SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE
|
|
SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE |
|
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
(749 AD)
Saint John Damascene was John from Damascus, Syria. He was born John Al- Mansur, into a wealthy Christian family in 690. He was baptized in infancy. His father had a monk tutor, called Cosmas from Sicily, skilled in both science and theology, in which John excelled. He succeeded his father in holding his position as the director of the revenue with the ruling Moslem Khaliph. He was also the representative of the Christians in the city of Damascus.
Starting Theology at early age, he wanted to be a monk. So, in 716 he became a monk, at St. Sabas’ monastery near Jerusalem. John was soon a busy writer of books in theology, poetry, and composing hymns with Cosmas. Among his work, John wrote ‘The Fount of Wisdom’, which deals with heresy, philosophy, and the orthodox faith, such as the Trinity, and the Incarnation. The patriarch of Jerusalem knew them well by their good reputation, so, he made Cosmas bishop of Jerusalem, and ordained John a priest who returned to his monastery. His remarkable work in defense of icons had become known and read everywhere. It earned him the displeasure of Christian emperors, who were unable to proceed against him, because he resided in Muslim country.
But, he drew the support of the early fathers like Basil the Great, who wrote, “The honor paid to an icon is transferred to its prototype”.
St. John Damascene spent the rest of his life in writing at St. Sabas, where he died in 749. He was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1890.
St. John explained his defense of the icons like this: “ Often, doubtless, when we have not the lord’s passion in mind and see the image of Christ ‘s crucifixion, His saving passion is brought back to remembrance, and we fall down and worship NOT THE MATERIAL but that which is imaged: just as we do not worship the material of which the Gospel are made, nor the material of the Cross, but that which these typify”.
"But since some find fault with us for worshipping and honoring the image of
our Savior and that of our Lady, and those, too, of the rest of the saints and
servants of Christ, let them remember that in the be ginning God created man
after His own image. On what grounds, then, do we show reverence to each other
unless because we are made after God's image? For as Basil, that much-versed
expounder of divine things, says, the honor given to the image passes over tot
he prototype."
St. John of Damascus.
|
||||||
"If, therefore, we are lovers of learning, we shall also be learned in many
things. For by care and toil and the grace of God the Giver, all things are
accomplished. `For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to
him who knocks it shall be opened' (Lk. 11:10). Wherefore let us knock at that
very fair garden of the Scriptures, so fragrant and sweet and blooming... Let us
not know carelessly but rather zealously and constantly, lest knocking we grow
weary. For in this way it will be opened to us. If we read once or twice and do
not understand what we read, let us not grow weary, but let us persist, let us
talk much, let us inquire. For `ask your Father,' he says, `and He will show
you, your elders and they will tell you (Deut. 32:7). For `there is not in
every man that knowledge' (I Co. 8:7)."
St. John of Damascus.
"But after receiving the knowledge of the truth and winning regeneration and
adoption as sons, and tasting of the Divine Mysteries, we must strive hard to
keep our feet lest we fall. For to fall becometh not the athlete, since many
have fallen and been unable to rise. Some, opening a door to sinful lusts and
clinging abstinently to them, have no more had strength to hasten back to
repentance; and others, being untimely snatched by death, and having not made
speed enough to wash them from the pollution of their sin, have been damned. And
for this cause it is perilous to fall into any kind of
sinful affection whatsoever. But if any man fall, he must at once leap up, and
stand again to fight the good fight; and, as often as there cometh a fall, so
often must there at once ensue this rising and standing, unto the end. For `Turn
ye unto me, and I will turn unto you,' saith the Lord God." St. John Damascene.
"Faithfully
worship, with honor and reverence, the venerable likeness of the features of the
lord, the Word of God, Who for our sake was made man, thinking to behold the
Image of your Creator Himself. 'For the honor of the Image, says one of the
Saints, passes over to the original.' The original is the thing imagined, and
from it comes the derivation. For when we see the drawing in the Image, in our
mind's eye we pass over to the true form of which it is an Image, and devotedly
worship the form of Him Who for our sake was made flesh, not making a god of it,
but saluting it as an image of God made flesh, with desire and love of Him Who
for us man emptied Himself, and even took the form of a servant. In the same way
also for this reason we salute the icons of His undefiled Mother, and of all the
Saints."
St. John Damascene.
St. Joachim & ST. Anna
Father and Mother of the Holy Queen
St. John Damascene
Anna was to be the mother of the Virgin Mother of God, and hence nature did not dare to anticipate the flowering of grace. Thus nature remained sterile, until grace produced its fruit. For she who was to be born had to be a first born daughter, since she would be the mother of the first-born of all creation, in whom all things are held together.
|
"Mary received the angelic good tidings humbly and submissively. "Then the Word, in a way known to Himself, descended and, as He Himself willed, came and entered into Mary and abode in Her" (St. Ephraim the Syrian, "Praise of the Mother of God"). "As lightning illuminates what is hidden, so also Christ purifies what is hidden in the nature of things. He purified the Virgin also and then was born, so as to show that where Christ is, there is manifest purity in all its power. He purified the Virgin, having prepared Her by the Holy Spirit, and then the womb, having become pure, conceived Him. He purified the Virgin while She was inviolate; wherefore, having been born, He left Her virgin. I do not say that Mary became immortal, but that being illuminated by grace, She was not disturbed by sinful desires" (St. Ephraim the Syrian, Homily Against Heretics, 41). The Light abode in Her, cleansed Her mind, made Her thoughts pure, made chaste Her concerns, sanctified Her virginity" (St.Ephraim the Syrian, "Mary and Eve") "Once who was pure according to human understanding, He made pure by grace" (Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov, "Exposition of the Teaching of the Orthodox Church on the Mother of God").
|
The Eucharist - The Holy Communion:
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th
<
Page Written By H. G. H ãCopyright 2001
