Triumph of Orthodoxy

On the First Sunday of Lent (March 5th), the Eastern Church commemorates the feast known as of the “Triumph of Orthodoxy”. This Feast was officially established in 843 A.D. The Church joyously celebrates the theological understanding of God’s incarnation amongst humanity in the divine person of Christ. The original reason for the establishment of this Feast served as a commemoration of the victory for the defenders of icons over the iconoclasts in the IX century.

The dogma of the veneration of icons, it turns out, affects the very core of the gospel. Prior to the incarnation, no one had seen God, so it was impossible to depict God in form and art. But the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, took on flesh, becoming completely human. Therefore, it became possible to portray Him, and the icon was an appropriate depiction.

Anyone who denies the use of icons, denies the very essence of the Gospel. If the icon is denied, then the Incarnation is denied. We need only to support the height of biblical theology by not creating idols out of icons. “I saw the human face of God, and my soul was saved” – so said the defender of icons, Saint John Damascene.

This day serves as an excellent reminder of the theological reason and purpose for the veneration of icons in the Orthodox Catholic Christian Church.

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