The icon of the Sunday of Orthodoxy commemorates the “restoration” of icons in the churches and to their use in Orthodox worship. The focal point of the icon is an icon itself, the Virgin Hodegetria, a popular depiction of the Theotokos as “Directress,” or literally “She who shows the way to God.” To the left of the icon is the Empress Theodora and her son Michael III. To the right of the icon are the Patriarchs Methodios and Tarasios. The icon is surrounded by numerous saints who struggled against the Iconoclastic heresy.
As usual on this day, we celebrated at a pan-Orthodox Vespers service at St Barbara's Greek Orthodox Church in Durham. Fr Nicholas was there from my church as well as the host priest, Fr James and surprisingly, Fr Dmitri from my son's godmother's church. Both Fr James and Fr Dmitri remembered me and I know Fr Dmitri hasn't met me more than twice and Fr James only once! Mom was right when she said people watching goes both ways. LOL! Both of them, and Fr Nicholas, blessed Gabriel. He is such a great kid. Everyone loves him. Afterward, we had a great Lenten meal in the rectory and Gabriel got to play with some of his friends from church.
I love being part of a church that honors the history of it's doctrine. Sometimes I think that people discard history far too lightly. If we do not know why we worship as we do, what is the point of worshipping? The why is just as important as the Who. After all, the Who is the One who gave us this style of worship; He is the why! It's in the Old Testament -- poke around in the Pentateuch and then compare it to what we do in the Orthodox Church. It's amazingly similar. The first Christians were Jewish and worshipped in the Temple after all!
What really made my heart full, though, was listening to Gabriel and watching him during the prayers. He knows the prayers, even when they are said in Greek, simply by the rhythm I suppose. He recognized when to cross and frowned as the chanters sang, "Kyrie Eleison". When I asked him what was wrong he said, "I don't know what they said. But shouldn't it be Lord have mercy?" When I told him that was what Kyrie Eleison meant, he gave me such a look. LOL! And the various priests and deacons recognized him too. He makes quite an impression. I'm proud to be his mama.
Anyway...
As the Prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught, as the Church has received, as the Teachers have dogmatized, as the universe has agreed, as Grace has shown forth, as Truth has revealed, as falsehood has been dissolved, as Wisdom has presented, as Christ has awarded: thus we declare, thus we assert, thus we preach Christ our true God, and honor His Saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in Holy Icons; on the one hand worshiping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord; and on the other hand honoring as true servants of the same Lord of all, and accordingly offering them veneration.
This is the Faith of the Apostles; this is the Faith of the Fathers; this is the Faith of the Orthodox; this is the Faith which has established the universe!
Amen!
Lord have mercy on me, a sinner!
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