On Sunday, May 29, 2022, the 6th Sunday after Pascha, the faithful of the Cathedral of Ss. Constantine and Helen from Chicago rejoiced at the chance to be present for a Hierarchical Concelebration. Together with His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicolae, His Grace, Bishop James of Sonora, Vicar Bishop of His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and of the Western Diocese of ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia), was present. It is the second visit of HG James to the Cathedral of Ss. Constantine and Helen, after the one in January 2021.
At the end of the Liturgy, HE Nicolae introduced HG James and asked him to offer the sermon. HG James explained in detail the meanings of Gospel Pericope of John 9, 1-38, the healing of the man that was born blind:
“Today’s miracle in the Holy Gospel is a sign among others showing that Christ has the power of God to heal, but also that he has come to bring light. He makes clay out of the earth, anoints his eyes with clay, and then commands him to go to the pool of Silo’am, which means Sent, says St. John the Evangelist, and, once he washes his eyes, he does not regain his sight, but rather acquires it, since he never had it, he was blind from birth. A more accurate translation of the gospel text would be <without eyes>, that he was born without eyes. God the Creator accomplishes what was imperfect in His creation, and now He comes to give eyes to see to this man. The fulfillment of the miracle through clay reminds us of the creation of man from earth (Genesis 2, 7) through the hands of God ... And when he regained his sigh, when he could see, the first image that he saw was that of the Savior’s, of His Creator. Untold Joy that man might discover his prototype, the Image according to which He was created ...”
HE Metropolitan Nicolae thanked HG Bishop James for his visit and for the concelebration, expressed his condolences for the passing of Metropolitan Hilarion, the former First Hierarch of ROCOR, to the Lord, and wished a beautiful continuation of HG James’ mission to San Francisco, where he welcomes the multitude of pilgrims desiring to venerate the relics of St. John Maximovitch, a beloved saint by all the Orthodox in America and beyond.
