Yesterday it was the Sunday of
Orthodoxy in our Church Calendar. This the the first Sunday of Great Lent. The
dominant theme of this Sunday since 843 has been that of the victory of the
icons. In that year the iconoclastic controversy, which had raged on and off
since 726, was finally laid to rest, and icons and their veneration were
restored on the first Sunday in Lent. Ever since, this Sunday has been
commemorated as the "Triumph of Orthodoxy."
In our Tradition icons should be
venerated but not worshipped. According to the decision of the 7th Ecumenical
Council of 787 AD: “We define that the holy icons, whether in colour, mosaic,
or some other material, should be exhibited in the holy churches of God, on the
sacred vessels and liturgical vestments, on the walls, furnishings, and in
houses and along the roads, namely the icons of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus
Christ, that of our Lady the Theotokos, those of the venerable angels and those
of all saintly people”.
In Vespers of the Eve of this Sunday
we sung: “The grace of truth has shone
out, the things once foreshadowed now are revealed in perfection. See, the
Church is decked with the embodied image of Christ, as with beauty not of this
world, fulfilling the tent of witness, holding fast the Orthodox faith. For if
we cling to the icon of him whom we worship, we shall not go astray. May those
who do not so believe be covered with shame. For the image of him who became
human is our glory: we venerate it, but do not worship it as God. Kissing it,
we who believe cry out: O God, save your people, and bless your heritage.”
The name of this Sunday reflects the
great significance which icons possess for the Orthodox Church. They are not
optional devotional extras, but an integral part of Orthodox faith and
devotion. They are held to be a necessary consequence of Christian faith in the
incarnation of the Word of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, in Jesus
Christ. They have a sacramental character, making present to the believer the
person or event depicted on them.
So, the interior of Orthodox churches
is often covered with icons painted on walls and domed roofs, and there is
always an icon screen, or iconostasis, separating the sanctuary from the nave,
often with several rows of icons. No Orthodox home is complete without an icon
corner (iconostasion), where the family prays.
Icons are venerated by burning lamps
and candles in front of them, by the use of incense and by kissing. But there
is a clear doctrinal distinction between the veneration paid to icons and the
worship due to God. The former is not only relative, it is in fact paid to the
person represented by the icon. This distinction safeguards the veneration of
icons from any charge of idolatry.
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.” The icon is carried by two angels.
The Sunday of Orthodoxy is
commemorated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, which is preceded
by the Matins service. A Great Vespers is conducted on Saturday evening. The
hymns of the Triodion for this day are added to the usual prayers and hymns of
the weekly commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ.
At the conclusion of the Divine
Liturgy, a service is conducted in commemoration of the affirmations of the
Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 and the restoration of the use of icons in
843. Orthodox faithful carry icons in a procession, while the clergy offer
petitions for the people, civil authorities, and those who have reposed in the
faith. Following is a reading of excerpts from the Affirmation of Faith of the
Seventh Ecumenical Council and the singing of the Great Prokeimenon.
Apolytikion (Tone Two) O Christ our God, begging forgiveness of our
sins, we venerate your pure image O Good One. Of Your own will You condescended
to ascend upon the Cross in the flesh and delivered those you created from the
bondage of the enemy. Wherefore, thankfully we cry out: When You came to save
the world You filled all things with joy, O our Savior.
Kontakion (Plagal
Fourth Tone) The undepictable Word of the
Father became depictable when He took flesh of you, O Theotokos; and when He
had restored the defiled image to its ancient state, He suffused it with divine
beauty. As for us, confessing our salvation, we record it in deed and word.
