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Holy Fathers of the 1St Ecumenical Council May 20, 2007 Today, out Holy Orthodox Church commemorates the 318 Holy Fathers, who participated in the historic 1st Ecumenical Council in Nicaea neat Constantinople in 325 A.D., which gave us the first 7 Articles of the Creed we proclaim every Sunday in out Liturgy. In the past we had occasion to speak about this Council. But today, I chose the 20th verse of the 3rd chapter of the Epistle, which St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, a coastal city on the Aegean Sea, part of today's Turkey. St. Paul stated: "Now unto God, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us; --- to Him be glory, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages. " I think these words correlate the life of the Holy Fathers, whom we commemorate today. These very words of St. Paul will constitute the basis of today's sermon. St Paul's words, which were the conclusion of his prayer for the Ephesians, speak of the great spiritual power, that is within us, and which sources from God Himself. However, this power within us, is similar to the unsplit atom, and does not have any value, unless we discover the secret to release it by splitting it. If I have any understanding of the meaning of splitting the atom, it is to the effect, that no new power is created though atomic fission, but rather, a power already present, has at long last been released. In the realm of physics, the main problem, is not the creation of power, but its release and direction. For us Christians, there is a more important view, than that of atomic energy. It is the ultimate aspect of power, even above the atom, -- and that is, spiritual power; --- a power, that God has implanted in every human soul. One of the greatest revelations of any life, is precisely the discovery of an available power within oneself, waiting to be used. Whenever we sense that power is being released, we know of a certainty - and that is, that somewhere, there is a source from which the power comes. This is a universal law. In the spiritual realm, we can truthfully state, that spiritual Power has as its source, the very presence of God Himself in life, in the world, and in the Universe. At some crucial time in our life, did we ever marvel, and say to ourselves, "How was I ever able to do this, or to overcome this?" Well, whether we realize it or not, the thing that seemed unbelievable to us, and for which we marvel, is the result of our releasing some of our inner power. God is the Supreme Source of power! He has given power to man; but this power can only be released through faith and perseverance. This recognizable fact was given substance, time and again through great men, whom we revere as heroes --- both known and unknown, down through the ages. In my file of clippings from the newspapers, I found one of these heroes, a military General, who made a profound statement on faith, some 40 years ago. . He was the well known General Mendaris of missile fame. In a T.V. interview seen by millions of viewers. He said: "God has given us this great power of knowledge, in discovering the power of the atom, and the mysteries of the satellites; it is His will, that we discover these things, -- not for our destruction, but for our well-being and edification. " Thus spoke the God-fearing General, who shortly after this statement became an ordained Episcopal Priest. If the scientists of the world would align themselves with the General's belief, indeed we would be living in a more tranquil world. Experience though, teaches us, that there are certain hindrances to the release of the power, God has given to man. Fear is one of these, and it constitutes one of life's greatest deterrents. Many a life is devoid of power, simply because it lives on the level of fear. An eminent Theologian once gave a vivid expression to this, when he wrote: "Fear imprisons; --- faith liberates; fear paralyzes -faith empowers; fear disheartens --- faith encourages; fear sickens -=- faith heals; fear makes useless, --- faith makes serviceable; fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life --- fear rejoices in the power of God." These points regarding the detriment of fear are so important to all of us, because they should be part of our spiritual makeup, giving us the feeling, that we will not be governed by fear, but by faith. If we submit to fear, we surely cannot be people of power. If we have unshakeable faith, as we should, being Christians, the power of great works within us, will surely find release at an opportune moment for our good, as well as for the common good. Besides fear, we must agree that another hindrance in the release of power within us, is animosity. Animosity in its broad sense, means ill-will. The holding of grudges - hatred - revenge - jealousy - and all those emotional attitudes, which are directed against others, and sometimes even against God. This animosity, be it in the home, in the office, in our job, in any organization and even the Church, most definitely cuts down efficiency, and not only limits our power potential, but even destroys. I think we can conceive, that the most thrilling moment in the development of any power project is, when the designated person throws the switch, and the available power becomes the actual power. That is precisely the object, which should be of chief interest to all of us here in our Holy Mission; -- how to make the available, the actual; -- how to make the potential, a reality. It is within our power to throw the switch in the spiritual realm, and release unbelievable power, which will truly transform our life. The general Meeting of our Membership after the Agape coffee hour today, will give substance to these words, and we ask all to be present. We surely can accomplish the seemingly impossible by giving expression to the 3 cardinal virtues, as emphasized in the last verse of the 13th Chapter of St. Paul's 1St Epistle to the Corinthians: "And now remain these three: Faith, Hope and Agape, or Charity." Firstly, "faith" is the answer to fear; -- hope is the answer to despair --- and Agape, or Charity is the answer to animosity. Regarding faith, we must believe that we can achieve anything within reason in this world, if we possess unshakeable faith. Did not the Lord emphasize this when He said: "All things are possible to the one, who believes?" Whether we are people of little or great influence, we must be humble enough to recognize that we, of ourselves are indeed limited. But, when we permit the power of God to flow freely in our system we shall firmly believe as St. Paul taught: "If God is with us, who can stand against us?" Secondly, "hope" is also a channel through which power is released. The world is in need of men and women with hope, to light the way to a brighter future. We do not need superficial optimists, but we do need Christian souls, who believe in God's purpose; who are willing to work, to labor, to sacrifice, and to wait in expectancy, as the Bible says in the Old Testament: "For the vision is yet for an appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come." (Habakkuk 2:3) That kind of hope for the future life, produces power in the present. And lastly, "Agape" (Charity) is the final channel through which great power is released. As faithful Christians, we believe in the presence and power of God within our life. St. Paul very emphatically says in Ephesians 3:19, that in order to really sense God's Presence, and Power, we must come to know the "love of Christ, which surpasses all knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God." Years ago as a result of a nationwide newspaper contest, there appeared a definition of Agape, or Charity, which I think is a masterpiece. "Agape, or Charity is the doorway, through which the human soul passes from selfishness to servitude, and from solitude to the kinship with all humankind!" This should constitute a spiritual exercise for all Christians. So my Beloved, and I cannot adequately emphasize my personal feelings for all of you, that you are truly my beloved spiritual charges. I ask you to constantly seek to release more of this . latent power within us, so that we may become more useful to ourselves, to our fellow humans and to our God-appointed Mission here in Ocala. Let us pray as St. Paul did for the Ephesians, "that God will grant us according to the riches of His glory, and to be strengthened with might, by His Spirit in the inner man." Amen. (Ephesians 3:16) + Fr. George Papadeas
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