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The significance of the pastoral heritage of St. Nicholas (Velimirović) is now so highly appreciated that his name is placed immediately after St. Sava of Serbia, the spiritual leader of the Serbian people at the beginning of the thirteenth century. Not since the time of St. Sava has there been in Serbia such an inspired and profound preacher, theologian, and spiritual writer.In this book, St. Nicholas has collected his reflections and pastoral instructions to Christians, based on the 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, people's actions, and events. It turns out that a Christian can also derive spiritual benefit from reading newspapers, if he constantly turns his mind to the Holy Scriptures and asks himself about the meaning of what is described from the point of view of God's Providence.In the words of Vladyka Nicholas, the true Orthodox worldview is revealed, so ardently sought by many souls in our time. He answers many burning spiritual questions: about how a Christian should live in the modern world, about conscience, faith and unbelief, about the greatness and mercy of the Creator, about what is His "yoke" and "burden" – service and suffering, according to the interpretation of St. Nicholas. This is what he says: "If a young man were to ask me today how to save my soul, I would answer him without hesitation, 'Take upon yourself the burden of caring for your neighbor!' For every soul that cares for no one but itself is either already lost, or is on the verge of destruction. Where it is not too late, one must save one's soul by caring for one's neighbor." "I have noticed," he writes, "that married people are more religious than lonely people."Vladyka Nicholas well understood the sorrows and worries experienced by people living in the world. Thus, parents will find in this book advice on how to correctly direct the child's thoughts, so that when he looks at God's world, he sees in it the law of the Creator, written both on earth and in heaven. Attentive and caring mother and father can teach such lessons to children literally at every step, including by turning to the pious traditions of the common people. And although a person needs to be educated, to study the exact sciences, the structure of molecules and the laws of motion of celestial bodies, the most important, moral law must be imprinted in his heart first, so that a child, and then an adult, always has support in life – a strong, invincible faith, always be with Christ." And the Lord was amazed," says the Gospel. What can surprise God in this world, to Whom the whole world belongs, Who created it out of nothingness? The Lord marveled at man's faith in one case, and at people's unbelief in another. These are the "two surprises" that Bishop Nicholas noted on the pages of Holy Scripture, this is the power that Christ has given us." Orthodox people, what do you arm yourself with?" asks St. Nicholas. If by material weapons, like the sons of Anak, or like those nations who have fallen away from God and have been forsaken by God, then all your efforts are in vain: your battle is already lost. "But if you arm yourself with gigantic faith, justice, nobility and dignity, if you take as allies God, Who sees all things and can do all things, if you are cleansed from sin and washed from iniquities by repentance and correction, if you are overshadowed by the cross and strengthened by prayer, then your battle is already crowned with victory. The Lord will fight for you and will preserve you in the terrible hour of danger."Thank God, in recent years work has been underway to translate and publish in Russian the books of Bishop Nicholas (Velimirovich). And this publication is our contribution to the cause of Christian enlightenment.

Old Testament

Living in the Light of the Bible

These notes arose in the process of reading newspapers. And such reading can benefit the soul if you look at everything that the newspapers write about every day in the light of the Holy Scriptures of God.Do not use foul language, do not blasphemeThere are no curses or foul words in the Japanese language.Do not mention the name of the Lord your God in vain. The Third Commandment.There is a whole nation that does not distinguish colorsThe inhabitants of one of the islands near Scandinavia do not distinguish any colors except gray, light gray, and dark gray. All visible objects appear gray to them. A medical commission investigated this unusual phenomenon and concluded that the reason for it was that all the inhabitants of the island descended from a single ancestor who did not distinguish colors. The Church teaches that just as by one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death by sin, so death passed on to all men, because in him all sinned. Wherefore, as by one transgression all men are condemned, so by one righteousness all men are justified unto life. For just as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous (Rom. 5:12, 18, 19). Suddenly, the boy regained his sight. When he was asked what was dearest to his eyes, he answered, "The face of my mother." The Fifth Commandment of God.Mysterious Radio StationIt was reported from Russia that a certain mysterious radio station had appeared in the country. Every night, the announcers of this station harshly criticize the current Moscow authorities. The atheists have lost their way in search of the station, but they cannot find it. For twenty years they have become accustomed to being praised and exalted, and have stifled any criticism of their government, and now they are forced to listen to terrible accusations against themselves for hours every night. It is hard for them to hear the truth, but they are not able to stifle it.And in you, man, there is such a mysterious station that sternly denounces your crimes and tells you the unpleasant truth. The name of this station is conscience. The praise and magnification that others shower upon you will not help if the voice of conscience torments and burns you like fire.The mysterious station of human conscience first sounded in Paradise after the fall of Adam. And when the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? He said, "I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid, and I hid myself" (cf. Gen. 3:9-10). In all these years, he had never been to his homeland, but he longed to return there and die there. At the age of seventy, John took a ship from America to England. His soul trembled at the nearness of the meeting with his fatherland, and when the ship landed, he saw from the deck at last what he had so eagerly sought. The Lord showed Moses the promised land from Mount Nebo, showed him the whole land and said: "I have given thee to see it with thy eyes, but thou shalt not enter it" (Deut. 34:4). It happened like this. A stranger came to Franje to ask for lodging for the night. In a conversation with the host, the guest let slip that he was a printer at a money factory and knew how to print the thousandth bill without difficulty. The hare, impelled by greed, immediately began to negotiate with the guest about illegal money. The stranger asked the landlord for a thousandth banknote in order to make as many counterfeits as he wished. Zayetz immediately handed him the bill. The stranger, hiding it in his pocket, killed the owner and disappeared. This happened in August 1938.Better is a little with righteousness than a lot of gains with unrighteousness (Prov. 16:8).By teaching others, one does not learn by oneselfMan has made water run faster, and he himself indulges in laziness.Man has made electricity shine, but he himself is in darkness.Man has made the bear eat grass and abstain from meat, but he himself remains omnivorous and intemperate.Man has made the clock run exactly without winding up throughout the year. Man trains irrational animals, and has even taught an elephant to dance on bottles, but he is unable to educate himself: he has not learned the divine virtues.Snakes get out from under a stone at the whistle of a man and crawl towards him, but man himself does not respond to the voice of his Creator and Lord.The Apostle Paul says: "I try, in teaching others, not to remain untaught."One word is enoughIn America, there are twenty-six million radios. This means that there is one receiver for every American. And millions of people listen tirelessly day and night to messages from all over the world. Can you imagine how many words people say and how many words they hear? However, for the salvation of man, one word is sufficient – Christ, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). When he was reminded not to work on Sundays, he replied, "Whether it's Sunday or Monday, what's the difference!" In the evening he harnessed his horses and marched towards the house; It was getting dark. His three-year-old daughter was on the road. The father did not notice how the wheels ran over the child. The girl died before she could scream... Six days shalt thou work, and do all thy work therein: and the seventh thou shalt dedicate to the Lord thy God. God's Fourth Commandment.RefugeThe sky frowned, lightning flashed. Old man Semyon found shelter from lightning under a tree. But lightning struck this very tree, and the old man died.People often seek salvation not in God, but in objects. This is a form of idolatry. The Lord wants us to trust only in Him and seek salvation from Him. The psalmist said: "I will love Thee, O Lord, my fortress, the Lord my strength, and my refuge, and my Deliverer, my God, my helper, and I trust in Him, my defender, and the horn of my salvation, and my intercessor" (cf. Ps. 17:2, 3). This once rich, powerful and majestic queen was exiled to the Gold Coast. There she was given a small hut and an allotment of barren, dry land, so that she would have at least a step to tread. But the energetic and strong queen found a way out of her plight: she took up gardening and learned to grow beautiful vegetables and fruits. When journalists visited her and asked her about her present life, the former queen replied that she felt a new joy of being and an even greater pleasure in life than when she was queen. I have learned to be full and to endure hunger, to be both in abundance and in scarcity. I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me (Oei. 4, 12, 13).Invisible LightNowadays, scientists pay a lot of attention to the so-called infrared rays. These rays are invisible to the human eye. We look at the world and everything that exists in the world in the light of God's existence and see everything as it really is. In Thy light we shall see the light [6]. In Your light we see the light. In the light of God, with the help of invisible light, we see everything except God Himself. God remains invisible. And for those who wish to see God with physical sight, we advise them to look at the infrared rays. It is evident that science is confirming more and more the truths of our holy faith.Man cannot see Me and remain alive (Eno. 33:20).Finished gravesIn a village near the town of Stara Zagora, in Bulgaria, the inhabitants dug forty-three fresh graves, exactly according to the number of houses in the village. When a journalist asked them why they had dug so many graves if no one had died in the village, the wise peasants replied: "Our cemetery is in a rocky place, and when someone dies, it takes a whole day or more to dig a grave." So they decided to prepare a grave for each house in advance, let it wait. It is better for a grave to wait for a dead man than for a dead man to wait for a grave. As soon as someone dies, a resting place is ready for him. The main thing is that these pious people remember death.I remembered the words of the prophet [7]: "I am dust and ashes.[8] A hundred years later, a certain German scientist published data on the state of the human race in a hundred years. Here is what he writes:—The average human lifespan will be about 100 years;—Cures for all diseases will be found;—Electricity will be transmitted wirelessly.—Everyone will have a pocket radio the size of a watch;—People will fly to the moon.—Solar energy will be used instead of fuel;—People will eat pills, he says, in a hundred years. He does not say only whether people will become better, nobler, and more pious. And we believe that in a hundred years a kind, honest and noble person will be valued more than all the above-mentioned achievements of science. What is the value of all these achievements, including the flight to the moon, if everyone is mortal? The time is coming, and it has already come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and when they have heard, they will come to life (Ei. 5:25). Doctors recommended that he eat eggs and drink milk. Father John replied that he would listen to their recommendations if he received his mother's blessing. They wrote her a letter, and the mother replied that she could not bless her son for breaking the fast. Father John obeyed his mother. When the doctors found out about this, they again insisted that the patient take a quick meal, but all in vain. "In the Holy Scriptures it is written," said Father John, "Honor your father and your mother."9 A certain cavalier of the Star of Karadjordje told journalists about an event that testifies to the fact that a person dies not by chance, but by the will of God. Once, when he and his platoon were engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy, he called the soldier Alexa and told him to go to the commander to inform him of the situation in which they found themselves. But suddenly he felt sorry for the soldier, because he was his mother's only son. At that moment the soldier Radovan called out to him: "You send a non-party man, but you leave the party member!" "Don't you want to go?" But as soon as Radovan stepped out of the trench, a grenade exploded to his death, and he fell to the ground. Alexa, who remained in the trench, is still alive to this day.Aren't two small birds sold for an assarium? And not one of them shall fall to the ground without the will of your Father; but the hairs of your head are all numbered (Matt. 10:29, 30).FortificationsAll the peoples of Europe use powerful and costly fortifications to guard their borders. The main attention is paid to the manufacture of military equipment and high fortress walls. When Lycurgus was advised to enclose Sparta with walls, he replied: "There are no stronger walls than the sons of Sparta!" Therefore, I rejoice that I can rely on you in all things (2 Corinthians 7:16).Man and His PossessionsThe ancient Greeks did not believe in the true God and were guided by human wisdom. Of course, this wisdom was not enough to replace the truth revealed by Heaven, but sometimes it surprises us with its accuracy. One of the seven most famous sages of Greece was Vias, a very wealthy man. But, expelled from his country for political reasons, he found himself in a foreign land penniless. When he was asked why he did not take with him any of his great fortune, Vyas replied: "The best of all that I have, I carry with me," that is, a man, his person. I don't need anything but you [11].Hunger is better than workThis is what they write about Mahmud bey Firduz. He really wanted to get people used to work. For example, knowing that Levna would produce good corn, he persuaded the people to sow corn in order to reap a rich harvest. The cunning sloths told him that corn seeds were too expensive. Then Mahmud Bey bought seeds, distributed them to the inhabitants and ordered them to sow the fields. But they sowed boiled seeds, and nothing sprouted. They got what they wanted: Firduz left them alone. These people preferred hunger to work.They have commanded you this: if anyone does not want to work, let him not eat (2 Thess. 3:10).Mercenary heirIn a Bosnian village there lived a certain Elijah, and he had seven sons. But his sons did not respect him and did not obey him, and he took the mercenary Tsvetko into his house. Tsvetko obeyed Elijah and served him as if he were his own son. For this, Elijah adopted him and bequeathed him all his possessions. The sons sued their father, but lost the case. And the foster man inherited all the property of his master. In a conversation with a journalist, Tsvetko said: "This is how it happens, I became the heir to the estate of seven sons. That's fate. I believe in the Lord Christ [12] and in the Providence of God, and no one can say that they do not exist."Is this not a symbol of the fate of the people of Israel, who were deprived of God's mercy and were rejected, while the Gentiles were called and adopted? At the next annual meeting of the union to sum up the results of the work over the past year, Blagoje Marjanović was the chairman. When the meeting was over, one of those present stood up and proposed that Mr. Blagoe be rewarded with three thousand dinars for his conscientious and honest work. The proposal was accepted unanimously, but old Blagoe resisted and exclaimed: "No, no way! I can't accept this money earned with blood and sweat!" "Love your neighbor as yourself," said the Lord.ModestyPrince Konoe, the president of the Japanese government, showed modesty and courage in acknowledging his weakness. In December 1938, he asked the Emperor of Japan to resign, on the following grounds: "I am not yet experienced enough to lead in the present situation, and my abilities are limited." He asked to be relieved of his post and to appoint a more worthy man.There is hardly another example in history of a man in authority who would admit his immaturity and his inability to carry out the ministry of power.It is true and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first (1 Tim. 1:15).PatriotThe world-famous Polish musician Paderewski [14] was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland after the First World War. He was very rich then. It was necessary to restore order in the country, but the state did not have the funds, and Paderewski did not spare his money. Instead of receiving from the state, he gave to the state. Finally, he gave it all away and found himself in debt. When he left office, his debts amounted to about forty million. Year after year, he gave concerts, played and played to pay off his debts; He was forced to mortgage all his property and was left homeless. Old age came, but the old patriot still continued to give concerts in order to earn his daily bread... And husbands and wives came, and according to the disposition of their hearts, every one who wanted to offer gold to the Lord brought everything (n?: Eno. 35, 22).IlliterateAccording to official data, there are no illiterate people in Norway. Suddenly, there was one among the new recruits. This caused a social explosion in the country: how could it happen that a person remained illiterate? A whole state investigation was carried out to establish who was to blame for the fact that the young man did not learn to read and write, although it was an isolated case. A person who has not learned to believe in God is not only the most illiterate, but also the most dangerous. What happiness it would be if every city, every village, every school, every organization rebelled against the atheist in its midst, just as the state of Norway rebelled against the illiteracy of one recruit. which took place in the American city of Denver. The waiter was unexpectedly dismissed from the service, and he found himself literally on the street. There are people who are brought closer to God by the blows of fate, and they go forward directly to Him, but there are also those, though less frequently, who, because of adversity, move away from God. This can be said of Christians who, out of fear of persecution, fell away from Christ and turned back to idolatry; This can be said of the Balkans, who rejected the cross out of fear and fell before the crescent.Many of His disciples departed from Him and walked no more with Him (John 6:66).Athletes are modern strongmen-gymnasts who compete with each other and earn fame and fortune by wrestling. In the West, and especially in America, they are honored as the heroes of the day, or more accurately, the daily heroes. Daily heroes, like newspapers! The time of their glory is short. They quickly lose strength and age quickly. A very famous athlete was reported in the newspapers as being old and hunched over, spinning a hurdy-gurdy and begging on the streets of London. Another is known that at the last competition, a blow from an opponent deprived him of both eyes, and he now lives in a home for the blind. Another had his leg broken and is now a lame hotel doorkeeper. Oblivion and poverty are the fate that awaits all strong athletes. That is the end of all worldly glory that people aspire to. And the LORD said to the rulers of the Jews, I receive no glory from men. How can you believe when you receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory that is from the one God? (Ei. 5, 41, 44).Three thousand stepsAs is known, the Monastery of St. Catherine is located on Sinai. From this monastery to the top of Mount Sinai there is a long staircase of three thousand steps. These steps were hewn out of stone by the monks in order to ease the way for the guests of the monastery and pilgrims to the sacred peak of Mount Sinai, where the Lord appeared to the prophet Moses and gave him the tablets of the Law. And behold, the angels of God ascend and descend through it (cf. Gen. 28:12).And you, Capernaum [i.e., the West], who have been exalted to heaven, will be cast down to hell (cf. Matt. 11:23). A peasant named Milia N. from the village of Brzana lived poorer than a poor man and had neither a stake nor a yard. It was impossible to watch the unfortunate Milia wander and starve, and the villagers decided to gather on a mob and build a house for him. And they did it, quickly and easily. They collected money for the foreman, chopped logs, brought the necessary material, and the matter was over. When the house was consecrated, the whole village rejoiced. Milia rejoiced, and the good people who built a house for him rejoiced even more. For every good deed rejoices the one who has done it.A similar thing happened in the village of Visibaba, near Užice Požega. And there, fellow villagers built a house for a poor family and then all had fun together.Moba is an ancient and blessed Serbian custom. Moba paved roads, moba helped the poor in both sowing and harvesting. And now, as we find out, the homeless man got a roof over his head. From time immemorial, the Serbs solved the problem of helping the poor and orphans (the so-called social question), which in other countries was solved by violence and riots. It is the duty of priests and teachers to strengthen and propagate this beautiful custom in our day, for the glory of God and for the sake of peace among men.But if one of your brethren is poor, do not harden your heart, and do not clasp your hand before your poor brother (cf. Deuteronomy 15:7). One said, "Rushid," another said, "Selim," a third argued, "No, Husayn," and a fourth, "Mustafa." And they couldn't convince each other. Only one of them was silent. And when the disputants came to him to have his say, he answered: "The best was the one who went from Istanbul and never reached Bosnia." And a new king arose in Egypt, who did not know Joseph (Exodus 1:6, 8).The head of state reads the BibleThe widow of Wilson, the president of the United States of America, published her memoirs about the life and work of her late husband last year. She remembers the president reading a chapter of scripture every night. Before going to bed, when the whole family was assembled, the president took a large book of the Holy Scripture in his hands and stood and read a chapter from it. And thou shalt write them on the doorposts of thy house (Deut. 11:18, 20). Cf. Ex. 20, 7. (In some languages, profanity is associated with blasphemy against holy things.) ^ References to Scripture in the main text are the author's. Textual notes and footnotes, the authorship of which is not indicated, were compiled by the editors ^ Exod. 20, 12. ^ See: Rom. 2,21. ^ N?.: Eno. 20, 9, 10. ^ Verse of the Great Doxology at Matins. ^ So in the original. However, according to the Scriptures, these words belong to the righteous Abraham as well as to Job. ^ N?.: Gen. 18, 27; Eia 30, 19. ^ Eno. 20, 12. ^ Lycurgus (9th–8th centuries B.C.) was a legendary Spartan legislator to whom Greek writers ascribe the creation of the institutions of Spartan society and government. ^ N?.: 2 Ei?. 12, 14. ^ Colloquialism.— Transl. ^ Io. 22, 39. ^ Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860–1941), Polish pianist, composer, statesman. As a pianist, he was world-renowned. In 1919 he was Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, and in 1940-1941 he headed the Polish government in exile. He died in New York City. ^ Moba is a Serbian custom to help the needy voluntarily and collectively; As a rule, this applies to field agricultural work. ^ Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), 28th President of the United States (1913–1921), supporter of the establishment of the League of Nations (the official purpose of which was the development of international cooperation, a guarantee of peace and security), Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1920). ^

The Bible and the Power of God