Homily for the First Sunday of the Holy and Great Fast - The Sunday of Orthodoxy (St. Cleopa of Sihastria)

Homily for the First Sunday of the Holy and Great Fast 

(The Sunday of Orthodoxy)

On the Veneration of the Holy icons

By St. Cleopa of Sihastria

“And you shall make two cherubim of beaten gold, and you shall place them on the two ends of the mercy seat. There I will make Myself known to you, and I will speak with you from between the two cherubim.” (Exodus 25:18–22)

Beloved faithful,

Today the Orthodox Church of Christ celebrates a great apostolic and synodal institution — namely, the veneration of the holy icons. This was established by the decision of the Holy and Great Seventh Ecumenical Synod held at Nicaea in the year 787, in which participated three hundred sixty-seven Holy Fathers and one hundred thirty-six archimandrites and abbots of monasteries.

The Synod was presided over, on behalf of the Orthodox Church of the East, by Saint Tarasios, Patriarch of Constantinople. Representing the Western Church was Peter, Archbishop of Rome, accompanied by Peter, presbyter and abbot of the Monastery of Saint Savvas in Rome, as representatives of Pope Adrian.

All these Holy Fathers decreed the veneration of the Holy Icons and pronounced anathema upon all the heretical icon-fighters, from whom many saints suffered severe persecutions and death for nearly two centuries — from Leo the Isaurian, the first opponent of the holy icons, until Theophilos, the last.

After the death of Theophilos, through the zeal of Empress Theodora and the Holy Fathers, the true faith and the veneration of the Holy Icons were restored, just as they had existed in the time of the Savior and of the Holy Apostles. For Jesus Christ Himself, by a miracle not made by hands, imprinted the image of His face upon a cloth and sent it to Abgar, king of Edessa (Combatting Sects, Chișinău, 1929, pp. 510–532).

Venerable Martyr Eudokia the Samaritan in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Saint Eudokia was from Heliopolis of the province of Lebanon in Phoenicia, during the reign of Trajan. At first she lived a dissolute life, attracting many lovers by her beauty and amassing great wealth. Later, however, she came to Christ when she heard a certain monk named Germanos, who preached words of piety and repentance.

She was then baptized by Bishop Theodotos, having been persuaded through divine revelations. For it seemed to her that she had ascended into heaven, as though she had gone out of herself and was being guided by an angel, and that the angels rejoiced over her return; while at the same time a certain dark and terrifying figure roared and cried out that he was being wronged if she were taken away from him.

Eudokia therefore distributed her wealth, gave it to the poor, and entered a monastery. There she lived the ascetic life in a manner pleasing to God, until her former lovers denounced her and brought her before Aurelian, who had then ascended the imperial throne. But when she worked a miracle and raised to life the emperor’s son who had died, she also led the emperor himself to faith in Christ.

After several years she was tried by Diogenes, governor of Heliopolis; yet, having again performed miracles, she was released. Finally, Vincent, who succeeded Diogenes, issued an order, and she was beheaded.

Prologue in Sermons: March 1

Admonition of the Lover of Money

March 1

(Account concerning John, Bishop of Jerusalem, how Epiphanios by wisdom took silver from him and distributed it as alms to the poor and needy.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

A lover of money is the same as an idolater, for in both his mind and his heart there is nothing but money, and money becomes his idol. Therefore the Apostle also calls love of money idolatry, saying that covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5). This sin is one of the grave sins, and for it the Lord strictly punishes and brings lovers of money to their senses.

Once a certain deacon from Jerusalem came to Saint Epiphanios, Archbishop of Cyprus, and told him about John, Bishop of Jerusalem — that, out of love of money, he stored up wealth and gave no alms to the poor. Hearing this, Epiphanios sent John a letter exhorting him to show mercy to the poor; but John paid no attention to the message.