CAST BRONZE. Ø 16 CM
I do not know why it so happened, but St. Seraphim is my closest, understandable and favourite Russian saint. It might be because he lived not long ago, and the evidence of the people, who knew him personally, remained.
Moshnin, Prohor Isidorovich, was born in 1754 in the city of Kursk, in the family of a renowned rich merchant. In 1786 he took the monastic vows in the Monastery of Sarov and received the name of Seraphim, which means " flamboyant". Holy Father Seraphim loved all the people as his relatives, he called all of them – “My joy”. Already during his mortal life the Mother of God appeared several times in front of the Holy Father and called him "Beloved of mine". In 1793 Seraphim was inducted into a church office (i.e. he became a monk and priest) and soon after that he went to a cell located deep in the pine forest on the bank of Sarovka river. One thousand days and one thousand nights he spent there in the act of moral courage, constantly praying on a huge granite stone! Once highwaymen attacked him. In spite of the fact that the Holy Father was a strong man and had an axe with him, he did not want to resist them. After this accident for the rest of his life he remained bent and walked with a stick. In 1807 Seraphim has undertaken the vow of silence in monasticism. Once the Mother of God visited him and told him to leave the seclusion and meet everybody in need. Thus, the Holy Father’s new act of faith began – a spiritual assistance to the people. Thousands of the afflicted seekers from the whole Russia were coming to him, and he put a candle for everyone of them in his cell, thus, it was warm in the cell in winter because of the burning candles. This is exactly what I depicted on my medal: the Holy Father as he is drawn on the icons, and burning candles behind him.
Saint Seraphim, the Holy Father, will you pray the God for us!