“The Samaritan Woman came to the well in faith; she saw You, the Water of wisdom and drank abundantly. She inherited the Kingdom on high, and is ever glorified!”
(Kontakion for the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman)
If you want to pray, you need God "Who gives prayer to him who prays" (I Samuel 2:9). For this He taught us, saying: "Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth". He who prays in Spirit and in Truth is no longer dependent on created things when he honors the Creator, but praises Him for and in himself (Evagrius Ponticus).
The 5th Sunday after Easter, the Sunday of the Samaritan, was a truly blessed one for the Romanian faithful of St. Nicholas and St. George Parish in New York, who had His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae in their midst. As always, the presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae in our parish is an occasion of joy and celebration for the faithful, so the Metropolitan's visit is always eagerly awaited.
The first highlight of His Eminence's visit to New York was attending the enthronement of Metropolitan Saba as Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese on Saturday morning, May 13, 2023, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn.
On Sunday, May 14, 2023, at 9:40 a.m., His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae arrived at our parish, being welcomed with joy and emotion by the parish priest with the Holy Gospel and the Holy Cross and a large group of faithful. This was followed by the Holy and Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, together with the priest Marius Dumitrescu. In his homily at the end of the service, Metropolitan Nicolae spoke about the importance of confessing our faith in the Resurrection of Christ. Metropolitan Nicolae explained that on the Sunday of the Samaritan woman, of St. Photini (26 February), Christ reveals Himself to the Samaritan woman and then to the inhabitants of the city of Sychar: "I am the Messiah", Christ, the Savior of the world. He then explained that "the living water which the Savior promises for eternal drink is the sending of the Holy Spirit; Jesus Christ is the Fountain of grace, called the living water, which heals man from sin and sanctifies his life to salvation."
"This encounter with the Samaritan woman is an opportunity to understand something very profound about our Christian faith: what it means to worship God, what it means to worship in spirit and in truth. Everyone can live a living relationship in spirit with God, a relationship which can begin through prayer, a relationship that can be continued here in the Church, in the Mysteries of the Holy Church," said Metropolitan Nicolae. "Worship in spirit and truth means involving our whole being in the search for God. We can verify that our worship, our faith is right if the Spirit dwells in us, if we begin to perceive the spirit and the atmosphere of prayer, if we enter into this atmosphere and let ourselves be filled with what is happening in the Holy Church."... "God has come down to earth and is giving us all a chance to meet Him. It is up to us to desire the living water," stressed His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae.
At the end of the sermon, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae presented diplomas to the students of our Sunday School, participants and winners of the Religion Olympiad, Metropolitan phase. May the Good Lord grant them wisdom and may He instill in their ears and hearts the words of Holy Scripture!
They are:
Group C (13 - 18 years)
1st place - James Dascălu and Constantin Grigoraș;
4th place - Augustin Grigoras;
5th place - Lisa Dascălu;
6th place - Justinian Grigoras.
Group B (8-12 years)
2nd place - Macrina Grigoras;
4th place - Nicholas Trepca;
6th place - Antonie Bujoreanu;
7th place - Maria Grigoras.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Father Marius Dumitrescu addressed His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae and all the faithful a word of thanks for this moment of joy. Christians overflowed the church at Sunday morning's service, a sign of the blessing of Christ the Savior. Later that afternoon on the same day, the hierarch bid us farewell, thanking us for our welcome and promising to return in the near future.
The presence of His Eminence in our midst with his archiepiscopal blessings, with the paternal warmth he shared with us, was for us, priests and faithful of the parish of St. Nicholas and St. George, NY, a true blessing, a reason for joy and hope, and a great day that will remain for a long time in the hearts of those present.
In closing, we can only offer our heartfelt thanks to those who participated and to all who prepared this wonderful day for our church!
Fr. Marius Dumitrescu
