His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina on Sunday explained that ‘not every man who asks God to solve his problems finally receives a solution.’
‘Many of us go to church, many of us venerate icons, partake of the Holy Mysteries, many say that we have a genuine Christian life, but our requests remain unfulfilled,’ His Eminence noted during his Sunday homily delivered at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest.
The Metropolitan of Moldavia explained that we do not receive an answer to our prayers because we do not show love through a firm faith in Christ’s healing power, as the sick woman in the Gospel of Luke who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
We do not receive always an answer to our demands, ‘because we do not entrust ourselves in Christ’s healing power as the synagogue leader did.’
What do we have in the depth of our hearts?
His Eminence added that our requests remain unanswered because we do not truly have God in our heart, but personal ambition and selfishness.
‘God has no place to lay his head in the innermost part of our being,’ Metropolitan Teofan noted.
Everything depends on our faith
In his homily, Metropolitan Teofan stressed that ‘our Christian life depends on our faith, whether we have it or not.’
‘In fact, the whole history of salvation is nothing more than a history of faith,’ he said Oct. 28.
‘God sent His Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to the world to draw the world from the error of idolatry to the true faith.’
‘The living faith, true faith that works through love and good deeds is the salvific faith. It is not formalism, routine, superstition, fundamentalism or surface attitude.’
Therefore, everything depends on faith, the Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina said ending his speech.
Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral
His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan presided over the Divine Liturgy celebrated Sunday at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest on the feast day of Saint Hyacinth of Vicina, the first Metropolitan of Wallachia, October 28.
Concelebrants for the Divine Liturgy included Metropolitan Ioan of Banat, Bishop Mihail of Australia and New Zealand, the Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishops Varlaam of Ploiesti and Ieronim of Sinaia, and the Assistant Bishop to the Bucharest Archdiocese, Timotei of Prahova.
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Photography courtesy of Raluca Ene / Basilica.ro
