“You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15).
His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir celebrated the liturgy of the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee in the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of the Lord in Chisinau . The Arch-pastor was joined at the Divine Liturgy by Protopriest Vadim Cheibaș, Secretary of the Metropolitanate of Moldova and Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral, and a choir of priests and deacons.
The Orthodox Church is in the liturgical period of the Triodion, which lasts from the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee to Holy Saturday (before Easter), a total of 10 weeks.
Of this Sunday in the Sinaxarion of the Triodion we read:
The first of these is the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. This week is also known as the week of the announcement. Indeed, as those who are about to go to war are told before the generals when the battle is to begin, so that they may cleanse and sharpen their swords, examine well all their other weapons, remove every obstacle, throw themselves eagerly into the battle and take what they need, so often, before the battle, words are given to the soldiers, stories and parables are told, in order to inflame their souls and remove from them laziness, sloth, fear and every other danger; In the same way, the Holy Fathers proclaim beforehand, as if with a trumpet, the battle that we are to wage by fasting against the devil, in order to purify our souls of the sin that has already taken possession of them, and which has become poisonous because of the long time that it has possessed us; moreover, let us strive to acquire the good works that we do not have, and, being properly armed, let us prepare ourselves for the deed of fasting.
Therefore, since the first weapon for acquiring virtue is repentance and humility, and the greatest obstacle is pride or conceit, the Holy Fathers present us with this worthy example from the divine Gospel on the first feast of the Triodion. By example of the the Pharisee, Jesus calls us to beware of the sin of pride or conceit, and by that of the tax collector, He invites us to acquire humility and repentance, virtues that are opposed to this sin. The first and worst sin is pride or conceit. It was because of pride that the devil fell from heaven; before he was and was called a bright light; because of pride he is and is called darkness. It was also because of this sin that Adam, the first of the human race, was cast out of the joy of heaven.
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