Bishop of Corfu, Mr. Nektarios: ” Saint John’s the Prodromus voice awakens consciences”
On Thursday morning, August 29, 2019, his Eminence, the Bishop of Corfu, Paxoi and Diapontian Islands, Mr. Nektarios did the Divine Liturgy in the celebrating Holy Church of Saint John in Corfu town.
In his preaching, the Bishop of Corfu stood on two faces, first to the Honorable Prodromos and later to Herod. Saint John the Baptist prepared the people to receive the Son and Word of God, Jesus Christ. He lived in the wilderness and baptized people, preaching repentance and the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. Prodromos’ speech was not limited to preaching, it was also controlling. In this case, he checked the one in power of Galilea and Perea Herod for his illegal living with Philip’s living brother’s wife. Her name was Herodias. The words of the Holy Forerunner annoyed Herod and ordered the imprisonment of St. John. Herod wanted to celebrate his birthday and for this reason he performed a lawless and leisurely feast, which was dominated by wine and lust. Herodias’ daughter, at the urging of her mother, asked Herod for Baptist’s head on a table, opera and eagle. In this way Saint John testified of giving his spirit to the Lord.
In addition, His Eminence pointed out that our Holy Church decided on this day, in honor of St. John’s Head, to be observed by the faithful with strict fasting, because it was precisely the decision to kill the Holy Forerunner that took place in an unparalleled eating and winemaking place.
Mr. Nektarios also mentioned in today’s time that the conditions in our times are similar to those of the Honorable Producer. And today, unfortunately, the devotees of the so-called “New Age” are trying in every way to silence the mouths of all those, whether priests or bishops, who denounce the apostasy and loss of spiritual orientation of human beings, allegedly for the protection of human rights and what the Church maintains is anachronistic. But when one only cares about one’s self and places oneself as the center of one’s life, one’s self-esteem is cut off from society. The existence of a society presupposes living human relationships. So John’s precursor voice awakens to this day.
In his closing, the Bishop of Corfu wished the Forerunner to be a light in their lives. As the 19th Psalm states: “Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.” The day and the light, that is, Christ. And the night is Saint John who was born in the night and in the night of our life, which is dipped in sin, proclaims the awareness of the presence of God.
