His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel Sunday expressed his hope that the faithful will be able to attend the divine services shortly.
Especially during this period, ‘when many people suffer spiritually from anxiety and fear,’ church services are ‘a healing from solitude and restlessness.’
‘In this period, we also suffer because our beloved faithful cannot physically, directly participate in the church services. We hope that we will be able to meet again soon at the church services. However, at the beginning they will be officiated outside the places of worship,’ the Patriarch of Romania said during his Sunday homily at St George Chapel of the patriarchal residence.
The Patriarch noted that by attending church services, we strengthen our faith.
‘The services bring us peace and joy through Christ’s presence in the Holy Sacraments and all church services in general. That is why the Psalmist said Taste and see that the Lord is Good.’
Patriarch Daniel called the believers to intensify their prayers since the dialogue with God is essential in overcoming any health crisis.
“In this time of the pandemic, when many people suffer spiritually from loneliness, anxiety, fear, the insecurity of tomorrow, the fear of illness, the fear of death, let us ask the Saviour Jesus Christ to come to us, to our soul, to lift us from suffering, from loneliness, from sorrow, and to give us the joy He offered to the man He healed at Bethesda.”
In addition to prayer, we also have to help our neighbour, the Patriarch explained.
“May God help us to transform this period of loneliness and anxiety into a period of hope, a period of more intense communion with God through prayer and more intense communion with our fellow people through good works.”
During his sermon, the Patriarch of Romania referred to the healing of the paralytic at Bethesda. ‘Our Saviour Jesus Christ shows us that good must be done every day – on a holiday or on a working day – to show merciful love to those in need.’
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church highlighted that we must always be grateful for the benefits received, following the example of the healed paralyzed man.
‘As soon as he was healed, the paralyzed man went to the temple to thank God for his healing, teaching us to thank God for all the good things received from Him.’
Photography courtesy of the Basilica.ro Archive
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