Defending the Truth, Living the Truth

[00:00:00]In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.

[00:00:05]Good morning.

[00:00:08]Today, our Lord tells us in the gospel you are the light of the world.

[00:00:17]What do we have here?

[00:00:19]Do we have high beams headlights, or do we have dead bulbs? I don't know.

[00:00:28]Before we could become the light of the world, we have to preserve the true light, our Lord Jesus Christ.

[00:00:39]This is why today we commemorate the holy fathers of the fourth ecumenical council, which was convened in the city of Chalcedon in 451.

[00:00:53]This holy council was called to refute the teachings of Eutyches or Eutychius, an archimandrite and an abbot of a monastery in Constantinople.

[00:01:05]Eutyches taught that although Christ came from two natures, but after incarnation, only one nature remained, because the human nature was absorbed into the divine.

[00:01:21]In trying to define the unity of Christ, he unintentionally denied the fullness of Christ's humanity.

[00:01:29]The church, however, rejected both extremes. She refused to divide Christ in two persons, as Nestorius had done, but she also refused to diminish his humanity or to confuse his two natures.

[00:01:47]Instead, the fathers faithfully confessed what had been handed down from the apostles, that our Lord Jesus Christ is one person in two natures.

[00:01:58]Perfect God and perfect man. Not half God or half man.

[00:02:04]Not two persons, but one and the same Lord Jesus Christ.

[00:02:10]Why was this so important?

[00:02:13]Because our salvation depends upon it.

[00:02:17]As St. Gregory the Theologian teaches us.

[00:02:22]What has not been assumed has not been healed.

[00:02:29]If Christ did not truly assume our complete human nature, then our humanity could not be fully healed or fully redeemed.

[00:02:40]Therefore, the fathers of Chalcedon Council confessed that Jesus Christ is one and the same son.

[00:02:50]Acknowledged in two natures without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation.

[00:03:01]The fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council preserved the holy tradition.

[00:03:07]The teaching of the apostles and ultimately the teaching of Christ himself.

[00:03:13]They did not invent new doctrines or dogmas.

[00:03:17]Rather, they faithfully transmitted what they themselves have have received.

[00:03:23]From the apostles and through the apostles from Christ.

[00:03:27]How do we know this is true?

[00:03:31]Because the Holy Scriptures themselves proclaim it.

[00:03:35]St. John tells us the word became flesh.

[00:03:40]The eternal word truly became man.

[00:03:44]The Apostle Paul tells us that Christ shared fully in our flesh and blood.

[00:03:50]Became like us in every respect except sin and took the form of a servant in order to save us.

[00:04:00]At the same time, the scripture proclaim his divinity.

[00:04:05]Again, St. John writes, "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God.

[00:04:13]And the word was God."

[00:04:17]Our Lord himself also declares, "Before Abraham was, I am."

[00:04:24]He does not say, "Before Abraham was, I was."

[00:04:28]He says, "I am."

[00:04:30]Revealing himself with the very divine name revealed to Moses at the burning bush, "I am Ahieh Asher Ehieh."

[00:04:40]And in the book of Revelation, he proclaims, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

[00:04:51]The fathers simply believe these words.

[00:04:54]They did not change them.

[00:04:57]They did not reinterpret them according to the spirit of the age.

[00:05:02]They preserved them faithfully.

[00:05:05]But there is another lesson that today's reading teach us.

[00:05:11]The church fathers defended the faith, but they always did so with humility.

[00:05:18]Every virtue every true teaching derives its credibility from this virtue.

[00:05:24]That is why St. Paul writes to Titus today and telling him, "Avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and the quarrels over the law."

[00:05:36]Why does he say this?

[00:05:39]Because for they are unprofitable and worthless.

[00:05:43]As the scripture says, as Proverbs teach us, by pride cometh nothing but strife.

[00:05:54]Angry disputes and heated arguments often have their roots in pride rather than in the love of truth.

[00:06:02]Today, many discussions about the faith, especially on social media, produce more heat than light.

[00:06:10]We should ask ourselves, what is the purpose of these debates?

[00:06:15]Are they truly leading others to Christ?

[00:06:19]Are they building up the church?

[00:06:22]Are they helping someone's salvation?

[00:06:24]Our salvation?

[00:06:27]Or are they simply feeding our own pride, our own opinions, and our desire to appear knowledgeable?

[00:06:39]My beloved, before we seek to teach others, we must first learn to be disciples ourselves.

[00:06:48]As St. Paul says elsewhere, many of us are still nourished with the milk rather than solid food.

[00:06:57]Therefore, let us first struggle in humility, obedience, prayer, repentance, and love.

[00:07:04]Then the Holy Spirit, who enlightened the fathers of the church, will also illumine our minds to understand the scriptures and the teaching of the fathers.

[00:07:15]Not merely with intellectual knowledge, but with spiritual wisdom.

[00:07:22]Instead of seeking vain quarrels and endless arguments, let us devote ourselves to what St. Paul urges Titus to do.

[00:07:31]To be diligent in good works and to seek out those who need our help.

[00:07:37]When we care for those in need, we not only benefit those who receive our help, but we ourselves grow in Christ.

[00:07:47]Provided that we do everything for the glory of God and not for our own praise.

[00:07:53]Like the good Samaritan, we strive to ensure that nothing is lacking for our neighbor.

[00:08:01]In this way, my beloved, we became we become what Christ calls us to be, the light of the world.

[00:08:11]His light shines through us when we are illumined by his wisdom, his humility, and his love.

[00:08:19]Then others, seeing our good works, glorify not us, but our Father who is in heaven.

[00:08:29]As our holy Father, St. Ignatius of Antioch, reminds us, it is better to be silent than be, than to speak and not be.

[00:08:43]If our lives shine with humility, love, and good works, then our words will carry authority.

[00:08:52]But if our words are many and our lives are empty, no argument will convince anyone.

[00:09:01]May we therefore become the light of the world, not merely by defending the truth, but by living the truth, so that others, seeing our good works, may glorify our Father who is in heaven.

[00:09:15]Amen.