SERMON

Tirana Sept. 6, 2015

by Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium
Ecumenical Patriarchate


On this day the Church of God shines like the Sun (passage from
Pentecost).

Your Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and all Albania, our
most gracious host,
Your Eminences and Your Graces,
Reverend fathers,
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

It is truly a blessing to be in the presence of so many brothers and sisters,
as the representative of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew of Constantinople, and to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in this
glorious Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our
presence in this Church, in this city, in this blessed country of Albania is
nothing short of a miracle; it is the result of the synergy between man and
God. On the one hand, through the courageous leadership of His Beatitude
Archbishop Anastasios and other local religious leaders, the local God-
fearing men and women of Albania have made tremendous personal
sacrifices in their effort to till this blessed land, making it ready to receive
the Word of God. Their hard work and prayers have made it possible for
the seed of faith to germinate, take root and to blossom into vineyards that
bear abundantly. On the other hand, the Lord God, having received our
bloodless sacrifice, has looked upon and visited this vineyard and has established
it by His right hand for generations to come. Where all religious expression
in this land was once punishable under the law, we now find ourselves free
to harness the therapeutic energy of faith.

Indeed, the ability to freely express ones religion, conscience and belief is
of the utmost importance now more than any other time in humanitys
recent history. As we watch the news each day, desperately searching for a
glimmer of hope in the countless conflicts around the world, our eyes are
filled with horrific images of conflict, violence, war, and death. And while
thousands of miles separate us from these hot zones, our human
connection with each other does not permit us to fall into apathy and
spectatorship. As our great father in the fifth century, Saint Basil the Great,
reminds us, simply because we are not the source of ones pain does not
give us the privilege and luxury of turning a blind eye to their suffering.
Indeed, if we do not assist those in need, we are complicit in those actions
that cause harm.

Faced with global conflict, civil authorities continue to struggle with the
herculean task of maintaining the integrity of the social fabric. Peace
treaties and conflict resolutions are sought; however, if we limit ourselves
to those mechanisms of governments, we are bound to miss the mark at
one point or another. If we are careful, these downturns will often teach us
that only when we look beyond our own limitations can we actually realize
peace.

Faith represents that innate element in man that pulls his attention away
from him or herself and toward the other. In our search for meaning in the
world; in our search for love; in our search for God we eventually discover
our neighbor. And this neighbor, with all of his shortcomings, limitations,
and differences is still an image of God. And it is when we look into the
eyes of the other will we find a reflection of our own persons.

Dear brethren and friends,

The fact that we have all gathered in this sacred space, in this Church
dedicated to the victory of life over death, sends a loud message to the
world that indeed peace is possible. And peace is possible because, as our
Lord teaches us, What is impossible by man is possible by God. As God-loving
people, we have been commissioned by our Heavenly Father to bring
others into the joy of His wedding feast, to invite those who have been
filled with the bitter wine of trials and tribulations taste and see how good the
Lord is.


If we look at the tragic events taking place each day in the blessed land of
the Middle East, the very sacred ground for so many religious traditions,
most especially Judaism, Christianity and Islam, we realize that the tragedy
of the regions conflict is not found in the bombs and mortars exploding
each day, but rather in the millions of internally displaced individuals and
refugees who are forced to abandon their ancient homelands in search for
security and peace in the lands of their neighbors. On some occasions,
even, those unable or unwilling to abandon their land have been either
sold into slavery or killed. Unfortunately, the world has not responded
adequately to the crises faced by so many men, women and children.

In the reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew, the Lord Jesus
Christ describes the Kingdom of Heaven as a wedding banquet prepared
by the master for his son. After finalizing all preparations, the master
commands his servants to go out and bring forth those who have been
invited. The parable goes on to state that after a second invitation, those
invited refused to attend, some claiming to be too busy to attend, while
others, out of rage, kill the masters servants. The master immediately
becomes furious and orders his servants to go out to every street corner
and to search for anyoneboth good and wickedto invite, for those who
were originally invited were not worthy of the banquet.

Beloved brothers and sisters,

The wedding banquet of the Lord has been prepared for quite some time,
and the Master is waiting for those whom He has invited to respond to his
invitation. The Father longs for others to join Him in the celebration of His
Sons wedding. This simple parable is set before us as a teaching moment;
when confronted with this image of the Kingdom of Heaven, we are forced
to pause and think about who we are in the story. Are we those initially
invited who refuse to attend the wedding feast? Are we those who stand
on the street corners aimlessly going about our lives until we are one day
surprised with the masters invitation? It is quite possible that on various
occasions we have been found to be both. Perhaps, given the numerous
conflicts around the world, it is more honest to think of ourselvesmen
and women of faithnot as those initially invited or those later called, but

rather the servants commanded to go out and search for people to bring
into the masters joy.

Yes, dear friends, the pain, suffering and anguish of our neighbors
demands that our primary duty be to serve as harbingers of good news
and hope; as bearers of light in a world overcome by darkness; as a source
of inspiration for those hopelessly lost in despair. If the world says peace is
impossible, our response must be that, indeed, peace is possible! Amen.