Today, 25 March 2015, the Orthodox faithful celebrate the Annunciation. On the occasion of this great feast, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania celebrated the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom united to the Vesper service at the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest, assisted by a group of priests and deacons. His Grace Varlaam, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch was also present.
After reading the Evangelical Pericope, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon in which he showed that the Annunciation is the first feast dedicated to the Mother of God, confirmed by documents. Today’s feast represents the beginning of the people’s salvation, His Beatitude also said.
Feast of the humanisation of the Eternal God
“It is a feast of the Mother of God because Archangel Gabriel announced her that she would give birth to the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, while the fact that this feast is the beginning of our salvation as the beginning of Christ’s conception, the Son of the eternal God as human from Virgin Mary makes the feast be a Royal Feast of Jesus Christ, the Saviour, as well. Therefore, it is the Feast of the Incarnation of the Lord or the Feast of the humanisation of the eternal God by which the Eternal Son of God is made man for the people’s salvation”, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church explained.
The entire Holy Trinity mysteriously participates in the Incarnation or humanisation of the Son of God from Virgin Mary
“This mystery of the presence of the Holy Trinity at the conception of the new Adam, of Jesus Christ, is anticipated through the fact that when the first Adam, the man, was created, he was the result of the love of the Most Holy Trinity because the Holy Scriptures say in the Genesis that when God decided to create man He did not only say by word, but Let us make Man in our image and likeness, not in my image and likeness, using the mysterious plural, namely in our image and likeness. The Holy Fathers of the Church, especially the eastern Holy Fathers interpreted this plural as the mysterious presence of all the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity when man was made and placed in Paradise”, His Beatitude said.
God does not force any holy work for man
“The Mother of God accepts this work, with lowliness and obedience, although she does not understand how this incarnation could be done. This is why after the angel explained her how the humanisation of the Son of God would be done, she said “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled!”, and then Archangel Gabriel left. It means that God does not force any holy work for man, but He does is with the agreement of the human, observing our freedom”, the Patriarch of Romania also underlined.
Christ is born in our soul through virtues
Today’s feast is a day of the families with children, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel also showed: “This day of the Annunciation is a blessing too for the family, for all parents who give birth to children, as well as for those who have no children, but who help the needy families with many children. Thus, we see that the Annunciation is a blessing for the entire Church: for family, children, parents, as well as for the spiritual mothers and parents who live in monasteries, because they give birth through prayer, through the communication with the Holy Sacraments, through the devoted obedience of Christ who is born through virtues in our soul”.
During the Divine Liturgy, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church ordained deacon Teodor Gradinaciuc – director for programmes at Trinitas Radio station – as priest for the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Spiridon the New, and young theologian Nicolae Iancu – Trinitas TV reporter – as deacon for the parish of Saint George the New of Bucharest.
The feast of the Annunciation reminds the time when Virgin Mary learned she would give birth to Messiah, expected throughout the centuries.
