Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over the Vespers of the Feast of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Oak Lawn, Illinois, on December 5, 2020.
In his homily, the Archbishop said that he was pleased to be with them for the feast of Saint Nicholas and expressed joy at the elevation of Bishop Timothy of Hexamilion to the dignity and grace of the episcopacy.
He then referred to the revered saint, Saint Nicholas of Myra, and urged the faithful to “emulate and hold in honor and high esteem the passionate defense of the Faith that Saint Nicholas embodies for all of us and for all time.”
He stressed: “Let us remember that his name means “the victory of the people” and that victory does not come except by struggle, hardship, and yes, by virtuous exertion.” He added: “The violence that the Lord is speaking of is the effort and the internal struggle that every human being makes in their own way to live the life in Christ as best they can, and to be victorious as was Saint Nicholas.
When Saint Nicholas struck Arius, it was not out of hatred or envy. It was out of a desire to stop him from blaspheming the Name of the Lord. He was judged by his peers as being unworthy of his high office, but the Lord Himself and His Holy Mother ruled otherwise. The Court of Heaven is higher, and supreme over any court on earth.”
He concluded: “May we always have his prayers as we struggle to be victors through Christ in our lives on earth, and may we have his intercessions when we stand before the dread Judgment Seat of Christ. May we be vindicated through grace as he once was, and welcomed into the mansions of eternity to live with God and all the saints. Amen.”
