On January 15, or January 2 according to the Julian calendar, the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov, one of the most revered monks in its history.

Seraphim of Sarov, known in the world as Prokhor Isidorovich Moshnin, was born in 1754 in Kursk to a well-known merchant family. From an early age, he aspired to a monastic life and, as is commonly believed, was saved twice by his faith: at the age of seven, he remained unharmed after falling from the bell tower of the under-construction Sergiev-Kazan Cathedral, and around the age of ten, he was healed after touching the icon of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos.

In 1776, Prokhor Moshnin went on a pilgrimage to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where Elder Dosifei advised him to take monastic vows and be tonsured at the Sarov Desert Monastery in the Tambov Province.

Seraphim of Sarov undertook many ascetic feats, such as subsisting for a long time solely on the herb nettle. There is a well-known incident when robbers attacked his monastery, beating Seraphim of Sarov with the back of an axe and leaving him hunched for life. When these robbers were caught, Seraphim of Sarov forgave them and insisted that they not be punished. Father Seraphim passed away on January 2, 1833, in his cell at the Sarov Monastery during prayer on his knees.

The troparion in the Orthodox Church is a brief prayerful hymn that reveals the essence of the feast, glorifies, and calls upon the sacred figure for help.