On the Aquisition of the Holy Spirit

by Seraphim of Sarov

Saint Seraphim of Sarov (Russian: Серафим Саровский) (19 July 1759 - 2 January (N.S. 14 January), 1833), born Prokhor Moshnin (Прохор Мошнин), is one of the most renowned Russian monks and mystics in the Orthodox Church. He is generally considered the greatest of the 19th century startsy (elders) and, arguably, the first. He is remembered for extending the monastic teachings of contemplation, theoria and self-denial to the layperson, and taught that the purpose of the Christian life was to acquire the Holy Spirit.

Genres: Christianity, Theology, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Christian, Philosophy

Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2010

About the author

Saint Seraphim of Sarov (Russian: Серафим Саровский) (1 August [O.S. 19 July] 1754 (or 1759) – 14 January [O.S. 2 January] 1833), born Prokhor Moshnin (Прохор Мошнин), is one of the most renowned Russian monks and mystics in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is generally considered the greatest of the 19th century startsy (elders). Seraphim extended the monastic teachings of contemplation, theoria and self-denial to the layperson. He taught that the purpose of the Christian life was to acquire the Holy Spirit. Perhaps his most popular quotation amongst Orthodox believers is "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved."

Seraphim was glorified (canonized) by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1903. His biographer Nicholas Motovilov was one of his "spiritual children". Pope John Paul II referred to him as a saint.

Reviews

[Melina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of the writings by the Saints are hard to understand for the average person. The words of Saint Seraphim of Sarov as transcribed in On Acquisition of the Holy Spirit , on the other hand, are very simple and accessible to laymen. I think all who've chosen this path, would serve their spiritual lives well by reading this short book. Saint Seraphim of Sarov is a humble man who is teaching us the true meaning of our lives.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adding to the list of books I would probably never have read if e-readers had not been invented, this little gem of classic Orthodox spirituality is only 99 cents. And it is incredibly brief, I read it in the hospital the day after my son was born. My wife and son slept, I read the musings of an 18th century Russian monk. If you like spiritual classics that are water for your soul, check this one out. For its brevity, this might be a good one to start with if you've always wanted to read that sort of thing but never have yet since it is so short.

[Josh Issa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short and easy read on the purpose of the Christian life, which St. Seraphim says is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. There is all sorts of Christian practices and good deeds we do, but none of these are the point of Christianity. Through these things we can acquire the Holy Spirit, and we ought to do that which we see as maximizing the grace being poured out on us.

It’s full of Scripture, has an interesting commentary on Genesis 2 as well as God’s relationship to those who haven’t heard the gospel. Ultimately I feel like it’s something that’s nice to read but not super necessary.

[Lieutenant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic.
Saint Seraphim says that the whole point of the Christian faith is to acquire the Holy Ghost, if one merely believes the truths of the faith they are still missing what is essential. His teaching is so radical that one must even stop praying if the Holy Spirit is there. But how does one know that one has the Holy Spirit? He describes it in a way that one will know for sure. How about the people who lived before Christ or even people of different religions? The Spirit has always acted and guided the peoples towards the truth.

The description of Motovilov of the luminous state of Saint Seraphim radiating true light that was sensibly visible to the author, who swore that he saw it, is identical to what currently living professor of physics Athanasios Rakovalis saw in Saint Paisios in more recent years, but, strangely, even though professor Athanasios began to believe that a spiritual reality is really existent, he was still not convinced of the truth of Christianity, that is what he said in his book The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios. Also matches the descriptions of st. Gregory Palamas in his Gregory Palamas: The Triads.

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this a while ago, at least 2 years, maybe longer, but for some reason never recorded it. Want to reread.

This time I listened to it from a recording: On the Aquisition of the Holy Spirit.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle freebie. Years ago I read a book on the Holy Spirit by Billy Graham. Early on, he admitted it was a difficult but also important subject. He made some points, but largely he flailed around, repeating himself often, and in the end only succeeded in churning out a forgettable book (and I kind of like Graham). St. Seraphim's effort is something else. The book (a short one) starts out with a brief history of the saint, and then launches itself to a conversation between the saint and a man (a pilgrim?) named Motovilov, in November of 1831, near a hermitage beside the river Sarovka. I'm a sucker for the concrete in such stories, since I feel they provide an anchor of reality, which heightens the story all the more.

All in all it's a remarkable conversation. After briefly telling M to do the necessary Christian things (go to church, pray, do the commandments). St. Seraphim then tells M., even then, M. must "acquire" the Spirit of God. That this in fact is the aim of the Christian life. What follows is a careful walk through the New Testament (there's a really cool meditation on the meaning of the Wise and Foolish virgins). The saint then works his way through the Old Testament, showing the Spirit at work (and also showing, with a close reading, the profound strangeness of the Bible. Seraphim even expands this beyond the boundaries of Israel and Christianity, talking of other cultures, and how they sensed the Spirit. (There's a fascinating discussion on the Sybils (seekers of the Truth), that had me recalling those powerful paintings on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. Things kind of fade after that, with the last 20% of the book bogged down with pithy sayings that all sound alike to me. (But maybe I should revisit those pages. It's a short book.) That said, this is a wonderful book on the elusive and holy wind of the Trinity. Always there, always listening, the Comforter.

[Wyatt Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bro WILL be my patron saint

[T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This small book, though only 58 pages long with a large typeset, is incredibly dense; certainly needing many rereads to understand the full scope of the material presented. However, I read it in an hour, it's translated quite well for a cheap $6 copy.

This book covers multiple topics: Practical application of prayer, means and ends of attaining God's Grace, Biblical examples of the Holy Spirit descending upon others, &c.

It's fundamentally an Apostolic/Orthodox book, but I think Protestants may gain some insight in reading it. And if they don't, not much was lost, it's not a large time nor money investment for a solid bit of Theology.

TTGOG

[Evan Groom · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALL 👏 SPIRITUAL 👏 BOOKS 👏 SHOULD 👏 BE 👏 UNDER 👏 50 👏 PAGES

Also, spiritual banger, kinda therese of lisieux of the east type vibes

[Emiliya Ahmadova · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an author of Broken Chains I love reading books of holy fathers because they contain a wisdom or spiritual knowledge that gained from a Holy Spirit ,relationship with God as well as life experiences.This book is one of them.Reading this book helps you to understand the life's purpose,God's will for us as well as be able to recognize the presence of Holy spirit in our lives. Many people have misconception of a Holy Spirit.Some while attending prayer groups suddenly start shaking, becoming excited and keep mumbling nonsense. The sounds that they make interpreted as tongue speaking.The condition they find themselves they think caused by a presence of a Holy Spirit. I must say these are wrong explanations. First of all speaking in toungs involves talking in foreign language not made up words.According to St.Seraphim as well as to other sources Holy Spirit brings a peace,joy and calmness. Most times those who experience it smell the sweet fragrance. It does not make people faint, shout or mumble a nonsense.
Secondly this wonderful saint teaches us to concentrate on gaining God's grace and His Kindom.This can only be done by only good deeds done for the sake of the Lord as well as Living a righteous life.
All your success in business ,job or riches that you make for own glory will not help you to gain God's Kindom or Grace unless you use your success to help others.

[Ted Hinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

St. Seraphim's meditations on the Holy Spirit

Seraphim of Sarov (Russian Saint, 1754-1833) shares complex, extended Monastic teaching of contemplation, self-denial, and devotion to the working of the the Holy Spirit in our lives. I found it advantageous to read and meditate in small doses on his teaching. It is written in part as a dialogue between a devote Christian, Nicholas Motovilov, and St. Seraphim with numerous references from sacred Scripture to justify Seraphim's statements.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was simple, and stunning. It speaks to a longing for a deeper walk, a focused walk, a walk centred on knowing God. I will be re-visiting this one over the coming years as a reminder to return to simplicity.

"The true aim of our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, and vigils, and prayer, and almsgiving, and every good deed done for Christ's sake, they are only means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God."

[Carm Mirenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief and welcomingly intense reminder that the Spirit has been active throughout history and is truly present in our individual lives as an equally impactful member of our Triune God.

While simplistically written, the wisdom within hardly lacks depth. Rather, the door to a deeper encounter with the Spirit is readily opened and He beckons us in. He awaits our surrender to His divine capabilities, may we not keep Him waiting, and like the repentant thief beside the Lord during His crucifixion, realize that there is no better time than this present moment to invite the Lord to transform our hearts through the Advocate He so deeply desired to send.

[Jolanta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I stumbled upon this spiritual treasure. It’s not a traditional literature book, but rather a recorded conversation with an Orthodox monk, filled with profound teachings about Christian life and the acquisition of the grace of God. The spiritual wisdom within it is immense—my heart was pounding as I read it. I usually don’t rate Christian texts but these teachings deserve 5 stars. I won’t be putting the book too far aside, as I’ll be re-reading it from time to time.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an account of a conversation between St. Seraphim, a Russian Orthodox monk, and a lay person. Seraphim, a great mystic and lover of God, gives a long discourse on life in the Spirit, and answers his visitor's questions with wisdom and insight.

The discourse is largely based on Scripture, and like Scripture, this little book is worth reading slowly and prayerfully.

[Branden Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling account of spiritual fulfillment.

The text is almost curt the way it addresses the reader, short but lacking nothing in communicating the splendor of this conversation between a monk and a layman. A profound vindication of Christianity.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read a survey history of Russian mystics and found that Seraphim of Sarov stood out above almost all of the rest as an attractive and interesting figure. This small book of his teachings is actually the work of his disciple, Motovilov, but purports to transcribe the master's words.

There are many familiar themes of Russian mysticism here - the idea of unceasing prayer, the holy light of God, the virtues of a simple life of contemplation and prayer, the idea that taking God into your heart is the first and most important step to enlightenment, and that good works must be done for Christ's sake to be fruitful. But there's also a lot of material that seemed to me to be out on the edge. For example, the account of the Garden of Eden is not supported by anything in Genesis or in other interpretations of it that I have read. Still perhaps there is wisdom in Seraphim's interpretation, and it is an interesting quality of the Russian Orthodox Church that it is often able to absorb oddball theological ideas of its mystics into mainstream thinking.

There is a spiritual power in Seraphim that is undeniable. You don't have to be in the Russian Orthodox Church to appreciate him. This comes through particularly in the pages where Seraphim physically shares his holiness with Motovilov and gives him a transcendental religious experience filled with light, love, warmth, joy and awe. But the spiritual strength of Seraphim is not limited to that passage. It is built into almost every sentence.

[Chito Does · Rating 5 out of 5]

In On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, Saint Seraphim of Sarov addresses the aim of the Christian life, discussing how one should behave and act as children of God, working towards grace and performing good deeds “for Christ’s sake” rather than for one’s own benefit. He also explores the acquisition of grace, using examples from his own life, the apostles, and verses from the Gospel and Psalms to illustrate his message.

He then discusses the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout history. St. Seraphim emphasizes that the Holy Spirit has been present from the time of Adam and Moses, through the time of Jesus, and up to the Church Fathers. This presence is particularly evident at baptism, where one can truly receive the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, he elaborates on how grace is light, explaining that even if one sins, they can still be raised if they possess the grace of the Holy Spirit. This, he argues, was the purpose of Christ’s mission on earth: to triumph over death and free Adam and Eve. I cannot overstate the importance and significance of this book. For anyone reading this review, I assure you that this book is well worth the read.

[Nathaniel Spencer]

Fascinating little read that relates a conversation between a spiritual seeker and a Russia monk (and Saint). A classic of Eastern Orthodox spirituality. Recommended to me as an entry level text for those outside Orthodoxy who are interested in knowing more about it.

Here’s a gem:

“Though the enemy and devil seduced Eve, and Adam fell with her, yet the Lord not only granted them a Redeemer in the fruit of the seed of the woman Who trampled down death by death, but also granted us all in the woman, the Ever-Virgin Mary Mother of God, who crushes the head of the serpent in herself and in all the human race, a constant mediatress with her Son and our God, and an invincible and persistent intercessor even for the most desperate sinners. That is why the Mother of God is called the "Plague of Demons," for it is not possible for a devil to destroy a man so long as man himself has recourse to the help of the Mother of God.

“Mary, Plague of Demons.”

What a title for the Theotokos.

[Kieran Brudenell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. Explores lots of ideas of the Holy Spirit in a different light to Protestantism. It talks about how the spirit of God throughout scripture is spoken of as a quiet whisper and a soft introduction and not during lots of load noise and feels. He talks about how in the Bible people are never unsure about if it is the Spirit of truth it is always easy to distinguish and how we have lost a lot of that certainty by thinking it’s not possible. He also talks about the purpose of the Christian life which is to acquire the Holy Spirit and this is done by doing the will of God opening you up to more grace and more of his spirt to abide in you more fully and take you to the promised land with Christ. He talks about how different people have different aptitudes to different deeds and some grow people in grace and virtue more than others and we should do the ones most profitable and that is because of the gifts God has given us.

[London]

An interesting read from a clairvoyant (allegedly) monastic priest and saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

It’s in the style of a dialogue between him and the person who actually wrote this account. It gets into the aim of the Christian life, which he goes on to say is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. He then looks at the Holy Spirit’s presence throughout history, specifically in the Biblical narrative, along with explaining how one can tell if someone has the Holy Spirit.

Although I don’t really know what to rate this book, it was worth the read, especially since it can be read within hours.

[Aiden Kates · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe to have been led to Orthodoxy by the Holy Spirit after being in "No mans land Christianity." It's only been 3 months for me going to this Greek Orthodox Church, watching videos, and now reading into the literature of the Church. I rate it 3 stars because it was good but I also feel as though I missed a lot my first time reading. Maybe in the future when I reread this in a more Orthodox mindset, the Spirit of Truth will reveal to me what I need to know!

[Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A booklet on how to increase in the Spirit.

To summarize: act in virtue, do good for the sake of Christ. Don’t do good for the sake of good or yourself or others. This and prayer. The presence of the Holy Spirit can be recognized as it brings peace, calm, joy, sweetness, and warmth. God is seeking hearts to fill with his love.

The book is based on a conversation with a Russian Orthodox monk in the 1830s.

Recommended with reservations

[Tokesi Babalola · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Christian with a low-church background this was my first ever venture into reading the teachings of orthodoxy. I found the book to be profoundly biblical and surprisingly simple to comprehend.

There were elements of which were new to me such as the prayers to Mary, the mention of Simeon’s living to 300 years. But all in all great to see and learn from a disciple of Christ long past from a different church tradition.

[Christian Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and thoughtful book on the Third Person of the Trinity by St. Seraphim of Sarov.

The Holy Spirit is generally the least-talked about and least understood Person of the Trinity, though certainly as important as the other two Persons in the Godhead.

This is a great text to read if you want to understand Him more! St. Seraphim is a gem.

[Jeremiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very short book on the method of acquiring the Holy Spirit, he explains acquiring not so much as earning by works but attracting the grace of the Holy Spirit, like Christ says “buy bread from me with no money.” He explains the whole goal of our Christian life, which is to acquire more of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives

[Stephanie Fehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

very short book, but so powerful

my heart was pounding as i read, i was filled with so much joy. Of course, what is written is true, but the truth is also so beautiful and practical at the same time

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning from Seraphim of Sarov, a respected and loved saint whom I'd heard about but not yet read. I recorded this as an audiobook on my YouTube channel because it impacted me so much. Come, Holy Spirit!

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible book, Saint Seraphim beautifully explains how the Holy Spirit is acquired and the effects of the Holy Spirit. His final words spoke about the incomprehensible divine light of God in such an incredible way.

[James Dobbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great wisdom

This book is a rich source of spiritual wisdom. Saint Seraphim has great advice for finding the path to true spirituality, not the fake kind you see in popular literature on yoga, crystals, meditation and other such things.