The High Priestly Vespers of Osia Makrina in Florinatranslated

On Saturday, July 18, 2026, in the evening, the eve of the feast of St. Makrina, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Florina, Prespa and Eordaia Mr. Irenaios presided over the High Priestly Vespers at the Orthodox Missionary Brotherhood of St. Makrina of Florina. The Elder Metropolitan, Mr. Theoklitos, was present at the Mass as a co-prayer. Among the representatives of the local authorities, the MP P.E. Florina Mr. Stavros Papasotiriou and the Mayor of Florina Mr. Vassilios Giannakis, as well as a large number of believers, who came to honor the memory of Osia Makrina.

In his sermon, His Holiness first referred to the life of Osia Makrina, who was born in Cappadocia and was the sister of Basil the Great and Saint Gregory of Nyssa. She dedicated herself to God and lived with prayer and exercise until her death in 379 AD.

Then, he referred to the value of the human soul, on the occasion of the work of Saint Gregory of Nyssa "On the soul and resurrection", in which his dialogue with Osia Makrina is recorded. He emphasized that man is not only a body and external appearance, but has a soul, which needs daily spiritual care. At the same time,…