The feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul - St. Peter's Day, on July 12, 2024, in the summer of the Lord, was celebrated in Cetinje with the traditional St. Peter's Day Assembly, which began with the Holy Bishop's Liturgy in the Cetinje Monastery.

The holy service of God was served by His Eminence the Archbishop of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Mr. Joanikije with the concurrence of His Eminence the Metropolitan of Kemerovo and Prokopiev, Mr. Aristarchus from the Russian Orthodox Church and His Eminence the Metropolitan of Tetovo-Gostivar Mr. Joseph from the Macedonian Orthodox Church - Ohrid Archbishopric, as well as Archimandrite Paisius, the elected bishop of Dioclia, priests from several dioceses of the Serbian, Russian and Macedonian Orthodox Church, in the prayerful presence of the faithful.

In the course of the Holy Liturgy, Metropolitan Ioannikije anointed the newly baptized servant of God Peter, and on a short walk he ordained hieromonk Gavrilo (Raičević), fellow of the Cetinje monastery, to the rank of archangel.

"Dear father Gavrilo, for your love for the Church of God, for the service of God, for your love for the people of God, we have decided to promote you to the rank of archangel on this day. Until now, you have carried out all the responsible obedience with zeal and devotion, and may God pour out His mercy and strengthen you so that you may continue even more zealously to perform the service entrusted to you", said Bishop Joanikije.

After the Gospel, the festive sermon was delivered by the hieromonk Rafailo (Boljević), abbot of the Podmaine monastery, who emphasized that every day we are all asked the same question that the Lord himself asked his apostles: What do people say about me who is the Son of Man?

"The answer to this question depends on what we base our life on." That is our mind, our will, our heart, and finally our body. And it depends on that whether we will resist the onslaughts of hell, whether we will be swallowed up by hell's jaws or whether we will still resist with the power of truth, with the power of God. That question is very short and the answer should not be long, nor different from the one given by the apostle with the Holy Spirit and which the Church of Christ, the Orthodox Church has given through all ages and will give until the end of the world and ages. Therefore, the question is, and it is asked by the Lord himself, not someone else, he asks it to his apostles, and through them, brothers and sisters, and to us especially on this apostolic day today: What do people say about me, who am I? Who is the Son of Man?"

Conveying the opinion of that time, the disciples say: "Some say that you are John the Baptist, others that you are Elijah, others again Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." Jesus then asks them: "And what do you say, who am I?"

"Simon Peter answered inspired by the Holy Spirit and confessed the faith which is the faith of the Church and its unshakable foundation: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Confess, brothers and sisters, by faith that although he sees the Son of Man in front of him, he sees a man, but he confesses and recognizes him as the only begotten Son of God and God equal to the Father both in honor and in nature and in power and in will and in authority. And the Lord, pleased, seals that confession with the words: On that rock, on that faith, in fact, I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And we, brothers and sisters, must not do otherwise than the apostles, not only Peter Peter, he confessed in the name of the Apostolic Council, and not only the apostles, the Apostolic Church holds that faith", said Fr. Raphael.

He went on to say that in addition to what we believe, we belong to and are one holy congregation, but we are also an apostolic Church.

"And our relationship to Christ should be charged with the apostolic faith and a very concise confession, because in it is the fullness of the truth and the possibility that the heavens are not only opened to us once a year, but that they are always open above us, as they are on this day and in this hour. With that faith, that authority, those keys with which the Lord gives His Church, we unlock the sacramental heavens and here we are here in this liturgical moment of heavenly reality. We should keep such faith and the gates of hell will not overcome us, that is, the winds of sin and the forces of darkness and lies, because faith in the incarnation of Christ is the central dogma and unshakable stone of Christ's Church," Hieromonk Rafailo (Boljević) taught the gathered.

After the intercession prayer, there was a baptismal procession to the church in Ćipur, where the Slavic gifts were blessed.

After returning to the monastery and leaving, Metropolitan Ioannikije addressed the gathering and reminded them that the Holy First Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul, whom we celebrate today, were from the same people, but from different layers of the Jewish society of that time. Peter was a simple man, probably illiterate in the beginning, before he met the Lord Christ, but he had a strong character and was interested in fishing, that's what he lived on, he painstakingly earned his bread. He was married and not particularly famous for anything. And Paul, formerly called Saul, was one of the most learned people of his time, an extremely well-informed and well-educated connoisseur of the Holy Scriptures down to the last detail. He belonged to the strictest Jewish stream of piety, was a Pharisee, zealous for the law of Moses, which led him into a delusion from which the Lord Jesus Christ freed him.

"However, as both of them met the Lord Jesus Christ in different circumstances, they changed to such an extent that the Holy Apostle Paul, and the Holy Apostle Peter thought the same way, said that he no longer lives, but Christ lives in him. God's truth, justice and love moved into both apostles and made the simple man Peter a vessel of the Holy Spirit. And the apostle Paul said that all that he had known until then, for which he particularly stood out and was known, that it was all trice and scum, that he was rejecting it all just to gain Christ", stressed the Most Reverend Metropolitan Ioannikije.

Recalling that Saul (Paul) persecuted the Church, persecuted Christ and therefore became known as the enemy of Christ, until the light of God, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, illuminated and reborn him, Archbishop Ioannikije of Cetinje emphasized that the apostles Peter and Paul were their apostolic preaching sealed with their blood, sacrificing their heads for the Gospel of Christ and for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Congratulating the holiday, the Metropolitan greeted His Excellency the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Montenegro, Mr. Vladislava Maslenikova, emphasizing the special joy that the brother archbishops Metropolitan Aristarkh from the Russian Orthodox Church and Metropolitan Josif from the Macedonian Orthodox Church - Ohrid Archdiocese are here today.

Then Metropolitan Aristarchus addressed the gathering and congratulated the holiday, conveying the blessings of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Mr. Cyril. In commemoration of today's gathering, the bishop presented Metropolitan Ioanniki with the bishop's mantle.

Thanking for the love and gift, Metropolitan Ioannikije presented the cross and panagia to His Holiness Bishop Aristarchus:

"We are especially glad that the blessing of the Most Holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Mr. Kirill, reached us through you. You have brought great blessings to a country so close and dear to us, with which we have always shared joys and sometimes some difficult moments, such as today. Thank you so much for your love and gifts. Happy holiday to all, health, joy and salvation to all, Amen, God grant!"

St. Peter's Day gathering in the Cetinje Monastery continued at the table of love.

Vesna Devic

Metropolis of Montenegrin and Littoral