The Life of St Sava by St Nicholai Velimirovich
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THE LIFE OF ST SAVA by St Nicholai Velimirovich In the writings of the Church, it is not uncommon to find gems of hagiography written by saints themselves. Following in the traditions of such fathers as St Sophronius, the biographer of the life of St Mary of Egypt, and St Gregory of Nyssa, the author of the subliminal Life of Moses, St Nicholai Velimirovich, a contemporary, 20th Century champion of the Serbian Church, left for the Orthodox faithful of all traditions this book, The Life of St Sava. Upon taking up this outstanding book, one is thrown into a world of medieval intrigue filled with warriors, Zupans, battles, heroes, foreign villains, internal foes and the pressures of patriotic duty. Within this dark world of war, poverty and ever-present threats, the author portrays the life of a young boy called by God from an early age to monasticism – to flee from his princely life of wealth and comfort in order to cultivate a spiritual kingdom. The life of St Sava is the life of a prince filled with a sense of duty to his beloved Serbian people, a humble and deeply sensitive monastic hermit, a builder of magnificent churches, monasteries and lasting monastic communities, an archbishop, a founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church, an ecumenical traveller moving freely within the melting pot of Byzantine cultures, a champion of Serbia, a miracle worker and a civil peacemaker. First published in 1951 by an important bishop of the Serbian Church, the book is unusual in that, though it starts with the birth of the Saint and ends in his falling asleep, it does not read like a typical biography. It reads like the observations of a grateful heir of the inheritance of Serbian spirituality and nationhood. St Nicholai keeps his chapters very short - no more than 3 pages each. ORTHODOX MISSION BOOKSTORE 217 Bexley Rd, Kingsgrove, Sydney NSW 2208 (02) 9787 9779
He starts each chapter with a philosophical observation (e.g. “No beauty can be compared with the beauty of holiness”) before narrating a chapter in the life of Saint Sava that flows from the opening observation. Not one dull moment can be found in the pages of this extraordinary biography. The Life of Saint Sava is a deeply inspiring narration of Serbia’s greatest saint. It throws the reader deep into an unfamiliar world within which the Orthodox reader can nonetheless somehow navigate (it is by no means a historical treatise). Within that world, St Nicholai paints the picture of a man with the same desires and struggles so familiar to the contemporary Orthodox Christian. In the Life of Saint Sava, one is forced to encounter one’s own shortcomings and inspired to act on God’s ceaseless calls to sainthood. Monday – Saturday 10am – 2pm Browse more books on our website: orthodoxbookstore.org.au