LAST UPDATE: 18.20
On Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America visited the parish of Holy Cross Church, in Whitestone, New York, where he was warmly welcomed by Fr. Nicolaos Paros and members of the parish council.
Archbishop Elpidophoros delivered a homily, drawing on the biblical connection between Moses lifting the bronze serpent in the wilderness and Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.
“My Beloved Christians, I rejoice to be with you today, fresh from returning from a spiritually enriching visit to our Holy Mother Church in Constantinople,” the Archbishop said, recalling his participation in the September 1 celebrations of the Ecclesiastical New Year and the Day of the Environment.
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel, he highlighted the words of Christ: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
Explaining this Old Testament story, the Archbishop noted: “Moses obeyed God, and as the text in the Book of Numbers continues: ‘…he made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of brass, he lived.’ That was all they had to do. Just look at the Serpent of Brass on the pole, and they would be healed.”
He drew the parallel to the Christian life: “This is why we raise the Precious Cross on the Feast of its Elevation and at all times… Because it is the shining icon of the Cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ gave up His life for the life of the world – for your life, for my life, for every life.”
Archbishop Elpidophoros reminded the faithful of the transformative power of the Cross: “Even if our lives are engulfed by evil, overwhelmed by snakes and serpents, the Cross can rescue us. There is no act of hatred, violence, or misery that it cannot overcome. It is the ‘ὅπλον εἰρήνης, ἀήττητον τρόπαιον – the weapon of peace, the unconquerable trophy.’”
Quoting John 3:16, he continued: “Truly, God so loved the world, that He gave His Only-Begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish, but possess eternal life.”
The Archbishop concluded by encouraging the faithful to imitate Christ’s love and forgiveness: “That image of the snake reminds us that all of our imperfections, sins, and shortcomings were taken by Christ and transfigured on the Cross by love. And it means that we can, by His grace and power, do the same. We can transform the negativity around us through love, through mercy, through forgiveness.”
“May we always have this awareness and will to exceed ourselves, and go to His Precious Cross for our own healing, and to demonstrate that love can heal the world.”
Source: Goarch
