Patriarch Daniel on the Grateful blind people who could not refrain and announced the miracle: They are teachers for us

Sorin Ioniţe – Basilica News Agency – 10/8/21

Two blind men were miraculously healed by Christ, who forbade them to perform miracles, the Holy Apostle Matthew reports in the Gospel text of the 7th Sunday after Pentecost (Matt. 9: 27-35). However, the blind immediately announced the miracle throughout that land.

“They couldn’t help it,” said Patriarch Daniel. “Why? Because they felt the need to show gratitude and at the same time they felt the joy of being healed. That is why they announced this miracle, this great good for them in the whole land “, explained His Beatitude in the sermon delivered on Sunday at the Pasărea Monastery.

Jesus told them not to say anything to anyone in order to show us humility, explained PF Daniel.

“He did not work miracles to be praised by men, but out of merciful love, humble for the sick, the crippled. So we, when we do a good deed, should not immediately expect praise from people and publicity “, recommended Father Patriarch.

But the two blind men told everyone’s miracle to show their gratitude.

Gratitude
“Gratitude is the healthy, natural manifestation of man who gives thanks for the benefits received from God. He who is not grateful is a spiritually unhealthy man. Sometimes the animals that were well treated also showed gratitude “, said the Patriarch.

His Beatitude gave examples from Patric. He recalled that a Syrian father washed the eyes of a hedgehog with tea and healed him, and the hedgehog’s mother brought him a cabbage.

“The pious Father, smiling, said: Thank you, but now it is good to take her back to the garden where you took her without a blessing!”, Said the Patriarch.

Furthermore, PF Daniel also offered the example of Saint Gerasim from the Jordan who healed a lion that had a thorn in its sole, and the lion from that moment softened and helped him carry wood with his back.

“So we are grateful even to animals. Therefore, it is very annoying when someone who has been treated well does not thank “, the Patriarch continued, pointing here to the example of the ten lepers healed by Jesus, of whom only one returned and thanked (Luke 17: 12-19).

“This is the proportion today. Out of ten people you did well, it just so happens that only one really thanks you “, said His Beatitude, Patriarch Daniel.

They are teachers for us
“These two blind men are our teachers,” was the conclusion of the Patriarch. “They are teachers of gratitude. Although they were told not to talk about the miracle, they still felt the need to thank God and to proclaim His merciful healing love throughout that land. ”

“So, whoever received help from God, a healing, an escape from a difficult situation must confess and tell those around him how good he has done to God.”

In addition to the sermon, prayers and deeds are needed
The Patriarch then referred to the envy of the Pharisees who felt neglected because Jesus had become very popular because of these miracles. They accused him of wickedness and envy of “casting out demons with the lord of demons.” But the Savior ignored them and continued to heal “every sickness and infirmity among the people.”

“The Church, His Church, learned from Jesus that it is not enough to preach the word of the gospel, but we must also help sick, poor, helpless people through the acts of humble and merciful love. Therefore, the Church, in addition to preaching, has a lot of prayers for the sick, but especially the prayer of the Sacrament of the Holy Anointing or the anointing of the sick. It is a continuation of the healing work of Christ. ”

“The church has a lot of prayers for the suffering, for those in need, it has activities to help the elderly, the poor, the orphans, the orphans, the widows, the lonely and the sad.”

“In addition to preaching the gospel, we need prayers and acts of merciful love,” Patriarch Daniel concluded.

Even at the Ilfovean Monastery Pasărea, where Patriarch Daniel preached on Sunday, this exhortation is put into practice. There has been a center for elderly women there since 1991, which is cared for by medical staff and monks.

On the occasion of his visit on Sunday, Father Patriarch offered to the monastic communities incense from Oman and a series of volumes recently published by the Romanian Patriarchate Publishing House.

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