The 7th Sunday of Pascha

The 7th Sunday of Pascha!
The Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council!

Epistle Reading
Acts 20:16-18, 28-36

16) For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

17) And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

18) And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,

28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

29) For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

30) Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

31) Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

32) And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

33) I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.

34) Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

35) I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

36) And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.

Gospel Reading
John 17:1-13

1) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

2) As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

4) I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

5) And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

6) I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

7) Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

8) For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

9) I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

10) And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

11) And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

12) While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13) And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

+ + +

Health is considered to be one of God’s most important gifts to man. Man’s body, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, is the temple of God. It is the living vessel of the Divinity from which the radiance of the Divine Glory shines. St. Paul teaches us saying, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own" (I Corinthians 6:19). Whatever we have, we have it from God. Nothing belongs to man, even his own body.

Through Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross, man has been freed from the chains of sin, which caused the deterioration of man’s bodily and spiritual health and in addition, brought death upon the human race.

"For you are bought with a price" (I Corinthians 6:20). Christ bought us from the curse of the Law with His own Precious Blood. Because our body and soul belong to Christ, it is our duty to live according to His Will; and furthermore, to take care of our health. Thus St. Paul concludes saying, "Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s" (I Corinthians 6:20).

In the same and equal manner we must take care of our spiritual health. The soul is affected by our personal sins, and by heresy, which is the worst type of spiritual illness.

Every sin which man commits can be cured by repentance and the Forgiving Grace of God, which is granted through the Holy Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Confession. Heresy, on the other hand, is the complete alienation of man from God. Heresy is the fruit of man’ s pride. Heresy builds up the impenetrable wall of impenitence, which prevents man to return to salvation. And although God forgives all sins committed by man, the sin of heresy is unforgivable and brings eternal punishment and condemnation upon those who insist in their heresy.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has assured us saying, "I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come" (Saint Matthew 12:31-32). See the Lord’s philanthropy! All sins and blasphemies He forgives, because they are the result of man’s weakness. But the sin against the Holy Spirit, He does not forgive; neither in this world, nor in the world to come.

Heresy twists the true teachings and does not respect the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Apostolic Traditions, or the teachings of the Theophoric and God-Inspired Holy Fathers. It strives, under the influence of pride and man’s logic, to give logical answers and interpretations to the Divine Revelation, ignoring the fact that Faith does not belong to the level of "logic", but it enters into the sphere of "above logic".

Faith is something, which is not understood by simple logic; it is not the result of knowledge, nor the accomplishment of philosophy. Faith is accepted with the hope in the divine promises. Saint Paul teaches us saying, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Epistle to the Hebrews 11:1).

Throughout Holy Scriptures we find the teachings which urge us to preserve the true faith. In the Book of Acts we read, "And as they (Paul and Timothy) went through the cities, they delivered them the Dogmas to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and the elders which were at Jerusalem" (Acts 16:4). Also very important, are the last instructions of St. Paul given to the Bishops and Presbyters of the Church of Asia Minor: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost has made you Bishops, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:28-30). Even our Lord and Saviour Himself warns us about the coming of pseudo-christs and pseudo-prophets. "For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Saint Matthew 24:24).

False christs, false prophets and false apostles are the heretics, who by their own will and in their own knowledge twist the truths of the Holy Gospel. They present one part of the truth, as being the whole truth.

The Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church, participating in the Ecumenical or local (See the 15th Chapter of the Book of Acts) Councils, had full consciousness of the responsibility that they must preserve the Truth of Divine Revelation, just as it was revealed by God and had been passed down by the Apostles and eye witnesses of His life on earth. At the same time they had to be aware for themselves and for the whole flock from any false teachings coming from heretics. They believed that they had the responsibility, not only before God, but also before their flock, and they struggled to build up and to strengthen the faithful in the true faith of Christ.

The Holy Fathers with their personal example, their teachings, their kindness, their warm zeal and self-denial gave courage to the faithful during times of persecution and tribulation. With their virtuous life and struggle for Orthodoxy, they became the athletes of Christ in the stadium of the Church.

Thus it is that today, the 7th Sunday of Pascha, we honor the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. The First Ecumenical Council was summoned by Emperor Constantine the Great on May 20th A.D.325. The Council assembled at Nicea in the province of Bithynia of Asia Minor and was formally opened by Constantine himself. The Council passed 20 canons including the Nicene Creed (described below), the Canon of Holy Scripture (what books should used as acceptable to the Church in her making of the Holy Bible), and established the celebration of Pascha (Easter).

The main reason for its being called was the Arian controversy. Arius, a presbyter (priest) from Alexandria, held that Jesus Christ was created by God and thus denying Christ's divinity. Arius argued that if Jesus was born, then there was a time when He did not exist; and if He *became* God, then there was time when He was not. Arius' original intent was to attack another heretical teaching by which the three persons of the Godhead were confused (Sabellianism).

A number of bishops followed Arius, and the Church went into her first and perhaps deepest division of faith. Up to then, statements of faith were incorporated into Creeds recited by a candidate at Baptism. A baptismal Creed representing Arianism was submitted to the Council by Eusebios of Nicomedia but was at once rejected. Another Creed, representing the baptismal Creed of Jerusalem, was finally accepted with the addition of the very important term 'homoousios', meaning of the 'same essence'. Thus, the view that Christ was of the 'same essence' with the Father was received as orthodox. This Creed is known as the Nicene Creed, and is recited at each celebration of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) known as The Divine Liturgy and at a great deal of other services of The Orthodox Church. This Creed is still today the basis for Dogmas in the Orthodox Christian Church. This ancient Creed reads thusly:

We (I) believe in one God. The Father Almighty. Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light; true God of true God; begotten not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man.

And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the scriptures.

And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end.

Another important decision of this Council was the establishing of a calendar formula by which Pascha (Easter) ought to be celebrated. Pascha occurs on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox and following the Hebrew Passover feast.

The Council also regulated matters of ecclesiastical importance regarding territorial and moral questions pertaining to both clergy and laity. One particular delegate, deacon Athanasios from Alexandria, proved the champion of Orthodoxy by his statements of faith and the draft of the Creed that bears his name.

Another delegate, who by his eloquent argument against imposing compulsory celibacy on all ranks of Clergy prevented outright celibacy in the Orthodox Church, was Paphnutios, an Egyptian who had been a disciple of St. Anthony. He had suffered such hardships and cruelty during the persecution of Emperor Maximin that his mutilated body proved an object of veneration to the assembled bishops, and his recommendations were highly respected.

The number of bishops who attended the Council was 318. Hence, this Council is also known as the Synod of the 318 Fathers. It closed on July 25, A.D.325. Their memory is commemorated by the Orthodox Church today, on the Seventh Sunday after Pascha (Easter).

We, the Orthodox Christians of today, honor and give gratitude and veneration to all those who struggled to keep Orthodoxy undefiled and as pure as it was when God gave the revelation of Himself to the Church ie; Saint Matthew chapter 16 verse 18 Christ Himself says "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Saint Paul the Apostle also tells the Ephesian Christians the 27th verse of the 5th chapter of his epistle to them "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish". Let us pray to our loving God to give us strength and faith, so that we also be able to defend the Apostolic Faith, imitating those holy men, who sacrificed even their own lives for the Truth, and became Shepherds and Teachers of the Church.