April 6, 2016
New York City: On Sunday of the Cross, Metropolitan Hilarion & Bishop Nicholas serve Liturgy in Synodal Cathedral

On April 2-3, the Third Sunday of Great Lent and feast of the Veneration of the Cross, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York led the All-Night Vigil with the bringing out of the Cross and the Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. His Eminence was co-served by diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, cathedral senior priest Archpriest Andrei Sommer, Hieromonk Eutychius (Dovganyul), and Protodeacons Nicolas Mokhoff and Vadim Gan.

A large number of the faithful gathered in the Synodal Cathedral to bow down before the Cross of the Lord and to commune of Christ’s Holy Mysteries.

Upon completion of the service, Metropolitan Hilarion addressed parishioners with a sermon: "At the midpoint of Great Lent, the Holy Cross is taken out into the center of the church, so that, gazing upon it, those who are observing the fast can be strengthened and receive comfort. We remember how Christ suffered for us on the Cross, suffered in His love for us, and how He died on the Cross for our sins, completing the work of our redemption. Seeing Christ’s Cross, we are emboldened spiritually, and thank the Savior for His love for us, despite the multitude of our sins, and He calls us to Himself in His Heavenly Kingdom… The cross, which is antiquity was a tool for executing criminals, upon Christ’s stretching forth His hands upon it, became for Christians not only a sign of victory over sins, but also a powerful weapon against the enemy of our salvation. When we make the sign of the Cross, we remind ourselves that we are God’s children. It was no coincidence that the Holy Equals-of-the-Apostles Sts. Cyril & Methodius, translating the church service books into Slavonic, used the Slavic word for "cross"  – ‘крестъ’ when translating the word for "baptism" – ‘крещеніе’. By this they were saying that, through baptism and immersion in the water, we become crusaders, bearers of the Cross of Christ. And we take up our cross, as the Savior commanded us: ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’"

Metropolitan Hilarion congratulated the clergy and parishioners with the feast of the Veneration of the Cross, and wished for them to continue laboring for the remainder of Great Lent, so that they might greet with great joy and spiritual uplifting Christ’s Radiant Pascha.

In the church hall, the cathedral sisterhood prepared a lenten luncheon for the clergy and faithful.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese