His Eminence Archbishop of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Joanikije, today, January 17, on the feast of Saint Eustatius of Prevlaka - Archbishop of Serbia, with the clergy and faithful, celebrated the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy at the Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael on Miholjska Prevlaka near Tivat.

The choir "Saint Eustatius of Prevlaka" from Budva responded to the liturgical prayers.

At the end of the Holy Divine Service, after the blessing and cutting of the slava cake, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Joanikije congratulated the assembled on the great and wonderful holidays: Christmas, the Circumcision of Christ and the Epiphany, which we are expecting, as well as today's holiday. Emphasizing that all of nature trembled in anticipation of the Lord's appearance in the Jordan River, when the Lord, through His baptism, established for us baptism - a bath of rebirth, but also the sanctification of the waters of the Jordan, which actually means the sanctification of all creation, the Bishop said that all of creation is receptive to God's grace. Water is especially receptive to receiving sanctification, to receiving God's grace and for everything else to be sanctified through that water, because holy baptism, which the Lord Jesus Christ established in the Jordan River, is performed with water and the Holy Spirit.

In his archpastoral letter, the Metropolitan also spoke about today's feast - the Council of the Holy Seventy Apostles, recalling that the Lord first chose twelve and then seventy apostles. But just as Judas, one of the twelve, fell away from the Lord, so too did not all of the seventy remain faithful, and just as Judas' place was filled, so other apostles were chosen in their places:

“We know of the seventy Holy Apostles who remained faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. Among them was the Holy Apostle James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem. And among them were also the apostles whom our brethren celebrate today: Antipas, Apollos. Aristarchus, Cornelius, and Tychicus. So, this is how the Lord arranged it, first choosing the twelve apostles, then the seventy, and later some more were added to that number, and some unfortunately fell away, just as Judas the traitor fell away and the Holy Apostle Matthias came in his place.”

The Bishop pointed out a sign that can be seen precisely in this, because Saint Sava, when he was founding the Serbian Orthodox Church, or rather the Archbishopric of Žič, brought a number of his disciples from the Hilandar Monastery to consecrate them as bishops, as well as from the Studenica Monastery – at that time our two most important monasteries, monasteries in which Saint Sava was a spiritual father. Then he established the Serbian Church and appointed his disciples as bishops, and then his disciples had their own disciples. Among them was Saint Eustathius, Archbishop of Prevlaka and Žič, whom we celebrate today.

"And that Saint Eustatius, whom this holy family celebrates today, was first a brother here, and later the bishop of Zeta. He was born in the Buda parish. from the monastery of Đurđevi stupovi, where the Diocese of Buda was established by Saint Sava and where he appointed the first bishop Jacob. We are completely convinced that the young Eustatius had the opportunity to see Saint Sava and listen to his sermons, and that he was a student of the first bishop of Buda, Jacob, and later, when he became a brother of this monastery, he perfected himself even more in the Divine virtues. Later, he was also the abbot of the Chilandar monastery," the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral said.

At that time, it was a custom, associated with Saint Sava, that the abbots of Chilandar were elected as bishops in the Serbian Church, and that very often the abbots of Chilandar were elected directly as heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which is possible according to the canons, although not possible according to today's rules.

"Great care was taken to ensure that those who were to lead the people spiritually were previously tested in the greatest duties. In particular, that they grew up in a blessed, spiritual atmosphere such as the Hilandar Monastery. That they perfected themselves in one of the holy monasteries, and best of all in the Hilandar Monastery. Nowhere else, even today, do monks have the opportunity to perfect themselves as they do in the Hilandar Monastery. By praying to God and striving in their regular obediences, their souls blossom and become fragrant with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the power of God's truth, justice, and love inspires them, fills their hearts, and then, of course, they can receive the apostolic grace, the grace of the Holy Spirit," said the Archbishop of Cetinje, adding that we cannot even today achieve the education that Saint Sava acquired in Hilandar, but, thank God, we are trying, and that is how it should be.

Pointing out that today we are celebrating one of the heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church – the Archbishopric of Žička, who was previously the Bishop of Zeta here, the Bishop said that even then, times were not easy, but that we had great people and great personalities: "That was a time that still remembered Saint Sava, there were his contemporaries alive, and then medieval Serbia tried in everything to follow the path of Saint Sava and fulfill his vows. And so it was at court, so it was in monasteries, so it was in cities, so it was in our families. And it is no wonder that we had such great personalities at that time. For us, dear brothers and sisters, for the Serbian people, the 13th century is crucial because then, although we were Christians before, we established ourselves in the holy Orthodox faith. We achieved full dignity both as a state and as a Church and as a people – the people Enlightened and sanctified by God. The one who participated in this, made his great, exceptional contribution, is also Saint Eustathius of Prevlaka – we call him Prevlaka, and he is the Serbian Archbishop.”

Noting that Saint Eustathius passed away with his holy relics in the Patriarchate of Pec, he emphasized that it is not certain where his relics are now, because due to the danger of enemy raids, the relics were transferred and hidden, but that they are certainly preserved either in the Patriarchate of Pec or in some other sanctuary. According to him, especially since the burning of the relics of Saint Sava, during numerous sufferings throughout history, our people have also waged a great struggle to preserve the lives of the Holy God-pleasers. In support of this claim, he cited the relics of Saint Arsenius, which have been removed and hidden several times, and are now in the Ždrebaonik monastery:

"Wherever they are, they are before the Throne of God, and Saint Eustathius together with Saint Sava and Saint Arsenius and the other saints of God. Together with the Prevlaka martyrs, the monks, who sanctified themselves with fasting and prayer in this holy monastery, and who have poured out holy myrrh in our days and perfumed it with divine myrrh. And here we gather at this deepest root of ours, where Saint Sava founded the Zeta Episcopate, from which the Metropolis of Zeta later emerged, and then the Metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral. This continuity is completely clear, completely pure, completely intact, but we see that our Church, and especially the Episcopate and Metropolis of Zeta, Montenegro and the Littoral, that they have walked a thorny path – the path of Christ.”

His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije said that it is not difficult for us to walk the thorny path of Christ when we are protected by God’s mercy and grace, but that the most important thing is to be protected from sin and to be able to freely, as much as possible, with the fear of God, approach the Holy Mysteries of Christ:

“Without hindrance, let us walk the path of God, the path of God’s love, and then God’s mercy, God’s grace warms us. God’s truth strengthens and strengthens us, and so it was in ancient times, so it is today, so it will be until the end of the world and the ages. Let us walk the path of Saint Sava, the Holy Apostles and our Holy Father Eustathius of Prevlaka and the Holy Martyrs of Prevlaka, who laid down their lives for the Orthodox faith and for their fatherland.”

At the end of his address, His Eminence Archbishop of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Mr. Joanikije, congratulated the feast and glory of the Prevlaka Monastery, as well as the name day of the monks of this holy family:

"This feast today is wonderful on the eve of the Epiphany. We have plenty of sun and light, but this sun today only indicates the light of these days, these feasts that we celebrate today. It is the divine light that pours out on the entire universe and dwells in our hearts and souls. May God grant that there be as much peace of God among us as possible, as much brotherly love and harmony as possible, as much gifts, the grace of the Holy Spirit to all of you. Amen, God grant, for many and blessed summers!"

Vesna Dević

Photo: Saša Dedić

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