In Ossojane, at the Church of Saint Archangel Gabriel, Metropolitan Teodosije of Raška-Prizren yesterday celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy together with Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo. They were joined by numerous clergy and a large assembly of faithful.
On this day, Ossojane traditionally commemorates the Djeda Gathering (Đedov sabor), in memory of the late Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, who first initiated the return to this village after the 1999 expulsion. The gathering is also a memorial for all victims from the municipality of Istok.
Following the reading of the Holy Gospel, Bishop Ilarion delivered a homily emphasizing that daily witness to Christ is the essence of Christian life:
“We Christians should witness Christ every day, to experience communion with Him in our hearts, and for others to see it without a single word. Returning to God is the deepest mystery of our existence – to return to the Heavenly Kingdom within us, and then, on that foundation, to build a home, a family, and the temple of God. Suffering is part of that path, for it leads to salvation. Ossojane has become the land of the living – once desolate and quiet, today, by God’s blessing, life has returned here.”
After the Liturgy, Metropolitan Teodosije served a memorial before the monument to 64 local victims, half of whom are still missing.
In his sermon, Metropolitan Teodosije underlined that gratitude to God is the foremost duty of Christians, especially in times of suffering: “It is natural for us to first thank the Lord God, our Creator and Savior. The Divine Liturgy is our thanksgiving to Him, for the Lord is especially present where there are hardships and suffering. Christians have never feared the Cross – it is appointed to us. We rejoice in the Cross and in suffering for Christ’s sake, for after it comes renewal and resurrection.”
The Metropolitan recalled that many holy sites in Kosovo and Metohija were destroyed and burned, yet within them not only the churches but also life itself were restored: “Restoration does not happen without the power of God. The Lord gives us the strength to overcome this world. The return of the displaced to Ossojane after the destruction was an act of faith and thanksgiving to God – for what was, and for what has come. The prayers of the late Metropolitan Amfilohije still sustain us, as he intercedes for his people before the Lord.”
Concluding his address, Metropolitan Teodosije stressed that faith and patience are the strongest weapons for survival: “We can have no stronger weapon against the enemy than patience and trust in God’s help. This is how we endured during Ottoman bondage, and this is how we endure today.”
Source: Diocese of Raška-Prizren
