First Sunday of Great Lent: Sunday of Orthodoxy

Date: 20 March 2005 05:06:21

While some churches processed with palm leaves for Palm Sunday today, we processed with icons. Today is the "Triumph of Orthodoxy," the restoration of the holy icons in the reign of the holy Empress Theodora in 843, after many, many years of controversy about the place of icons [and even debates over if they had a place!] in Orthodox worship.

We venerate Your most pure image, O Good One,
and ask forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ God.
Of Your own will You were pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh
to deliver Your creatures from bondage to the enemy.
Therefore with thanksgiving we cry aloud to You:
You have filled all with joy, O our Saviour,
by coming to save the world.

Troparion

No one could describe the Word of the Father;
but when He took flesh from you, O Theotokos(*), He accepted to be described,
and restored the fallen image to its former beauty.
We confess and proclaim our salvation in word and images.

Kontakion

Parishioners brought their own icons as we processed with them as we continually chanted, "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us". The Troparion above was then chanted, and then the following prayer recited:

As the prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught, as the Church has received, as the Teachers have dogmatised, as the Universe has agreed, as Grace has shown forth, as Truth has revealed, as falsehood has been dissolved, as Wisdom has presented, as Christ awarded, thus we declare, thus we assert, thus we preach Christ our true God, and honour His Saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in Holy Icons; on the one hand worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord; and on the other hand honouring as true servants of the same Lord of all and accordingly offering them veneration. This is the Faith of the Apostles, this is the faith of the Fathers, this is the Faith of the Orthodox, this is the Faith which has established the Universe.

We then chanted "Who is so great a God as our God? You our God, who alone does great wonders." The Troparion above was then chanted again, and the usual dismissal took place.

(*) Greek for "Mother of God", the term Orthodox use to refer to Mary.