Yesterday, 20 July 2014, the parish churches and monasteries form all over the country celebrated their saint patron, Saint Elijah the Tishbite – “Lumina” newspaper informs. One of the places of worship which celebrated their dedication day was the chapel of the Monastery of the “Exaltation of the Holy Cross” – Caraiman, in Busteni resort.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the summer altar of this monastic settlement assisted by priests and deacons from the mountain area of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, among whom archimandrite David Petrovici, abbot of the Monastery of the “Exaltation of the Holy Cross” – Caraiman of Busteni, and archpriest Stefan Musat of the deanery of Ploiesti, in the presence of many faithful.
After reading the Gospel of the day, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, showed the spiritual significance of the two Evangelical pericopes to be read on the 6th Sunday after the Pentecost and the feast of Saint Prophet Elijah the Tishbite. The Patriarch of Romania pointed out the fact that the Gospel of the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, referring to the healing of the paralysed man of Capernaum, shows us the divine healing power of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, the father confessor of the souls and doctor of the bodies. The sufferance of the body’s diseases, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church also explained, is not always a consequence of the sin, but it may be a test on behalf of God or a warning for man’s moving away from God. His Beatitude has also underlined the fact that the Gospel urges us to be the hands of the merciful love of Christ, because the healing of a human can be the result not only of the faith of the one who suffers, but also of the strong faith of his family members, of his friends or of some other merciful fellow beings, such as the people who brought the paralysed man to the Saviour to heal him.
In the second part of his speech the Patriarch of Romania pointed out the fact that Saint Prophet Elijah the Tishbite is a man of faith, who wrote not in words, but in his wonderful deeds, who made miracles which were foretastes of the deeds made by Jesus Christ, our Saviour. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel remembered the resurrection of the son of the widow living in the Sarepta of Sydon – a prediction of the resurrection of the son of widow of Nain and wonderful feeding of Saint Elijah in the desert with bread and meat – a prediction of the Holy Eucharist. “Saint Elijah is a supporter of the right faith in time of confusion and urges us today to keep the right faith, help the poor and always hope more in the power of God than in that of the humans”, the Primate of our Church said.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel has also urged the faithful to pray for those who lost their lives in the plane crash in Ukraine: “Lots of children died. Nobody survived and this is why we pray God for the intercession of Saint Elijah the Prophet to bring consolation, comfort and hope to those who had victims in their families, and those who passed away to be received in the rest of the righteous and merciful love of the Most Holy Trinity in the heavenly places. We need God’s help. Let us trust Him first of all, and then the technique, wisdom and human skill”.
To end with the Divine Liturgy, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church congratulated the faithful bearing the name of Saint Elijah the Prophet and urged them to cultivate the faith of Saint Elijah, to have the sense of justice and mercy for the poor. The community of the monastery was also congratulated for the activity unfolded, coordinated by rev protosingelos Gherontie Puiu, who was a servant and founder of this monastic place of worship. His Beatitude offered a newly printed Bible and some other liturgical books to the Monastery of the “Exaltation of the Holy Cross” – Caraiman as a sign of appreciation.
To end with the Divine Liturgy a festive time was held. His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, conveyed a congratulatory message on the occasion of the birthday and name day of His Beatitude. “Although you told us many a time that these are intimate moments of Your Beatitude’s, showing that the feast that the entire Romanian Orthodox Church must observe is that of the enthronement of Your Beatitude as Patriarch of Romania, which we shall have on 30 September, when we will also celebrate your 7 years of fruitful pastoral rule at the head of our Church, we wish to convey you our best thoughts of good health, and power to work, so that you should head us with the same total devotion in the more and more complicated future”, His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul said. His Grace offered His Beatitude, on behalf of the members of the Standing Meeting of the Church national Council, an engolpion of the Mother of God, made at the Workshops of the Romanian Patriarchate. Abbot David Petrovici has also offered him an icon of the Mother of God and a bunch of flowers on behalf of the monastery’s monastic community.
