contrary to goodness, life, love and God.

 St. Paul tells us, “Even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be anathema” (Gal. 1:8). This “new” revelation and "gospel of love” and “toleration” (rather “totoleration”) seems to be a new wonderful heavenly angel sent to set mankind free; their murky aura infatuates so many people today. But they are "freedom" that ends in destruction. We are further forewarned, “Know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! … For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn away from the truth” (2 Tim 3:1-5, 4:3-4). Further, the faithful of the Lord proclaim, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Is. 5:20). What is the Christian called to do? “Brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or epistle” (2 Thess. 2:15) and "contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the eternal revelation of Truth, the image for a truly human life, and for the life of the world this Gospel must remain eternally the same, as is Christ the Lord (cf. Heb. 13:8). World, your mad rush into a pleasure-loving orgy has only one end: the loss of your soul and destruction. I would be remiss if I remained silent, but we may all take heart for the Church stands in the wilderness crying to all who have ears to hear: “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt. 3:2).

Akathist to St. Seraphim of Vyritsa

Akathist to St. Seraphim of Vyritsa

St. Seraphim of Vyritsa

Kontak 1

Venerable father Seraphim, chosen and well-pleasing to Christ, blessed protector and radiant beacon of the Orthodox Faith and the Russian land, the miraculous image of salvation was revealed in thee, for by thy works thou didst strive for the priceless mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven. Unto thine intercessions we run, and a song of praise we bring unto thee, crying out with love:

Rejoice O venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Ikos 1

Possessing angel like beauty in thy soul, O venerable father, thy heart was all aflame for the Lord of Hosts; from thy youth didst thou desire to serve Him alone, revealing true obedience to thy Creator. We, marveling at the providence of God made manifest in thee, cry with faith:

Rejoice, worthy youth of virtuous parents.

Rejoice, thou who from thy youth didst love the Lord with all thy soul.

Rejoice, reverent zealot of the Divine Services.

Rejoice, contemplative beholder of the world of spiritual tenderness.

Rejoice, diligent practitioner of pure prayer with all thy heart.

Rejoice, thou who didst strive with contrition of heart wholly for God.

Rejoice, thou who didst open up thy heart to a schema monk of the Lavra.

Rejoice, for thorough him thou didst find the will of God for thyself.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 2

Gazing upon the Lord with spiritual eyes and trusting in His mercy, O blessed father, thou wast united in lawful marriage and didst diligently fulfill spiritual and bodily purity; together with thy wife thou didst grow in every virtue, thus we unceasingly sing to the Lord: Alleluia!

Ikos 2

Our minds cannot comprehend, O father Seraphim, how to worthily proclaim in words thy faith and love for the Lord; never doubting in the goodness of the Heavenly Father thou didst feed thy soul on complete trust in God, therefore we cry unto thee:

Rejoice, unshakable image of faith.

Rejoice, accomplisher of spiritual meekness.

Rejoice, thou who with fear of God didst preserve in His commandments.

Rejoice, thou who everyday wast instructed in His truth.

Rejoice, possessor of thy soul in patience.

Rejoice, seeker of the Kingdom of God above all else.

Rejoice, preserver of thy marriage in chastity and temperance.

Rejoice, bearer of the love of wisdom and a quiet disposition.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 3

Being made strong by Heavenly strength, in wisdom thou didst join interior labor with work in the world, O righteous father, and by deeds of mercy performed for the sake of Christ, God's blessing shown forth in thee. Therefore cover us, who are naked of any good deeds, with thy love, that we may praise the merciful God: Alleluia!

Ikos 3

Possessing compassion, O merciful father, thou didst strengthen and comfort the afflicted, the sick, and the orphaned, through which thou didst acquire love of Christ. Hence, receive from us this song of thanksgiving:

Rejoice, quick helper of those in sorrows.

Rejoice, generous giver to those who ask of thee.

Rejoice, benefactor of churches and monasteries.

Rejoice, caring protector of the infirm and impoverished.

Rejoice, servant of thy neighbor, as if to Christ Himself.

Rejoice, for thou didst count worldly riches as nothing.

Rejoice, thou who wast free of earthly passions.

Rejoice, for by faith and good works thou wast made steadfast.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 4

The storms stirred up in Russia by those who fight against God did not frighten thee, O God-bearing father, for taking upon thyself the podvig of confession, and armed with valiant courage, having wholly given thyself to Him, thou art rightly called a perfect disciple of the Lord. Thus we joyfully sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 4

Hearing of the grievous sufferings endured by those faithful to the name of Christ, thou didst cry out with the Apostle, “Who or what can separate us from the love of God?” Truly we know, O father, that all things work for the good of those who love God; therefore we, although full of many sins, entreat thee, ask for us of the Lord all that is good and profitable for our souls, for desiring this we cry to thee:

Rejoice, courageous confessor of the Orthodox Faith.

Rejoice, thou who didst yearn to suffer for Christ, even unto death.

Rejoice, for unto the glory of God thou didst give all thy possessions away.

Rejoice, beloved devoted follower of thy Beloved.

Rejoice, gold purified in the furnace of temptations.

Rejoice, tree planted by the fountain of living water.

Rejoice, transformer of afflictions and tribulations into spiritual riches.

Rejoice, thou who didst prepare thyself for monasticism through hidden podvigs.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 5

The Lord revealed thee as a divinely shining star in the Lavra of St. Alexander Nevsky, O venerable father Seraphim; while abiding in the angelic rank thou didst receive the grace of the priesthood, and therewith didst strengthen many souls which dwelt in the darkness of despair, illumining them with the light of Truth, therefore we sing to the Lord: Alleluia!

Ikos 5

The brotherhood witnessed how through whole-hearted fasting thou wast made well-pleasing to God; for thou didst not labor in vain, but rather deepened in humility and the attainment of peace and joy in the Lord. Therefore we, beholding thy spiritual ascent from strength to strength, with reverence cry to thee:

Rejoice, thou who didst crucify thy passionate and fleshly desires.

Rejoice, thou who through repentance didst wash away the filth of sin.

Rejoice, thou who didst comprehend the grace filled power of humility.

Rejoice, renewer of thy soul through works of the Gospel commandments.

Rejoice, unceasing invocation of the name of sweetest Jesus.

Rejoice, taster, even on earth, of the blessed coming age.

Rejoice, offerer of the bloodless Sacrifice with fear and trembling.

Rejoice, nourisher, with words of wisdom, of everyone who came to thee.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyrista!

Kontak 6

Receiving perfect love as the crown of virtue, together with the gift of the Holy Spirit, thou didst lift up the infirmities of the infirm, O spirit-bearing father, and didst guide many souls to salvation. Thus we, the sinful ones, are healed of our many and various maladies through thine intercessions, singing with thankfulness to the Lord: Alleluia!

Ikos 6

The Truth of God shone from thy face and drove back demonic prelest, delivering the Lavra from the yoke of the false reformers of the Church, and bringing great joy to the monastic brethren. This we ask of thee, O peacemaker, quench the divisions and discords in our life and destroy all falsehood, for with oneness of soul we cry to thee:

Rejoice, temple of Christ not made by hands.

Rejoice, beautifully adorned one with the abundance of the Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, for thy heart encompassed the whole world.

Rejoice, incense of prayer unceasingly rising before the Lord.

Rejoice, fervent sufferer in soul for the lost.

Rejoice, ardent desire that all would come unto salvation and the reason of truth.

Rejoice, conqueror through meekness and humility of the pride and evil of godlessness.

Rejoice, harmonious teacher of the commandment of Christ, “Love thine enemy”.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 7

The Lord, the Lover of mankind, revealed in thee a new spiritual light and gave thee to the monastic brotherhood as a spiritual father. Thus didst thou receive the Great Schema from God as a seal of perfection; thy soul being filled with the pure fiery flame of prayer for the whole world, thou didst instruct everyone in reverence and brotherly love, thus with trembling we cry to God: Alleluia!

Ikos 7

Through wondrous prophecy, O blessed one, the Lord showed forth the venerable Seraphim of Sarov to be thy good guide, for receiving his name in the Schema thou wast truly manifested to be a new comforter to all who call upon thee; and we, marveling at God's good favor, cry to thee:

Rejoice, fervent intercessor before God for all.

Rejoice, well-pleasing one to the Most Blessed Sovereign Lady.

Rejoice, sweet conversor with the angels.

Rejoice, ascetic co-laborer with the spirit-bearing fathers.

Rejoice, blessed protector of the Orthodox.

Rejoice, radiant light for those lost in the darkness of godlessness.

Rejoice, reconciliation of sinners to God.

Rejoice, fountain of joy and tenderness.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa.

Kontak 8

It is strange and disquieting to this vain world to hear how through prayer, O wonder-worker, the richness of God's mercy is poured out upon all who flee to thy heavenly protection. We, therefore, glorify the Holy Trinity Who gave thee this grace, joyfully crying out: Alleluia!

Ikos 8

Thou gavest thy whole self to the service of God and people, O marvelous father, commanding thy spiritual children to meditate always on heavenly things and to fervently labor in the Jesus prayer, through which every sin of the soul is cut off and the spirit of man is united to the Spirit of God. Beneath thy wondrous blessing we run and with love magnify thee:

Rejoice, dweller of the heavenly Jerusalem.

Rejoice, beholder, even in this life, of the unspeakable glory of the Savior.

Rejoice, bearer of our prayers to the feet of the Almighty and the Theotokos.
Rejoice, loving father, giver of beneficial things to those who ask.

Rejoice, faithful servant of Christ's holy Church.

Rejoice, physician of incurable spiritual infirmities.

Rejoice, foreseer of the coming wondrous age.

Rejoice, speedy deliverance from present corrupt circumstances.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 9

All the heavenly powers were amazed at thy humility and patience, O holy one, seeing thee afflicted with suffering through sickness; thus wast thou providentially sent away from the Lavra by godless persecutors. The people then beheld thee in the town of Vyritsa continuously and miraculously protected by the Theotokos, singing to the Lord, the Lover of mankind: Alleluia!

Ikos 9

The multitude of human speech and eloquence falls silent before thy great podvigs, O venerable one, for, although elderly and weak of body, thou didst take upon thyself many labors. Therefore, marveling at the power of God made perfect in thee, we cry:

Rejoice, skillful follower of the desert dwellers of old.

Rejoice, constant lover of the life of fasting.

Rejoice, zealous and ardent intercessor for the poor.

Rejoice, wondrous conqueror of bodily infirmities.

Rejoice, humble concealer of thy virtues.

Rejoice, for with tears thou didst multiply the fruits of God's grace.

Rejoice, guardian of the oil of joy through watchfulness.

Rejoice, for by thy life thou wast well-pleasing unto God.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 10

Thou didst beseech the Lord to save holy Rus' from foreign invaders, O marvelous lover of God, praying, “O Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on our country and Thy world.” Thus, calling upon the Lord with tenderness of heart, like unto the elder of Sarov, thou didst take upon thyself a new podvig - kneeling on a rock in intercessory prayer. Therefore, we glorify the Lord Who strengthened thee, chanting the hymn of victory: Alleluia!

Ikos 10

Thine unseen prayer was a wall of protection, O God-pleaser, to the warriors and people of Russia during the years of heavy tribulation. With the spiritual mind thou didst comprehend that these afflictions were allowed by God because of apostasy, thus thou didst call to the people who had turned away from God, “Return to Christ!” Hence, from all dangers that can be do thou deliver us who sing to thee,

Rejoice, imbiber of the cup of suffering for thy fatherland to the end.

Rejoice, intercessor for mercy from the Lord unto the Russian land.

Rejoice, gift of help to Christ-lovers serving in the arm forces.

Rejoice, living renewal of our souls and bodies.

Rejoice, willing endurance of a bloodless sacrifice.

Rejoice, for thou didst understand human weakness.

Rejoice, protector of the Russian land and the whole world by prayer.

Rejoice, powerful deliverance from enemies seen and unseen.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 11

A tender song we bring to thee, O venerable father Seraphim, magnifying thine earthly life full of many labors; therefore pray unceasingly to the Lord for us, that He would grant unto us remission of sins, victory over the passions, and through being made firm in every virtue and guarding peace of soul we may be vouchsafed, unworthy though we be, to sing the song of thanksgiving, together with thee, in the Heavenly Kingdom: Alleluia!

Ikos 11

We behold thee as a shining preacher to those in the darkness of godlessness, all-blessed father; foreseeing the spiritual rebirth of Russia thou didst command thy countrymen to hold fast the Orthodox Faith, therefore with love we cry to thee:

Rejoice, thou who didst commune with the Eternal King.

Rejoice, ray of the Divine Sun.

Rejoice, radiant mercy that warms our souls.

Rejoice, instructor who awakens the spiritual mind.

Rejoice, luminous lamp, illumining many people.

Rejoice, man of prayer, through whom the snares of the enemy are destroyed.

Rejoice, guardian of purity of heart.

Rejoice, teacher of Christian perfection.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 12

While praying the akathist to the Mother of God thy blessed end was revealed to thee, O Godly-wise father. The Most-Pure Lady visited thee, appearing clearly and not in a dream, and by her right hand she showed thee thine approaching departure to heaven. With what praises can we worthily magnify thee, O chosen one of the Heavenly Queen, who doth now sing with the angelic ranks: Alleluia!

Ikos 12

Singing to God Who is marvelous in His saints, we believe that the prayers of the righteous accomplish much with the All-Compassionate Master, and therefore we beseech thee, O venerable father, be unto us a fervent intercessor before the Throne of the Most-Holy Trinity, as we sing to thee:

Rejoice, namesake of the fiery seraphim.

Rejoice, receiver of spiritual eldership.

Rejoice, untiring laborer in the field of Christ.

Rejoice, diligent planter of the peace of God.

Rejoice, new and beautiful adornment of the Orthodox Church.

Rejoice, great boldness before God for much suffering Rus'.

Rejoice, mighty protector of the Christian race.

Rejoice, for we know thee to be a true intercessor for our salvation.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 13

O praised and marvelous God-pleaser and wonder-worker, Seraphim of Vyritsa, receive our fervent prayers which we offer to thee with love. Entreat the All-Compassionate Lord to deliver us from all evil and misfortune, that we may pass the remaining time of this life in every virtue, and be vouchsafed by thy prayers the eternal and blessed life; thus we sing with thanksgiving to the Lord for thee: Alleluia! (Repeat 3x)

Ikos 1

Possessing angel like beauty in thy soul, O venerable father, thy heart was all aflame for the Lord of Hosts; from thy youth didst thou desire to serve Him alone, revealing true obedience to thy Creator. We marveling at the providence of God manifested in thee, cry with faith:

Rejoice, worthy youth of virtuous parents.

Rejoice, thou who from thy youth didst love the Lord with all thy soul.

Rejoice, reverent zealot of the Divine Services.

Rejoice, contemplative beholder of the world of spiritual tenderness.

Rejoice, diligent practitioner of pure prayer with all thy heart.

Rejoice, thou who didst strive with contrition of heart wholly for God.

Rejoice, thou who didst open up thy heart to a schema monk of the Lavra.

Rejoice, for thorough him thou didst find the will of God for thyself.

Rejoice, venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

Kontak 1

Venerable father Seraphim, chosen and well-pleasing to Christ, blessed protector and radiant beacon of the Orthodox Faith and the Russian land, the miraculous image of salvation was revealed in thee, for by thy works thou didst strive for the priceless mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven. Unto thine intercessions we run, and a song of praise we bring unto thee, crying out with love:

Rejoice O venerable wonder-worker Seraphim of Vyritsa!

A Prayer to St. Seraphim of Vyritsa

O divinely blessed and most-merciful father Seraphim! We behold thee, even after thy death, truly alive and with faith we fall down before thee crying, forget not thy paupers to the end, but look with mercy on us thy spiritual flock, and shepherd us, O good pastor, with thy prayers, which are well-pleasing to God. Ask for us of the Lord time for repentance and the correction of our sinful ways, since thou dost clearly see all our spiritual infirmities; for we have no works of faith for salvation, we have no zeal for a truly God-pleasing life, our minds are captive to death-bearing passions, and we defile our hearts with foul lusts. We carelessly disregard the very blessed things we claim to await and hope for, thereby destroying the temple of our souls. O holy father, stretch forth thy hands in prayer to the Lord and entreat the Savior to touch the human race and our stony hearts with His grace, wash us with tears of repentance, renew us in faith, strengthen us in virtue, and give unto us everything beneficial for our salvation. Let us not be put to shame for we have put our hope in thee, together with our Lord God and the Most-Pure Theotokos; be unto us a sure and quick helper, a comforter in afflictions, and a protector in the various circumstances of life. Make us worthy, O holy Seraphim, by thy prayers of the delights of the Heavenly Kingdom, where all the saints unceasingly praise and glorify the All-Immaculate and Greatly Marvelous Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. 

Troparion tone 4

As a bright star of the Russian land thou didst shine forth from Vyritsa, O venerable father Seraphim; and guided by the grace of the Holy Spirit,  thou hast illumined our country with the light of thy miracles. Thus we flee to thy relics for refuge crying out with compunction: Intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved!

Kontakion Tone 5

Imitating the God-bearing saint of Sarov, thou didst acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit in abundance, thou fragrant vessel of St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra and boast of the town of Vyritsa; therefore we cry to thee: Rejoice, venerable father Seraphim our merciful intercessor before the Lord.

Magnification:

We magnify thee, O venerable father Seraphim; and we venerate thy holy memory, instructor of monastics and conversor with the angels! 

Translated from Russian by Fr. Zechariah & Mat. Natalia Lynch. 

A brief life may be found here:

http://theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/articles/2010/06/the-holy-and-venerable-father-seraphim-of-vyritsa/