Celebrating the Veneration of the Holy Cross and offering love in the Holy Metropolis of Corfu

On Sunday, March 31, 2019, his Eminence, the Bishop of Corfu, Paxoi and Diapontian Islands, Mr. Nektarios did the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Church of Saints Konstantinos and Eleni, in Koulines.

In his speech, his Eminence commented on the Epistle’s Part of the day, Paul’s Epistle to Hebrews, noting that Jesus Christ is the Great and Eternal Archpriest. With his Crucification, he gave us back our life and during the Divine Liturgy He is the one offering and offered at the same time. During the Divine Liturgy, we experience His willing Passion, His Crucification, His burial, His Resurrection from the dead, His Ascension and the unending eighth day of the Heaven.  Saint Paul invites us to pray with boldness and humbleness. Unfortunately the modern humans speak with boldness but also with audacity, while promoting themselves.

Moreover, the Bishop of Corfu, referring to the Holy Cross, noted that our Holy Church presents the symbol of sacrifice and love of our Christ, in order for the faithful to be empowered during their struggle. The Holy Cross is our pride as Christians, the injury of the evil and the symbol of win and Resurrection. Each one of us is invited by Christ to bear his/her own cross and follow Christ.  An important prerequisite for bearing this cross is the cutting off and the fulfillment of the Divine will.

In his closing, Mr. Nektarios wished that the Holy Cross give power to the faithful, in order to continue their struggle during the Holy Lent.

Like every year, so happened this year too. The Holy Metropolis of Corfu, Paxoi and Diapontian Islands organised a blood donation on Sunday morning, March 31, 2019, at the Spiritual Centre of the Holy Church of Saint John in Corfu town.

In his statements at the local media, his Eminence underlined the importance of blood donation of Christians, as they follow our Lord’s example who spilled his blood onto the Cross, beating death and donating eternal life. This sacrifice is assimilated to the following verse of the second  “ Wounded in thy side, * O Word, like the pelican, * thou didst give life to thy dead children, * with the flow of thy life-giving blood.  In order for pelicans to save their chicks bitten by poisonous snakes, tear their hearts and with their blood, they save their little chicks.

The Holy Metropolis is always by the side of those in need and in particular in need of blood. The blood bank of the local Church is one of the biggest in the island.

Moreover, Mr. Nektarios thanked the responsible for the blood donation, Protopresbyter father Evangelos Koutras and the doctors of the General perfectural Hospital of Corfu, Mr. Tzilianos and Mr. Andriotis, along with the volunteers who responded to the invitation of the local Church and participated in the blood donation.

Lastly, it should be noted that the Holy Metropolis organises blood donations twice every year, one on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross and the other one in September, during the Clerical meeting at the Chronically Suffering People’s Foundation “The Platytera”.