His Eminence addressed the congregation appropriately and referred to the theological message of the Ascension of the Lord. He stressed that this great Feast of the Lord does not signify God’s departure from humanity, but rather His enduring promise of presence and hope. At the same time, he underlined that modern man, despite technological progress, often experiences inner loneliness and spiritual exhaustion, and for this reason the Church calls everyone to lift their gaze “upwards,” where Christ is.
He also referred to Saints Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles, noting that through their life and work they demonstrated that even in difficult times a person can become an instrument of God and a witness to the truth. Finally, he wished everyone many blessed years, through the grace of the Ascended Lord and of Saints Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles.
The procession of the holy icon of the Saints through the streets of the city followed the Vespers.
