LITTLE RUSSIAN PHILOKALIA
VOLUME 1: ST. SERAPHIM OF SAROV
Philokalia means "love of the beautiful and good." It was the name given to a celebrated collection of Greek mystical texts on the Christian spiritual life, written between the 4th and 15th centuries, teaching the path of true sobriety and the fullness of union with God.
This "Little Russian Philokalia" is a new collection of ascetic texts drawn from Russian sources, chiefly of the 18th through 20th centuries.
The first volume is devoted to St. Seraphim of Sarov (175401833), one of Russia's best-loved saints, a heavenly man overflowing with Christ-like love, to whom the mysteries of other world were open. He taught that the main aim of Christian life is to acquire for oneself the Spirit of God. His amazing and supernatural conversation with N.A. Motovilov on "The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit" is included in this volume.
