Bijelo Polje: We mustn’t let our shrines, those beams of light that illuminate our way, be taken away from us
On 12th March 2020, thousands of citizens of Bijelo Polje assembled at the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul for a prayer of supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos
Afterwards a cross procession of the faithful for defending their shrines and Orthodox faith set off through the streets of Bijelo Polje to the Church of St Nicolas the Wonderworker in Nikoljac. There protopresbyter Sinisa Jankovic addressed the congregation with the words of pastoral instructions reminding them of the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ that He had said to his Apostles and Disciples: ‘He who follows Me will not walk in darkness’ (Jn. 8,12)
- We, who follow Christ, don’t walk in darkness, but we walk in the light that illuminates every human being who has come into this world. Those who walk in darkness, who cannot stand looking at the light of God, who have badly sinned, are those who think that they got earthly kingdom with their material wealth. They haven’t heard the words of the Gospel: ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ Everything that they have gained in darkness, in a dirty and disgusting way, became too less for them so they target the Church of God, Jesus Christ, justice and truth of God. They are not aware that Lord is watching them from the Heaven with the pity telling them: ‘Where have you headed, the wretched ones? Where have you headed, you fools, you can’t fight against Me!’ But the wretched ones think that the earthy wealth is the only wealth that a man can gain in his life, because they are poor in spirit. They don’t know what true spiritual wealth is, said protopresbyter Sinisa Jovanovic and reminded:
-Human being is not only material, but human being, although he is on earth, he is connected to heaven with his soul. Thus, real and true human being is only the one who follows Christ. Those who attack Church and shrines, who hide themselves behind the laws, they are connected to earth, to corruption, and they are not connected to eternity. We mustn’t let them profane our shrines; we mustn’t let the most holy thing to be taken away from us. We mustn’t let that the beams of light that illuminate our way be taken away from us. That’s the light we see with and we can see with it while they who walk in darkness will stumble.
- There are lots of people supporting us, but in fear for existence they are afraid to join processions and that is humane. I invite them to join us in order to be illuminated with the light of Christ’s Resurrection so that we can all chant on the most joyful day of Christ’s Resurrection and may this Easter be our victory over sin, death and darkness, said protopresbyter Sinisa Jankovic.
Source: Diocese of Buda and Niksic
Translated into English by Sanja Simic de Graaf
