The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič for Old Calendar date February 18, and New Calendar date March 3 (2).
1. SAINT LEO I, POPE OF ROME
Leo was born in Italy of devout parents. At first, he served as archdeacon under Pope Sixtus III and following the death of Sixtus was elevated against his will to the throne of the Pope of Rome. When Attila, with his Huns, drew near to Rome was prepared to destroy and to set fire to the city, Leo came out before him in his episcopal vestments mitigated the wrath of the leader of the Huns and averted the destruction of Rome. As much as Attila allowed himself to be counseled by this holy man so also had he to be afraid of the vision of the Apostles Peter and Paul who stood along side Leo and with flaming swords threatened him. Not only did St. Leo save Rome, but he also contributed much to save Orthodoxy from the heresy of Eutyches and Dioscorus. This heresy consisted in the merging of the divine and human natures of Christ into one and following this, in the denial of the two wills in the person of the Lord Savior. Because of this, the Fourth Ecumenical Council [Chalcedon 451 A.D.] was convened at which time the Epistle of St. Leo was read. St. Leo had written this epistle and placed it on the tomb of St. Peter, who corrected it. Before his death, Leo spent forty days in fasting and prayer at the tomb of St. Peter, beseeching him to tell him whether his sins are forgiven. The Apostle Peter appeared to him and said that all of his sins are forgiven except the sins of ordaining priests when it is evident how grave a sin it is to ordain one who is unworthy. The saint again fell into prayer until he was told that even those sins were forgiven. He peacefully gave up his soul to the Lord. St. Leo died in the year 461 A.D
2. SAINT FLAVIAN
Flavian became patriarch of Constantinople following St. Proclus. He was a contemporary of St. Leo the Pope. He fought resolutely against Eutyches and Dioscorus, but did not live to see the Triumph of Orthodoxy at the Fourth Ecumenical Council [Chalcedon 451 A.D.], for prior to that at a heretical council [Ephesus, 431 A.D.] he was mercilessly beaten trampled upon and died there. Flavian was a faithful soldier of Christ, courageous defender and confessor of the Orthodox Faith. He died in the year 449 A.D.
HYMN OF PRAISE
SAINT FLAVIAN
"When pride comes, then comes shame."(Proverbs 16:18)
That is the word of God, the lesson of life.
Heretics, who are they? The children of pride,
What did they want? Shame, to bring,
That is why they had to endure shame.
Eutyches hoped in the help of the eunuch,]
Flavian, in the help of the Spirit of God,
Pride always precedes the fall:
Eutyches perished and Flavian conquered.
Dioscorus, his hope was his fist
That is why all generations despise him.
Flavian beaten and trodden underfoot
Now on earth is glorified and blessed in Heaven.
The truth stands and he was not afraid of anything.
Leo the Roman extended him the assistance of a lion
In defense of the radiant face of Christ.
These two hierarchs and Eulogious the third one
Guided the Church to victory and fortune.
Without such spirits what would the Church be?
A wounded bird with broken wings.
REFLECTION
With great difficulty and with even greater effort and sacrifice, the tares of heresy were sifted from the wheat of the truth of Orthodoxy. The heretics have always made use of lower means and mediocre persons in undermining Orthodoxy. Archmandrite Eutyches of Constantinople and Dioscorus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who spread the heretical teaching, that there were not two natures in Christ, Divine and Human, rather one nature, had as their ally in the imperial court the mediocre eunuch Chrysaphius. Empress Eudoxia was secretly aligned with them. Patriarch Flavian, as a lion, fearlessly defended Orthodoxy in which he was assisted by Plucheria, the sister of the emperor. The eunuch Chrysaphius presented to Emperor Theodosius the most disgusting slanders against Flavian in order that the emperor would remove him from the throne and bring in the heretic Eutyches as patriarch. When this and all else did not succeed, the heretics plotted to kill Flavian. At the Robber Council in Ephesus [431 A.D.] they beat him so badly and trampled upon him that St. Flavian, on the third day, gave up his soul to God. What happened in the end? At the Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon 451 A.D.], Eutyches and Dioscorus were anathematized. The eunuch was ousted from the court and shamefully ended his life. The Empress Eudoxia was banished from Constantinople to Palestine. Flavian and Plucheria were proclaimed as saints and the Orthodox Faith victoriously confirmed.
CONTEMPLATION
To contemplate the Lord Jesus among the Pharisees and Scribes:
1. How He made every effort to uplift the Pharisees and Scribes and to save them, and how they made every effort to overthrow and kill Him;
2. How He wished to correct their every thought and word, and how they wished to twist His every thought and word;
3. How He was saddened, that He could not enliven them and how they were saddened that they were unable to kill Him.
HOMILY
About the struggle of the weak with the Almighty
"And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too" (St. John 12:10).
They agreed among themselves to first kill the Maker and then His work. For Lazarus was the work of Christ. What is the use, they nefariously thought, to kill the Miracle-worker and to leave a living witness of His greatest miracle? For then, the people would be inflamed at them as evil doers! But, nevertheless, it happened that they killed Christ and missed Lazarus. And then? And then, they and their think alikes - killed scores of His apostles and missed hundreds. Then they killed thousands and missed hundreds of thousands. Then, they killed hundreds of thousands and missed millions. Finally it became clear that behind their backs, even the slain were resurrected to life as mown grass and those designated to be killed before the faces of the murderers, grew as sown grass. In vain did the wise Gamaliel say: "But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them" (Acts of the Apostles 5:39). Those who wage war against God throughout the centuries in vain did they hone their own helplessness to mow down the crop of God. The more they cut down, the more the crops of God grew luxuriantly.
O unreasonable combatants against Christ, those of that time and the present! Your mace rebounds from the city of Christ and strikes your own shed and destroys it into dust and ashes. Throughout the ages, you have had enough allies: besides the devil, with you were heretics, idolaters, fanatics, soothsayers, divinators depraved princes and the wealthy, tyrants and all insensitive sinners. Up to now you have been defeated and without any doubt all of your allies together with you will be defeated to the end of time.
For that let it be to You O Almighty and irresistible Lord glory and thanks always. Amen.
1. SAINT LEO I, POPE OF ROME
Leo was born in Italy of devout parents. At first, he served as archdeacon under Pope Sixtus III and following the death of Sixtus was elevated against his will to the throne of the Pope of Rome. When Attila, with his Huns, drew near to Rome was prepared to destroy and to set fire to the city, Leo came out before him in his episcopal vestments mitigated the wrath of the leader of the Huns and averted the destruction of Rome. As much as Attila allowed himself to be counseled by this holy man so also had he to be afraid of the vision of the Apostles Peter and Paul who stood along side Leo and with flaming swords threatened him. Not only did St. Leo save Rome, but he also contributed much to save Orthodoxy from the heresy of Eutyches and Dioscorus. This heresy consisted in the merging of the divine and human natures of Christ into one and following this, in the denial of the two wills in the person of the Lord Savior. Because of this, the Fourth Ecumenical Council [Chalcedon 451 A.D.] was convened at which time the Epistle of St. Leo was read. St. Leo had written this epistle and placed it on the tomb of St. Peter, who corrected it. Before his death, Leo spent forty days in fasting and prayer at the tomb of St. Peter, beseeching him to tell him whether his sins are forgiven. The Apostle Peter appeared to him and said that all of his sins are forgiven except the sins of ordaining priests when it is evident how grave a sin it is to ordain one who is unworthy. The saint again fell into prayer until he was told that even those sins were forgiven. He peacefully gave up his soul to the Lord. St. Leo died in the year 461 A.D
2. SAINT FLAVIAN
Flavian became patriarch of Constantinople following St. Proclus. He was a contemporary of St. Leo the Pope. He fought resolutely against Eutyches and Dioscorus, but did not live to see the Triumph of Orthodoxy at the Fourth Ecumenical Council [Chalcedon 451 A.D.], for prior to that at a heretical council [Ephesus, 431 A.D.] he was mercilessly beaten trampled upon and died there. Flavian was a faithful soldier of Christ, courageous defender and confessor of the Orthodox Faith. He died in the year 449 A.D.
HYMN OF PRAISE
SAINT FLAVIAN
"When pride comes, then comes shame."(Proverbs 16:18)
That is the word of God, the lesson of life.
Heretics, who are they? The children of pride,
What did they want? Shame, to bring,
That is why they had to endure shame.
Eutyches hoped in the help of the eunuch,]
Flavian, in the help of the Spirit of God,
Pride always precedes the fall:
Eutyches perished and Flavian conquered.
Dioscorus, his hope was his fist
That is why all generations despise him.
Flavian beaten and trodden underfoot
Now on earth is glorified and blessed in Heaven.
The truth stands and he was not afraid of anything.
Leo the Roman extended him the assistance of a lion
In defense of the radiant face of Christ.
These two hierarchs and Eulogious the third one
Guided the Church to victory and fortune.
Without such spirits what would the Church be?
A wounded bird with broken wings.
REFLECTION
With great difficulty and with even greater effort and sacrifice, the tares of heresy were sifted from the wheat of the truth of Orthodoxy. The heretics have always made use of lower means and mediocre persons in undermining Orthodoxy. Archmandrite Eutyches of Constantinople and Dioscorus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who spread the heretical teaching, that there were not two natures in Christ, Divine and Human, rather one nature, had as their ally in the imperial court the mediocre eunuch Chrysaphius. Empress Eudoxia was secretly aligned with them. Patriarch Flavian, as a lion, fearlessly defended Orthodoxy in which he was assisted by Plucheria, the sister of the emperor. The eunuch Chrysaphius presented to Emperor Theodosius the most disgusting slanders against Flavian in order that the emperor would remove him from the throne and bring in the heretic Eutyches as patriarch. When this and all else did not succeed, the heretics plotted to kill Flavian. At the Robber Council in Ephesus [431 A.D.] they beat him so badly and trampled upon him that St. Flavian, on the third day, gave up his soul to God. What happened in the end? At the Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon 451 A.D.], Eutyches and Dioscorus were anathematized. The eunuch was ousted from the court and shamefully ended his life. The Empress Eudoxia was banished from Constantinople to Palestine. Flavian and Plucheria were proclaimed as saints and the Orthodox Faith victoriously confirmed.
CONTEMPLATION
To contemplate the Lord Jesus among the Pharisees and Scribes:
1. How He made every effort to uplift the Pharisees and Scribes and to save them, and how they made every effort to overthrow and kill Him;
2. How He wished to correct their every thought and word, and how they wished to twist His every thought and word;
3. How He was saddened, that He could not enliven them and how they were saddened that they were unable to kill Him.
HOMILY
About the struggle of the weak with the Almighty
"And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too" (St. John 12:10).
They agreed among themselves to first kill the Maker and then His work. For Lazarus was the work of Christ. What is the use, they nefariously thought, to kill the Miracle-worker and to leave a living witness of His greatest miracle? For then, the people would be inflamed at them as evil doers! But, nevertheless, it happened that they killed Christ and missed Lazarus. And then? And then, they and their think alikes - killed scores of His apostles and missed hundreds. Then they killed thousands and missed hundreds of thousands. Then, they killed hundreds of thousands and missed millions. Finally it became clear that behind their backs, even the slain were resurrected to life as mown grass and those designated to be killed before the faces of the murderers, grew as sown grass. In vain did the wise Gamaliel say: "But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them" (Acts of the Apostles 5:39). Those who wage war against God throughout the centuries in vain did they hone their own helplessness to mow down the crop of God. The more they cut down, the more the crops of God grew luxuriantly.
O unreasonable combatants against Christ, those of that time and the present! Your mace rebounds from the city of Christ and strikes your own shed and destroys it into dust and ashes. Throughout the ages, you have had enough allies: besides the devil, with you were heretics, idolaters, fanatics, soothsayers, divinators depraved princes and the wealthy, tyrants and all insensitive sinners. Up to now you have been defeated and without any doubt all of your allies together with you will be defeated to the end of time.
For that let it be to You O Almighty and irresistible Lord glory and thanks always. Amen.
+ + +
Охридски пролог
Свети Николај Велимировић Жички.
Охридски пролог
Свети Николај Велимировић Жички.
18. ФЕБРУАР (стари) или 3. МАРТ (нови календар)
1. Свети Лав И, папа римски. Рођен у Италији од родитеља благочестивих. Би најпре архиђакон код папе Сикста ИИИ, а по смрти овога узведен, и преко своје воље, на престо папе римскога. Кад је Атила са Хунима дошао близу Рима и спремао се већ да разори и сагори овај град, Лав изађе пред њега у архијерејском одјејању, укроти гнев хунског вође и отклони пропаст Рима. Колико се Атила дао усаветовати од светога човека толико се морао устрашити од визије апостола Петра и Павла, који стајаху поред Лава, и с пламеним мачевима прећаху Атили. И не само да је свети Лав спасао Рим, него је он помогао много спасењу Православља од јереси Евтихијеве и Диоскорове. Јерес ова састојала се у сливању божанске и човечанске природе Христове у једну и, следствено, у одрицању две воље у личности Господа Спаситеља. Због тога би сазван ИВ Васељенски Сабор у Халкидону, на коме се прочита посланица светог Лава, коју свети Лав беше написао иположио на гроб светог Петра, а свети Петар исправио. Пред смрт провео је 40 дана у посту и молитви на гробу апостола Петра, молећи овога да му јави да ли су му греси опроштени. Апостол му се јави и рекне да су му сви греси опроштени осим грехова у рукополагању свештеника (из чега се види колико је тежак грех недостојног рукополагати). Светитељ поново припадне на молитву, док није био извештен, да су му и ти греси изглађени. Тад мирно преда душу Господу. Свети Лав упокојио се 461. године.
2. Свети Флавијан, патријарх цариградски после светог Прокла. Савременик светог Лава папе. Борио се одлучно против Евтихија и Диоскора, но не дочека жив тријумф Православља на ИВ Сабору, јер пре тога на једном јеретичком сабору у Ефесу буде бијен и гажен тако бездушно, да ту и умре. Верни војник Христов, храбри бранилац и исповедник вере православне. Упокојио се 449. године.
„Кад охолост дође, дође и срамота“ ( Приче, 11, 2.)
То је реч Божија, то наук живота.
Јеретици ко су? Деца охолости,
Деца охолости, оцеви лудости.
Шта хтедоше они? Срамоту нанети,
Зато морадоше срамоту понети.
Евтих се поузда у помоћ евнуха,
Флавијан у помоћ Божјега Духа.
Охолости увек и погиб’о следи:
Евтихиј пропаде, Флавијан победи.
Диоскору нада у песницу беше,
Зато сви векови и њега презреше.
Флавијан избијен и ногама згажен —
Сад на земљи слављен, а на небу блажен.
Он истину орани без стра’ и застоја,
Истину одстоја, ништа с’ не убоја.
Лав римски му помоћ лавовску указа
У одбрани светлог Христовог образа.
Ова два јерарха, и Евлогиј — трећи
Упутише цркву победи и срећи.
Без ’ваких духова црква шта би била?
Устрељена птица саломљених крила.
РАСУЂИВАЊЕ
С тешком и претешком муком и пожртвовањем требљен је кукољ јереси из пшенице православне истине. Јеретици су се од увек служили ниским средствима и ниским особама у подривању Православља. Архимандрит цариградски Евтихије и патријарх александријски Диоскор, који су проносили јеретичко учење, да у Христу нису биле две природе: божанска и човечанска, него једна, имали су за свога савезника у царском двору ниског евнуха Хрисафија. Уз њих је потајно била и царица Евдокија. Православље је лавовски бранио неустрашиви патријарх Флавијан, у чему га је помагала царева сестра, света Пулхерија. Евнух је доносио цару Теодосију најгнусније клевете против Флавијана, само да би цар овога отерао с престола и довео за патријарха јеретика Евтихија. Када ни ово ни све друго не успе, јеретици се реше, да убију Флавијана. И заиста на разбојничком сабору у Ефесу они га толико избију и изгазе, да је свети Флавијан трећи дан предао Богу душу. Шта се догодило на крају? На ИВ Васељенском Сабору Евтихије и Диоскор буду проклети. Евнух избачен из двора са срамом изгуби свој живот. Царица Евдокија протерана из Цариграда у Палестину. Флавијан и Пулхерија проглашени за светитеље. И вера православна победоносно утврђена.
СОЗЕРЦАЊЕ
Да созерцавам Господа Исуса посред фарисеја и књижевника, и то:
1. како се Он труди да дигне фарисеје и књижевнике и да их спасе, а како се они труде да Њега оборе и убију;
2. како Он жели да исправи сваку њихову помисао и реч, а како они желе да искриве сваку Његову помисао и реч;
3. како је Он жалостан, што не може да их оживи, а како су они жалосни, што не могу Њега да умртве.
БЕСЕДА
о борби немоћних са Свемоћним
А главари свештенички договорише се да и Лазара убију (По Јовану 12, 10)
Договорише се прво да убију Делатеља, па онда и дело Његово. Јер васкрсли Лазар беше дело Христово. Шта вреди, помишљали су они лукаво, убити Чудотворца а оставити жива сведока Његовог највећег чуда? Тек онда би се народ распалио на њих као на злочинце! Па ипак се догодило, да су убили Христа а промашили Лазара, Па онда? Па онда су они — или њихови једномишљеници — поубијали десетину Његових апостола, а промашили стотине, па онда су поубијали хиљаде, а промашили стотине хиљада. Па онда су поубијали стотине хиљада, а промашили милионе. Најзад се показало, да су и побијени иза њихових леђа васкрсавали у живот као покошена трава а намењени убиству пред лицем убица расли као посејана трава. Узалуд је мудри Гамалил говорио: ако је ово дјело од Бога, не можете га покварити (Дела Апостолска 5, 39). Богоборци су кроз све векове узалуд оштрили своју немоћ, да посеку усев Божји. Но што су га они више секли, то је усев Божји бујније растао.
О безумни христоборци, и ондашњи и садашњи! Ваш топуз одбија се од града Христовога, и удара у вашу сопствену колибу, и руши је у прах и пепео. Кроз све векове имали сте довољно савезника: осим ђавола уз вас су били јеретици, идолопоклоници, фанатици, гатари и врачари, развратни кнежеви и богаташи, насилници и сви отупели грешници. Побеђени сте до сада, и без сваке сумње сви савезници ваши с вама заједно биће побеђени до на крај времена.
Нека је за то Теби, свемоћни и неодољиви Господе, слава и хвала вавек. Амин.
...
Свети Николај ВелимировићSaint Nikolai Velimirovič
