On the second Sunday of Lent, of St. Gregory Palamas, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir celebrated the Holy and Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of the Lord in Chisinau.
The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Moldova was joined by Protopriest Vadim Cheibais, Metropolitan Secretary and Dean of the Cathedral, and the clergy of the holy place.
The miracle of the healing of the Paralytic in Capernaum, related in today’s Gospel urges us to repent and confess our sins. God’s fatherly love shown to the paralyzed man through Jesus Christ, the Doctor and Counselor, is the essence of today’s Gospel. Through it the gospel calls us to confess our sins, to go to Christ, to show Him our sins, our sicknesses and our weaknesses so that He may heal them and help us to make a new beginning in our lives.
On the second Sunday of Lent, St. Gregory Palamas is particularly celebrated.
St. Gregory Palamas said that the light or glory of the Kingdom of Heaven is not created light like the light of the sun, but an uncreated, eternal, unapappeased light. And this is the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven that the Holy Apostles Peter, James and John saw at the Transfiguration of the Savior Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor. When God has willed in history, he has given some men a foretaste of this glory of the Kingdom of Heaven from their earthly life. When man prays much, repents, fasts, he is enlightened with the grace of God, with the uncreated, unapappeared, undescended light, which is not seen with the eyes of the flesh, but which is seen with the eyes of faith from this life as a gift offered in advance, as a foretaste. And this light will be the glory and joy in the kingdom of heaven after the resurrection of the body for those who have believed in Christ and loved him.
At 5 p.m. this evening, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir read out the Acathist Hymn to the Holy Passion of the Lord (Passia) at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Next Sunday is dedicated by the Orthodox Church to the commemoration of the Holy Cross.
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