On this Sunday we commemorate the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council as we prepare to celebrate the following Sunday, the Feast of Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.
The First Ecumenical Council of the Church was held in the city of Nicea in the year 325 A.D. This next year 2025 will be the 1700th Anniversary of this Council of the entire Church both East and West. The magnificent Icon which has graced our Church vestibule since the parish’s anniversary is the prototype which was utilized at the First Council, thus the inscription “Mother of God of Nicea”.
The closeness of the Sunday of the Fathers and the Feast of the Ascension which occurred this past week emphasized the Councils proclamation and confession that Christ as having the same essence and honor as the Father. The Saints of the Church appointed that this Feast of the Fathers of Nicea be celebrated just after the Feast of the Ascension in order to bear witness to the fact that the Son of God truly became man and, being perfect man and perfect God, ascended into Heaven and “sat at the right hand of the majesty on high”. It is these tenants of the Church which were formulated by the assembled Fathers of the Church into the Creed which today we referred to as the Nicean Creed.
The Paschal Festal Season and the Sunday of the Fathers share in proclaiming that Christ, having put on our human flesh, accomplished the work of salvation and ascended to the throne of the Father. This is the message of this Feast.
It is indeed coincidental that today on our civil calendar we celebrate Father’s Day, a Day in which we honor our fathers, both living and those who gave fallen asleep in the Lord. Let us, as we throughout America celebrate the care, love and sacrifices many of our fathers made on our behalf, supporting us and co-parenting us with our mothers to make us worthy and compassionate Orthodox Christians. It is another reminder of the importance of fathers in our lives and in the workings of the Church that have guided and nurtured us to embrace Jesus Christ as our Lord and God.
May God bless all our fathers and grant them many years, and to those who have gone to their eternal rest may their memory be indeed eternal.
