Icons Confirm the Truth

Today is the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the day the Church commemorates the restoration of Holy Icons in the Church following many years of inner struggle and all-out battle. Funny thing about Icons is they tell the truth which cannot be ignored.

If you consider the numerous paintings and etchings from the ancient world, there is some sort of graphic of every major historical figure. There are paintings of Caesars, Tuts, European Kings...museums throughout the world are filled with historical evidence that such leaders actually lived. So I imagine that if there had never been a single Icon of Jesus Christ, by now someone would have asked, “If this Jesus you speak about was real, then why hasn’t someone painted a picture of Him?” They might ask, “How can someone who has affected so many not have at least one picture or statue made about him?”

The insistence of the Orthodox Church on the importance of Holy Icons is just this verification of the truth that God became a human in the flesh. We cannot depict the Father or the Holy Spirit, but we have seen the Son and He should be depicted. Without this physical proof, our faith would just be another myth of the world. So today my dear fans is the victory of the truth of God’s incarnation. Don’t forget to bring your icon to Church there’s going to be a procession today.

Here are today’s readings...

Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40 (RSV) - Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. And what more shall I say?  For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets -- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign enemies to flight.  Women received their dead by resurrection.  Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life.  Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated -- of whom the world was not worthy -- wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Gospel Reading: John 1:43-51 (RSV) - At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee.  And he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael, and he said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"  Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"  Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe?  You shall see greater things than these."  And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

We are not without hope

With all the commotion about gun control and hate speech debates I bring you this little story to show that we are not without hope. As you know I hear stories from fans all the time from throughout the world. I received this message from someone today about an incident at work.

"Last week I took over a large portion of accounts from a coworker. Of course many of the clients were not happy with the change, and one client in particular came to me to close her account. She walked in my office and immediately saw my icon on my desk and then told me her prayers were answered. She was so moved that I displayed my faith even when some of my clients may be offended. Now I might not get that reaction from all my clients but at least I made a difference to one."

My brothers and sisters THIS is what changes hearts. It wasn't court proceedings. It wasn't congressional action plans. It wasn't a public media campaign. It wasn't a TV commercial. It wasn't some sort of street corner evangelism. It wasn't even a letter to the editor or a Presidential speech. It was a single life dedicated to living the Orthodox Christian life that moved the heart of another person. This is what it means to live a new life in Christ.

May Our Lord God bless and keep you. May He cause His face to shine upon you. May He have mercy on you.

The Faith that has Established the Universe

Today is the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of Great Lent, and the day on which the Church celebrates both a historical and theological victory. After centuries of debate on the practice and appropriateness of Holy Icons in Christianity, the Church still suffered the influence of Iconoclasts (those who fought to destroy Holy Icons) even after the Seventh Ecumenical Council declared them appropriate and good for worship. It wasn’t until the Empress Theodora in 843 CE (56 years AFTER the Seventh Ecumenical Council which took place in 787 CE) finally and forever restored Holy Icons into the Great Church along with a procession of the Patriarch and the Clergy. The event took place on the first Sunday of Great Lent. After more than one hundred years of debate and violence, the Church finally had be properly restored to her glory with Holy Icons.

For more than a thousand years on the first Sunday of Great Lent, the Church has commemorated this historical event with a procession of Holy Icons in our Church. Unfortunately, most Churches limit this procession to a quaint procession often including children holding their favorite Icons from home walking around the interior of the Church. The “outside world” never has a clue as to what is taking place inside the walls of our Church. Empress Theodora PUBLICLY restored the Holy Icons with a grand procession, yet we quietly and in private declare the truth of the faith. Thankfully there is a growing number of Churches that are restoring the custom of a public procession similar to the Holy Friday procession with the Epitaphios of Christ.

Here is video of our procession held in Florence, SC a few years ago.

If we are going to take seriously our Great Lenten journey, today we have another example of the truth of the Church that has been promoted for nearly two thousand years. We can trust that the Church, which has remained vigilant about the unchanging truth, has also guided us along our Great Lenten journey. Today, as we process around the Church, either inside or outside, holding our favorite Icon from home, we can be comforted knowing we are walking in the footsteps of the thousands of holy men and women who over the centuries publicly proclaimed their faith in Christ and His Church. In every Orthodox Christian Church throughout the world today, the following proclamation:

Synodikon

From the proceedings of the Seventh Ecumenical Council read on the Sunday of Orthodoxy

All As the prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught, as the Church has received, as the teachers have dogmatized, as the universe has agreed, as grace has illumined, as truth has revealed, as falsehood has been dispelled, as wisdom has presented, as Christ has triumphed; this we believe, this we declare, this we preach: Christ our true God, and His saints we honor in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in temples, in icons, on the one hand bowing down and worshiping Christ as God and Master, on the other hand honoring the saints as true servants of the Master of all, and offering to them due veneration.

This is the faith of the Apostles!

This is the faith of the Fathers!

This is the faith of the Orthodox!

This is the faith which has established the Universe!

Therefore with fraternal and filial love we praise the heralds of the faith, those who with glory and honor have struggled for the faith, and we say: for the champions of Orthodoxy, faithful emperors, most-holy patriarchs, hierarchs, teachers, martyrs and confessors: may their memory be eternal.

(Sing) Everlasting be their memory; • Everlasting be their memory; • Everlasting be their memory.

Let us beseech God that we may be instructed and strengthened by the trials and struggles of these saints, which they endured for the Faith even unto death, and by their teachings, entreating that we may to the end imitate their godly life. May we be deemed worthy of obtaining our requests through the mercy and grace of the great and First Hierarch, Christ our God, through the intercessions of our glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary, the divine Angels and all the saints. Amen.

Ancient Blessing in a Modern World

Today I had the awesome blessing of venerating a wonder-working Icon of the All-Holy Mother of God which was more than 700 years old. The Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God was brought to a local Russian Orthodox Church in West Columbia, about an hour away, so we planned the spend the day receiving the blessing of God and the Panagia. More than thirty from our parish made the journey this afternoon, and more will travel tomorrow for the Divine Liturgy. It is truly a blessing to have such an opportunity.

While at the Church, my family was permitted to have a picture taken along with the Icon which I was honored to hold. As I held the Icon in my arms I contemplated the centuries of Czars, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Monk, Nuns, and the millions of faithful men and women who have bowed down in veneration of the power of God revealed in the Kursk Root Icon. You can read more about the Kursk Root Icon here.

I also considered how many thousands of our Protestant brothers and sisters would be unable to receive such a blessing from God simply because they continue to refuse Holy Icons. We must continue to pray they hearts of softened by God’s grace and the Panagia’s love for each of us.

Being True to the True Faith

On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of Great Lent, the Church proclaims the truth of the Faith. The Church proclaims, “This is the Faith of the Orthodox! This is the Faith of the Apostles! This is the Faith which has established the universe!” What are you doing to be true to the Faith of the Church as revealed by Christ, received and protected by the Holy Apostles, and guided by the Holy Spirit? Are you living as Nathaniel and Philip who went and told their friends about Christ, or are you keeping the truth to yourself?

Starting the Fast with a Miracle

This past Saturday was the first day of the Advent Fast, a preparation for Christmas. As Orthodox Christians, we prepare for Christmas by fasting rather than shopping and parties. But that is not what I want to blog about today. Rather, I want to share a miracle I, along with HUNDREDS of other Orthodox Christians witnessed this past weekend in Charlotte, NC.

A holy Icon of the Mother of God was brought from Taylor, PA. to Charlotte, NC. for people to venerate. This particular icon has been exuding myrrh for three years, and has been directly attributed to numerous miracle healings. I heard about this Holy Icon this past summer and was thrilled to hear it would be so close to my home. I encouraged everyone I knew to travel to Charlotte to witness for themselves the blessed event. The Church was filled with faithful (and I’m sure some skeptics) from throughout the region.

While in the Cathedral, the Priest who brought the Holy Icon share many stories of the healings attributed to this Holy Icon. My eyes, and the eyes of hundreds in attendance, witnessed myrrh miraculously dripping from the Holy Icon in the hands of faithful in attendance. The strong sweet fragrance from the myrrh filled the Church. I couldn’t help but think of the story in the Gospel of the anointing of Jesus’ feet by the sinful woman.

I was blessed to able to assist in anointing the faithful in attendance. I am thankful to God and His All-Holy Mother for allowing me to witness this blessed event at the beginning of my Advent journey. I assure you that this Advent will be different for me, thanks to God’s grace.

I invite you to make a pilgrimage to venerate this Holy Icon in Taylor, PA. which resides in the Church of St George. The service of Paraklesis  and anointing is offered each Wednesday at 6pm.

What is Truth?

The Sunday of Orthodoxy is both a theological and historical celebration. The final end of the Iconoclastic controversy ended in 843AD when the Empress Theodora, the first Sunday of Great Lent, officially restored Holy Icons to their rightful place within the Church. The Church had earlier in 787AD defended the truth of Orthodoxy present in the Holy Icons as a witness to the Truth of the Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. Thus, the first Sunday of Great Lent has been a dual celebration of truth and history ever since!

NOW on iTunes Audio Podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/be-transfigured!/id483295178?mt=2

S’mores

Who doesn’t LOVE s’mores? Today’s topic from the 40 Days of Blogging is a YUMMY “forbidden” fruit, or in this case a sticky, gooey, mass of chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers. If only it were fruit, we could eat them, guilt free! We’re still fasting for Christmas, so many will not approve of eating s’mores, making today’s post a bit of an intrigue.

What are s’mores you ask? It’s combining three totally different items by adding a bit of heat with the result of a sweet union that is sure to please anyone who tastes it. So, I guess you could say s’mores is a symbol of the Church. In the Church you combine totally different people, many of whom have totally different talents, which when combined with a little bit of heat (the fervor of the Holy Spirit), the end result is sweet to those who “taste” the Church.

Think about it for a moment…

Combine egg, colored powder and the skillful and prayerful hands of an iconographer and you have Holy Icons.

Combine peanut butter, bread, a bit of jelly and the loving hands of a faithful cook and you have fed the hungry.

Combine silk thread, a few gold beads, and the skillful talented hands of a faithful seamstress and you have heavenly priestly vestments and Altar covers.

You combine just about anything talent, resource and faith in Jesus Christ and end up with an inspiring and “tasty” treat sure to spread the hope and love for Christ for Christmas. I know it sounds like a far leap, but it’s about all I could think of for today’s topic.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

The Glory of the Lord

According to my concordance (an “old fashioned” reference book that locates each word in the Scriptures) the word “glory” appears 379 times in the entire Old and New Testaments. I decided to look up the word in my dictionary because I realized “glory” is one of the words we use quite often, but we never really define it. It reminds me of a story I heard the other day. During a conversation between a youth worker and a child, the child said, “Fellowship is that religious word that means have fun.” What does glory mean?

Some of the words associated with glory are:

fame, admiration, honor, praise, majesty, splendor, beauty

Some “dated” expressions associated with glory are:

Expressing surprise, shock, dismay, or pleasure (as in GLORY BE!)

In a state of great happiness, satisfaction or triumph

It quickly becomes clear why translations and the art of translating the prayers and Scriptures of the Church is not only so difficult, but time-consuming. So, what does the Church mean when we say, “Glory?” In reading some of the citations, (I encourage you to look it up and read the different references) no single definition is sufficient.

But you quickly notice something curious. It seems the glory of the Lord is, in addition to the words I found in the dictionary, something physical.

Then Moses said, "This is the thing which the LORD commanded you to do, and the glory of the LORD will appear to you." Leviticus 9.6 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, 24 and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Leviticus 9.23-24 Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. Numbers 14.10

So the glory of the Lord is something that can be physically experienced, so as to fill the temple, cover a mountain, and surround a people. This expression of Glory is not used in association with men, while the other uses (fame, admiration, etc) are used. This should reveal something to our hearts. What seems to express itself in the honor and admiration of human beings has it’s root in the fullness of God.

It helps us remember that we are created in the image, according to the likeness of God. What God IS by nature, we show as a reflection. SO….when we honor a brother for a great accomplishment, we are honoring the “glory” of God being lived out in our brother. This reality has all sorts of corollaries in Holy Icons (the halo is a reflection of the glory of God in the life of the saint) and the veneration of the Saints.

The key is to REMEMBER the root source of that glory. To think any amount of glory has its source in us is to deny our true human nature as God’s children and image.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.