Knowing the truth is a feeling incomparably beautiful and comforting… Transmitting the truth is a feeling that is not only creative but also essential… What truth? The truth that every man more or less, openly or in secret, eagerly or reluctantly, sought flanked by deep questions. Does God exist? Is there life after death? What is my destination? To all these existential quests the answer is generously offered by Christian faith, particularly by Orthodoxy.
In the “civilized Christian” world where we live, namely in the “Orthodox” Greece, meeting with Christ is possible and depends on the desire and intent of each person. This, however, does not apply to the countries of the so called “third world,” a more pure world though, where there are people who have never heard of Him, the Savior of the world and their Father. The mission above was organized and undertaken by the Orthodox Church (led by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Alexandria), as well as by Orthodox missionary societies such as ours.
The effort of witnessing for Christ and His Principles to the ends of the earth consists of two momentous aspects: on the one hand, the spread of the Gospel and, on the other, its practical application to acts of love, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and generally strengthening the needy. In the last ministry, the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity participated actively by sending four containers with humanitarian aid last year, that is, in 2016: two to the much afflicted Sierra Leone and two to Congo, aiming to strengthen the Theological Faculty of Kinshasa, and its own charity work. The aforementioned containers were loaded with:
- more than 75 tons of long-life food
- necessities such as desks and chairs, furniture, soap, medicines, medical equipment, generators, school supplies, clothing, toys, and finally,
- religious items such as holy chalices, icons, vestments for the priests, holy table covers, liturgical vessels and books and many others.
For this offer, the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity earned tearful “thank you” from those responsible for the projects that received the containers and our indigenous brothers there who tasted the fruit of our love. Our answer to their tears of gratitude is, “We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” “(Luke. 17:10).
We are truly grateful to all the young people, the ladies and all those who selflessly and joyfully offer their ministry in the warehouses of our fraternity in Filiro, Thessaloniki. We are also deeply grateful to our brothers from Florina for the financial and material support of this effort.
Constantine Metallides
Theologian
