The last criterion of the Last Judgement is love. It was with this sermon that His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, blessed the faithful on the Sunday of the Last Judgement or Meat-fare Sunday. The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church and His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, assisted by a group of priests and deacons.
The Last Judgement is frightening for three reasons
His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, showed that“this Sunday is also called the Sunday of the Last Judgementbecause Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Himself shows us that the Last Judgement will not be an ordinary judgement, but a frightening one. First of all, in its context, then through its form and content”,the Patriarch of Romania underlined.
The context of the Last Judgement is the one of the universe’s implosion, of its collapse. The Judgement is frightening in its form, because it is solemn and universal. It is frightening through its content because unexpected, unforeseeable truths are revealed, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church underlined.
The Judgement of Christ shows us the humbleness of God
“This Judgement of Christ shows us both God’s humbleness Who respects the subjective freedom of man and the glory of God who rewards the merciful love of man. He rewards the merciful ones and calls them into the Kingdom of the Merciful Father in Heaven, while the merciless cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven because they do not resemble the Merciful God”,His Beatitude Daniel showed.
“We cannot reach God neglecting our fellow human beings in distress”
The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church has also underlined the fact that there is a criterion according to which the Just Judge judges all humans:“The Gospel also reveals a remarkable truth, namely that there is a criterion according to which the Just Judge judges all humans, no matter their nation, faith, social status, culture or fame in the world, namely the last criterion of the final judgement is love. Everybody will be judged according to what merciful not possessive love he/she showed to his fellow human beings. In other words, we cannot reach God neglecting our fellow human beings in distress. Christ does not ask us something we cannot accomplish”.
During the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude ordained deacon the young theologian Stanciu Nicolae, eparchial counsellor at the Department for church properties of the Archdiocese of Bucharest. He has also ordained archdeacons deacons Sfarghie Stefan and Matei Ciprian Silviu, serving at the Patriarchal Cathedral. The liturgical answers were given at the Divine Liturgy byNicolae Lungu Chorus of the Romanian Patriarchate conducted by Luminita Guranu. Next Sunday, the Orthodox Church will be on theSunday of the Expulsion of Adam from Paradise or of the Cheese-fare.
At the end, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, blessed the faithful, urging themto show, all our life, and especially during Lent which we shall soon begin, humble prayer and sincere repentance, as well as much mercy.
“If we do not have money or material things to give to the poor, then we must show them merciful love and spiritual mercy. We must pray for them first, visit them, be by their side, encourage them with good words, or help an old helpless old person in his/her house. Yet, all these gestures which cost nothing are the deeds of our merciful love which if present in our souls then our hands become the hands of the merciful love of Christ for the human beings”,concluded His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.
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