384
edits
Changes
m
the sticheron is the one of Annunciation of the Mother of God
Fr. Seraphim knew from his own experience what the unceasing prayer of the heart is. A well-known elder John (Krestiankin), who was tonsured a monk by Fr. Seraphim in 1966 in Sukhumi, writes in one letter to some person about the way the Lord gives His gifts and takes them away: "My spiritual father was a young man when he received the gift of unceasing Jesus prayer and the fullness of joy in it, and then the Lord took this gift away, and all his life Fr. Seraphim looked for the lost piece of silver – he worked humbly and patiently – the gift was returned to him by the Lord a few days before his death - as a witness that the Lord had accepted his tears his whole life".
On [[December 18]], 1975, during the vigil, Fr. Seraphim felt ill. He went to his bed. All the time the elder said aloud the [[Jesus Prayer]], and when tired, asked the others to continue to recite it. For two weeks, he partook of Holy [[Communion]] daily. Being fully conscious, the Elder was honored to see many of his brethren in the spirit, who, according to him, were singing the [[sticheron ]] "Eternal council"("Βουλὴν προαιώνιον", sticheron of Annunciation of the Mother of God). And then the elder in a weak voice sang: "O taste and see that the Lord is good. Allelujah." After the vision, he said, "What I have prayed all my life and what I was searching for, it is opened now in my heart, my soul is filled with grace, so that I could not even hold it." After this he said, "Now I'm going to die". On [[December 31]] he closed his eyes for the last time and the next day, on [[January 1]], 1976, the elder reposed.
==Sources==
