“It behoves us to share equally in the people’s joy and their pain, to serve them and become their mainstay, for the strength of the Church lies not in words alone. Its calling is in Christ-like love and in bearing one another’s burdens. We must fling wide the doors of the Church to all. Let us not wait for our neighbour to come to us at the cathedral pulpit,” declared the head of the Holy Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, Shio the Third, in a sermon delivered at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

In his words, “it is precisely in this ministry that our soul is tempered.”

“Modern life sets us before new and pressing trials. The hearts of men have grown estranged and cold. A thousand temptations displace faith, moral values, family, and those we hold dear. For this reason, the burden of the Church’s pastoral office weighs doubly heavy. It is no easy thing, after the manner of a faithful and wise servant, to meet the challenges of this world worthily, yet greater effort is required, greater labour in proclaiming the faith of Christ and bringing His living Word to the hearts of men. It behoves us, therefore, to share equally in the people’s joy and their pain, to serve them and become their mainstay, for the strength of the Church lies not in words alone. Its calling is in Christ-like love and in bearing one another’s burdens.

We must fling wide the doors of the Church to all. Let us not wait for our neighbour to come to us at the cathedral pulpit. Beyond the walls of the temple, let us also embrace those spiritual children of ours who, like the prodigal son, perhaps do not dare to come to us. It is precisely in this ministry that our souls are tempered and our calling is fulfilled, for the Lord teaches us: whosoever among you desires to be great, let him be your servant.

Our children are the country’s tomorrow and its future. They watch us every day, they listen to us, and they learn from us. Often, they choose paths in life that differ from our own, yet they remain our children nonetheless. It is they who stand most in need of our love, our care, and our solidarity. The faith of Christ must be strengthened within them, as must national values, reverence for tradition, and a sense of responsibility before the people and the Church. And it is we, again and always, who must bring this about. We must live and labour in such a way as to become a worthy example to them, so that in time our country may have citizens who are of one spirit, believers, imbued with love of God and neighbour.

Education, public life, and daily endeavour must be founded not merely upon bare knowledge, but upon Christ-like love and spiritual values, so that, as Holy Scripture teaches us, all may be one. This is precisely what it means to be faithful to the apostolic path and to render the service founded upon love, a service that the Church’s shepherd is bound to fulfil.

And so, standing today before this great apostolic and spiritual inheritance, I bow my knee with filial love before the labour of my great predecessor Catholicos-Patriarchs; I beseech their blessed souls to grant me strength and succour, that like them, as a good shepherd, I may be able to lay down my soul for my flock, to bear obediently the heavy cross of the Patriarchate, as an easy yoke and a light burden,” declared Shio III.