St Euthymius the Great. The Desert Sun.

St Euthymius the Great

Commemorated on January 20

Saint Nikolai Velimirovič

REFLECTION

As much as the saints were so compassionate and lenient toward human weakness, so were they terribly unyielding and unbending in regard to the confession of the true dogmas of the Faith. Thus, St. Nicholas of Myra in Lycia struck Arius with his fist at the First Ecumenical Council [Nicaea, 325 A.D.]. St. Anthony left his desert to come to Alexandria to publicly unmask Arius. St. Euthymius, being greatly pressured by the Empress Eudocia and the pseudo-Patriarch Theodosius and being unable to debate rationally with them, left the monastery and hid in the desert. All other distinguished monks followed his example. Euthymius remained in the desert until the pseudo-patriarch was ousted and Orthodoxy strengthened.

The Theophany of Our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, St. Nikolai Velimirovic

“This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.”( Matthew 3:16-17)

Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.

The Theophany of Our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 6

St. Nikolai Velimirovic

When our Lord reached thirty years from His physical birth, He began His teaching and salvific work. He Himself signified this “beginning of the beginning” by His Baptism in the Jordan River. St Cyril of Jerusalem says: “The beginning of the world is water; the beginning of the Gospel is the Jordan.” At the time of the Baptism of the Lord in water, the mystery was declared to the world — the mystery that was prophesied in the Old Testament; the mystery that was known only in fables in ancient Egypt and India — the mystery of the Divine Holy Trinity. The Father was revealed to the sense of hearing, the Spirit was revealed to the sense of sight, and the Son was revealed to the sense of touch.

We have not only to be called Christians, but to be Christians. St. Ignatius of Antioch “Theophorus”

St. Ignatius of Antioch “Theophorus”

“We have not only to be called Christians, but to be Christians.”

-St. Ignatius of Antioch-

Commemorated on December 20 and January 29 (Translation of Relics)

Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer

 Saint Nikolai Velimirovič

This holy man is called “the God-bearer” because he constantly bore the name of the Living God in his heart and on his lips. According to tradition, he was thus named because he was held in the arms of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. On a day when the Lord was teaching His disciples humility, He took a child and placed him among them, saying: Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:4). This child was Ignatius. Later, Ignatius was a disciple of St. John the Theologian, together with Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. As Bishop of Antioch, Ignatius governed the Church of God as a good shepherd and was the first to introduce antiphonal chanting in the Church, in which two choirs alternate the chanting. This manner of chanting was revealed to St. Ignatius by the angels in heaven. When Emperor Trajan was passing through Antioch on his way to do battle with the Persians, he heard of Ignatius, summoned him and counseled him to offer sacrifice to the idols.

ON FALSE TEACHERS By St. Nikolai Velimirovic (+1956).

ON FALSE TEACHERS

By St. Nikolai Velimirovic (+1956).

Man is at war in this world. Continual is the battle and numerous are the enemies. Among the most dangerous enemies belong the false teachers. Only if the mind of man is directed toward the Living God will he be safeguarded from these dangerous enemies.

False teachers are either as blind men or as thieves; first, because of their blindness they lead both themselves and others into destruction and second, because of their hatred and envy they intentionally lead others astray, and hand over both their souls and bodies to the fires of hell.

The Lord Himself prophesied: Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many\ (Mt 24:11). The apostle only confirms the words of his Lord. Both false prophets and false teachers will sow the seed of destruction among the people. These are “damnable heresies” by which some will deny their Lord Who redeemed mankind by His All-pure Holy Blood.

St. Nikolai Velimirovich On the Holy Theophany

By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

When our Lord reached thirty years from His physical birth, He began His teaching and salvific work. He Himself signified this "beginning of the beginning" by His baptism in the Jordan river.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem says, "The beginning of the world - water; the beginning of the Good News - Jordan." At the time of the baptism of the Lord in water, that mystery was declared to the world: that mystery which was prophesied in the Old Testament; the mystery about which in ancient Egypt and India was only fabled; i.e., the mystery of the Divine Holy Trinity.

The Father was revealed to the sense of hearing; the Spirit was revealed to the sense of sight, and in addition to these, the Son was revealed to the sense of touch. The Father uttered His witness about the Son, the Son was baptized in the water, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove hovered above the water.

St. Nikolai Velimirovic - How God can be inside man

St. Nikolai Velimirovic

Letter # - How God can be inside man
To a soldier of a student's brigade who asks how God can be inside man

You asked somebody, "where is God?" And you got an answer that God is inside you. And you marvel at this answer. How can that be?

Kind of like light in a room, or like fire in a stove. When you are able to feel God within you, you will feel and know that He is inside you, but you will not be able to explain it to someone else. But you will look for images in nature and then you will speak to the other person as I speak to you:

St. Nikolai Velimirovic - About the World Crisis

St. Nikolai Velimirovic

Letter # 38 - World Crisis

Answer to a Priest about the World Crisis

You ask me, O man of God, where did today's crisis come from and what does it mean? Who am I to be asked about such a great thing? "You should only speak when what you have to say is better than silence," says St. Gregory the Theologian. And even though I believe that silence would be better right now, I will give you my opinion on it for the sake of my love for you.

Crisis is a Greek word, and it means judgment. In the Holy Scripture this word is used many times. The Psalmist says, "therefore, the godless will not stand up in judgment" (Ps. 1: 5). In another place, it says, "I sing of mercy and judgment" (Ps. 101: 1).