by Romfea.news
On Sunday, June 23, 2019, a day which our Holy Church also commemorates as the “Sunday of All Saints,” Metropolitan Ioannis of Lagadas, officiated the Orthros (Matins) and presided the Archieratic Sacred Service at the Holy Church of Virgin Mary, in Gerakarou, Lagadas.
The Archimandrite, pastor of the Holy Metropolis and professor of pastoral theology in the School of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Nicodemos Skrettas, preached the Divine Word, and talked about today’s feast as a continuation of Sunday Pentecost and its meaning, saying, inter alia, the following: “Today the results of the gifts of the Light of the Holy Spirit and the foundation of the Church, which are the Holiness, are highlighted. Our saints are those who, with the grace of God, sacrificed their lives”.
“They imitated Christ as the first Martyr on the Cross, as Confessors and Crucified along with the Lord. Unfortunately, today we live in a world, full of negation and hostile to the Holy Gospel, and to what the Lord asks from us. We should follow the example of the Saints, their true love to our Lord”, continued Mr. Skrettas.
From his part, Metropolitan Ioannis of Lagadas, added that “Εveryone’s life is an upward and dynamic course. Today’s celebration is special. We all celebrate because we are all able to enter this open feast and we are all called today by God, to make the right choice and to go near God rather than behind Him. Everyone has a place in Paradise. We must realise this, and not celebrate pointless our name day. The Saints imitated Christ and lived according to Christ, following Him many times until the Martyrdom”.
Ending his brief sermon, he encouraged the congregation, including the newly elected Mayor of Lagadas, Ioannis Tahmatzidis, to love the life of the Saints and live accordingly: “The life of Christ and the life of the Christian is a Holy one and the life of the Saints is the life of our Church, it is the true life”.