Saint Seraphim Veritsa, the God-bearer, is a monk who was particularly known for his gift of prophecy and his miraculous works. He was also famous for his letter that he sent to his spiritual son, one of the Russian bishops. This letter (the sermon), which he titled “This was from me,” was written to console and support this bishop. It showed him that God the Creator addresses the human soul. This saint was one of 1,200 people declared saints by the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000 AD, and the Church celebrates him on March 21.

Saint Seraphim Veritsa was born Basil Muravyov in 1866 AD. He married and had three children before - by agreement with his wife - he separated and entered monastic life. One day he saw a dream that he later linked to his spiritual father, the monk Barnabas. In this dream, he saw himself on a pilgrimage to visit the monastery of Saint Nicholas. On the way, he got lost and entered a forest to see an old man who asked him about the way to the monastery towards which he was heading. This man had a bag on his back and an ax in his hand, so he realized In front of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, this old man then sat under a tree and Basil’s spiritual father (Barnabas) suddenly appeared in this vision, and although Basil was sitting between his spiritual parents, he could not hear the conversation between them!!!

When Basil became 54 years old, he quietly separated from his wife, and his wife entered a women’s monastery, the Monastery of the Most Holy Virgin Mary in Petersburg, and when she was ordained a nun, she was named “Christina.” Basil entered the Monastery of Saint Alexander Nevsky as a novice in September 1920 AD. A month later he became a monk and was named “Barnabas.” He was later ordained a deacon, and on August 29, 1921 AD he was ordained a priest by Metropolitan Benjamin Kazansky. It was named “Seraphim” in 1927 AD after Saint Seraphim of Sarov, and then he became the spiritual father of Saint Alexander Nevsky Monastery in Saint Petersburg. There he introduced thousands of believers and said, “I am a storehouse where people’s sorrows gather.” In imitation of his patron saint, Saint Seraphim of Sarov, Saint Seraphim prayed thousands of nights on a rock in front of the icon of Saint Seraphim of Sarov to rest in the Lord in 1949 AD, and then the Orthodox Church declared him a saint in August 2000 AD.

Translated from Orthodox Wiki