“Love conquers death”: Metropolitan John celebrated the Liturgy on the day of remembrance of the martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophiatranslated

With the blessing of Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, on September 30, Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Stary Oskol celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the occasion of the patronal feast day in the Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia in the city of Belgorod. His Eminence was served by the dean of the First Belgorod District, Archpriest Oleg Kobets, the dean of the Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and Their Mother Sophia, Archpriest Sergius Koliy, and the clergy of the church, the rectors of the Belgorod churches. After reading the Holy Gospel, the Head of the Belgorod Metropolis addressed the worshipers with an archpastoral word. In his sermon, the bishop recalled the first three centuries of Christianity, when pagan Rome saw in the new faith a threat to its statehood. An empire based on divine veneration of the emperor and unconditional obedience could not accept the commandment of love. “Why wasn’t there a single law on love in the Roman Empire? And here Christ invites us to love His God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

And this comes into conflict with the entire legal system of Rome,” said Metropolitan John. The Bishop paid special attention to the feat of Saint Sophia, who called her...