By St. Justin Popovich
(Delivered in 1967 at the Monastery of Ćelije)
Here is the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod. Why is this so? After the wondrous and unprecedented events, after the Resurrection of the Savior, after the Ascension, after Golgotha, after the whole earthly life of the Savior lasting thirty-three and a half years, the Church glorifies the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod. Why? Because the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod were, together with the Holy Apostles and after the Holy Apostles, the greatest fighters for one truth — the truth that Christ Jesus is the True God. This was their chief struggle, this was their chief battle: Christ is the True God! In this lies all their preaching, in this lies their heart, their soul, their conscience. Christ is the True God, Christ is the God-man. Behold, this is the whole truth which the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Synod fearlessly preached and confessed. In the beautiful hymns they are called divine warriors, warriors who fought fearlessly, fighting for the most important truths in all worlds and for the most important Person — the True God.
What could be more important for man in this world than that? Why? What did the God-man Christ give to the world for which these three hundred and eighteen God-wise Fathers gave their entire lives to Him, dedicated themselves to Him, lived by Him and for Him, and today reign over the worlds from the Heavenly Kingdom? What did they give to the world? They handed down and bore witness to the faith of the Apostles, the faith that Jesus Christ is the True God, that Jesus Christ is the true God-man. For only as the True God and true God-man could the Lord Christ give Eternal Life to mankind. The struggle for the True God is, in fact, the struggle for Eternal Life.
Today in the Holy Gospel you heard the Savior say that He came into this world to give Eternal Life to all (John 17:2). This is the purpose of His coming into the world — to give Eternal Life to all, to conquer death, conquer sin, conquer the demons, destroy hades, and secure Eternal Life for mankind. And what could be greater or higher than that? What greater thing could God have given to mankind than Eternal Life, and what greater thing could God have given to mankind than Himself? And the Lord Christ gave Himself to mankind. He, the True God, became man. This is the greatest gift that God has given to man… (This homily is incomplete.)
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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