Protection of our Most Holy Theotokos

Pokrov Presvete Bogorodice

On the day of the Protection of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos, it is already cold around us. Dark rainy clouds are hanging above us and are coming down on our heads. Icy cold winds started blowing and are threatening to penetrate to our bones.

We truly need warm, woolen clothes to protect us and to cover our heads.

It is very cold around us, but it is even colder and more freezing within us. Our hearts hardened from cold a long time ago to what we have seen, and it seems they’ll harden even more to what we are given to see in the days ahead.


It is almost certain that the winds of war that we can obscurely hear coming from the distance will bring down thunder storms and muddy torrents.

Everything that we have seen, and that God forbid we shall have to see, had already happened to the Serbian country. Once hidden misfortune has naturalized with us and has shamelessly reigned for decades now.

And the unfortunate people beheaded themselves. They do not listen to anyone that tries to warn them about their misfortune, and they do not follow the ones that must lead them. Decapitated, they wander everywhere, from one “leader” to another, and submerge deeper into their misfortune.


A long time ago, Saint Bishop Nikolai wept over the Serbian land that was covered in human carcasses. “We cannot even hoe the soil without hearing the clang of the hoe hitting the bones of our ancestors and its painful echo deep in our souls. There isn’t a piece of land that is not a grave as well and there isn’t a tree that is not a tombstone too. All of the Serbian land is a grave-yard.”, lamented our Saint Bishop. (Prayer for the Serbian people)

And from that day of the Bishop’s lament to our unfortunate days, innumerably more carcasses have been planted into Serbian soil. And for our misfortune to be greater, countless kilograms, tons, loads of toxins have been poured over Serbian land.


And what does the cursed Serb do to repel that misfortune, to push it away from his courtyards, his fields and his orchards? What does this wretch expect; in whom does he put his hopes?

In ancient times, when misfortune came to the people of God, at the end of all their errands those people came to God and received help from God. When people’s leaders and chiefs communicated with God, and advised with God, and put their hopes in God, God fought for His people (Exodus 14:14)  God used to beat the enemies of His people with the stones from the sky, so that more of them died “from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.” (Joshua 10:11) Not to mention all of the miracles of God to the one when five kings of the Amorites raised along with their armies to Israel, and God fought for Israel (Joshua 10:14) and He even stopped the sun and the moon until His people took vengeance on their enemies. (Joshua 10:13)


And when, in ancient times, the misfortune came to the orthodox people of God, the Greeks, they prayed to His Holy Mother, and they received her protection. And that is the message and the percept of today’s Holy day.

The mighty hostile armada, vast Saracen army- nowadays we would say NATO army-, surrounded Constantinople to destroy it, to burn it, to kill its people and take them into captivity. There wasn’t any salvation or a ray of hope. What to do, whom to pray? “Run to church prince Marko!” was the Serbian advice to a brother Serb in trouble. Run to church, Christian orthodox man. And the Greeks gathered in church, and kneeled to pray. And two of them with pure heart saw the Holy Mother of God protecting the faithful people with her veil. And at that moment, by the miracle of God, the Saracens, the Mohammedans turned their ships around to retreat.


The Holy Mother of God “visited the long-suffering, but faithful people of Russia, with many of her icons; she showed her veil to them. Through all the wars and times that were difficult for Russia, the Russian army carried the icons of the Holy Mother of God with them. (Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) Sermon for the day of the Protection of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary)


And what do Serbian people do nowadays, at this unfortunate time that threatens to wipe the Serbian name of this sinful planet, and to make Serbian people disappear; so what do Serbian people do to repel this misfortune and to push it away?

Here’s what they, unfortunately do: they strive to make pride of shame, to blacken with the dark sin of Sodom what once used to be the White City, to befoul it, and to summon God’s punishment upon it. And instead of bowing their heads and kneeling in prayer to the Holy Mother of God, they mindlessly pierce her maternal chest with a sword. (Luke 2:35) Truly, the word of the prophet came true, and her son is truly “a sign that is spoken against” (Luke 2:34) and done against. And that happens more and in a more deceitful way amongst the sinful Serbian people than anywhere else. Every curse of her son, every dirty word thrown at Him, every ugly picture that brings disgrace to Him, is a painful offence to her and a sword that pierces her soul. And the unfortunate Serbs point out to their shame of being the first in Eastern Europe to organize the distortion of God’s son as if it were something to be proud of.

Hunger is overshadowing Serbia; there aren’t enough dumpsters for the hungry to dig through; and Serbia is paying two thousand policemen in the name of “the freedom of speech”: to protect a handful of the “proud” effeminates. Dear God, where are we going?


My brothers and sisters,

I am afraid that the boundary stone has been found and crossed over and there is no return. However, in this hopelessness that we found ourselves in, if there is any hope left, let us kneel and cry out to Holy Mother to pray to her son to avert His wrath from us, to not destroy us completely. Amen.