The most precious gift of the fragrance of Orthodox faith, of prayer and of good deeds is represented by the soul of a true believer cleansed by sins, Patriarch Daniel said during his Palm Sunday homily.
His Beatitude noted that the very costly oil of spikenard of a soul cleansed through repentance and sanctified through the Holy Eucharist is more precious than all the offerings we bring in the Church.
The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a homily during the Divine Liturgy celebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest on 9 April 2017. Together with His Beatitude concelebrated Their Graces Varlaam of Ploiești, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, and Timotei of Prahova, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
In his homily, the Patriarch reflected on the gospel passage where the sister of Lazarus Mary anointed Christ’s feet with a very costly oil of spikenard and wiped His feet with her hair.
Patriarch Daniel noted that the very costly oil was a prefiguration of the Holy and Great Chrism used in the Orthodox Church to consecrate the Altar Table, which symbolises the tomb of the Saviour.
The Patriarch offered Mary, the sister of Lazarus, as an example to all faithful because she brought to Christ the oil of pure nard of great price to show her gratefulness for raising her brother from the dead. In the same manner, the Patriarch noted, all beauteous gifts in the Church are brought as thanksgiving to God for the bounties he has poured upon His servants.
His Beatitude went on to point out the spiritual meaning of the Lord’s victorious Entry into Jerusalem. He said that the Entry into Jerusalem represents a preparation for Christ’s triumph over His own death. He does not run away from death, but rather He goes through death and overcomes it from within through His Resurrection.
By reflecting on this feast, the Patriarch said, we also understand that after His Resurrection, our Saviour Jesus Christ will prepare a dwelling for us in the heavenly Jerusalem, in the kingdom of the Most Holy Trinity.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel ended his homily by sending best wishes to all those who celebrate their name’s day on Palm Sunday.
Credit: Lumina Newspaper
