“Let us be careful not to rush into judging an event or a person, because, on the one hand, much escapes us and we do not know everything,” His Grace Damaschin of Dorna, Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți, warned on Sunday.
His Grace celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Protection of the Mother of God Parish in Ilișești, Suceava County, in northern Romania.
Do not judge your neighbour
Reflecting on the Gospel reading for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Bishop Damaschin highlighted the contrast between the faith of those who recognised Christ’s work and the hardness of heart shown by the Pharisees.
“We do not know the entire context of an event or an action. We are limited and, at the same time, influenced by our own mentality, which is itself disturbed.”
The bishop urged the faithful to avoid hasty judgments and to view other people with discernment and kindness.
“Our eye is not pure or clear, and through these lenses we cannot be certain that we see things correctly.”
“When you see something good in another person, rejoice. Do not begin from malice, envy or narrowness of soul, trying to damage that person’s reputation simply because you cannot reach the same standard,” His Grace said.
The Assistant Bishop explained that Christian life is built through the cultivation of virtues:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
New bells for the church
During the service, Bishop Damaschin blessed the church’s new bells.
On this occasion, the hierarch commemorated the founders and former ministers of the parish who have departed to the Lord.
At the conclusion of the event, diocesan distinctions were presented to clergy and parish benefactors. Dumitru and Paraschiva Savu, who supported the purchase of the new bells, received the Mușatinii Order.
Photo: Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți
