After starting the Lent last Sunday, we went through some fasting and austerity; and after intensifying our prayers, the church decided to devote this Sunday to remind us that we fast in order to strengthen our faith, so it named this Sunday as the Sunday of Orthodoxy which is a Greek word that means “the straight dogma”. If you faith in God wasn’t straight, your fasting will be worthless.
The church mentioned in today’s epistle saints from the Old Testament, and reminded us of their passions (jeers, flogging, beating, imprisonment, stoning, and killing by the sword). The epistle said that all of those were commended for their faith.
In addition to that, the church put in the second Sunday of the Lent a remembrance for St. Gregory Palamas (14th Century) who clarified the Orthodox faith in a strong way through his teaching about the uncreated divine grace.
The chosen Chapter from the Gospel contains the calling of the apostles as told by John. The first one mentioned among them is Philip that was from Bethsaida (different from the Lebanese Saida). Also, Andrew and his brother Peter were from this city. The apostle finds another person that would join Jesus and become one of the twelve: The person that believes passes the faith to others. The fourth called apostle was Nathanael who refused that a prophet can come from Nazareth.
However, Jesus accepted him. The Lord revealed himself for the person that doubted and therefore the latter confessed saying: “you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel”. The Lord’s comment was: “Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”.
Christ combines the heavens and the earth, and he is the only mediator between God and men. This is our faith; Orthodoxy can be summarized in these words.
The fathers of the Old Testament looked at Christ and believed in that. We have only believed that he has come, and both faiths are the same. However, the old fathers “none of them received what had been promised; since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect”. No one shall be saved before seeing the crucifixion and resurrection. The fathers of the Old Testament saw Christ through prophecy, while, we have seen him through his Gospel, i.e. through what has been achieved.
The apostles and the brothers saw him through their eyes. We did not see him that way. We accepted him through the apostles that preached us about him through the Gospel and we believed in the church that he embraces; the church that transmits him through preaching and the Holy Sacraments.
The Sunday of Orthodoxy combines those who saw him physically with those who didn’t. We hope that God would protect us in the Orthodox faith and prevents from us heresies, delinquencies and falling into deviations. All of this needs fighting in order to continue in frequent religious readings, participation in divine services, and praying especially in this blessed season that shall prepare us for the glorious Pascha.
Therefore, we are invited to a good fasting and reading that sanctifies the soul and renews its intellect. God shall be pleased if we fasted as brothers with all the church in order to walk together towards Resurrection.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “أحد الأرثوذكسية” – 13.03.2011
