Today, 27 July 2014, feast of Saint Great Martyr and Healer Pantelimon, hundreds of faithful attended the Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church at “Saint Mary” Monastery – Techirghiol, patriarchal stavropighia, on the occasion of the celebration of the chapel of this monastery. His Beatitude was assisted by a group of priests and deacons.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel addressed a sermon to all those present in which he explained the Holy Gospel the Church scheduled to be read at the Divine Liturgy: “We learn from the healed blind ones their insistence in prayer. They said not only once, but always cried after Jesus Christ, our Saviour: Have mercy for us. We learn from them their strong faith, namely that Jesus can heal them. We also learn gratitude from them. Although Jesus Christ ordered them not to tell anything, yet when they got out of the house, full of joy for seeing the other people, the sunshine, nature and the world, they showed their gratitude praising God and announcing the healing power of Jesus Christ”.
His Beatitude explained why the Saviour asked the healed ones not to say anything about the boons received from Him: “He ordered them not to tell anything to anybody in order to teach us not to expect praise, personal gratitude, for our human glory or personal manifestation from people when we do them good. These blind ones glorified God for the healing power which worked through Jesus Christ. Thus, when we do good deeds we must not expect gratitude or praise of the people, but from God, who knows the merciful thoughts and love of the one who does good and will reward”.
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church has also spoken about the pure life of Saint Great Martyr Pantelimon: “He started helping people and healing lots of sick, combining medical science and prayer addressed to Jesus, the doctor of our bodies and souls. One day he healed a blind man and many people started appreciating and loving him even more. His father was the senator present at that wonder and asked right away to be baptised to become Christian”.
The wonder reached the ears of emperor Mazentiu, who asked Saint Pantelimon to give up the Christian faith. He was submitted to terrible torture because he refused, and beheaded at last, on 27 July 305: “The Saint is well known all over the world, and especially as protector of the Christian hospitals, consulting rooms and of the chapels of various hospitals. In our country there are some churches which have relics of Saint Pantelimon and which are very appreciated and desired for healing. Today, on the occasion of the feast of Saint Great Martyr Pantelimon we also think of all the priests of charity from hospitals, of physicians and of all the staff who help relieve the sufferance of the sick. We also wish good health and many years of blessed life to those named Pantelimon. We pray Saint Great Martyr Pantelimon to heal all the spiritual and physical diseases and to give us the joy of healing”, His Beatitude has also said.
To end with the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Daniel offered a blessing cross made at the workshops of the Bible and Orthodox Mission Institute to Rev Ieronim Gheorghita. His Beatitude has also congratulated abbess Lucia Rosu and the entire monastic community for the social and missionary activity unfolded in the holy monastery and offered several liturgical and theological books for the Holy Altar and for the library of the monastic settlement.
The abbess offered the Patriarch of Romania, in her turn, an icon of Saint Martyr Pantelimon made in the painting workshop of the monastic settlement.
