METROPOLIS RECOGNIZES STEWARDSHIP OF TIME AND TALENTS AT MINISTRY AWARDS DINNER
“What a joy it is to address you this evening as we gather at this Awards Dinner to thank Almighty God for our dedicated priests and laity who labor together in our communities throughout New England,” said Metropolitan Methodios in welcoming parishioners from nearly every parish in the Metropolis of Boston at the 22nd Annual Ministry Awards Dinner.
Continued Metropolitan Methodios, “While there are no priests receiving awards the evening, we are all thankful to God for blessing our parishes with our priests who are dedicated men of God that offer sterling ministries in the 62 parishes of our Metropolis.
“On this Sunday during which we heard during the Divine Liturgy the Gospel text describing the healing of the Blind man, we are reminded that our mission as Orthodox Christians is to become icons of God’s mercy in a world blinded by sin and faithlessness. Ours is the mission to make God’s infinite love present in the world. Ours is the mission to heal the wounds of jealousy, anger, bitterness, strife, with the salve of love and patience and forgiveness.”
In his address, Metropolitan Methodios spoke of the challenges for Orthodox Christians living in a world “where secularization permeates everything---including the Church and its people.
“Everything seems to be relative,” he said. “There is nothing absolute concerning truth or values or principles. We know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. The challenge we have as a Church, as a Metropolis, as Communities is to project the message of Orthodoxy in a world which has been deafened by the cacophony of consumerism and secularism.”
The Metropolitan referred to author and historian Steven Runcimann’s prediction that this century would be Century of Orthodoxy and asked, “Was this statement utopia or did it reflect a real possibility? That will depend on the fervor of our personal faith---the faith of our priests and laymen. It will depend on whether we emulate the first Christian Community as it is described in the Book of Acts.”
