Homilies

Three reasons why the Church established the Sunday of all Saints: Patriarch Daniel

During his Sunday homily at Samurcasesti Monastery, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel listed three reasons why the Church established a special day to celebrate the Synaxis of All Saints. Patriarch Daniel said that the first reason was to indicate that humans can become Saints, ‘to show that the fruit or consequence of the coming of the…

Jun 5, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

The Holy Spirit wants to dwell inside the human soul: Patriarch Daniel on Pentecost

‘The Holy Spirit wants to dwell in the human soul to make every human being an image of Christ,’ His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said Sunday at the Divine Liturgy celebrated on Pentecost at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. Concelebrants for the Divine Liturgy included the Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Ieronim of Sinai and the Assistant Bishop…

May 29, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel: All works of Emperor Saint Constantine were inspired by St Helen, an example of instructing mother

‘Saint Helen is an example of an instructing mother,’ His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel stressed Monday on the feast of the Equal of the Apostles and Emperor Constantine with his Mother Helen, the protector saints of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. ‘She instructed her son discreetly, but efficiently,’ the Patriarch said. ‘The Edict of Milan and…

May 23, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel: Today we celebrate in advance the National Cathedral’s main patronal feast

Six months before its consecration, the main patronal feast of Romania’s National Cathedral was celebrated Thursday in advance at the Cathedral’s Chapel. On the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel presided over the festive Divine Liturgy expressing his hope that next year the Cathedral’s main patronal feast will be celebrated…

May 18, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Life and health are gifts from God, not our rights: Patriarch Daniel on Sunday of the Blind Man

‘Existence and health are not our own right, they are gifts,’ Patriarch Daniel stressed in his Sunday Gospel delivered at St Spyridon Cathedral in Bucharest in which he reflected on the healing of the blind man. He said we must keep and cultivate these gifts, and that we should thank God and our neighbours for…

May 15, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel urges faithful to convert suffering into hope through repentance

During his homily delivered Sunday, April 29, at Tiganesti Monastery near Bucharest, Patriarch Daniel urged the faithful ‘to repent for our sins, to convert suffering into hope through repentance and to become the hands that help others.’ ‘Let us not be selfish as those who helped only their family members at the pool of Bethesda.…

May 2, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel on Bright Friday: The risen Christ is the spring of our healing

In his homily delivered on Bright Friday, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel referred to Christ as ‘the spring of our healing,’ stressing His unlimited love for humans. His Beatitude said that Christ the Lord ‘is not indifferent to human suffering, sickness, infirmity, and unfulfillment.’ Every time we entreat Him, Jesus Christ comes to our help ‘directly…

Apr 13, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

St Callinicus is a light for monastics, hierarchs, and believers, Patriarch Daniel says

‘Saint Callinicus of Cernica is a light for monastics, hierarchs, and lay believers. He is an embellishment of Romanian Orthodoxy and of the entire Orthodoxy,’ said Patriarch Daniel on Bright Wednesday at the Cernica Monastery near Bucharest. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel presided over the Divine Liturgy to commemorate 150 years since the falling asleep of…

Apr 12, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel reflects on joy and peace at Agape Vespers on Pascha Sunday

On Pascha Sunday His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel officiated the Agape Vespers at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, during which he offered his reflections on joy and peace as two great blessings of the risen Christ. Concelebrants for the Agape Vespers included Bishop Qais of Erzurum (Antioch Patriarchate), the Patriarch’s auxiliary bishops Varlaam of Ploiesti and…

Apr 10, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Thousands attend Paschal midnight service in Bucharest: ‘This feast gives a meaning to the whole existence’

Thousands attended the Paschal midnight service officiated by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel Saturday night in Bucharest. Concelebrants for the service were His Grace Varlaam of Ploiesti, assistant bishop to the patriarch, and His Grace Timotei of Prahova, assistant bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest. At midnight, the patriarch distributed to the believers the Holy Fire,…

Apr 10, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

The purpose of Eucharist brings us joy, not the understanding of the miracle: Patriarch Daniel on Maundy Thursday

During his homily delivered at the Divine Liturgy on Maundy Thursday, Patriarch Daniel offered his reflections on the Last Supper and the eucharistic miracle. ‘It is a Mystery that we will never fully understand.’ ‘But what is it that brings joy?,’ the patriarch asked. ‘Nut the understanding of how the bread and wine become the…

Apr 7, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu