{"id":4193,"date":"2026-04-10T00:48:49","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T22:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/?p=4193"},"modified":"2026-04-16T13:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T11:18:11","slug":"h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-reflection-on-isaiahs-prophecies-and-our-lords-passion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-reflection-on-isaiahs-prophecies-and-our-lords-passion\/","title":{"rendered":"H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden\u2019s Reflection on Isaiah\u2019s Prophecies and our Lord\u2019s Passion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As we gather on this solemn and sacred evening of Holy Thursday, we stand at the threshold of the Passion of our Lord. Tonight, the Church invites us not only to remember the Last Supper, but also to enter spiritually into the mystery of Christ\u2019s suffering, foretold centuries before it came to pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the voices of the prophets, none speaks with such profound clarity about the Passion as the Prophet Isaiah. His words, written long before the coming of Christ, illuminate the path that leads to the Cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prophet declares: \u201cHe was despised and rejected by people; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.\u201d In these words, we recognize Christ, abandoned, misunderstood, and betrayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this very night, He is handed over, denied, and left alone. The suffering Servant of Isaiah is no distant figure; He is Jesus, who willingly enters into human pain. Isaiah continues: \u201cSurely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Passion is not merely an episode of suffering; it is an act of love. Christ does not suffer for Himself, but for us; for our sins, our burdens, our brokenness. Every lash, every insult, every moment of agony is borne for the salvation of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prophet speaks even more vividly: \u201cHe was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, we see the Cross not as defeat, but as victory. Through suffering comes healing; through sacrifice comes redemption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah also foretells the silent endurance of Christ: \u201cLike a lamb led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened His mouth not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the trials that follow this night, Jesus does not resist. He does not defend Himself. His silence is not weakness, but divine obedience; a surrender to the will of the Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, the prophet reveals the depth of this mystery: \u201cHe poured out His soul unto death\u2026 and bore the sin of many.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Passion is the ultimate offering. Christ gives Himself completely, holding nothing back, so that humanity might be reconciled with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As we contemplate these prophetic words, we realize that the Cross was not an accident of history, but part of God\u2019s eternal plan of salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Isaiah saw in shadow, we now behold in fullness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonight, let us approach this mystery with reverence and gratitude. Let us reflect on the love that led Christ to the Cross, and let us ask ourselves: how do we respond to such love?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May we learn to carry our own crosses with faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May we embrace humility, patience, and forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And may we never forget that through His suffering, we are given life eternal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we gather on this solemn and sacred evening of Holy Thursday, we stand at the threshold of the Passion of our Lord. Tonight, the Church invites us not only to remember the Last Supper, but also to enter spiritually into the mystery of Christ\u2019s suffering, foretold centuries before it came to pass. Among the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4194,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[21,34,15],"tags":[64,22],"class_list":["post-4193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homilies","category-metropolitan","category-news","tag-easter-2026","tag-homily"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/featured-12.jpg?fit=800%2C488&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3496,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-homily-on-the-third-stanza-of-the-akathist\/","url_meta":{"origin":4193,"position":0},"title":"H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas\u2019 Homily on the Third Stanza of the Akathist, 13\/3\/2026","author":"mplexus","date":"March 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Friday, March 13, 2026 Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In the third stanza of the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, the Church continues the angelic greeting that began at the Annunciation. After the Archangel\u2019s message to the Virgin, we behold the mystery\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Homilies"","block_context":{"text":"Homilies","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/category\/metropolitan\/homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-8.jpg?fit=800%2C617&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-8.jpg?fit=800%2C617&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-8.jpg?fit=800%2C617&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-8.jpg?fit=800%2C617&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1119,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-homily-on-the-9th-sunday-of-matthew\/","url_meta":{"origin":4193,"position":1},"title":"H. E. Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden\u2019s Homily on the 9th Sunday of Matthew","author":"mplexus","date":"August 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Sunday, August 10, 2025 Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today, the Holy Gospel presents us with a powerful, symbolic event: our Lord walking on the sea, and His saving of the Apostle Peter who, though bold in faith at first, began to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Homilies"","block_context":{"text":"Homilies","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/category\/metropolitan\/homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"[:en]Apostle Peter walking in water with Christ[:]","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/531314533_1088205690186204_703841145143368716_n.jpg?fit=600%2C342&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/531314533_1088205690186204_703841145143368716_n.jpg?fit=600%2C342&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/531314533_1088205690186204_703841145143368716_n.jpg?fit=600%2C342&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1428,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-homily-on-the-fourth-sunday-of-luke\/","url_meta":{"origin":4193,"position":2},"title":"H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden\u2019s Homily on the Fourth Sunday of Luke","author":"mplexus","date":"October 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Sunday, October 12, 2025 Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today we hear one of the most beautiful and important parables that our Lord Jesus Christ ever spoke \u2014 the Parable of the Sower. Christ tells us about a man who went out\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Homilies"","block_context":{"text":"Homilies","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/category\/metropolitan\/homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/featured-8.jpg?fit=700%2C334&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/featured-8.jpg?fit=700%2C334&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/featured-8.jpg?fit=700%2C334&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/featured-8.jpg?fit=700%2C334&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3444,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-homily-at-the-10th-catechumens-seminar\/","url_meta":{"origin":4193,"position":3},"title":"H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden\u2019s Homily at the 10th Catechumens\u2019 Seminar","author":"mplexus","date":"March 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Thursday, March 12, 2026 Topic: The Jesus Prayer It is a great blessing and joy to speak with you today, especially as catechumens and newly illumined Christians\u2014those who are approaching, or have recently entered, the fullness of the Orthodox faith. You are not simply\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Catechumens"","block_context":{"text":"Catechumens","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/category\/ministries\/catechumens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-6.jpg?fit=800%2C374&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-6.jpg?fit=800%2C374&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-6.jpg?fit=800%2C374&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-6.jpg?fit=800%2C374&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3940,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-homily\/","url_meta":{"origin":4193,"position":4},"title":"H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden\u2019s Homily on Holy Wednesday","author":"Daniel J\u00e4mterud","date":"April 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm April 8, 2026 Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we enter more deeply into the solemn days of Holy Week, Holy Wednesday is a day that confronts us with two radically different responses to Christ: the silent, tearful repentance of the woman\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Homilies"","block_context":{"text":"Homilies","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/category\/metropolitan\/homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/666483191_1249192630700478_478150933549688207_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/666483191_1249192630700478_478150933549688207_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/666483191_1249192630700478_478150933549688207_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/666483191_1249192630700478_478150933549688207_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/666483191_1249192630700478_478150933549688207_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C904&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3719,"url":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/h-e-metropolitan-cleopas-of-swedens-homily-at-the-11th-catechumens-seminar\/","url_meta":{"origin":4193,"position":5},"title":"H.E. Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden\u2019s Homily at the 11th Catechumens\u2019 Seminar","author":"mplexus","date":"March 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:en] St. George Cathedral of Stockholm Thursday, March 26, 2026 Topic: The Orthodox Church Under Persecution;From the Apostolic Age to the Present Introduction Throughout its two thousand year history, the Orthodox Church has walked a path that is inseparable from sacrifice, suffering and witness. From the earliest days when the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Catechumens"","block_context":{"text":"Catechumens","link":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/category\/ministries\/catechumens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured2-1.jpg?fit=800%2C356&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured2-1.jpg?fit=800%2C356&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured2-1.jpg?fit=800%2C356&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gomos.se\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured2-1.jpg?fit=800%2C356&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4193"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4196,"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4193\/revisions\/4196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gomos.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}