The Prologue From Ohrid
FEBRUARY 28 🕪 Recording
1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR PROTERIUS
This saint was a presbyter in Alexandria at the same time when Dioscorus the heretic was patriarch of Alexandria. Dioscorus was one of the leaders of the Monophysite heresy, which taught that there was one nature in Christ [Human] and not two natures [Human and Divine]. Marcian and Plucheria also reigned at that time as emperor and empress. This holy and devout man Proterius stood up against Dioscorus for which he endured many miseries. Then the Fourth Ecumenical Council [Chalcedon, 451 A.D.] was convened at which the Monophysite heresy was condemned, Dioscorus removed from the patriarchal throne and banished into exile. Proterius, this true-believing man, was elected in his place. He governed the Church with zeal and love; a true follower of Christ. However, the followers of Dioscorus did not cease to create a disturbance in Alexandria. At the time of one such bloody disturbance, Proterius left the city with the intention of staying away temporarily. Along the way, the Prophet Isaiah appeared to him in a vision and said: “Return to the city, I am waiting to take you.” Proterius returned to Alexandria and entered the church. Upon hearing about this, the enraged heretics rushed into the church, seized the patriarch and stabbed him throughout with knives. Six other Christians were also slain with Proterius. Thus, Proterius this wonderful shepherd of Christ’s flock, received the martyr’s wreath for the truth of Orthodoxy in the year 457 A.D.
2. SAINT BASIL THE CONFESSOR
Basil was a companion and co-suffer with St. Procopius Decapolit. Basil faithfully followed his teacher Procopius both in peaceful times and in time of persecution. He suffered many hardships from the iconoclasts and when the iconoclasts were defeated, Basil according to God’s Providence, returned together with Procopius to his monastery where in fasting and prayer he lived a long life of asceticism. He died peacefully in the year 747 A.D.
3. THE PRIEST-MARTYR NESTOR
Nestor was the bishop of Magydos in Pamphylia. He was distinguished by his great meekness. During the reign of Decius, he was brought to trial and cruelly tortured for Christ. Before his death, he saw in a vision, a sacrificial lamb, which he interpreted as a sign of his impending sacrifice. He was tortured by the Eparch [governor] Publius and in the end was crucified in Perga, the capital of the province, in the year 250 A.D.
4. BLESSED NICHOLAS, FOOL FOR CHRIST FROM PSKOV
Nicholas lived as a “fool for Christ” in the town of Pskov during the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible and died on February 28, 1576 A.D.
HYMN OF PRAISE
TWO NATURES
Two natures, the Lord united,
That He does not separate them anymore:
Human and Divine,
That He does not separate them anymore:
God and Man – One Person
In both respects; undiminished
The God-Man and Savior,
That which is separated – the Unifier,
Interpreter of the eternal mysteries,
Founder of the kingdom of the saints,
To man, God came closer,
Time uplifted, eternity descended
Of the Holy Trinity, Christ the trumpet
Of the Two Natures, Christ the mystery:
The true God became man,
Remained up and descends down.
Neither did He fall or stumble,
But in flesh wrapped Himself.
That is holy, pure love,
Love eternal, eternally the same:
A giant He raised, with His small finger,
And incomprehensible to the mind, it is.
REFLECTION
“Fools for Christ” were distinguished by rare fearlessness. Blessed Nicholas ran throughout the streets of Pskov pretending insanity rebuking the people for their hidden, sins and prophesying that which will befall them. When Ivan the Terrible entered Pskov, the entire town was in fear and terror of the Terrible Tsar. As a welcome to the Tsar, bread and salt was placed in front of every home but the people did not appear. When the mayor of the town presented the Tsar with bread and salt on a tray before the church, the Tsar pushed the tray away and the bread and salt fell to the ground. At that time, Blessed Nicholas appeared before the Tsar in a long shirt tied with a rope, hopping around on a cane as a child and then cried out: “Ivanuska, Ivanuska, eat bread and salt and not human blood.” The soldiers rushed out to catch him but he fled and hid. The Tsar learning about this Blessed Nicholas, who and what he is, visited him in his scant living quarters. It was the first week of the Honorable Fast [The First Week of Lent]. Upon hearing that the Tsar was coming to visit him, Nicholas found a piece of raw meat and when the Tsar entered his living quarters, he bowed and offered the meat to the Tsar. “Eat Ivanusha, eat!” Angrily, the Terrible Tsar replied: “I am a Christian and I do not eat meat during the Fast Season.” Then the man of God quickly responded to him: “But you do even worse: you feed on men’s flesh and blood, forgetting not only Lent but also God!” This lesson entered profoundly into the heart of Tsar Ivan and he, ashamed, immediately departed Pskov where he had intended to perpetrate a great massacre.
CONTEMPLATION
To contemplate the Lord Jesus as the Bread of Life: “I am the Bread of Life” (St. John 6:48).
1. As the Bread by which the soul is nourished and lives;
2. As the Bread by which the mind is nourished and enlightened;
3. As the Bread by which the heart is nourished and enobled.
HOMILY
-About the nourishment of the soul-
“I am the Bread of Life ” (St. John 6:48).
Thus spoke the Lord Jesus to the hungry generation of man. This word was realized throughout the centuries to the numerous followers of Christ who received the Lord as the nourishment of their souls. A desperate young man who was close to suicide confessed to a spiritual father. The spiritual father listened to him carefully and said to him: “My son, you are to blame for your misfortune. Your soul is starved to death. Throughout your entire life, you learned only how to nourish your body but you never thought that the soul requires nourishment; greater and more often than that which the body needs. Your soul is at the point of death from hunger. My son, partake of and drink Christ [Holy Communion], Only that can restore your soul from death. Daily and continually partake and drink of Christ. He is the Life-creating Bread of our souls.” The young man listened to the elder and returned to life.
Brethren, let us nourish our soul with Christ so that our soul may be alive and healthy. Let us continually nourish our mind with Christ’s thoughts so that our mind might be enlightened and clear. Let us continually nourish our heart with the love of Christ so that our heart might be full and joyful. Let us continually nourish our will with the commandments of Christ and the example of Christ so that our will, every minute, might perform good deeds. Let Christ’s thoughts be our thoughts and Christ’s love our love and Christ’s good will our good will. Let us continually nourish our souls with Christ the Lord; with our soul let us continually partake of Him and drink Him! There is no more nourishing Bread than He; there is no sweeter drink than He. In Holy Communion, He gives Himself completely to us: Body and Blood. But, Holy Communion is a warning that our souls must continually be nourished by Him; continually partake of Him and drink of Him just as we continually breathe.
O, our God and Sweet Lord, stir our souls that they be continually nourished by You and remain alive. You are our Bread of Life.
To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.