Sermons & Homilies
Could it be that all of this was the result of the neglect shown to an Icon of the Mother of God? What historian could ever make such a claim and find his work published, taken seriously by the academic community. And yet it’s just such a conclusion that today’s feast invites us to draw. It forces us to look at the fate of nations not with the eyes of the historian but with the eyes of faith.
Today we commemorate the 318 Holy Fathers gathered in Nicaea in 325 AD, the 1st Ecumenical Council. They gathered to snuff out the destructive heresy of Arius who declared there was a time the Son of God did not exist and that He is not equal to the Father. The essence of the 1st Ecumenical Council is the essence of every other succeeding Council: the Person and work of Christ. Christ is the God-Man Who came to deify men.
Christ is risen! After five weeks of Pascha-tide, the light of Christ’s resurrection has perhaps diminished for most of us at this point. It is hard to maintain that joy for so long, to hold onto that light. Thus, it feels appropriate that today we remember the healing of the man born blind.
Today’s Gospel is about thirst. The thirst of God for man. The thirst of man for God. Let us always ask ourselves: Am I seeking the love of God with my whole heart? Do I thirst for salvation? Or do I thirst for worldly things, pleasures, status, human honor? This is a very simple question, but one of the most important questions in life.
