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St Sylvester was a native of Rome. Due to his exceeding virtue, he succeeded St Miltiades as Pope in 314 AD. Since he himself was unable to be present at the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD, he sent delegates of his own Roman clergy to represent him in Nicaea. He reposed in the year 325 AD.

St Seraphim of Sarov was born in the town of Kursk in 1759 AD. From tender childhood he was under the protection of the most holy Mother of God, who, when he was nine years old, appeared to him in a vision, and through her icon of Kursk, healed him from a grave sickness from which he had not been expected to recover. At the age of 19 he entered the monastery of Sarov, where he amazed all with his obedience, his lofty asceticism, and his great humility. In 1780 AD, the Saint was stricken with a sickness which he manfully endured for three years, until our Lady the Theotokos healed him, appearing to him with the Apostles Peter and John. He was tonsured a monk in 1786 AD, being named after the holy Hieromartyr Seraphim, Bishop of Phanarion (commemorated December 4), and was ordained Deacon a year later. In his unquenchable love for God, he continually added labours to labours, increasing in virtue and prayer with titan strides. Once, during the Divine Liturgy of Holy and Great Thursday, he was counted worthy of a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who appeared encompassed by the heavenly hosts. After this vision, he gave himself over to greater labours.

In 1794 AD, St Seraphim took up the solitary life in a cell in the forest. This period of extreme asceticism lasted some 15 years, until 1810 AD. It was at this time that he took upon himself one of the greatest feats of his life. Assailed with despondency and a storm of contrary thoughts raised by the enemy of our salvation, the Saint passed a thousand nights on a rock, continuing in prayer until God gave him complete victory over the enemy. On another occasion, he was assaulted by robbers, who broke bones in his chest and his head with their blows, leaving him almost dead. Here again, he began to recover after an appearance of the most holy Theotokos, who came to him with the Apostles Peter and John, and pointing to St Seraphim, uttered those awesome words, "This is one of my kind".

In 1810 AD, at the age of 50, weakened with his more than human struggles, St Seraphim returned to the monastery for the third part of his ascetical labours, in which he lived as a recluse, until 1825. For the first five years of his reclusion, he spoke to no one at all, and little is known of this period. After five years, he began receiving visitors little by little, giving counsel and consolation to ailing souls. In 1825 AD, the most holy Theotokos appeared to the Saint and revealed to him that it was pleasing to God that he fully end his reclusion; from this time the number of people who came to see him grew daily. It was also at the command of the holy Virgin that he undertook the spiritual direction of the Diveyevo Convent. He healed bodily ailments, foretold things to come, brought hardened sinners to repentance, and saw clearly the secrets of the heart of those who came to him. Through his utter humility and childlike simplicity, his unrivalled ascetical travails, and his angel-like love for God, he ascended to the holiness and greatness of the ancient God-bearing Fathers and became, like St Anthony for Egypt, the physician for the whole Russian land. In all, the most holy Theotokos appeared to him twelve times in his life. The last was on the Feast of the Annunciation, 1831 AD, to announce to him that he would soon enter into his rest. She appeared to him accompanied by twelve virgins, martyrs and monastic saints, with St John the Baptist and St John the Theologian. With a body ailing and broken from innumerable hardships, and an unspotted soul shining with the light of Heaven, the Saint lived less than two years after this, falling asleep in peace on January 2, 1833 AD, chanting Paschal hymns. On the night of his repose, the righteous Philaret of the Glinsk Hermitage beheld his soul ascending to Heaven in light. Due to the universal testimony to the singular holiness of his life, and the seas of miracles that he performed both in life and after death, his veneration quickly spread beyond the boundaries of the Russian Empire to every corner of the earth.

Dismissal Hymn of the Forefeast (Fourth Tone)
Joseph was amazed

Be ready, Zabulon; prepare yourself, O Nephthalim. River Jordan, stay your course and skip for gladness to receive the Sovereign Master, Who comes now to be baptized. O Adam, be glad with our first mother, Eve; hide not as you did of old in Paradise. Seeing you naked, He has appeared now to clothe you in the first robe again. Christ hath appeared, for He truly wills to renew all creation.

Dismissal Hymn of the Hierarch (Fourth Tone)

The truth of things have revealed you to your flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause, you have achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Sylvester, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Dismissal Hymn of the Righteous One (Fourth Tone)

You loved Christ from your youth, O blessed one, and ardently desiring to work for Him alone, you struggled in the wilderness with constant prayer and labour; and having acquired love for Christ with compunction of heart, you proved to be the beloved favourite of the Mother of God. Wherefore, we cry to you: Save us by your prayers, O Seraphim, our holy Father.

Kontakion of the Forefeast (Fourth Tone)
On this day You have appeared

In the running waters of the Jordan River, on this day the Lord of all cried to John: Be not afraid and hesitate not to baptize Me, for I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man.

Kontakion of the Hierarch (Fourth Tone)
You Who was raised up

A companion of the holy ascetics, you, O God-bearer, have been worthily shown forth as a true priest of priests before our King and God. Wherefore, rejoice now with the choirs of the Angels, filled with gladness and delight in the Heavens, O Father. Renowned Sylvester, famed shepherd of Rome, save them that honour with love your memorial.

Kontakion of the Righteous One (Second Tone)

Having left the beauty of the world and what is corrupt therein, O Saint, you settled in the Monastery of Sarov; and having lived there an angelic life, you was for many the way unto salvation. Wherefore, Christ has glorified you, O Father Seraphim, and has enriched you with the gift of healing and miracles. So we cry to you: Rejoice, Seraphim, our holy Father.



	Forefeast of the Holy Theophany St Sylvester, Pope of Rome Our Righteous Father Seraphim of Sarov Commemorated January 2 St Sylvester was a native of Rome. Due to his exceeding virtue, he succeeded St Miltiades as Pope in 314 AD. Since he himself was unable to be present at the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD, he sent delegates of his own Roman clergy to represent him in Nicaea. He reposed in the year 325 AD. St Seraphim of Sarov was born in the town of Kursk in 1759 AD. From tender childhood he was under the protection of the most holy Mother of God, who, when he was nine years old, appeared to him in a vision, and through her icon of Kursk, healed him from a grave sickness from which he had not been expected to recover. At the age of 19 he entered the monastery of Sarov, where he amazed all with his obedience, his lofty asceticism, and his great humility. In 1780 AD, the Saint was stricken with a sickness which he manfully endured for three years, until our Lady the Theotokos healed him, appearing to him with the Apostles Peter and John. He was tonsured a monk in 1786 AD, being named after the holy Hieromartyr Seraphim, Bishop of Phanarion (commemorated December 4), and was ordained Deacon a year later. In his unquenchable love for God, he continually added labours to labours, increasing in virtue and prayer with titan strides. Once, during the Divine Liturgy of Holy and Great Thursday, he was counted worthy of a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who appeared encompassed by the heavenly hosts. After this vision, he gave himself over to greater labours. In 1794 AD, St Seraphim took up the solitary life in a cell in the forest. This period of extreme asceticism lasted some 15 years, until 1810 AD. It was at this time that he took upon himself one of the greatest feats of his life. Assailed with despondency and a storm of contrary thoughts raised by the enemy of our salvation, the Saint passed a thousand nights on a rock, continuing in prayer until God gave him complete victory over the enemy. On another occasion, he was assaulted by robbers, who broke bones in his chest and his head with their blows, leaving him almost dead. Here again, he began to recover after an appearance of the most holy Theotokos, who came to him with the Apostles Peter and John, and pointing to St Seraphim, uttered those awesome words, "This is one of my kind". In 1810 AD, at the age of 50, weakened with his more than human struggles, St Seraphim returned to the monastery for the third part of his ascetical labours, in which he lived as a recluse, until 1825. For the first five years of his reclusion, he spoke to no one at all, and little is known of this period. After five years, he began receiving visitors little by little, giving counsel and consolation to ailing souls. In 1825 AD, the most holy Theotokos appeared to the Saint and revealed to him that it was pleasing to God that he fully end his reclusion; from this time the number of people who came to see him grew daily. It was also at the command of the holy Virgin that he undertook the spiritual direction of the Diveyevo Convent. He healed bodily ailments, foretold things to come, brought hardened sinners to repentance, and saw clearly the secrets of the heart of those who came to him. Through his utter humility and childlike simplicity, his unrivalled ascetical travails, and his angel-like love for God, he ascended to the holiness and greatness of the ancient God-bearing Fathers and became, like St Anthony for Egypt, the physician for the whole Russian land. In all, the most holy Theotokos appeared to him twelve times in his life. The last was on the Feast of the Annunciation, 1831 AD, to announce to him that he would soon enter into his rest. She appeared to him accompanied by twelve virgins, martyrs and monastic saints, with St John the Baptist and St John the Theologian. With a body ailing and broken from innumerable hardships, and an unspotted soul shining with the light of Heaven, the Saint lived less than two years after this, falling asleep in peace on January 2, 1833 AD, chanting Paschal hymns. On the night of his repose, the righteous Philaret of the Glinsk Hermitage beheld his soul ascending to Heaven in light. Due to the universal testimony to the singular holiness of his life, and the seas of miracles that he performed both in life and after death, his veneration quickly spread beyond the boundaries of the Russian Empire to every corner of the earth. Dismissal Hymn of the Forefeast (Fourth Tone) Joseph was amazed Be ready, Zabulon; prepare yourself, O Nephthalim. River Jordan, stay your course and skip for gladness to receive the Sovereign Master, Who comes now to be baptized. O Adam, be glad with our first mother, Eve; hide not as you did of old in Paradise. Seeing you naked, He has appeared now to clothe you in the first robe again. Christ hath appeared, for He truly wills to renew all creation. Dismissal Hymn of the Hierarch (Fourth Tone) The truth of things have revealed you to your flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause, you have achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Sylvester, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved. Dismissal Hymn of the Righteous One (Fourth Tone) You loved Christ from your youth, O blessed one, and ardently desiring to work for Him alone, you struggled in the wilderness with constant prayer and labour; and having acquired love for Christ with compunction of heart, you proved to be the beloved favourite of the Mother of God. Wherefore, we cry to you: Save us by your prayers, O Seraphim, our holy Father. Kontakion of the Forefeast (Fourth Tone) On this day You have appeared In the running waters of the Jordan River, on this day the Lord of all cried to John: Be not afraid and hesitate not to baptize Me, for I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man. Kontakion of the Hierarch (Fourth Tone) You Who was raised up A companion of the holy ascetics, you, O God-bearer, have been worthily shown forth as a true priest of priests before our King and God. Wherefore, rejoice now with the choirs of the Angels, filled with gladness and delight in the Heavens, O Father. Renowned Sylvester, famed shepherd of Rome, save them that honour with love your memorial. Kontakion of the Righteous One (Second Tone) Having left the beauty of the world and what is corrupt therein, O Saint, you settled in the Monastery of Sarov; and having lived there an angelic life, you was for many the way unto salvation. Wherefore, Christ has glorified you, O Father Seraphim, and has enriched you with the gift of healing and miracles. So we cry to you: Rejoice, Seraphim, our holy Father.

Forefeast of the Holy Theophany St Sylvester, Pope of Rome Our Righteous Father Seraphim of Sarov

Forefeast of the Holy Theophany
St Sylvester, Pope of Rome
Our Righteous Father Seraphim of Sarov