On Sunday 2 March, His Eminence Archbishop Sergios, Metropolitan Bishop of Cape Town officiated at the Service of the Holy Eucharist which included the Litany for the Feast Day of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, together with Reverend Father Nikolaos Giamourides and deacon Father Michael Simos.
In his address after the Service, His Eminence spoke of the importance of this Feast Day being the Sunday of Orthodoxy and that on this Feast day we celebrate an important triumph for Christianity.
His Eminence said that by the grace of God there are many books available today in our Orthodox libraries which explain the teachings of our faith through the writings of the Church fathers. There is also a lot of information on the internet that we can access. He said that it is good for us to inform ourselves about the teachings of our faith and to familiarise ourselves with the writings of the Church Fathers.
However he stressed that, as Christians, we will not benefit from any information we receive unless we lead a sacramental life in the Church. This is the only way we can receive true “gnosis” (knowing). We will not obtain salvation through knowing the bible, or from reading the writings of the Church Fathers or through the witness of others. He said that we should be mindful of the Creed that we had all just recited together which unites us in the Faith and makes us one body with Christ as The Head of the Church.
He said that today is the first day of Great Lent and that it is a challenging time for Orthodox Christians who are expected to fast from certain foods and negative behaviour. He encouraged us to attend the Services during Lent and to take Holy Communion often because this will help us along the difficult road ahead. He wished everyone good health and strength over the fast and many years.
Περισσότερα... http://www.goarch.co.za/
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου