Patriarch Daniel: God grants grace to those humbled through perseverance

“God grants His grace to those who possess the humility that comes from much labour,” Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday at the St George Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence, where he explained the Gospel account of the first Miraculous Catch of Fish.

The Patriarch of Romania noted that the Saviour Jesus Christ did not perform the miracle for idle fishermen.

“The miracle was performed for hardworking fishermen who had laboured throughout the night but, because they had caught nothing, were greatly humbled. Only when He found them exhausted after much labour and humbled after a great failure did Christ our God grant them His help, which works miracles,” Patriarch Daniel emphasised.

“Grace is near to humility” In this context, His Beatitude quoted St Isaac the Syrian, who said: “Until a man is humbled, he receives no reward for his work; the reward is given not for the work, but for humility. Thus, the reward is given neither for virtue nor for the labour undertaken for its sake, but for the humility born of them. Grace is near to humility.”

“Therefore, today’s Gospel teaches us that God knows both a person’s efforts and his limitations or weaknesses, but He teaches us to…