Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council

On this Sunday, we commemorate the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicea II, 787), who defended the veneration of holy icons against the heresy of iconoclasm. Their witness affirms the Incarnation: that Christ, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), entered into visible creation, sanctifying it and making it a vessel of divine grace.

In the Gospel reading (John 17:1–13), we hear Christ’s high priestly prayer. He prays to the Father, saying, *“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

This prayer reveals the heart of our faith: communion with God through Christ. The Fathers of the Council defended this communion by safeguarding the truth of the Incarnation. To deny the legitimacy of icons was, in effect, to deny that the Son of God truly became man. As St. John of Damascus wrote in his defense of icons, “When the Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:8, 17).

The Fathers of Nicaea II were sanctified in this truth. They stood firm against political pressure and theological confusion, preserving the apostolic faith handed down through the Church. Their work reminds us that fidelity to Christ often requires courage, discernment, and unity.

Finally, Christ prays: “Holy Father, keep them in Your name… that they may be one as We are” (John 17:11).

This unity is not merely institutional—it is spiritual, rooted in the truth of Christ and the love of the Trinity. The Council Fathers, though diverse in background, were united in their defense of the faith. Their unity reflects the unity Christ desires for His Church: a communion of love, truth, and holiness.

As we honor the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, we are called to:

• Embrace the truth of the Incarnation and the Church’s teaching.
• Venerate holy icons as windows to heaven, not as ends in themselves.
• Seek unity in Christ, grounded in truth and love.
• Live eternal life now, by knowing the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit.

May their intercession strengthen us to remain faithful, courageous, and united in the truth of Christ.