His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
Greeting to the 11th Annual Metropolis of New Jersey
Delaware Valley Region Ambassador Awards Banquet
The Merion – Cinnaminson, New Jersey
December 12, 2021
Dear Father Christoforos, Chancellor of the Metropolis,
Reverend Fathers,
Dr. Papademetriou, our Master of Ceremonies,
Esteemed Members of the Metropolitan Council,
Gracious Sisters of the Metropolis Philoptochos,
Beloved Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
Honored Members of Leadership 100,
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I rejoice to be with you this evening – both as your Archbishop and as the Patriarchal Vicar of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey. The time that I spend in this God-protected Metropolis always gladdens my heart, because your faith and dedication to our Holy Church is an inspiration to me.
Tonight, we continue the wonderful tradition of acknowledging our own exemplars of inspiration, as we gather for the Delaware Valley Region Ambassador Awards Banquet. This annual event brings the family of the Metropolis together in order to recognize the good works and the faith-in-action that makes the life of our communities vibrant.
We have honored many distinct and unique categories – all of them worthy of our thanks and our praise:
Ambassador of Hope,
Ambassador of Faith,
Ambassador of Love,
Ambassador of Peace,
Philoptochos honoree,
Parish honoree,
Youth Worker honoree and
Essential Medical Worker honoree.
Each of them manifests a facet of ministry. But like a polished jewel, each facet reflects the glory of the whole gem. And the glory of the gem that we want to reflect in our own lives, is none other than the Light of Christ.
This reminds me of the sweet dialogue between a father and his son as they were sitting in a church that was adorned with stain-glass windows. The boy pointed to one of the windows and asked his father, “Who is that?” And the father answered, “That’s a Saint.” The boy then asked, “What does a Saint do?” And the father smiled and replied, “A Saint lets the light shine through.”
Truly, all of you who serve this Holy Metropolis and “let the light shine through” are to be thanked, in addition to those whom we are singling out this evening. For in truth, each and every one of us is called to be an “Ambassador for Christ.”
The Apostle Paul speaks of this ministry in his Second Letter to the Corinthians:
Υπὲρ Χριστοῦ οὖν πρεσβεύομεν ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι ̓ ἡμῶν.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.[*]
And for the many of you who recognize the Greek original, you heard Saint Paul employ a word that surfaces regularly in our liturgical services – the verb πρεσβεύω, which we know in the noun πρεσβεία.
At every Liturgy we chant:
Ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, Σῶτερ, σῶσον ἡμᾶς.
Now, when you consider all these usages, you begin to understand what the Apostle is saying. Originally, the word has the meaning of “elder,” as in the word, “Presbyter.” But being senior in age or status is not the end of the story. “Elders” were expected to be of good counsel, advocacy and even intercessors for those in need. And as they are persons who can be of such service, they are called to serve as emissaries, or Ambassadors, who deliver a message, and plead a cause for the sake of someone’s benefit
Therefore, my beloved Faithful of this God-protected Metropolis:
We are all called to be Ambassadors for Christ and His Holy Church. Every act of service is an embassy of sorts, conveying the love of God.
Knowing this, that God makes his appeals to the world through us – appeals for love, understanding, forgiveness, compassion, mercy and generosity – I thank all of you for your service – both great and small.
I pray as we draw closer to the Feast of Christmas, that the Lord, Who became incarnate for our sake in order to bring us the Eternal Message of the Unconditional Love of God for all His creatures – will fill your hearts and homes with the ineffable joy of this Season.
May you all rejoice in the knowledge of this love, and share it among your families, your parishes, your friends and your neighbors.
May the blessings of the Savior – the Newborn Babe of Bethlehem – always be with you and those you love.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, our most sublime Ambassador before God, and all the Saints. Amen.
[*] II Corinthians 5:20.