United in Prayer: Honoring the Incarnation and the Holy Cross 1700 years after Nicaea
By Catholic San Francisco
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Gerasimos joined together in prayer on March 20 for the 19th anniversary of the Ecumenical Service of Salutations to the Holy Cross at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross in Belmont. The service is a series of praises to the true Cross, a relic of which resides at the Church. Metropolitan Gerosimos presided at the prayer service and Archbishop Cordileone delivered the homily. The event also coincides with the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea this May.
In his homily, Archbishop Cordileone reflected on the Cross as the foundation of a truly human and holy civilization, urging the faithful to embrace Christ’s model of self-giving love. He emphasized that the Incarnation and Crucifixion reveal the fullness of human dignity, stating, “A truly human civilization is one that embraces the Cross, for in the Cross we see the depth of God’s love and the call to give of ourselves for the good of others.”
Speaking on the achievements of modern civilization the Archbishop noted that they came from Christian tradition rooted in the Cross—we see Christ incarnate in those suffering. The poor, the sick, the lowly and the vulnerable.
“This leads to the founding and flourishing of institutions and social structures dedicated exclusively to caring for the needing: hospitals, orphanages, schools and universities for the poor and marginalized, and a whole culture of philanthropy to support them,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “Christian institutions, taken together, to this day comprise the largest private provider of social services in the world…That is what the world looks like when a society builds from the blueprint that is the Cross, rather than try to cancel it out.”
Following the service, the congregation venerated a relic of the true cross positioned in the sanctuary of the church.
Each year in January during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Archbishop Cordileone and Metropolitan Gerasimos join together for solemn vespers at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Redwood City. In observance of this special week of prayer, Archbishop Cordileone presides over solemn vespers and Metropolitan Gerosimos gives the homily.
These annual gatherings serve as meaningful reminders of the common faith shared by Catholic and Orthodox Christians, reflecting Jesus’ prayer that “all may be one” (John 17:21).
Photos: Arthur Smith, Jr. and Mary Powers
