On the feast day of Saint Demetrius the Myrrh-Gusher, His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria, Naoussa and Kampania presided over the Divine Liturgy at the outdoor altar of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest.
In his sermon, the Greek metropolitan emphasised the importance of saints to the economy of salvation.
“The saints of our Church, whether they are hierarchs, confessors, or martyrs, whether they lived at the dawn of Christendom or whether they are our contemporaries, convey to us the same message, which is always relevant, and even more so in our times, in which interpersonal and global conflicts and misunderstandings are more pronounced.”
“And this is because the life in Christ is a mystical life, an unknown life, lived not in secular forms of respect, not in constant communication with people through social networks, but in intimate and uninterrupted communion with God, through spiritual labour, through the effort of purification, through the search for God’s grace and mercy,” His Eminence explained on October 26.
The Metropolitan of Veria added, “Only through the power of God and the power of calling His Holy Name, as did Saint Nestor, the disciple of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius whom we celebrate today, can man strengthen his spiritual feats and rise from the earthly things to the heavenly things, where there is the pure voice of those who feast, where the saints shine like the sun contemplating the indescribable beauty of the divine face of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ.”
Metropolitan Panteleimon said that his participation in the celebrations of Saint Demetrius the New, Protector of Bucharest, reaffirmed the love of the Romanian people for the saints.
“We are especially pleased to be able to celebrate today the Great Martyr and Myrrh-gusher, Saint Demetrius, the protector and patron saint of Thessaloniki, as well as the Saint of the same name, your protector and patron saint.”
Archbishop Timotei of Arad, Bishops Ieronim of Dacia Felix and Siluan of Hungary, the patriarchal auxiliary bishop Varlaam of Ploiesti, and the assistant bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, Timotei of Prahova, participated in the celebratory Divine Liturgy.
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
Follow us on Twitter: @BasilicaNews
