St. Nicholas of Serbia. Prayer for the Blessing of the House of St. Nicholas of Serbia
Who convinces me of the Resurrection of Christ?
Saint Nicholas of Serbia: aphorisms
Project "Thoughts of the Great"
Easter poems
From the legacy of St. Nicholas (Velimirovich)
The Gospel of Him Who Multiplied the Loaves in an Empty Place
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Gospel about the prayer of the Lord and Savior for us
7th Sunday of Easter, St. Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council.
Third Sunday after Pentecost. The Gospel of Purity of Mind
Gospel of the Ascension of the Lord
Gospel of the miraculous healing of a man born blind
Gospel of the Miracle at Bethesda
4th week of Easter
The Gospel of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
Sixth week of Lent, vaiy (floriferous)
The Gospel of the Dividing of the Flock in the Presence of the Shepherd
Fifth week of Great Lent. The Gospel about the ministry and suffering of the Son of God
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Gospel of the Archangel Gabriel
The Gospel about the powerlessness of unbelief and the power of faith
Fourth week of Lent
The Gospel of the Cross and the Salvation of the Soul
Gospel of the Healing of the Paralytic
Second week of Lent
Gospel of the Prodigal Son
Saturday after Epiphany. The Gospel of Victory over Temptation
Gospel of the Baptism of the Lord
Gospel of the Firstborn
The Gospel of Heavenly Bread in Straw
The gospel of multi-care and brazen death
Gospel of the Merciful Samaritan
Seeing the Invisible
The Gospel of Lazarus and the Rich Man
The Gospel of Perfect Mercy
The Gospel of the Rich Catch of Fishes
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Gospel of Forgiveness
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
What would human society be without forgiveness? A menagerie among nature's menagerie. What, besides unbearable chains, would all human laws on earth be if they were not softened by forgiveness? Without forgiveness, could a mother be called a mother, a brother a brother, a friend a friend, a Christian a Christian? No: forgiveness is the main content of all these names. If there were no words “Forgive me!” and “God will forgive, and I forgive!” - human life would be completely unbearable.
Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirović), Bishop of Ohrid and Žić (1880 – 1956)
The future saint was born December 23, 1880 in a peasant family in the very center of Serbia. His home village of Lelic is located not far from Valjevo. The parents of the future bishop, peasants Dragomir and Katarina, were pious people and enjoyed the respect of their neighbors. Their firstborn, soon after birth, was baptized with the name Nikola in the Chelie monastery. His early childhood was spent in his parents' home, where the boy grew up in the company of his brothers and sisters, strengthening himself in spirit and body and receiving his first lessons in piety. The mother often took her son on pilgrimage to the monastery; the first experience of communion with God was firmly imprinted on the child’s soul.
Later, Nikola’s father took Nikola to the same monastery to learn to read and write. Already in early childhood, the boy showed extraordinary abilities and diligence in learning. According to the recollections of contemporaries, during his school years Nikola often preferred solitude to children's fun. During school breaks, he ran to the monastery bell tower and there indulged in reading and prayer. While studying at the gymnasium in Valjevo, he was one of the best students. At the same time, he had to take care of his daily bread on his own. In parallel with his studies, he, like many of his peers, served in the houses of the townspeople.
After finishing the 6th grade of the gymnasium, Nikola first wanted to enter the Military Academy, but the medical commission declared him unfit for officer service. Then he applied and was accepted into the Belgrade Seminary. Here Nikola quickly stood out for his academic success, which was a direct result of his hard work and diligence, so necessary for the development of his God-given talents. Always remembering how great a sin it would be to bury the talent of God, he worked tirelessly to increase it. During his studies, he read not only educational literature, but also became acquainted with many classical works belonging to the treasury of world literature. With his oratorical abilities and gift of words, Nikola amazed the students and teachers of the seminary. During his studies, he took part in the publication of the newspaper “Christian Evangelist”, where he published his articles. At the same time, during his seminary years, Nikola suffered extreme poverty and deprivation, the consequence of which was a physical illness from which he suffered for several years.
After graduating from the seminary, he taught in villages near Valievo, where he became even closer acquainted with the life and spiritual structure of his people. At this time, he was close friends with the priest Savva Popovich and helped him in his ministry. Summer holidays on the advice of a doctor, Nikola spent time by the sea, where he became acquainted with the shrines of the Adriatic coast of Montenegro and Dalmatia. Over time, the impressions received in these parts were reflected in his early works.
Soon, by decision of the church authorities, Nikola Velimirović became one of the state scholarship recipients and was sent to study abroad. So he ended up at the Old Catholic Theological Faculty in Bern (Switzerland), where in 1908 he defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic “Faith in the Resurrection of Christ as the main dogma of the Apostolic Church.” He spent the next 1909 at Oxford, where he prepared a dissertation on Berkeley's philosophy, which he then defended at French in Geneva.
At the best European universities, he greedily absorbed knowledge, acquiring over the years an excellent education for that time. Thanks to his original thinking and phenomenal memory, he managed to enrich himself with much knowledge and then find worthy use for it.
In the fall of 1909, Nikola returned to her homeland, where she became seriously ill. He spends six weeks in hospital rooms, but, despite the mortal danger, hope in the will of God does not leave the young ascetic for a minute. At this time, he makes a vow that if he recovers, he will take monastic vows and completely devote his life to diligent service to God and the Church. Indeed, having recovered and left the hospital, he soon became a monk with the name Nikolai and December 20, 1909 was ordained to the priesthood.
After some time, the Serbian Metropolitan Dimitri (Pavlovich) sent Father Nicholas to Russia so that he could become more familiar with the Russian church and theological tradition. The Serbian theologian spends a year in Russia, visiting its many shrines and becoming more closely acquainted with the spiritual structure of Russian people. His stay in Russia had a huge impact on the worldview of Father Nikolai.
After returning to Serbia, he taught philosophy, logic, psychology, history and foreign languages at the Belgrade Seminary. His activities are not limited only to the walls of the theological school. He writes a lot and publishes his articles, conversations and studies on various philosophical and theological topics in various publications. The young learned hieromonk gives talks and lectures throughout Serbia, thanks to which he gains wide fame. His speeches and conversations are devoted, first of all, to various moral aspects of people's life. The unusual and original oratorical style of Father Nikolai especially attracted the Serbian intelligentsia.
Father Nikolai, who took an active part in public life, aroused surprise and respect among many. Not only in Belgrade, but also in other Serbian regions they began to talk about an educated interlocutor and speaker. In 1912 he was invited to the celebrations in Sarajevo. His arrival and speeches caused enthusiasm among the Serbian youth of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here he met the best representatives of the local Serbian intelligentsia. The bright and bold statements of Father Nicholas could not go unnoticed by the Austrian authorities who ruled Bosnia and Herzegovina. On his way back to Serbia, he was detained for several days at the border, and the following year the Austrian authorities did not allow him to come to Zagreb to participate in celebrations dedicated to the memory of Metropolitan Peter (Petrović-Njegoš). However, his welcoming speech was nevertheless conveyed and read out to those gathered.
The works of Father Nicholas for the benefit of his people multiplied when, at the beginning of the 20th century, Serbia again entered thorny path liberation wars. During the Balkan and First World Wars, Hieromonk Nikolai not only closely followed the developments of events at the front and in the rear and gave speeches, supporting and strengthening the Serbian people in their struggle, but also directly participated in providing assistance to the injured, wounded and disadvantaged. He donated his salary until the end of the war to the needs of the state. There is a known case when Hieromonk Nikolai took part in a bold operation of the Serbian troops at the beginning of the First World War. According to the memoirs of General Djukic, in September 1914, the priest, together with Serbian soldiers, landed on the opposite bank of the Sava River and even took a short time command of a small detachment during the short-term liberation of Zemun.
However, as a diplomat and orator who speaks several European languages, Hieromonk Nicholas could bring much more benefit to the Serbian people in their unequal and desperate struggle. In April 1915, he was sent by the Serbian government to the United States and Great Britain, where he worked selflessly for the benefit of Serbian national interests. With his characteristic wisdom and eloquence, Father Nikolai tried to convey to the Western allies the true picture of the suffering of the Serbian people. He constantly gave lectures in churches, universities and other in public places, thus making an invaluable contribution to the salvation and liberation of his people. He managed to ideologically unite not only the Orthodox, but also Roman Catholics, Uniates and Protestants, who were increasingly inclined to the idea of the struggle for the liberation and unification of the South Slavic peoples.
Not least thanks to the activities of Father Nicholas, a considerable number of volunteers from abroad went to fight in the Balkans, so the statement of one English officer that Father Nicholas “was the third army” can be considered quite fair.
March 25, 1919 Hieromonk Nicholas was elected Bishop of Zhich, and at the end of 1920 he was transferred to the Ohrid diocese. It was as Bishop of Ohrid and Žić that Bishop Nikolai developed his activity in its entirety in all areas of church life, without abandoning his theological and literary works.
Without a doubt, ancient Ohrid, the cradle of Slavic writing and culture, had a special impression on Vladyka Nicholas. It was here, in Ohrid, that a deep internal change took place in the saint, which from that time on was especially obvious. This internal spiritual rebirth was manifested externally in many ways: in speech, actions and creations.
Fidelity to patristic traditions and life according to the Gospel attracted believers to him. Unfortunately, even now many enemies and slanderers did not leave the ruler. But he overcame their anger with his with an open heart, life and action before the face of God.
Vladyka Nicholas, like Saint Sava, gradually became the real conscience of his people. Orthodox Serbia accepted Bishop Nicholas as its spiritual leader. The fundamental works of the saint belong to the period of the bishopric in Ohrid and Žić. At this time, he actively maintains contact with ordinary believers and the “Bogomoltsy” movement, restores desolate shrines, dilapidated monasteries of the Ohrid-Bitol and Zhich dioceses, puts in order cemeteries, monuments, and supports charitable endeavors. A special place in his activities is occupied by work with poor children and orphans.
The orphanage he founded for poor and orphaned children in Bitola is well known - the famous “Grandfather’s Bogdai”. Orphanages and orphanages were opened by Bishop Nicholas in other cities, so that they housed about 600 children. We can say that Bishop Nicholas was a great renovator of the evangelical, liturgical, ascetic and monastic life in the traditions of the Orthodox Tradition.
He made a significant contribution to the unification of all parts of the Serbian Church on the territory of the newly formed kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (since 1929 - the Kingdom of Yugoslavia).
Bishop Nicholas repeatedly carried out various church and state missions. On January 21, 1921, Vladyka again arrived in the United States, where he spent the next six months. During this time, he gave about 140 lectures and conversations at the most famous American universities, parishes and missionary communities. Everywhere he was received with special warmth and love. A special subject of concern for the bishop was the state of church life of the local Serbian community. Upon returning to his homeland, Bishop Nicholas prepared and presented a special message to the Council of Bishops, in which he described in detail the state of affairs in the Serbian Orthodox community on the North American continent. On September 21, 1921 of the same year, he was appointed the first Serbian bishop-administrator of the United States and Canada and held this office until 1923. The Bishop takes the initiative to build the monastery of St. Sava in Libertyville.
The bishop visited the American continent later. In 1927, at the invitation of the American-Yugoslav Society and a number of other public organizations, he again came to the United States and lectured at the Political Institute in Williamstown. During his two-month stay, he again gave talks in Episcopal and Orthodox churches, at Princeton University and the Federal Council of Churches.
In June 1936, Bishop Nikolai was again appointed to the Zic diocese - one of the oldest and largest in the Serbian Church. Under him, the diocese is experiencing a real revival. Many ancient monasteries are being renovated and new churches are being built. The subject of special concern for him was the Zica Monastery, which has invaluable significance for the Serbian Church and history. Here, through the efforts of Bishop Nicholas, active reconstruction took place with the participation of famous specialists and architects. In the period from 1935 to 1941, the Church of St. Sava with a people's refectory, a cemetery church with a bell tower, a new episcopal building and many other buildings were built here, most of of which, unfortunately, she died during the bombing of the monastery in 1941.
Due to the policies of the Stojadinović government in old Yugoslavia, St. Nicholas was forced to intervene in the well-known struggle against the signing of a concordat between the Yugoslav government and the Roman Catholic Church. The victory in this struggle and the abolition of the concordat was largely the merit of Bishop Nicholas.
On the eve of World War II, the saint, together with Patriarch Gabriel of Serbia, played a significant role in the abolition of the government’s anti-people pact with Hitler’s Germany, thanks to which he was loved by the people and especially hated by the occupiers. In the spring of 1941, shortly after the attack of Germany and its allies on Yugoslavia, the saint was arrested by the Germans.
At the time of the attack by Germany and its allies and the subsequent rapid occupation of Yugoslavia in April 1941, Bishop Nicholas was at his episcopal residence in the Zica Monastery near Kraljevo. Immediately after the establishment of the occupation regime in Belgrade, German officers began to come to Zicza, conduct searches and interrogate Bishop Nicholas. The Germans considered the Serbian saint an Anglophile and even an English spy. Despite the fact that no direct evidence of the bishop’s collaboration with the British was found, the Germans forced him to submit a petition to the Holy Synod for release from the administration of the Zhich diocese. Soon this request was granted.
The very presence of Bishop Nicholas in Žiča caused concern among the Germans. On July 12, 1941, Vladyka was transferred to the Lyubostinu Monastery, where he spent almost a year and a half. The period of retreat in Lyubostin became quite fruitful creatively for Bishop Nicholas. Unwittingly freed from administrative duties, the saint directed all his energy to writing new creations. He wrote so much here that there was always a problem finding paper.
Despite the fact that the bishop was removed from administrative management, in Lyubostin he still had to participate in the life of the diocese. The clergy who came to the bishop informed him about the state of affairs and received instructions and orders from him. These visits aroused suspicion among the Germans. In Lyubostin, the Gestapo continued to interrogate the bishop. At the same time, the Germans tried to use the authority of the ruler for their own propaganda purposes, but the wise bishop rejected their crafty proposals and managed to remain not involved in their plans.
Despite house arrest, the saint did not remain indifferent to the fate of his beloved flock. In the fall of 1941, the Germans carried out mass arrests and executions of the male population in Kraljevo. Having learned about the tragedy that had broken out, Bishop Nicholas, despite the official ban, reached the city at the risk of his life and personally appealed to the German commandant with a request to stop the bloodshed.
A heavy blow for the bishop was the German bombing of the Zhicha monastery, when the entire western wall of the Church of the Ascension of the Lord was almost completely destroyed. At the same time, all the monastery buildings, including the bishop's residence, perished.
Due to the aggravation of the situation, the presence of Bishop Nicholas became increasingly problematic for the Germans. They decided to transfer the prisoner to a more remote and safe place, which was chosen as the Vojlovica monastery near Pancevo in northwestern Serbia.
In mid-December 1942, he was transported to Vojlovitsa, where the Serbian Patriarch Gabriel was also taken a little later. The regime in the new place was much more severe. The prisoners were constantly guarded, windows and doors were constantly closed, and it was forbidden to receive visitors or mail. The prisoners, including Vladyka Nicholas, were almost completely isolated from the outside world. Once a month, Captain Mayer, who was responsible for religious issues and contacts with the Serbian Patriarchate, came to meet with the prisoners. The Germans opened the church and allowed the Divine Liturgy to be celebrated only on Sundays and holidays. Only prisoners could attend the service. Despite the strict isolation, the news of Bishop Nicholas’s presence in the monastery quickly spread throughout the area. Residents of the surrounding villages repeatedly tried to get into the monastery for worship, but security prevented this.
In Voilovitsa, Bishop Nikolai did not abandon his work. He took on the task of editing the Serbian translation of the New Testament, completed at one time by Vuk Karadzic. Having provided himself with the most authoritative translations of the New Testament in other foreign languages, he began work together with Hieromonk Vasily (Kostich). Almost two years of stay in Voilovitsa were devoted to this work. As a result, the updated edition of the New Testament was completed. In addition to correcting the New Testament, the bishop filled entire notebooks with various teachings, poems, and songs, which he dedicated to various clergy and people dear to his heart. According to eyewitnesses, the bishop cut out obituaries of the dead with photographs from Belgrade newspapers and constantly prayed for the repose of their souls.
From those days, the “Prayer Canon” and “Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos of Voilovachskaya” written by Bishop Nicholas in one notebook have been preserved, as well as the “Three Prayers in the Shadow of German Bayonet” written later in Vienna.
On September 14, 1944, Bishop Nicholas and Patriarch of Serbia Gabriel were sent from Voilovitsa to concentration camp Dachau, where they remained until the end of the war.
On May 8, 1945, they were both liberated by American troops. After his release from the concentration camp, the saint did not return to his homeland, where the communists came to power. Moreover, he was recorded by the new authorities in the ranks of the people's traitors, his name became the object of dirty slander for many years.
Nevertheless, the Serbian people closely followed the activities of the saint abroad, lovingly listening to his oral and the written word. The saint's works were read and reproduced, retold and remembered for a long time. Wealth in God is what captivated the Serbian soul in the ruler. In his heart, the saint continued throughout his life to say warm prayer for his people and Motherland.
Despite his deteriorating health, Vladyka Nicholas found strength for missionary work and church work, traveled across the expanses of the USA and Canada, encouraging the faint-hearted, reconciling those at war and teaching the truths of the Gospel faith and life to many souls seeking God. The Orthodox and other Christians of America highly valued his missionary works, so that he is rightfully ranked among the host of apostles and missionaries of the New Continent. Saint Nicholas continued his writing and theological activity in America, both in Serbian and English languages. He tried, as far as possible, to help the Serbian monasteries and some acquaintances in his homeland, sending modest parcels and donations.
In the USA, Bishop Nicholas taught at the Seminary of St. Sava in the Libertyville Monastery, the Academy of St. Vladimir in New York, and at the Russian seminaries - Holy Trinity in Jordanville and St. Tikhon's in South Canaan, Pennsylvania.
Bishop Nikolai devoted all his free time from work at the seminary to scientific and literary works, which represent the most outstanding and rich side of his activities during his stay in America. It was here that the talents given to him by God were best demonstrated: breadth of knowledge, scholarship and hard work. When getting acquainted with this side of the Bishop’s activity, one is struck by his extraordinary fruitfulness. He wrote a lot, wrote constantly and on various issues. His pen never rested, and it often happened that he wrote several works at the same time. The saint left a rich literary heritage.
At home, the Yugoslav communists did not forget about the ruler. It is known that when the new patriarch was elected in 1950, the name of the saint was on the list of those bishops who, in the opinion of the authorities, in no case should have been allowed to be among the candidates for the patriarchal throne. Along with other Serbian bishops, the bishop was listed as an ardent opponent of the communist regime. By decision of the communist authorities, Bishop Nicholas was deprived of Yugoslav citizenship, which finally put an end to the possibility of his return to his homeland. Nevertheless, the Holy Synod informed him annually about the upcoming Councils of Bishops, to which he could no longer attend.
Vladyka spent the last months of his life in a Russian monastery in South Canaan (Pennsylvania). The day before his repose, he served the Divine Liturgy and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The saint peacefully departed to the Lord early on Sunday morning March 18, 1956. From the monastery of St. Tikhon his body was transferred to the monastery of St. Sava in Libertyville and on March 27, 1956, he was buried near the altar of the temple in the presence of large quantities Serbs and other Orthodox believers from all over America. In Serbia, upon the news of the death of Bishop Nicholas, bells were rung in many churches and monasteries and commemorations were served.
Despite communist propaganda, veneration for Bishop Nicholas grew in his homeland, and his works were published abroad. Father Justin (Popovich) was the first to speak openly about St. Nicholas as a saint among the Serbian people back in 1962, and St. John (Maksimovich) of San Francisco called him “the great saint, Chrysostom of our days and the ecumenical teacher of Orthodoxy” back in 1958. .
The relics of St. Nicholas were transported from the United States to Serbia on May 5, 1991, where they were met at the airport by the Serbian Patriarch Paul, numerous bishops, clergy, monasticism and people. A solemn meeting was arranged in the Church of St. Sava on Vracar, and then in the Zhichsky Monastery, from where the relics were transferred to his native village of Lelic and placed in the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra.
May 19, 2003 Bishops' Council of Serbia Orthodox Church unanimously decided to canonize Bishop Nikolai (Velimirović) of Zhich. By definition of the Council, his memory is celebrated on March 18 (on the day of repose) and on April 20 / May 3 (on the day of transfer of the relics). The church-wide glorification of the saint of God, Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Ohrid and Zich, took place on May 24, 2003 in the Church of St. Sava on Vracar.
In this section we publish aphorisms famous people who have made a unique contribution to world culture - about Christianity, history, love, freedom, work, faith, culture and much more. The project “Thoughts of the Great” continues the sayings of St. Nicholas of Serbia, one of the most famous saints of the 20th century.
Biography of St. Nicholas of Serbia
Saint Nicholas (Serb. Bishop Nikolaј, in the world Nikola Velimirović, Serb. Nikola Velimiroviě; December 23, 1880 - March 18, 1956) - bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church,Bishop of Ohrid and Žić.
Saint Nicholas was born on January 5 (December 23, old style) 1881 in the village of Lelic, not far from the Serbian town of Valjevo. He graduated from the local theological school, then in 1904 he continued to study in Switzerland, where he defended his doctoral dissertation.
In 1909 he took monastic vows at the Rakovica monastery near Belgrade. He taught at the Belgrade Theological Academy. He lectured in America and England during the First World War.
In 1919 he was installed as Bishop of Žiča, and a year later he accepted the Ohrid diocese, where he served until 1934, when he again managed to return to Žiča.
At the beginning of World War II he was imprisoned in the Rakovica monastery, then in Wojlica, and finally ended up in the Dachau concentration camp. After his release, he moved to America, where he studied theology and education.
In 2003, at the Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, he was canonized.
Saint Nicholas of Serbia: Sayings
God and faith:
What separates us from God is a lie, and only a lie... False thoughts, false words, false feelings, false desires - this is the totality of lies that leads us to non-existence, illusions and renunciation of God
As a person becomes morally cleansed, the truths of faith are revealed to him more and more clearly.
The sun is reflected in clean waters, and heaven is in a pure heart.
People do not believe the faith preached by those of little faith.
The Faith of Christ is an experience, a skill, and not a theory or human wisdom.
The emptiness that remains in the soul when there is no God in it, and the whole world cannot fill it.
Do not rush to execute the atheist: he has found his executioner in himself; the most merciless that can be in this world.
Of all the blessings on earth, people love life most. They love it even more than the truth, although without truth there is no life. Therefore, life is greater good, and truth is the basis of life.
Death is not natural, but unnatural.
And death comes not from nature, but against nature...
Nature's protest against death overcomes all far-fetched justifications for death.
Even worst person He remembers God three times in his life: when he sees a righteous man suffering through his fault, when he himself suffers sorrows through the fault of others, and when the hour of death comes for him.
Truth reveals itself to love
To seek truth means to seek the object of love. To seek the truth in order to make it a tool means to seek the truth for the sake of adultery. The truth throws a bone to those who seek it for this purpose, but it itself flees from him to distant lands.
If a person opens his eyes and looks at himself, he will see God; if he closes them and looks into himself, he will again see God: both his body and his spirit are carried within him and represent two ways of knowing God.
Day and night
If you weave during the day and unravel at night, you will never weave.
If you build during the day and destroy at night, you will never build.
If you pray to God and do evil before Him, you will never weave or build the house of your soul.
Good and evil:
Only the strong decide to do good.
From time immemorial, wolves have killed sheep, but never before has a single sheep killed a wolf, but there are always more sheep in the world than wolves.
When evil throws away the last card, good will hold another one in its hands.
All the evil that people do under Heaven is a confession of weakness and powerlessness.
The Lord is looking for creators, not destroyers. For he who creates good thereby destroys evil. And the one who sets out to destroy evil will quickly forget about creating good and turn into a villain.
Without perseverance in goodness, no one can feel true satisfaction in life. After all, on the path to goodness, first you taste the bitter and only then the sweet.
If an atheist challenges you, or madmen revile you, or embittered people persecute you, consider all this the work of the devil, for man is by nature pious, intelligent and kind.
It is the devil who provokes you into long arguments and fruitless conversations. Do a good deed in the name of Christ - and the devil will run away from you. Then you will deal with real people: pious, smart, kind.
No one under the sun is great except the one who believes in the final victory of good. However, without such faith no one seriously believes in God. These two faiths are related in the same way as sunlight and the sun.
Where there is courage, evil is a submissive subject; where it is not, evil is sovereign.
We bring evil upon ourselves with the help of the same evil living within ourselves.
Sin:
In man, only sin is true evil, and outside of sin, evil does not exist.
One should be afraid not so much of sin itself as of its power over man.
It is difficult for a person not to sin, but he must make every effort to avoid being captured by sin.
Only those who stand above death can rise above sin.
But the more someone fears death, the less they fear sin.
What a horror if your day is what is external, your night is what is internal!
Desire is the seed of sin.
Doubt and despair are two worms that develop from the larvae of sin.
Against three unhealthy states of the soul, the holy apostle sets out its three healthy qualities: against pride - humility, against anger - meekness, against cowardice - long-suffering.
Hate evil, not the person who does evil because he is sick. If you can, treat this patient, and do not kill him with your contempt.
A sinner understands, tolerates and endures a sinner more easily than a righteous person.
Enmity and resentment:
A person hates the one he sins against. When a person realizes that so-and-so knows about his secret sin, he is initially overcome by fear of this secret witness. Fear quickly turns into hatred, and hatred is completely blinding.
No one is more afraid of torment than the one who tortures others.
Weakness:
Crime is always a weakness. A criminal is a coward, not a hero. Therefore, always look at your offender as weaker; Just as you would not take revenge on a small child, do not take revenge on anyone for any offense. For it is not born from evil, but from weakness. In this way you will retain your strength and be like a calm sea that will never overflow its shores to drown the reckless one who throws a stone at it.
Pride and humility:
Pride is truly the daughter of stupidity...
Pride is akin to an inflated bubble that bursts at the slightest touch of a needle. The slightest prick of fate turns her into despair.
It’s sad not to dare look in the mirror, but it’s dangerous not to take your eyes off it.
Envy:
The first sin to appear in the world of spirits was envy.
Envy never appears under its true name.
Wealth:
Wealth is a blessing when it can be turned into a good deed.
Wealth is evil when, instead of giving a person freedom, it puts its owner into its service.
Those who did not know how to share wealth while they had it will have to learn to ask when it is taken from them.
Selfishness and altruism, love and mercy:
He who learns to be grateful will learn to be merciful. And a merciful person walks more freely through this world.
Living for the sake of others, we do not give up our own life, but, on the contrary, expand its boundaries.
Heroism and selfishness:
Do not believe theories and talk about the law of selfishness. It does not exist. The Lord rules the world, and people are the race of God.
A man who jumps into a stream to save a drowning man instantly destroys all these theories and stops such conversations.
When love fades, people seek justice.
People who do not see the world in themselves will not see their place in the world.
We are not just eyewitnesses of this life, we are all participants in it. And because no matter what happens in the world, it happens to me.
This earth is small, but be great in order to make up for its insignificance with your growth.
Human:
The ignorant say that the feet carry the head, while the learned know the opposite: it is the head that carries the legs.
Good will in a person is a creative, poetic and singing force.
He who has great things also has small things.
No one is great without someone being great.
Through the eyes of every person, millions of his ancestors look at you. - Look and see!
They also speak through his mouth. - Listen!
Every spirit reveals itself in its creation, and every creature expresses itself through its inherent action.
Neither an officer's uniform will make you brave, nor a priest's robe - merciful, nor a judge's robe - just, nor a ministerial chair - strong, if your soul does not abound in courage, compassion, righteousness, or strength.
Man's first hunger is the hunger for truth.
The second hunger of our soul is the hunger for truth.
Her third hunger is the hunger for purity.
Fear of yourself
He who has never been afraid of himself knows no fear. For all the external monsters that a person fears are within himself, and in undiluted essence.
Woman:
If we express the whole truth, then we will have to admit that all evil entered this world through the wife, but the salvation of the world also came from the Woman.
Marriage:
God blessed the marriage first in paradise and then in Cana [Galilee]. In marriage, two fleshes become one flesh, two temples of the Holy Spirit acquire one roof.
Upbringing:
The longer a mother nurtures and rocks her child in her arms, the later it begins to walk.
You shout loudly and angrily that teaching about faith needs to be thrown out of schools. Let the youth be told as much as they can about the bloody Nero and the fanatic Caligula, just so that they do not mention the saving name of Jesus Christ.
Life:
The days of defeat are harder to forget than the days of victory.
Christianity:
There are three main gospel ideas: the idea of brotherhood, the idea of freedom and the idea of love. Like three silk threads, they pass through all four Gospels.
When lamps and candles go out in people’s souls, incense turns into suffocating smoke, and the heart, having become cold and hard like stone, ceases to be an altar of love - then the walls of the temple no longer please God.
State:
Power is a great temptation, and there are few who are able to resist it.
There are no despots without cowardly people, no heroes without mercy.
The law is a clown of power.
The struggle for power and rights is a painful phenomenon in human history.
On the day of transfer of relics from the USA to Serbia
In the world, Nikola Velimirović, was born on December 23 of the year in the mountain village of Lelic in western Serbia, into a peasant family in which there were nine children. He was sent by his devout parents to a school at the monastery of Cheliye (“Kelia”).
After graduating from the gymnasium in Valjevo and the Belgrade Theological Seminary, Nikola Velimirović received a scholarship to study at the Old Catholic Faculty in Bern, where at the age of 28 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Theology. The topic of his doctorate was: “Faith in the Resurrection of Christ as the main dogma of the Apostolic Church.” Following this, Nikola Velimirović brilliantly graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford and is defending his second, this time philosophical, doctorate.
“The debt that Russia obliged the Serbian people in the year is so enormous that neither centuries nor generations can repay it,” Bishop Nicholas wrote in the year. - This is the duty of love, which blindfolded goes to death, saving its neighbor.... The Russian Tsar and the Russian people, entering the war unprepared for the defense of Serbia, could not help but know that they were going to death. But the love of Russians for their brothers did not retreat in the face of danger and was not afraid of death. Will we ever dare to forget that the Russian Tsar with his children and millions of his brothers went to death for the truth of the Serbian people? Do we dare to remain silent before heaven and earth that our freedom and statehood cost Russia more than us? The morality of the world war, unclear, dubious and contested from different sides, reveals itself in the Russian sacrifice for the Serbs in evangelical clarity, certainty and indisputability...”
Upon returning from Russia, Fr. Nicholas began publishing his serious literary works: “Conversations under the Mountain”, “Over Sin and Death”, “The Religion of Njegos”...
Realizing the danger of sectarian propaganda, which was already gaining strength at that time, Bishop Nicholas led the so-called “pagan movement” among the Serbian people, designed to attract simple, often illiterate peasants living in remote mountain villages to the church. The “Bogomoltsy” did not constitute any special organization. These were people who were ready not only to regularly visit the temple, but also to live daily according to the canons of their Orthodox faith, according to the Christian ways of his native country, captivating others with his example. The “pagan” movement, which spread through the efforts of the bishop throughout Serbia, can be called a popular religious awakening.
While in exile in America, Vladyka continued to serve and worked on new books - “The Harvests of the Lord”, “The Land of Inaccessibility”, “The Only Lover of Humanity”. His concern was also sending aid to war-torn Serbia. At this time, all his literary works in his homeland were banned and slandered, and he himself, a prisoner fascist concentration camp, turned by communist propaganda into an “employee of the occupiers.”
Bishop Nicholas died peacefully on March 18 of this year in the Russian monastery of St. Tikhon in South Canaan (Pennsylvania). Death found him praying.
Reverence
From the Russian monastery, the body of Bishop Nicholas was transferred to the Serbian monastery of St. Sava in Libertyville (Illinois, near Chicago) and buried with honors in the local cemetery. The Bishop's last wish - to be buried in his homeland - at that time, for obvious reasons, could not be fulfilled.
The glorification of St. Nicholas of Serbia, Zhichski as a locally revered saint of the Shabatsk-Valjevo diocese took place in the Lelic monastery on March 18 Holy Synod Russian Orthodox Church on October 6, the name of St. Nicholas was included in the month book of the Russian Orthodox Church with the celebration of his memory on April 20 (the day of the transfer of the relics), as established in the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Prayers
Troparion, tone 8
Chrysostom, the preacher of the Risen Christ, the guide of the Serbian crusader family through the ages, the blessed lyre of the Holy Spirit, the word and love of the monks, the joy and praise of the priests, the teacher of repentance, the leader of the pilgrim army of Christ, St. Nicholas of Serbia and pan-Orthodox: with all the saints of the Heavenly Serbia, may the prayers of the One Lover of Man grant peace and unity to our family.
Kontakion, tone 3
Serbian Lelicha was born, you were the archpastor of Saint Naum in Ohrid, you appeared from the throne of Saint Sava in Zhichu, teaching and enlightening the people of God with the Holy Gospel. You brought many to repentance and love for Christ, you endured Christ for the sake of passion in Dachau, and for this reason, holy, from Him you are glorified, Nicholas, God’s newly-minted servant.
Video
Documentary "St. Nicholas of Serbia" 2005
Essays
The collected works of the saint number fifteen volumes.
- Selected works on the website of the ABC encyclopedia: http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Nikolaj_Serbskij/
Literature
- Biography from the book "Glory and pain of Serbia. About the Serbian new martyrs". Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. 2002:
Used materials
- Priyma Ivan Fedorovich. A word about the author // Saint Nicholas of Serbia. Prayers by the lake. SPb.1995. Page 3-8
- Biography on the portal Pravoslavie.Ru:
- Magazine No. 53, journals of the meetings of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church dated October 6, 2003:
- Blog page of the priest.
The twentieth century brought to the world many saints and spiritual teachers, including Bishop Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich). His memory is celebrated on March 18, May 3 and September 12 according to the new style.
Biography of St. Nicholas of Serbia
The future saint of the Serbian Church was born in 1881 in the small village of Lelic, in the mountains in western Serbia. His parents were pious peasants who managed to instill in their children deep faith and love for God. In his childhood, he studied at a monastery school, and after graduating from high school and theological seminary in Belgrade, he entered the University of Bern, upon completion of which he defended his doctoral dissertation. Later he studied philosophy at Oxford. After finishing his studies, Nikola Velimirović returned to home country and taught at the Belgrade Seminary, and also wrote articles on spiritual topics. Then he entered the brethren of the monastic monastery of Rakovitsa.
Despite his brilliant European education, the future saint wished to deepen his spiritual knowledge and with this intention, in 1910 he entered the Theological Academy in St. Petersburg. During his stay in Russia, Hieromonk Nikolai also traveled, visiting holy places.
The return of Nikolaj Velimirović to Serbia coincided with the beginning of the First World War, he made every effort to help the Serbian soldiers, confessing and giving them communion before the start of the battles, as well as donating all his money for the treatment of the wounded.
In 1920, Hieromonk Nicholas was ordained bishop of the Ohrid diocese, and fourteen years later became the bishop of the Zich diocese.
During World War II and the occupation of Serbia, Bishop Nicholas was arrested and imprisoned in the Vojlovica monastery, and later sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where he remained until 1945. Due to the fact that Tito's communist regime was established in Serbia, Bishop Nicholas did not return to his homeland, but decided to go to the USA. Saint Nicholas spent the rest of his life in the state of Pennsylvania, in the Russian monastery of Saint Tikhon, where he died on March 18, 1956.
Canonization of St. Nicholas of Serbia
Even during the life of Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich, he enjoyed great love and veneration among the people. His sacrificial service, selflessness and ardent preaching could not leave anyone indifferent. Therefore, soon after the death of the saint, he began to be venerated as a locally revered saint. In 1991, the relics of Nicholas of Serbia were transferred to his native village, and on May 24, 2003, he was glorified as a saint in Belgrade.
Works of Saint Nicholas
Bishop Nicholas, combining ardent faith and deep spirituality with brilliant secular and church education, was a brilliant preacher, for which he received the name “new Chrysostom.” However, his talent was manifested not only in his sermons, but also in the numerous works he wrote during his episcopal service. Very famous are the conversations of St. Nicholas on biblical topics, as well as on the holiday Gospels, which relate to the exegetical works of the church writer, that is, giving theological interpretation of biblical texts. A special place in the work of St. Nicholas is occupied by missionary letters, in which he gives answers to numerous spiritual questions of believers. In these letters, written during a difficult period of war and devastation for Serbia, Bishop Nicholas tried to console and support his suffering people, strengthening their faith and spirit. Unfortunately, only a small part of the letters has reached us, however, even from this heritage every believer can draw spiritual benefit and consolation.
For example, by the concept of human life, the saint meant first of all the life of the soul or spiritual life. The saint called Christians to continuous work on their spiritual improvement in order to strive to be worthy of the dwelling in us of the Holy Spirit, the gift eternal life. Saint Nicholas compared a person’s prayer to God with a child’s appeal to his parents. He said that parents who know about the needs of their child expect a request from him, since a request makes the child’s heart softer, fills him with humility, obedience and a sense of gratitude. Prayer to God inspires the soul and informs it even more beneficial properties.
Troparion, tone 8:
Chrysostom, the preacher of the Risen Christ, the guide of the Serbian crusader family through the ages, the blessed lyre of the Holy Spirit, the word and love of the monks, the joy and praise of the priests, the teacher of repentance, the leader of the pilgrim army of Christ, St. Nicholas of Serbia and pan-Orthodox: with all the saints of the Heavenly Serbia, may the prayers of the One Lover of Man grant peace and unity to our family.
Kontakion, tone 3:
Serbian Lelicha was born, you were the archpastor of Saint Naum in Ohrid, you appeared from the throne of Saint Sava in Zhichu, teaching and enlightening the people of God with the Holy Gospel. You brought many to repentance and love for Christ, you endured Christ for the sake of passion in Dachau, and for this reason, holy, from Him you are glorified, Nicholas, God’s newly-minted servant.
Magnification:
We magnify you, / Saint Father Nicholas, / and honor your holy memory / for you pray for us / Christ our God.
Prayer (of St. Nicholas of Serbia):
Lord, my beautiful covering, wipe away my tears
Who is it that looks at me so intently through all the stars of the sky and through all the creatures of the earth?
Close your eyes, stars of heaven and creatures of the earth; turn away from my nakedness. I've had enough of the shame that burns my eyes.
What should you look at? On the tree of life, withered like a roadside thorn, stinging passers-by and itself? What should you look at? To the fire of heaven, smoldering in the mud, which neither goes out nor shines?
Plowman, it is not your field that is important, but the Lord, who looks upon your work.
Singer, it is not your songs that are important, but the Lord who listens to them.
Sleeping, it is not your sleep that is important, but the Lord who watches over it.
It’s not the shallow coastal water that’s important, it’s the lake that’s important.
What is human time, if not a wave, which, having run away from the lake, repented that it had left it, for, having rushed onto the hot sand, it dried up?
O stars, O creatures, do not look at me - at the all-seeing Lord. He knows everything. Look at Him and you will see where your fatherland is.
Why do you look at me - the image of your exile? To reflect your transience and temporariness?
Lord, my most beautiful veil, adorned with golden seraphim, cover me like a widow with a veil and collect in it my tears, in which the grief of all Your creatures seethes.
Lord, my joy, be my guest, so that I will not be ashamed of my nakedness, so that the thirsty glances turned to me will no longer return to their homes thirsty.
