“The feast of the Annunciation is the revelation of the Mystery hidden for centuries and not known by angels, namely the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, of Jesus Christ, our Saviour”. These are the words of the sermon of His Grace Varlaam of Ploieşti, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch addressed to the faithful at the Annunciation feast day.
His Grace celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest, Friday, 25 March 2016.
On this day, the Bible text from Luke 1:24-38 (see below) was read in all the places of worship of the Romanian Patriarchate, presenting the moment Archangel Gabriel announced Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
The hierarch underlined the fact that Jesus Christ brought a new law, the law of the Grace of the Holy Spirit.
“Jesus Christ, our Saviour, is the Holy One, the source of all holiness. He is not a person who becomes holy by efforts, asceticism or cultivation of virtues. Besides this Mystery of the Incarnation of our Saviour, today the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin; Archangel Gabriel announces beforehand the grace, namely the new law that our Saviour brings, the law of the Grace of the Holy Spirit”, His Grace Varlaam of Ploieşti said.
His Grace told the faithful that humility and obedience are two virtues very important for human’s salvation.
“The humility and obedience of the Mother of God, humility and obedience until death on the Cross of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, made possible the restoration of the human nature, taken up now by Jesus Christ, our Saviour, at the time of the conception, so that it becomes worthy to be received in the Heavenly Kingdom through holiness and the work of the Holy Spirit”, the Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch also showed.
His Grace Varlaam of Ploieşti has also said that today’s Gospel text shows that the One born as human by Virgin Mary has existed before all ages. We must also learn the humility from the Mother of God.
During the Divine Liturgy, Rev. Fr. Alexandru Moţoc, General Inspector at the Holy Synod Office, who passed away this morning, was commemorated.
In the end, the hierarch read the message of the Patriarch of Romania for opening the conferences of the Christian Orthodox Students’ Association of Romania and of the Christian Orthodox Youth League of Romania entitled The Vocation of the Orthodox Young People Today: Communion and Responsibility.
Bible text Luke 1:24-38
After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.” In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
