Christ our God, You are ever glorified through Your works. You established our Father’s as radiant stars on earth. Through them You have guided us all to the true faith. Most compassionate Lord, glory to You! (Dismissal Hymn)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On this the seventh Sunday after Pascha, the Church celebrates the Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea in 325 AD. Through these Father’s and Doctors of the Church, God has given as the Creed of our faith, better known as the Nicene Creed, which we still recite and sing in our churches in the context of our liturgies and baptisms.
One of the most important decisions was the proclamation of Christ having the same essence and honor as the Father. This Sunday was specifically placed following 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, ascending into heaven and, “sat at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb. 1:3)
The glorious achievement of the Church Father’s at Nicea was to affirm forever with absolute clarity the New Testament faith that, ” the Son has Himself the full nature of God.” (Col. 1:19).
We indeed need to acknowledge our gratitude to the Father’s for the formulation of the Creed of Our Faith in its original form and especially in the divine truths of the Holy Trinity.
As we approach the Great Feast of Pentecost let us prepare ourselves for the celebration of the birth of our Christian faith and the Descent of the Holy Spirit!
With love in Christ,
Father John
