THE BEAUTY AND MYSTICAL ATTRACTION OF ORTHODOXY
Why does our holy Orthodox Faith appear so sweet, peaceful and attractive to the many enthusiastic converts who have been pouring in? Many of them are greatly amazed at the treasures they have discovered. They soon learn that the most important characteristic of Orthodoxy is that she is changeless having preserved everything intact, including her dogmas and doctrine and has remained true and faithful, from the time of the ancient Church.Orthodoxy is also attractive because she is the depository of divine grace, a radiant beauty surrounds her derived from her inner divine human being for like her Head, she is abundantly filled with divine grace from the Holy Spirit. Those who enter Orthodoxy become captivated by her splendor and majestic glory, and the sweet odor of incense from the purity of her faith and the rock-solid unshakeable firmness of all her doctrines. All those who love the Church, love her for what she truly is, the unchangeable, unique and only holy Body of Christ.
Orthodoxy always remembers and repeatedly celebrates the descent of the Logos of God who came down from heaven and became incarnate in the Virgin’s womb, and He dwelt among us full of grace and truth, being himself the living Truth. All the precious and divine dogmas and doctrine which He taught, are perfectly preserved only in the Orthodox Church, and are not to be found elsewhere, for she remains faithful to her Head. When under attack by heretics and schismatics, she is always courageously defended by faithful people who shed their blood and suffered martyric deaths defending her dogmas and doctrines.
Let us be amazed when we review the divinely guided history of holy Orthodoxy! Even more, upon seeing with thanksgiving the supreme glory of Orthodoxy! When Orthodox gather as Church, angles come and join, sometimes becoming visible. There is nothing in this entire world that can surpass her majesty for she is both divine and human. She radiates her divine light upon those whom she sanctifies. How perfectly things are preserved can by observed, by closing your eyes for a moment, and picture no holy icons, then open them and see the holy icons knowing they are in every Orthodox church, and remember the millions who sacrificed their lives in defense of holy Orthodoxy. They were beaten with sticks, axed to death, drowned, beheaded, skinned alive, torn apart, cast into flames, their eyes torn out, starved, rolled on torture wheels, but they preserved their faith in Jesus Christ and holy Orthodoxy, and have received crowns of victory.The holy icons are important to our memories. Seeing the icons we remember Jesus Christ, we remember the most Holy Theotokos, and we remember John the Baptist and all the Saints.
Orthodoxy has preserved the fasting days and periods, the Feast Days are wonderfully celebrated, as heaven and angels descend to join in celebration. This is particularly visible on the Feast of feasts, Great and Glorious Orthodox Pascha, celebrated throughout Orthodox Churches the world over. We all sing the same living and hopeful song: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.” We were buried with Him in Baptism, and arise with Him in His Resurrection. Throughout the inhabited world, Orthodox Christians, universally confess their belief in the co-essential Trinity, the Father almighty, the Son who became the Lord Jesus Christ, being true God from true God, incarnate of the Virgin and became true man; and in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father, and in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, in the one baptism, and in the future judgment.
