The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič for Old Calendar date February 22, and New Calendar date March 7 (6).
1. THE HOLY MARTYR MAURICE AND THE SEVENTY SOLDIERS WITH HIM
During the reign of Emperor Maximian there was a great persecution of Christians. In the Syrian town of Apamsea, Maurice was superior of the local army. The pagans reported him to the emperor as being a Christian and a sower of the Christian Faith among the soldiers. The emperor himself came and conducted an investigation. Along with Maurice seventy Christian soldiers were also brought before the emperor among whom was Photinus, the son of Maurice. Neither the emperor's flattery nor threats could sway these heroes. To the threats of the emperor, they replied: "O Emperor, there is no fear in the sound and powerful souls of those who love the Lord!" When the emperor ordered and removed their military belts and garments, they said to him: "Our God will clothe us with incorruptible garments and belts and eternal glory!" When the emperor rebuked them because they despised the military honor given to them by him, they replied: "Your honor is without honor, for you have forgotten God Who gave you imperial authority!" Then the emperor commanded and the executioner beheaded Maurice's son Photinus before his eyes to instill fear in the father and in the others. But, Maurice said: "You have fulfilled our wish O torturer and have sent Photinus, the soldier of Christ before us." Then the emperor sentenced them to a most inhuman death: they were brought to a muddy place, stripped, bound to trees and rubbed them with honey, in order to be bitten by mosquitoes, wasps and hornets. After ten days under the most painful sufferings, they gave up their souls to God and departed to rejoice eternally with the holy angels in heaven. Christians secretly removed their bodies and honorably buried them. These courageous soldiers of Christ suffered about the year 305 A.D.
2. THE MANY MARTYRS IN EUGENIUS NEAR CONSTANTINOPLE
During the reign of Emperor Arcadius, the relics of many martyrs of Christ were unearthed, among whom was the Apostle Andronicus and his female assistant Junia. "Great Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the apostles and they were in Christ before me."(Romans 16:7). These relics were discovered according to a revelation from God to a cleric Nicholas Calligraphus. "Their names are known only to God Who has written their names in the Book of Life in the heavens." In the twelfth century, Emperor Andronicus II built a beautiful church over the relics of the Apostle Andronicus.
3. THE VENERABLES THALASSIUS AND LIMNAEUS
Both Thalassius and Limnaeus were Syrian ascetics. One of their unique forms of asceticism was "silence." Following the death of St. Thalassius in 440 A.D., Limnaeus joined St. Maron (February 14) and with him lived a life of mortification on top of a mountain under the open sky.
4. SAINT PAPIUS OF HIERAPOLIS
Papius was a disciple of the holy apostles and a patristic author. From Papius we have testimony of the Gospels of St. Matthew, St. Mark, the four Marys and the brothers of our Lord as well as an incomplete but preserved manuscript: "An Interpretation of the Words of our Lord."
HYMN OF PRAISE
ST. MAURICE AND SAINT PHOTINUS, SOLDIERS OF CHRIST
Of noble root - of noble vine
The young Photinus; to God a sacrifice, beautiful and well-pleasing.
The father witness as they beheaded his son,
As streams of red blood poured out
Maurice, the father courageous; his heart overcome,
Neither screamed he, nor sorrowed nor a tear shed.
To me dear God, you gave him, he said:
O Good One, for all of your love what better could I give?
Of death, make me worthy as You did Photinus,
You Who, for us, sacrificed Your only Son!
Maurice, of the heavenly kingdom, glorious soldier,
Does not receive a gift from earthly rulers,
But, his company, legion of pride, he encourages;
Before the soul-less idols not to bend,
His company into death he leads and through death to life,
To express this rare beauty, the tongue is too weak.
On our flesh, let the wasps and hornets feed,
Nevertheless, we are not defeated; we are not, O soldiers.
Our blood, let the mosquitoes suck; let them be fed,
On that other side, O my brothers, we shall soon be,
Where all of those reign who fought for the Cross,
We did not betray You! To Christ the God, we shall say.
REFLECTION
Concerning the constant abiding with God, St. Anthony teaches: "Let your soul abide with the Lord at all times, and let your body abide on earth as a statue. Always stand upright before the face of the Lord. Let the fear of God always be before your eyes; and in like manner, remembrance of death, repulsion of everything worldly. Die every day that you may live; for whoever fears God will live forever. Be constantly vigilant so not to fall into laziness and idleness. Abhor all that is worldly and distance yourself from it or else it will distance you from God. Abhor all that will bring ruin to your soul. Do not deviate from God for the sake of transient things. Do not accept the example of one weaker than yourself rather from the one who is more perfect. Before all else continually pour out prayer, give thanks to God for all that would befall you. If you would fulfill all that is commanded, you will receive the inheritance 'What the eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart what God has prepared' " (1 Corinthians 2:9).
CONTEMPLATION
To contemplate the Lord Jesus in conversation with Martha and Mary:
1. How both sisters cordially receive the Lord and desire to hear His word;
2. How Mary is more worried with the spiritual and Martha about the material hospitality of the Divine Guest;
3. How the Lord rejoices more that He satisfies someone with spiritual nourishment rather than He be satisfied with material nourishment.
HOMILY
About fools, wiser than the world
"We are fools for Christ's sake" (1 Corinthians 4:10).
Thus speaks the great Apostle Paul who in the beginning was guided by worldly wisdom, which is against Christ, until he recognizes the falsehood and decay of the wisdom of the world and the light and stability of the wisdom of Christ. Then, the holy apostle did not become angry with the world because they called him "a fool for Christ's sake" neither did he, in defiance of the world, hesitate to be called by this name.
It is not of any value to us how the world is going to regard or call us. However, it is important, and extremely important, how the holy angels in the heavens will regard and call us when, after death, we meet with them. This is of crucial importance and everything else is nothing.
Either we are fools for the world because of Christ or we are fools for Christ because of the world. O how short-lived is the sound of a word of the world! If the world would say to us "fool," the world will die and its word will die! What then is the value of its word? But if the heavenly, immortal ones say to us "fool," that will neither die nor is it removed from us as eternal condemnation.
Whoever does not believe in the Living God, nor in eternal life, nor in the Incarnation of the Lord Christ, nor in Christ's Resurrection nor in the truth of the Gospel nor in God's eternal mercy and justice - is it any wonder if he considers that one a fool who does believes in all of this?
O, may every one of us who cross ourselves with the Sign of the Cross not only find it easy to endure but with satisfaction receive the name "fool" for Christ's sake! Let us rejoice and be glad if the non-believers call us such, for that means that we are close to Christ and far away from the non-believers. Let us rejoice and be glad and repeat with a powerful echo in the ears of the world: yes, yes, indeed we are fools for Christ's sake!
O Lord Most-wise, strengthen us by Your power that we not fear the non-believing world neither when they lash us with whips nor when they insult us with words for Your sake.
To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.
1. THE HOLY MARTYR MAURICE AND THE SEVENTY SOLDIERS WITH HIM
During the reign of Emperor Maximian there was a great persecution of Christians. In the Syrian town of Apamsea, Maurice was superior of the local army. The pagans reported him to the emperor as being a Christian and a sower of the Christian Faith among the soldiers. The emperor himself came and conducted an investigation. Along with Maurice seventy Christian soldiers were also brought before the emperor among whom was Photinus, the son of Maurice. Neither the emperor's flattery nor threats could sway these heroes. To the threats of the emperor, they replied: "O Emperor, there is no fear in the sound and powerful souls of those who love the Lord!" When the emperor ordered and removed their military belts and garments, they said to him: "Our God will clothe us with incorruptible garments and belts and eternal glory!" When the emperor rebuked them because they despised the military honor given to them by him, they replied: "Your honor is without honor, for you have forgotten God Who gave you imperial authority!" Then the emperor commanded and the executioner beheaded Maurice's son Photinus before his eyes to instill fear in the father and in the others. But, Maurice said: "You have fulfilled our wish O torturer and have sent Photinus, the soldier of Christ before us." Then the emperor sentenced them to a most inhuman death: they were brought to a muddy place, stripped, bound to trees and rubbed them with honey, in order to be bitten by mosquitoes, wasps and hornets. After ten days under the most painful sufferings, they gave up their souls to God and departed to rejoice eternally with the holy angels in heaven. Christians secretly removed their bodies and honorably buried them. These courageous soldiers of Christ suffered about the year 305 A.D.
2. THE MANY MARTYRS IN EUGENIUS NEAR CONSTANTINOPLE
During the reign of Emperor Arcadius, the relics of many martyrs of Christ were unearthed, among whom was the Apostle Andronicus and his female assistant Junia. "Great Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the apostles and they were in Christ before me."(Romans 16:7). These relics were discovered according to a revelation from God to a cleric Nicholas Calligraphus. "Their names are known only to God Who has written their names in the Book of Life in the heavens." In the twelfth century, Emperor Andronicus II built a beautiful church over the relics of the Apostle Andronicus.
3. THE VENERABLES THALASSIUS AND LIMNAEUS
Both Thalassius and Limnaeus were Syrian ascetics. One of their unique forms of asceticism was "silence." Following the death of St. Thalassius in 440 A.D., Limnaeus joined St. Maron (February 14) and with him lived a life of mortification on top of a mountain under the open sky.
4. SAINT PAPIUS OF HIERAPOLIS
Papius was a disciple of the holy apostles and a patristic author. From Papius we have testimony of the Gospels of St. Matthew, St. Mark, the four Marys and the brothers of our Lord as well as an incomplete but preserved manuscript: "An Interpretation of the Words of our Lord."
HYMN OF PRAISE
ST. MAURICE AND SAINT PHOTINUS, SOLDIERS OF CHRIST
Of noble root - of noble vine
The young Photinus; to God a sacrifice, beautiful and well-pleasing.
The father witness as they beheaded his son,
As streams of red blood poured out
Maurice, the father courageous; his heart overcome,
Neither screamed he, nor sorrowed nor a tear shed.
To me dear God, you gave him, he said:
O Good One, for all of your love what better could I give?
Of death, make me worthy as You did Photinus,
You Who, for us, sacrificed Your only Son!
Maurice, of the heavenly kingdom, glorious soldier,
Does not receive a gift from earthly rulers,
But, his company, legion of pride, he encourages;
Before the soul-less idols not to bend,
His company into death he leads and through death to life,
To express this rare beauty, the tongue is too weak.
On our flesh, let the wasps and hornets feed,
Nevertheless, we are not defeated; we are not, O soldiers.
Our blood, let the mosquitoes suck; let them be fed,
On that other side, O my brothers, we shall soon be,
Where all of those reign who fought for the Cross,
We did not betray You! To Christ the God, we shall say.
REFLECTION
Concerning the constant abiding with God, St. Anthony teaches: "Let your soul abide with the Lord at all times, and let your body abide on earth as a statue. Always stand upright before the face of the Lord. Let the fear of God always be before your eyes; and in like manner, remembrance of death, repulsion of everything worldly. Die every day that you may live; for whoever fears God will live forever. Be constantly vigilant so not to fall into laziness and idleness. Abhor all that is worldly and distance yourself from it or else it will distance you from God. Abhor all that will bring ruin to your soul. Do not deviate from God for the sake of transient things. Do not accept the example of one weaker than yourself rather from the one who is more perfect. Before all else continually pour out prayer, give thanks to God for all that would befall you. If you would fulfill all that is commanded, you will receive the inheritance 'What the eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart what God has prepared' " (1 Corinthians 2:9).
CONTEMPLATION
To contemplate the Lord Jesus in conversation with Martha and Mary:
1. How both sisters cordially receive the Lord and desire to hear His word;
2. How Mary is more worried with the spiritual and Martha about the material hospitality of the Divine Guest;
3. How the Lord rejoices more that He satisfies someone with spiritual nourishment rather than He be satisfied with material nourishment.
HOMILY
About fools, wiser than the world
"We are fools for Christ's sake" (1 Corinthians 4:10).
Thus speaks the great Apostle Paul who in the beginning was guided by worldly wisdom, which is against Christ, until he recognizes the falsehood and decay of the wisdom of the world and the light and stability of the wisdom of Christ. Then, the holy apostle did not become angry with the world because they called him "a fool for Christ's sake" neither did he, in defiance of the world, hesitate to be called by this name.
It is not of any value to us how the world is going to regard or call us. However, it is important, and extremely important, how the holy angels in the heavens will regard and call us when, after death, we meet with them. This is of crucial importance and everything else is nothing.
Either we are fools for the world because of Christ or we are fools for Christ because of the world. O how short-lived is the sound of a word of the world! If the world would say to us "fool," the world will die and its word will die! What then is the value of its word? But if the heavenly, immortal ones say to us "fool," that will neither die nor is it removed from us as eternal condemnation.
Whoever does not believe in the Living God, nor in eternal life, nor in the Incarnation of the Lord Christ, nor in Christ's Resurrection nor in the truth of the Gospel nor in God's eternal mercy and justice - is it any wonder if he considers that one a fool who does believes in all of this?
O, may every one of us who cross ourselves with the Sign of the Cross not only find it easy to endure but with satisfaction receive the name "fool" for Christ's sake! Let us rejoice and be glad if the non-believers call us such, for that means that we are close to Christ and far away from the non-believers. Let us rejoice and be glad and repeat with a powerful echo in the ears of the world: yes, yes, indeed we are fools for Christ's sake!
O Lord Most-wise, strengthen us by Your power that we not fear the non-believing world neither when they lash us with whips nor when they insult us with words for Your sake.
To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.
+ + +
Охридски пролог
Свети Николај Велимировић Жички.
Охридски пролог
Свети Николај Велимировић Жички.
22. ФЕБРУАР (стари) или 7. МАРТ (нови календар)
1. Свети мученик Маврикије и 70 војника. У време цара Максимијана би велико гоњење хришћана. У граду Апамији сирској Маврикије беше старешина месне војске. Незнабошци га тужише цару као хришћанина и као сејача вере хришћанске међу војницима. Сам цар дође и поведе истрагу. С Маврикијем би изведено пред цара и 70 војника хришћана, међу којима и син Маврикијев Фотин. Ни ласка ни претња царева не може поколебати ове јунаке. На претње цареве одговорише: „О царе, нема страха у доброумној и моћној души оних који љубе Господа!” Када цар нареди, те свукоше с њих војничке појасе и хаљине, они му рекоше: „Бог наш обућиће нас хаљинама и појасима нетрулежним, и вечном славом!” Када их цар укореваше што су презрели част војничку, дату им од њега, они одговорише: „Чест твоја је бешчешће, јер си заборавио Бога који ти је дао царску власт!” Тада цар нареди, те пред очима Маврикијевим посекоше му сина Фотина, да би тиме устрашио оца и остале. Но Маврикије рече: „Испунио си нашу жељу, о мучитељу, и послао си напред пред нама Фотина, војника Христова.” Тада их цар осуди на најнечовечнију смрт: одведоше их у неко блато, обнажише, привезаше за дрвеће и намазаше медом, да их комарци, осе и стршљенови изуједају. У страшним мукама предадоше душе Богу тек десетог дана, и одоше да се вечно радују с ангелима светим на небу. Хришћани тајно узеше тела њихова и чесно погребоше. Ови храбри Христови војини пострадаше око 305. године.
2. Многи мученици у Евгенији, близу Цариграда. У време цара Аркадија откопаше се мошти многих мученика Христових, међу којима и апостола Андроника и помоћнице му Јуније (Римљанима 16, 7). Ове мошти пронађоше се према откровењу од Бога некоме клирику Николи Калиграфу. „Њихова имена зна само Господ, који их је записао у Књигу Живих на небесима.” Над моштима апостола Андроника саградио је цар Андроник И диван храм у XИИ веку.
3. Преподобни Таласије и Лимније. Пустињаци сиријски. Један од њихових нарочитих подвига било је ћутање. По смрти светог Таласија 440. Лимније пређе ка светом Марону (14. фебруар) и тамо се подвизавао на врху планине под отвореним небом.
4. Свети Папије Јерапољски. Ученик светих апостола и патролошки писац. Од њега имамо сведочанство о Јеванђељу Матејевом и Марковом, о четири Марије и о браћи Господњој, као и један непотпуно сачуван спис: Изјашњење Речи Господње.
Од корена благородна — лоза благородна
Фотин млади — жртва Богу красна и угодна!
Отац виде где му сину главу одсекоше,
И млазеве рујне крви како потекоше.
Маврикије, отац бодар, срцу свом одоли,
Нити викну, нит зажали, нити сузу проли.
Ти си ми га, драги Боже, рече, даровао,
За сву љубав Твоју, Блаже, шта бих боље дао?
Удостој и мене смрти као и Фотина,
Ти што за нас пожртвова Свог Јединог Сина! —
Маврикије, војник слава небескога цара,
Од земаљскнх поглавара он не прима дара,
Но он бодри своју чету, поносну легију,
Пред бездушним идолима да се не повију,
У смрт води своју чету, и кроз смрт животу —
Слаб је језик да искаже ту ретку красоту...
Нек се нашим месом хране осе и стршљени,
Ипак нисмо, о војници, нисмо побеђени.
Нек комарци крв нам сишу, нека се нахране,
Скоро ћемо, браћо моја, бити с оне стране,
Где царују сви који су за Крст војевали,
Рећићемо Христу Богу: нисмо Те издали!
РАСУЂИВАЊЕ
О непрестаном пребивању с Богом свети Антоније учи: „Душа твоја нека буде с Господом у свако доба, а тело нека ти је на земљи, као нека статуа. Стој увек пред лицем Господњим право. Страх од Бога нека ти је непрестано пред очима; исто тако и сећање смрти и одвратност од свега светскога. — Умири сваки дан, да би живео; јер ко се боји Бога, тај ће живети ва веки. Буди бодар непрестано, да не би пао у леност и беспослицу. — Омрзни све светско и удаљи од себе, иначе ће оно тебе удаљити од Бога. Омрзни све, што ти доноси штету души. — Не одступај од Бога ради пролазних ствари. Не узимај пример од слабијег од тебе него од савршенијег. Нека ти послуже обрасцем и примером они, који су љубили Господа свим срцем својим и творили добра дела. — Пре свега непрестано изливај молитву и одаји Богу благодарност за све што би се случило с тобом. — Будеш ли испуњавао све што је заповеђено, то ћеш примити наследство, које око није видело, ни ухо чуло, нити срце човечје помислило (Прва Коринћанима 2, 9).”
СОЗЕРЦАЊЕ
Да созерцавам Господа Исуса у разговору са Мартом и Маријом, и то:
1. како обе сестре срдачно примају Господа и желе чути Његову реч;
2. како се Марија више брине о духовном а Марта о телесном угошћењу божанскога Госта;
3. како се Господ више радује да Он некога угости духовном храном него ли неко Њега телесном.
БЕСЕДА
о будалама мудријим од света
Ми смо будале Христа ради (Прва Коринћанима 4, 10)
Тако говори велики апостол Павле, који се најпре руководио светском мудрошћу, која је против Христа, док није познао лаж и гнилост мудрости светске и светлост и постојаност мудрости Христове. Тада се свети апостол није срдио на свет, што га назива будалом Христа ради, нити је се пак, пркосећи свету, сам либио да се назове тим именом.
Није ни од какве вредности за нас, како ће нас свет сматрати и називати. Важно је пак и преважно, како ће нас ангели свети на небесима сматрати и назвати, кад се после смрти сретнемо с њима. То је од судбоносне важности, а остало је све ништа.
Или смо ми будале за свет због Христа, или смо будале за Христа због света. Но о како је малотрајан звук речи светске! Ако нам свет каже: будала! свет ће умрети, и реч његова ће умрети. Шта онда вреди реч његова? Но ако нам бесмртници небески кажу: будала! то нити мре нити се скида с нас као вечна осуда.
Ко не верује у Живога Бога, ни у бесмртан живот, ни у ваплоћење Господа Христа, ни у Христово васкрсење, ни у истину Јеванђелску, ни у вечну Божју милост и правду — је ли чудо ако он сматра будалом онога, ко у све то верује?
О нека би свак од нас, који се крстом крстимо, не само лако подносио него са задовољством примао назив будале Христа ради! Радујмо се и веселимо се, ако нас неверници тако назову, јер то значи, да смо близу Христа а далеко од неверника. Радујмо се и веселимо се, и поновимо силним ехом свету у уши: да, да, заиста ми смо будале Христа ради!
Господе премудри, крепи нас силом Твојом, да се не страшимо невернога света ни кад нас шиба бичевима нити погрдним речима Тебе ради. Теби слава и хвала вавек. Амин.
Свети Николај ВелимировићSaint Nikolai Velimirovič
