Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Monday at the Patriarchal Cathedral, where he underlined that all the works of the Church are accomplished through the grace of the Holy Spirit in the name of the Holy Trinity.
The hierarch emphasised the cooperation of the Persons of the Holy Trinity, noting that their work has never been separate.
“The Holy Spirit does not work apart from the Father and the Son. This work of sanctifying the world, like its creation and its salvation, is a common work of all the Persons of the Holy Trinity.”
This joint activity is visible in all the Sacraments and services of blessing in the Church, in every act of blessing and sanctification of our lives, which is accomplished through the grace of the Holy Spirit in the name of the Holy Trinity.
Union with God
Bishop Varlaam explained that through the Holy Eucharist, human beings are united with God.
“The supreme form of union with God in our earthly life is the Holy Eucharist, Holy Communion, which is the Body and Blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ.”
The hierarch noted that during the epiclesis, the priest prays to God the Father to send the Holy Spirit to transform the gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ.
“This work of communicating Christ—not only His word and His grace, but even His very Body and Blood through the Holy Eucharist—is a work of the Holy Spirit, who is sent by the Father to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.”
The Lesser Doxology
The Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop also pointed out that the liturgical life of the Church frequently employs a short doxology: “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.”
“It is a doxology, a hymn of praise to the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. The final words, ‘now and ever and unto the ages of ages,’ show that the person with a pure heart and unwavering faith who glorifies the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit here on earth is called to eternal life, where in the everlasting Kingdom he or she will continue to glorify the three Persons of the Holy Trinity.”
“We are now in this season of the Holy Spirit, the season of sanctification. The Holy Spirit has this desire, this unceasing longing, to sanctify our lives, to make us more Christian day by day, to help Christ take shape within our being and in our body,” Bishop Varlaam said.
Patronal Feast of the Basilica Media Centre
The Basilica Media Centre is placed under the protection of the Holy Trinity, and a Te Deum service was celebrated at the end of the Divine Liturgy.
Bishop Varlaam, who also coordinates the Basilica Media Centre, presented the activities of the Romanian Patriarchate’s media institutions.
“They cultivate the relationship between spirituality and culture, between faith and science, promote the activities of Christian youth in our country, and contribute to the prevention of certain illnesses through programmes dedicated to the health of our radio listeners and television viewers.”
“An essential purpose is to promote the many activities carried out by the Church in the pastoral, missionary and educational fields, but especially in the philanthropic and charitable sphere,” he added.
The celebrations continued in the Europa Christiana Hall of the Patriarchal Palace, where the staff of the Basilica Media Centre met with Patriarch Daniel.
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Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
