Numerous church-goers were present on the Fourth Sunday of the Great Lent (Sunday of St. John of the Ladder) in the Nativity of the Lord Metropolitan Cathedral in Chisinau.
With the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Vicar Bishop Ioan of Soroca.
Bishop Ioan talked in the archpastoral guidance message after the Gospel Reading (Mark 9: 17-32), on the healing of the epileptic young man, about the power of faith.
His Eminence also talked about the significance of this Sunday, called by the name of St. John Sinaite, the author of the Ladder of Heavenly Ascension:
“You have heard in today’s Gospel Reading, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, saying that blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5, 8). One of these blessed was Venerable John of the Ladder, who purified his heart and saw God in spirit in the place where once Moses saw the Glory of God, in Mount Sinai. Venerable John lived a harsh ascetic life and became renown through his book on Christian ascetics, called The Ladder, describing 30 steps of spiritual ascension.
Venerable John describes the ascension to the Heavenly Kingdom, starting from the abandoning of earthly life and sinful living, and working to gain the virtues of faith, hope, and love”.
Bishop Ioan advised the believers to continue their ascension through the Great Lent, in the light of prayer, purification, and humility, as this latter, humility, is essential condition of spiritual doing, while the faith is confirmed by following the teaching of the Church.
The following Sunday of Great Lent is the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt.
Synodal Sector of Institutional Communication and Mass-Media Relations.