05/24/2026
A Message From Fr. Sasa
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, the 318 God-bearing Fathers who gathered in the city of Nicaea in the year 325. This great and holy council was called by the holy and equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, who desired peace and unity in the Church after years of terrible persecution against Christians.
But a great danger had arisen from within the Church itself. A priest named Arius began teaching falsely that Jesus Christ was not truly the eternal Son of God, but merely a created being. This false teaching threatened the very foundation of our salvation and caused confusion throughout the Christian world.
The Holy Fathers, filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, rose up to defend the truth handed down from the Apostles. Among them stood the great Saint Athanasios, who at that time was still a young deacon. Though young in age, he spoke with wisdom, courage, and unwavering faith, defending the truth that Christ is “true God of true God,” eternally begotten of the Father.
Holy Tradition also tells us that Saint Nicholas, the great bishop of Myra, was present at the Council. Hearing the blasphemies of Arius against Christ, Saint Nicholas was overcome with zeal for the truth and struck Arius across the face. The Church does not remember this to glorify anger, but to show the deep love and burning faith the saints had for Christ and His truth.
From this Council came the beginning of the Nicene Creed, which we still proclaim at every Divine Liturgy: “I believe in one God…” The Creed is not simply a statement of ideas; it is the confession of the living faith of the Church. It proclaims that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man, the Savior of the world.
The Church places this feast between the Ascension and Pentecost because these holy days reveal the fullness of the mystery of Christ. The One who ascended into heaven in glory is not merely a teacher or prophet, but the eternal Son of God who took flesh for our salvation. Through His Ascension, Christ lifted our human nature to the right hand of the Father, opening the path of eternal life for us.
Today many people still speak of Christ only as a wise man or moral teacher. But the Holy Fathers remind us that if Christ is not truly God, then there is no salvation, no victory over death, and no eternal life. Only God Himself could conquer death and restore fallen humanity.
The Fathers of Nicaea defended this truth not only with words, but with holy lives of prayer, fasting, sacrifice, humility, and love. They teach us that Orthodoxy is not merely something we believe intellectually, but a life we must live daily in Christ.
As we prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, let us remain faithful to the Orthodox faith handed down by the Apostles and preserved by the Holy Fathers throughout the centuries.
May the prayers of the holy Emperor Constantine, Saint Athanasios the Great, Saint Nicholas of Myra, and all the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council strengthen and guide us always.
Holy Fathers of Nicaea, pray to God for us! Amen.
+Fr. Sasa
