The Love of God The Life and Teachings of St. Gabriel of the Seven Lakes Monastery

Saint Gabriel, schema-archimandrite of the Seven Lakes Monastery near Kazan (†1915), was one of the last great spiritual guides to grace Russia before the Revolution. In his early monastic life he was a disciple of the great Elder Ambrose of Optina Monastery, and drank deeply of the living water there. His life thereafter was filled with trials, labors, and illness, all of which refined his soul and formed him into a superb guide to those around him. The biography of St. Gabriel was written soon after his repose by one of his close disciples, Archimandrite Symeon Kholmogorov, in an engaging and moving style. This biography bears witness to the elder’s unceasing and ardent prayer, his spiritual experiences, wondrous visions, and clairvoyance, as well as the Divine healings wrought through his prayers. Having single-mindedly sought after the highest good of love for God and man from his youth, he was granted a profound revelation of God’s love for the world, seen in His redemption of the