Romanian pilgrims prayed on Tuesday at the patronal feast of Ostrog Monastery together with His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina. His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy alongside Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral.
The event marked the feast of Saint Basil the Wonderworker of Ostrog, the protector of the monastic settlement. Thousands of pilgrims from several Orthodox countries came to venerate his holy relics and take part in the services dedicated to the feast.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Teofan highlighted the spiritual bond between Orthodox peoples through their common veneration of the saints.
“At the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași, believers from Montenegro, Serbia and other Balkan countries often come to venerate the relics of Saint Parascheva of Iași. At the same time, many Romanians come here, to Ostrog, to honour St Basil of Ostrog.”
“St Basil of Ostrog and St Parascheva of Iași unite Orthodox Christians in this part of the world,” the Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina added.
Saints as models of life in Christ
His Eminence underlined that the faithful’s devotion to the saints springs from the work of divine grace.
“They are so loved because people feel in their blessed relics the power of God, humility and the fervour of prayer.”
The simplicity of their lives and the purity of their hearts were foundations of holiness through which “they fulfilled Christ’s word in the Gospel: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).”
“They were blessed to acquire, even in this world, the knowledge of the glory of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:6),” Metropolitan Teofan also said.
Ostrog Monastery is one of the best-known pilgrimage destinations in the Orthodox world, attracting thousands of faithful each year who come to venerate St Basil of Ostrog.
Photo: Doxologia
