20240714 - Sermon - Fr Micah - Blessed be the Name

Today we remember the Fourth Ecumenical Synod, which gathered in the city of Chalcedon and focused on the question of Christ’s identity. In today’s homily, Fr. Micah addresses who Christ is.
First, he focuses on Christ's identity as both fully God and fully Man. This understanding of Christ gives us life and meaning. Next, he addresses the title Christ itself, which means “the anointed." This name is trinitarian in that it implies the anointed (the Son), the anointer (the Father), and the ointment (the Holy Spirit). Throughout Scripture, anointing rested on prophets, kings, the priests, and the temple, all of which find their fulfillment in Christ.
The title Christ referenced himself most often as is the Son of Man, the expected one of the Old Testament. The incarnation, our unification with Christ, is the expectation and purpose of creation. Another title Fr. Micah discusses is the Sun of Righteousness, which reminds us of the resurrection and the light of Christ. He is also the Savior, the one who sets us free.
Though all these names are great and holy, Fr. Micah reminds us that they are incapable of conveying the uncreated glory and beauty that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, That is why we will often speak of simply “the name,” implying not a word or title but the presence of the one named. This appears in the final hymn of every liturgy, which says, “Blessed be the name of the Lord from now unto the age.”