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

Every year after the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord into heaven, we remember the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea. It is an important thing that we do because we have to remember, first, that the Lord would be praying for our unity, for our unity with Him, just as we heard now, and secondly, that He continues to work for this unity in us, in every part of our life.

At the time of the First Ecumenical Council, just after the ending of the first big persecution of Christians, there were all sorts of strange ideas developing because of the connexion with philosophy. This came because human beings always have difficulty with the fullness of the love of Jesus Christ. There is always a temptation among human beings, first of all, not to trust Him, but to be afraid about all kinds of things, and in the second place, to think that we know better, and that we can somehow be controllers of the Orthodox faith, and controllers of Christ, even.

There were some big, mistaken ideas that had developed at that time. The biggest of them was the Arian heresy in which it was said that Jesus Christ was not eternally begotten from the Father. Arius said that there was a time when He was not. Arius said that He had a beginning. This is all because of philosophy, and people got confused because it is difficult to accept the truth of the love of Jesus Christ, and how deep is the love of Jesus Christ. In the end, it is difficult to accept Who is Jesus Christ. If we want to take our minds in directions like those of Arius, Nestorius, and others who have gone before like this, we are following a path of fear. It is important for us (as the saints always taught us) that we find Jesus Christ in our hearts, and that we know Him in our hearts. His presence in our hearts directs our intellect, directs our head, and keeps our confused thoughts in order, and in the right order, too.

Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, can change water into wine if it is for the good of the people He is caring for. He can raise people from the dead if it is for God’s glory, and for the accomplishment of God’s purposes. He can give sight to the blind. He can heal the paralysed. He can do all sorts of things, as He has done, and is doing to this very day, if everything is to the glory of God.

In these days, the Lord has accomplished yet a new wonder for us. That is the reconciliation between the Moscow Patriarchate, and the Synod of Bishops in exile, the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia. This separation, brought about by politics, has been a very big thing in the Church’s life. The politics have ended, and the Church is free. The Church can bring herself back together again, and heal what was broken. By the Grace of God, this has happened. On the internet, there is a site where you can watch the service, all five hours of it. I got to watch part of this momentous event yesterday. It was heart-warming, and it was joy-giving that this was possible, and that families that had been divided can now be reunited, and in communion with each other, as well as the Churches that had been divided. This is the work of the love of Jesus Christ. Human beings work at it, but they work at it in, and under the guidance of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

From this reconciliation, I believe that a lot of good will come to the Church in general, and to the Church in North America more specifically. The Church in Russia did not feel this division very much because people who were not in communion were not very numerous. However, here it has been a more significant part of our history, a more painful part of our history which can now be healed. I am looking forward to the full effects of this healing as we are able more and more to work together to build up the life of the Orthodox Church, and witness for our Saviour, Jesus Christ, here in North America. The more we are able to do this together, the more people will be able to begin to understand.

In one week the Grace of the Holy Spirit will be being poured out upon the Church. Every time we celebrate a feast-day, we are present at the Event. Next week, when the Descent of the Holy Spirit is being celebrated, we will be with the Apostles in the upper room in Jerusalem with the Holy Spirit being poured out in fiery tongues. We will be present, and the Holy Spirit will refresh us also with the Apostles.

It is important for you, and for me to remember that it is by the Grace of the Holy Spirit that we Orthodox Christians live our lives. It is the Grace of the Holy Spirit that St Seraphim of Sarov said we had to acquire. By “acquiring” he meant really that we have to allow it to grow to fulfillment, and maturity in our lives. We are given this gift when we are baptised, but we can squash it or allow it to grow. The Lord gives us such freedom. It is important for us to allow the Grace of the Holy Spirit to grow, and mature, and be on fire in our hearts. The Orthodox way is always about love, loving God first of all, and loving each other in the same way, just as the Saviour said. This is the Orthodox way. It is all about love. This love is alive. It is not just a technicality or an idea. It is alive. That’s why St Seraphim of Sarov, and other saints like him were able to be as they were because this love was alive in them. In the Orthodox Church we do not have specialists. These holy persons are outstanding holy persons, true, but all of us are called to the same life of love in Jesus Christ, the same living love in Jesus Christ.

All of us are called to be holy, along with St Seraphim, St John of Kronstadt, and everone else. As we celebrate the joy of this reconciliation, this wonder which has been accomplished by the love of the Saviour, Jesus Christ, and is being accomplished (because there is a lot of work to do), let us ask the Lord to renew this love in our hearts this morning, and ask Him to refresh us, so that we will be truly faithful to Him.

We must be faithful to Him like those many tens of thousands of martyrs in the last century in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Balkans. Don’t forget that in the last century was the biggest persecution that ever happened to the Orthodox Church. Let us ask the Lord to give us the faithfulness of those martyrs, the love of those martyrs for our Saviour, Jesus Christ. May this love renew us, and enable us to be faithful to our Saviour, Jesus Christ, living according to His love, witnessing to His truth, in harmony with the Nicene Fathers, and with all those who have gone before us, and glorifying Him in every part of our lives, together 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