The historic Holy Monastery of Saint John the Baptist on Skopelos (founded in 1612) was visited by His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida, Istiaia and Northern Sporades during its two-day patronal celebration on 23 and 24 June.
On Tuesday, 23 June, His Eminence arrived at the port of Glossa and, in the evening, presided at the festal Great Vespers in the katholikon of the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, with the participation of clergy from the island.
In his sermon to the faithful, His Eminence explained that, in the scriptural accounts of childlessness, human reason often appears to stand in opposition to faith. Yet faith and obedience to the will of God reveal that reason is not merely an innate human faculty but a gift from God, Who is able even to alter the laws of nature, not in order to fulfil human desires, but to accomplish His salvific plan for humanity. This was manifested in the mission of Saint John the Baptist, who prepared the way of the Lord by calling people to change their manner of thinking and way of life so as to receive the Lord.
On the principal feast day commemorating the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos presided at the Matins, celebrated the Divine Liturgy, and delivered the homily, reflecting on the significance of prayer in the life of every person, who has need of communion with God through faith, patience, and perseverance, trusting in God’s loving providence. He emphasised that the Kingdom of God, that is, Christ Himself, must be the foremost priority in our petitions. If Christ is our first and chief concern, then He Himself will provide for all our other needs. For this reason, the Divine Liturgy, during which we entreat the presence of Christ in our lives and our participation in Him, is the most important prayer.
The birth of the Forerunner was an answer to the prayers of his parents at the time determined by God and became a cause of joy for the entire world, since through his preparatory preaching the Incarnation of God was made known throughout the world. The Divine Liturgy is participation in this miracle of Christ’s manifestation to the world and the means by which humanity may live eternally.
Shortly before the dismissal, His Eminence Chrysostomos congratulated and thanked all those who support the Holy Monastery in every way. Among them, he especially commended the sacrificial ministry of Archimandrite Alexios Papastamoulis, Parish Priest of the Dormition of the Theotokos Parish in Glossa, who serves as the acting monastic council of the Monastery, as well as the resident monk, Fr Theodosios, who not only labours diligently but also inspires many in the effort to restore the Holy Monastery to its former splendour.
At midday on Wednesday, His Eminence departed from Skopelos for Mantoudi and from there travelled to Istiaia, where, at the Parish Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Istiaia, he celebrated the Funeral Service for the late Protopresbyter Nikolaos Deligiannis, parish priest of the local community.
