Previously, the holy liturgy was led by Archpriest Marko Maleš, who, with the assistance of Father Dražen, distributed oak branches to the faithful and consecrated the Christmas Eve. Maleš reminded that the Church Municipality of Zenica also has 13 chapels.
– Tonight we are celebrating Christmas Eve and in the whole area we just hear: Christ is born! It is a greeting that gives us hope for the future and that, somehow, we share peace with each other. Peace of God, Christ is born, in fact, is a teaching of love for each other – attention and peace. Like every Christmas, this year’s Christmas is a holiday on which we hope to encourage people to find the good in themselves. Let’s submerge those ugly things somehow and forget them – said Maleš.
Calling for peace in the whole world, which, he underlined, is what we need most today, as well as calling for peace within ourselves, that is the message “that Christ gives us on this holiday”.
– That is the essence of our celebration and celebration, that we simply spread love, because God is love and the essence of God to us is sharing love, gifts, presents and glorifying God – said Maleš.
He expressed his satisfaction that on Christmas Eve this year they had a large number of believers, as well as neighbors, who, he added, want to celebrate with them and share the joy of the holiday, which spreads the spirit of peace, togetherness and tolerance.
– That’s what people feel! Simply, that spirit of Christmas is somehow always present among everyone. Just like other holidays in our city, they are always celebrated together. We go to each other – underlined Maleš, who noted that this is a beautiful service and “a combination of liturgical and traditional, customary law, which is very nice”.
The Orthodox community in Zenica, he added, numbers around 500-600 believers.
(Vijesti.ba / Fena)
