His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros
Homily at the Divine Liturgy – Beginning of Triodion
31st the Annual Leadership 100 Conference
February 13, 2022
Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church
Naples, Florida
My beloved Christians,
This week, I have been here in your beautiful Naples with the members of Leadership 100 – many of whom are participating this morning – in order to further advance the mission and the ministries of our Church. As I’m sure you are aware, “Naples” is combination of two Greek words: νέα πόλις – the “New City.”
The concept of “newness” strikes me this morning, as I consider that this year we are marking the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Greek Orthodox Church of America as the premier Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. We can all reflect on what has passed – the history of the Greek Orthodox People who made their way to these shores.
But today, I want to challenge us all – here in the “New City” of Naples – to think about what new thing are we going to be known for in the next hundred years. What makes our faith so marvelous is that even though we repeat the cycles of holy seasons and services with a precision unmatched, we always can infuse our traditions with new enthusiasm, new excitement, and new energy.
Like today’s observance – the Beginning of Triodion and the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. We ready this Gospel every year on this Sunday, because it is the example of how we are to commence our Fast in the coming weeks.
We should be grateful, but not selfish.
We should be honest, but not proud.
And above all, let us be non-judgmental with others.
The Pharisee lost all the benefits of his good works because he violated all three. He was egotistical. He was prideful. And above all, by comparing himself to the Publican – who was none of those things – he lost the opportunity to have some sense of solidarity with another human being. He thought he could have a “one-on-one” relationship with God, forgetting that as we have done it to the least of our brothers or sisters, we have done it unto God Himself. We shall hear these words in just two weeks, on the Sunday of Meatfare, but they are telegraphed by this parable.
Therefore, my beloved Christians:
Today, I am asking you to bring something new to this Feast that comes around every year. Our friends at Leadership One Hundred are a good example. You see, they see each other as members of the same team, and instead of comparing themselves to each other, use the talents of all to build an extraordinary ministry of stewardship and vision for our Church in America.
They look at each other, and at those who have gone before them, whose memories we commemorate today in our Trisagion Service, as being giants of faith and fidelity, upon whose shoulders they can stand to see farther and better.
So it let it be with us, we enter the next century of our Sacred Archdiocese. Let us not compare ourselves to others out of vanity, or pride, or judgment. Let’s leave our egos out of it. Let us be humbly grateful for the gifts that God has given us. And let us accept the good intent of all our neighbors without judgment and without condemnation, as we pray the Lord will accept us.
This is a new century for our Church!
And you all live in the New City of Naples!
It is truly a moment of refreshing ourselves with renewed commitment and devotion. This is the miracle of our Faith. It does not matter what has come before, if we are willing to put our trust in God and change our hearts.
But let us never forget the examples of those who came before us. Let them be an unending supply of inspiration to make our very best effort.
Let us stand on the shoulders of the spiritual giants of our community who came before us, and look for even greater progress for our Church.
Through their good works, and through the prayers of the Theotokos and all the Saints, may we be blessed in the next century of our Church with even greater achievements than we have already know.
Amen.