To the Most reverend archpastors, honorable clergy, venerable monastics and pious faithful of the Patriarchal Exarchate of South-East Asia

My beloved in the Lord!

My sincere feelings and pastoral responsibility impel me to address you, my dear ones.

The deadly disease is striking more and more people in another trial permitted by God on Earth. Those especially suffering are the nations within the canonical responsibility of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia.

In its many centuries of history, the humankind has repeatedly confronted similar suffering. The Church has always remained with its people, courageously grieving together with them, helping to overcome the difficult trials, and imploring our Lord and Savior to help in a speedy cessation of the epidemics. The faithful took upon themselves additional fasting, carried out processions and special services of supplication.

Our Christian love and compassion urge all of us to strengthen our prayers for people in grave peril.

I call upon all Orthodox Christian communities of the Patriarchal Exarchate to conduct the special service of supplication (Moleben) for a speedy recovery of the sick and for the cessation of the spread of the disease.

With the intercession of the Most Pure Lady Theotokos and all the Saints, may God have mercy on us all!

With love in the Lord,

SERGIY

Metropolitan of Singapore and Southeast Asia

Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia

For three Sundays we have been preparing for Lent of repentance, considering its biblical examples at the Liturgy. However, neither the story of Zacchaeus, who distributed half the estate to the poor (LK. 19: 1-10), nor the story of another publican who initiated the Jesus prayer (LK. 18:10-14) are as impressive as today’s parable of the prodigal son (LK. 15:11-32). This one contains the whole history of our salvation, from the fall of Adam to eternal joy in the Father’s house. It is sad that the way to God for many passes through the country of swines, and only troubles make us remember that we have a Helper and a Protector. But it is even more terrible that formal righteousness kills love, and, because of envy, itself refuses the feast of eternal life, leading to spiritual suicide.

The reason is that the formalist, alike Pharisee, while fulfilling the commandments, wants justice from God in return. But… he doesn’t need God himself! While God wishes love from us. Because He is a Person, not a soulless karma. And what is love? Here it is: “I want not your possessions but you”(2 Cor.12:14). Love forgives everything, covers everything, and pays for everything; you should not expect “justice” from love. The father’s love for the unlucky son cost him a large part of his estate and tears, while the Heavenly Father paid for his love for us with the blood of His Son. Since He did not condemn either the prodigal or the publican, we can only imitate them in repentance and forgive everyone, remembering: “All that you have done to people, you have done to Me” (see Mt.25: 40, the Sunday of the Last Judgment).