Fr.Deacon George-Mihai Hrituleac

     Hello, Father Deacon George-Mihai Hrițuleac!
     Christ is in our midst, brother Roberto! Nice to see you well and healthy in these
troubled times!
     First, tell us something about you!
      I really don’t like talking about myself because somebody may get a wrong idea
about me. I always let my actions speak for myself. I am a passenger in this life, a sinner...
​
      When did you feel the call to the Priesthood?
      I think it all started when I was just a child. I think God wanted me to be his servant from my youth. I don’t know when it started but I remember I was like 3 years old and I was praying with my grandparents, reading the prayers from a small book with white covers and cross on the front page. It was a book of prayers for toddlers with a lot of pictures and drawings of how to stay when you pray, what to say. I really loved the feeling after the prayers and I think this was the moment I felt in love with God and I started to attend the religious services more often. I remember that once, I was like 4 years old and, all of a sudden, my beloved grandfather, - God rest his soul! -asked me what I want to become when I grow up and I answered, almost instantly, ”I want to become a priest and a doctor!”. Let’s say I felt the calling to become a servant at the age of four.
​
     What do you think about the Orthodox Church, Its servants and Its followers?
     Saint Athanasius the Great, once said: ”Orthodoxy is what Christ taught, the Apostles preached and the Fathers kept.” This makes me truly believe that the Orthodox Church is the true Church of God, Its servants, Bishops, Priests and Deacons, are doing their best to keep what the Apostles preached, they are doing their best to preach the true Belief and to keep Christ alive in the hearts of the Orthodox Church followers.
​
 Why the youngsters don’t attend the Church services, or why there are very few of them doing it? 
 I think the reasons of this problem is that their parents can’t spend time with them to answer their questions about every problem they are facing. This technology nowadays is a way they can get wrong answers and directions. In present, all Mass Media is focused on presenting only the bad sides of everything, not just the Church. This way, the youngsters, who are easy to manipulate, they see the Church as an enemy, as a threat on their life, as a threat to their evolution. 
​
  What is your favorite prayer and what prayers are you doing every day? 
My favorite prayer is the Saint Ephraim the Syrian’s prayer:
”O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition, and idle talking give me not. 
But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love bestow upon me Thy servant. 
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.” 
For me, this prayer includes all the teaching needed so everyone can live a good and right Christian life. As for my daily prayers, they are based on the day, the mood I have at the praying moments, and the needs of my soul. I can’t say I do the same prayers every day, except, of course, the prayers established by the Father that is my confidant and my spiritual guide. 
​
    What future projects do you have in mind?
     With God’s help, at the end of the last year, along with two of my colleagues, Father Deacon Andrei-Daniel Vasile and Father Vasile Bobaru, the parish priest of the church from Topraisar village, that has the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel and Saint Filofteia as it’s protectors, I started a project named ”Asociația ”Sfântul Dionisie Exiguul și Sfânta Muceniță Filofteia” which is a Non-Governmental Organization, and it’s main objects of activity are social aid, education of youngsters, psychological counseling for people, old and young, victims of loneliness or family violence, etc. I also plan to build a small Care Center for elders, abused mothers and abandoned children but, for now, I don’t have the financial support and the help I need so this will remain in the phase of ”project” for the next period. I think that these are my and our plans for the future from now on, for as long as we live, so help us God!
​
      What is your message for the readers of  Orthodox Gentleman?
     A Latin proverb said: ”Ora et Labora!” which means ”Work and Pray!”. Keep praying before and after you do anything. Keep praying any moments since you wake up and until you fall asleep again. Pray for yourself, for your family and friends, pray for your enemies and for their return to the love of their neighbors and, in the end, pray for me, the sinner and the unworthy servant of God’s Saint Altar in Orthodox Church.
May the blessing of God be upon you all, with his Grace and His love of men, now and ever and unto the ages of ages, amen!
​cc 2021 - orthodoxgentleman.com - all rights reserved