Obedience – “A Divine Virtue, the Pillar and Foundation upon which the Church of Christ is Sustained”
The fruits of the embrace from the Mother Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, through which we were received into canonical unity with all of Orthodoxy, are already ripe and we are now tasting them. Through her initiatives and steps, reconciliation with our Serbian brethren has been achieved, along with their recommendation for autocephaly. Soon, the historic concelebration in the heart of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will take place in just a few days, on the Feast of Pentecost.
Meanwhile, guests from neighboring local Orthodox Churches are increasingly visiting us. Today, the Elder of the Cell of St. Anne in Karyes on Mount Athos, the venerable Hieromonk Antipas, a well-known spiritual father and preacher, renowned for his deep knowledge of Orthodox theology and ecclesiology, visited our Holy Bigorski Monastery, accompanied by Hierodeacon Theodosios from his brotherhood. The esteemed guests were warmly welcomed and received by our Elder and Abbot, His Grace Bishop Partenij, who expressed great honor and gratitude for the love with which they honored us.
Today, with the blessing of our Elder, Father Antipas celebrated the Divine Liturgy, in which we communed in the Body and Blood of Christ, rejoicing in the grace of the long-awaited and much-desired unity.
With the blessing and request of our Abbot, His Grace Partenij, Elder Antipas, who is known for delivering edifying homilies at the invitation of various monasteries and dioceses, gave a wonderful homily during the synaxis in the solemn monastic hall on the theme of obedience. “This divine virtue is the pillar and foundation upon which the Church of Christ is sustained.” In his homily, the Athonite spiritual father shared his personal experience and acquaintance with great and holy Athonite elders: the venerable Paisios of Mount Athos, Ephraim of Katounakia, Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, and other holy ascetics of the Holy Mountain.
As a common lesson for both monks and laypeople, he emphasized the blessed virtue of obedience. According to his words, “He who criticizes the patriarch, the bishop, the priest, the monk, or the Synod, is attacking the Church from the side with a weapon. Laypeople are obliged to obey the ecclesiastical authorities, and monks must be obedient to their elder and abbot.”
In the near future, the full text of his homily from today’s synaxis will be published on our website.
Finally, our Elder once again sincerely thanked Father Antipas for the love and spiritual teaching he so graciously offered.
