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| Source: uncutmountainsupply.com |
During the homily on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, I spoke of Holy Tradition as understood within the Church, and in doing so, I shared a remarkable passage - actually one sentence! - from the renowned patristic scholar and historian, Fr. John Meyendorff. I had the immense privilege of studying under such a "giant" of 20th century Orthodoxy as Fr. John for three years at St. Vladimir's seminary. Be that as it may, in this single sentence, Fr. John captures all of the nuances that are associated with such a rich theme. Without a deep acquaintance with the theme of Holy Tradition, one could hardly begin to understand Orthodox Christianity. I had a couple of requests to make this passage available, so I simply reproduce it here for those who may be interested:
"The one Holy Tradition, which constitutes the self-identity of the Church through the ages and is the organic and visible expression of the life of the Spirit in the Church, is not to be confused with the inevitable, often creative and positive, sometimes sinful, and always relative accumulation of human traditions in the historical Church."
Protopresbyter John Meyendorff
In the same homily, I also shared a wonderful passage from one of contemporary Orthodoxy's most capable theologians, Fr. John Behr. In this also short passage, Fr. John directs us to the very heart of Orthodox Christianity.
"The orthodoxy that we celebrate today is not fulfilled by having the right answers to particular questions, nor by preserving traditions for the sake of their antiquity or particular practices because we think they will make us better Christians. No. The orthodoxy that we celebrate today is that of having our attention captivated by, our gaze fixed upon, our ears opened to, and our hearts enthralled with our Lord Jesus Christ. He is for us the beginning and the end of all things; he is the one who began our faith, and he is the one who will bring it to fulfillment."
Archpriest John Behr
