Under the vast heavenly vault of Deshat, where the majestic Krchin like a steadfast sentinel rises above the picturesque Reka; there where the deep night leaves its mystical mantle so that in the early morning it clothes itself in gentle light; where the mountain silence speaks in its recognizable language; where every upward step becomes a blessed ascetic struggle of human ascent toward God, and every breath a prayerful longing and thanksgiving offering – there human strength humbly testifies that it is only a vessel in which God’s grace, which invisibly sustains the feet and warms the heart, is the power with which every spiritual and bodily ascetic struggle is possible.
By God’s abundant mercy, this year too, with the blessing of our beloved Elder, the Bishop of Antania Sir Parthenius, whose inexhaustible spiritual care and love continue to be a strong inspiration for the faithful people, for the eleventh time, at the very mountain peak, 2341 m high, there occurred yet another liturgical unification of heaven and earth – a sacred gathering, in which the bloodless Eucharistic sacrifice, humbly and gratefully offered by our brother Archimandrite Cyril, ascended under the open sky, for the salvation, transfiguration, and illumination of all.
A great number of lovers of the heights ascended this cross-peak, Big Krchin, not only to spend another day in the midst of the beauties of God’s creation, but above all, to commune with God the Creator. Therefore, this ascent remains sealed in their hearts as a living confirmation that the Church of Christ is unlimited by space and time, and that there where the faithful gather around His Body and Blood, there is the house of God and the gate of heaven.
And this time, we extend deep gratitude and respect to all who with their self-sacrifice and professionalism secured the safety of this liturgical ascent, namely to the mountain guides from the Federation of Mountain Sports of Macedonia (FPSM) and the Macedonian Association of International Mountain Guides (MAIVP), as well as to the Service at the National Park “Mavrovo” for their support, care for nature, and constant cooperation in preserving this sacred tradition. May the uncreated Tabor light continue to warm all faithful hearts, and this eleven-year liturgical tradition be a beacon that will call us always anew, both bodily and spiritually, toward the heights of God’s love. Amen.
