Saint John the Baptist remains a model for Christians, said His Grace Bishop Timotei of Spain and Portugal in his homily delivered at the Romanian Orthodox parish of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist in Lérida, Spain, which recently celebrated its patronal feast.
In his sermon, His Grace spoke about how we can sanctify our lives by following the example of Saint John the Baptist:
“Saint Silouan the Athonite says that for a single judgmental thought, we lose the grace of the Holy Spirit. Instead of praying and helping one another, we often judge. Saint John the Baptist remains our model: through fasting, prayer, and ascetic struggle, he was strengthened by the Holy Spirit and became a doer of God’s will.”
During the Divine Liturgy celebrated on Tuesday, Bishop Timotei awarded parish priest Daniel Ovidiu Șimon the Order of the Holy Apostle James in recognition of his pastoral and missionary work and his contribution to strengthening the parish’s spiritual life.
At the end of the service, children from the parish school gave a short artistic performance. Then, all attendees were invited to a fraternal agape meal organised by the parish in a spirit of fellowship and thanksgiving.
Photo: Diocese of Spain and Portugal
