The Feast of the Cross of the Serbian Sisters of Kotor, Saint Petka, was liturgically celebrated today in the church of St. Nicholas in Kotor's Old Town with a memorial service for deceased members, cutting of the celebratory cake, communion of the faithful, and then the traditional service in the church treasury.

Congratulating the members of the Kotor Circle of Serbian Sisters and all those who celebrate Holy Petka as their baptismal glory, the archpriest of Kotor-Tivat, parish priest of Kotor, archpriest-stavrofor Nemanja Krivokapić, said that the answer to the question why Holy Petka is great is found in the Gospel which was read today.

"It is a story told by the Savior himself about the woman to whom he comes and about those who welcome him, so there are mentions of some wise and some foolish girls who each in their own way welcome the Bridegroom. Some, these unreasonable ones, are relaxed and not ready when Christ comes, and these wise ones prepared their oil, their lamps and when that Bridegroom came, who represents Christ himself, they entered the royal chambers ready. Of course, it is a story that has a figurative meaning, with which the Savior wanted to teach us how to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God. We are all here temporarily, some will live longer, some shorter, some in one way or another, but we will all die and come to the Kingdom of God. However, it is important how prepared we will be for that arrival, which will be sudden. This is what this Holy Gospel is talking about. Those reasonable girls are actually all of us people who take this life lightly and do not prepare properly for the arrival that will surely come. Those wise girls are those people who think wisely and prepare during this life for the other eternal life. And how do they prepare? Those lamps, that oil they prepared, those are good deeds, good thoughts, those are prayers," said Fr. Nemanja.

Saint Petka lived such a life, he continued.

"That is why we sing in the Troparion of Saint Petka, that she resembled the wise maidens. So she became similar, the same as those wise girls who readily welcomed Christ. Truly, Saint Petka had a God-pleasing life, consecrating it all to others, and thus to God. She lived in a rich, wealthy family. She had a nice life, but she had been giving since she was little. She constantly gave, and her parents encouraged her to do so, but also reprimanded her when she overdid it. She would like to give everything she has on to others. She continued this even after the death of her parents. "She gave away all the wealth and property of her parents, which was left to her, and dedicated her life to prayer and thinking about another life," said Fr. Nemanja.

It is not a problem, he added, whether someone is rich or poor.

"Both can be saved and both can perish. Our relationship to this life and to material things is important. Both Saint Petka and Saint Nicholas for example, who was also rich, used their money wisely, helping others. They didn't think only of themselves or that they would live forever, but they thought about something much more important. Their whole life was pleasing to God. That's why Holy Petka is great. Not because she was big in front of people. On the contrary, she was very modest, no one even knew who she was, but she was great before God. So, great are those who are great before God," said Fr. Nemanja, emphasizing the importance of reminding the Church about what is the meaning of our life.

He concluded that we always remind ourselves of this by celebrating Holy Friday and remembering her God-pleasing life.

"May God grant that through the prayers of Holy Petka we too live in this way, that we too become like those wise girls from this Gospel story and that we all acquire the Kingdom of God." May everyone and the members of the Circle of Serbian Sisters have a happy holiday, health and salvation", said Fr. Nemanja.