Home page News
Metropolitan Hilarion: In our every step we s…

Metropolitan Hilarion: In our every step we should be guided by the will of God

On August 9, 2015, the commemoration day of the Protomartyr and Healer Panteleimon, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the church of Our Lady the Joy to All the Afflicted-in-Bolshaya-Ordynka, in Moscow. Among the clergy who assisted him were Hegumen Mitrofan (Shkurin), vice-chairman of the synodal department for religious education and catechism, and Archpriest Alexy Yastrebov, rector of the Parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women in Venice.
After the liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion addressed the congregation with a homily putting emphasis on the power of faith: “The faith in Jesus Christ as God and Saviour, who is not someplace far away but here, among us, and the faith that He does wonders also by our sinful and feeble hands – this faith is the basis of our life and our hope. This faith cannot be acquired through human efforts alone or studies or reading books. This faith is a gift of God and it is not given to anyone. There are people who read books and study philosophy and thumb through the Bible but the Lord does not give them faith... Therefore if one has received the gift of faith, one should remember that it is a gift that comes from God”.
His Eminence also spoke about the faith as not only a conviction that there is God and that He is merciful. “Faith is a way of life and God’s presence in one’s life should affect his entire behaviour, the way of his life and prayer… If one believes but not prays it means that one’s faith remains a dry, cold and purely intellectual. This kind of faith cannot influence his life and fill it with meaning. Therefore, only if one comes to stand before God with prayer and hears His response, then one comes in communion with God, which cannot happen in any other way.
“God is not an abstract principle, as some think, saying: There is a good power that works in the world. Yes, there is such power, and we call it God. And God is not only power but also personality, and He as personality wishes to communicate with us as human personalities. He waits for us to turn to Him with prayer, and if we ask for something with prayer, the Lord will give us what we ask for, as He Himself promised us to do”.
Metropolitan Hilarion also spoke about praying and fasting as simple rules that the Lord has given us. “We should begin each day with prayer and finish it with prayer. We should pray to God for His blessing before each task we are to accomplish, and in each of our steps we should be guided by the will of God… It is through prayer and fasting that our faith is expressed and through it the Lord prepares our souls for accepting His grace”.
In conclusion of his homily, Metropolitan Hilarion spoke about St. Panteleimon, who was a physician in his earthly life. “But now he is a doctor of a special kind: he heals the illnesses that cannot be cured by ordinary doctors. We turn to him in prayer and often can see that our prayers are heard.
“Let us ask the Lord that He may give us steadfast faith and obedience to His Holy Church, that He may teach us to pray and help us to accomplish the feat of fasting and, if a physical illness befalls us, that we may be healed by His mercy and through the interception of the Holy Protomartyr Panteleimon”.
DECR Communication Service

Share:
Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the VIII World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad

30.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

Primate of the Russian Church celebrates Divine Liturgy in the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius Lavra on the commemoration day of St. Sergius of Radonezh

09.10.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

Message from the Primate of the Russian Church to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia in connection with blasphemous act on the ruins of ancient Ulpiana

14.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates on the feast of the 300th anniversary of the transfer of relics of St.Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg

12.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Ambassador of India to Russia

30.07.2024

Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III: Ukrainian government’s support for schism and persecution of the major canonical Church is a religious pogrom against the faithful Orthodox Christians of that country

24.07.2024

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrates the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Tver.

21.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Liturgy at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius on the commemoration day of the saint

18.07.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church celebrates All-night Vigil at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

17.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius and reads akathist to the saint

17.07.2024

Patriarchal condolences on the death of Boris A. Nelyubov

14.07.2024

Delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church takes part in COP29 Summit of Religious Leaders

06.11.2024

DECR chairman concludes his visit to India

03.11.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with young Indian Christians

02.11.2024

Primate of Malankara Church of India receives Order of Glory and Honour, 1st Class

02.11.2024

DECR chairman takes part in church celebrations in India

02.11.2024

Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

DECR Chairman has begun his visit to India

31.10.2024

Work of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is declared successful

24.10.2024

Synod acknowledges importance of bilateral projects carried out in collaboration with Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

24.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

DECR Chairman heads celebrations for the fifteenth anniversary of the consecration of the Dormition Church at the Russian embassy in Beijing.

19.10.2024

Saint Petersburg Theological Academy hosts conference on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) entitled ‘The Person of Metropolitan Nikodim in the History of the Church’.

16.10.2024

DECR Chairman meets with President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference

15.10.2024

Participants of the Divine Service at the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Presnya congratulated the DECR Chairman on his 40th birthday.

12.10.2024

Russian diplomat given Patriarchal award.

10.10.2024

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب