On the eve of the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 27, His Eminence the Archbishop of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral and Exarch of the Holy Throne of Pec, Mr. Joanikije served in the Church of Saint Sava in Tivat during the festive evening service, with the concurrence of the clergy and clergy of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, in the prayerful presence of the faithful.

The Most Reverend Metropolitan Joanikije began his archpastoral letter by recalling the prophetic words that the honorable death of His saints is before the Lord. And the Most Holy Theotokos is more exalted not only than all people, than all the Saints of the human race, but she is also more exalted than the heavenly angels and all of God's creation. In the church, we sing that She is more honorable than the Cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim, that Her womb is shown wider than the heavens, and that is because She is the Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - the One whom Heaven and the heavens above the heavens cannot contain. nor all creation, nor the entire spaces of Heaven and Earth.

"He humbled himself for the sake of us people and for the sake of our salvation, out of love for the human race, in order to save us all, without, of course, leaving his Divinity, nor diminishing his power, but only by condescending to us he received human nature from the Blessed Virgin Mary, from Her purest virgin blood and became like one of us. That is why we sing and celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrating the incarnation of Christ, we also celebrate the Holy Mother of God. Celebrating Christ and His work of salvation, we always mention and invoke and glorify the Blessed Virgin Mary.

If the death of the saints of God is honorable, how much more honorable and sublime is the death of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. How it is filled with the glory of God. The Lord Jesus Christ spread his hands on the cross, pouring out his life-giving blood for the salvation of the human race, in order to embrace the entire human race. And His death was life-giving and redeeming, purifying and saving for all of us, because with His death He weakened death, destroyed it and with His resurrection gave us freedom, and from death and new life," said the Bishop.

In the following, he said that the Most Holy Virgin Mother of God was already a participant in His death under the cross, as the Mother of her Son, she was crucified with Him and experienced in her heart, in her being, the death of her Son, and this means the prophetic word of Saint Simeon the God-bearer that the sword will pierce Her soul.

"However, She soon became worthy to see Christ's victory over death and His glorious Resurrection." And the joy that he brought to the whole world, he first gave to his Holy Mother the Virgin. So that at the end of her life, her most successful life, she united with the cross of Christ, united with her Son."

Answering the question: how did She who gave birth to Life, our Lord Jesus Christ the Giver of Life, become subject to death, the Archbishop of Cetinje said that She submitted to the law of God - to accept death and repay the debt owed to us by our forefather Adam with his fall, because death is a consequence of sin, and She is from Adam's offspring. But Her death was glorious, united with her Son for all eternity through her Assumption. That is why Her death, which was real, but also glorious, is not called death, but Assumption.

"Through the prayers of the Most Holy Mother of God, may the Lord grant us forgiveness of sins, may he grant us freedom from sin, and thus also freedom from death. That we should not be afraid of death, but that we should be afraid of sin, that we should not distance ourselves from the Lord, but that we should constantly unite with Him, imitating above all the Blessed Virgin Mary. And all those who go that way, She strengthens, She strengthens. She is a quick helper in all troubles, She pulls us out of the depth of our sins, from the depth of our alienation, from all dangers, from all that is wrong, from all that is a danger to our souls and life. And on that road, when we have the Holy Mother of God as our helper, we should not be afraid of anything because She leads us into the arms of Christ. To everyone, health and salvation and joy! This great holiday is celebrated by Heaven and Earth, celebrated by the whole Church, we are also celebrating because we are also the Church of God, living and true," said His Eminence the Archbishop of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Mr. Joannikius.

Vesna Devic

Photo: Željko Drašković