Today, 13 November 2012, the chapel of the Cathedral for the Nation’s Salvation celebrated its saint patron, Saint John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople. On this occasion, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church was in the middle of the hundreds of faithful who attended the feast of the place of worship and delivered a sermon.
The faithful who attended the Divine Liturgy could pray to a particle of the holy relics of Saint John Chrysostom laid under a canopy, close to the chapel.
“Saint John Chrysostom is mentioned in the living memory of the Church for his special qualities in several fields. Although he served for seven years, he worked a lot as Archbishop of Constantinople. First of all, Saint John Chrysostom was a great teacher of the Holy Scriptures, with a good command of the Holy Scriptures, and a good interpreter of the Bible.
He interpreted the Holy Scriptures beginning with the Genesis, and then the Gospels according to Saints Evangelists Matthew and John. He has also interpreted the 14 Epistles of Saint Paul the Apostle whom he appreciated very much so that we can say that his sermon is based on the quotations from the Holy Bible, as well as on a deep interpretation made in order to bring the Christians to the holy life in Christ. This is why Saint John Chrysostom can be considered an interpreter of the Holy Scriptures in which there is the Word of Life, the Living Water of the Holy Spirit. He says in this regard: If you went to the church, when you come back home tell those at home who have not been at the church what was read of the Gospel the respective day, explain those at home what you have received from the Holy Scriptures while listening to the texts of the Holy Scriptures during the religious service and to the sermon of the priest“, His Beatitude said, as Trinitas Radio informs us.
Today, Saint John Chrysostom urges us to know the Holy Scriptures and especially the Holy Scriptures present in our religious services, the Patriarch of Romania said, showing that: “There are 124 references to the Old Testament and 98 to the New Testament in the text of the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. It means that almost 90% of the text of the Divine Liturgy is made up of texts or references to the Holy Scriptures. All our Orthodox books of rite are based on the Holy Scriptures interpreted by the Holy Fathers of the Church. All of them refer to the work of God done in the history of salvation as a foundation for our prayer to get help as He helped some other time.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel showed that Saint John Chrysostom was a great teacher of repentance and a great shepherd of souls: “Bishop Anfilie who lived the writings of Saint John Chrysostom a lot is said that he wanted to know in what host of saints he was, in the host of the monks, of the bishops, or in that of the preachers. The angel appeared and told him: Go and see all the hosts. Bishop Anfilie saw or only got a glimpse of Saint John Chrysostom. Then, sad, he asked: Why haven’t I seen him? The angel answered him: You cannot see the place whereabouts he is as long as you are in the body, because he is in the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, together with the cherubim and seraphim, because he was a teacher of repentance. He called the people to improve their lives, give up sins and follow the way of holiness. So, Saint John Chrysostom, having been a teacher of repentance, he is a great recuperator of the confused souls and helper of the fallen ones and healer of those injured by sins and passions. He says: “You fell once, you fell twice, you sinned the tenth and the thousandth time, run to the Church, repent your sins and pray for forgiveness because the Church is a hospital, not a court of judgement“, His Beatitude said.
The Patriarch of Romania offered several liturgical books and of spiritual benefit as a sign of appreciation for the missionary work of the patriarchal chapel, and a small icon of Saint John Chrysostom to those present.
His Beatitude received an epigonation, an icon of Saint John Chrysostom and a bunch of flowers.
Monday, 24 October 2011, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel consecrated the church together with a group of hierarchs of Romanian and foreign hierarchs, on the occasion of the feast of Saint Dimitrios the New, Protector of Bucharest. The church is protected by the Resurrection of the Lord, by the Icons of the Mother of God – Prodromite and by Saint John Chrysostom.
