His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the Americas celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Saturday for the patronal feast of the Romanian Monastery “Saint Demetrius the New” in Middletown, New York.
On this occasion, the Romanian Metropolitan of the Americas spoke about the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in each individual’s personal life.
“The Holy Spirit is still at work, not only in the lives of those we consider exceptional figures but also in the lives of all of us.”
“Our Christian life is renewed through the sending of the Holy Spirit,” His Eminence said.
A Call to Holiness
Metropolitan Nicolae emphasized that the saints, through their example, remind us of the call to holiness we must answer—a call that all of us receive.
“The saints remind us that we, too, are called to holiness. We are all called to be saints—not just to spend a few hours or days in church or monastery and then go home to fill our time with worldly pursuits.”
“What does ‘the Holy of Holies’ mean? The Holy things are given to the saints. Who are the saints? Those on the walls? No, it is you. Not those on the walls. The Holy things are given to the saints. It is not said, ‘the Holy things given for the comfort of the faithful who come to church.’ The Holy things given to the saints, and we partake of them for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.”
The Metropolitan underscored the importance of spiritual life, saying that when we neglect God, we are “playing with eternity.”
The Path to Salvation
“We are playing with eternity in the Church. If we want to hear the word of the Gospel and understand the example of the saints here in the Church, we either gain eternity or lose it. Outside the Church, it’s the opposite—we surely lose eternity. The world outside the Church no longer wants to know about God, Christ, family order, or Christian moral principles.”
“Let us also pray to the saints: to Saint Demetrius the New, to the Great Martyr Demetrius the Myrrh-Gusher, to Saint Lazarus, Friend of the Lord, to Saint Paraskeva, so they may help us understand their example.”
“Putting God first in our lives doesn’t mean praying 7-8 hours a day—we don’t have that kind of time. But we start with God, with prayer. We pause and pray at noon for 10 minutes, read a chapter from the New Testament, and do the same in the evening.”
“Seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will follow. Not the other way around. If we happen to have 10 minutes at night, we read something if we’re not too tired. You’ll see how everything else falls into place when you seek first, and our lives gain meaning.”
“The Christian experience is practical—not only in knowing the faith and venerating holy relics but in seeing that Christ speaks the truth,” the hierarch concluded.
“Saint Demetrius the New” Monastery in Middletown
The “Saint Demetrius the New” Monastery in Middletown, New York, was founded thanks to a donation from Dumitru Minciu, a Romanian who left his estate to Archimandrite Vasile Vasilache, the parish priest of the “Saint Nicholas” Community in New York.
After Dumitru Minciu’s passing, his estate was transferred, and renovations began to transform his home into a place of prayer.
Later, with the help of donations, a separate church was built and consecrated in 2011. In 2015, the monastery was expanded with new spaces for monks and visitors through the support of a family from the community.
Photo: St Demetrius Monastery in Middletown / YouTube
