THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE 1st ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

t seems as though the Church is always facing controversy and issues that disturb the peace of the faithful. Even in the New Testament Jesus was in continual confrontation with the Pharisees and the Sadducees, two sects of the Jews, who attacked Him for His teaching and His healings of sick people on the Sabbath. As we know, it was they who engineered His Crucifixion and death.

   Later, St. Paul wrote letters to several of the Churches that he established. In them he often had to admonish the Christians for their wrong behavior. An example is found in the 1st letter to the Corinthian Christians, who were distorting the faith, “once delivered to the saints.”

   After Christianity was made free by St. Constantine the Great early in the 300s, many strange and false teachings began to surface among Christians. One of these was the false teaching of the Priest Arius of Alexandria. Arius could not accept the clear teaching of the Bible and the Church of the fully divine nature of Christ. He thought in a worldly and secular manner that it was not possible for the one Person Jesus Christ to be fully divine and fully human. But Jesus Christ was not to be understood with the tools of human philosophy. He was unique as a divine-human being, not subject to the laws of the created world. Nevertheless, many succumbed to Arius’ false teachings, known as Arianism.

   For this reason, it was necessary for the Church to declare its teaching about Christ in a clear and forthright manner. Based on the early Church’s system of making decisions – in councils (synods, from the Greek) – a meeting of Bishops from all over the Christian world was called in the city of Nicea of Asia Minor in the year 325 A.D. The Holy Fathers met to clarify for all time the belief of the Church regarding Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit.

   It declared that we Orthodox Christians believe “. . . in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made.” This emphasized the full divine nature in the one Person of Jesus Christ.

   The Creed then, goes on to say that “For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.” This was to affirm that the human nature of Jesus Christ was also full and complete. Jesus Christ, the Holy Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council declared, was one Person with two natures or “hypostases.” He was in Himself, both fully God and fully human. In that way, St. Athanasios affirmed, as God and Man, He was able to save humanity and guide it toward God-likeness.

Service hours: Sundays and Feast days: Orthros at 9:30 am; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am.

7th  SUNDAY OF PASCHA – HOLY FATHERS – 1st ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

GOSPEL ENTRANCE AND OTHER HYMNS

Dismissal Hymn - 2nd  Plagal  Tone

   (Sing in Greek before the Entrance) ("Angelike dynameis").Hymnal, 86-87.

   (Sing in English after the Entrance) ("The Angelic Powers "). (Same).

Dismissal Hymn for the Ascension of Christ

   (Sing) in Greek “Anelifthes en doxe” Hymnal, 114.

   (Read) You ascended in glory / O Christ our God, / and gladdened Your Disciples / with the promise of the Holy Spirit, / having become confident of the blessing. / Truly, You are the Son of God, / and the Deliverer of the world.

Dismissal Hymn of the Fathers

   (Read) O Christ our God, / You are infinitely glorified, / for You established our Fathers / as radiant stars on earth. / You let us to the true faith / through them. / O Most Merciful One, / glory to You!

Dismissal Hymn of the Presentation of Christ (Sing) From the sheet in the pew.

Kontakion of the Ascension

   (Sung) by the Leaders in Greek (“Ten eeper emon plerosas”)

   (Read) When You had fulfilled Your dispensation / for our sakes, / uniting things on earth with Heaven, / You ascended in glory, / O Christ our God, / not departing from here, / but remaining inseparable from us / and crying to those who love You: / I am with you always, / and no one can be against you. Return to page 26 for “Holy God” and for the Epistle and Gospel Readings

EPISTLE – Acts 20:16-18, 28-36 (Holy Fathers)

n those days, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' " And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.