On Saturday, April 12, 2025, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over the Challenge Liturgy for the Saturday of Lazarus, joining Proistamenos Fr. John Lardas, at Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Port Washington New York.
The Archangel Michael parish started the Challenge Liturgy. Created in 1990, the Challenge Liturgy reaches out to Orthodox Christians with intellectual and developmental disabilities, bringing them into the full life of the parish.
His Eminence recognized the important efforts of the parish to build a substantive relationship of love with those who may need extra support and how it parallels the relationship Maria, Martha, and Lazarus had with Christ.
“In this marvelous parish, you have established a circle of inclusion, a circle of acceptance, a circle of love. This is a place where you can learn the deep lessons of life – of what is really important,” His Eminence remarked.
Archbishop Elpidophoros further reminded parishioners how Christ feels our pain and suffers with us just as he knew the pain, grief, mourning, and loss that was coming to Lazarus and to his sisters.
“Jesus wept. Ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς.
As much as anything you will ever read in Holy Scripture, this simple verse tells you everything you need to know about how God feels about you. God weeps for you. He weeps for every human being who must endure sickness and suffering, pain and death. The Lord loves each of us as a most cherished and dear friend, the way that He loved Lazaros; the way He loved the sisters, Maria and Martha,” His Eminence remarked.
Photos: Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos
