Crete: Supplication Service and Holy Vigil at the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Ntamiali

At the Holy pilgrimage site of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner (Ntamiali), a Supplication Service to the Mother of God and a Holy Vigil (Matins and Divine Liturgy) took place, presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilochios of Kissamos and Selinos, who served the vigil as a presbyter.

His Eminence expressed his emotion for the conducting of the Supplication Service and the Holy Vigil in the beautiful and reverent cavernous Holy Pilgrimage Church of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner, noting: “Performing the Holy Vigil in this particularly blessed, reverent and grace-filled cavernous Church of the Holy Forerunner, I was thinking that, as it is located on such a busy national road, with the thousands of cars that pass by every day to visit the popular destinations of Balos, Elafonisios and Falasarna, I was thinking that here, at this time, two worlds meet. The world of noise, the crazy and the strange with the world of the Divine Liturgy. The first, the world of noise, causes man anxiety, anguish, frustration, leading him, many times, to tragic dead ends.

In contrast to the world of the Divine Liturgy, which liberates humankind. The Liturgy lifts them up, unlocking the gates of Heaven for all. As what else is the Divine Liturgy than a meeting of Heaven and earth? A foretaste of heavenly joy and eternal bliss. We are all called to experience this joy in our daily lives, nourished by the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we want to defeat the small and big deaths of life, even the ultimate enemy, spiritual death. Really, what is the meaning of life, however pleasant and carefree it may be, if it does not succeed in defeating death?”, concluded His Eminence, wishing: “May you all have a blessed Dekapentavgoustos, Blessed Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos”.