St Nicholas of Ohrid (and Zica, Velimirovic) - in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church

Tr. from Bulgarian
Vladimir Djambov

 

  

 

... and in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church 

We offer the readers of “Orthodox Discourse” 
an excerpt from the book “I Believe in One God”, 
an explanation of the Symbol of the Orthodox Faith 
by St Nicholas of Ohrid and Zica (Velimirovic). 

Travelers, here is the ship! When the flood came, Noah was saved in a safe ship. The flood of madness and sin rages unceasingly. Therefore, God, the Lover of Man, created a ship of salvation. Ask about His ship and quickly enter! 

Do not be deceived by the many colorful boats, decorated and decorated on the outside. Ask about the strength of the seagoing vessel and the skill of the captain. The ship of Christ has the strongest walls and the most skillful helmsman. This is the Holy Spirit Himself, the Omniscient and the Almighty. 

Do not be deceived by those who call you to their small and new boats and who offer you separate boats, just for you. The journey is long and the storms are dangerous. 

Do not be deceived by those who say that there is no other land, a new world, on the other side of the sea, and therefore there is no need to undertake a long voyage. They invite you to go fishing near the shores. That much they see and know. Truly, they have fallen into an abyss and they are dragging you into the abyss. 

Do not let them deceive you! But ask about His ship! Even if at first glance it is the most unsightly of all, it is strong and secure. Although it does not have many colorful flags on it, except for the sign of the cross, know that your life is assured on it. And in sea voyages, the first and main rule is to ensure the life of the traveler. 

If you believe in Christ the Savior, Christ-bearers, you also believe in His work. And His work is the Church, the ship of salvation. On it are carried the armies of the saved and those who are being saved. The Lord founded this His work on faith, strong as a stone. As He said and prophesied: “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). And indeed, they have not prevailed against it until now, nor will they ever prevail against it. 

The church is called the body of Christ. You are the body of Christ (Rom. 12:5, Cor. 12:27). Therefore, the church is one and only. After all, there cannot be two bodies under one head! And Christ is also called the head of the church (Col. 1:18). Hence: one Christ, one Head, one body — one church. 

If there is apostasy and heresies, what bothers you? All this has been foreseen and foretold, just as a skilled helmsman foresees and tells the passengers about the coming storms and troubles. “There must be heresies among you,” says the apostle, “so that those who are approved may be made manifest among you” (1 Cor. 11:19, Slav. B. text). If a group of passengers on a ship make a trough and go out to sea to swim by themselves, be filled with pity for them. And that’s all. Their desperate example, their headlong rush into perdition, confirms your faith in the ship of salvation, which is one and only. 

The Church is called holy. You know why it is called holy. First, because it was founded by the Holy One of all saints. Second, because the Lord has gathered, redeemed, cleansed, and confirmed it through His holy and pure Blood. Third, because from its foundation it has been guided, inspired, and animated by the Holy Spirit of God. Fourth, because all its members are called to be holy, separated from all that is unholy in this world where they grow and through which they travel. Fifth, because the holy heavens are destined for its eternal abode. Sixth, because in it are all those God-given means by which men are sanctified and become capable of being inhabitants of heaven. Therefore the Church is called holy. 

The Church is also called catholic. Why? First, because it gathers for the living God children from all lands, from all tribes, from all nations. It is not limited to one race, nor to one tribe, nor to one country. The Church is like a man standing at the crossroads and calling travelers to the king's table (Matt. 22:9). The Holy Catholic Church calls and gathers the sons and daughters of men for salvation. And she rejects no one except him who rejects her, thereby rejecting himself. This distinguishes the New Testament, all-encompassing Church from the Old Testament, preparatory, limited to only one people. 

The Church is called Catholic also because it is not limited by time. It includes not only all the faithful from Christ onwards, but also all those holy and righteous souls from Adam to John the Baptist, for whose sake the Lord descended into hell. 

The Church is called Catholic also because it includes the living and the dead. Her members who have fallen asleep in the Lord are just as much hers as those who are now living on earth. The passengers whom the ship of salvation has carried to the new earth, to the immortal kingdom, as well as those whom it carries today and whom it will carry tomorrow - all are members of the one holy catholic Church. 

And so, the Church is called catholic because it is not limited by any one race, nor by any one people, nor by space, nor by time, nor by death. 

Because of all this, the Church is catholic both in its doctrine and in its organization. 

The Holy Church is also called apostolic. It is called so, first, because its first members were the apostles of Christ - the first personal witnesses of the wonderful life and deeds of the Son of God on earth and His first followers. Second, because the apostles organized it and spread it throughout the world. Third, because the holy apostles were the first after the Lord to shed their blood in its foundations. Fourth, because its apostolicity does not cease to this day. The apostolicity of the Church today is seen from two sides - because of its apostolic mission in the world and because of its ministerial rights, the Orthodox Church constantly bears the seal of apostolicity. 

The Church as an institution is not given to rule, but to serve. To serve the people of God to the point of martyrdom, like the Lord Christ. To sanctify human souls, to guide the spiritual and moral life of people, to shine. Not to enslave, but to liberate. For all men are called to the freedom of Christ, to the freedom of the sons of God. As it is written: “Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son” (Gal. 4:7) and again: “Stand firm in the freedom that Christ has given us” (Gal. 5:1). As a ship of salvation, the Church of God carries not slaves, but free children, royal children, to the immortal kingdom of heaven. There is no more precious cargo, there is no more joyful harbor! 

This is the faith of the courageous and friendly. It is difficult for the cowardly and the self-centered to accept it. Manly are those who have the courage to rise up against the pagan disorder of their souls and to introduce the gospel order there. Friendly are those who wish to travel in company and look at their companions through the dawn of that eternal light in the distance. And they rejoice in their companions as their brothers, as themselves, as that eternal light which illuminates, caresses and attracts them all to itself. The manly and friendly desire to have order within themselves and around them. They value the help of others and do not refuse their own. They wish to shrink back in order to make room for others. Like God, they burn with a desire that all men may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Recognizing the greatness of the living God, they see nothing great in themselves. They look upon themselves as small members of one mysterious and great body—the Church, of which Christ is the head. They do not jostle each other, they do not fight for supremacy. They are not afraid of the afterlife, they are not afraid of death, they praise the good deeds of their companions, but do not show their own. And so, in agreement, in order and joyfully, they travel like a flock of birds to warm countries - to the kingdom of divine light and parental warmth. 

This is your faith, Christ-bearers, the faith of your courageous and friendly ancestors. May it be the faith of your children from generation to generation, of all of them until the end of the journey, to the quiet harbor. This faith is unashamed, Orthodox, saving. Truly, this is the faith of educated people, of those who bear the image of God within themselves. On the Day of Judgment, the day of God's justice, when Christ will judge in righteousness, they will be called blessed. 

© Translation from Serbian, “Orthodox Discourse” 

Prayers by St. Symeon the New Theologian

 

Prayer

of St. Symeon the New Theologian

From sullied lips,
From an abominable heart,
From an unclean tongue,
Out of a polluted soul,
Receive my prayer, O my Christ.
Reject me not,
Nor my words, nor my ways,
Nor even my shamelessness,
But give me courage to say
What I desire, my Christ.
And even more, teach me
What to do and say.
I have sinned more than the harlot
Who, on learning where Thou wast lodging,
Bought myrrh,
And dared to come and anoint
Thy feet, my Christ,
My Lord and my God.
As Thou didst not repulse her
When she drew near from her heart,
Neither, O Word, abominate me,
But grant me Thy feet
To clasp and kiss,
And with a flood of tears
As with most precious myrrh
Dare to anoint them.
Wash me with my tears
And purify me with them, O Word.
Forgive my sins
And grant me pardon.
Thou knowest the multitude of my evil-doings,
Thou knowest also my wounds,
And Thou seest my bruises.
But also Thou knowest my faith,
And Thou beholdest my willingness,
And Thou hearest my sighs.
Nothing escapes Thee, my God,
My Maker, my Redeemer,
Not even a tear-drop,
Nor part of a drop.
Thine eyes know
What I have not achieved,
And in Thy book
Things not yet done
Are written by Thee.
See my depression,
See how great is my trouble,
And all my sins
Take from me, O God of all,
That with a clean heart,
Trembling mind
And contrite spirit
I may partake of Thy pure
And all-holy Mysteries
By which all who eat and drink Thee
With sincerity of heart
Are quickened and deified.
For Thou, my Lord, hast said:
"Whoever eats My Flesh
And drinks My Blood
Abides in Me
And I in Him."
Wholly true is the word
Of my Lord and God.
For whoever partakes of Thy divine
And deifying Gifts
Certainly is not alone,
But is with Thee, my Christ,
Light of the Triune Sun
Which illumines the world.
And that I may not remain alone
Without Thee, the Giver of Life,
My Breath, my Life,
My Joy,
The Salvation of the world,
Therefore I have drawn near to Thee
As Thou seest, with tears
And with a contrite spirit.
Ransom of my offences,
I beseech Thee to receive me,
And that I may partake without condemnation
Of Thy life-giving and perfect Mysteries,
That Thou mayest remain as Thou hast said
With me, thrice-wretched as I am,
Lest the tempter may find me
Without Thy grace
And craftily seize me,
And having deceived me, may seduce me,
From Thy deifying words.
Therefore I fall at Thy feet
And fervently cry to Thee:
As Thou receivedst the Prodigal
And the Harlot who drew near to Thee,
So have compassion and receive me,
The profligate and the prodigal,
As with contrite spirit
I now draw near to Thee.
I know, O Saviour, that no other
Has sinned against Thee as I,
Nor has done the deeds
That I have committed.
But this again I know
That not the greatness of my offences
Nor the multitude of my sins
Surpasses the great patience
Of my God,
And His extreme love for men.
But with the oil of compassion
Those who fervently repent
Thou dost purify and enlighten
And makest them children of the light,
Sharers of Thy Divine Nature.
And Thou dost act most generously,
For what is strange to Angels
And to the minds of men
Often Thou tellest to them
As to Thy true friends.
These things make me bold, my Christ,
These things give me wings,
And I take courage from the wealth
Of Thy goodness to us.
And rejoicing and trembling at once,
I who am straw partake of fire,
And, strange wonder!
I am ineffably bedewed,
Like the bush of old
Which burnt without being consumed.
Therefore with thankful mind,
And with thankful heart,
And with thankfulness in all the members
Of my soul and body,
I worship and magnify
And glorify Thee, my God,
For Thou art blessed,
Now and throughout the ages.

 

 

Tr. from Bulgarian: 

Author: St. Simeon the New Theologian

Come, you, true light. Come, O eternal life. 
Come, cherished secret. Come, nameless Treasure. 
Come, unspoken thing. Come, Face unattainable. 
Come, incessant Joy. Come, unsetting Light. 
Come, true hope to all who want to be saved. 
Come you standing to those lying. Come, Resurrection of the dead. 
Come, Mighty, who always do everything, 
transform and change with one desire. 
Come, invisible, completely untouchable and intangible. 
Come, you who always dwell still, 
and hourly move the whole of you forward 
and you come to us those who lie in hell, you who abide above heaven.

Come, reincarnated, constantly proclaimed Name – 
it is quite impossible for us to say or know what You are, 
and what kind of seed you are. Come, eternal joy. Come on, unfading Wreath. 
Come, the Porphyraix of the Great God and the King. 
Come, crystalline and decorated with precious stones Belt. 
Come, inaccessible Footing. 
Come, the royal purple mantle and truly autocratic Right-hand. 
Come, you who have beloved and love my unhappy soul. 
Come, Yourself to the one alone, because as you see, I am alone. 
Come, Yourself, who created a desire in me, 
so that I may desire you completely inaccessible. 
Come, my Breath and Life. Come, consolation of my humble soul. 
Come, Joy and Glory and my unremitting Comfort. 
I thank You that You are the Existing God above all, 
who has become one spirit with me, unmerged, unalterably, unchangeable, 
and have become for me all things: an unspeakable Meal, delivering perfect gifts, 
and overpouring in the mouth of my soul, 
and the abundantly flowing Source of my heart in a brilliant attire, 
and you burn up the demons, and with purifying purify me with unceasing and holy tears 
which your presence bestows upon those to whom you come. 
I thank You that You have become a day for me - that has no evening - and an unsetting sun, 
you who have nowhere to hide, and you fill all things together with your glory. 
For You have never hid from anyone, but we - not wanting to come to you - hide ourselves from You. 
Yes, and where shall thou hide thyself, who has no place for your rest? 
Or would You hide for, you who does not loathe or abhor anyone?

So, settle in me now, O Master, and dwell and abide in me, your servant, 
O Blessed, not separated and inseparably, 
so that I may also be - even in my exit and after it - in you, good, 
and to reign with You the Lord, who is above all. 
Stay [with me], O Master, and do not leave me alone 
lest my enemies swallow me up, who always want to swallow up my soul, 
so that when they come and find you abiding in me, they may utterly flee 
and not strengthen themselves up against me, 
when they see you, the Strongest of all, to be a at rest inside, within the house of my humble soul. 
O Master, how did you remembered me when I was in the world, and whom I did not know you, 
You chose me yourself, you separated me from the world, and set me before the face of Your glory, 
and so now by Your abiding in me preserve me to always stay in and still, 
in order to contemplate you continually and I the dead one to live and have you, 
I the always poor one - to be be richer than all the kings. 
and that [while] eating and drinking You and dressing myself in You every hour, 
I may enjoy unspeakable blessings now and in the future.
For You are every good and every Comfort 
and to you befits the glory of the holy and one and life-giving Trinity, 
in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit - venerated, known, and worshipful, 
and to whom all the faithful serve now and forever and unto the ages. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Prayer before Examination of Conscience – The Golden Manual, 1850

 

Prayer before Examination of Conscience.
0 most merciful God, I give thee most humble and
hearty thanks for all thy mercies unto me, and, parti-
cularly at this time, for thy forbearance and long-
suffering with me, notwithstanding my many and griev-
ous sins. It is of thy great mercy that I have not
fallen into greater and more grievous sins than those
which I have committed, and that I have not been cut
off and cast into hell. O my God, although I have
been so ungrateful to thee in times past, yet now, I
beseech thee to accept me returning to thee with an
earnest desire to repent, and devote myself to thee, my
Lord and my God, and to praise thy holy Name for ever.
 

Enlighten me, O God, for thou knowest all my ways
and observest all my footsteps. Come, thou true light,
and dispel the darkness of my heart, that I may see
what in me is displeasing unto thee, and that with a
contrite heart I may bewail my sins, rightly confess
them, and effectually forsake ana amend them.
 

Receive my confession, and spare me, O most gra-
cious Lord Jesus Christ, whom I, an unworthy sinner,
am not worthy to name, because I have so often offended
thee through my fault, through my own fault, through
my own most grievous fault, Behold, O God, I humbly,
bow my knees before thee. I blush and am con-
founded, and am ashamed to lift up my face unto thee;
for my iniquities are multiplied, and as a heavy burden
oppress me. But thou, O most merciful Jesus, be mer-
ciful unto me a sinner. Rebuke me not in thine anger,
and cast me not away from thy face, O good Jesus,
who hast said that thou willest not the death of a sin-
ner, but rather that he should be converted and live.
 

Receive me, I beseech thee, returning to thee with a
penitent and contrite heart. Thou art my Saviour and
[p]ray God ; I am thy servant, although a wicked one, and
a most unworthy sinner. Spare me, O most kind Jesus,
who didst die upon the cross that thou mightest save
sinners. To whom shall I flee but unto thee, my only
hope and my salvation? If thou dost reject me, who
will receive me ? To whom shall I look for assistance ?
Who will heal my iniquities? Have mercy upon me,
O most gracious Lord, and despise not the humble and
contrite heart of thy servant. Grant me, I beseech
thee, perfect contrition for my sins,* that I may detest
them with the deepest sorrow of heart. Send forth thy
light into my soul, and discover to me all those sins
which I ought to confess at this time.
 

Assist me by thy grace, that I may be able to declare
them to the priest thy vicar, fully, humbly, and with a
contrite heart, and so obtain perfect remission of them
all through thine infinite goodness. Amen.
 

O most gracious Virgin Mary, beloved Mother of
Jesus Christ [p]ray Redeemer, intercede for me with him.
Obtain for me the full remission of my sins, and perfect
amendment of life, to the salvation of my soul, and the
glory of his name. Amen.
 

I implore the same grace of thee, O my angel
guardian; of you, my holy patrons N. N. ; of you,
O holy Peter and holy Magdalen, and of all the
saints of God. Intercede for me a sinner, repenting
of my sins, and resolving to confess and amend them.
Amen.
 

 *
From The Golden Manual, 1850