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Sunday of Orthodoxy, 2005, Ocala "I speak of the Prophets, who by faith conquered Kingdoms; wrought justice; obtained promises; stopped the mouths of lions; quenched the violence of fire; escaped the edge of the sword; recovered strength from weakness; became valiant in battle; put to flight armies of aliens. They were stoned; they were sawed asunder; they were tempted; they were put to death by the sword." (Hebrews, 11th Chapter). We heard these words from today's Epistle Reading of St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews. When I come across such historical facts such as these, my mind leads me to compare our lives with those, who gave their last full measure for the Lord's work, -- totally discounting themselves. These words speak of the great trials and final martyrdom of the Prophets of the Old Testament, who stood alone, before powerful enemies and kings,--- yet, overcame because of their strong and undaunted faith in God. These words also apply very aptly to the countless thousands of martyrs for the Christian Faith down through the ages! It is the faith of these immortal men and women, which edified the Church built on the Cornerstone, which is Christ Himself. So many of these warriors we venerate as Saints of our Holy Church, because it is through their life and sacrifice that glory was brought to the Church. They fought for their faith; -- they suffered; -- and finally they succumbed to the tortures of the pagans. Today, we who are the direct descendants of these heroes of the Church, are not called upon to sacrifice or to be sacrificed; rather, we are privileged to enjoy with full freedom to the fullest, the rich harvest of their sacrifices. Our Holy Orthodox Church, spread throughout the world, celebrates today a great triumph of the Church. It is the Sunday of Orthodoxy. We celebrate a triumph. which was the culmination of a struggle which lasted over one century, and was resolved by the 7th Ecumenical Council in the year 787 A.D., with the restoration of the Holy Icons in the Churches, and the defining of the proper method of veneration. The Church also celebrates today, the victory of the Church over Her enemies down through the ages. We celebrate as John the Evangelist says in his Epistle: "This is the victory, which has conquered over the world as a result of our faith." All the great victories of the Church, and surely there were many,- came as a result of the faith of the Christian warriors. Today we enjoy the fruits of their faith, --- something we so much take for granted, and oftentimes sell so short. A fact of life is, that truly we cannot appreciate the worth of anything, unless we are well versed in the background of that, which is deemed worthy of appreciation. The Church is no exception to this rule. For this we must go back almost 2000 years. The Lord came and dwelt amongst us in a most humble environment. He came not with a sword or weapon, but with the warmth of love for all humans. He selected poor, illiterate fishermen as His first followers; He prepared them for their future work, and finally charged them with a mission of inconceivable scope. They were to re-mould and re-shape the world. They were supposed to bring down the idols from every pedestal, and on their ruins build the new faith. A faith, which would require nothing less than flowing rivers of blood. The Apostles and their followers had charted their course, and it wasn't long before they aroused the ire of the Rulers, and the multitudes of the Roman Empire. Thousands were put to death through mass persecutions, and so many had served as entertainment in the Arenas, where they were dismembered and devoured by hungry lions. However, nothing was to stop the tide of the Christians of the first centuries. Ultimately they did conquer; -- not with the sword, but with Christ's love. St. Constantine the Great the first Christian Emperor of the vast Byzantium Empire, declares Christianity as the Official State Religion. Now the external foes of the Church finally were sinking into oblivion; however, a new and incomparably more dangerous enemy came forth in the form of heresies and schisms, simply because the Christian Dogmas at that time were not defined, and the Clergy and laity interpreted the Scriptures according to their own understanding. Again, through the wisdom and Grace granted to the Holy Fathers of the Church, Orthodoxy was properly defended and emerged victorious. Without question, the Church has had a multi-centuries history of struggles, all of which were sealed with glorious victories. I love the way that great luminary of the Church, and Patriarch of Constantinople St. John the Chrysostom, late in the 4th Century described the life and power of the Church. He says: "When the Church is attacked, She conquers; when She is scoffed and abused, She emerges even brighter; --- She is tossed about by the waves, but never sinks, regardless of how stormy the tempest; it cannot sink the Ship of Jesus; for nothing is more powerful than the Church, which the Lord Himself founded!" There is indeed, an endless chain of men and women of unshakable faith, who actually gave the necessary strength, so that the Church could overcome any enemy. Most sacrificed their life, while others escaping martyrdom became equal to the martyrs, because they defied their persecutors, knowing very well, that they were candidates for martyrdom. I bring to you a classic example of this, of a most brilliant mind and a most faithful shepherd of the Church. St. Basil the Great another great luminary, who was Archbishop of Caesarea. When his vast philanthropic endeavors resulted in a the formation of a little city of philanthropic institutions, which brought so many to the Lord, the Roman Governor Modestos, who had been literally overshadowed by the tremendous influence of St. Basil, sent one of his Ambassadors to threaten him. The dialogue went as follows: "I have orders from the Governor to confiscate all your possessions." To this St. Basil answered: "You will not have that burden, because all my possessions are in the hands of the poor, and all that I personally own, are a couple of used garments and my books." The Ambassador added: "Then you will be exiled!" St. Basil retorts with a phrase from the Old Testament: " The Earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof. Wherever I am to be exiled, it will still be God's land." By this time the enraged Ambassador, who must have marveled at St. Basil's courage, said in exasperation: "Then you will be put to death." Very calmly, the Saint replies: "This indeed would obligate me, because I will be with my Lord that much sooner!" This is the type of courage and faith that overcomes and conquers. St. Basil's courage and boldness had many imitators down through the ages; and it is this type of indomitable spirit and profound faith, which has made the foundations of our Church firm and unshakable. It is indeed refreshing and edifying, when we have occasion at times to read of some heroic act of selflessness; -- when people courageously defend their ideals of God and Country, and are even ready to pay the supreme sacrifice for their belief. Yes my beloved, the fact remains, that if causes seem to wane, and institutions appear shaky, and even the Church seems to be somewhat powerless to transmit power, -- we can be sure that the answer lies in the fact, that we ourselves lack true conviction; -- and perhaps what is worse, we sometimes tend to even compromise our faith. This I think, is very devastating, and nothing can really stand and endure if our Faith is not "like the house built upon the rock," as the Lord said. I would guess, that I may be reading some thoughts, which perhaps must go something like: "well, what can I do? What is expected of me? and, how much can I do?" To this I would answer, that whether we believe it or not, more power lies within us and waiting to be expressed, than we could ever imagine. Therefore we can and must gird our faith with the type of faith of our forefathers, who made the Church great. We can and should be worthy of their sacrifices by being firm and unshakable in our convictions. We can and must give priority to God, over all other things in this life! It is within our power to do these things and emerge victorious in life's struggles. Then, and only then, will we truly and deeply sense the words mentioned in St. John's Epistle: "This is the victory, that has won over the world---our faith!"
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