Department for External Church Relations
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DECR chairman sends Patriarch Irinej of Serbia message of greetings on the occasion of Slava, the day of his family’s patron saint
In his message to the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, greets him on the occasion of Slava. Below is the text of the message.
Your Holiness,
On the Saturday of Lazarus, the Slava day of your family’s patron saint, kindly accept my heartfelt greetings and best wishes.
The remembrance of the miracle of raising the righteous Lazarus from the dead fills every heart with hope for the Lord Jesus Christ’s mercy of unspeakable love of man, reminding all that to be with Him means to have eternal life.
Confessing this truth, the Serbian people have endured sorrows with courage and fearlessness for the sake of keeping the true faith in Him Who is the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25) in hope for the coming Kingdom. And today, our beloved brothers are performing in Kosovo and Metohija a great feat of patience for the name of Christ in the knowledge that there is no sorrow, endured for the sake of Christ, which the Holy Spirit would not turn into joy in Christ (St. Justin of Celije, Interpretation of the First Letter to the Thessalonians).
I join the prayers lifted up today for Your Holiness’s good health and wish you peace, sound health and God’s inexhaustible and all-powerful help in your Patriarchal ministry.
With respectful love in the Lord,
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk
Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate
Patriarch
Department Chairman
Sermons
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