HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN NICOLAE
The Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas
Liaison to IOCC from the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States
During His life on this earth, our Lord and Savior rarely did or said what others expected of Him, and He certainly did not fulfill His people’s expectations for a Messiah.
From His birth in a cave to His humiliating death on the cross, Christ shapes a new vision for the Kingdom of Heaven: it is manifest not through force but through love and humility. This unexpected King kneels to wash His disciples’ dusty feet and invites us to follow Him with the faith of a child. He invites us to love and serve as He did.
Palm Sunday begins the final road to the Cross. This week we see Him offer Himself, even unto death. How unthinkable, that the Creator of the cosmos would permit His creatures to take His life! Yet Christ’s humility renders death powerless, so now we may return to loving communion with Him. We complete our earthly journey with the hope of abundant, eternal life in Our Father’s house.
As we view the Cross before us this Holy Week, let us remember how Christ emptied Himself for our sake. Let us seek ways to imitate Him in loving service wherever we have the opportunity. And let us find in His Cross the light and life of the resurrection—for this is our great hope!
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