Today, 12 February 2012, the 24th Sunday after Pentecost, the evangelical pericope of Saint Luke 15:11-32 on the parable of the Return of the prodigal son was read in all places of worship of the Romanian Patriarchate.

In the sermon delivered in Saint Gregory the Enlightener chapel of the Patriarchal Residence, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church emphasised the great value of repentance, namely the healing, releasing, and renewing power of the Holy Sacrament of Repentance of the Confession and forgiveness of sins through the grace of God.

The Sunday of the Return of the Prodigal Son represents the return of the sinful man to God. It is a preparation for the entire period of the Lent, also said the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, as Trinitas Radio station informs us.

The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church spoke about sin showing that it is a disease of the soul, an existential disorder at all levels.

“Sin began with the spiritual separation of man from God, with the breaking of the communion with Him of which consequence was the weakening of inner unity of man, namely a perturbation of the inner harmony of man, of the relation between senses and conscience, then of the relations between man and woman, and later on the earth was cursed too because of the humans’ sin. Thus, the blessing of God in the world comes through man if he keeps alive the relationship of love and obedience towards God and it is also through man that the curse for the world comes if the humans break the relationship with God, the Source of Eternal Life, of the blessings, and of all good things.

Therefore it is not only the infringement of a law, the sin is not only the infringement of an external law, but also a disease of the soul, an existential disorder at all levels”, also said His Beatitude.

While referring to repentance, the Patriarch of Romanian also showed that this is the baptism of tears.

“Repentance, as Saint John Climax says, is given after our baptism as grace over grace because even after the Baptism celebrated for the forgiveness of sin man can make mistakes, can sin, so that repentance is the baptism of tears. The Baptism in water and Spirit is done only once, while repentance as baptism of tears is done as often as possible to clean the first coat given at Baptism”, also said His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.