What's in a name? Eglantyne Jebb and Seraphim of Sarov might just have some theories on this question. The twelfth battle of the first round pits a 20th century English laywoman against an 18th century Russian monk.
In yesterday's action, Dymphna played cat and mouse with Gertrude of Nivelles before prevailing 58% to 42%. She'll face the winner of John of Beverley vs. Martin of Porres in the Saintly Sixteen.
For those of you who filled out brackets in advance, how are you doing? Anyone still have a perfect bracket? Anyone 0 for 11 (which, frankly, would be equally impressive). We know it's about learning rather than winning. But still. We know there are some competitive Christians out there...
Eglantyne Jebb
Eglantyne Jebb didn’t care much for children. This is ironic, as Jebb founded Save the Children, an international non-governmental organization that promotes children’s rights, provides relief during crises like natural disasters and armed conflicts, and helps children have a healthy start in life in 120 countries, according to its website.
“It is a judgment on me for not caring about children that I talk all day long about the universal love of humanity toward them,” she said. But Eglantyne’s story goes to show God can use us in unexpected ways. God can call us to join in the work God is doing all around us, to respond to needs unique to our time and place.
In 1918, while others were celebrating the end of World War I, Eglantyne was protesting the impact of the Allied blockade after seeing newspaper photos of starving children in Germany and other European countries. She was born into a well-to-do British family of strong women who worked to meet the needs they saw in society. Originally, she studied to become a teacher, but she called it quits after a year because of that not-caring-much-for-kids thing. She became involved in the Charity Organisation Society and later traveled to Macedonia to report on refugees. Those experiences revealed to Eglantyne the difficulties faced by children in poverty and in crisis around the world.
Eglantyne was arrested for protesting—for handing out pamphlets in London with moving images of those children. Her trial made her famous, and while she was found guilty, the judge publicly gave her the money to pay the fine. That money became the first donation to Save the Children.
The organization was the first to take out full-page newspaper advertisements to promote its work and the first to enlist celebrities to promote its cause, according to Jebb’s biographer Clare Mulley. That’s something you can thank her for the next time you hear Sarah McLachlan’s voice with pictures of Precious Moments-eyed puppies.
Save the Children campaigned for the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which later was adopted by the United Nations, and the organization continues Eglantyne’s unlikely work today. The Church of England remembers her life and service each year on December 17.
Collect for Eglantyne Jebb
Almighty God, you appeared before Moses as a burning bush and in the heart of your servant Eglantyne Jebb as a white-hot flame: Encourage us with the same fierce and fiery spirit to defend the least, the lost, the lonely, and especially children in distress, that we may ease their burdens and live into your love and will with childlike faith; through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Seraphim of Sarov
One of the most well-known saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Seraphim of Sarov embraced the Holy Spirit and expounded upon monastic practices of contemplation and self-denial. Born Prokhor Moshnin on August 1, 1759, Seraphim became quite ill at age ten and saw in a vision a promise from the Virgin Mary that she would heal him. A few days later, he was brought to an icon of Mary that was known to have healing power. Shortly after touching the icon, he became well.
His interest in the church continued to grow, and in 1777, he joined the Sarov monastery. His mother supported his entry into the monastery and gave him a copper crucifix that he wore his whole life. In 1786, he became a monk, and seven years later he became a monastic priest.
Seraphim is known for his asceticism. He only ate one meal a day and fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays. One of his notable feats was praying for 1,000 nights with his arms outstretched.
Shortly after becoming a priest, he moved to a log cabin in the woods and lived as a hermit for twenty-five years. When wild animals came to the hermitage, he would care for them. One time, he was seen feeding a bear from his hand.
At one point Seraphim was attacked in the woods by robbers. They beat him but he did not resist. They left him for dead. They found nothing but his icon of the Mother of God of Deep Devotion. Although he recovered from the assault, Seraphim walked with a hunched back for the rest of his life. When the robbers were caught and being tried, Seraphim asked the judge for mercy on them. He later would say, “Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved.
He returned to his cabin in the woods, and many people made pilgrimages to him for healing and to hear his prophetic words. Seraphim would often answer their questions before they were even asked.
Seraphim of Sarov died kneeling before an icon of the Theotokos—Mary, the God-bearer—on January 14, 1833.
Collect for Seraphim of Sarov
Almighty God, you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses: Grant that we, encouraged by the good example of your servant Seraphim of Sarov, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at last we may with him attain to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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223 comments on “Eglantyne Jebb vs. Seraphim of Sarov”
It seems to me that Eglantyne loved children very much but found, when she turned to teaching them, that she didn’t actually like them very much. So she found a way to express her love that didn’t require her to like children personally. They can be little monsters; some people, including many parents on at least certain occasions, find that hard to deal with.
Did I miss something? There is nothing in the description of Eglantyne that indicates she had any kind of spiritual life. As a loyal British subject, she might have been a member of the established church but that's pretty weak tea in the running for sainthood. Is a good track record as a humanitarian now all that it takes to qualify? For his many sacrifices on behalf of all the people of Middle Earth, I nominate Frodo for a run at the Golden Halo next year.
You're all very welcome!
😀
I hate to pop your balloon, but Frodo was corrupted by the ring at the edge of the lava. If his finger hadn't luckily been bitten off, Middle Earth would be enslaved to Mordor. No ring for Frodo, no golden halo. Next! But Tolkien, now he could be nominated for the golden halo . . .
She was a faithful member of the Church of England, and her Christian faith informed her social activism. I have read sermons that she preached. She was influenced by Gore whilst at university.
The children won me over for Eglantyne, but must admit the video was also a plus.
I am a retired pediatrician with special interest in infants and toddlers and their emotional development. My heart aches for children in poverty, war torn countries, refugee camps, victims of abuse--all children without loving families and communities to grow up in. I had to vote for Eglantyne. But I have become more aware of the Orthodox Church because my daughter-in-law is originally from Bulgaria. It was hard not to vote for Seraphim.
Chaucer’s prioress in the Canterbury Tales was also named Eglantyne. I’m just saying.
Amor Vincit Omnia. Unfortunately Chaucer's prioress had her mind not on agape but on eros. Sad.
Seraphim of Sarvo Prokhor Moshnin embraced the Holy Spirit, contemplation & self-denial hermit twenty-five years we have no choice we must forgive mankind left for dead Holy Spirit not yet we must go on
Social Service seems necessary for sainthood. Though I voted for her I doubt she could hold her arms up for a thousand nights
These British women reformers were very fit: Girl Guides and all. She doubtless did situps and pushups and could hold the "plank" position for a thousand days and nights. Did our emaciated Seraphim (whom I voted for) have a core to match hers?
Russian is my second language so I have to vote for Seraphim.
This will probably make me 0 to 12, but I’m voting for Seraphim and I’m learning so much about the saints but nothing about going with the flow.
Astonishing that she did not care for children, but saw their need and helped them. God does indeed prepare us for his work, not just using the prepared. So glad she saw, heard, and then acted. Bless her.
Save the Children is often told that its aims are impossible - that there has always been child suffering and there always will be. We know. It's impossible only if we make it so. It's impossible only if we refuse to attempt it. -Eglantyne Jebb
That says it all for me.
Eglantine went out into the world to find and meet the needs rather than retreat into the woods. I loved the video, too.
Having nominated Eglantyne Jebb I can do other than vote for her. A remarkable woman whose work continues to improve the lives of children around the world. A faithful member of the Church of England, she approached the Archbishop of Canterbury asking for churches to donate to famine relief. When he refused, she went to the Pope, who committed the catholic churches to collections thus shaming the ABC into supporting relief work.
Way to work the system! Watch and learn, children.
I worked with refugee children and saw the work the Save The Children do. I could not not vote for Eglantyne.
St. Seraphim is my husband’s saint, and “On Acquisition of the Holy Spirit” by St. Seraphim is one of my favorite writings. So I voted for him.
For quite a while I've been on the Lent Madness mailing list, but today (March 1) I didn't receive the email about Eglantyne Jebb and Seraphim of Sarov -- I had to go to your website. I enjoy Lent Madness so much. Please put me back on your emailing list.
To answer the question posted by the SEC, yes, I filled out a bracket, yes it's still intact, but no, of course I haven't been 100% accurate. Come on - Peter vs. Paul was a coin flip (I lucked out on that one) and who knew deacons and their faithful fans wouldn't help Phoebe advance? I know you can't reveal your own personal picks . . . but I'd pay $ to see 'em. Just saying.
No doubt about it,the lady in question is deserving. However, the anti-puppy comment by the author of the paragraph alerted me to his/her bias against the animal kingdom and to whom I would never, ever entrust the care of a canine or feline, let alone any other member of the non-human population, and that bias led me to vote for the priest hermit without reservation.
I had to go back up and look for an "anti-puppy comment." I believe the comment about Precious Moments-eyed puppies was a tongue-in-cheek commentary about how gosh-darn cute puppies are and how hard it is overcome any appeal that uses them. The larger point was that Jebb's organization was ahead of its time in using celebrities; Sarah McLachlan and those too-cute puppies are but one example. I would entrust Emily with living creatures; after all, we're in her hands today, aren't we? and we're doing fine. But I can immediately think of a certain bassett-eyed politician whom I would never trust with any human or animal life and would never let Speak in any House I cared about.
the women are really cleaning up!
From day one, women have been my role-models. From the moment I 'checked-out' one of my still favorite albums by Streisand, from the local bookmobile, when I was six ... and nobody 'knew' I was gay...
Wow, how can you not vote for a guy who could tell you the answers to your questions before you even ask them and was seen feeding a bear by hand? These were both very special people.
Not to diminish her work, but I saw no mention of God or faith with Eglantyne or Save the Children. Looks like a secular social worker to me who had broad impact. I could have voted for her if something was said about her faith but there was nothing. Seraphim was a devout healer and prophet. His faith was very apparent.
In 2011 as an undergraduate at Southern Methodist University for one of the core courses in my minor in Himan Rights I wrote a 22 page paper on the Declaration on the Rights of the Child and why the two countries that hadn't ratified it as of that time hadn't ratified it.
TL;DR summary of that paper
Children's rights are human rights.
Here is who hasn't ratified the Declaration and why:
Somalia - not enough government
USA - too much government (*cough* Congressional inaction/opposition *cough*)
I'm with Eglantyne Jebb because she persisted.
Even though I was tempted to vote for Eglantine as I remembered time in London and the good work of Save the Children, I went with St. Seraphim as I had recently been introduced to him in a sermon about Taming the wild beasts of violence: https://deforestlondon.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/taming-our-wild-beasts/
The illustrations for the Lenten Madness use paintings done for St. Gregory of Nyssa in -- where else? -- California.
If you go to the S. Greg of N website you can see the entire painting of the dancing saints, and there is a page with separate descriptions of each of the saints. One of the saints dancing is Seraphim with his bear. He was indeed feeding the bear, but his comment was, "The poor bear doesn't know it's Lent." So the Bear is one of the four animal saintly figures dancing above as the congregation presumably dances below.
The guy was obviously a pretty holy guy. His talent for self-torment is certainly remarkable. I like that he went into the wilderness but shared God's love with the mute creatures around him.
I felt respect and affection for Seraphim, and I also felt a powerful reaction to Ms Eglantyne.
I feel the same awe I have for Frances Perkins, another noteworthy saint of similar sturdy character in our time. It seems that Eglantyne labored her whole life for the welfare of children, and she was dedicated to her mission in a manner similar to that of Florence Nightingale.
Read some of her quotes here:
http://www.azquotes.com/author/54670-Eglantyne_Jebb
This lady could very well go all the way.
As a co-founder in the 1990's, of the Children's Rights Centre in Durban, South Africa, campaigning for every child's right to survival, protection, development and ALSO THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE, I had to vote for Eglantine Jebb
Eglantine herself may have been uncomfortable around children but that did not stop her from loving them and putting her life toward alleviating the terrible situations children so many were found in,
Nothing is said about her faith, so it would seem that Eglantyne may be a 'secular saint' - and God surely uses many to do his work. I can identify with her personal discomfort which did not prevent her urgent compassion toward children. It may have compelled it! And she persevered through ill health to serve when she might have been a social butterfly instead.
When we voted for someone who introduced social security we knew she was also committed to God. There is nothing in the bio about Eglantyne that speaks to her godliness. Seriously? So being a fundraiser in itself makes you saintly? I don't think so.
I voted for Seraphim, because of his forgiveness , Remembering Jesus words " Forgive them , they know not what they do" and his brave care of wildlife.
I voted for Eglantyne because she lived and worked in the "real" world. $he faced opposition bravely and took a large step in faith on behalf of children in crisis everywhere.