On Sunday, July 30, 2023, the 8th Sunday after Pentecost, the faithful of Ss. Constantine and Helen Romanian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago enjoyed attending a Hierarchical Concelebration. Together with His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, Bishop James of Sonora, Vicar Bishop of Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and of the Western Diocese of ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia) served the Divine Liturgy. This is the third visit of His Grace James to Ss. Constantine and Helen Cathedral following his visits in January 2021 and May 2022.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, HE Nicolae introduced HG James and asked him to offer the homily. His Grace James explained at length the significance of the Holy Gospel from Matthew 14, 14-22, the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves:
"The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves reveals a quantitative difference between the daily food and Eucharistic bread. The Savior multiplied the loaves to feed the multitude of men, women and children. A crumb of His Body and Blood are sufficient for us as spiritual food. Proof of the fact that through bodily food the multitude of human persons is manifested, while through spiritual food their unity in the Body of Christ, the Church. God takes care of everything. The condition for us to be partakers of this spiritual unity in material multitude is to put our concerns in their proper place according to the Saviour's command: seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these thinks will be added to you (Matthew 6:33)."
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae thanked Bishop James for his visit and for the concelebration and expressed his wishes for a beautiful continuation of Bishop James' mission in San Francisco where he welcomes the multitude of pilgrims desiring to venerate the relics of St. John Maximovich, a beloved saint by all Orthodox in America and beyond. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the founding of Ss. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Chicago this year, Metropolitan Nicolae offered an icon of the Saints to His Grace James.
