WEBVTT 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:02.819 And those soldiers came to arrest and harass 00:00:02.819 --> 00:00:07.019 the 263 fathers that were gathered there. This 00:00:07.019 --> 00:00:11.359 seventh council in the third session, this went 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:17.699 on for months, by the way, this council, gave 00:00:17.699 --> 00:00:22.399 its definitive decree on the veneration of images, 00:00:22.539 --> 00:00:32.899 icons, on October 13th, 787. 1 ,237 years ago, 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:37.600 if I subtracted that correctly. It's a long decree. 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:40.979 You can read it online if you like. I won't read 00:00:40.979 --> 00:00:44.560 it to you now. But I will note that what it did 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:48.899 not say, what it did not decree, is that sacred 00:00:48.899 --> 00:00:52.859 images, icons, frescoes, are merely good and 00:00:52.859 --> 00:00:59.969 useful. No. But that they are necessary. They 00:00:59.969 --> 00:01:03.429 are the witness that Jesus Christ, our God and 00:01:03.429 --> 00:01:06.890 man, actually walked on this earth. They bear 00:01:06.890 --> 00:01:10.010 witness to what the church has always believed 00:01:10.010 --> 00:01:14.590 and always taught. One saint put it this way. 00:01:14.689 --> 00:01:20.030 He said, care must be especially given about 00:01:20.030 --> 00:01:23.489 that which was believed, he says, everywhere, 00:01:23.930 --> 00:01:29.560 always, and by all. That which is believed everywhere, 00:01:29.939 --> 00:01:34.900 always, and by all. This Saint, Saint Vincent 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:38.060 of Leroy, he says, by this triple norm of belief, 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:42.439 endurance and universality, a Christian can distinguish 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:45.260 religious truth from error. He can tell the difference 00:01:45.260 --> 00:01:50.840 between a false hundred dollar bill of faith 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:55.739 and a real hundred dollar bill. Something false 00:01:55.739 --> 00:02:01.109 and something true. A dear friend was telling 00:02:01.109 --> 00:02:06.670 me back east where I was, former parishioner, 00:02:06.750 --> 00:02:09.169 about her little five or six year old grandson 00:02:09.169 --> 00:02:13.250 who asked her this question. He said, Grandma, 00:02:13.490 --> 00:02:18.270 do you know Jesus? And she said, of course I 00:02:18.270 --> 00:02:22.110 know Jesus. And he responded, do you know Jesus 00:02:22.110 --> 00:02:27.979 works for God? Well, yes. Did you hear the reading 00:02:27.979 --> 00:02:30.719 from the Gospel of John today? That's true, as 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:33.360 long as we mean what Jesus said. And this is 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:36.139 life eternal, that they might know thee the only 00:02:36.139 --> 00:02:38.759 true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:41.860 I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished 00:02:41.860 --> 00:02:48.120 the work that thou gavest me to do. The young 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:52.840 man turns out to be a theologian. What the Seventh 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:56.539 Council affirms for us is that God truly and 00:02:56.539 --> 00:03:02.979 completely and 100 % became man. We worship our 00:03:02.979 --> 00:03:07.460 Lord Jesus Christ because he is truly God. You 00:03:07.460 --> 00:03:12.939 know, you can go to dozens of different churches 00:03:12.939 --> 00:03:17.379 amongst our Orthodox, non -Orthodox, non -Orthodox 00:03:17.379 --> 00:03:20.439 brothers and sisters, and you are not going to 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:23.580 hear this. Some believe Jesus was sort of like 00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:26.460 God. Some believe he wasn't God at all. Some 00:03:26.460 --> 00:03:28.840 believe, yes, you call him God, but we don't 00:03:28.840 --> 00:03:31.340 mean God like God the Father, and on and on and 00:03:31.340 --> 00:03:34.639 on. There is no... What does St. Paul say in 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:37.280 Hebrews? He says, don't be carried away with 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:41.259 strange doctrines. We hear that today in honor 00:03:41.259 --> 00:03:47.900 of these holy fathers. He became man, our Lord, 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:53.409 the Word of God, the Son. became man in a concrete 00:03:53.409 --> 00:03:57.370 and visible way, and we can depict him in a concrete 00:03:57.370 --> 00:04:00.949 and visible way. The icons depict the reality 00:04:00.949 --> 00:04:08.930 of his person. Obviously, no Orthodox Christian 00:04:08.930 --> 00:04:14.889 is going to worship the wood that that icon is 00:04:14.889 --> 00:04:19.029 painted on. No Orthodox Christian is going to 00:04:19.029 --> 00:04:27.819 offer Thinking that God himself inhabits this 00:04:27.819 --> 00:04:32.680 icon. That's idolatry. You see, when the Hebrews 00:04:32.680 --> 00:04:37.480 fled and they escaped over the Red Sea, walking 00:04:37.480 --> 00:04:41.100 over it as if it were dry land. And then Moses 00:04:41.100 --> 00:04:43.939 went up into the mountain 40 days later to pray. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:46.079 And he comes down and what's he see? Worshipping 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:50.019 a golden calf. They believed that God... The 00:04:50.019 --> 00:04:52.899 God who saved them had taken up residence in 00:04:52.899 --> 00:04:56.879 that golden calf. We don't think that God inhabits 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:00.180 or takes up residence in an icon, which is exactly 00:05:00.180 --> 00:05:03.180 what an idol worshiper believes about his idol. 00:05:03.300 --> 00:05:07.379 We don't offer bread and wine to a statue as 00:05:07.379 --> 00:05:10.660 an idol worshiper would to feed the idol. In 00:05:10.660 --> 00:05:18.040 fact, you know you're here today because God 00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:23.079 feeds you. And he feeds me. The bread that we 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:25.899 offer to him. The wine that we offer to him. 00:05:25.980 --> 00:05:30.839 In the Lord's name. The church where that council 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:34.500 took place. Then it was called Nicaea. You've 00:05:34.500 --> 00:05:38.699 heard of the Nicene Creed and so forth. Now that 00:05:38.699 --> 00:05:44.279 city is modern day Iznik, Turkey. The church 00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:47.860 where that council took place is a mosque. There's 00:05:47.860 --> 00:05:51.620 no image. At all in that building. They've all 00:05:51.620 --> 00:05:57.800 been destroyed. They are not coming back. However, 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:01.699 think, brothers and sisters, the image of God 00:06:01.699 --> 00:06:05.819 that he has given you. That cannot be destroyed. 00:06:07.319 --> 00:06:12.899 We are free to ignore it. We are free to trash 00:06:12.899 --> 00:06:17.699 that image with sin and idolatry and immorality. 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:21.879 We are free to defile it and to fragment it and 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:26.639 to deny it, but it abides in us. And by God's 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:31.360 grace, it is cleansed. It's clarified. It's matured. 00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:36.160 This is the parable of the seed you heard. We 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:40.480 have to do something to water that seed. St. 00:06:40.540 --> 00:06:43.639 Paul says, by purity, by knowledge, by long -suffering, 00:06:43.779 --> 00:06:46.680 by fasting, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit. 00:06:47.160 --> 00:06:50.139 by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the 00:06:50.139 --> 00:06:52.680 power of God, by the armor of righteousness on 00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:55.740 the right hand and on the left, by honor and 00:06:55.740 --> 00:06:58.620 dishonor, by evil report and good report, as 00:06:58.620 --> 00:07:01.759 deceivers and yet as true, as unknown and yet 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:06.300 known, dying and behold, we live, as chastened 00:07:06.300 --> 00:07:12.379 yet not killed. And by other things, many canons 00:07:12.379 --> 00:07:15.860 were given to us in this council and all the 00:07:15.860 --> 00:07:21.170 councils. There are some very simple things I 00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:23.449 want to share with you now. You might say, oh, 00:07:23.490 --> 00:07:25.290 Father, this is way too simple when I'm done. 00:07:27.209 --> 00:07:31.410 Basic piety, basic orthodoxy. It's not stupid 00:07:31.410 --> 00:07:35.350 or merely trivial. These are the doorway to the 00:07:35.350 --> 00:07:40.370 holiness that all this we're talking about. So 00:07:40.370 --> 00:07:43.709 here are some basic ways we live our faith. Some 00:07:43.709 --> 00:07:47.819 are from the canons of the church. Some are from 00:07:47.819 --> 00:07:51.439 the tradition of the church. And some are just 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:55.319 common sense that has been passed down to us. 00:07:55.959 --> 00:08:00.220 In terms of the commandments, the moral life, 00:08:00.439 --> 00:08:03.639 the ethical life of the church, what? We must 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:08.100 honor our parents and pray for them. No exceptions. 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:14.339 Sex and living together is for marriage. Period. 00:08:15.370 --> 00:08:18.730 Christians keep the Lord's Day and the feasts. 00:08:19.490 --> 00:08:22.670 Christians prepare for the liturgy carefully, 00:08:22.889 --> 00:08:26.269 with love, knowing whom they're going to meet. 00:08:27.149 --> 00:08:29.970 Christians attend Vespers on Saturday night as 00:08:29.970 --> 00:08:34.210 a preparation for communion. They abstain from 00:08:34.210 --> 00:08:39.990 marital relations the day before liturgy. They 00:08:39.990 --> 00:08:43.210 participate in the Eucharistic fast from midnight. 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:47.919 They offer a recent confession, a month or so. 00:08:48.340 --> 00:08:51.879 They say they pray the traditional pre -communion 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:54.220 prayers. They are at peace with their neighbor. 00:08:55.879 --> 00:08:59.100 Then they go to liturgy and they receive communion. 00:08:59.940 --> 00:09:03.220 We have the canon of daily prayer, the canon 00:09:03.220 --> 00:09:06.000 of reading scripture. and other spiritual readings. 00:09:06.299 --> 00:09:09.559 We have the canon of supporting our parish, often 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:12.840 with a tithe financially, volunteering our physical 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:17.179 sweat for parish ministries and service within 00:09:17.179 --> 00:09:20.500 the parish and outside the parish in the name 00:09:20.500 --> 00:09:24.320 of our Lord. Then there are the practical canons 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:30.159 of our actual church attendance. Maybe the main 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:33.899 one would be, do unto others. as you would have 00:09:33.899 --> 00:09:37.740 them do unto you. Do unto others. Naturally, 00:09:37.740 --> 00:09:40.899 care if this is regard to children. Offer your 00:09:40.899 --> 00:09:44.519 help if a parent needs it with their child, instead 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:47.019 of looking down at them and wishing they were 00:09:47.019 --> 00:09:52.039 not here. Have a sense of humor and a spirit 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:59.120 of encouragement. Parents, ask for help. We want 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:03.440 to help. Parishioners, Extend a helping hand 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:06.539 and love for the families. This is the canon. 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:10.460 Then there are those canons about how we dress 00:10:10.460 --> 00:10:13.299 when we come to church. Is it just sort of up 00:10:13.299 --> 00:10:19.500 to, no. Dress to meet the king, especially on 00:10:19.500 --> 00:10:24.700 Sundays. Don't put logos on your clothes. Don't 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:29.279 wear short pants. Prepare yourself. It's about 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:33.750 modesty and respect. We go to various social 00:10:33.750 --> 00:10:36.669 events dressed in the way that we would be expected 00:10:36.669 --> 00:10:40.909 to dress. Well, think about this. The Lord God 00:10:40.909 --> 00:10:44.590 sees us. He doesn't care, but we should care. 00:10:45.590 --> 00:10:49.610 Then there is the de facto canon, I'm sorry to 00:10:49.610 --> 00:10:53.090 say, about arriving on time for church services. 00:10:53.710 --> 00:10:56.970 Someone recently asked me, how late can I come 00:10:56.970 --> 00:10:59.549 and receive communion? Well, that's the wrong 00:10:59.549 --> 00:11:03.279 question, isn't it? Not all of us have little 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:07.019 children that may do something as we're getting 00:11:07.019 --> 00:11:10.220 to go. Not all of us have an elderly person we're 00:11:10.220 --> 00:11:12.539 taking care of. Not all of us are in the kitchen 00:11:12.539 --> 00:11:15.980 preparing lunch for us. Not all of us live 50, 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:22.759 75 miles away. There's reasons. Some do, and 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:24.759 some are blessed to come late. But the rest of 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:29.120 us, let's try to be better about that. I'm not 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:34.360 aware of any formal canons. Again, I apologize. 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:37.860 Talking in church, but let me be blunt. As a 00:11:37.860 --> 00:11:40.860 parish, we talk way too much during the liturgy. 00:11:41.059 --> 00:11:44.000 The church is a holy place. The liturgy is a 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:49.279 holy time. We ourselves are to be holy before 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:53.659 the liturgy, during the liturgy, and yes, after 00:11:53.659 --> 00:11:58.100 the liturgy, during communion. We receive the 00:11:58.100 --> 00:12:02.159 body and blood of our Lord. And we hang on to 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:06.519 that with all our spiritual might, with joy and 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:10.820 thanksgiving. There's a time to greet others 00:12:10.820 --> 00:12:14.320 and embrace others, but that's not it. That's 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:19.519 the time to be deeply in your heart so that the 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:24.639 seed, the word of God, is springing up with joy 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:29.960 for you. Christ is in our midst quite literally. 00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:33.159 So we come before him with our arms crossed. 00:12:33.460 --> 00:12:36.320 We don't stand in the back and turn our backs 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:40.740 on communion. He is offering himself to us. Our 00:12:40.740 --> 00:12:43.200 brothers and sisters are still receiving him. 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:47.159 As long as others are receiving him, imagine 00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:51.039 you too are still receiving him. We say, let 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:54.879 us attend. I know this wasn't a formal sermon. 00:12:55.700 --> 00:12:59.340 I know maybe I went on too long. I know this 00:12:59.340 --> 00:13:03.360 is all. Maybe unspiritual. You know, Orthodox 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:05.779 faith and the councils that defend the faith 00:13:05.779 --> 00:13:09.659 always, I'd say, delighted in expounding how 00:13:09.659 --> 00:13:15.000 the human and the divine go together. Our piety, 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:18.919 the way we live, is not just physical, not just 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:23.100 spiritual. It's together. And we believe that 00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:26.000 the right worship, the right belief, seriously 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:30.440 leads not only to spiritual growth, but to actual 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:36.039 union with our Lord and God, to become one with 00:13:36.039 --> 00:13:40.279 him. Let us attend then, brothers and sisters, 00:13:40.539 --> 00:13:44.460 to the riches of the faith, whether they be lofty 00:13:44.460 --> 00:13:47.720 or they be simple, like the things I'm talking 00:13:47.720 --> 00:13:53.980 about. And may we aim to live out our faith in 00:13:53.980 --> 00:13:56.559 the spirit set forth by our holy fathers, our 00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:59.480 teachers, and yes, our holy mothers too. whose 00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:02.299 memories we keep and honor this day, and with 00:14:02.299 --> 00:14:06.299 them, may we never fail to worship with our whole 00:14:06.299 --> 00:14:10.559 hearts and our minds and our bodies the all -holy 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:13.940 Trinity, one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:15.120 Amen.