Bishop Galaction of Alexandria and Teleorman donated a particle of the relics of St. Alexander of Constantinople to the chapel of the Luxab Retirement Home in Bucharest.
The hierarch celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Luxab together with Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova on Sunday, January 16, 2022.
“In doing good, let us not wait for thanksgiving and reward. And when we receive good, let us be thankful unto God, as we say, to the one who did us good,” Bishop Galaction said in his sermon.
“When we do good, let us not expect reward from people. Let us not ask for the gratitude of the one to whom we have done well. This was the purpose for which the Saviour often spoke to those whom He did well to say nothing to anyone,” the Bishop of Alexandria and Teleorman said.
“Now, however, we see the Saviour Jesus Christ waiting and even asking for the gratitude of those to whom He did well because He wants to teach us that when we receive good, no matter from whom, from men, or God, we should not forget to give thanks, we should not forget to show our gratitude for the good we have received,” Bishop Galaction went on saying referring to the healing of the ten lepers.
“There is no inconsistency. There is no conflict between what the Saviour Jesus Christ says. It is just pedagogy, wisdom that teaches us how to behave so that we do not err before God,” the Βishop added.
“The greatest benefactor is God Himself,” said the Bishop of Alexandria and Teleorman.
The Divine Liturgy was preceded by the blessing of the reliquary containing the fragment of Saint Alexander’s relics.
After the liturgy, Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova reminded that this year, the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated for the first time a saint who suffered from leprosy, St. Nikephoros the Leper, commemorated on January 4, according to a decision last year by the Holy Synod.
“His great virtue was that of serving the afflicted. He was joy and hope for those who suffered terribly for years, bearing the same cross himself. Therefore, this service in a center for the elderly may not be accidental,” the Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest noted.
“The greatest joy is that of the liturgy, which is the highest form of gratitude that we show first to God but also to those around us,” Bishop Galaction added.
“We thank Father Alexander Ivan for his hard work and love. We thank all those who, helping him in this center for the care of the elderly, show devotion, love, as St. Nikephoros the Leper showed,” the hierarch concluded.
The center has a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, psychologists, priests, and care and supervision staff. The Orthodox Chapel weekly schedule includes Divine Liturgies and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
Luxab Retirement Home was established as part of the Christian Association “St. Alexander and St. Parascheva” and cares for 89 elderly people. Father Alexandru Ivan coordinates the association.
Source: basilica.ro
