On the Road to Libertyville

Issue 1

The Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord Year of Our Lord 2017

Missionary Publication of St. Sava Monastery, the Gathering Place of Serbs in America

Christ is Risen!

Indeed He is Risen!

Интервју са Владиком Лонгином: Либертивил Васкрсава!

www.stsavamonastery.org

Come to Libertyville - Pray with all Your Heart for Your Neighbors!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Editor’s Foreword: Come to Libertyville - Let Us Preserve the Shrine p. 3 From the History of St. Sava’s Monastery - the Eternal House of God Saint Bishop Mardarije and Monastery Church, p. 4 Interview: Bishop Longin: Libertyville Resurrected, pp. 5-6 From Patristic Library: The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom Religious education: On Orthodox Church and On Prayer, pp. 8-11 Contemporary Issues: Habits Harmful to the Soul, pp. 12-13 Serbian People’s Beloved Memories of the Holy Community: The Account of Petar Roknić: The Bishop and the Serbian Households Constructed St. Sava’s Monastery p. 14 The Schedule of Worship The Missionary Publication of St. Sava in the Monastery Church Monastery in Libertyville, published with p. 15

I The Missionary Publication “On the Road to Libertyville” is free. By the grace of God will be published four times a year.

The letters to the Editor are welcome.

Please do not throw this copy away but give it to someone else to read it.

The first issue was printed with the help of Diocesan Circle of Serbian Sisters, Peter Roknich, and Anne Krosnjar.

English Circulation: 500

Photo on the front-page cover: “Wisdom has built her house.”

(Prov. 9: 1) 2

the blessing of His Grace Bishop of New Grancanica and Midwest Diocese +Longin Editor in Chief: Priest Djuro Krošnjar Editorial Staff: Singel Serafim (Milojković) Hierodeacon Nektarije (Tešanović) Milan Spasojevic, BDiv. Operational and Technical Editor: Dimitrije Stanojević, BDiv. Proofreading/Translation: Milena Taylor Publisher: St. Sava’s Monastery in Libertyville Contact: Saint Sava Monastery 32377 N. Milwaukee Ave Libertyville, IL 60048 Attn: Mission Journal Web page: www.stsavamonastery.org E-mail: stsavamissionjournal@gmail.com

Come to Libertyville - Preserve Your Holy Orthodox Faith!

EDITOR’S FORWORD:

Christ is Risen, dear readers!

Before you is the first issue of missionary publication of St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville, our oldest monastery on American continent. Its founder, Saint Bishop Mardarije, used to say: “Our monastery is holy and St. Sava’s; it is the gathering place of Serbian people in America and eternal house of God. Today we cry out: Christ is risen – Oh Shrine of Libertyville!

We welcome you with love and joy of the Feast of Feasts, which is a mystery of mysteries, beauty of beauties, and joy beyond every joy. Holy Pascha is the heart and soul of Orthodoxy, but also the fullness and power of our mission. The Resurrection of Christ meant everything to our Saint Bishop Mardarije, who said to his beloved flock in his epistle on Pascha in 1927: “I believe that there is no death, knowing that I would live after that time when I depart from this earth...” - Blessed are the people who during their lifetime became godly men!

Our prayerful wish is that in this year of our Lord we celebrate the Feast of Christ’s Resurrection with more joy than ever. Even more reason should be sought in the fact that the All-Good God blessed us with sun which illuminated the restoration of our monastery. Therefore, this publication is a modest offering to our Resurrected Laborer of the world, hoping to warm the hearts of believers and incite within them strong feelings of preservation of our shrine. We humbly ask every Serb to devote himself/herself to the restoration and preservation of the apple of our eye, our Church in America; to attend divine services and unselfishly offer themselves to God, on these holy monastery grounds.

Come to Libertyville - let us preserve the sanctuary and let us feel together “peace that surpasses all understanding” on God’s property (Philippians, 4:7)!

Priest Djuro Krosnjar

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Come to Libertyville - Pray to Saint Mardarije!

FROM THE HISTORY OF ST. SAVA’S MONASTERY - ETERNAL HOUSE OF GOD: Icon of St. Mardarije (work of priest Paul A.)

St. Sava’s Monastery property is quite large and lies on extraordinarily beautiful spot next to a small river. The monastery is surrounded by various precious fruit trees and roses. The monastery guardian, Milan, commented about the property back in 1939 as follows: “The late Bishop Mardarije struggled for years so that he could build the monastery in America, where at least two times a year, Serbs from across America would gather to meet and spread the Serbian cause. Bishop found • 1889 - Born as Ivan this land by himself, when he was a Serbian Uskoković in the village Kornet Church’s administrator for the whole of Amerin Montenegro • 1904 – entered the monastery ica. He discovered this spot thanks to a bikStudenica ing excursion. He liked it, and he returned to it • 1911 - entered the Theological with Serbs from Chicago and across America Academy in St. Petersburg • 1916 – became the rector of the to build a monastery. You see, these fruit trees were planted by him, and these roses and tiles Seminary in Kishnyevo in the courtyard were fixed by his hands.” It • 1917 – as a delegate of the All-Russian Church Council was is interesting to mention that during the conordained an Archimandrite at the struction of the monastery, only our people Council in Philadelphia were working on it, no Americans. Bishop • 1919 – was elected bishop was careful in this regard to help our people. on the All-Russian Congress He even assisted in setting up stone slabs in in Cleveland • 1920 - unable the foundation of the monastery. Generally, he to go to Russia, he remained in Belgrade and became the abbot of participated very actively in the construction Rakovica Monastery of the monastery.

• 1923 – appointed the adminisA Serbian mother, trator of Serbian Diocese of the Vida Potkonjak, United States and Canada wrote that she was • 1926 – elected the first USoverjoyed that St. Canadian bishop and ordained on Sava’s church is bethe feast of Palm Sunday ing built, and while • 1931 – consecrated the first Serbian monastery in America: St. giving full appreciSava’s Monastery in Libertyville ation she said: “We, • 1935 – reposed in the Lord the people, love • 2015 – proclaimed a Saint at our diocese and our the Holy Assembly of Bishops of monastery!” the Serbian Orthodox Church

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Retrieved from: D. Dragutinović, Biography of Bishop Mardarije, 1992.

Watercolor - St. Sava’s Monastery in Libertyville, Family Potkonjak’s Collection (work of A. Inglis)

Come to Libertyville - Gather Your Children Around the Holy Church!

FROM PATRISTIC LIBRARY: The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom

If any man is devout and loves God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast. If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord. If any have labored long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived therefor. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing. If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness; for the Lord, who is jealous of his honor, will accept the last even as the first; he gives rest unto him who comes at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who has wrought from the first hour. And he shows mercy upon the last, and cares for the first; and to the one he gives, and upon the other he bestows gifts. And he both accepts the deeds, and welcomes the intention, and honors the acts and praises the offering. Wherefore, enter you all into the joy of your Lord; and receive your reward, both the first, and likewise the second. You rich and poor together, hold high festival. You sober and you heedless, The fresco of St. John Chrysostom, honor the day. Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and St. Sava’s Monastery in Libertyville (work of Miloje Milinković) you who have disregarded the fast.

The table is full-laden, delight ye all. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away. Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness. Let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal kingdom hath been revealed. Let no one weep for his transgressions, for forgiveness hath dawned from the tomb. Let no one fear death, for the death of the Savior hath set us free.

He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it. By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive. And foretelling this, Isaiah cried: Hell, said he, was embittered, when it encountered Thee in the lower regions. It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown. It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains. It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is thy sting? O Hell, where is thy victory? ChriCst is Risen, and thou art cast down. Christ is Risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is Risen, and the Angels rejoice. Christ is Risen, and life flourished!. Christ is Risen, and there is none dead in the tombs.

For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen!

CHRIST IS RISEN!

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Come to Libertyville - Fraternize with People!

INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP LONGIN:

Libertyville is Resurrecting!

Your Grace - our beloved bishop, what is your message to the faithful on Holy Pascha?

Holy Pascha is the most joyous, the happiest feast of the church year. This is a feast of complete victory, because Christ conquered the devil, brought the human soul back from Hell and overcame people’s greatest fear - death!

We will feel the festive joy best if we prepare well for Holy Pascha, if we use prayer, repentance, confession and communion during Great Lent to eradicate passions and sins that bring gloom and anxiety to our souls. The Resurrection of Christ is not only an event from the past, but it is real here and now. This is our personal victory over sin, death and the devil.

We greet each other with: Christ is risen, and In Truth He is risen! and testify our willingness to change our lives for the better, to straighten our path by rejecting everything that belongs to the darkness, and what is incompatible with being a Christian! May the joy of Holy Pascha move into our hearts, so that every day of our lives is the Passover and that in coming to Libertyville we can look forward to many more Holy Paschas in peace, filled with faith, hope and love!

Can you tell us more about the importance of adding St. Mardarije’s name to the diptych of Saints - for the Serbian Orthodox community in Chicago and moreover for the Orthodox world?

As you already know, the important decisions of the Holy Assembly of Bishops in 2015 was adding of Bishop Mardarije Uskoković and Archimandrite Sevastijan Dabović to the list of Saints of our Holy Church. There is no doubt that this joyful event was a gift from Heaven, above all, to us here, and then all Orthodox people. Bishop Mardarije, the first Bishop of the AmericanCanadian Diocese was also the founder St. Sava’s Monastery in Libertyville, where his holy relics rest.

It should be noted that in addition to the part of relics of our Saint Bishop Nikolaj, which are preserved in Libertyville, we now have relics of Saint Bishop Mardarije, too! It is rare that a diocese and a monastery, at least on this continent, have such a spiritual treasure! After Holy Pascha, our plan is to exhume the relics of Saint Bishop Mardarije and place them in a beautiful sarcophagus, which was made for this purpose. This will give us an opportunity not only to pray before an icon of our Saint, but also to venerate his relics and worship before them. The monks at the monastery daily offer their prayers to God for all the patrons, benefactors and supporters of this unique holy shrine of the Serbian people!

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Come to Libertyville - Don’t let the Souls of Serbian Youth Forget God! I would also like to point out that after lengthy but thorough preparations a time has come to complete the overall reconstruction of Libertyville’s monastery. In the upcoming days, we will start with the residence hall, and then, with God’s help, we will go on. We put our great trust in a prayerful protection of the Saint Bishops Nikolaj and Mardarije, and firm faith and soft heart both of our clergy and the faithful. No Serb should stand to the side when the project is at stake! I urge everyone to embrace this project warmly, to support it strongly and to promote it enthusiastically!

Please explain to us the plan of celebration of the Saint Bishop Mardarije on the Pan-Orthodox level, which is scheduled for July 15 and 16, and why it is necessary for the faithful to come to our St. Sava’s Monastery?

The solemn celebration of the canonization is planned this year for the month of July. This will, God willing, be the Pan-Orthodox gathering to which we have invited both our local guests and guests from Serbia, Russia and Australia. His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej will celebrate the Divine Liturgy. July 16 marks exactly one hundred years since the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Church to send Hieromonk Mardarije to America on a mission and to have him assist Archbishop of that time. For this jubilee, we will publish a bilingual autoPhoto: Bishop Longin, Guardian of the Bishop’s throne of St. Mardarije biography of Saint Bishop Mardarije, (Photo: The Editorial Staff) as well as some books devoted to him.

From these, one can be see all greatness of Bishop Mardarije’s personality, beauty of his co-suffering soul, and tremendous love for his flock and for all people. The Council of Bishops established the Order of Bishop Mardarije, which is to be awarded to individuals and institutions for their merits towards our Church on this continent. On Friday, July 14th, we will have a Seminar dedicated to this jubilee. Several eminent speakers will talk about Orthodoxy on this continent regarding the most important participants in the life of our Holy Church. On Saturday morning, July 15th, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at New Gračanica, and that evening a solemn Vigil at St. Sava’s Monastery. The main ceremony, however, will be held on Sunday, July 16th; it will begin with Divine Liturgy and end with a banquet and a program, all will be held at the St. Sava’s Monastery in Libertyville.

Therefore, we invite all of you to come during this weekend in July to Libertyville and take part in this unique spiritual happening! These days should be, in every respect - historical days.

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Come to Libertyville - Receive Confession and Holy Communion!

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: On the Orthodox Church Christianity was revealed to the world through the Church and as the Church.

The Church is inseparable from the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. She was in Christ and those gathered around Him during the Lord Christ’s sojourn on earth, and after His Glorious Ascension, Christ remained with the Apostles and the faithful in the Church. Thereby, the legacy He left to His disciples has been mysteriously fulfilled: “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mat. 28:20].

What is the Church and what are some ideas that people of our time have about it? For some, the Church is only a temple for worship, for others it only implies the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and for some, the Church is considered only as one of society’s institutions.

It is not easy to give a precise theological definition of the Church, because there is not an exhaustive definition in the New Testament writings or even in the patristic literature. In the spirit of his predecessors, great Fathers of the Church, St. Nicholas Kabasilas, a great Orthodox thinker of the fourteenth century, avoided defining the Church in his work The Life in Christ, rather he said that if one wants to see the Church, one needs to see nothing else but the Eucharist. The Church’s revelation, according to St. Nicholas Kabasilas, is found in the Holy Eucharist because Christ is present in it; and, since Christ is present in it, the Church is made manifest as the Body of Christ. That is why the Russian theologian Alexei Khomiakov said: “Only those who understand the Church also understand the liturgy.”

The correct definition of the Church should include all elements of its life, 8 whose heart is the Holy Eucharist.

Certainly, the faith is of crucial importance for the life of the Church. It is, according to St. Maximus the Confessor, “primary cure for our salvation”. The faith is confessed in the Church at the assembly of the people of God, first in Baptism and then in the Eucharist as the founding sacrament of her life. To confess the faith in the Church is to be accepted by it as a community and become a participant in her entire life. By faith, we have become partakers of Christ (Heb. 3:14) and participants of uncreated and divine life of the Holy Trinity.

To belong to the Church is to accept the ethical rules that apply in it. As evidenced by the lives of saints, a high level of ethical behavior is necessary to live a life in the Church. Ethical behavior in the original Christian sense, is life with God, and not just normative fulfilling of God’s commandments. The commandments of God must be perceived as indication of the way to eternal life, not as a norm or legal obligations that God imposes upon people to show His power over them.

All commandments, as Christ said, are contained in two God’s commandments: love of God and love of one’s neighbor.

The fulfillment of God’s commandments, as well as internal connection of ethical behavior and virtuous life, should have emphasized Eucharistic character and meaning. By fulfilling the commandments in this way alone, the faithful can experience the Church as a communion of God and people, achieve a union with God, which is the ultimate goal of Christian life.

An important element of Church’s life is its healing effect. In the Church people Retrieved from: http://www.crkva.se

Come to Libertyville - Spread Peace! healed from sin, passions and diseases. All the above elements of the Church life come to full expression in the Eucharist - Divine Liturgy, which is the sacrament of the unity of God and His people, which reflects the essence of the Church and the right indication of the world.

The essence of the Church is not only to transfer certain beliefs or ideals, nor to impose a certain discipline, but to proclaim and give a new life in Christ. In this age, the Liturgy, as the main sacrament of the Church, presents the content of life of ages to come.

In the Eucharist, as a mystery of ages to come, through faith and repentance, by fulfilling the words of God, and active love for their neighbors, the faithful come to the closest unity with Christ our Lord. St. Irenaeus of Lyon said: “Our belief is consistent with the Eucharist and the Eucharist confirms our faith.” In Liturgy, we find what makes the Church unique and completely different from all other communities in society and of all religions. As the heart of Church’s life, Holy Eucharist is intended to achieve the unity of the whole matter with God so that the whole world would become one Body of Christ - the Church.

St. Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Come to Libertyville and leave your prayer lists, and if you are unable to come, please send it by mail. Names of your living and deceased family member and friends will be regularly commemorated during the office of Prothesis (Proskomedie). We will pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, forgiveness and remission of sins of the living and eternal memory and life in the Heavenly Kingdom of the reposed.

Monastery Administration

PRAYER LIST FOR LIVING

_______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Come to Libertyville - Preach Good!

PATRIARCH PAVLE:

ON PRAYER PRAYER LIST FOR THE REPOSED I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________ I _______________________

To pray is to devoutly offer a man’s soul to God, or it is a conversation of one’s heart with God, through which, by being in invisible God’s presence, a man pours out feelings of his soul to Him. It is uplifting of one’s mind and heart to God; through it a man takes off towards the choirs of angels and becomes a participant of their bliss. Prayer is the sweetest incense to God, the safest bridge for overcoming life’s temptations, irrefutable rock of all who believe, peaceful refuge, divine garment that clothes the soul into great loving kindness and beauty. Prayer is a mother of all good deeds, a guardian of bodily purity (chastity), seal of maidenhood, secure fence against all wiles of our eternal enemy - the devil. It impels enemies by Christ’s name, because there is no stronger means than this in heaven or on earth. Prayer is a fortress of the world, propitiation of God for our sins, refuge which resists any wave, enlightenment of the mind, an ax of despair, breaking down of sadness, birth of hope, relief of anger, intercessor for all those who are tried, joy of those who are in prison, salvation to those who are perishing.

In a man’s life, there’s nothing more precious than prayer. Prayer turns impossible into possible, hard into easy, unpleasant into pleasant. Prayer is so necessary for a man’s soul, just like air for breathing. If one does not pray, he is deprived of conversation with God and resembles a barren tree which is cut down and thrown into the fire (Mat. 7:19).

Teachers and Holy Fathers of the Church advise us that during prayer each of us has a humble and broken heart for our own sins.

For, if a man does not feel that he is a sinner in his own heart, God will not answer his prayer. This can be seen in the prayers of the Pharisee and of the Publican.

Come to Libertyville - Preach Not Only in Words, but Also in Deeds!

When it’s time for prayer don’t be engaged in any work, because the devil makes sure that we are busy with work during our prayer time. If your soul revels with the words of prayer, extend your prayer, because your guardian angel is praying together with you. To be saved from the distraction of the mind during prayer, Holy Fathers recommend that the mind - reason be bound to the words of prayer. Hence, it is better to read prayers from a prayer book, and not by heart. This is especially true for beginners and the weak. Therefore, in the Orthodox Church all the regular reading and chanting, regardless if we know it by heart, should be read from a book. Thus, a mind engrossed in words of a prayer and is not easily distracted in different directions. If the mind cannot retain and delve into the words of holy prayers, then they should be read aloud just enough to hear yourself. Especially, this prayer is precious when we are praying alone.

While praying, one should not strain one’s nerves, nor exhale too deeply, by breathing in air or keeping head raised and leaned back, for all that is harmful.

One should pray quietly with deep but silent sighs, with head bowed down towards the ground, humbly, and looking at the icons from time to time, as one who truly feels his/her sinfulness before God. In company of others, our prayer should be silent, so that we do not disturb anyone else’s prayer. Also, while praying, we need to pay attention to correctly cross ourselves. One should correctly make a sign of the cross, but not as those who, as if they were ashamed of our Lord’s cross, wave their hand over their face and their chest, not even joining their fingers together, not even putting them in proper places. Careless making a sign of a cross, grieves our Lord, and is considered sinful.

Retrieved from: http://manastirvavedenje.org

When you pray to the Lord to enlighten your mind and warm your heart and when the Lord is obviously not listening, and you remain in the darkness and cold, do not be despondent, do not fall into tedium, and do not frown and grumble that the Lord is not paying attention to you: Lord is testing your patience, your faith and your hope, your loyalty to Him, the Almighty One. It is easy for Him to illumine you at any moment. If it happens that one asks God for something, but does not get it, this can mean: God hears this prayer, but at His discretion examines the worshiper in his patients, so when the latter endures patiently to the end, he will receive from God what he wanted in a greater measure; or it means that the worshiper did not receive what he prayed for because it would have served him unto evil.

PRAYER RULE OF ST. SERAPHIM OF SAROV Let any Christian, upon arising from sleep stand before the holy icons, and read: The Lord’s Prayer - Our Father in honor of the Most-holy Trinity (thrice), then The hymn to the Theotokos - “O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice” (three times as well), and finally, the Creed - “I believe”. Going to bed, let any Christian again read the abovementioned morning rule. Thereafter, let him go to sleep, having protected himself with the sign of the Cross. Keeping this rule, it is possible, to reach Christian perfection, for the three prayers indicated are the foundation of Christianity. The first, as the prayer given [to us] by Christ Himself, is the model for all prayers. The second was brought from Heaven by the Archangel to greet the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Our Lord. The Creed contains in brief all of the salvific dogmas of the Christian Faith.

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Come to Libertyville - Eradicate the Passions!

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES: HABITS HARMFUL TO THE SOUL

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Corinthians 6:12)

The Saint of Christ, St. Tikhon of Zadonsk wrote in his wonderful works: “Christians! What is a mirror for the children of this age, may Gospel and Christ’s blameless life be for us. They look into a mirror and straighten their bodies and clean vices off their faces. Let us do the same! Christ, the Son of God, gave us and His holy life of a model: “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (Jn. 13:15]. - Let us put before the eyes of our souls this clear mirror and let us look at it: Does our life conform to Christ’s life? Look often into pure and irreproachable mirror of Christ’s life, and vices glued to your soul you should erase through repentance and contrition of heart, and with all your strength you should emulate Him and acquire His likeness. And don’t emulate today’s Christians, since the life of today’s Christians is mainly opposed to Christ, and not in accordance with His commandments. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).

Also, the Saint teaches us further: “We don’t have only feelings, but the intellect; we can discern: what is good and what is evil, what is beneficial and what is harmful. We have the sacred word of God: put what people do before the Bible, as against a clean mirror and see whether people do what it is similar or it is opposite to it. Even if the whole world does what is pleasing to God and beneficial for your soul, the whole world will not be intercede for you before the judgment seat of God; There you will not say: here, so and so did that. You will hear only one thing from the Judge: Why didn’t you do what I commanded you to do? - Be in the world like Lot of Sodom, where all people committed lawlessness, but he did not see them, rather he did what was pleasant to God’s holy will. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” (Col. 3: 1-2). Furthermore, he says: “Very keenly watch out, my soul, for this: For here are those who had went astray” (Ps. 73:27].

Beware that you don’t distance yourself from the Life, that you are not in death; beware that you don’t distance yourself from the Light, that you are not in darkness. Surely, the one who departs from the life will 12 be dead and the one who departs from light will be in darkness.”

Come to Libertyville - Sow Christian love!

Whoever wants to save his soul should contemplate on it and consult the Gospel: Does it justify our substance abuse versus the love of God? For, if a Christian, who cares for his salvation, pays attention to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” – he clearly and easily understands how harmful bad habits are. After pointing out the word of God, if it is detrimental to the soul to love God more than those who we are commanded to love - what could be said about indulging in the matter rather than in the love of God? For, even if someone is enslaved by a sinful habit, and if this habit becomes god for him, because he can only think about it and indulge in it - he has already departed from God, he has put God aside.

Blessed are those who open their wounds to Christ and let Him heal them!

St. Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich

God’s commandment given us is to love Him with all our heart, all our mind, but whoever has a sinful habit can only indulge in it, only love it, only remember it and only think about it. Whoever had a misfortune to get a habit of fornication or drunkenness, or cards, or tobacco, remembers this more than he remembers God, and this habit becomes God for him; such a man becomes a slave of his habit or passion, which overwhelms him and torments him. This is precisely what passion is - it does not give a man a moment of peace. This is precisely what constitutes sin - you remember more these sinful habits than God; such a person offers sacrifices to that habit as to his cordial idol, and God remains forgotten.

To those who care for their salvation and who want to escape such a sorry state we suggest and ask you to accept this advice, which is offered in the name of our mutual Christian love in the Lord: that is, with God’s help, renounce your habits harmful to the soul, no matter what those habits are; make this decision immediately - while the grace of God touches your heart and encourages you to rise for salvation. Although a force of habit is great, so much that sometimes it seems impossible to overcome it, this is not true: if a man has a sincere desire and determination and if he prays for God’s help, he will quickly overcome it.

Hieromonk Anatoly Berestov Retrieved from: http://www.tolmach.org.

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Come to Libertyville - Visit the Serbian Cemetery and Pray for the Salvation of Souls!

BELOVED SERBIAN PEOPLE’S MEMORIES OF OUR HOLY COMMUNITY IN LIBERTYVILLE: The Account of Petar Roknic: The Bishop and the Serbian Households Constructed St. Sava’s Monastery

It was a time when one would travel to America by ship that departed from the port of Cherbourg-Octeville, France.

Sailing for weeks at sea, it was a very uncomfortable journey on a crowded ship with hundreds of immigrants who did not understand each other. Immigrants were mostly coming through Ellis Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located. Serbs would then go towards Gary, Indiana and then to search for jobs. My grandfather, whose name I bear, came to America at age 17 (born on April 15, 1879), back in 1896, and after him came my father, Djuro, and my grandmother, Ana. Times were hard, but despite that, we lived. My grandfaPhotography - Petar Roknić (86) (Photo: Editorial Staff) ther used to say: “If there is a will, there is a way”.

Thus, St. Sava’s Monastery was built. My grandfather took part in the construction of the monastery church, together with their bishop. It was very difficult for volunteers who wanted to build their bricks of faith into the first Serbian monastery. It was a time after the Great Depression in America, and people did not have money, let alone cars, and there was no way to getting to church. It was much different than today, and people do not understand that. Households were strong, and gardens were big, so they managed to build St. Sava’s Monastery. My grandfather, Peter, passed away in 1963, and my grandmother Ana in 1971. Both were buried in the first row closest to the church. Many of the first settlers were buried next to the monastery church.

The names inscribed on the wall of honor at Ellis Island are the same ones that built the monastery in Libertyville, and then were engraved on the first gravestones of Serbian cemetery!

Again, people who came early on found hard, hard times; however, they just transferred their habits from the old country, and thus maintained their households. In wintertime, they would slaughter two pigs, and would use everything. To this day, I have equipment that was then used. We always had a big, big garden. I would say that we had more tomatoes than anything else in the garden. We then cultivated beets, carrots, celery and plenty of green onions. We had tons of green onions and lettuce that had been growing throughout the year. My mother would make compote of peaches, which we received from an aunt in Michigan. My job was to pour the hot sugar syrup over peaches to preserve them. We lived on peaches! We shared a lot among themselves, especially fruits from the garden. That was a time of selfless giving. Families in Waukegan would Photo: daily help one another. It was a different time.

Gravestone of Peter and Ana We tried to come to the monastery for great feasts, Roknić, Serbian cemetery because then there were only two cars Libertyville in the Serbian community.

(Photo: Editorial

To be continued...

14 The accounted was recorded by: D.S. Staff)

Дођите у Либертивил - и помолите се за своје ближње!

SCHEDULE OF WORSHIP IN SERBIAN ORTHODOX ST. SAVA’S MONASTERY IN LIBERTYVILLE:

DAILY MATINS 8 AM DAILY VESPERS 5 PM DIVINE LITURGY ON SATURDAY 9 AM DIVINE LITURGY ON SUNDAY AND FEASTDAY ON A WEEKDAY 10 AM COME TO LIBERTYVILLE!

Come to Libertyville - prayerfully take part in the celebration of newly canonized Saint of God, builder of the Holy Church and Christ’s chose one - St. Mardarije and joyfully cry out: Rejoice, St. Mardarije, good shepherd of Christ’s flock!

WELCOME!

Troparion to St. Mardarije, tone 4: Thou didst indefinitely love Christ from thy youth, and, longing to serve Him alone throughout thy life, thou didst only obey God the Creator, thou didst preach word of God’s love to all, and love the beauty of God’s house, oh Mardarije newlyrevealed Enlightener and Builder of Christ’s Church, therefore our man-loving Lord praised thee with eternal glory on earth and in heaven.

GLORY TO GOD FOR EVERYTHING!