On the 1st Sunday of Lent in the parishes of Tagaytay and Manila.
Address of Metropolitan Pavel
Venerable fathers, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!
On March 7, by the Grace of God, we are entering the great feat of fasting – a special time favorable for spiritual improvement.
The Lent is, first of all, a period of special fervent prayer to God. At this time, which we are experiencing now, prayer and fasting, as virtues, are vital for us. The Holy Scripture tells us: “God is Love” (1 John 4:16). But in order to find this love for the people around us, it is necessary to purify the soul with prayer, often confess our sins that darken the soul and distance us from God, and worthily partake of the Holy and Life-giving Mysteries of Christ. May each of us be able to concentrate spiritually on the days of the Holy Lent in order to adequately receive the Risen Christ into our hearts.
In such a difficult time that we are living, I call on all of you, dear fathers, brothers and sisters, to unite in prayer, I consider it useful for each Parish of the diocese to distribute among the parishioners during this Great Lent a daily reading of one kathisma from the Psalter with the addition of a “prayer for peace”, so that every day the Psalter is fully read at each Parish. As St. Ambrose of Milan says: – “The grace of God breathes in all scripture, but in the sweet song of the psalms it breathes mainly. History instructs, the law teaches, prophesies, foreshadows, moralizing convinces, and the book of Psalms convinces of all this, and is the most complete medical clinic of human salvation.” The spiritual benefit of reading the Psalter consists in bringing spiritual fruits, which are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, mercy, faith, meekness, abstinence (Gal. 5:22).
All these are gifts of the Holy Spirit, but they are given to those who seek God. Reading the Psalter, we, despite all our sins, raise our hearts to Heaven. May each of us be able to focus spiritually and unite in this important prayerful work for peace on the days of the Holy Lent.
The eve of the Holy Lent turns our thoughts to a spiritual feat.
We enter Lent through a special rite of forgiveness, and this is not accidental. The first words of the Savior’s sermon were the words calling for repentance: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).
We know how easy it is to sin and how difficult it is to repent. Repentance is a Christian response to a sin, but in order to give an answer, you need to be able to correctly evaluate your actions and carefully monitor the state of your soul.
Mutual Christian forgiveness provides a good beginning to the passage of the Holy Lent, therefore, the Monk Ephraim the Syrian warns: “If you, man, do not forgive anyone who has sinned against you, then do not bother yourself with fasting and prayer: God will not accept you.”
I am aware that I, as your archpastor, could upset someone, offend, not take the time to listen and comfort those who needed it. According to my human nature, I have offended someone, willingly or unwittingly, and today I sincerely apologize to all of you, dear fathers, brothers and sisters, for my imperfections.
Bless and forgive me, fathers, brothers and sisters.
Let the Sunday of Forgiveness be not the only day of the “Rite of Forgiveness”, but our whole life will become a feat of repentance about our voluntary and involuntary sins. Thus, each of us will bear a feat of love and repentance and effective efforts to ensure that the peace and blessing of God return to our lives.
May God’s blessing be with you all during the days of the Holy and saving Lenten Week.
BY THE GRACE OF GOD,
Pavel
METROPOLITAN OF MANILA AND HANOI
First baptism
The first baptism of 3 babies was officiated by the newly ordained priest Ambrose Sumagaysay in Meocan river (Little Baguio, Cotabato). Priest Moses Cahilig assisted.
Address of the Most Holy Patriarch Kirill
To the hierarchs, clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church
Your Beatitude! Your Eminences and Graces! Dear fathers, brothers, and sisters!
I take the suffering of people caused by the events taking place with deep and heartfelt pain.As the Patriarch of All Russia and the primate of a Church whose flock is located in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries, I deeply empathize with everyone affected by this tragedy.I call on all parties to the conflict to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties.I appeal to the bishops, pastors, monastics, and laity to provide all possible assistance to all victims, including refugees and people left homeless and without means of livelihood.The Russian and Ukrainian peoples have a common centuries-old history dating back to the Baptism of Rus’ by Prince St. Vladimir the Equal-to-the-Apostles. I believe that this God-given affinity will help overcome the divisions and disagreements that have arisen that have led to the current conflict.I call on the entire fullness of the Russian Orthodox Church to offer a special, fervent prayer for the speedy restoration of peace.May the All-merciful Lord, through the intercession of our Most Pure Lady the Theotokos and all the saints, preserve the Russian, Ukrainian, and other peoples who are spiritually united by our Church!
+KIRILLPATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
Feast of Church in Manila
One of the four holidays of the year in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, February 25, coincides with the national holiday – Day of the EDSA Revolution (1986), so on this day many parishioners have the opportunity to visit the temple. In addition, according to tradition, the Iveron parish on this day invites priests and parishioners of all parishes of the Manila Deanery to celebrate together. The icon was found by Athos monks on Easter Tuesday in the 11th century. October 26, 1648 its copy was met in Moscow (after the revolution in 1917 it was lost). February 25, 1656, another copy was transferred to the Valdai Monastery, and on May 6, 2012, the first copy was rediscovered and handed over to the Church.
Marriage in Siniloan
The first wedding ceremony according to the Russian Orthodox rite in the first Orthodox church in the Philippines in Siniloan was performed on Sunday, February 20 by the dean of the Manila Deanery, Hieromonk Alexei Lapshin and the rector of the Parish of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, Archimandrite Philemon Castro. Congratulations to Mark and Barbara on the creation of a new small church!
Medal “For Merits” is established
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia blessed the establishment of the diocesan Medal of Merit and the Episcopal Diploma of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia of the Russian Orthodox Church. Medal of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia of the Russian Orthodox Church “For Merits” was established in accordance with the definition of the Holy Synod of May 27, 2009 (Journal No. 43, item 3) and on the basis of the resolution of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia of February 18, 2022. The medal “For Merits” is a form of encouragement for clergymen, monastics and laity for their labors and services to Orthodoxy – in pastoral ministry, theological, scientific and administrative activities, the revival of spiritual life, the restoration of churches, missionary, charitable, social and educational works at the diocesan level. It will be awarded to clergymen, monastics and laypeople for their special contribution to the creation of church life in the diocese. The medal has three degrees. Each copy of it is decorated with an iconographic belt relief image of St. John, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco. In a semicircle, above the saint, there is an inscription made in English: “St. JOHN THE ABP. OF SHANGHAI and SAN FRANCISCO». Now the diocese will be awarded a special award in honor of the saint with the name associated with the beginning of the Orthodox mission in the Philippines. St. John has been staying on the island of Tubabao (Philippines) for 3 years since 1949. The International Organization for Refugees has appealed to the governments of a number of countries to provide temporary shelter to refugees, as well as Russian emigrants and persons of some other nationalities who have permanently resided in Shanghai. Only the Philippine Republic responded to this call, and allocated Tubabao Island for temporary settlement of refugees from Shanghai. The evacuation of refugees from Shanghai to Tubabao began in January 1949 and ended in early May of the same year. St. John himself arrived at the camp on Tubabao a few days before Easter in 1949, which became an event of exceptional importance in the spiritual life of the camp. By the resolution of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia dated February 18, 2022, the episcopal diploma of the diocesan bishop is also established for clergymen, monastics and lay people as a reward for their work for the glory of the Holy Church in the Philippine–Vietnamese Diocese.
Let’s meet the Lord
On the feast of the Meeting (Presentation) of the Lord, the Divine Liturgy in Tagaytay was conducted by the dean of the Manila Deanery, Hieromonk Alexey Lapshin and the rector of the parish of Christ the Savior, Priest David Grubbs.
On this day, Priest Joachim Gonzalez, Priest Silouan Thompson (ROCOR) and Deacon John Mahinai celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the village of Santa Maria. Priest Silouan, who until recently was the rector of the parish of St. John of Shanghai in Santa Maria, currently is serving in the United States, but briefly returned to the Philippines to complete his business here.
Liturgy in a mountain village
On February 13, on Sunday of Publican and Pharisee, the secretary of the diocese, Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), held the Divine Liturgy in a mountain village near Kinabalan. It is difficult for the villagers to get to Kinabalan, where the church of St. Apostle Thomas is, therefore, they cannot regularly participate in the Holy Sacraments. For them, today’s divine service has become an opportunity to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for the first time in a long time.
First Liturgy
On February 13, on Sunday of Publican and Pharisee, the newly ordained priests Nicholas Salgado and Ambrose Sumagaysay, together with Priest Moses Cahilig, celebrated their first Liturgy in the Philippines in the village of Arakan. The clergy returned from Russia at the end of January and were quarantined upon arrival.
