July 1833 – Sarov. A message from the monastery had summoned Elena Motivilov to the bedside of the old priest, the man who had become her confessor, and subsequently her dear friend. Although the surroundings were familiar she approached the dying monk with some trepidation. In the nearly dark room she could barely make out his emaciated body as it lay on a wooden pallet, his long gray hair and beard matted and unkempt. She shivered from the cold dampness emanating from the floor and the aura of death in the air.

Father Serafim smiled up at her as she approached his resting place and the warm smile put her instantly at ease. He grasped her arm with one hand, gazed at her with tenderness, and with the other pressed a letter into her hands.

“My child I am entrusting you with a mission of great importance,” he said. “You must deliver this letter to the Tsar when he visits Sarov. Elena, you will be an old woman before the opportunity presents its self so hide it well and tell no one. One day there will be a great celebration honoring me and this is how you will know the time is right. God be with you.” Elena slid the letter into her dress, dropped to her knees, and pressed his hand to her cheek. Then she picked up the cross resting on his chest, kissed it and said, “Father Serafim, your trust is well placed. I will not fail you.”

Aware that the exchange had fatigued the old priest the young girl made her way out of his cell and pushed through the throng of people filling the hallway. As she exited the monastery she was amazed at the size of the crowd that had gathered. People had traveled from all parts of Russia to beg Father Serafim for his prayers and his cures. Truly he is a great saint she thought to herself as she looked at the faces of the pilgrims, and it was evident from their grief that they all knew their saint was on his deathbed.

Once away from the crowd, she pulled out the letter and glanced at it. It was addressed To the Tsar in whose reign I shall be glorified, and was covered with five red seals. Pressed into the wax of four of the seals were the initials OTMA. Thankful that Father Serafim had taught her to read Elena went home and hid the letter. It would remain in its hiding place for seventy years.