March: Day 16: Venerable Serapion of Novgorod

March: Day 16:
Venerable Serapion of Novgorod
 
(On Pastoral Ministry)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Serapion (15th century), whose memory is celebrated today, was born near Moscow. He learned to read and write early and from a young age had a desire to leave the world and accept monasticism, but, obeying the will of his parents, he married and took the priesthood. A year later his wife died, and soon after that his parents, and then Serapion, having distributed his property to the poor, joined the brethren of a monastery, where soon for his highly virtuous life he was elected abbot of the monastery. When the management of the monastery began to burden Serapion, he retired to the Trinity Lavra. Soon after his arrival, the abbot of the Lavra, Simon, was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of Moscow, and Serapion was appointed in his place. The Grand Prince of Moscow Ivan III loved Serapion very much and often used his advice.

In 1506, Serapion was consecrated Archbishop of Novgorod by a synod of hierarchs. In this rank, great sorrows and grief awaited him; he was deprived of the bishop's see and imprisoned in the Androniev Monastery. This happened in the following way. Joseph, the abbot of the Volokolamsk Monastery, was oppressed by the Volokolamsk Prince Feodor, who even resorted to slander in order to blacken his name before the Novgorod Archbishop, on whom the Volokolamsk Monastery depended at that time. In order to free himself from the Prince's oppression, Joseph, without first asking Serapion's consent, petitioned Metropolitan Simon to accept his monastery into his jurisdiction and under the protection of the Moscow Prince. Simon willingly accepted this petition, and the Volokolamsk Monastery thus passed from the authority of the Novgorod Archbishop to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Metropolitan. Serapion, seeing in Joseph's actions a violation of ecclesiastical canons, subjected him to a ban on liturgical rites and this offended the Grand Duke and Metropolitan. In 1509, a council was convened in Moscow to consider this case. Serapion was deprived of his see in absentia and imprisoned in the Androniev Monastery for two years. Serapion wrote a detailed letter to Simon, in which he brought him a complaint that Joseph's followers did not allow him to appear in person at the synod, as he should have according to ecclesiastical canons. "Remember, holy father," wrote Serapion, "with what vows I was appointed, and what you commanded me. Did I not promise to keep the commandments and statutes of the Church, fearing no one, did I not promise to always stand for the truth? Then you gave me the power to bind and loose, which I rightfully used against Joseph, when he violated the statutes of the Novgorod archbishops who were before me." In 1511, Metropolitan Simon, feeling the approach of death, invited Serapion to him and asked his forgiveness. At the same time, Joseph of Volokolamsk reconciled with Serapion, having interceded with the Grand Prince Serapion for permission to move from the Androniev Monastery to the Trinity Lavra, where the Saint spent the rest of his life, struggling in fasting and prayer. He died on March 10, 1516. The relics of Saint Serapion were discovered incorrupt and placed in the southern narthex of the Trinity Cathedral.

II. From the above life of Venerable Serapion you have heard, brethren, how strictly this holy man treated his archpastoral duties. There is no need to speak of the importance of pastoral service. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, it seems, did not find enough words in human language to describe to the apostles the full height of their pastoral service and all its benefits for humanity. It would be futile to try to describe here the work of pastoral service itself. It is so great and varied that it takes not only years but a whole life to learn it. I will only remind you that the Holy Church has always needed and needs faithful servants, unashamed workers, good shepherds, devoted to their sacred duty with complete self-denial, with tireless zeal, with selfless love for God and neighbors. "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few," says the Lord of the harvest Himself.

a) The harvest is great. Wherever you look, you find either deep ignorance, extending even to the point that Christians do not understand and do not know why and for what purpose they are Christians, or stubborn errors of mind and will, not recognized even by those who are mistaken, or deeply rooted customs and habits that are contrary to the spirit of Christ. Much zeal and diligence, much skill and experience, much prudence and patience, much love and meekness are needed to be a worker without shame in this thorny field!

The harvest is varied. So many people, so many characters, dissimilar to each other, so many spiritual illnesses, one unlike the other, so many different moral needs, requiring pastoral care. How much foresight and caution is needed! How much spiritual prudence and experience! How much indulgence and patience! How much steadfastness and holy zeal for the salvation of one's neighbor, so as to be all things to all, so that in every way he may save some!

The harvest is difficult and sorrowful. More than once you will have to water the sown word of God with your own tears, and not wait for the fruit to take the handles with joy. Often you will have to prick your hands until they bleed, trying to pull out thorns and thistles. Much pastoral and paternal love is needed so as not to be ashamed by all this, but always to work with hope. Much self-denial is needed to sacrifice for the salvation of your neighbors not only physical peace, but also health and life itself.

A harvest not rewarded with anything on earth. Here the Lord Himself promised His apostles only labors and sorrows, persecutions and bitterness, suffering and death. All the reward is in heaven and in eternity. Much faith and hope, courage and patience, good nature and oblivion of everything earthly are needed to endure to the end, to stand before the Lord without shame on the terrible day of judgment and say: "Behold, I and the children whom You have given me! Father, I have kept those whom You have given me, and none of them perished, only the perishable son."

b) What a high reward awaits the good and faithful shepherd, who by his patience and selflessness overcomes all the difficulties that lie before him! The Lord Jesus Christ Himself promises to seat him on His throne: "To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me on My throne, even as I also have overcome and am seated with My Father on His throne." But if, through the negligence or cowardice of the shepherd, even one soul perishes, what a terrible judgment and condemnation threatens him in eternity! "Where is Abel your brother?" the Lord will ask the negligent shepherd at His Dread Judgment. "You voluntarily, without coercion or violence, took upon yourself the pastoral service; you swore to Me, before My cross and the Gospel, to fulfill your duties with all possible diligence and zeal. I have accepted your oath and clothed you with My grace; I have entrusted you with a most precious treasure, which the whole world is not worth, souls created in My image and washed in My blood. Return this treasure to Me. Where is Abel, your brother? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me: the souls that perished because of your negligence, sold by your love of money and greed, seduced by the example of your intemperate and wicked life, cry out to Me for vengeance and will cry out against you throughout all eternity!"

III. Beloved brethren! Pray for us, that the heavenly Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, may strengthen us, His unworthy servants, with His all-powerful grace in the difficult and responsible field of serving the common salvation. Amen. 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.