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Patronal Feast of Antim Monastery in Bucharest

Hundreds of faithful participated on Sunday, 27 September 2015, in the celebration of the patronal feast of Antim Monastery in Bucharest. Early in the morning, the place of worboat founded by St Hieromartyr Anthimos the Ivirite, Metropolitan of Wallachia, as well as the courtyard of the monastery became overcrowded.

The Divine Liturgy was officiated by His Grace Varlaam Ploieşteanul (of Ploiești), Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, and His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul (of Prahova), Assistant Bishop to the Archbishopric of Bucharest. The assembly of servers was also comprised of the Very Rev. Protosyncelus Vicenţiu Oboroceanu, abbot of Antim Monastery, other hieromonks, priests and deacons.

His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, took part in this event and delivered a sermon at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

St Anthimos developed the social and philanthropic work of the Church

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel praised the activity of Saint Hieromartyr Anthimos the Ivirite, whom was characterized as the greatest Metropolitan of Wallachia.

We can observe St Hieromartyr Anthimos the Ivirite in the miraculous catch of fish, bringing the crowds of people into the boat of Christ’s salvation, enlightening them through his words, through his printing. He printed books in Romanian, Greeks, and Slavic languages in order to help the surrounding peoples – Greeks, Bulgarians, and Serbs – and also in Georgian language, sending once to Tbilisi a printing machine. We face a holy man of culture, and also a man of practical sense, a man of church embellishment, as can be observed in his three-year activity in the Eparchy of Râmnic he painted and consecrated many monasteries. He was a merciful man with a practical sense. He developed the social and philanthropic work of the Church and left in his testament that this very monastery would help the poor. Saint Anthimos the Ivirite built this church according to the plans established by himself. The church was consecrated in 1715, which means that this year we celebrate 300 years from the consecration of the church of Antim Monastery. However, in the month of March 1716, he was arrested, accused of betrayal, defrocked by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and sentenced to life imprisonment, being exiled to St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai. He never arrived there because, as the story goes, the Turkish soldiers killed him on the way and threw his body into Tunca River, next to Adrianoupolis (Edirne) of today’s Turkey. Saint Anthimos the Ivirite died as a martyr because he wanted very much to preserve the Orthodox Faith, and at the same time to protect the Orthodox Church of Wallachia so that she would not be subjected to foreign rulers”, the Patriarch of Romania emphasized.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel also underlined the teachings arising from the evangelical excerpt read in every place of worship in the 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Luke 5, 1-11), referring to the miracle done by our Saviour Jesus Christ at the Sea of Galilee.

Every success in the Church comes by God’s grace

The wondrous catch of fish refers to the miraculous work of God’s grace which gathers crowds of people in His Church, the Romanian Patriarch stated.

“What is the lesson that our Lord Jesus Christ teaches His disciples from the boat, as from a desk? That every fisherman, representing every server of Christ’s Church, doesn’t have to put their hope in their personal strengths, in their personal competences, specialization, expertise and, of course, performance, but first they have to acknowledge that every success in the Church comes by God’s grace. We need God’s help even when we are well-prepared. It is a good thing to labour but at the same time we have to be humble in order that God grant us His support.”

God’s grace is offered to those who prepare themselves for receiving it

From this evangelical excerpt we understand the fact that God’s grace is offered to those who humble themselves, as a result of their spiritual labours, His Beatitude added.

To be noted that this Wondrous Catch of Fish, that the fishermen apostles were made worthy of, didn’t occur for some lazy fishermen, who had slept all night and woke up in the morning with their nets full of fish, but the miracle happened for some industrious fishermen, who laboured and reached humbleness through fatigue and labour. Their much humbleness, as a result of their labours, made them worthy of this miracle. Therefore, we cannot affirm that God’s grace is given to the lazy, but to those who prepare themselves for receiving it. That is why, the prayer read during the ordination of a priest says that sanctification, promotion and commitment to serving the Church come through the divine grace, which always heals that which is infirm and completes that which is lacking”.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered to the church several volumes published by the Publishing Houses of the Romanian Patriarchate, while to the present faithful He offered small icons of St Hieromartyr Anthimos the Ivirite. Also, His Beatitude received as a gift, from the monastic community of Antim Monastery, an icon of St Hieromartyr Anthimos the Ivirite.

In the Feast of Antim Monastery also participated His Grace Qais Sadiq, Bishop of Erzurum (Patriarchate of Antioch), and also the Very Rev. Archimandrite Veniamin Goreanu, Administrative Adviser of the Archdiocese of Bucharest.

Finally, the Head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, along with the assembly of hierarchs, went to the inner courtyard of the monastery, where he blessed the consolidation works carried out so far at the bell tower of the monastic settlement.

This place of worship was built between the years 1713 and 1715, at the initiative of St Metropolitan Anthimos of Wallachia, according to his personal plans. An author, typographer, engraver, theologian, bishop and Romanian metropolitan of Georgian origin, St Hieromartyr Anthimos was one of the greatest Wallachian personalities of the 18th century. He was canonized by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1992. This year (2015), Antim Monastery celebrates 300 years from its consecration.

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