Saint Nikolai Velimirović was commemorated on Sunday at the Protection of the Mother of God Monastery, where he is honoured as the third patron saint, alongside the Mother of God and John Jacob of Neamț.
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the two Americas celebrated the Divine Liturgy and spoke about following Christ and taking up the Cross.
The Romanian Metropolitan explained that self-denial does not mean the loss of personality or God-given gifts, but “the abandonment of everything that separates us from God—selfishness and attachment to what we believe we possess. Immediately after these words, the Saviour says: ‘For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?’”
“God Himself humbled Himself, emptied Himself, so that we might regain the image of God’s glory in which we were created,” he added.
Crucifying Sin and Doubt
Metropolitan Nicolae said that taking up the Cross is not a physical act, but a spiritual one.
“The spiritual path presented by the Saviour calls us to take up our cross as He did. He does not urge us to carry it literally, but to crucify ourselves spiritually—to offer our being, as Saint Paul says, as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, as our spiritual worship. We must crucify all our weaknesses, all our sins, all our doubts,” he said.
He also stressed that being Christian goes beyond a philosophical idea.
“The Gospel of this Sunday reminds us what it means to be Christians. During the fast, we should experience that Christianity is not merely a beautiful philosophy, but the following of Christ through self-denial and taking up the Cross—without forgetting that these spiritual efforts are not without joy.”
“Taking up the Cross and following Christ must lead us to the victory He achieved over sin and spiritual death,” the metropolitan said.
Photo: mitropolia.us
