Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Belarusian-speaking Parish of the Annunciation in Vilnius

On Sunday, August 30, Bishop Panaretos of Tamiathis, Patriarchal Exarch of Lithuania, celebrated the Liturgy at the Annunciation parish in Vilnius, where the congregation is mainly made up of Belarusian faithful.

In a spirit of deep devotion, the church choir sang the hymns melodiously, accompanied by Fr. Georgios Roy, who is responsible for the Belarusian community in the area.

In his sermon, Bishop Panaretos stressed that shared faith unites people of different languages and national backgrounds, noting that the Belarusians living in Lithuania are called to preserve their Orthodox spiritual identity while also participating actively and harmoniously in the life of the local society.

The text of the sermon follows:

“God Never Abandons His Vineyard”

Sermon – 13th Sunday of Matthew

My beloved brothers and sisters,

In today’s Gospel, Christ speaks to us about a man who planted a vineyard. He fenced it in, tended it, prepared everything necessary, and then entrusted it to people to cultivate it.

Usually, when we hear this parable, we focus on the farmers and their behavior. Today, however, I would like us to focus more on the landowner himself and on the vineyard…