Most certainly, Louise! Glory be to God!
St. Seraphim was a Russian saint in the 1700s who is amongst the most beloved saints of 'modern' times (that's how you know we are talking about an Orthodox saint, when the 1700's are considered 'modern' times! lol)
He was an ascetic wonder-worker who spent a thousand days and a thousand nights praying on a rock in an isolated forest, stopping only to eat a bit and sleep for just a few hours. He was known for his meekness, joyfulness, and peace of heart and once in his life was visited by Christ Himself. He attracted pilgrims from all over seeking his holy council, and his companion in the isolated hut in the woods was a bear who loved him deeply. He become known throughout Russia for his gifts of discernment and the miraculous healings attributed to his prayers before God. Truly a remarkable saint and reminiscent of the great saints of the ancient Church who were filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He is amongst one of the most beloved and revered saints of the past couple of hundred years and reverence for him is not limited to the Orthodox Church, as Pope John Paul II referred to him as a saint in one of his books.
This is a classic story about him which you should definitely read. Its called
On Acquisition of the Holy Spirit
There are also many excellent books with his sayings and his biography which I can give you when you have finished reading the above story. For a quick bio, here is the
Wikipedia and
OrthodoxWiki articles on him.
This is a
GREAT RESOURCE as well of quotes attributed to him which I highly recommend.
Here are just a sampling:
"Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you thousands will be saved."
"Where there is God, there is no evil. Everything coming from God is peaceful, healthy and leads a person to the judgment of his own imperfections and humility."
"When a person accepts anything Godly, then he rejoices in his heart, but when he has accepted anything devilish, then he becomes tormented."
"The devil is like a lion, hiding in ambush (Ps 10:19, 1Pe 5:8). He secretly sets out nets of unclean and unholy thoughts. So, it is necessary to break them off as soon as we notice them, by means of pious reflection and prayer."
"It is necessary that the Holy Spirit enter our heart. Everything good that we do, that we do for Christ, is given to us by the Holy Spirit, but prayer most of all, which is always available to us."
"A sign of spiritual life is the immersion of a person within himself and the hidden workings within his heart."
"Excessive care about worldly matters is characteristic of an unbelieving and fainthearted person, and woe to us, if, in taking care of ourselves, we do not use as our foundation our faith in God, who cares for us! If we do not attribute visible blessings to Him, which we use in this life, then how can we expect those blessings from Him which are promised in the future? We will not be of such little faith. By the words of our Saviour, it is better first to seek the Kingdom of God, for the rest shall be added unto us (see Mt. 6:33)."
"True hope seeks the one Kingdom of God and is sure that everything necessary for this mortal life will surely be given. The heart cannot have peace until it acquires this hope. This hope pacifies it fully and brings joy to it. The most holy lips of the Saviour spoke about this very hope: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28)."
"Oh, if you only knew what joy, what sweetness awaits a righteous soul in Heaven! You would decide in this mortal life to bear any sorrows, persecutions and slander with gratitude. If this very cell of ours was filled with worms, and these worms were to eat our flesh for our entire life on earth, we should agree to it with total desire, in order not to lose, by any chance, that heavenly joy which God has prepared for those who love Him."
"The reading of the word of God should be performed in solitude, in order that the whole mind of the reader might be plunged into the truths of the Holy Scripture, and that from this he might receive warmth, which in solitude produces tears; from these a man is wholly warmed and is filled with spiritual gifts, which rejoice the mind and heart more than any word."
"God is a fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts. Hence, if we feel in our hearts the cold which comes from the devil—for the devil is cold—let us call on the Lord. He will come to warm our hearts with perfect love, not only for Him but also for our neighbor, and the cold of him who hates the good will flee before the heat of His countenance."
"The body is a slave, the soul a sovereign, and therefore it is due to Divine mercy when the body is worn out by illness: for thereby the passions are weakened, and a man comes to himself; indeed, bodily illness itself is sometimes caused by the passions."
"Those who have truly decided to serve the Lord God should practice the remembrance of God and uninterrupted prayer to Jesus Christ, mentally saying: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
"When despondency seizes us, let us not give in to it. Rather, fortified and protected by the light of faith, let us with great courage say to the spirit of evil: "What are you to us, you who are cut off from God, a fugitive for Heaven, and a slave of evil? You dare not do anything to us: Christ, the Son of God, has dominion over us and over all. Leave us, you thing of bane. We are made steadfast by the uprightness of His Cross. Serpent, we trample on your head."
