In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

On this day, we are remembering the Seventh Ecumenical Council as always at this time of year, and we are also remembering the restoration of icons to the Church, and the implications that come with that. The restoration of the icons to the Church really has its roots in the Incarnation of Christ. Because God took flesh, He could be represented in paint, and in other matter as well (as He has been from the beginning of the Church’s life).

But the implication goes far beyond iconography. There is an aspect of Christian living that seems to have eluded people one way or the other over the past two thousand years. It’s true that we have a firm grasp of the truth of the Incarnation, but living it out is the hard part. We live in a society which wants to reduce Jesus Christ simply to the position of some sort of philosopher, or “nice guy” – which is even worse. There is almost nothing worse than being a “nice guy”.

Our responsibility as Orthodox Christians is knowing Jesus Christ, and being faithful to Jesus Christ, carrying Him with us wherever we are, and whatever we are doing, so that, even if we’re not that great transmitters of the image, and likeness of Christ, at least we’re trying. At least, if we are failing somehow, we are ready to say: I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better. And at least, if we are not so strong as we thought we might be in Christ, and not saying, and doing things as clearly Christ-like as they might be, we are still able to pray to the Saviour to make up the difference. And He does. We are still able to pray to the Saviour to forgive people, people who ridicule us, people who make it difficult for us to continue to be faithful. And He does. He does bring forgiveness to them, to us. He does bring healing, and reconciliation.

In this community, the Lord has given many resources, both physical, and spiritual, as well as particular challenges, and not small ones either. The Adversary, Big Red, is not leaving this community alone. He has been working, one way or another, trying to discourage one person or another through illness. These things are not coincidental. These are the attacks of the Adversary – it’s not just that someone gets sick. It isn’t only illness, though. Always, and perhaps more seriously, the Adversary walks around amongst us, trying to sow seeds of doubt, suspicion, anger, and division amongst us in one way or the other. We, who have been given this opportunity, must, absolutely must, be putting on the whole armour of Christ daily. This container of holy water should be refilled, and blessed very frequently. That is part of the armour that we need to be taking up daily. We need to be daily taking up our confidence in Christ, our Saviour, and His love for us, by deliberately asking for His help right from the beginning of every day.

Something like ten years ago, Archbishop Paul, the Abbot of the Kyiv Caves Monastery, came to Canada, and passed across the country with the relics of some of the saints of the Kyiv Caves. He left these relics amongst us. An icon was written at the Holy Transfiguration Hermitage to carry these relics. The icon contains the relics of the saints whose images are on it. There is St Agapit, the physician; St Mark, the grave digger, who is the exorcist. If you go to the Kyiv Caves, his hat (or helmet) is there in the caves, and people are daily exorcised by the application of this hat. There is St Moses, the Hungarian – the healer; there is St Alipy, the iconographer; St Spiridon, the prosphora-baker; and St Nestor, the chronicler. All of these are famous, well-known Fathers of Kyiv -- founders, and protectors in many ways. I believe that the Lord is sending this icon for the protection of the Archdiocese, though it will remain mostly at the Cathedral in Ottawa, for encouragement, and strengthening.

The Lord, in His mercy, and His love, knows us, as He knows the Apostles whom He calls today. He knows us. He knows our needs. He loves us. He cares for us. He is with us. He is supporting us. He is never abandoning us. As difficult as we sometimes feel it is, and as dragged out as we sometimes are feeling in looking after the responsibility of establishing our presence, and the witness in this community, and in this building, as tired as we are, and sometimes as discouraged as we are, the Lord, nevertheless, is with us. The Lord, nevertheless, is taking care of us. The Lord, nevertheless, is ahead of us, preparing the way for us. The wonder of it all is that the Lord, in His love, takes the time, and the trouble (He has infinite time), not just to prepare the way of this community together. He takes care to prepare the way of each of our lives. The Lord, in His mercy, is with us. The Lord in His mercy, is before us, all around us, and in us. The Lord, in His mercy, is working through us.

It is important for us daily not to fall prey to the father of forgetfulness down below, but to embrace the Father of remembering - our Lord, God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Remembering is loving; the two things go together. We exist, because the Lord loves us, and He remembers us. So, let us renew our confidence in our Saviour. Let us continue to take up the burden of the responsibility, a burden which Christ says is light. It is light if we are directly connected with Him. Let us take up His protection, and let us fulfill our responsibility regardless of what comes. Let us fulfill our responsibility in the love of Jesus Christ – His love of us, our love of Him. Let us glorify Him, with His Father, who is from everlasting, and His all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

† Archdiocese of Canada - Orthodox Church in America