“God can accomplish all things when a person does not lose hope and remains steadfast in the faith,” His Grace Bishop Nectarie of Ireland and Iceland said Wednesday during the patronal feast of Valea Mare Monastery in Covasna County, dedicated to the Nativity of St John the Baptist.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Bishops Andrei of Covasna and Harghita, Nestor of Deva and Hunedoara, and Nectarie of Ireland and Iceland.
Bishop Nectarie reflected on the spiritual significance of the Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist and on the power of persevering prayer.
“God answers our prayers and fulfils our desires not when we wish, but when He ordains it, when He knows that the time is most fitting.”
He Never Accepted Compromise
The Bishop of Ireland and Iceland explained that “if there is one characteristic that defines St John the Baptist, it is humility”.
“He never accepted compromise,” His Grace said, noting that both the life and martyrdom of St John the Baptist remain an enduring example for all Christians.
“Let us dare to call upon St John the Baptist in prayer and make him our friend and intercessor before God,” the bishop urged the faithful.
A Blameless Life Brings Moral Authority
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Andrei thanked the hierarchs, clergy, monastics, public officials and pilgrims who had taken part in the monastery’s patronal feast.
The Bishop of Covasna and Harghita explained the meaning of St John the Baptist’s name.
“If anyone asks you what we are celebrating today, tell them that God’s mercy has been poured out upon us and that God’s gift, John the Baptist, has been born into the world.”
“To possess moral authority, one must lead a blameless life,” he added.
The monastery’s abbot, Archimandrite Ignatie Cernat, also expressed gratitude to the many pilgrims who attended the celebration.
A Brief History of the Monastery
The Monastery of the Nativity of St John the Baptist at Valea Mare was founded in 1998 at the initiative of Fr Gheorghe Avram on land donated by his family and by local faithful.
The monastery’s first church, a wooden building in the Maramureș architectural style, was consecrated in 1999. In the years that followed, the monastic settlement expanded with the construction of monastic cells, a guesthouse, a chapel and the main church.
Each year, thousands of pilgrims attend the monastery’s patronal feast. Among the landmark events in its history was His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel’s visit in 2009.
Photo: Diocese of Covasna and Harghita
