Elder Seraphim of Sarov - Life and Instructions
St. Seraphim of Sarov (1754–1833) is one of the most venerated Russian saints, a great ascetic, hermit, and spiritual guide. He spent more than thirty years in prayerful labors, solitude, and strict fasting at the Sarov Hermitage and in the surrounding forests. In the final years of his life, the saint received numerous visitors, comforting them with the words: "My joy, Christ is risen!", and taught that the chief aim of the Christian life is the acquisition of the grace of the Holy Spirit. In 1903, St. Seraphim was glorified as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church.