The Feast of the Sunday of Orthodoxy
2/20/2007
February 25, 2007
The Feast of the Sunday of Orthodoxy
The Hierarchs of the Standing Conference
of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas
To all the Clergy and the Laity of the Holy Orthodox Churches in the Americas
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On this the first Sunday of Great Lent, we the Hierarchs of the Standing
Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas greet you in
the peace and love of our Lord. Together, we have begun our Lenten
journey with a week of prayer, fasting, and worship, seeking to
strengthen our faith and renew our commitment to God and His will.
Today, the inaugural week of Great Lent culminates in the celebration of
the Sunday of Orthodoxy, a commemoration of the triumph of the true
Faith with the final restoration of the Holy Icons to the churches in
the year 843.
It is on this day that we hear once again the acclamation of those who
signed the decree of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787: “This is the
faith of the Apostles, this is the faith of the Orthodox, this is the
faith which has made firm the whole world.” In this statement the
bishops affirmed the Apostolic character of the faith. Why was it so
essential that the faith be connected to the Apostles of our Lord? Why
do we as Orthodox Christians continue to affirm this Apostolic
character? How do we define and understand the nature of this link
between our spiritual lives and the faith of these Saints who answered
the call of the kingdom, followed Christ in ministry and witness, and
established the Church through their testimony of His love?
First, we know from the Holy Scriptures that the faith of the Apostles
was in Christ alone and in His revelation of the divine will and work of
the Holy Trinity. On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter
proclaimed, God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and
Christ (Acts 2:36). It was to this Lord and Christ that the Apostles
pointed through their preaching, teaching, and healing. They knew that
He was the source of life and that faith in Him was the way to
salvation. The Evangelist and Apostle John wrote, In Him was life, and
the life was the light of men (John 1:4). They also knew His power to
help us overcome sin and live in intimate communion with God. It is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
Himself for me, wrote the Apostle Paul (Galatians 2:20).
Second, the faith of the Apostles was evangelistic and philanthropic.
Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they became witnesses to
Christ throughout the world (Acts 1:8). They preached Christ crucified
and risen, and even when threatened with imprisonment and death they
proclaimed, We cannot but speak of the things which we have seen and
heard (Acts 4:20). In addition to sharing the Gospel, the Apostles
offered a witness of its truth through the power of healing and caring
for those in need. They guided the early Christians in acts of charity,
especially for the widows, orphans, and the poor, and they offered the
saving mercy of God through miraculous healings in the name of Jesus
Christ.
Third, the faith of the Apostles was life-transforming. The life of each
disciple of Christ was radically changed through an encounter with the
Son of God. Simple, ordinary people became champions of the faith. In
hearing the call to service, the Apostles sacrificed much for the sake
of the Cross and offered their lives so that others might hear and
believe in the Gospel of the kingdom. In so doing, their own lives were
transformed in holiness, they were granted great wisdom, and they were
received by our Lord into a blessed and eternal communion of life and
love.
This is the faith of the Apostles. This is our faith as Orthodox
Christians, direct spiritual descendants of these holy ones who offer
both their example and intercessions to all of us. This is the faith
that we have inherited in truth and love, but it must also be the faith
that we live. If we proclaim our faith as that of the Apostles, then we
must believe above all in Christ and salvation through Him. Our faith
must be visible through a constant witness of God’s grace and through
acts of compassion, so that both the spiritual and physical needs of
others may be met, and they may know of the power of the Gospel. Most
importantly, we should understand that the genuine, Apostolic faith will
change our lives. Our Lord is calling us out of darkness and into His
marvelous light to become the people of God (I Peter 2:9).
As we celebrate Sunday of Orthodoxy, as we continue this blessed and
holy Lenten season towards the Holy Pascha, may we cherish this
beautiful heritage of the Holy Apostles and allow it to guide us to a
deeper communion with Jesus Christ and a greater understanding of life
and faith. May we also seek the intercessions of the Apostles and of all
of the Saints. They have made this journey before us, and through their
lives and prayers they call us to keep our hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
With paternal blessings and love in Christ,
+Archbishop DEMETRIOS, Chairman
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
+Metropolitan PHILIP, Vice Chairman
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
+Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER, Secretary
Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada
+Metropolitan NICHOLAS of Amissos, Treasurer
Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in the USA
+Metropolitan HERMAN
Orthodox Church in America
+Archbishop NICOLAE
Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America & Canada
+Metropolitan JOSEPH
Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church
+Metropolitan CONSTANTINE
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
+Bishop ILIA of Philomelion
Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America