Orthodox Sermons & Articles

Dear brothers and sisters, today is the Sunday of the Holy Fathers. Today we commemorate those who served the greatest mystery of God’s incarnation. These Holy Fathers not only waited for the Messiah to come but also foretold of His coming by prophecies or through other visual signs. Therefore, when we celebrate the Sunday of the Holy Fathers before the Nativity of Christ, we acknowledge their zeal and strong belief in the coming Messiah, Whom they foresaw by the eyes of their great faith.

Among these are included:

• Adam, the forefather of all, who was the first to receive the good news about the coming Savior;
• Abel, who was killed by his brother for his faith and devotion to God;
• Noah, who for his deep faith was chosen to become the father of nations after the flood;
• Abraham and the twelve patriarchs, whose faith is known and recognized even now;
• Moses, who was God’s speaking trumpet and the leader of the Israeli people;
• David, the king whose descendent was to be the Christ according to the prophets;
• Daniel, who foretold of Christ’s immaculate birth from a Virgin;
• Three youths, whose miraculous salvation while within the fiery furnace, demonstrated the possibility of a birth from a Virgin;
• Numerous prophets, whose prophecies have provided the best indications for recognition of the true Messiah.

As the inheritors of their faith, we Christians must preserve it and pass it on to the next generation just as the Holy Fathers passed it on to us. They were able to overcome countless temptations and in some cases persecution only because they had faith in the only true God, Who promised to save them.

St. Paul the Apostle, in today’s Epistle reading showed us what the Holy Fathers went through for their belief. Through faith, they "subdued kingdoms [Moses, David], worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions [Daniel], quenched the violence of fire [three youths], escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to fight armies of aliens. … Still others had trials of mocking and scourging, chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword…" (Heb. 11: 33-38). Being God’s servants, they were rejected by the people. However, the most interesting phenomenon of their lives was that although they endured such persecutions, they did not receive the promise, which is salvation through the Messiah (Heb. 11: 39). All of them died with hope that the time would come when they would see the One Whom they were not able to see while they were still alive.

Their lives are a great lesson for us who know that God has fulfilled His promise in Jesus. The Holy Fathers endured all terrible persecutions, only for the hope that they might see the promise fulfilled. This should make us extremely grateful for the faith we have received from them. St. Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Hebrews reminds us to "lay aside every weight, and the sin, which so easily ensnares us," (Heb. 12: 1) and look unto Jesus who took our human nature upon Him, lifted it up to Heaven and set on the right-hand side of God the Father.

We need to remember all this because it gives us strength to continue our earthly journey and survive many hardships on our way to the Heavenly Kingdom. The Sunday before the Nativity of our Lord contains a significant clear message that God is faithful to us, His people; therefore, we in turn have to add all our might to ensure we remain His people through sincere devotion and dedication to Him. In His incarnation, the Son of God humbled Himself. We needed His company and help, and He came to help us.

Christ’s genealogy, as St. Matthew the Evangelist recorded it, should remind us of the great mystery through which we all received an equal chance to return to God. He took His beloved creatures on a journey through difficult lives to show us how miserable life can be without God. We needed this knowledge to become more faithful to God. However, as we see in present days examples, the vast majority of people choose to rely on themselves and increase their personal pride, rather than rely upon God. Every year, we increasingly hear outrageous statements against God and His Christ. It often looks as though humanity has forgotten the faith of our forefathers and turned to self-veneration.

Who if not Christians will continue to be the salt for the earth? Who if not the Christians will continue to shine the much-needed light in the world? Are we doing this? Many of us would rather keep quiet then proclaim salvation to all because we have so little faith. Today’s celebration lifts up our spirit and reminds us that by doing nothing we hide the light of Christ under the basket (Matt. 5:15) instead of shining around with good deeds of our faith. Let us wake up from our dream and be busy with the easiest task of witnessing the Savior to our neighbors through our devoted life. Let us do it responsibly looking at the examples of the forefathers. Let us glorify Jesus Christ as the Son of God incarnate and celebrate His birth worthily. May the light of God’s wisdom enlighten our hearts. Amen.