Christ is the Light of the Christian Life
On 13 January 2013, the Sunday after the Baptism of the Lord, the Gospel fragment on the Beginning of the Lord’s Preaching was read in all Orthodox churches.
In the sermon delivered in the chapel of “Saint Gregory the Enlightener” of the Patriarchal Residence, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, emphasised the teaching of the evangelical pericope scheduled for this Sunday.
Christ is the Light of the world, the Light of the universe and especially of the Christian life
His Beatitude showed that till Christ, the Jewish people had not seen the divine revelation, but once Christ, the Saviour, arrived the Son of God, the Light was total direct, with no intercessors whatsoever.
“God the Word is the Light or the ultimate sense of the Universe. This is why Saint Evangelist John the Apostle says: He was the Life and the Life was the Light of the people, so that the Light of the existence of every human being is the very life of Jesus Christ, the Saviour. But once Christ, the Son of God, has arrived and showed Himself as Man among men, the Light was total and direct, with no intercessors. God the Word interpreted the words of the Holy Scriptures which He inspired through the Holy Spirit and conveyed them through the people chosen. Now the Word of God, the Light of Christ, is present in His Gospel which shows us not only the words, but also the saving deeds of Christ, our Saviour. Thus, the great Light shown to the world, first to the Jewish people and then to the other peoples too, is the Gospel of Christ which explains Christ, which expresses Christ. Christ and His Gospel are one because the content of the Gospel is Christ Himself, the Light of the world, the Eternal Son of the Eternal Word of God who was made Man out of love for men and for their salvation. Christ is the Light of the world, the Light of the universe, as well as the Light of life and especially of the Christian life”, His Beatitude said.
Where Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven Is
His Beatitude has also shown that today’s Gospel urges us to get salvation through repentance and through the renewal of the mind. His Beatitude has also emphasised the fact that where Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven is.
“The Gospel calls us to receive Christ as the Light of the world, the ultimate meaning of our life, the first and last meaning of the universe as a gift of God for the humans, and to strive, at the same time, to get the great joy of the Kingdom of Heaven, through repentance, change, and the renewal of the mind and life. This presence of the Most Holy Trinity in Jesus Christ makes the kingdom of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit come down among men and offer Himself to the people as their true life in eternal love together with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Where Christ is, the Kingdom of Heaven is”, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church also said.
Next week, the Orthodox Christians will be on the 29th Sunday after Pentecost, of the ten leprous men.
