In the sermon spoken during the Holy Liturgy, His Beatitude explained that the end of the Gospel read shows the most important meaning of the Baptism, which is not just forgiveness of sins, which was also asked through John's baptism of repentance, underlining that the expression: 'This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased' shows that 'the most important purpose of the Baptism is the adoption of man. In Christ, the Son of the eternal God Who became man, the humanity is adopted by God the Father through the Holy Spirit, and that is why the Holy Spirit is also named the Spirit of Sonship.'
After the Great Blessing of Waters, which took place in the square outside the Patriarchal Cathedral, His Beatitude Explained that the waters are blessed by being once again bearers of the Holy Spirit, as the One Holy God, Jesus Christ, who became a man out of love for mankind and for the salvation of humans, entered Jordan and blessed them with His presence. Now, through the same Persons of the Holy Trinity, the waters are blessed once again and we receive the Holy Water as a gift and benefaction, as a sign of the fatherly love of God towards us.
Patriarchate News
Anniversaries
25 February 1769 The future metropolitan Lupu Dionisie was born in Blăjani, county of Buzău
24 February 1908 the future Archbishop Nica Antim (baptised Alexandru) was born in Bogzeşti, county of Orhei (today in the Republic of Moldova)
23 february 1807 Bishop Blajevici Teoctist, abbotat at Dragomirna Monastery, future metropolitan of Moldova Was born in Tişăuţi, County of Suceava,
Memorials
January 22, 1789 Bishop Dosoftei Herescu of Radauti died
January 20, 1818 Rev. Dimitrie Tichindeal, fable writer and translator, died
19 January 2012 383 years since the passing into eternity of Metropolitan Anastasius of Moldova Crimca





















