The restoration of our true nature
By Abbot Tryphon, May 3, 2016
Saint Seraphim, who lived deep in the Forest of Sarov, always greeted visitors with the words, “My joy”. This saint’s words bespoke of his continuous joyful state. His holiness was not a sadness, but a joyfulness that everyone encountered when coming into his presence. His whole goodness and kindness shown forth as a votive light in the darkness, and “a thousand around (him) were saved”.
Saint Seraphim was transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and his purpose became one as a missionary to those who were caught up in the absurdity of the wilderness that is a caricature of existence. His witness was one of joyful, uncontaminated essence, because he had an encounter with the Lamb of God, who destroyed the power of the evil one, and conquered the power of death itself.
Saint Seraphim knew that the wickedness of this world was not natural in and of itself, but alien. This saint knew the truth of the words of Our Lord, when Christ said, “Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves”. He knew that we are called by this very Christ to return creation to the purpose as it was originally established by God.
The saint also greeted visitors with the words, “Christ is Risen” regardless of the season of the Church Year, for he knew that Christ’s resurrection was the central historical moment in all of human history, and his joyfulness was grounded in this central truth of our Divine Faith.
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
~Abbot Tryphon, The Morning Offering, https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/morningoffering/2016/05/restoration/.
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