Following the festive Vespers for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, celebrated at the Monastery of the Ascension above the village of Lozen, Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria delivered a moving homily, emphasizing the transformative power of divine grace and the necessity of inner purification.
“Until we cleanse ourselves from this wickedness, from the corrupting power of sin that acts within us; until we purify ourselves with the help of God’s grace – the Kingdom of God cannot reign in us. And if the Kingdom of God does not reign in us, we shall not see it when it comes in power,” said the Patriarch.
This marked Patriarch Daniel’s first visit and blessing to the holy monastery, where he also greeted the sisterhood led by Nun Theodora.
Serving alongside the Patriarch during the Vespers were Archimandrite Sevastian, abbot of the “Seven Thrones” Monastery, Hieromonk Gavriil, Economos Lazar Georgiev, Economos Ivan Pleshtov, and Protopresbyter Dimitar Kutlev. The service was also attended prayerfully by nuns from the Klisurski Monastery of Saints Cyril and Methodius, led by Abbess Taisia.
In his homily on the eve of the Lord’s Feast, Patriarch Daniel reflected on the great Gospel event of the Ascension, which took place nearly two thousand years ago, and encouraged all Orthodox Christians to make use of the grace of the Holy Spirit for their own spiritual benefit and salvation.
The festive service concluded with the chanting of a polychronion (Many Years).
