This year, the feast day of St. Nicholas Church was celebrated on December 3 and 4, 2022, by the Orthodox community of Shrewsbury, MA, together with the new parish priest Vasile Aileni, in an atmosphere of great joy and fellowship. His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae was welcomed by our children with bread, salt, and flowers. On Saturday evening, His Eminence celebrated the Great Vespers together with Fr. Vicar Nicholas Apostola, Fr. Nicolae Simion (St. Parascheva Parish in Andover, MA), Fr. Vasile Aileni, and Deacon Sergiu Concu.
The year 2022 was proclaimed by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church as the Year of Prayer in the Life of the Church and of the Christian and the Commemorative Year of the Hesychast Saints Simeon the New Theologian, Gregory Palamas, and Paisie of Neamt. His Eminence spoke about St. Gheorghe of Cernica, commemorated on December 3, who was a close disciple of St. Paisie of Neamt and continued the new hesychast movement in the Romanian Principalities. Through the school of translators run at the monastery of Neamt, St. Paisie revived Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian monasticism. St. Gheorghe of Cernica, together with his followers, St. Calinic of Cernica and St. Irodion of Lainici, continued this new hesychast movement.
The feast continued on Sunday morning with the Divine Liturgy. In his homily, His Eminence pointed out the similarity between the crippled woman in the Gospel of the 27th Sunday after Pentecost and the modern man burdened by the weight of his sins:
"We can see in this sick woman the consequences of man's turning away from the face of God, the crippling of the human nature. Man was created to look to heaven, to look to God, to desire God; this woman was bent over, so she could look only toward the ground, being unable to look at the sky or at the faces of her fellow folks. Due to this helplessness, she had been living a tragedy for 18 years and yet she continued to have faith that God would help her, and that is why she was at the synagogue...
God comes to bring healing to this sick woman. Like a shepherd who goes in search of the sheep that is in Satan's clutches, Christ the Lord comes and speaks a word of healing to the crippled woman: "Woman, you are freed from your weakness" (Luke 13:12). The word is followed by the deed, for Christ lays His hands upon her, the Creator extends His hands over His suffering creation, embracing it in His divine healing love. The tragedy of her life is brought to an end by God's merciful word and deed."
His Eminence then spoke of the mission of St. Nicholas as a saint whose example should be followed by all Christians, because salvation is not only God's call to us, but a holy calling. After the sermon, the children received gifts and icons of St. Nicholas and the Mother of God offered by His Eminence and photographs were taken.
The agape that followed was prepared with love and generosity. We thank everyone for their donations, time, and talent generously offered to our community. His Eminence spoke with the members of the Parish Council, the faithful of the parish, and at the end he thanked those who participated and prepared the agape. We give thanks to the Good Lord and to His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae for all the blessings and encouragement! We wish you all that the Feast of the Nativity, the New Year, and Theophany will enlighten and sanctify your souls and homes, bringing you health, peace, and spiritual abundance!
Many years!
Fr. Vasile Aileni
