The Patriarch Of Romania At The Saint Patron’s Feast Of Saint Martyr Mercurie Church

Today, 25 November 2011, the parish of Saint Great Martyr Mercurie of Titan district of Bucharest celebrated its protector. On the occasion of the celebration of the saint patron of this holy place of worship, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel officiated the Divine Liturgy assisted by a group of priests and deacons, in the presence of hundreds of faithful who had come to worship Saint Martyr Mercurie.

In the sermon delivered His Beatitude eulogized the personality of Saint Martyr Mercurie, a man full of faith who sacrificed his life for Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church, as well as of Saint Martyr Ecaterina, both saints celebrated in the Orthodox Church on 25 November.

The crown of martyrdom is the crown of eternal life also said the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, showing that the holy martyrs got salvation through their sacrifice, having also become fruitful seeds of faith.

“The martyrs who have confessed Christ with the price of their own life have become seeds generating faith. This is why the holy martyrs are called in our Orthodox cult good victorious martyrs. Although they were physically defeated by beheading or violent torture, they have been good victorious. Why could they be victorious as long as they were killed? They were good victorious ones in the Spirit of Christ that they had inside them. That is why they have not answered with violence to violence, with malice to malice, but they kept the right faith without killing other people, without answering with persecution to persecution. This patience of the holy martyrs shows us that the Grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord, was dwelling in them for their strong faith and much prayer”, also said His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

While referring to Saint Martyr Ecaterina, the Patriarch of Romania showed that human wisdom without faith becomes pride, but it is deified through faith when united with divine wisdom.

“When brought to judgement Saint Martyr Ecaterina converted 150 educated orators to Christianity, so that she is, in a way, the protector of the intelligentsia too, the protector of those who use all their culture and wisdom in the service of the Church and of the confession of Christ. Human wisdom without faith becomes pride, but it is deified through faith when united with divine wisdom, with Christ, the Word, and God’s wisdom”, His Beatitude also said.

“In Saint Great Martyr Mercurie we see bravery and much patience based on much faith in Christ, while in Saint Great martyr Ecaterina we see how her wisdom is used in the mission of the Church”, said His Beatitude.

To end with the Divine Liturgy, parish priest Paul Lepadatu received the Sanctus Stephanus Magnus order for clergy on behalf of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. His Beatitude has also given several religious books for the church library, and a blessing cross for the altar of the holy place of worship.

The faithful who came to the Divine Liturgy could pray a particle of the relics of Saint Mercurie taken out yesterday, 24 November, in procession and laid in the courtyard of the holy place of worship for wrship, under a canopy specially arranged.

The foundation stone of the place of worship was laid in 2003. Besides the Saint Great Martyr Mercurie, the church is also dedicated to the “Falling Asleep of the Mother of God”.