St Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
161 N. Murphy Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94086
18th Sunday After Pentecost - Fathers of 7th Council & Optina Elders

We celebrate multiple commemorations on this Sunday… First of all, each Sunday is celebrated first and foremost as the day of Resurrection. It is because of this joyful and triumphant event that we gather together to celebrate the Divine Liturgy each Sunday. In addition, on this Sunday, we also commemorate the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council and, as if that were not cause for celebration enough… today we also celebrate the memory of the Elders of Optina Monastery!

Let us speak first about the holy fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. As most of you know, in the early centuries of the Church there were a number of councils in which bishops from all of the Orthodox world met to pray, discuss, and discern the truth regarding topics which were of concern to the Church. The Orthodox Church recognizes seven Ecumenical (meaning ‘universal’) councils which helped to rightly define the word of truth.

In the 8th century there was controversy over the veneration of icons… Much of this was a result of the influence of the rise of Islam, but there were those even within the Church who took the position that the veneration of icons was idolatry.

‘Concerning the charge of idolatry’, wrote St John of Damascus, ‘Icons are not idols but symbols, therefore when an Orthodox venerates an icon, he is not guilty of idolatry. He is not worshipping the symbol, but merely venerating it. Such veneration is not directed toward wood, or paint or stone, but towards the person depicted. Therefore relative honor is shown to material objects, but worship is due to God alone. I do not worship matter, but the Creator of matter, who for my sake became material and deigned to dwell in matter, who through matter affected my salvation...’

The victory of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in its defense of the icons was not simply an issue of defending Christian art or negating accusations against idolatry, it was a triumph and endorsement of the Christian understanding of matter… that God’s grace transforms our whole being – both body and soul.

That transformation of body and soul was demonstrated clearly in the holy monastery of Optina – where a whole line of saintly men shone forth, providing consolation and hope for all Orthodox Christians.

Optina should hold a special place in the hearts of all of us here at the parish of St Herman of Alaska, for the spiritual legacy of Optina is our legacy and the elders of Optina are our spiritual forefathers. How is this so?...

In the early decades of the 19th century, two brothers who were monks were sent to the decaying Optina monastery to initiate its revival. Those brother-monks, Fathers Moses and Anthony, had been brought up in the Orthodox faith under the direction of the followers of the great saint Paisius Velichkovsky. St Paisius was responsible for translating a number of patristic texts and reinvigorating traditional Orthodox spirituality and monasticism. His influence was great and spread from spiritual father to spiritual child over many generations. Fathers Moses and Anthony were recipients of that spirit of piety and fidelity to tradition and they set that tone for the revival of Optina monastery.

From Elders Moses and Anthony came a whole sequence of blessed men who took on the role of elder for the monastic community and for all those who would come to seek their counsel. The simple and charismatic Elder Leonid, the learned and humble Elder Macarius, the renowned Elder Ambrose and his meek successor Elder Joseph… This lineage of sanctity and guidance continued throughout the 19th century and even into the 20th century with such greats as the Elders Hilarion, Isaac, Anatoly, Barsanuphrius, and others. As the clock turned and the terrible times of the 20th century and the Bolshevik persecutions began to take place – there still remained those holy ones who took the spiritual baton from those who preceded them.

One of the last Elders of Optina was Elder Nektary… it was under his spiritual care that some of the bishops of our Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia were formed. Archbishop Andrew of Novo-Divyevo in New York was there at Elder Nektary’s bedside when he reposed. And here in California, many of us remember the wonderful Bishop Nektary Konzevitch of Seattle. As a boy, his mother would take him frequently to Optina – where he absorbed that spiritual atmosphere and later embodied it in his wisdom and gentleness as a bishop.

That spiritual legacy and teachings of Paisius Velichkovsky and Optina were brought to this land by those that had been formed by the Optina Elders. Archbishop Andrew and Bishop Nektary deposited that grace upon their own disciples… some of whom were influential in the founding of this parish. Fathers Seraphim and Herman of Platina were quite conscientious to preserve and propagate that ‘spirit of Optina’ in their preaching. And much of Father John’s teaching and efforts in the foundation of this parish trace their spiritual strength from that same lineage.

This is a precious legacy, brothers and sisters! We have been given something priceless and it is incumbent upon us to avail ourselves of that spiritual legacy and plug ourselves into it.

How do we do that? The lives of the Optina Elders have been published and they are absolutely worth reading - we should know their lives and their teachings. There is a wonderful little book of the spiritual counsels of the Optina Elders entitled ‘Living Without Hypocrisy’ which is highly recommended. But even more important, we must enter into that ‘spirit of Optina’ through loving and living the life of the Church. We must make every effort to pray each day, to attend Church services, to confess and commune frequently, to be aware of the Church calendar – what saints are being celebrated, what feasts are being observed. And in doing so, what is this ‘spirit and legacy of Optina’ that we should hope to emulate?

It is the spirit of humility and love for God. It is the spirit of understanding that the present age is not the pinnacle of mankind… that the past, that our forbearers in the faith, who have proven their worth by the sanctity of their lives, have something to teach us. It is an understanding that our Orthodox faith is something living, something transmitted from generation to generation, from person to person - through prayer, life in the Church, and through the generosity and kindness of Christian love.

Through the prayers of the Holy Elders of Optina and of our spiritual forefathers in the faith, may God grant us that spirit of humility and love for God – that we may receive that ‘baton of faith’, understanding how precious it is and doing our utmost to preserve it and live it, that we may pass it on to our children and to those who will come after us.

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