Today we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy—the veneration of the holy icons. And truly, the image is the triumph of the Prototype. Christ died not so that he could remain alone, but so that he could bear much fruit. In the midst of the material reality of this world, he desired to restore his image and perfect his likeness. The fruit of his restoration work is manifest in the bodies of his saints, who were made in his image and, by cooperation with divine grace, have been refashioned in his likeness. We in turn perceive and celebrate their triumph through the holy icons, where the glory of their countenance is reflected and revealed. Thus, the triumph of Orthodoxy in the victory of the iconodules is none other than the triumph of Christ himself through his Passion and Resurrection. Therefore, even as we rightly venerate the holy icons, let us redouble our efforts to realize that triumph in our lives. Whenever we choose the Cross, rejecting our passions and denying our appetites and lusts, the image of Jesus Christ shines forth in us, however dimly, and like the holy icons—or rather, like the saints depicted thereon—we become a lamp sharing his light with the world.
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