Bulgarians enter Lent without spiritual shepherd after patriarch's death

published on 3/17/24 6:35 AM

Photo: BGNES

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors...

Every Christian remembers the meaning of this phrase from the Lord's Prayer, because it is around it that Christ's teaching on love and forgiveness is built. Those who cannot forgive cannot have their sins forgiven. For true believers, the greatest power is to forgive not our loved ones, but our enemies - those who have hurt us most.

Following the example of Jesus Christ, who forgave his tormentors because "they don't know what they're doing", his followers strive to live up to the measure of his boundless love for people.

"Forgive, and it will be forgiven you," said Christ, instructing his disciples; "with the measure you use, it will be measured to you"; "if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father forgive you."

In their teachings, the Holy Fathers of Orthodoxy say that a good Christian does not wait to be asked for forgiveness, but is the first to reach out and ask for forgiveness.

It is no coincidence that on the threshold of Lent, Orthodox Christians forgive one another so that it may be salutary and beneficial to the soul. At the evening Divine Liturgy, everyone gathers in the temple, and after the service, the priests address the laity with a request for forgiveness. All present address each other with the words "Forgiven - Forgive! This is followed by a fraternal kiss and the wish for a salvific fast.

It is important that forgiveness comes from the heart and soul, that it is sincere. Thus, freed from the burden of remorse and doubt, the fasters enter Holy Pentecost with prayer, penance and humility - the strongest support in times of trial.

Cheesefare Sunday reminds us of the meaning of forgiveness and Christ’s infinite love

This year, for the first time in our recent history, we are entering the hard season of Lent without a spiritual shepherd and with hearts sunk in sorrow. We will not hear the Patriarchal blessing and precepts so important to the spiritual sons and daughters of our Church. And we will welcome Easter without his spiritual guide to unite and lead our prayers in the joy and love of God.

With a similarly unhappy memory of the past comes the scene of the siege of Tarnovo by the Ottoman army when, in the spring of 1393, the city fell and its Patriarch Euthymius was forcibly torn from his community and sent into exile. As he parted from his people, they flocked to him from all sides, saying, "To whom do you leave us, shepherd?" and he replied, "To the Holy Trinity, now and forever.

Today, too, our loving and devoted Shepherd Neophyte leaves us to God's mercy, in the hope that a worthy successor will be chosen who will continue to watch over our Orthodox people with the same care.

And the criteria are PEACE, HUMILITY AND PIETY - the virtues of the late Father Neophyte.

"He was gifted in many aspects of human life. He gave us a visual example of what our Lord wants us to be - what we should be in order to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven," says Father Vasiliy Saryan, head of the Church of the Transfiguration in Sofia. In an interview with BNT, he explains:

"For us Christians, whether we are clergy or laity, the foundation of our life is the Word of God. That is why I can best describe my words with the words of St. Paul the Apostle. In his epistle to the Hebrews he says: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”

Faith - unconditional, boundless faith, which carries with it all the other virtues of His Holiness. Humility, infinite patience, which sometimes bordered on the impossible for us people around him, because in this hectic life patience is almost impossible. It is something exotic in our lives, but in the Word Christ Himself says: "By patience save your souls!"

The Patriarch was very meticulous, an extraordinary scholar, incredibly noble, with a refinement that we could only learn from. These are my memories and they are like a textbook for me to try to live by".

Photos: BGNES

Translated and posted by Elizabeth Radkova

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