Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Congratulations with the Resurrection of the Lord, the continuing feast of the Ascension of the Lord, and with the memory of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council.

This council gathered in the city of Nicea (which is located across from Constantinople on the Asian banks of the Bosphorus) in the year 325, during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great. Three hundred eighteen church fathers from all ends of the world met to clearly articulate the teachings of the church regarding the Son of God and His relationship to God the Father. Are they of the same substance (consubstantial), or is the Son in some manner less divine than the Father? Was there a time when the Son was not, or has He always existed?

It’s possible that many of us don’t pay particular attention to such questions. For some this is uninteresting, for others it is too complicated or exalted a topic better left to priests. Someone else may feel that such questions are unimportant and devoid of meaning. In fact, these questions are interesting. Although they may be exalted, they are not altogether complicated. The answers to these questions are easily understood by an Orthodox Christian. Finally, they are important personally for each and every one of us. Take note that this feastday is always on a Sunday. This means that the compilers of the church services and the church calendar considered that the Fathers of this council and the questions they discussed and answered important enough to warrant that everyone reflect on them at least once a year. (During normal times, all of us attend church on Sunday. If the memory of the First Council happened to fall on a day other than Sunday, we would pay it less attention, or it would go completely unnoticed by us). Therefore, let us give the church fathers-theologians and their writings the attention they deserve!

This council declared that the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, is consubstantial (or of the same substance) as God the Father, that there was never a time when He was not in existence, that He is true God and that He is born of the Father. The one difference between the Father and the Son is that the Father gives birth, while the Son is born. To clearly and succinctly express this teaching, the first part of the ‘Symbol of Faith’(the ‘Creed’) was composed.

Someone may now ask, why is this so important? Why should we concentrate so many of our thoughts on this? What difference does it make for me personally if They are of the same substance or of similar substance? These questions are important because we believe that from the first day of human history our Lord has hoped that each person will have a personal connection with Him, will commune with Him, will be deified, will become like Him – holy. But how is this possible, since God is so great and so much better than us? How is it possible to come into contact with Him? This becomes possible only if someone or something becomes a link between two separate beings, God and man. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, is that link between God and us. This link is possible because Christ is true and perfect God and, at the same time, true and perfect man. If He is not consubstantial with the Father, i. e. not true God, then there is no real connection between man and God and our salvation becomes impossible. As we can see, these questions touch on our salvation and thus they are personally important for each person.

Let’s pray to the holy fathers of the First Ecumenical Council (especially Athanasius the Great, who more than the others laboured to defend Orthodoxy) that they strengthen us in our faith.

priest Alexis