On the Second Sunday of Great Lent, dedicated to Saint Gregory Palamas, with the blessing of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, His Grace Siluan, Bishop of Orhei and Metropolitan Vicar, celebrated the Holy and Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral “The Nativity of the Lord” in Chișinău. Concelebrating with His Grace was the assembly of clergy serving the Cathedral.
The second Sunday of Great Lent is closely connected to the first, being dedicated to Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, one of the great defenders of Christian asceticism and prayer. The veneration of Saint Gregory Palamas on this Sunday dates back to the second half of the 14th century, following his canonization. His teaching remains profoundly relevant, as contemporary Orthodox theology points out that many of the philosophical and theological currents he confronted in his time are still present in today’s world. Therefore, his witness and writings remain a source of light for the modern person.
For Saint Gregory Palamas, the deification of man is not merely a moral state or an intellectual knowledge about God, but a grace-filled reality, fulfilled through the purification of the heart and participation in the uncreated energies of the Godhead. Thus, man is called to become a partaker of the divine light, according to the words of the Savior: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
The Gospel of this Sunday recounts the healing of the paralytic in Capernaum, a moment in which the Savior Jesus Christ shows that true healing begins with the forgiveness of sins, addressing the sick man with the words: “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2). In patristic interpretation, this episode highlights the fact that, through the forgiveness of sins, the soul is first raised from its fall, and only then follows the healing of the body.
In the homily delivered at the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Siluan, Bishop of Orhei, emphasized that every person is in need of healing both of body and soul, and that this healing begins through drawing near to God, through sincere repentance and the desire to amend one’s life. Drawing from the Gospel of the day, the hierarch showed that the miracle of the healing of the paralytic reveals not only the divine power of the Savior, but also the grace of forgiveness offered to those who approach Him with faith.
Thus, this Sunday reminds us that the path toward God begins with repentance and the purification of the heart, and that through faith, prayer, and a pure life, a person can become a partaker of the divine light, already tasting in this life the joy of the Kingdom of God.
Source: https://manastireacurchi.md/
