On 15 November 2015, the Orthodox Church is on the 25th Sunday after Pentecost. On this day, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, together with His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, assisted by a group of priests and deacons.
After reading the Gospel text, the Patriarch of Romania emphasised its spiritual teaching.
Guidebook for the life of the Church and of every Christian
“The Church scheduled this Gospel text for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost both because it explains the mystery of the humankind and because it is a guidebook for the life of the Church and of every Christian. It was scheduled to be read now, at the beginning of the Nativity of the Lord Fast or of Christmas to teach us to join prayer and mercy. All these spiritual teachings on joining fasting, prayer and mercy prepare us to receive Christ, our Lord, in the cave of our soul, which is spiritually born in the life of every Christian according to one’s faith and love for God and for one’s fellow human beings”, His Beatitude said.
Any human can be the neighbour who can help
The Gospel also shows us that our neighbour can be not only the one related to us, but any human being through whom the Mercy of God is manifested, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church also said.
“Any human being can be the neighbour of any other human being, and any human being can be the neighbour, the one who needs the help of the people around. The Gospel tells us that not only a certain category of people can be the neighbours able to help those in need but any human, if he/she has a merciful heart and diligent hands. Here we see the unique value of any human person, no matter the ethnic affiliation, rank in society, wealth or poverty, since any human being has an eternal value. This is why Christ, the Lord, has come to save all people, not only one people, but all the peoples who will believe in Him and answer to His merciful love”.
Today, the Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Pious Paisie from Neamt.
Neamt Monastery had become the greatest spiritual school of the entire Orthodoxy
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel spoke about the activity Saint Paisie unfolded in our country.
“He was abbot of Neamt and Secu monasteries for 15 years and unfolded an outstanding spiritual activity. He did prove special endeavour for translating the writings of the Holy Fathers. The brethren of the community confessed their sins every evening, and those more spiritually elevated ones every three days. Saint Paisie from Neamt gathered almost 1000 monks from various Orthodox countries, so that, according to a Russian bishop, Neamt Monastery had become the greatest spiritual school of the entire Orthodoxy”.
A great man of prayer, a great father confessor and a great missionary
The activity of Saint Paisie from Neamt influenced greatly the spirituality of the Slavonic Orthodox Churches, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church said.
“Saint Paisie from Neamt fell asleep into the Lord in the autumn of 1794. As long as he stayed at Neamt he worked with his Romanian disciples, who had good command of the Greek language, and with his Slavic disciples, to draft a book entitled “Dobrotoliubie”, the “Filocalia” in the Slavonic language. This book greatly influenced the spirituality of the Slavic churches. After his death, his disciples set up over 100 monasteries in Ukraine and Russia. He was a great man of prayer, a great father confessor, and a great missionary.
Born in Poltava city, Ukraine, Saint Paisie joined the monastic life when he was 16 years old. He came to know the monastic life of several sketes and monasteries of Ukraine and Wallachia, and then went to the Holy Mount Athos. After spending 17 years there, he went to Moldova where he was the abbot of Dragomirna monastery first, and then of Secu and Neamt monasteries.
After delivering the sermon, the Patriarch of Romania prayed for those who passed away during the fire at the Collective Club of Bucharest and during the attacks in Paris. The victims were remembered at the threefold litany.
His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, said the prayer for the dead and nominally remembered those who lost their lives in the tragic event at the Collective Club. Then, the Their Memory be Eternal and Christ is Risen chants were sung.
During the Divine Liturgy, the Pastoral letter of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on the first Sunday of the Fast of the Nativity of the Lord 2015 was read, on the importance of the Solemn year of the parish and monastery mission today and of the Commemorative Year of Saint John Chrysostom and of the great spiritual shepherds in eparchies.
At the end, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered the faithful present small icons of Saint Pious Paisie from Neamt.
Next Sunday, the Orthodox Church will be on the 26th Sunday after Pentecost.
