All those of you who want to pursue the deed of fast and prayer, all those who intend to gather rich harvest of repentance, listen to the word of God, listen to the commandment of God – and leave, forgive the others’ trespasses against you! (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov)
Metropolitan Vladimir celebrated Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of Forgiveness (the Sunday before the beginning of Great Lent) in the Nativity of the Lord Cathedral in Chisinau.
Concelebrating to the arch-pastor was archpriest Vadim Cheibas, metropolitan secretary and Cathedral Dean, and the synaxis of priests and deacons of the holy settlement.
This Sunday is the threshold to Great Lent, and its Gospel Reading speaks about forgiveness, true fast, and mercy, three virtues helping us to enhance in us the grace of Baptismal, gaining strengths in the effort of moral sobriety and spiritual revival.
During the Divine Service, hierodeacon Maximilian (Catirau) was ordained hieromonk for the skete of Chirilovca in Floresti region, and subdeacon of the Metropolitan Cathedral, Ioan Teodor was ordained deacon.
In the arch-pastoral message, Metropolitan Vladimir called the praying community to advance during the Great Lent in peace with each other, ascending to the Bright Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord.
His Eminence mentioned that true fast combines abstention with fervent prayer.
Synodal Sector of Institutional Communication and Mass-Media Relations