“To be a Christian means to bear witness to the faith,” emphasised His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas on Sunday at the Romanian Orthodox Parish of St Nicholas and St George in New York.
His Eminence explained the Gospel reading for the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, recounting the healing of the demon-possessed man in the region of the Gergesenes, and highlighted the Saviour’s love and mercy towards those who suffer.
“God did not leave this man in such a state of helplessness. God Himself came to save him.”
“It is utterly incomprehensible to see a man delivered from such a terrible condition, to recognise that this is a miracle of God, and yet to turn your back on Him and drive Him away,” the Metropolitan of the Americas emphasised.
Actions can speak louder than hundreds of words
Reflecting on the Saviour’s instruction to the man He had healed to proclaim the blessings he had received from God, Metropolitan Nicolae highlighted every Christian’s responsibility to bear witness to their faith in everyday life.
“Our actions, too, can speak more powerfully than hundreds of words, showing that we have encountered God in church.”
Metropolitan Nicolae encouraged the faithful to reflect on the teachings they hear during church services and share them with their families.
“Let us continue to care for our children here in church and at home, within the family, and for young people who face all these temptations to distance themselves from the Church.”
The Romanian Orthodox Parish of St Nicholas and St George in New York was established in 1974 at the initiative of several Romanian families.
The parish church was consecrated in 1984, and its interior painting was completed in 2022.
