Archpastoral Liturgy on the Feast of the Holy Three Hierarchs, in the Meeting of the Lord Church at Moldova State University

Very special prayerful atmosphere was at the Divine Service celebrated in the Meeting of the Lord Church at Moldova State University on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son that coincided this year with the Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, and Gregory the Theologian.

This Sunday gave the start of events dedicated to the Orthodox Youth Day celebrated traditionally on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord (2/15 February).

Thus, over 200 young Christians gathered in the very morning to participate in the Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Grace Ioan, Bishop of Soroca and Metropolitan Vicar. In the ringing of the bells, the bishop was greeted by a group of priests and deacons, in the presence of the praying community.

After the Service, Bishop Ioan delivered archpastoral message to the faithful community, explaining the Biblical Parable of the Prodigal Son and calling the Christians to the cultivation of the virtues of love, hope and faith, through the expression of fatherly forgiveness, brotherly acceptance, and sonly obedience, accompanied by deep repentance at the times of failings and life mistakes: “Today’s Gospel teaches us both, God’s respect of man’s liberty, and the drama of the human being who becomes distanced from God. When the man’s liberty becomes unwise and drives the man away from the Creator, God, unwilling the death of the sinful, comes the man to repentance. And when All-Good God forgives us, He doesn’t reproach us anything, but rejoices in the returning and the salvation of the repented sinner”.

In the end, H.G. Ioan congratulated all those who bear the names in the honour of the three Hierarchs celebrated today.

Synodal Sector of Institutional Communication and Relations with the Mass-Media

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