The Mother of God is the living icon of the Church, the Patriarch of Romania told the faithful present at the celebration of the patronal feast of the church ofSaint Anton the Old Court. His Beatitude explained that this feast helps us a lot in our spiritual ascension becausethe Mother of God teaches us fasting, prayer, humility and fulfilment of the will of God with joy.
On the Annunciation feast, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the princely church of the Old Court, on the occasion of its historical patronal feast. This patronal feast day was established by the founders of this place of worship, Ruler Prince Mircea and Lady Chiajna, when the church was built, in 1559.
The celebrants also included: Very Rev. Archimandrite Paisie Teodorescu, Patriarchal Vicar, Rev Florin Busuioc, archpriest of deanery district 3 Bucharest, parish priest Gheorghe Zaharia, priests and deacons.
The Mother of God is a model of humble obedience
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel referred in the sermon delivered to the dialogue between Archangel Gabriel and the Mother of God, as well as to her free consent to receive Christ, our Lord, in her womb, and emphasised the fact that“the Mother of God is a model of humble obedience”, also underlining how much God appreciates human’s freedom.
“This shows us how much God appreciates human’s freedom because He proposes salvation, but does not impose it on us; God proposes us eternal life, forgiveness of the sins, sanctification of life, but does not impose them and awaits for us to say yes right of our own will: “I am the Lord’s servant,May your word to me be fulfilled”,His Beatitude said.
The Patriarch of Romania has also said that the purpose of the Incarnation of the Eternal Son of God from Virgin Mary is the sanctification of the human and his expiating for sin and death.
The Mother of God is the living icon of the Church
At the same time, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel explained that the Mother of God has become the living icon of the Church and showed that“the same as she sanctified herself through the work of the Holy Spirit, through the conception and birth of Christ by her, so are the faithful purified in the Church through all the Holy Sacraments, prepared for resurrection, first of all for the resurrection of the soul through death caused by sin and wait for the resurrection of the body at the end of the ages, when Christ comes to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end”.
At the end, the Patriarch of Romania offered several books of worship and of spiritual benefit for the princely church of the Old Court as a sign of appreciation and small icons of the Annunciation to the faithful present, and wished them“good health, help from God, and the joy of the Annunciation so that you may announce too the never ending love of God for humankind”.
Then, parish priest Gheorghe Zaharia thanked His Beatitude for his presence in the midst of the faithful, saying that“you made us great joy to be with us at the Divine Liturgy”. The parish priest has also announced that in the near future, after the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, a social centre of the church ofSaint AntonOld Court will be inaugurated.
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