His Eminence the Archbishop of Cetinje, the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral and the Exarch of the Sacred Throne of Pec, Mr. Joanikije served this morning, with the concelebration of the clergy and clergy of the Metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral, the Holy Archbishop's Liturgy in the church of St. Peter of Cetinje in Prčanje.

During the Liturgy, the Bishop ordained the former deacon Vojislav Mijatović to the rank of presbyter.

In the archpastoral sermon, Metropolitan Ioannikije said that the Lord wanted to hand over everything he had and showed to us.

"That the wealth that He has, the glory that He has, the wisdom that He has, the light that He carries as the Son of God, be given to us and that we become participants in all of this. We are mortal by human nature, but by God's grace and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which give us immortal life, we become gods by grace. That is the perspective of man here on earth, only if he follows the path of Christ," said Metropolitan Ioannikije.

He told the new priest that God had given him the authority to serve the holy altar, the holy altar.

"To offer, not only his requests and prayers and wishes and sighs and cries, but also the requests and prayers of the entire nation entrusted to him," he said.

He emphasized that priestly service is sublime.

"We see that from the holy apostles. When they received the grace of the Holy Spirit, they were filled with God's truth, justice and love. As the Holy Apostle Luke says, they clothed themselves with power from on high. And from then on, they were filled with fearlessness, although as people they were like us - people with all human weaknesses and shortcomings on Good Friday, when they were afraid to see how Roman soldiers and Jews humiliated Christ and how they crucified him", reminded Metropolitan Ioannikije .

Later, he emphasized, those same apostles, when they clothed themselves with the grace of the Holy Spirit on Trinity Day, became fearless and invincible.

"And they became like that because they were armed with the weapons of God." And that is faith, truth, justice, love, kindness, condescension, understanding of others, forgiveness, sharing both good and evil with the people entrusted to them and to whom God directed them. In the same way, dear brothers and sisters, we send priests to the people," said Metropolitan Ioannikije.

He told the new priest Vojislav that he was giving him only one piece of advice:

"Stay, brother Vojislav, with your people who are entrusted to you. He shares with him both bad and good," said Metropolitan Ioannikije.

Radosav Rajo Vojinović

Photo: Željko Drašković