“Today is the beginning of our salvation, the revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, as Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: Hail, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with You!”
These were the words that lifted spiritually the faithful of the Annunciation Cathedral of Olmsted Falls, Ohio, on the occasion of the patron saint of our Church. This time our joy was completed by the visit of His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan Nicolae.
Through His presence, His Eminence Nicholas strengthened us that the Lord is with us, just as the Archangel Gabriel strengthened the Virgin Mary: Rejoice, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women (Luke 1:28). As then the Virgin Mary bewildered How will this be, since I do not know the man? (Luke 1:34) she left herself in the care of God Who can overcome the order of nature, in the same way we were urged by our spiritual Father His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae to believe in the power of God until the end of our lives even if the world and the events of life lead us to confusion and nonbelief:
"In the Paraklesis to the Theotokos we beseech the help and protection of the Mother of God in all the troubles and weaknesses of our life. We call her “a protection and shelter, treasury of healings, intercessor and wall unshakable, protector of Christians.” In the Akathist to the Protection of the Theotokos we say that her hands are ever raised in prayer from her love and mercy toward us. In the Akathist to the Theotokos, the Joy of all Who Sorrow, we all beseech her to help us in troubles: “You alone are the mediator of our joy and as the Mother of God and the Mother of mercies, standing before the throne of the Holy Trinity, you can help us. For no one who prays to you in faith will be ashamed.” We affirm our faith in her quickly answered prayers to her Son, the prayer that helps all of us who are in tribulation. And we put our hope in her as the Mother of all Christians, especially of those in trials and tribulations!” said HE Nicolae at the time of the sermon.This beautiful feast was preceded by the celebration of the sacrament of the Holy Unction on the eve of the feast in the presence of our hierarch, Fr. Dean Calin Barbolovici and the V. Rev. Father Ion Gherman, bringing comfort and healing to the bodies and souls of the faithful.I have to mention here another joy, namely the presence in our parish of several Greek families. On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the independence of the Greek people, on the feast of the Annunciation, the children of these families presented a short program.Happy and blessed years to salvation for the Greek people!May the Good God help us, with the prayers of His Blessed Mother, that every feast of the Annunciation may also be for us a "new beginning of our salvation" towards a life more with Christ, in Christ, for the achievement of the Kingdom of God!
Father Petru Neaga
Olmsted Falls, OH
