Orthodox Sermons & Articles

Today, dear brothers and sisters, is the first Sunday of the Great Lent and it is called Orthodox Sunday, or Feast of Orthodoxy. Today we commemorate the victory and triumph of the true and right belief concerning God and concerning the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today is special Feast for all of us, because we are the heirs of that huge wealth that is called Orthodoxy. During 9 centuries the Orthodox Church was tormented: till the middle of the 4^th century by outsiders non-Christians. (Until year 313 Orthodox Church was illegal and everyone who called himself Christian was persecuted or even killed by emperor.) Until 9^th century Church was tormented by inner enemies, who wanted to explain the Holy Scriptures as they want, who taught wrong about nature and essence of our Lord Jesus Christ. During that time there were 7 Ecumenical Councils in Orthodox Church. They were called to establish the right belief in opposite of incorrect teachings. After 7th Ecumenical Counsel there was proclaimed Victory over heretic’s teachings. From that time we can see that every new sect that appears in Christians world repeats mistakes of those or other heretics. Word “Orthodoxy” means right and true belief concerning God and Christ.

The triumph of Orthodoxy was instituted by the Holy Church as a sign that the saving dogmas or truths of Christ’s teaching have been received from the Son of God Himself and His holy Apostles. These teachings not only have been preserved unchanged and in all their purity, they have also received the necessary definition and explanation during the long struggle against various heresies and errors.

As I said before, the last such heresy was in 9th century, and it was concerning the Holy images or icons. Those heretics believed it wrong to depict in artistic images the Invisible and Indescribable God. This false interpretation of the veneration of icons led to the expulsion of icons from churches and the destruction of the sacred images.

Orthodox defenders of icons' veneration have shown from the Holy Scriptures and writings of the Holy Fathers that with the coming of the Lord of Glory in the flesh to the world, the depiction of God and of the history revealing the mystery of our salvation has become not merely possible but essential. The teaching on the veneration of icons and sacred images expresses the dogmatic unity of all Christian dogmatic truths, and has culminated in present time celebration of the triumph of Orthodoxy.

I want you to pay attention to that fact that in the very beginning of Christianity, when there weren’t any other denominations, neither Roman-Catholics nor Protestants, but only Christians, there was written the Creed of the Faith. We sing it every Divine Liturgy, “I believe...” Please, be attentive today during singing the Creed and you will see those truths of Christianity, of Orthodoxy, that were conquerors in fight with heresies. So, there was and is one Creed from the beginning of Christianity. In other words, if you believe as Apostles and first Christians believed, and you share with them their Creed you can be called theirs disciples or Christians. But if you reject some of the teachings and belief of the Apostles and first Christians, and you teach completely different things, then how can you use word Christian concerning yourselves. It is so simple and so hard to understand why we have so many denominations of Christianity. But now we will know that only those denominations can be called Christians who believe and teach as Christian Church believes and teaches from the very beginning.

Let us take for an example and for better understanding political party. It does not matter which party, therefore let’s call it “Party First." What would happen if one of the members of  “Party First” would say, “I am a member of Party First, but I disagree with all other members and the leader about everything or something they believe." What would happen to such member? Yes, there will be meeting and he is no more a member. If you are the member of Party First but you against it, then you must change your mind or leave that party.

The same, dear brothers and sisters had happened in Christian world in the beginning of Christianity. Those Christians who started to teach in different way as Christ and His Apostles taught they were invited on meeting -- in Church we call it Ecumenical Council. All bishops around the world strove to explain to them that they are mistaken and they should leave that wrong teaching and return to right teaching of Christianity. Unfortunately, many of them have chosen the other way -- opposition to true Christianity, and they were excluded from Christianity. If we need to go for operation we better go before that illness will spread in other parts of our body. As you know, Holy Scripture calls the Church the mystical body of Jesus Christ. Then during the 9 centuries there were operations to cut out sick part of body that the others would be saved.

So, dear brothers and sisters, let we glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because He preserved His Church from the illness of heresy. Let us give thanks for what we have -- for membership in His Church. Let us pray that we would never be caught in net of wrong teachings. Let us learn about our faith, because this is the Apostolic faith, this is the faith of the Holy Fathers, this is the faith of our fathers, this is the Orthodox faith. Amen.