Hierarchal Great Vespers for the Feat Day of St. Spyridon the Wonderworker in Worcester, MA
Wednesday, December 31, 1969
On the evening of December 11, 2019 His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios presided over the Hierarchal Great Vespers at the Cathedral of Saint Spyridon in Worcester, MA. His Eminence, together with the pastors of the community, Fr. Christopher Stamas and Fr. Nicholas Livingston, clergy from throughout the Metropolis, and the faithful of the community celebrated the feast of this historic community.
At the conclusion of the Vespers the Philoptochos Society of the parish offered a wonderful reception giving everyone present time to share in fellowship.
His Eminence in his remarks noted the following:
"We gather this evening to honor the Patron Saint of this historic parish, one of the most beloved hierarchs of the church. The feast of St. Spyridon is placed near the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior for a reason: You see in order for someone to comprehend the miracle of Christmas, by God’s grace, one must offer his heart as a manager that the Lord may be born.
We know that the Incarnation of God, (that divine event in man’s history through which “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,”) was the fulfillment of God’s promise to send salvation to those who will believe in Him. The only true and essential Christmas gift – the gift of eternal life in Christ – is a free gift. This because the salvation of the souls of all those who believe in the Lord was achieved on the Cross by Him Who was born of a Woman in Bethlehem of Judea. We also know that the crowning message of Christ’s ministry is love, without which we fail to accept the gift of salvation (Matt. 25:31-46). Love is the message with which He sent out the Apostles, and upon which the pillars of His Church stand to this day.
This, then, is the message of God Incarnate, the message of Christmas. To manifest our faith in Christ as Savior of our eternal souls by living His commandment of love. To reach out with love and touch the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves. To feed those who have little or nothing to eat. To offer a home to the homeless. To share the glory and joy of the Birth of Jesus with those whose lives are desolate and joyless. This is the message of Christ’s saving love that we are called to seed in the hearts and minds of all people during this holy and blessed period of Christmas. In order to do this we must pray that Almighty God inspire us to replicate as one of tonight’s hymns reads “the meekness, innocence, simplicity, charity and wisdom in all things of St. Spyridon.”
The other day I attended a Christmas concert in one of our parishes, one of the inspiring Christmas songs was “Go Tell it to the Mountain” that Jesus Christ is born.
Can we do exactly that this Christmas?"
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