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The Venerable Seraphim Rose († September 2) speaks to us
Preaching the inner Orthodoxy of the heart, Father Seraphim drew attention to calculation and a critical attitude. He believed that this temptation stemmed from following "outward wisdom".
“Sometimes,” he would say, “our zeal for «Orthodoxy» can be so exaggerated that it leads to situations similar to one that caused an old Russian woman to remark concerning an enthusiastic American convert: «Well, it's clear he's Orthodox, but is he Christian?». To be «Orthodox, but not Christian» is a state that in Christian language has a distinct name: it means to be a pharisee, to be so caught up in the letter of ecclesiastical laws that you lose the spirit that gives them life, the spirit of true Christianity”.
Father Seraphim highlighted how we can let ourselves be carried away by "correctness" even in small things:
“Perhaps we love well-made Byzantine icons (which is a good thing), but we go too far if we despise icons painted in a more modern style, which still exist in many churches. The same applies to church singing, to architecture, to observing the rules regarding fasting, kneeling in church, etc…” .
“If you fuss about having the most correct icons and start saying: «There's an icon in the wrong style in our church», you must be very careful, because you're putting too much emphasis on something external. Frankly, when I come across a church where there are only icons of a perfect style, I start to have doubts, wondering if those people are just following a trend. I know of a case, one among many, where a church had old, original Russian icons – some good, others of questionable taste, painted in a newer style – and a more zealous believer took them all and replaced them with paper reproductions of icons in a perfect Byzantine style. And what was the result? The people there lost contact with tradition, with those who gave them Orthodoxy. They removed the original icons before which the faithful had prayed for centuries”.
Father Seraphim was in line with the 19th-century prophet, Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, when he taught that only those who feel the Kingdom of God in their hearts will be able to recognize the true nature of Antichrist when he comes. On the contrary, Father Seraphim affirmed, “today's «super-Orthodox» can easily fall prey to Antichrist”. In some places, he also explained how this could happen:
“Vladimir Solovyov, in 'A Short Story of the Antichrist,' ingeniously suggested that Antichrist, in order to attract conservative Orthodox Christians to his side, would open a museum with all Christian antiquities. Probably even the representations of Antichrist himself (Revelation 13:14) will be in the purest Byzantine style, and this thought should make us wake up.
Antichrist must be understood as a spiritual phenomenon. Why will everyone in the whole world want to worship him? Evidently, because there is something in him that corresponds to something in us. And this something is the absence of Christ within ourselves. If we worship him − God forbid! − it will be because we will feel an attraction to something external, which might even resemble Christianity, since «Antichrist» means 'he who is in place of Christ' or 'who resembles Christ'”.
“Hothouse” Orthodoxy
Again and again, Father Seraphim advised his Orthodox Christian brethren to show love and mercy to those suffering:
“Here are the daily opportunities to show our Christian love: to give alms, to visit the sick, to help the needy”.
Often, Father Seraphim spoke about the danger of transforming Orthodoxy into a “style,” overlooking the most common Christian duties. Here is what he said at a conference:
„Are we not boasting that we keep the fasts and the Church calendar, that we have good icons and communal singing, that we give alms to the poor, and perhaps even the tithe owed to the Church? Are we not delighting in high patristic teachings and theological discussions, but without having in our hearts the simplicity of Christ and true mercy towards those suffering? If so, then we have a 'satisfied spirituality' and will not partake in the spiritual fruits that will be shown by those deprived of all these 'satisfactions,' who suffer deeply and struggle for Christ.”
In 1979, speaking about Archbishop Andrei of New Diveyevo, Father Seraphim said:
„He hated the 'hothouse' Christianity of those who are Orthodox 'for pleasure,' but do not lead a life of ascetic struggle and deepening of their Christianity. We, the converts, can easily fall into this 'hothouse' Orthodoxy. We can live near a church, we can have services in English, a good priest, we can go to church often and receive communion often, we can be in a 'correct' jurisdiction – and yet remain cold, unfeeling, arrogant, and proud, as Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk also said.”
On the same occasion, Father Seraphim also spoke about how we might try to be 'spiritual' while neglecting elementary Christian love:
„Our spiritual life is not something bookish or the application of formulas. Everything we learn must become part of our lives, something very natural. For example, we can read about Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer and even begin to recite it – and yet remain blind to our own passions and without any reaction to someone in need right in front of us, without seeing that this is a temptation for our Christianity, at a much more elementary level than reciting the Jesus Prayer.”
„Wherever you are in your spiritual life,” Father Seraphim advised, „from there you must begin to participate in the life of the Church, to struggle for God, to love one another, to open yourselves to those around you, to realize that you have a responsibility towards them to be at least kind and benevolent, trying to do good deeds. You must pay attention to the troubles of others, bring them comfort, and help them escape from them. All these things help in living in grace in the Church.”
From 'The Life and Works of Father Seraphim Rose' by Hieromonk Damascene
Sophia Publishing House, 2005