Sunday, 15 September 2013, His Beatitude celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church of “Saint Daniel the Prophet” of Jibou city. Besides His Beatitude, His Eminence Andrei, Metropolitan of Cluj, Maramures and Salaj and His Grace Petroniu, Bishop of Salaj were also present, all of them assisted by a group of priests and deacons.
To end with the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a sermon in which he emphasised the spiritual teaching of the Evangelical Pericope read today within the Divine Liturgy (Mark 8:34-38 and 9:1): “Although the text of the Gospel of the day is short, yet, it is full of spiritual teaching for the life of every Christian. We are shown the steps to be taken to follow Christ and unite with Him: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Whoever wants to! Thus, Christ, our Lord, does not obligate anybody to come to Him. The call to salvation is an invitation which observes human freedom. Christ does not break down doors, but only knocks at the door of the soul and waits. If we answer He enters the house and has dinner with us, namely He establishes the communion of eternal life ever since this world. Whoever wants to follow Me .. – this expression is extremely important to see first of all that God observes our freedom because man is created in the image of the rational, free and loving God. This is why nothing in faith must be done by force, imposed, but only proposed. We can choose either the communion with Him or separation from Him”.
Thus, Christ, our Lord, addresses us the invitation to follow Him and then He shows the conditions, the Patriarch of Romania said and continued:”First of all man must deny himself. Self denial seems very difficult in a narcissist, individualist and egocentric civilization. Self denial does not mean a denial of the self identity, but a re-centring of life. Self denial means that we must deny our own selfishness, not to have our life in ourselves, but in the God, the spring of eternal life. If man loves only himself becoming conceited, relying by and affirming only himself, there is no more room in him for God and for his fellow beings. Thus, self denial means passing from a selfish life to a generous life of love, devoted and merciful for his fellow beings, devoted to God.”
Then, His Beatitude has spoken about the second condition that the Lord mentioned in regard to His following: “The second condition for following Christ is to take up one’s cross. This expression, although we are used to it, is not easy to explain, but not difficult either for those who carried the cross thinking about Christ and finding in the cross the seed and light of the Resurrection, liberation and the spiritual life. Taking up one’s cross means, in general, to accept life with its limits so that when we have not succeeded in doing what we wanted to and see we failed, not to be disappointed or despaired. The Cross means for the human being to know the limits. This limitation is the basic cross in the man’s life because of the sin. When man was obedient God always listened to him. When he moves off God he feels his body emptied out of the presence of God. After Adam and Eve sinned they felt they were naked, that they had no clothes on. Before sinning they have not seen that they had no clothes on, because they were dressed in the light of the grace of God which used to dwell in their soul and dressed their bodies too. Thus, we notice this limit and this is why the cross means noticing this limit, as well as the contradiction between the good will and the bad deed that we do because of our selfishness and inclination to sin.”
“But taking up one’s cross is much more that admitting the limit of the time of our life as well as our intellectual and physical abilities. The Cross may mean a dissatisfaction, sufferance, pain for some time or for all life. The cross may be the life of an orphan child, an incurable disease, paralysis, and physical or spiritual disease too. When Christ says: take up one’s cross it means that this sufferance or misfortune must be assumed to be presented to Him. This is why He says afterwards and follow Me, not stay alone. The Cross takes us to despair without having the relationship with Christ. The Cross accompanied by Christ is lighter and changed into hope, while sufferance is changed into hope too. A lot of people are aware that their disease is incurable, but very often wonders are made, so that those with strong faith do not despair but hope till the last moment that the merciful love of God will make wonders. Even if he is not healed, it is very important that the soul was healed after the separation from God, from selfishness, that he is no longer rebelled, but in the hands of God who gives the faithful suffering man his soul and makes him get eternal life”, His Beatitude also said.
Then, His Grace Bishop Petroniu delivered a speech in which he presented the history of the region, showing the importance of the visit that His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel pays to this city. His Grace has also announced that that Sunday, Saint Daniel the Prophet was the protector of Jibou city: “Jibou is the third city of Salaj county, after Zalau and Simleu Silvaniei, having about 10,000 inhabitants, out of whom 7,224 are Orthodox, representing 72% of the city’s population. There are two Orthodox places of worship in this locality, namely the one we are in now, and the church dedicated to The Falling Asleep of the Mother of God, built from 1930 – 1932 (…). Due to the re-consecration of the church by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel this day is the most important one in the history of this place of worship, and we are aware that the hardships are over, that the efforts and sacrifice are blessed, and the founders will be remembered at the Holy Altar as long as the church lasts, getting the boons of God as reward both in this lifetime and in eternity. The cathedral is, by definition, situated close to the residence of a hierarch where he celebrates the religious service at the great feasts, as well as on the occasion of the most important events in the Eparchy. The dimensions of a place of worship, no matter how big, does not confer it the cathedral statute.
Nevertheless, taking into account the fact that the church we are in is so big and beautiful, but mostly because it was consecrated by the Patriarch of Romania, we think it can be called with good reason the Cathedral of the Somes Valley (…) A few years ago it was proposed that every locality of the Diocese of Salaj should choose a saint patron, taking also into account the church dedication day. After long reflection and consultation, the priests and the two parish councils of Jibou decided that Saint Daniel the Prophet should be the protector of the city. On the occasion of the re-consecration celebrated today, we solemnly proclaim this decision and display the icon of Saint Daniel – Protector of Jibou for veneration.
His Eminence Metropolitan Andrei said in his thanksgiving speech: “We do glorify God for the wonderful days we had yesterday and today. These are the wonderful days made by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel who has come to consecrate the eparchial seat and this great church of Jibou. His Beatitude’s speech was wonderful saying better than we can what a great importance the church has. His saying is justified by his good theological knowledge, as well as by his daily experience, because His Beatitude is the greatest founder of churches. We cannot mention all his foundations now, but the greatest of all will certainly be the great Patriarchal Cathedral. Thank you, Your Beatitude because you are with us in our Metropolitanate, in the Diocese of Salaj.
To end with, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel awarded Rev Dan Dregan, archpriest of Jibou and Rev Gheorghe Longodor, servant priest at the church of “Saint Daniel the Prophet and Saint Great Martyr George”, the distinction of the Patriarchal Cross for clergy, the highest one of the Romanian Patriarchate. His Beatitude has also offered them a blessing cross and religious books. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel received, in his turn, an icon of Saint Daniel the Prophet on behalf of the servant priests of the church consecrated. His Eminence Metropolitan Andrei received an icon of Saint Andrew the Apostle, and His Grace Bishop Petroniu an icon of Saint Martyr Petroniu.
