Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ

The Orthodox Church proclaims the teaching of Christ Himself, that He is of One Nature with God the Father.

"I and the Father are One." (John 10:30)

 

"He who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)

 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

 

Yet at the same time in a miraculous manner defying understanding, He is just as fully man.

 
"Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself, likewise partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil." (Hebrews 2:14)

 

 
"For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." (Hebrews 3:18)

 

 
"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15)

 

Thus, it is by Christ becoming man that He has freed us from our bondage to sin, and opened up to us the Way to become like Him.

 
"In His unbounded love, God became what we are that He might make us what He is." St. Irenaeus (+202 AD)

 

The Orthodox Way is following Christ in word, deed and thought. It is the working out of our salvation "with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you both to do and to will His good pleasure." (Phil 2:12) We can do nothing on our own to attain salvation since even the work itself of perfecting us belongs to God. Yet we cannot rest until we have struggled to attain that very salvation which is attained for us in Christ.

In our worship there is the constant remembrance of Christ and His saving deeds for us. The Icons adorning our cathedral turn our attention to Christ more than any other, so that we might turn with all our hearts to Him in worship and contemplation, and turn our lives and deeds to emulation of His work for us. Above the Royal Doors which open into the altar are a row of festal icons celebrating the Feasts of our Lord’s saving work. To the left of the church stands the cross with our Crucified Lord. Behind the altar table in the sanctuary stands another cross, and behind that on the wall a large icon of our Risen Lord, standing in glory, triumphant over sin and death. It is through His triumph on the Cross over the sinful inclination of the body an d His triumph over death itself as Resurrected Lord, that we are able to attain His salvation in the our lives and have evidence of the Resurrection to come.

"Christ is Risen!"

"He is Risen Indeed!"

The "Feast of Feasts and Holy Day of Holy Days" in the Orthodox Church is the Pascha (Passover) of Our Lord (in the west called Easter). On this day we sing the glorious hymn of Christ’s Resurrection:

"Christ is Risen from the dead

 

Trampling down death by death

 

and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!"

 

Continue to Page 5, The Holy Eucharist