On the occasion of the feast of the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian (26 September / 9 October), His Eminence Metropolitan Leontie, Archbishop of Belaya Krinitsa and Bucharest, Metropolitan of All Old Orthodox Christians and First Hierarch of the Old Orthodox Church of the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy, paid a pastoral visit to the parish dedicated to the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian.
At the invitation of the parish priest, Archpriest Mikhail, and the Parish Council, His Eminence attended the patronal feast service, sharing in the spiritual joy of the clergy and faithful gathered to honour the Holy Apostle, the beloved disciple of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Together with His Eminence Metropolitan Leontie, His Grace Archbishop Paisie, Archbishop of Brăila and Tulcea, participated in the holy and divine service, alongside an assembly of priests and deacons, in the presence of the faithful who had come to offer prayers of thanksgiving and praise to God.
Saint John the Theologian – Apostle of Divine Love and Witness to the Truth
The feast of the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian holds a place of particular importance in the life of the Church, presenting to the faithful the image of the Apostle who was granted a special closeness to Christ the Saviour.
Saint John witnessed the Transfiguration, the Passion and the Resurrection of the Lord, and at the Mystical Supper he rested upon the breast of the Saviour. From the Cross, he was entrusted with the care of the Most Holy Mother of God.
Through his Holy Gospel, his catholic epistles and the divine revelation of the Apocalypse, Saint John the Theologian left the Church an everlasting testimony to divine truth.
His teaching, expressed in the words “God is love” (1 John 4:8), reminds us that true Christian life is not limited to the confession of faith in words, but must bear fruit in love, humility, mercy and the fulfilment of God’s commandments.
The commemoration of his repose calls us to understand that the life of a faithful person does not end with departure from this world, but is directed towards the hope of resurrection and eternal life promised by Christ the Saviour.
Preserving the Ancestral Faith and Responsibility Towards the Younger Generations
In his sermon addressed to those present, His Eminence Metropolitan Leontie emphasised the importance of preserving the Orthodox faith, the holy traditions and the ecclesiastical ordinances inherited from our forefathers without alteration.
His Eminence explained that these sacred ordinances must not be regarded merely as a legacy of the past, but as a living spiritual treasure which every generation is called to preserve, practise and pass on.
A particular place in his pastoral exhortation was given to the need to bring children and young people closer to the life of the Church through Christian education, participation in the divine services and active involvement in parish communities.
His Eminence called upon parents, clergy and the entire community to devote greater attention to the spiritual formation of the younger generations, so that they may come to know not only the external forms of tradition, but also the profound meaning of prayer, service and life in Christ.
In this respect, special emphasis was placed upon the responsibility of the Christian family, where children receive their first teachings about God, and of the parish, as a community in which children and young people must find parental love, guidance and spiritual support.
The preservation of ancestral traditions and openness to the active participation of young people are not opposed to one another, but complement each other. Only through the authentic living of the faith, through prayer and through the practice of Christian love can the treasure received from our fathers be passed on, alive, to future generations.
The Joy of Ecclesiastical Communion
The patronal feast provided an opportunity to strengthen the spiritual bonds between hierarchs, clergy and faithful, and to reaffirm the unity of the Church in confessing the same ancestral faith.
Through such pastoral encounters, parish life is strengthened, and the faithful are encouraged to remain steadfast in prayer, brotherly love and the fulfilment of God’s commandments.
May the Lord God, through the prayers of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, grant all the faithful peace, health, steadfastness in the faith and Christian love, and may He enlighten the path of the children and young people of our Church towards a life pleasing to Him.
Old Orthodox Church – Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy