Tomorrow, 26 October 2015, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Holy and Glorious Great Martyr Demetrius, the Myrrh-gusher. Tonight, the Vigil service for the Holy and Glorious Great Martyr Demetrius, the Myrrh-gusher, was celebrated at the summer altar of the Patriarchal Cathedral by His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, assisted by a group of priests and deacons.
His Grace delivered also a sermon.
“Today, almost all the Christian righteous faithful are guilty of a serious sin, namely the tacit apostasy. What does that mean? It is very simple. We give up Christ and find no time to give witness. Neither do we find time to venerate the saints like Saint Demetrius and the others together with him. We find time for anything, but for essential things. This is why the model of witnessing and the unlimited love of Saint Demetrius call us again and again to remember the words of the Saviour: “Whoever confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me in front of others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven”. Those who confessed Him, the Lord of life, in times past or nearer to us, He will also confess for. And those who deny Him in various ways He will also deny them. This is why Saint Demetrius urges us to remember our Christian baptism and what we have to accomplish as children of the Church”, His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul said.
The liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of Patriarch Justinian Faculty of Theology in Bucharest. Many faithful attended the celebration.
On the day of celebration of the Holy and Glorious Great Martyr Demetrius, the Myrrh-gusher, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated next to the Patriarchal Cathedral by His Eminence Pavlos, Metropolitan of Drama.
