Orthodox Romanians and Serbs celebrated Holy Saturday night by proclaiming the Resurrection of the Lord in the heart of Vršac, where the administrative centers of the Diocese of Dacia Felix and the Diocese of Banat of the Serbian Patriarchate are located.
After presenting the Holy Fire at the cathedral, Bishop Ieronim of Dacia Felix led a procession with the Romanian faithful to “Saint Theodore” Square in the center of Vršac.
Bishop Nikanor, Bishop of the Serbian Banat, welcomed the procession at the stone cross. Following the recitation of Paschal hymns in Serbian and Romanian, the two hierarchs blessed the congregation.
The Resurrection service proceeded with the Divine Liturgy inside the Diocesan Cathedral.
Resurrection of the Lord, a time for healing
Bishop Ieronim emphasized the importance of Holy Pascha, stating that the Light of the Resurrection symbolizes life and healing.
“The Feast of the Resurrection begins with Light and always emphasizes Light. Resurrection is undoubtedly a Celebration of Light. For all believers, Christ Himself is the Light!”
“Often, in church hymns, light is connected with life and healing. The evangelist John affirms that ‹in Him›, the Word of God, ‹was life and the life was the light of men› (John 1:4). The Troparion of the Resurrection reveals to us that ‹Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life›”.
“Therefore, the risen Savior brings light, and partaking of the Light of Christ signifies, from a spiritual perspective, the partaking or preview of the gift of eternal life, the healing of man from the suffering and death caused by sin.”
Bishop Ieronim concluded his address by stating that “for Orthodox Christians, the Feast of the Resurrection holds a special significance, a salvific or healing one, because Christ, conquering death, reopened the gates of Heaven and bestowed upon us His Holy grace to confront the threat of sin and attain eternal life.”
“Our spiritual and physical healing depends on how we can make the Resurrection of the Lord an opportunity for our healing and resurrection,” Bishop Ieronim remarked.
Photography courtesy of the Diocese of Dacia Felix
Source: basilica.ro