His Holiness Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil prayed to God to send rain and stop the fires ravaging the country. The head of the BOC presided over the solemn Holy Liturgy for the feast of the Holy Prophet Elijah in the Durvenish Monastery, which today also celebrates its cathedral feast.
Together with His Holiness, Bishop Pachomius of Branica, Vicar of the Metropolitan of Sofia, archim. John, Protosingel of St. Sofia Metropolis, archim. Flavian, metropolitan priests and archdeacon Ivan Petkov. At the end of the morning service, His Holiness Patriarch Daniil cut hair for readers, singers and candle bearers of the Bulgarian Church, Georgi Gospodinov and Emil Kodjia.
After the Holy Liturgy in the courtyard of the holy monastery, a water service was held and a prayer to the holy prophet Elijah was read.
"Now with a fervent request from the depth of our heart we cry and resort to you, holy prophet Elijah. Listen to us and hurry to help us. We grieve because in many parts of our land people are suffering, all are tormented by lack of rain and devastating fires, and famine and pestilence may follow in their wake. We are terrified of destruction and, confessing our sins before the Lord with humble hearts, we ask you: glorious prophet Elijah, protect us before the Lord and ask him to grant us forgiveness of our transgressions. And pour upon us His abundant mercy. Pay attention to us as at that time – pray to the Lord to send rain from the sky to water the thirsty land, put out the fires and water the land to saturation", read His Holiness Patriarch Daniel.
In his speech, he highlighted the ascetic life of the holy prophet, who should always be our example in our lives. He also said that when we see natural upheavals and changes - disasters and anomalies, we should think about our spiritual life and look at our repentance.
"When we retreat from God and there is a disunity, a confrontation, the passions enter the person and already the soul forces in the person himself begin to be disturbed, an enmity begins, a division in the person himself – this is what sin does. But together with this, changes occur in the whole world... Suffering occurs when people fall away from God. And the more we move away from God, and the more the human soul is tormented, the more the natural forces are upset... When sin multiplies, naturally these natural disasters and elements occur – so that the Lord may enlighten us and show us that without Him we can do nothing... These climate changes – the unusual heat, and at the same time in other places unusual floods and other disasters – let all this tell us to turn to God and first of all let peace come in our souls, let us be reconciled with God, let us seek the peace of Christ, first of all in our souls and then in our relationships God's justice. Let's stop the enmity, the negation of each other, the mistrust, the division between us," said Patriarch Daniil, quoted by 24 Hours.
After the consecration, he sprinkled the Orthodox Christians with holy water, and he wished the abbess of the monastery, Mother Matrona, and the sisterhood to continue to work diligently for the beautification of the holy abode, which would continue to be a spiritual oasis in the capital.