Saint Nicholas (Velimirović). St. Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirović), Bishop of Ohrid and Žić

Miraculous words: St. Nicholas of Serbia prayer for a house in full description from all the sources we found.

Commemoration: March 5 / 18, April 20 / May 3 (Transfer of Relics), August 30 / September 12

Saint Nicholas Velimirović was one of the most educated Serbian and European theologians of the 20th century, called the “new Chrysostom”. Patriot, active missionary and educator, church administrator, philanthropist, who restored many desolate monasteries. During the Nazi occupation, he survived exile to distant monasteries under guard, and at the end of the war, captivity in a concentration camp. He edited the Serbian translation of the New Testament, made at one time by Vuk Karadzic. After the liberation of Yugoslavia from the communist regime, he moved to the United States, where he continued his theological and pastoral works until his death.

Saint Nicholas Velimirovich is the patron saint of the church clergy, monasticism, missionaries and philanthropists. People turn to him for prayer help to strengthen faith in illness and sorrow, persecution, imprisonment, to bless studies and teaching and educational activities, to admonish those of little faith and sectarians.

Troparion to Saint Nicholas of Serbia Velimirovich, tone 8:

Chrysostom, preacher of the Risen Christ, guide of the Serbian crusader family through the ages, the blessed lyre of the Holy Spirit, glory and love of the monks, joy and praise of the priests, teacher of repentance, leader of the pilgrim army of Christ, Saint Nicholas of Serbia and pan-Orthodox: with all the saints of Heavenly Serbia, may the prayers of the One Lover of Man grant peace and unity to our family.

Kontakion to Saint Nicholas of Serbia Velimirovich, 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 led 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.

Prayer to St. Nicholas of Serbia Velimirović, Bishop of Ohrid and Žić:

• Prayer to Saint Nicholas of Serbia Velimirović. Saint Nicholas Velimirović was one of the most educated Serbian and European theologians of the 20th century. Patriot, active missionary and educator, church administrator, philanthropist, who restored many desolate monasteries. Saint Nicholas of Serbia is the patron saint of the church clergy, monasticism, missionaries and philanthropists. People turn to him for prayer help to strengthen faith in illness and sorrow, persecution, imprisonment, to bless studies and teaching and educational activities, to admonish those of little faith and sectarians

Akathist to St. Nicholas of Serbia Velimirovich:

Canon to St. Nicholas of Serbia Velimirovich:

• Canon to St. Nicholas of Serbia

Hagiographic and scientific-historical literature about St. Nicholas of Serbia Velimirovich, Bishop of Ohrid and Zich:

• Biography of St. Nicholas of Serbia Velimirovich, Bishop of Ohrid and Zhich– Hieromonk Ignatius Shestakov

Works of St. Nicholas of Serbia Velimirovich:

• Missionary letters
• Prayers on the lake– Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich)
• What are the causes of economic crises?– Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich)
• A person who believes in God but does not pray to Him– Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich)
• Gospel of the Baptism of the Lord– Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich)
• Day of the Holy Trinity. Pentecost. Gospel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit– Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich)
• Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Gospel of the Archangel Gabriel– Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich)
• Homily on the Day of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary– Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich)
• Christian Orthodox Confession of Faith– Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich)
• Holy Prince Vladimir – Baptist of Russians– Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich)
• Ascension of the Lord
• Gospel of the Ascension of the Lord- Saint Nicholas Velimirovich

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Prayers to St. Nicholas of Serbia

They turn to Saint Nicholas with prayer for help in strengthening faith and protection from sects, in protecting themselves and their home from any enemy, in giving strength to fight illness, in success in learning.

Prayer of Nicholas of Serbia for enemies

Enemies are more determined than friends to push me into Your arms.

Friends pulled me to earth, enemies destroyed all my hopes for earthly things.

They made me a stranger in the kingdoms of the earth and an unnecessary inhabitant of the earth.

Just as a pursued beast finds refuge faster than an unpursued one, so I, driven by enemies, have taken refuge under Your protection, where neither friends nor enemies can destroy my soul.

Bless my enemies, Lord.

And I bless them and do not curse them.

They confessed my sins to the world instead of me.

They scourged me when I was sorry to scourge myself.

They tormented me when I was running from pain.

They reviled me when I flattered myself.

They spat at me when I was proud of myself.

Bless my enemies, Lord.

And I bless them and do not curse them.

When I thought I was wise, they called me crazy.

When I thought I was strong, they laughed at me like I was a dwarf.

When I strived to be first, they pushed me to last.

When I was striving for wealth, they hit me on the wrist.

When I was about to sleep peacefully, they woke me up from my sleep.

When I was building a house for a long and quiet life, they destroyed it and drove me out.

Truly, my enemies separated me from the world and helped my hands to reach the hem of Your garments.

Bless my enemies, Lord.

And I bless them and do not curse them.

Bless them and multiply them, multiply them and make them more bitter towards me.

May my flight to You be irrevocable.

May my hopes for earthly things fade away like a spider's web.

May humility reign in my soul.

May my heart become the grave of the evil twins - anger and pride.

May I store up all my treasures in heaven.

May I be freed forever from the self-delusion that has entangled me in the terrible network of a ghostly life.

My enemies revealed to me what few people know: a person has no enemies except himself.

He only hates enemies who has not learned that enemies are not enemies, but demanding friends.

Truly, it is difficult to tell me who did me more good and who did me more harm - enemies or friends.

Therefore, Lord, bless both my friends and my enemies.

The slave curses his enemies because he does not know.

The Son blesses them, for he knows.

For the son knows that his enemies have no power over his life.

Therefore, he walks among them freely and prays to the Lord for them.

Bless my enemies, Lord.

And I bless them and do not curse them.

Prayer to Nicholas of Serbia for the protection of the house

God, bless the one who enters this house, protect and preserve the one who leaves it

Prayer of Nicholas of Serbia for enemies

Prayer of Nicholas of Serbia for enemies

“Missionary Letters.” Translation by Svetlana Luganskaya

Date of Birth: 12/23/1880

Date of Death: 03/18/1956

Bishop of Ohrid and Zich, theologian, philosopher, organizer of the popular, so-called “pagan” movement, honorary doctor of several world universities. Nikolai Serbsky was born into a large peasant family. He received an excellent education, in particular, he graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford and the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. During the First World War, Nikolai Serbsky looked after the soldiers, and until the end of the war he gave all his salary to the wounded. In 1920 he was appointed bishop of the Ohrid diocese. In 1934, Bishop Nicholas was appointed Bishop of the Zhich Diocese. During his archpastorship, Nicholas of Serbia did a lot for the spiritual enlightenment of the Serbs and missionary work. Nicholas of Serbia carried the Good News abroad: he preached a lot and gave lectures in Europe and America. During World War II, the Nazis imprisoned him in Dachau. Due to the communists coming to power in Yugoslavia, Nikolai Serbsky was forced to emigrate to America. The last days of Nicholas of Serbia were spent in the Russian monastery of St. Tikhon in Pennsylvania, where he died. Nicholas of Serbia is called the “new Chrysostom”. Indeed, the saint’s works are distinguished by their poetry, imagery, and eloquence. The work of Nikolai Serbsky is characterized by an interest in philosophical issues.

Cross with prayer to St. Nicholas of Serbia “Blessing of the House”.

Prayer for the Blessing of the house of St. Nicholas of Serbia.

God bless him who enters this house,

Protect and preserve what comes from him

And grant peace to those who arrive there!

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A wooden Orthodox crucifix in the homes of believers is not an interior decoration, but a symbol of faith and belonging to the Christian world, a means of grace-filled protection from the devil. Made of wood, it symbolizes the Tree of Paradise, life given by God. John of Damascus said: “...through the tree life and resurrection must be given to us.

The Orthodox crucifix is ​​a cross with the image of the crucified Jesus Christ stretching his arms wide along the central crossbar of the cross, his body does not sag, but reclines freely.

This image does not represent the one executed, but the true Son of God lifted up on the cross. His arms seem to be open in an inviting embrace, calling upon the whole world and the entire Universe. In another later version, the body of Christ is depicted sagging, with his arms raised up and spread slightly to the sides.

But such an image does not convey the very essence of the suffering of the cross, which contains a very deep meaning.

The upper crossbar represents a tablet where the following inscription was supposedly located: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The footrest was the lower crossbar; it is depicted as inclined, symbolizing the direction indicator to heaven to God and the path to hell.

A skull and crossbones are often carved at the base of a wooden crucifix, this is due to history. Jesus was crucified on a low hill with its shape resembling a skull. The hill, called Golgotha ​​in translation - skull), is located outside the city walls of Jerusalem.

A wooden crucifix is ​​a symbol that means a lot for those who profess Christianity, and accompanies believers throughout their lives from baptism to death. This is a symbol of faith, eternal life, an object of worship and a weapon of salvation for Orthodox Christians.

In the house, a wooden crucifix can be mounted above the front door, in any room where it is more convenient to pray. The crucifix in the iconostasis should be located at the top, not necessarily in the center, but above the icons. If possible, a separate crucifix or iconostasis should be positioned in such a way that the gaze of the one offering the prayer is turned to the east.

But today the requirements are not as strict as in ancient times. When the crucifix was the main central place in every home, and when building a house, this was certainly taken into account.

A wooden crucifix in the house brings non-evening light to believers, brings salvation and reminds that in atonement for original sin, Jesus Christ embraces with love everyone who believes in him.

Missionary prayers, or how to pray for non-Orthodox?

From the translator

“Your grief over the unbelief of some people betrays your love for God…. pray for them. And you will become a missionary. Let your first missionary rule be prayer for those who have fallen from the faith,” St. Nicholas (Velimirović) advised in one of his letters.

In the 1930s, he published the magazine “Mali Missionar” in his diocese, in which he published a collection of special prayers he had prepared - for people who had lost their faith, for atheists, Jews, Muslims and many others. In your hands is the first edition of the collection in Russian. This work shows well not only the missionary thinking of St. Nicholas, but also his view of non-Christian worldviews, pagan peoples, politics, raising children, mental illness, and even the events of Russian history of the 20th century.

“The Missionary’s Prayers” was written in modern Serbian, without archaisms, and therefore was translated into Russian, and not into Church Slavonic.

According to established church practice, petitions for non-Orthodox people are permissible only in the private, cell prayers of a believer.

All prayers of St. Nicholas are dedicated to the conversion of those non-Orthodox who are still alive. He has no prayers for those who died outside the Church, but the saints allowed them to pray for such in private with the hope of alleviating their suffering, as evidenced by the life of St. Macarius the Great. Since God definitely says that “anyone who is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5), and that “he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12), then the opinion that even without conscious unity with the Orthodox Church and without sincere faith in Christ a person can achieve heaven is contrary to the truth. According to St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) “whoever recognizes the possibility of salvation without faith in Christ renounces Christ and, perhaps, unwittingly falls into the grave sin of blasphemy.”

Let us quote here the words of St. Joseph of Optina on prayer for non-Orthodox:

“Our Orthodox Church allows us to pray... for heretics and schismatics, so that they turn to the Orthodox faith before the end of their lives... To pray for non-Orthodox Christians with church-public prayer, on an equal basis with Orthodox Christians, that is, to remember their names in churches in the same way as the names of Orthodox Christians are mentioned, contrary to the teachings and decrees of our One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. That's what we say, that's what we do. And this is not at all out of hatred for non-believing Christians and not because we do not wish them well, but because our unauthorized or unauthorized prayer for them will be displeasing to God and useless for their souls, and will turn into sin for those praying for them...

Orthodox Christians can pray for non-Orthodox Christians - living and dead - through private prayer at home; but not to pray arbitrarily - not as we please - (so as not to incur the wrath of God instead of favor), but according to the instructions of people experienced in spiritual life...

He can, for example, pray in the following sense: “Have mercy, Lord, if possible, on the soul of Your servant (name), who has departed into eternal life in apostasy from Your Holy Orthodox Church! Your destinies are unsearchable. Do not make this my prayer a sin for me. But Thy Holy will be done!”

We do not know, and it is not open to anyone, how much benefit such a prayer can bring to the soul of a deceased unfaithful Christian. But experience has proven that it moderates the burning heartfelt grief of the prayer book for the soul of a person close to him, although he died not in Orthodoxy.”

Prayer for children

All-merciful Lord Jesus Christ, Who Himself was a child and Who loves and blesses children, have mercy and save the children of our time - so that the unbaptized may be baptized, and the baptized may be confirmed in faith in You, the eternal Truth, and in love for You, Who is ineffable Love.

Save, Lord, those children whom unbelieving parents poison with atheism and turn away from You, the only Savior.

Save, O All-Merciful One, also those children whom evil teachers, without God and soul, alienate from You, their Creator, and make them like puppies.

Save, Lord, those children whose pure souls are polluted by all sorts of immorality on the street and in the theater - save them from the uncleanness of the streets and spectacles.

Save, O All-Merciful One, those children who, having lost their parents, fell into the hands of harsh guardians or evil stepfathers or stepmothers - save them from hearing blasphemous speeches and from seeing evil deeds.

Save, O Son of God, the sons of the sons of men, who are dragged here and there for various physical training and activities, but are not given the main occupation - [growing] in Your holy law, in right thoughts, in mercy and in all deeds of goodness and truth.

So that, through the prayers of Your servant Saint Stylian, the children of this age will grow up and be ripe for the sonship of Borgia and heavenly citizenship, for their eternal salvation, and for Your glory and thanksgiving. Amen.

Prayer for rulers of nations

All nations are Your verbal flocks, the Word of God. They are Your property, and You alone know best how to manage them.

Everyone knows better how to manage his own property than someone else's. The rulers of the nations of the earth manage the property of others, for they manage what is Yours.

Give understanding, O Lord, to the rulers of the nations of the earth, so that they may rule according to Your holy will;

- to lead the nations along the path that You have indicated;

- to turn them away from what is evil before You;

- to take care of them with fear, realizing the greatest good is that You entrusted this to them. Power is a great temptation, and there are few who can withstand it. Only those who realize that they are Thy servants, [standing] at Thy footstool, endure.

There are many people who abuse their power over nature. There are also many who abuse power over their peers.

Every person is weak, Lord, and is ready to give in to selfishness and pride. And pride destroyed many angels, not to mention people.

For the sake of Thy love and Thy people, O Creator, fill the rulers of the people with the fear of Thy judgment. And for their sake and their salvation, do not be angry, Lord, but support them with Your Spirit of power, wisdom and holiness. So that they may save their souls by helping to save Your peoples, looking to You day and night as a Ruler over rulers. Through the prayers of Saint Alexander Nevsky, Saint Stephen of Devon and other righteous servants of Yours who were in power, have mercy, O All-Merciful One, and hear our prayer. Amen.

Prayer for the mentally ill

Eternal and incomprehensible Mind, Who sowed seeds from His mind in angels and people, Who with His thoughts embraces the entire created world and provides good wisdom for every creature, hear our prayer for our mentally ill brothers.

Doesn't a man without a mind become a handful of dust, which he carries here and there, without meaning and without purpose, without distinguishing good from evil and living from dead?

You are righteous, O highest God, and in truth you allow torment on people for their unrepentant sins. But in truth You will judge at Your Last Judgment, and now have mercy on those whose mental suffering the sons of perdition, who are at enmity against You and people, rejoice most of all.

Since every year the number of people who boast of their intelligence, covering Your name with contempt, increases, the number of those who, having lost their reason, fill up the asylums of the insane increases.

You give intelligence so that people know that intelligence is from You. You take away the mind so that people can see that the mind is Yours. Great Giver of gifts, show Your mercy to the maddened, and for the sake of the terrible sacrifice of Your Son on the cross for the entire human race, restore the minds of the insane, and through this lead them and their relatives to repentance. So that they would more appreciate and cherish the wonderful gift of the mind with which You have adorned people and elevated them above every other creation in the world.

Through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, Saint Niphon and Saint Naum, have mercy and save, O Lord, our mentally ill brothers, so that they too may glorify You as the triune eternal light, together with every intelligent creation in heaven and on earth, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for those who do not venerate saints 1

We pray to You for those fellow tribesmen and companions of ours who refuse to honor the memory of Your saints and who, without fear of You and without shame before their Orthodox ancestors, declare to the whole world that they do not honor Your saints.

Will not the King turn his face away from the one who turns his face away from the king’s children? Will the Tsar really honor one who does not honor the royal children? Lord, our fathers glorified with prayers, alms and songs those of Your sons and daughters from the human race who completely fulfilled Your will on earth, and whom You glorified for this in heaven. And it pleased You to be glorified by our fathers, and therefore Your saints, by Your power and mercy, were protectors and helpers of our fathers throughout the centuries. But now you see, O King of Saints, how some of their descendants turn away from their age-old protectors and helpers, and rely only on their insignificance, like the godless who rely on their weak idols. Turning away from Your saints, they also turn away from You, great and terrible God, and all this is due to their pride and stupid ignorance.

You said, O Christ, to your first saints: “he who receives you receives me” (Matthew 10:40). And whoever does not accept the saints of God into his soul and into his home does not accept God either.

But, through the prayers of all Your saints, Lord, overshadow with Your Spirit all these who have fallen from Your holiness and are carried away by the spirit of malice onto the path of destruction.

And make it possible, O All-Powerful One, that Your saints may again become dear to them, as they were dear to them in childhood. Make it possible for the praise of Your glorious saints to sound again in their souls and homes. So that all veneration of the saints may be for Your glory, eternal God, and for our salvation in Your heavenly kingdom forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for atheists (atheists)

Every existence, O God, testifies to Your existence more clearly than a clock about a watchmaker, and a city about city planners, and a song about a singer, and a word about language and reason. You are clearer than the sun, O omnipotent Lord our God, but the atheists do not know about You; and even more bitter: in the malice of their hearts they do not even want to know about You. They buried their heads in the ground like an ostrich in the sand, and shouted: we don’t see Him, we don’t know Him, He doesn’t exist! I spoke to them words about You, the creator of words and speech, and they laughed. I showed them mercy in Your name, but they were angry. I reminded them of the words of the prophet: “The ox knows its owner” (Is. 1:3), how is it that you people do not know your Lord? - and they answered: There is no Lord!

A river, cut off from its source, dries up. The hearts of the atheists have dried up, their minds have dried up, they have gone mad. Fear gripped me that my neighbors who live next to me will drown in hell.

O Source of life, tell me, Thy servant, how can such death make a nest in the living human soul?

O eternal Sun of truth and truth, how can such darkness fall on the human mind that it cannot recognize and understand the beginning and ending word of all beings in the world? Isn’t it so, Lord, this [happened]: sin after sin, like thread after thread, until a thick veil was sewn together, which hid You for them?

But do not allow, Lord, for the king of darkness to completely take possession of Your creations; roar with Your power and shine with Your rays, so that those who have fallen asleep and intoxicated by hell will awaken! Do what only You know and can, so that my neighbors, the most unfortunate of all Your creations, will repent.

For my neighbors will be beautiful when they repent and come to know You through the prayers of Your holy servant Moses Murin, when, like the prodigal sons, they turn from the company of pigs to the company of angels.

Oh, how sonorous and harmonious the song of Your glory will be when all Your repentant sons sing it together with the believers [on earth] and the army of angels in heaven, which day and night glorifies and magnifies the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the only living God. Amen.

Prayer for the Jews

God, You carry out everything that You think or say in Yourself, You carried out the threat of the Jews, and according to Your word You left their house empty, and scattered them [themselves] among all the nations of the earth. For their fathers, like evil winegrowers, beat up Your prophets, crucified Your only begotten Son on the cross, stoned the apostles, and put to death many saints and righteous people with a bitter death.

And to this day they, like sons of disobedience, walk through the world, as if [driven] by the whip of a curse, opposing the Gospel of the Messiah and Savior of the world - everything as Your great Apostle Paul predicted about them.

By their opposition to the Truth they serve to strengthen the jealousy of Thy faithful, O Christ, which they [themselves] have not yet been given the opportunity to see. But, Lord, now fulfill the word of Your apostle, Who prophesied that in the last times the scales would fall from the eyes of Israel and You would turn away wickedness from Jacob (see: Rom. 11:25).

Has not the time come when You will remove the veil from the eyes of the children of Israel, and they will receive their sight and begin to see as they should, and will recognize You as the Light of lights and the Judge of the righteous?

Remember, Lord, the righteousness of those of their fathers who were faithful to You, foreseeing in spirit Your coming and dying with the hope of seeing Your face!

Through the prayers of Your holy prophets and the righteous of the Old Testament, hasten, O Lord, the enlightenment and conversion of the people of Jacob, so that this people, having become friends with the baptized peoples, glorify You, the only true Messiah and Savior of the world, risen and raising the dead, with the Father and Your Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for Muslims

You are one God, and there is no other God besides You. That's what we Christians say, and that's what Muslims say too.

But the Muslims reached halfway and closed the gates in front of them. They closed the gates to the holy truth that You, God, are trinity in the unity of Your spiritual existence. And they closed the gates before the testimony of Your visit to the world through Your incarnate Wisdom, as well as before the testimony of Your love for people, shown on the cross.

As far as the month is high above the earth, Islam is higher than idolatry. But the month does not have light in itself, but shines with the reflected light of the sun, so Islam, in that which has light [in itself], borrowed from the truth revealed to the world by Your Son Jesus Christ.

You wanted. God, in Your goodness, so that man would not be a slave, but a son of You, and so that he, like a son, would learn the divine secrets of Your being and Your love. The Islamic “prophet” turned the slaves of stone idols into slaves of the one God, and Your Son Jesus made the slaves Your sons.

Our Three-Bright God, have mercy on all the Mohammedan peoples, for they too believe in Your mercy. They lived long enough as slaves before You; now make them Your sons.

Move them with Your Holy Spirit, that they may know and see their Savior in Christ. Open the gates that are closed halfway, so that they can see heaven opened by Christ and their heavenly Father in heaven.

So that many millions of Muslim souls with many millions of Christian souls unite in the thought of You, in love for You and in glorifying You, the only living God in the Trinity light, through the prayers of all the saints who [from ancient times and] to this day have passed from Islam to Christianity , and who now glorify You in heaven in the choir of Your angels and saints. Amen.

Prayer for Parsis (Zoroastrians)

Lord, You are the Sun of truth, You are the consuming fire, You are the eternal intelligent light and are clothed in light as in a robe. You are the light that does not burn or go out, in which there is no change, and You are the Father of the faithful true light.

But, Lord, Giver of Light, the descendants of the luminous Adam fell into darkness and darkened their eyes, so that they could not see beyond the created sun and natural fire. And, since they did not see You, the Creator of fire, they began to call created fire their god.

Fire is not to blame for this. Fire doesn’t even know that some people deify it. The fire does not see its fans and does not hear their prayers. Fire does not know that it is created, much less that it is [supposedly] a creator. He doesn’t know when it will be lit or when it will be extinguished. He knows nothing, does not see, does not hear, does not feel, does not think. And yet the Parsis worship him as a god; intelligent people consider fire more intelligent than themselves!

And You, the All-Seeing and Long-suffering One, have seen this throughout the centuries!

Put an end to such humiliation of the descendants of Adam, our brothers in Adam. You, Christ, who saved Adam from hell, hasten and save his fire-worshipping descendants before they descend into hell. So that the Parsis may know You, the Light of light, the Light of reason, love and life - through the prayers of Your martyr, your companion Jacob the Persian. So that they too, having entered the family of Christian nations, glorify and thank You forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Russian people 2

All-wise God, Whose judgments are incomprehensible and ways inscrutable, mercifully hear and hear our prayer for Your Russian Orthodox people.

Thou hast allowed grievous torment to fall on Thy most faithful servant, just as the torment was allowed to fall on Thy first apostles, on the prophets and the righteous. All naked and wounded, Your servant was thrown to rot, like the once righteous Job, so that Satan would laugh at him and his neighbors would revile him. This torment is severe, and man is weak; God bless you! Raise up Your servant and heal his wounds.

We know, O Lord our God, that in Your wise providence You allow suffering to befall Your chosen ones, so that they, like gold in fire, may be purified by the fire of suffering from [everything] earthly and shine brightly. But do not allow, God of mercy and love, that Satan laugh for a long time, and the hypocrites revile Your crusading Russian people for a long time.

We know that you allow troubles to the holiest souls for the sake of their greater glory, and to sinners and vile ones - for fear and trembling. We know, Christ, that Your glorious resurrection took place after reproach, torment on the cross and death. Therefore, in the light of Your suffering, we look at the darkness of Russian suffering and expect [to see] its resurrected glory.

Just as for the paralytic Bethesda there was no person who could help him until You came, so now for the great Russian people in the whole world there is no person who could help them without You, our God and our Savior.

Good Lord, do not delay Your help, for You are quick to help. Do not put it off and do not refuse, but like the merciful Samaritan, turn to the Russian people, who suffered from robbers and were beaten all over, stretch out your hand to them, heal their wounds, and return them health, strength and glory. So that this most faithful servant of Yours may glorify You even more in the future than He glorified You in the past - You, His Savior with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Chinese people

All-seeing God, Sun of suns, Who with Your gaze embraces everything created in heaven and on earth, You alone know the number of the angelic army, as well as the number of ants in the sand, birds in the air and fish in the water - we pray to You, pour out Your mercy on the Chinese people, the most populous of Your people on earth.

Lord, You gave the Chinese people great wisdom in life, so that they knew how to cultivate the land, conduct trade, obey authorities, honor their parents, take care of their home and love order in everything.

But this wisdom leads a person only to the grave, which is not far from every mortal.

The Chinese people lack that eternal Wisdom of Yours, O Lord, which was embodied on earth in Your Only Begotten Son, which leads the soul beyond the grave and introduces it into the Kingdom of Heaven.

O good Creator, Boundless Love, how can Your love have a limit without spreading to many millions of Your great Chinese people? No, not at all! But You, by Your miraculous providence, have determined the time in which the Chinese people will come and worship the cross of Christ and receive into themselves the most pure blood of Christ and the power of Your Holy Spirit.

Hasten the onset of this time, Most merciful. Help the missionaries of the cross and resurrection in the land of China. Open the gates of Your grace for China in spite of our sins. So that the land of the yellow people may resound with songs and exclamations from countless lips: “Thy Nativity, O Christ our God” and “Christ is risen from the dead”! Most Holy Trinity, do this according to the prayers of all the apostles and evangelists. Let it be so. Amen.

Prayer for the Japanese people

Eternal God and Creator of the heavenly and earthly peoples, who give life to everything by Your will and embrace everything with Your mercy, open the soul of Your Japanese people, so that they may receive the Good News of Your Son and our Lord Jesus Christ.

A great and powerful people, a people of strong will and ready to sacrifice, like few other nations. Why do such people remain ignorant of the Truth even nineteen centuries after the star shone over Bethlehem and the angelic song sounded over the manger of Your Son, the Herald and Incarnator of the eternal and holy Truth?

Your Japan, Lord, already knows about the existence of the spiritual world; knows about the spirits of his ancestors; but does not know about You, who is the God of spirits and all flesh. They erect temples to their ancestors, but they do not erect sanctuaries to You, the Creator of their ancestors. They make sacrifices to creatures, and do not offer them to the Creator.

Our soul grieves, O Christ, that such a people do not yet know the gospel of Your visit to the human race; does not know about Your sacrifice, about Your love and about Your resurrection. In the land of the “rising sun,” the sun has not yet risen. Thou Who turned Saul into Paul by Thy one appearance on the way to Damascus, turn the land of the “rising Sun” into the land of the rising Sun by Thy miraculous power, which is most abundant from eternity.

We confess and acknowledge, Lord, that the land of Japan has not yet been baptized because of our sins. The great sins of Christians have blocked and are blocking the path of Your great Japanese people into the kingdom of Your light and life.

But through the prayers of Saints Cyril and Methodius, hasten, O Christ, and save the Japanese people, for whom You remain to this day an unknown Provider and Giver. May the nation's praise of the one, living, omnipotent, trinity in unity, forever and ever, be heard in the land of Japan. Amen.

Applications

Prayer to the Mother of God for the conversion of the lost saint. Gabriel Novgorodsky 3

Oh, All-Merciful Lady, Virgin and Lady Theotokos, Queen of Heaven! By Your Nativity You saved the human race from the eternal torment of the devil: for from You Christ was born, our Savior. Look with Your mercy on this (name), deprived of God’s mercy and grace, intercede with Your Mother’s boldness and Your prayers from Your Son, Christ our God, so that He may send down His grace from above on this perishing one. O Most Blessed One! You are the hope of the unreliable, You are the salvation of the desperate, may the enemy not rejoice over his soul!

Prayer to St. Serapion Kozheozersky about the conversion of unbelieving loved ones

O most wonderful and glorious, our Father Serapion! Having rejected the evil faith of your parents, and being jealous of the love of Christ, you have taken up the feats of repentance, labor and abstinence, for this sake you have appeared as a vessel of Divine grace: glorified by the Father, disgraced by Christ, sanctified by the Holy Spirit; In the same way, we cry out to you: ask us from the Lord for the correction of our hearts, so that we can learn to do the will of the Most High God and love the Kingdom of Heaven more than earthly goods, and may our neighbors and relatives in the flesh, through your prayerful intercession, lead the all-merciful Lord out of the darkness of pernicious delusion, may he enlighten with the light of the true faith, may he be considered holy by His Church, may he guide him on the path of righteousness; to Him be due honor and worship to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.

Prayer to the holy martyr. Andronika Nikolsky 4

Lord, soften the hearts of all people, especially those who believe and believe in You; You yourself enlighten our mental eyes of the heart, let us comprehend Your power, the sweetness of communication with You and the heights of prayer to You; let everyone sincerely try to come to Your temple to pray to You, and whoever really has no time, let him, at least at home, sincerely regret that he is not with others before You; and so sincerely sigh before You, asking for Your grace.

And those who, through the action of Satan, have weakened in faith or even fallen away, by Your wise means for the purpose, direct them again to Your flock, put, by the force of the circumstances of their life, into their hearts sincere repentance and bold, albeit humble, prayer before You with sincere desire return to You; Lord, this is Your business, and we are only Your servants, unworthy workers in Your field. Act through us, as the real ruler of this matter, and give us Your grace, enlightening, making us wise, rousing us to Your work; Grant sincerity to every deed and word of ours first of all, and then fertilize it with Your grace, so that Your power will be clear to everyone, both faithful and unfaithful, and may they sincerely confess Your holy name.

Prayer for the missionaries of St. Makaria (Glukhareva) 5

Lord, grant to Your servants to speak Your Word with all boldness; stretch out Your hand to heal and to perform signs and wonders in the Name of Your Holy Son Jesus.

Another prayer

God! Enlighten the lost (names), convert them to Thy holy Church and save them by Thy omnipotent Grace! Keep us in Orthodoxy and the true faith, for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Literally: “about those who deny the red glory” - a pious Serbian custom of family name days on the day of remembrance of the patron saint of the family. This refers to non-church or liberal-minded people who consider church customs outdated.

The prayer was written in the 1930s, when Russia was ruled by communists, persecutors of faith.

This and the following prayers are taken from Tsinga: priest Daniil Sysoev. Marriage to a Muslim. M., 2007. Ps. 230–231.

The prayer is taken from the book: Hieromartyr Andronik (Nikolsky). A year in Japan //Creations. book 1. Tver, 2004. P. 313.

Taken from: Thoughts on ways to successfully spread the Christian faith among Jews, Mohammedans and pagans in the Russian state. Archimandrite Macarius Glukharev. St. Petersburg, 1894.

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In this section we publish aphorisms of 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 clear waters, and the sky is reflected 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, 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 the highest good, and truth is the foundation 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 the worst person 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 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 a person.

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 man.

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 will 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 cherishes 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.

Lord Nicholas (Velimirović) - this name appears on the literary works of St. Nicholas of Serbia, Bishop of Ohrid and Žić, theologian, philosopher, organizer of the popular so-called “pagan” movement, honorary doctor of several world universities, close to us, Russians, already in that he marked the beginning of the glorification of the martyr Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Hitherto unknown to the Russian reader, Vladyka Nikolai is the largest figure in Serbian spiritual literature of the 20th century. And not only the twentieth. Not since the time of Saint Sava has there been such an inspired and profound preacher and spiritual author among the Serbian people.

It is worth remembering that from its very first steps Russian literature was connected with Serbian literature: from there it drew its first literary techniques, canons, and metaphors. From there, from the region where the preaching of Cyril and Methodius was heard live and where they left their book school, the first lists of liturgical and theological texts came to us, and to this day, sorting through the ancient manuscripts of our libraries, we now and then come across the note: “ Serbian letter". In the Serbian edition, we received not only Serbian literary monuments themselves, but also many Byzantine literary monuments. Later, during the period of the Turkish yoke that fell on Serbia, the reverse process took place: the Serbs went to Russia for books, asked to send our teachers to them... The Serbs at the beginning of the 18th century were forced to turn to Russia for the liturgical texts themselves: and to this day the Liturgy in most Serbian churches it is performed in Church Slavonic in the Russian edition...

Nikolaj Velimirović, born in 1881, five centuries after the Battle of Kosovo, seemed to be called upon to show the world that the Christian literary tradition in Serbia is miraculously alive, resurrected, and resurrected fully and fruitfully: the literary heritage of Vladyka Nikolai, a world-famous theologian, includes 15 voluminous volumes containing the most diverse works in genre, among which are the pearls of world Orthodox literature. The appearance of another theological star on the Serbian horizon - Archimandrite Justin Popovich - only confirmed such a significant renewal of tradition.

Nikola Velimirović was one of nine children in the family of a Serbian peasant from the small mountain village of Lelic. His father, Dragomir, was famous among his fellow villagers for his literacy; he instilled a love of writing and his son. Nikola’s mother, Katerina (later nun Catherine), from an early age took her son to the nearby monastery Chelie (Kelia) for services and to receive Communion. When the boy grew up, his parents sent him to school at this monastery, after which his father was advised to send Nikola for further education, and he sent his son to a gymnasium in the city of Valjevo in Central Serbia. After high school, the young man entered the Belgrade Theology (that is, seminary), where he was immediately noticed as a gifted student. Soon Nikola already knew well the works of the great Serbian spiritual writer Vladika Petr Njegosh, was familiar with the works of Dostoevsky, Pushkin, Shakespeare, Dante and other European classics, as well as with the philosophy of the Far East.

After graduating from the seminary, Nikola was appointed as a rural teacher. At the same time, he helped the local priest, walking with him around the surrounding villages. The first publications of the young author in the Christian Messenger and other church and secular publications date back to this period. Soon he received a scholarship from the Minister of Education to continue his studies in Switzerland, at the Berne Old Catholic Faculty. There Nikola learned the German language well and studied diligently, listening to lectures on theology and philosophy, in addition to his own, at several other faculties in Switzerland and Germany. The topic of his doctorate is “Faith in the Resurrection of Christ as the main dogma of the Apostolic Church.”

After graduating from the Berne Faculty, he goes to England, quickly masters the English language and graduates from the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford. He defended his second doctorate - “Philosophy of Berkeley” - in France in French.

Returning to Belgrade and starting to teach foreign languages ​​at the Belgrade Seminary, Nikola suddenly becomes seriously ill. In the hospital, he makes a vow to devote himself entirely to serving God, the Serbian Church and his people if he recovers. Soon miraculously healed, Nikola immediately went to the Rakovica monastery near Belgrade, where he took monastic vows with the name Nikolai.

In 1910, Hieromonk Nikolai went to study in Russia, at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. When admitted to the Academy, he did not even mention the Western European faculties he had completed, but simply acted like yesterday’s seminarian. The modest student regularly attended lectures and remained unnoticed by his comrades until one academic spiritual and literary evening, when he literally amazed both students and teachers with his knowledge and preaching gift, and especially Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky) of St. Petersburg, who obtained free money for him from the Russian Government. travel throughout Russia. This pilgrimage to Russian shrines deeply inspired Father Nicholas and revealed a lot to him. Since then, no country in the world has been remembered by them with such warmth and heartfelt love as Russia.

Returning from Russia, Father Nikolai published his literary works, the first of which were: “Conversations under the Mountain”, “Over Sin and Death”, “The Religion of Njegos”...

The First World War begins, and the Serbian Government sends Father Nicholas, by that time already a well-known spiritual author and preacher, to England and America to explain to the public of these countries what Orthodox Serbia is fighting for. For four whole years, from 1915 to 1919, Father Nikolai spoke in churches, universities, colleges, in a variety of halls and meetings, telling why the Serbian people, divided into several parts by their enemies, are fighting so decisively for the unity of their once great homeland. The commander of the British troops subsequently stated that “Father Nicholas was the third army,” fighting for the Serbian and Yugoslav idea.

It is noteworthy that, knowing perfectly well the European philosophy and science of his time, Vladyka Nicholas prophetically predicted the Second World War at the beginning of 1920 and described in detail the weapons and methods that would be used by “civilized Europe” in it. He believed that the cause of the war was the removal of European man from God. The Bishop dubbed the godless culture of his time the “White Plague”... In 1920, Hieromonk Nicholas was ordained Bishop of Ohrid. In Ohrid, the ancient city of Macedonia, located near Lake Ohrid, one of the most beautiful in the world, he created a whole cycle of literary works: “Prayers on the Lake”, “Words about the All-Man”, “Ohrid Prologue”, “Omilia” and others.

Vladyka traveled around the diocese every day, preaching and teaching the people, restoring churches and monasteries destroyed by the war, and founding homes for orphans. Foreseeing the danger of sectarian propaganda, which was already gaining strength at that time, the Bishop organized the Orthodox people's movement (also called “pious”), which was composed of people who responded to the call of their Master and were ready to daily and firmly confess Christ the Lord with their pious life.

The Orthodox popular movement, which spread through the zeal of Vladyka Nicholas throughout Serbia, can be called a popular religious awakening, which led to the revival of monasticism, renewed faith in the simple, often illiterate people, and strengthened the Serbian Orthodox Church.

In 1934, Bishop Nicholas was transferred to the Zhich diocese. The ancient Žiča monastery required restoration and comprehensive renovation, like many other monasteries in that region, located in the very heart of Serbia. Vladyka Nikolai put his efforts into this, and soon the Zhichi shrines shone with their former light, the one with which they shone, perhaps, even before the Turkish invasion.

The Second World War began, when Serbia - for the umpteenth time! - shared the same fate with Russia, as a Slavic and Orthodox country. Hitler, having found reliable allies in the Croats, rightfully considered the Serbs to be his ardent opponents. He personally ordered his commander of the Southern Front to weaken the Serbian people: “Destroy the Serbian intelligentsia, behead the top of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and first of all, Patriarch Dozic, Metropolitan Zimonich and Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich of Zic...”

So Vladyka Nicholas, together with the Serbian Patriarch Gabriel, ended up in the notorious Dachau concentration camp in Germany - the only ones of all European church officials of such rank taken into custody!

They were liberated on May 8, 1945 by the allied 36th American Division. Vladyka Nikolai left the camp with a finished book - “Through Prison Bars”, in which he called on Orthodox people to repentance and reflect on why the Lord allowed such a terrible disaster to befall them.

Having learned that the atheistic, anti-Orthodox regime of Joseph Broz (Tito) had come to power in Yugoslavia by force, Vladyka remained in exile: having wandered around Europe for a long time, he lived first in England, then in America. There he continued his missionary and literary activities and created such pearls as “The Harvests of the Lord”, “The Unreachable Country”, “The Only Lover of Humanity”, from there he sent generous material assistance to Serbian churches and monasteries.

The last days of Vladyka Nicholas passed in the Russian monastery of St. Tikhon in Pennsylvania. On March 18, 1956, Vladyka peacefully departed to the Lord. Death found him praying.

From the Russian monastery, the Vladyka’s body was transferred to the Serbian monastery of St. Sava in Libertyville and buried with great honors in the monastery cemetery. There could be no talk of transferring the relics of Vladyka Nicholas to his homeland at that time: Tito’s regime declared him a traitor and enemy of the people. The Communists publicly called the prisoner of Dachau, Vladyka Nicholas, “an employee of the occupiers”, belittled and vilified his literary works in every possible way, completely banning their publication.

Only in 1991, freed from the dictatorship of communism, Serbia regained its shrine - the relics of St. Nicholas of Serbia. The transfer of the relics of the Lord resulted in a national holiday. They now rest in his native village of Lelic. The church where they are kept becomes a place of increasingly crowded pilgrimage every year.

Troparion to Saint Nicholas of Serbia. Voice 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 Heavenly Serbia, may the prayers of the One Lover of Man grant peace and unity to our family.

"Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate". 1999. No. 7 (abbreviated) Reprinted from the website of the Mgar Monastery.

Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Nikolaj Velimirović) is the Bishop of Ohrid and Žić, a prominent theologian and religious philosopher.

Saint Nicholas was born in the village of Lelic, near the Serbian town of Valjevo, on January 5, 1881, according to the new style. After graduating from theological and pedagogical school, he taught for some time. In 1904 he left to continue his education in Switzerland and England. He defended his doctorate in philosophy and theology in Bern. In 1909 he took monastic vows at the Rakovica monastery near Belgrade. For several years he taught philosophy, psychology, logic, history and foreign languages ​​at the Belgrade Theological Academy.

During the First World War, he gave lectures in America and England, the proceeds of which went to help his compatriots, thereby supporting his homeland. In 1919 he was consecrated Bishop of Zich, and in 1920 - of Ohrid, where he served until 1934. Then he returned to Zhicha, where he remained until 1941. At the beginning of World War II, together with Patriarch Gabriel, he was imprisoned by the Germans in the Rakovica monastery, then transferred to Vojlica and finally to the Dachau concentration camp. Survived terrible torment. But the Lord preserved him and after his release, Nikolai Velimirovich moved to America, where he was engaged in educational and theological activities.

He reposed in the Lord on March 18, 1956 in Pennsylvania. He was buried in Libertsville. In 1991, on May 12, his holy relics were transferred to his native Lelic.

Books (6)

Biblical themes

In the book offered to the reader, Saint Nicholas collected his thoughts and pastoral instructions to Christians, based on those thoughts and images that we find in the Bible, both in its Old and New Testaments.

He conveys the truths of spiritual life to everyone in simple and understandable examples, thereby teaching us to see and hear God in the most ordinary objects around us, the actions of people, and events. It turns out that a Christian can receive spiritual benefits from reading newspapers - if at the same time he constantly turns mentally to the Holy Scriptures and wonders about the meaning of what is described from the point of view of God's Providence.

I believe. Faith of educated people

The title of this small book by the outstanding Serbian archpastor and theologian St. Nicholas (Velimirović; 1881-1956) may surprise some: “The Faith of Educated People.”

However, in reality, by giving such a name to his work, which is a living and patristicly inspired explanation of the Orthodox Creed, the author wanted to bring to the reader’s consciousness one very important idea. A truly educated person, in his opinion, is not one who is rich in knowledge, but who is “educated internally, with all his heart, with all his being, who is conformed to the image of God, who is Christ-like, transformed, renewed, burned.” Therefore, without a doubt, we can say that the faith of Orthodox Christians is in fact the faith of educated people.

Indian letters

“Indian Letters” of St. Nicholas of Serbia is another pearl from the rich literary heritage left by this wonderful church writer of the last century, with whom the Russian reader is becoming acquainted today.

The genre chosen in this case by the saint is very original. This is an amazingly deep, heartfelt correspondence in which his heroes, very different people, take part: Indian Brahmins and Kshatriyas, Serbian scientists, Muslim Arabs, a Holy Mountain monk. They are united by one thing - love for each other and a sincere desire to find the truth in God, save their soul, and serve the salvation of their neighbors. Both the circumstances of their lives, and the events taking place in it, reflected in the letters, all testify that it is possible to find both the sought-after truth and salvation only in Christ. And the other paths all lead to nowhere, to some kind of terrible dead end, from which it is no longer possible to get out of it on your own.

Prayers on the lake

In the book “Prayers by the Lake,” Bishop Nikolai reveals himself as a theologian, as a poet, and as a preacher.

“Prayers by the Lake” are a hundred psalms sung by a man of the twentieth century - an ideological, technocratic century, disfigured by wars - and how virginally pure these psalms are! The ability of the Slavic soul to feel the corruption of everything worldly and at the same time to discover God in all nature, to see His harmony everywhere, to look at the Creator through His creation - makes St. Nicholas of Serbia similar to many Russian theologians and writers. Researchers rightly liken the poetic language of “Prayers by the Lake”, the ability to express all one’s feelings through prayer, to the works of St. Simeon the New Theologian.

The future saint was born on December 23, 1880 into a peasant family in the very center of Serbia, in the village of Lelic. 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. He spent his early childhood in his parents' house. 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. While studying at the gymnasium, 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 graduating from 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. 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.

Soon, by decision of the church authorities, Nikola Velimirović became one of the state scholarship recipients and was sent to study abroad. This is how he ended up at the Old Catholic Faculty of Theology 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 year 1909 at Oxford, where he prepared a dissertation on Berkeley's philosophy, which he then defended in French in Geneva.

In the fall of 1909, Nikola returned to her homeland, where she became seriously ill. He spends six weeks in the hospital chambers, during which 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 Nicholas, and on December 20, 1909, he 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. 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 were devoted to various moral aspects of people's life. The unusual and original oratorical style of Father Nikolai especially attracted the Serbian intelligentsia.

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 briefly took 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 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.

On March 25, 1919, Hieromonk Nikolai 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.

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, tidies up cemeteries and 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. It can be said 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. A special subject of concern for the bishop was the state of church life of the local Serbian community. On September 21 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.

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 which, unfortunately, were destroyed 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 to 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 Gabriel of Serbia were sent from Voilovitsa to the Dachau concentration camp, 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 spoken and written word. The saint's works were read and reproduced, retold and remembered for a long time.

Despite his deteriorating health, Vladyka Nikolai 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 in English. 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. He wrote a lot, wrote constantly and on various issues. 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, should under no circumstances be 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 annually notified him of 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 in the morning on Sunday, 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 a large number of 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.