MESSAGE OF THE BISHOP OF DEMETRIAS IGNATIOS

FOR CHRIST'S RESURRECTION 1999

Dear fathers, my beloved in Christ children,

"Easter the joyful! Easter of the Lord, Easter! Easter the respectful has risen for us!" We celebrate and we are full of happiness today for the fact of our Lord Christ' Resurrection! We celebrate the victory of Life against Death! We celebrate the victory of the Forgiveness against Hate! We celebrate the victory of Love against Sin! We celebrate the victory of Sacrifice against! We celebrate because we can now be absolutely released from the poison of the Evil and the Destruction!

      This feast, however, the feast of the new Creation, the "different life", must work as a New Beginning of a different itinerary, or else the meaning of the Resurrection has no worth for our lives. This itinerary must be based on the worthies of the Holly Gospel, this itinerary must be based on the form of resurrected Christ, this itinerary is a travel to the eternity of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE, a travel to the Peace of the Unity, a travel to the Death of Selfness, and the Resurrection of Sacrifice, in this itinerary the Name end the Image of Jesus Christ saves our life and stops it from being away from God and the Human, and establishes a real communion. This itinerary is travel to originality, which is saved only in the Orthodox Church!

      At the dawn of the new century, with all those problems that our country lives, with a way of living full of Death, the Voice of resurrected Christ that claims the joy, includes the last and only meaning. Following that joy we can certainly hope that we shall live the resurrection from sin and we shall be forgiven not only spiritually and socially but also nationally. May we join all the Joy of our Lord! Christ is Risen!

With my Easter blessings,

 

The Bishop Ignatios of Holy Metropolis of Demetrias

---

MESSAGE OF THE BISHOP OF DEMETRIAS IGNATIOS

FOR THE NEW YEAR 2000

The beginning of a New Year means a new opportunity for reorientation of our direction. The best use of time is to be able to use it properly, so as to improve ourselves, to make new dreams in relation to our merits and values.

      But this New Year, beyond the personal direction of each person, has a deeper meaning for the whole world. We celebrate the completion of 2000 years from the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and His presence in our lifes. However, although the Holy Gospel is made public all over the world, where love and sacrifice seem to have no particular importance, it is exceptionally essential to approach Him and lay our problems and thoughts on His Love. He is the only Hope for our Salvation!

      Therefore, the beginning of the New Year must be the beginning of our change, through which we will get ourselves closer to God and His Church, and through which we will be able to feel that God is next to us and is always willing to help us. So let us try harder for more love, freedom from sin, so as we feel our personal change.

      God bless us! Happy New Year!

With my best blessings for the New Year,

† THE BISHOP OF DEMETRIAS IGNATIOS