Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over the Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of the Last Judgment at the Greek Orthodox Church of Our Saviour on March 7, 2021, as part of his visit to the Jordanian community in Rye, New York.
The Archbishop said he was very pleased to meet the Jordanian Community in Rye, pointing out: “We are, indeed, gathered as a community, which as you all know, is a form of communion.”
The Archbishop highlighted the significance of the Holy Communion on Meatfare Sunday saying: “All of us are members of the Body of Christ, and our communion with each other is truly a sign of the sincerity of our communion with God.”
The Archbishop sent his own message as the Christian faithful enter the Lenten period that will culminate in the Holy Pascha, “Our eternal happiness is to be found in our loving and compassionate service to others. Because it shows us how we take the effects of Holy Communion – the Body and Blood of Christ, which we receive in the Divine Liturgy – and mirror this closeness and proximity to Christ in the world outside the Liturgy, also known as ‘the liturgy after the liturgy.’”
Read the full homily of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America:
My dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
I am so very happy to be with you here today, and with your priest, Father Soterios, on this Sunday of Meatfare, as we set our sights on the upcoming solemn period of Holy and Great Lent. Your faithfulness and sacrifice to make this Community a reality is worthy of the Holy Great-Martyr and Trophy-Bearer George himself, for you bring much honor and glory to his blessed memory and name.
We are, indeed, gathered as a community, which as you all know, is a form of communion. The Holy Communion that we receive – the Body and Blood of the Lord – is what binds us together. It is the substance of God, the Divine DNA that makes us a family in God. All of us are members of the Body of Christ, and our communion with each other is truly a sign of the sincerity of our communion with God.
That is why, on this Sunday of Meatfare, when we say farewell to many foods and flavors that we enjoy, we look to the Holy Gospel for another kind of happiness. This famous Gospel reading – when the Lord returns in glory to judge the living and the dead – speaks of another form of bliss.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”
You hear the Lord call those at His right Hand, the “blessed of my Father.” What state of human existence could be higher than this, than to be the “blessed of the Father?” This is true happiness and true reward, which no pleasure on earth can give. This is the fruit of communion with God, because it demonstrates that the attributes of God have become our own. And what are these?
To give food to the hungry.
To give drink to the thirsty.
To welcome the stranger.
To clothe the naked.
To visit the sick.
To go to those imprisoned.
My beloved Friends,
These are not words. These are deeds.
These are not declarations of Faith. These are the results of Faith.
These are not expressions of hope. These are the gifts of hope.
These are not affirmations of love. These are acts of love.
There are no restrictions about who may receive these deeds – whether they are Orthodox or not, Christian or not, good or not. Indeed, those imprisoned often find themselves there for their evil deeds and not for their good ones.
My beloved Faithful,
On this Sunday, when we bid farewell to some of life’s pleasures, the Lord points us to the way of true and lasting happiness. Our eternal happiness is to be found in our loving and compassionate service to others. Because it shows us how we take the effects of Holy Communion – the Body and Blood of Christ, which we receive in the Divine Liturgy – and mirror this closeness and proximity to Christ in the world outside the Liturgy, also known as “the liturgy after the liturgy.”
You hear how to expand Holy Communion into every corner of your life in the questions posed by those at the Right Hand, who asked:
“Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?”
But you already know the answer to these questions; for the King replied:
“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it unto Me.”
Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, let us joyfully embrace the first sign of the Holy Fast today, even as we prepare to feast one last time on our favorite meats.
Let us embrace a life of service to others, without regard to their persons. For the sun shines on all, even as the rain falls on all without prejudice.
Let us extend our communion with God – the Holy Communion we experience in the Church – beyond the walls of the Church, and to every person we meet.
By generously nourishing their hearts.
By lovingly soothing their parched souls.
By welcoming every stranger.
By covering the nakedness of another’s sins.
By sharing our presence with those whose sickness is of the heart and soul.
By going to those imprisoned by their own negativity, and declaring their liberation through love of God and love of neighbor.
Thus, we shall arrive at the Holy Pascha of the Lord, with hearts ablaze and minds illumined. And we shall enter into the blessedness of the Holy Father, and know our place at His Divine Right Hand. Amen.
