The identification of the True Cross

When the Empress Helen discovered the sacred relic of the True Cross, it was not known as to which one the one in which Christ was crucified on was. Helen led the excavation team which found the three crosses. One was the True Cross and the other two were the ones that the thieves alongside Christ had been crucified on. During the crucifixion, at the earthquake, the footbeam on the True Cross had been twisted to reveal the judgment of the two thieves. One to Heaven and the other to Hell. The True Cross had been made with three types of wood, fashioned like that together in order to reveal the Holy Trinity. Having established with Faith that the Cross was the one with the plaque indicating that Jesus was the King of the Jews, St. Helen wanted to confirm this before all.

As a funeral procession was meandering by, the Empress proclaimed the finding of the Cross to the Holy Bishop. The Bishop wanted to test this great finding. For years, the Pagans had attempted to cover up the Cross with shrines and temples dedicated to their gods hoping that when Christians would pay homage to Christ, they would actually be rendering homage to the deities of the ancient Romans. But such was a laughing case. When homage is paid to God, it is done to Him, even in the presence of the wicked. The Bishop now saw that the temples of these demons had been desecrated. Could this really be the True Cross? Indeed, he called for the funeral to be paused and the crosses to be brought forward.

One by one, the crosses touched the dead man. The first cross touched him and nothing happened. The second cross touched him and nothing happened. The True Cross, the one proclaimed to be the True Cross by the Empress, touched him and the dead man came alive. The True Cross, which grants resurrection and life to all for Life itself was hanged upon the wood of that Cross, brought the dead man back to life as it does for all of us who are dead to sin. This was a joyous moment and the Jew who had helped Helen find the Cross declared that he was now in allegiance with Christ and accepted baptism. He would eventually become a bishop of the Church too during the reign of the Apostate Emperor Julian.

The Cross remained in the possession of the Christians for many years until it was seized by the Persians hoping to demoralize the Christians. This did nothing to demoralize the armies of the Romans. For the Emperor Herakleios would lead his men to reclaim the property that was rightly of the Christian Faith. Marching into Persia, the Emperor reclaimed the Cross for the glory of the Lord and took it back to the Empire. But it was not to remain there, for it was better that the Cross be returned to Jerusalem where Our Lord was crucified. The Emperor would carry it.

But in Jerusalem, on that path of blessed suffering which the Lord marched on, the Emperor felt a heavy weight upon him. He was strong enough himself to carry the Cross. There was no issue with his physique. But an angel had pinned him down, preventing him from carrying the Cross. The Bishop would discern what was happening and told the Emperor that unless he humbled himself as Christ had humbled himself, he would not be able to enter into the Holy City where the Lord was crucified. Tossing away his imperial garb, the Emperor put on rags like a beggar and carried triumphantly the Cross of Christ, back to its original place where it would stand.

So let us humble ourselves and attach ourselves to that Cross which grants us life. Let us walk with humility, a living sacrifice to God. And let us glorify the Holy Trinity forever!

The Holy Empress Theodora

The Holy Empress Theodora's life parallels that of the Empress Irene's in the Church's struggle for orthodoxy over the heresy of iconoclasm. Like Irene of Athens, Theodora was brought before the Emperor as part of a bride show. The Emperor Theophilos, like the Emperor Leo IV, was an iconoclast and Theodora was an iconophile. She had been raised an iconophile by her mother Theoktiste and her mother taught her daughters, in secret, the proper veneration of icons. The Emperor Theophilos, who would severely punish, banish, and even branded two monks with iconoclastic texts on their foreheads. Both the Emperor's stepmother who had arranged the bride show, and the Empress's mother, were iconophiles and they recognized the risks, but the orthodoxy had to prevail somehow. The Emperor's stepmother, Euphrosyne, was herself, a descendant of the Holy Empress Irene, a daughter of the Emperor Constantine VI, who was killed for his treacheries against his mother and his heresies of iconoclasm.

The Empress Theodora bore five daughters and two sons to the Emperor Theophilos. One son died in infancy and one daughter died at a young age as well. She would see five children live into adulthood. Michael III would succeed his father on the throne. The marriage was carried out some time around the year 830. Theophilos would discover his wife and their daughters venerating the icons at some point and she fiercely denied that they were icons but insisted instead that they were "dolls". The Emperor is furious about this iconodulist incident occurring in his courts and he orders that the practice cease. Theodora continued the practice of continuing to see her mother and her mother-in-law in private with her children, continuing to raise her children in the orthodoxy of the Second Council of Nicaea. Theophilos would be infected with dysyntery around the age of 29. Much like the Emperor Leo IV was covered in tumors and perished from disease, so God brings disease to call men to repentance. Unlike Leo IV, Theophilos would repent of his sins. Theodora recorded his repentance and presented it to the church seeking a pardon for his iconoclasm. Indeed, as the Patriarch Methodios recorded the names of the iconoclasts and presented them on the altar of Hagia Sophia, the Emperor Theophilos's name would disappear from the list. In Theophilos's case, his dysyntery would bring his mortal body to an end but it called his soul to repentance that it may soon be filled with eternal life.

Theodora ordered a council held which re-established the faith of the Second Council of Nicaea. This council was held on the First Sunday of the Great Lent that year. Because of this, Greek Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians always celebrate the Feast of the Holy Sunday of Orthodoxy to mark the beginning of Lent. This is not the only imperially established Feast Day on the Church's calendar either. As part of this celebration, the Empress Theodora removed the remains of the iconoclast Emperor Constantine V, the father-in-law of Empress Irene, and had the remains burned. In turn, the remains of the Empress Irene were brought back from Prinkipio and restored to the imperial burial place (Women in Purple, 213). This act further showed the triumph of the iconophiles as the Empress Irene was the one who convened the Second Council of Nicaea, keeping her iconodulist faith hidden from her husband during his briefly lived reign, much as Theodora had to keep her iconodulist faith hidden from her husband as she taught her children to venerate icons.

The Empress was also strong in her leadership.

"She also stood up to the caliphs, according to one historian Bar Hebraeus, who reports that the Arabs thought they could take advantage of a widowed Empress and her young son. 'Seeing that it was a woman who ruled the country, the Arabs regarded Roman homage with contempt and broke the peace. Then Theodora the Queen sent an army against Cicilia in AD 861 and enslaved all the country of the Anazarbos.' There follows the account of an Arab ambassador, a eunuch named Nashif, when the queen offered to make peace but demanded 20,000 Christian prisoners of war in exchange for the 20,000 captured Arabs. When Nashif tried to take them anyway, 'Theodora killed them.'" (235-236)

She also did not hesitate to prosecute the Paulician heresy that was running rampant in the Eastern Empire, persecuting approximately 10,000 of the adherents of this heresy.

Sadly, she did not spend too much time in dedication to her son's education and he was known as "Michael the Drunkard" during his reign. Much like Irene, whose son Constantine VI was a poorly educated and stupid soul, so too was Michael III. Unlike Constantine VI, Michael III would not embrace the iconoclast heresy. But due to his poor ruling, he would ultimately be assassinated by Basil I. Theodora would witness the beginning of the reign of her son's assassination. Having lost the regal authority of being the Dowager Empress, she would not be buried with her husband. Instead, she makes indication to her daughters to be buried beside her mother in Gastria, where her mother lived as a monastic (234). The life of this saint is one of elevation from nothingness to preservation of the faith, to the loftiest of worldly elevations, and then a return back to her own lowly position. But worldly elevations are meaningless for a saint. The glory of an imperial burial might not have been for her but she had in the stead a saintly and holy burial, reaching the end of her life February 11, 867. Though some sources are conflicted and state that her death was in 856 (Thornton, Pious Kings and Right-Believing Queens). This is perhaps why Otto of Freising is also confused as to when to date the assassination of Michael III. It is presumable that the latter date seems most accurate. St. Theodora, Empress Regent and Dowager Empress of the Roman Empire who restored the veneration of icons to Christendom, pray for us!

See also:

Dictionary of Saintly Women, Agnes B.C. Dunbar

Women in Purple: Rulers of Medieval Byzantium, Judith Herrin

Adelaide, Empress by Divine Grace

St. Adelaide's story is one of true romance and damsels in distress. She was the daughter of Rudolph II of Burgundy who had been involved in a conflict with Hugh of Provence for the throne of Italy. In a peace treaty between the two, it was concurred that Rudolph II's daughter would be pledged in marriage to Hugh's son Lothar II. Adelaide was a young girl at this point so the marriage would not occur until much later. In the meantime, Adelaide's father died and her mother Bertha married Hugh. Adelaide was soon married to Lothar as had been promised but at this time, an Italian nobleman from Ivrea, Berengar, forced her father-in-law into abdication. Berengar wasn't satisfied with that. After Lothar succeeded his father, Berengar had Lothar poisoned and, wishing to strengthen his position, sought to marry his son to Adelaide. Adelaide insisted that "if she ever married again it should be should be a man who could avenge her husband's death" (Dunbar, Dictionary of Saintly Women). Adelaide refused, wanting nothing to do with her husband's murderer, and was imprisoned in the Castle of Garda but was led to the woods by a priest named Martin who fed her fish. Not much is known about this Martin and it is possible it was none other than St. Martin of Tours.

Adelaide sent aid for Otto who was well-regarded for the expansion of Christendom and whose many battles liberated many Christians from Muhammadan rule. He was also quelling many rebellions throughout the Holy Roman Empire and had been declared successor to the imperial throne by his father Henry I. He was preparing to take Italy also. The Bishop Otto of Freising writes of this,

"At this time Italy was being oppressed in many different ways by the tyrant Berengar, by whom also Adelaide the widow of the emperor Lothar (Otto's predecessor) was then held in captivity. Therefore the king entered Italy and, having freed the queen from captivity, took her to wife." (The Two Cities, Bk. 6.19)

The wedding between the two was blessed by John XII in the year of 951. Adelaide was given Pavia as a dowry in her wedding to Lothar which was taken away by Berengar. After Otto had rescued her, she was restored Pavia as her rightful dowry. Through Adelaide and Otto, missionaries were sent to convert the people of what is now the regions of Prussia and Poland, a people known as the Sclavonians. They had the Pope set up bishops in that area.

Adelaide always returned good for every act of evil she received and when the wife of Berengar was sent to her in chains, she remonstrated on the crimes that were committed. The wife of Berengar said that the only crime she committed was that she did not kill the saint when she had her in her power. Upon this, the Empress had the woman unbounded and sent back to her husband in safety. When Adalbert, the son of Berengar, was forced to have his property confiscated, Adelaide adopted his two daughters. Otto and Adelaide were final coronated as Emperor and Empress respectively on February 2, 962. John XII was an incredibly debauched Pope and Otto would have him deposed of and replaced with his own personal secretary, a layman with no clerical experience, who would be known as Leo VIII. Otto died in 973 and was buried next to his first wife Edith. His son Otto II would reign in his place and Theophano, the wife of Otto II, would quarrel with her mother-in-law. Upon the advice of the Empress consort, Adelaide was banished back to her homeland. But the Empire didn't prosper without Adelaide and the people wanted Adelaide back in the royal courts.

In 983, her son died leaving her daughter-in-law Theophano as regent for her grandson. Though the two quarreled, mostly on part of Theophano, one thing they both agreed was that Otto III was to have the best quality education. He was educated by Gerbert d'Aurillac who would eventually become an Archbishop and later Pope Sylvester II. Theophano threatened her mother-in-law that if she herself lived another year, Adelaide would have nothing left in her possessions. Adelaide, in spite of the opposition from her daughter-in-law, retained in the royal courts out of love for her grandson. Theophano would die in 991, within a month after making this foolish declaration to her mother-in-law. Adelaide was known as the "Mother of the Kings" as her grandsons Otto III and Louis V ruled the Holy Roman Empire and France respectively as the sovereign monarchs.

When her grandson came of age, she retired to a cloistered life but was called out one last time to assist her nephew Rudolph III in making peace with his subjects. She reposed on her way there. Blessed are the peacemakers, St. Adelaide returned to Heavenly Glory on December 16, 999. She lived to the ripe age of 69 and had outlived many of her children including the Blessed Matilda of Quedlinburg. Her daughter Emma, by Lothar, had also died sometime in the mid to late 980s. She saw the death of her son Otto II. She saw the death of her grandson Louis V. In all her life and hardships, she refused to return evil for evil, but chose the rugged path of forgiveness of one's enemies and repaid evil with good, leading all to virtue. She sent a gift to the tomb of St. Martin of Tours, recalling that priest who led her safety, of a mantle worn by her son, Otto II. A letter sent with it read:

"Bishop of God, receive these humble presents of Adelaide, servant of the servants of God, sinner by nature, Empress by Divine Grace. Receive also the cloak of Otto, her only son. And pray for him, thou who hadst the glory of covering with thine own cloak Our Lord, in the person of a beggar." (in Thornton, Pious Kings and Right-Believing Queens, 15)

See also:

Thornton: Pious Kings and Right-Believing Queens

Dunbar: Dictionary of Saintly Women

St. Theophano Martinakia

St. Theophano was the first wife of the Emperor Leo VI, called "the Wise" as people suspected that he was engaged in astrology. Leo VI was also a contributor of much laws and legal theory in the Eastern Roman Empire. His deep devotion to his wife Theophano was a contributing factor in the establishment of the Eastern Feast Day for All Saints. In the West, this Feast Day falls on November 1, but for the East, this Feast Day falls the First Sunday after Pentecost. The Emperor Leo would also build a church for her after her death.

Theophano was born of eminent parents, Constantine and Anna. Much like Anna, the Mother of Samuel, and Anna, the Mother of Mary, Constantine and Anna were devoid of offspring. So they prayed to the Theotokos to bless them with a child and they were given a daughter, Theophano. She held a Christian spirit from childhood and surpassed all of her companions in virtue. She would enter into marriage with Leo, the son of the Emperor Basil, and endured many hardships with her husband. Leo had been falsely accused of carrying a knife around with him in order to kill his father Basil with and the Emperor locked both Leo and Theophano in prison.

But on the Feast Day of the Prophet Elias, a parrot squawked, "Alas, alas, my Lord Leo!" Frightened, the imperial noblemen begged the Emperor to release his son and daughter-in-law from prison. After Basil's death, Leo ascended to the throne. But Theophano did not consider her imperial status anything of gain and she would distribute to the poor and to the Church. She cared only about her soul and she fasted and prayed, and restored many churches and monasteries by her almsgivings. Leo always considered her a saint during her lifetime. The two had one child together, Eudokia, who died in infancy.

After Theophano's death, the Emperor Leo VI desired to have a church built in her name. But the patriarch forbade him for the veneration of Theophano had not been formally approved. So he built a church to All Saints in the belief that should Theophano's canonical status as a saint ever be approved, she would be reckoned as one among the saints. This is why he also instituted the Feast of All Saints, in the belief that should All Saints be venerated, Theophano would certainly be venerated among them. Theophano is now venerated on December 16.

See also:

Prologue of Ochrid

St. Daniel the Stylite

St. Daniel the Stylite lived during the reign of Emperor Leo the Isaurian. His parents had no children. In her old age, his mother, like Hannah, the mother of Samuel, asked God to be blessed with a child and vowed to dedicate the child to the ascetical life. When the child was born, they brought him before the hegumen of the monastery to be baptized. But the hegumen rejected the name his parents had given him. He told the child to take a book from one of the shelves in the monastery and bring it to him. The child took a book from the shelf and it was none other than the book of the Holy Prophet Daniel. The hegumen then gave the name Daniel to the young child.

At age twelve, Daniel asked to join the monastic and ascetical life. Because the boy was so young, the hegumen initially rejected this offer. The hegumen explained that the monastic and ascetical life is grueling and demanding and that it would be unfit for a child as young Daniel was. But Daniel insisted and stated that with God as his helper, he could do all that was required in the monastic and ascetical life. The hegumen agreed but had to inform his parents that they could not visit the monastery as they had been doing since now Daniel was to become dead to the world. At the young age of twelve, Daniel was tonsured a monk and accepted into the monastic and ascetical life.

Having heard of St. Symeon the Stylite's new devotion, Daniel was always desirous to go and investigate the Holy Lands and learn from this great elder. But the hegumen refused to allow him to go on his own. It happened once though that the Bishop required a meeting of elders in the Holy Land and the Archimandrite took Daniel with him as accompaniment. There, at the monastery in Telanissa where St. Symeon the Stylite had trained, they came across a crowd of monks disputing the new devotion. Certain of the monks mocked the concept of sitting atop a pillar for one's entire life. Other monks believed it to be a beneficial discipline for the body as it was subjected to all sorts of harsh environmental treatments. Symeon, hearing the disputes, called out to those on the ground from his pillar asking to be embraced.

Some refused to go up to the pillar as they were afraid. Others refused to go up to the pillar as they had just spoken out against the discipline and were uncertain if St. Symeon would receive them. Daniel had initially not ascended because he was subjected to the Archimandrite. But with the Archimandrite's permission, he climbed the ladder and embraced St. Symeon. Symeon prophesied of the hardships and the life that Daniel would face. "Thou hast many hardships to endure for God, but I trust in the God whom I serve that He shall both strengthen thee and travel together with thee. He shall give thee strength and help, that thou mightest vanquish the devil to the end." Daniel's life would be spent constantly battling devils and expelling from demons from many people. He would soon find himself in a heated spiritual combat with the devil and his minions.

When Daniel returned to the monastery, the hegumen died, leaving a vacancy for who would succeed him. The brothers loved Daniel and desired to have him elected to fulfill the vacancy. But Daniel refused. He fled the monastery and headed toward the Holy Land. But first, he stopped by St. Symeon the Stylite. Symeon told him that he was not to go to Jerusalem. He would suffer death there. Daniel was committed to go there anyway and said that he would suffer martyrdom for the Kingdom. Symeon told him this was not what God had called him for. He was to go to Byzantium. God is in Byzantium. As Daniel continued to head toward Jerusalem, he found a figure much like Symeon following him, warning him not to go to Jerusalem, but head to Byzantium. When Daniel figured out it was Symeon, he eventually heeded the elder's plea and turned to go to Byzantium.

It was in Byzantium that he came across a Temple of idols that some were saying had a demonic energy that caused many ships to crash and sailors to drown. Daniel, always eager to be tested, headed to the Temple and began praying there that the demons would be cast out of the Temple. He spent three nights in prayer being harangued by the assaults of the demons that filled the Temple. On the third night, the demons began throwing rocks at him. But he remained in the Temple, standing firm. "Though a host should draw up in battle-order against me, yet my heart shall not be afraid." (Ps. 26:4) As he defeated the demons through fasting and prayer, many came to Daniel to hear his instructions. But the demons began to sow the seeds of envy in certain impious souls.

Daniel was accused of being a heretic before Bishop Anatolios. But Bishop Anatolios guarded himself against a rash charge and desired to inquire of the manner further. He reminded the people that Daniel, who was Syriac, spoke a different tongue than the Greek-speaking men who accused him of heresy. That if it was God's will for Daniel to be there, then the demons would be sent away from the Temple and the Temple would be filled with holiness. A second time, Daniel was denounced as an impostor. Wishing to learn more about Daniel, Bishop Anatolios had Daniel brought to his chambers where he inquired of Daniel and a translator was able to help understand the Syriac dialect. The Bishop learned that Daniel was of the Orthodox Catholic faith and that he had been spending time in the Temple to vanquish the demons. While staying with the Bishop, Anatolios fell ill and Daniel healed him. Though the Bishop desired to excommunicate Daniel's detractors, Daniel begged the Bishop to forgive them instead. Though the Bishop wanted Daniel to remain with him, Daniel desired to return to the Temple.

In returning, Daniel beheld a vision of St. Symeon the Stylite with two angels around him, calling him to ascend. Daniel could not determine why he had seen this vision until Sergios, the disciple of St. Symeon, came across him. Sergios was bringing the koukoulion (cowl) of his former teacher to the Emperor Leo, but came across the Temple on his way. There, Daniel explained to Sergios his vision and Sergios revealed that St. Symeon had reposed and that while the koukoulion of St. Symeon was going to be a gift for the Emperor, he realized that God had arranged this visit by His Divine Providence and gave the koukoulion to Daniel instead. Sergios and Daniel both received a vision that Daniel was to become a Stylite, following in the footsteps of St. Symeon, and they left the Temple of idols.

While walking in the wilderness by a garden owned by Gelanios, a dove revealed to Sergios where the pillar for the new Stylite was to be built. Mark, an imperial guardsmen and friend of Sergios, helped them to build the pillar. Seeing the pillar built, Gelanios was determined to get rid of the Stylite, inspired by envy. He sent a claim to the Emperor and the Patriarch Gennadios I. Gennadios I ordered the Stylite to remove himself from the vicinity. Gelanios's field was destroyed by hail. Seeing the destruction, Gelanios's servants pleaded that he might actually benefit from the Stylite's prayers and it is disputable as to whether this was actually on Gelanios's lands. Gelanios, conversing in Syriac, asked Daniel to descend from the pillar but to not touch the ground with his feet. Daniel came down from the pillar and Gelanios, seeing the man's feet, then told the Stylite to go back atop his pillar and even asked the Stylite if he could build an even bigger pillar for him. In the meanwhile, Daniel dispelled a demon from a young child.

Sergios returned, building a booth by the pillar, and the two men saw their disciples begin to gradually increase. Daniel healed many sick and possessed people, including the daughter and the sister-in-law of Kyrios, the prefect of Constantinople, who would become the Bishop of Kolyaion. Kyrios had inscribed at the bottom of the pillar the following:

"Betwixt heaven and earth there stands a man who bears up and strives to gain against wind and rains, which he in no wise fears. His sustenance is ambrosial and his drink bloodless, which have armed this warrior's frame and rooted his two legs to the pillar; he who is the root of Symeon, both his heir and equal, is called Daniel the wondrous, who proclaims the most true God, the Son of the Mother who knew not wedlock."

Another man, Pontus, he healed the son of. He also delivered a child by his prayers to the Emperor's daughter Ariadne. She bore Leo II.

Though Daniel was still not without his detractors. A harlot named Vasiane was bribed to entice the Stylite but he would not give in to her whoredoms. She took on a variety of her seducing poses and lingered for a long time by the monasteries. But none of the brothers gave into her harlotries or seducting poses. Frustrated, she claimed Daniel had indeed given in to her seducings but she refused to ascend the ladder up to him so he had threatened to kill her. This was all a lie and a demon eventually overtook her. She eventually confessed the truth to all and Daniel forgave her, exorcising the demon that had taken over her and seized her. It was through this that even more people came to realize the work of the Stylite atop this pillar. From the moment of her healing, she would remain in a life of virtue.

Daniel was ordained a priest at the command of Emperor Leo I in a most unusual ceremony. Refusing to come down from his pillar, even for this, Patriarch Gennadios I informed the Stylite that the people had revealed the will of God when they announced, "Axios!" There was a Divine Liturgy that was celebrated around the pillar and the Patriarch ascended to the top of the pillar where he blessed Daniel with the ordination to the priestly rank. After this, the Emperor Leo I, who had become very close friends with the Stylite after his daughter had conceived, came to visit Daniel, asking for a blessing and offering to build an even bigger pillar for the Stylite. This pillar was an even bigger double-column that Daniel would sit upon for the remainder of his life.

Daniel, seeing that Constantinople had been plagued with heresies and unbeliefs, prophesied bitter destruction and ruin to the city unless they carried out penitential celebrations. But as Pascha was approaching, the Bishop did not want to cause more grief to the people with their festal celebrations already occurring, so the warning went unheeded. A fire broke out throughout the city and many orphans, widowers, and widows visited the Stylite and he took pity on them. "The wrath which came upon us was on account of our carelessness!" Coming to repentance, the Stylite announced that the fire would last for another week and then dissipate. These things came to pass as Daniel had prophesied.

That winter was particularly bitter and harsh and windy. The wind was so strong that it rocked the pillar back and forth. Many of the brothers thought the pillar would collapse and Daniel would be brought to his destruction. They rushed to fortify the base of the pillar with iron bars but the pillar continued to rock back and forth and they were thrown to the ground even as they tried to save the Stylite. Daniel put his trust in the Lord, realizing that this mortal body was only a shell and vessel to assist him in getting to his main goal. "Bring out my soul from prison in order to give thanks to Thy name." (Psalm 141:10) Emperor Leo was troubled by the wind and investigated, finding that the foundation of the pillar was set incorrectly and demanded the architect be put to death. As he left the Stylite, the Devil was hoping to stir up trouble between the Emperor and the saint, and the Emperor's horse threw him to the ground, causing a jewel to break out from the crown. Jordan, the horse's master, informed Daniel of what had happened, and how he was an Arian but would convert to Orthodoxy if the Emperor spared him. The Emperor, understanding that he had caused more offense to the Stylite by mounting a horse while the Stylite stood on a pillar, confessed that it was his own fault and he would never ascend the mountain on horseback again, instead leaving the horse at the base of the mountain when he visited the Stylite. As in the case of Vasiane, in which a soul was converted through the Devil's malice, yet again, a soul was converted through the Devil's malice and attempts at ruin.

St. Daniel the Stylite's wisdom was so trusted by the Emperor that when Gouzavios, King of Lazika and Emperor of the Rhomaioi wished to settle a treaty with Leo, they both sought council from the holy wisdom of Daniel to mediate their dispute. When Daniel froze during the winter that year, the Emperor Leo took sympathy on the Stylite and built a roof atop the pillar for him. Though Daniel refused initially, he then allowed this gift from the Emperor. The Emperor would send many noblemen to seek council from the Stylite, and when Gaiseric, King of the Vandals and persecutor of Christians, threatened to invade the Empire, Daniel told the Emperor to place his trust in God and not pursue military action against the Gothic King. The threat would subside. Leo would bring the relics of St. Symeon the Stylite back to Daniel's pillar and built a church dedicated to St. Symeon there. When the Emperor's General Edranos, an aggressive, wolfish, and valiant man of military might, met with the Stylite, he came to a sense of peace and was turned to a lamb. He joined the monastery and the Emperor demanded him back. But the Stylite informed the Emperor that God's defense was sufficient for the Empire and he would find a new General, equally fierce, soon enough. Daniel would bless Zeno's campaign against the Barbarians and prophesied all of Zeno's troubles that would soon befall, including the treacherous plot against the Emperor Zeno and the Empress Ariadne, their flight to Chalcedon, and their return to the throne.

Basiliskos would be involved in a coup against the Emperor Zeno not long after Emperor Leo I's death. Emperor Leo II would succeed his father, but being too young, the Emperor Zeno, the husband of the Empress Ariadne, would fulfill the role of regent. After Leo II's early death, Emperor Zeno would take full control of the Empire. Not being the blood relation of Leo I, many subordinates in the Senate would despise the new Emperor and seek to overthrow him. Basiliskos overthrew Zeno and sat on the throne as an usurper. He favored the Monophysite heresy and forced the Church to overturn the Council of Chalcedon and allow communion with the Monophysites. Daniel the Stylite would guide the Church through this crisis and convince the new Patriarch Akakios to resist the Emperor in his heresy. Daniel sent a note to the Emperor stating the following:

"Thou has brought turmoil to the Church and despised her priests....Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine. Thus, God has found thee wanting and thy kingdom shall be taken from thee."

He also pointed out that Basiliskos meant "little king" as well as "snake". The people praised Daniel's actions, proclaiming in the Church of Hagia Sophia, "The holy Daniel of the Church! The new Daniel has come to save Susanna in her distress! Another Elias has put to shame Jezebel and Ahab! In thee we have an orthodox priest who protects the Bride of Christ!"

Patriarch Akakios sent messengers to the Stylite to convince him to come down off his pillar and condemn the Emperor in person. Daniel was persistent in refusing, but seeing the men would not let up, allowed himself to be taken down from his pillar and carried to Constantinople. When Basiliskos heard that the Stylite was in Constantinople, he fled to his palace in Hebdomon. Daniel, while in Constantinople, would not be satisfied unless he personally gave censure to the Emperor. As his feet were unfit for walking, the people carried the Stylite all the way to the palace. He healed lepers on the way there and when they arrived, he applied the Gospel command to take the shoes off one's feet and kick the dust off to the Emperor. There were so many people at the palace taking their shoes off and kicking the dust off that the guards heard a clap as if of thunder and joined with the Stylite. The Stylite was proclaimed a Consul as this was seen as an insurrection against the usurper Emperor.

The palace collapsed, the capital burnt, and Zeno returned to Constantinople with the Empress Ariadne to the praise and joy of the people. Basiliskos, his wife, and his child, were sentenced to exile having been formally excommunicated by the Stylite in the presence of the Patriarch Akakios, and they starved to death. While Daniel walked back to the capital to excommunicate the Emperor, a snake wrapped itself around his feet but died. This happened in the presence of Akakios. These events were indubitably the climax of the Stylite's life though when he returned to his pillar, he would continue to perform many more miracles, exorcisms, and various healings which are too numerous to even list.

He announced his repose a week before to his brothers. On the day of his repose, he celebrated one last liturgy and communed. A demon-possessed man confirmed Daniel's repose mentioning the angels, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, surrounding the holy man in the hour of his repose and how this caused him great suffering. When Daniel reposed, he would be expelled and the man would be healed. When this came to pass, it was confirmed that Daniel had in fact entered into eternal glory at last. Daniel reposed on December 11, 493 A.D. at the age of 84 years. Rais, a Patrician woman whom Daniel's intercession brought a child named Zeno to, constructed a spiral staircase around the pillar where Daniel stood all his life. His body was placed in a lead coffin and carried down by Patriarch Euphemios so as it would not be stolen. He was buried above the tomb of the Three Children so that when all come to venerate St. Daniel the Stylite, they come to venerate the Three Children who were thrown into the fire. St. Daniel the Stylite, preserve our Faith and pray for the Bride of Christ! Amen.

The Great King Tiridates

The Church has the ability to turn the ravenous wolves into lambs. We can look at the example of St. Paul, a fierce persecutor of Christians, how the Church would humble this fearsome persecutor of the Faith into a Lamb, an Holy Apostle, for the sake of Christianity. Among those savage animals, there was a great King in Armenia. He was fearsome, he was vicious. He breathed the fire of a dragon. And he hated with fury the Christian faith that was sweeping across the Roman Empire. How to defend the heathen lies but by a vicious persecution. St. Gregory the Illuminator of Armenia had been a member of the royal family which had previous dynastic rule over Armenia. However, St. Gregory's family had overthrown the Great King's and this inspired him with a hatred over the man Gregory. He wanted nothing to do with St. Gregory or the Faith he had brought with him. To Tiridates, the Faith was nothing more than idle and foolish filth for it certainly is foolishness to the world as the Apostle whom Tiridates was about to follow in suit of once said.

When St. Gregory returned from Constantinople to preach to his home country of Armenia, Tiridates suspected him of more than just pious frauds. Tiridates suspected this family foe of his a traitor to the Kingdom. Though Tiridates enjoyed the servitude of St. Gregory for some time, things were about to dip even further southward in their relationship when the King had discovered that Gregory was a Christian. Not only had this man been a member of a family who opposed the legitimate royal family, this man had brought back the Faith that was spreading throughout the Roman Empire. Tiridates subjected St. Gregory to many harsh tortures, eventually throwing him inside of a pit of snakes for 14 years. The man had to be punished for this treason against the Kingdom of Armenia.

Then, Tiridates turned his wrath upon the nuns Rhipsima, Gaiana, and thirty-five others. As a beast, he desired carnal relations with those who had vowed themselves to chastity, but they refused for their Bridegroom was Christ. Tiridates demanded it, believing that as King, he possessed the right over their bodies. He had sensual desires which needed to be satiated. But the nuns held their grounds before the beast. Tiridates was scolded by Rhipsima who refused him the victory over her chastity. "And he who defeated the Princes of the Goths and destroyed the Persians was unable to overcome one virgin of Christ!" proclaimed the holy martyr. Tiridates, frustrated, seeing his efforts would be in vain, had her tongue cut out and her stomach cut open, and her entrails pulled out. The other nuns were seized and beheaded.

Tiridates began to go mad. He was a wild boar, an animal. Soon, he was grazing on the grass like Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. But his sister had a vision. She reminded him of the man he had thrown into the pit. She had explained that the man was still alive and that he would cure the madness of the Great King. Tiridates went to the snake pit he had thrown St. Gregory into years ago and pulled out the man, alive and unharmed by the snakes. St. Gregory still had to regain his vision from dwelling in a pit for so many years but he healed the King of his madness. And just like St. Paul who experienced the blinding light of Christ on the road to Damascus, Tiridates witnessed the blinding light of Christ as soon as St. Gregory cured him of his blindness. Tiridates, able to see with spiritual vision, would appoint Gregory to be Catholicos of Armenia and proclaimed the Christian Faith the religion of the state of Armenia. Armenia has remained the only state which affirms traditional Christianity as its state religion. Spending the rest of his life in peace and in repentance, Tiridates went from being a savage persecutor of the Christian Faith to becoming its greatest proponent in all of Armenia.

St. Katherine of Alexandria

St. Katherine was born to the earthly ruler of Alexandria, Constas. She suffered through the reign of the Emperors Maximian, Maxentius, and Maximinus. She was known for being tall in stature and exceptionally beautiful. She was also well-studied in the philosophical arts of Plato, Aristotle, Homer, and Virgil. She knew the medicines of Aesculapius, Hippocrates, and Galen. She was gifted in rhetoric and in the languages. Her parents intended to marry her but she was determined to keep her virginity. None of the suitors could match her wit, her intellect, her stature, or her beauty. She challenged her parents thus, "Present unto me a young man who is like unto me in the four virtues in which you claim I that I am peerless among women, and I will take him to be my husband."

Now her mother was a secret Christian. And her mother brought her to a certain priest. The priest began hearing the case for St. Katherine. She told him what she sought in a suitable husband and the priest explained that he did indeed know a man that would be suited for her. He began to describe this man. The Man was from before all time, born of a Virgin, He presented Himself for the sake of the world. The priest began to describe the life and work of Jesus Christ. He then told her to take with her an icon of the Ever-Virgin with the Christ-Child. She brought the icon home and began to ponder about this Man that the priest had explained to her. In a vision, she beheld the same icon that the priest had given her but the Christ-Child looked away from her. She found herself then in a room with the Ever-Virgin holding the Christ-Child but the Christ-Child refused to look upon the maiden and only looked toward His Mother. Each time she tried to peer into the face of the Christ-Child, the Child would turn His eyes away from her. The Theotokos wondered why and asked Her Child why He would not look into the face of the young maiden. She was quite beautiful in stature. The Christ-Child explained that while the maiden beheld much outer beauty, inwardly, she was filthy. She needed to clean herself from the filth that lay within her. And then He would look upon her.

Katherine, after having this vision, went back to the priest and inquired more about the Christian Faith. Eventually, Katherine rejected all of her Pagan deities, turned to Christ, and was baptized by the priest whom her mother had brought her to. She then beheld in a vision once again, Our Lady with the Christ-Child. This time, the Christ-Child was looking upon her, seeing in her a future bride fit for the Kingdom of Heaven. And she would soon be tested by the material elements of the world which follow after the Father of Lies and give credence to idols and fallen spirits over the one true God of the Universe, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Emperor Maximinus had declared Christianity illegal and demanded that all must offer sacrifices to his idols. Seeing this new law and understanding the bloodthirsty extremes of the Emperor, Katherine would approach the Imperial Palace and make an argument against the Emperor's gods.

Appealing to Plato, Homer, and Diodorus, before finally confirming the Truth of Christ, Katherine masterfully refuted the Emperor's feeble arguments against the Christian faith in favor of his idols. This frustrated the Emperor so much, but he desired not the death of one so beautiful, so he had many of his wise men come to make an argument against the Christian faith against this woman. Once more, Katherine appealed to the philosophers to shame the gods and then finished off her argument with the Truth of Christ, which is hidden from the wise and revealed to infants (Matt. 11:25). The philosophers stood dumbfounded. They had no argument against the Christian. The Emperor demanded they give an answer but the philosophers explained that since the chief of their philosophers could not refute her arguments, neither could they. And they even accepted Christianity that very moment. These philosophers were put to death immediately, receiving a baptism of blood and entering into the Heavenly Kingdom. Katherine was beat and placed in prison.

In prison, she was visited upon by the Emperor's General Porphyrios and the Augusta whose name in some martyrologies is given as Faustina. As the two visited Katherine, they learned of the Christian faith from her and became attuned to it. Katherine explained to them that they would soon suffer greatly for the Kingdom of Heaven, but it would be for a moment in comparison to their eternal glory. When Katherine was released from prison and brought before the Emperor again, he was irate to find that she was in full health and in good nutrition despite that he had ordered her not to be fed while in prison. He inquired who had fed her to which she replied that no man had fed her but the Lord kept her nourished. The Emperor again began to use bribery and persuasion to convince her that it was the gods who gave her the gifts she held and that she should accept them. But she continued to refuse the Emperor's arguments. The Emperor's prefect Hursasden recommended a punishment so wicked that it had only recently been concocted in that era. He had four wheels which spun. Two in the rightward direction, and two in the leftward direction. The wheels meeting together. This is how the disobedient Katherine ought to receive death. The Emperor gave Katherine another opportunity to repudiate Christ. She refused and repudiated the Emperor's pagan deities once more. The wheels began spinning but as they approached Katherine, they broke apart and flew out in every direction. Those in the room met horrific ends as they cried out, "Great is the God of the Christians!"

Faustina entered into the room in the aftermath and ordered the Emperor to cease and desist his reproach of the Christians. He forgot she was his own wife and became incessant with anger. He had her breasts torn out ad as he was readying to strike her head off with a sword, she called out to Katherine who gave her one last blessing and bid her to eternity. The Emperor struck down his own wife. Then, his General Porphyrios honorably buried the body of the Emperor's holy wife and when the Emperor discovered this, he had Porphyrios and his men slain. Desiring to give Katherine one last chance, the Emperor offered Katherine his hand in marriage. But Katherine wouldn't have it. She repudiated the gods. And as the Emperor led her out to be beheaded, she prayed this one final time:

"My Lord Jesus Christ and God, I  thank Thee that Thou hast secured my feet on the rock of patience and hast directed my steps. Stretch out Thy sacred hand, which was nailed to the Cross for our sake, and receive my soul, which today is separated from the body out of love for Thee. Be Thou mindful, O Lord, that we are flesh and blood; and do Thou forgive my transgressions, which I committed unknowingly, before Thy dread judgment seat; but wash away with the blood that I shed for Thee; and grant that my body, cleaved for Thee, will become invisible to those who seek it, keeping it safe and secure wheresoever Thou dost wish. Look down from on high upon Thy people who surround me, O Lord, and guide them to the light of Thy knowledge. Bestow upon those who invoke Thy name, through me, all they seek for their bereavement, that Thy works may be praised by all and that Thou mayest be glorified with Thine unoriginate Father and Holy Spirit, now and ever unto endless ages. Amen."

She ordered the executioner to cut her head off and as she was beheaded, milk flowed from her body and God had angels carry off her body to a secret place on Mount Sinai to the peak of the highest mountain in Sinai which now also bears her name. She now rests eternally in the glory of the Heavenly Kingdom. St. Katherine of Alexandria, pray for us!

St. Elizabeth, Landgravine of Hungary

St. Elizabeth, the Landgravine of Hungary, is an exceptionally holy and pious example of Christian charity in the Church that the Middle Ages has produced. She also possessed a holy and childlike faith and devotion in all her life to Our Lord Jesus Christ. She was born to the pious King Andrew II who was renowned as King of Hungary for fighting back infidels, and his wife Queen Gertrude, the sister of the High Duchess St. Hedwig of Silesia, another charitable influence on the life of the young Landgravine. Herman, the Landgrave of Thuringia and Hesse at the time, was promised by the king that his son Lewis would be given in marriage to the daughter of the king. This promise was fulfilled, and from a very young age, she would be sent to live with the Landgrave, until she was old enough to marry.

She was always devoted to God and had her heart set on attaining the holiness of Our Lord and nothing else. She was devoted to her guardian angel and to St. John the Evangelist especially. At one point, she took the coronet off her head as she entered into the House of God. The Landgravine Sophia and her daughter Agnes inquired of the Princess why she did such an act, to which the young Elizabeth replied that she could not bear the weight of such jewels on her head while she beheld her Lord with a Crown of Thorns on His own head. Her acts of devotion earned her the ill-treatment of the Landgravine and Agnes who became her primary caretakers not long after she was given over the Landgrave Hermann. For Hermann had reposed when Elizabeth was just nine years of age and the widowed Landgravine became regent for her younger son Lewis, whom Elizabeth would soon marry. The courtiers would also bear hostility toward the young Elizabeth. It was through these trials that the saint would learn the rejection of worldly love and affairs and see that the only thing that mattered was her Lord. She would regularly pray,

O sovereign spouse of my soul, never suffer me to love any thing but in Thee, or for Thee. May every thing which tends not to Thee, be bitter and painful, and Thy will alone sweet. May Thy will be always mine: as in heaven Thy will is punctually performed, so may it be done on earth by all creatures, particularly in me and by me. And as love requires a union, and entire resignation of all things into the hands of the beloved, I give up my whole self to thee without reserve. In my heart I renounce all riches and pomp: if I had many worlds I would leave them all to adhere to Thee alone in poverty and nakedness of spirit, as Thou madest Thyself poor for me. O Spouse of my heart, so great is the love I bear Thee, and holy poverty for thy sake, that with joy I leave all that I am, that I may be transformed into Thee and that abandoned state so amiable to Thee.

Once, when Elizabeth went out in public, richly adorned and crowned, met a crowd of poor people. Having already given to them all her silver, a poor man walked up to her. She gave to him her embroidered glove. A young cavalier who was following the crowd bought the glove from the beggar and attached it to his helmet for Divine protection. He never ceased to go into battle without the glove. He would be triumphant in all battles and tournaments he faced and he fought in the Crusades. He attributed his victories to the saint. And it was not only in gifts of money that the saint would bestow. She would also serve them in holy acts. Once, when serving a group of impoverished people, she went out to gather meat, bread, and eggs. When her husband came out to meet her, he asked what it was she was carrying. She opened her arms to reveal a bundle of flowers and roses. He was about to caress her when he saw a cross appear above her head. He took one of the flowers from her, which he kept throughout his life and went on his way. When she returned to her friends, the flowers had gone back to the form of meat, bread, and eggs. Once, when she found a poor boy who was suffering from leprosy, she washed him and brought him back to her home. The Landgravine Sophia, who had detested Elizabeth for her charitable acts, exclaimed to Lewis, "See what she has done now! ... She has put one in your bed and you will catch the leprosy!" But when Lewis pulled back the curtain, it was revealed that in the bed was the Savior, and he never allowed Elizabeth to be opposed in her acts of charity ever again.

When she turned fourteen, the young Lewis would return from his education and though he would not think of her much, when the question was put in regards to marrying her, the one thing he considered most of value was her virtue. He expressed much displeasure to the way the saint was treated and more than honored, but also promoted her virtuous acts. He also was inspired to much virtue by the saint himself. As a gift, he sent her a glass garnished with precious stones of incredible value, on one side an image of the Crucified Christ, and the other a looking glass. The wedding was performed with utmost pomp and extraordinary public rejoicings by a holy man, Conrad of Marpurg. This Conrad became the saint's confessor and encouraged her in her acts of virtue. Conrad was further approved by Lewis and he submitted to Conrad as his confessor too. Both Lewis and Elizabeth joined themselves together in their charitable acts of giving. If she wasn't praying or reading, she was performing acts of charity, spinning, or cording wool, of which she would distribute to the poor. She strove to make prayer a continual act. And she never ate but what came out of her own kitchen.

In 1221, the Order of St. Francis was founded in Germany and the young Landgravine gave them utmost support. In 1222, Lewis and Elizabeth paid her father a visit and attended his second marriage to Yolande de Courtenay, daughter of the Emperor of Constantinople. In 1223, Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Hermann. Elizabeth bore Lewis three children. Hermann, Sophia, and Gertrude. In 1225, a severe famine broke out in Germany while Lewis was visiting with the Emperor Frederick II. Elizabeth had exhausted the entire treasury to assist the poor and hungry during this time and the nobles were sharply critical of what she had done. They brought their accusations of her to her husband. But once more, he supported her, acknowledging that God would enrich them with divine blessings for the charity that they had done for the poor. But soon after this event, Lewis would be called out of his piety to fight in the Crusades for the Emperor Frederick II. The separation was a great trial for the two lovers but they bore all things in holiness. On his way to fight in the Crusades however, the Landgrave became ill with a fever and he died in Otranto. Elizabeth had just given birth to her youngest daughter Gertrude when the news of his repose reached her. She put on the dress of a widow and declared, "If my husband be dead, I promise to die henceforth to myself, and to the world with all its vanities."

And God would grant this request to her through the suffering which would soon befall her. For the Landgrave's brother treated his widowed sister-in-law with bitter contempt. It was said she squandered the public revenue to the poor and that her son Hermann was unfit for the government of the state. Elizabeth was forced out of the palace and made to stay in an inn with her maidens. But she nevertheless rejoiced in this newfound poverty that she had acquired. She would attend the Matins of the Franciscan friars the next day, and finding no one to take her in afterwards, stayed at the Church. She eventually was reunited with her children while there. And yet, reduced to poverty, she cried out in worship:

Ah. my Lord and my God, may Thou be all mine, and I all Thine. What is this, my God and my love? Thou all mine and I all Thine. Let me love Thee, my God, above all things, and let me not love myself but for Thee, and all other things in Thee Let me love Thee, with all my soul, with all my memory.

This bitter poverty the princess found herself in at only the age of 20 would not last long. For the nobility and her family were incensed at the outrage that had taken place and demanded justice for the widow and her children. Her aunt Matilda, the Abbess of the Kitzingen Monastery, invited her in. And the Bishop of Bamberg provided her a house near his palace. The Emperor Frederick II, seeing how young she was and having lost his own wife, proposed marriage to her. But the maiden desired to fulfill the rest of her days in chastity. The remains of her husband were brought back to Bamberg for a funeral procession where she thanked God for having received him into His eternal tabernacles. The remains were then brought back to Thuringia and laid to rest. The chief barons demanded that Henry restore her dower and all the rights of her widowhood. Though she chose to renounce the government, allowing Henry to serve as regent for her son while she took the habit of a Third Order Franciscan. Henry gave to her the land Marpurg begrudgingly asserting that if she held all of Germany, it would be given to the poor. She stayed the remainder of her days with her confessor Conrad who forbade her to give up the remaining disposal of her revenues. She converted the remainder of her dower to the use of the poor.

She was now separated from her children. Hermann was the Landgrave of Hungary, his uncle Henry the regent. Her daughter Sophia was pledged in marriage to the Duke of Brabant. Her daughter Gertrude would be the Abbess of the Aldemburg monastery. Her father attempted to encourage her to reclaim her royal titles, but she refused, preferring the state of voluntary poverty to the riches of the world. Conrad began to treat her harshly so that she would not be inclined to think of her past life and always be in remembrance of the new vows she had taken up. He ordered her not to give so much to the poor and not to provide so much for the sick and when she would disobey, he treated her with blows. He further took away her maids Ysentrude and Guda, lest her conversation with them remind them of her past life and replaced them with ill-tempered women. This was to teach Elizabeth the importance of obedience to her new spiritual director and confessor.

One day, a boy, both deaf and dumb, came to the saint. She inquired of him what ailed him. He did not answer. Not knowing why, she presumed an evil spirit had possessed him and said, "In the name of the Lord Jesus, I command you to answer me." At this point, the boy was able to speak. Hearing of this miracle, many brought their sick to the saintly woman for healing. She beheld a vision not long before her death which she would relate to Conrad. A voice had proclaimed to her, "Come, Elizabeth, come with me into the tabernacle I have prepared for thee from all eternity." On the fourth day, she fell ill with a violent fever which last for several days. Though Conrad had also been battling a recent illness, he was able to recover just enough to visit her one last time. The saint gave her last confession and gave up her soul on November 19, 1231. She was brought to the Church of St. Francis where she had often visited. She was laid to rest in Marpurg.

Her confessor Conrad and her brother-in-law Duke Conrad begged Pope Gregory IX to canonize her. The Pope did so on May 26, 1235. On May 1, 1236, people from all over came to do homage to the saint and two altars were erected to her. Frederick II took up the first stone of her grave and placed upon it a rich crown of gold. Her daughters Sophia and Gertrude took part in these ceremonies. Her son Hermann desired to be buried next to his mother. The Landgrave Henry, fearing the miracles that Elizabeth had performed, was afraid that the proximity to her body would raise her son back to life if he was laid next to her. He sought to have Hermann buried next to his father Lewis in Reinhartsbrunn. The Landgravine's widowed daughter Sophia, the Landgravine of Brabant, sought to claim the inheritance of Hermann for her son, and she succeeded in gaining him Hesse. Portions of her relics are kept in the Church of the Carmelites at Brussels; another portion at the Church of La Roche-Guyon upon the Seine; and a significant portion in the electoral treasury of Hanover.

Sources:

Agnes B.C. Dunbar, A Dictionary of Saintly Women

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Widow

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, pray for me, and may you send your guardian angel to assist my own angel!

Emperor Justinian

The Holy Emperor Justinian the Great was a military commander for his uncle Justin I before his elevation to the throne. It was toward the end of Justin I's reign that the two began a co-reign as uncle and nephew for the former's health was beginning to deteriorate. Justinian would begin this co-regnancy with his uncle in the year 527 A.D. and later that year, his uncle would repose. Justinian would become the sole monarch of the entire Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was beginning to deteriorate. The barbarians had overrun the West and all that was left was in the East. Yet that was about to change. According to the historian Otto of Freising,

"In the five hundred and twenty-seventh year from the incarnation of the Lord, Justinian, the fifty-first in line from Augustus, obtained the imperial power while the sons of Clovis were still  reigning in Francia. This most zealous and Christian monarch resurrected his domain, as it were, from the dead. The state, which had been in large part overthrown, he reestablished and among other brave and valiant deeds triumphed gloriously, through Patrician Belisarius, over the Persians who had invaded the Roman territories. The laws published before his time had been put together in loose fashion with semblance of order. Justinian made a compendium of all these laws. This he reduced to order and published in a single volume, a volume which to this day is called after Justinian the Leges Justinianae. He adorned the Church of God also with many beautiful basilicas throughout the length and breadth of his domain: among others was one in the Royal City, a basilica preeminent for its material workmanship, in honor of wisdom divine, called by the Greeks Sophia. He also caused the king of the Heruli, Grates by name, who came to him at Constantinople, to be baptized at the festival of the Epiphany of the Lord. At that time also Garda, king of the Huns, and a certain widow woman of the Huns with a hundred thousand of their race are said to have accepted the faith and to have received the sacrament of baptism." (The Two Cities, Bk. 5.4)

Justinian was a Serb by birth according to St. Nikolai Velimirovic. There was much work to do for the Roman Empire when Justinian took charge. He began to complete the bathhouses throughout the Empire and he also contributed significantly to the construction and architecture. His most notable contribution to the architecture of the Roman Empire was Hagia Sophia Cathedral. Hagia Sophia, initially built as a Cathedral, flipped allegiances after the first millennium different times before finally falling into the hands of the Turks. It had been a Cathedral for the Greeks who had opposed communion with the Roman Bishop, it had been a Cathedral for the first Uniates, and back and forth. According to Met. Kallistos Ware, the last joint-service between the Latin Crusaders and the Greek Church occurred in Hagia Sophia before the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453 A.D. and turned it into a mosque. Hagia Sophia was a museum up until 2020 when it was converted back into a mosque. There is a tradition in the Hagiography of St. Demetrios that Justinian wanted to have relics of the Great Martyr brought back to Hagia Sophia. So he sent soldiers to the tomb of the saint, yet when they started digging, they were halted by a fire. The saint appeared, condemning the soldiers for their actions but allowed them to take some of the dirt back to Constantinople for the Emperor. The Emperor was told this story and placed the dirt from the tomb of St. Demetrios in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral.

The Emperor would also marry out of love his consort Theodora. Theodora was an actress, which in Roman culture, and in Christian culture, was one of the lowest of the professions. It certainly was not economically successful and was a largely frowned upon profession. Yet Justinian's love for his consort was genuine and the two would marry. Justinian was greatly influenced by her and her role in the Nica Revolts would save him the throne. She has been falsely tarnished as a Monophysite heretic, especially regarding her role in the Council of Constantinople. Though the Empress would not live to see the Council, she would be involved deeply with Justinian's arguments regarding the Three Chapters with Pope Vigilius. The West for some time disregarded the Council of Constantinople though its fruits are now evident in the entire Christian world. The Council would denounce the Nestorian leanings of Ibas of Edessa, Theodoret, and Theodore of Mopsuestia. When Theodora would repose in 548, presumably of cancer, the Emperor would regularly light a candle in remembrance of her.

The Emperor also began liberation campaigns in various regions of Africa and Western Europe for Christians who were persecuted by the Arian heretics. Seeking peace first, the Emperor had actually converted many Huns to Christianity from their Arian heresies, he would eventually be forced to exercise war. These former regions once held by a Christian Empire under Constantine could not tolerate being given up to Pagans and Heretics once again. He launched a military campaign in Africa against the Vandals through his Patrician Belisarius and then went into Spain and Italy seizing more land from the Goths and the Vandals. He would form an alliance with the Frankish Kings Childebert, Lothar, and Theudebert. Though Theudebert wanted sole control of Italy so he appointed his general Buccelin to combat Belisarius. Buccelin would achieve many victories against the formidable Patrician forcing Justinian to demote his Patrician and appoint Narses in his place. Narses at first was driven back but when Buccelin was killed in battle, Narses would be able to regain full control of Italy for the Emperor. This control began in 555 A.D. and would last until 565 A.D. when the Emperor reposed.

"The same emperor also built within the city of Constantinople to Christ our Lord, who is the wisdom of God the Father, a church which he called by the Greek name 'Hagia Sophia,' that is, 'Divine Wisdom.' The workmanship of this so far excels that of all other buildings that in all the regions of the earth its like cannot be found. This emperor in fact was Catholic in his faith, upright in his deeds, just in his judgments, and therefore, to him all things came together for good. In his time Cassiodorus was renowned in the city of Rome for knowledge both human and divine. Among other things which he nobly wrote, he expounded particularly in a most powerful way the obscure parts of the Psalms. He was in the first place a consul, then a senator, and at last a monk." (Paul the Deacon, History of the Langobards, Bk. 1.XXV)

The Justianianic Code, which establishes the principles of equality under the law and the presumption of innocence, forms the basis of many of the legal codes today. It had tremendous influence on Napoleon Bonaparte who included many of its principles in his own Napoleonic Code. The legal legacy of Justinian the Great is so tremendous that if one walks into the Halls of U.S. Congress, they will see, in the House of Representatives, images of the great influencers and legal thinkers of American law. Among these are Pope Innocent III, Louis IX, and Justinian the Great. Justinian is considered the founder of Roman law though what he really did was right Roman law down into written format, giving it a more explicitly Christian emphasis.

Justinian practiced this law and governed as was due. During the Nika riots, of which the Blue faction of the chariot fanatics would often persecute relentlessly other factions, burning their homes down, murdering, and looting. Justinian did not lean himself in the governance to be in favor of one faction over another despite whatever perceived leanings he had toward the chariot factions. He ministered due justice, putting to death whoever caused harm, even if it was the Blue faction that he may have been sympathetic toward (Evagrius Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, Bk. 4, ch. XXXII). According to John Malalas, Justinian would cut the genitals off of clerics who practiced pederasty causing the deaths of many priests caught in pederasty (Chronicle, Bk. 18.18) and he ended the Gothic wood and oil taxes (Bk. 18.20). The Empress Theodora, his consort, also punished severely brothel keepers (Bk. 18.24).

In addition to his theological contributions at the Council of Constantinople which led to the further decimation of the Nestorian heresy, he also combated the Monophysite heresy in Byzantium and contributed to the Divine Liturgy by writing the Hymn "Only Begotten". He also established as Patriarch of Constantinople, St. Eutychius and his successor St. Menas. Toward the end of his life, Justinian was taken over by an evil spirit, much like the Pious King David, and began to oppose the Patriarch he had appointed, teaching the error of Theopassianism which asserted that the Divine Nature experienced suffering and died. This error was rebuked at the Council of Chalcedon. Justinian would be rebuked for this error but before he could do further damage to the Church, he came to repentance and reposed.

Justinian was always accessible to his people and would allow them to visit his courts frequently. He was a great rebuilder of the Roman Empire and was known as "the Emperor who never sleeps". In his final moments, the light of the Imperial Palace in Constantinople was still on. He is forever immortalized in Western Culture, but even more importantly, he is immortalized in the Church as a Pious Emperor who died in the Holy Faith of Orthodox Catholicism. He entered into eternity in the year 565, having reigned for 38 years as Emperor of the Romans. St. Justinian the Great, pray for us sinners!

Empress Theodora, Wife of Justinian

Perhaps the one thing that the Empress Theodora was known for is the misconceptions that center on her life. However, there is no doubt that through her marriage to the Holy Emperor Justinian, she contributed greatly to the restoration of the Roman Empire. Justinian himself was greatly influenced by her his marriage was one of love, not of political advantageousness. Most Emperors would indeed prefer the most prominent woman of all to marry, but Justinian married Theodora, a daughter of a bear-keeper and a professional actress. Both the career of bear-keeper and actress were not only frowned upon in Roman culture, they were seen as the lowest ends of the political spectrum, a sign of worthlessness, often times a sign of immorality. But Justinian was interested in love, not prominence, and he married this lowly woman Theodora who was brought up to the highest of heights, not only in the Roman Empire but in the Heavenly Courts also.

Procopius is well known for his Secret History which is riddled with gossip and lies. Though his works On Buildings and History of the Wars show high praise and exaltation for the Emperor and Empress, he decided to gossip about them in this Secret History. In this, he sensationalizes, especially about the Empress, making her out to be a prostitute and a scandal-ridden Empress. It is unclear why he writes so positively about Justinian in two other works but decides to chide the Emperor and his consort in this work. Most historians have deemed this work too sensationalist to be believed with any sincerity, almost satirical rather than historical, and have dismissed much of the work as a product of pseudo-history. Further, the Church has never confronted this as a problem within the lives of either the Emperor or his consort which would be evident if the Secret History were to actually be credible.

Theodora may have also first heard of the faith from a group of Monophysites who held the heresy that Jesus had one nature which was mixed of divine and human, but not two. She may have first learned of the faith from these Monophysites, but whether or not she actually affirmed or understood the teaching is unclear. A further claim to this accusation is her support of Justinian in the Three Chapters controversy. However, as we have already discussed, the Three Chapters contained severe Nestorian errors and were formally condemned at the Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D. There is no doubt that her theological leanings influenced Justinian greatly on this topic, however her concern was not the spread of Eutychianism but the spread of Orthodoxy and the condemnation of Nestorianism. She certainly did intend to establish unity between the Monophysites and the Chalcedonians, but in this, she leaned more toward the Chalcedonians. Justinian's stumbling into Monophysitism under the form of Theopassianism later on in his life should not be attributed to her influence but rather to a demonic spirit which came over him as was King David overcome by a demonic spirit.

Early on in his reign, Justinian fell into serious trouble and was about to be dethroned. This was during the Nika Riots of 532 A.D. The rioting mob had already burned the central part of the city and elected a rival Imperial-usurper named Hypatios. Justinian, just five years into his reign as Emperor of the Romans, was considering the abandonment of Constantinople but the Holy Empress spoke to him saying,

Every man born to see the light of day must die. But the one who has been emperor should become an exile I cannot bear. May I never be without the purple I wear, nor live to see the day when men do not call me 'Your Majesty.' If you wish safety, my Lord, that is an easy matter. We are rich, and there is the sea, and yonder our ships. But consider whether if you reach safety you may not desire to exchange that safety for death. As for me, I like the old saying, that the purple is the noblest shroud.

Justinian changed his mind at this point and he would subdue the rioters and have them put to death for their treason.

As recorded by John Malalas, the Empress possessed a heart for the women who were sold into prostitution as sex slaves and sought to reform the laws to punish the brothel-keepers and the pimps (Chronicle, Bk. 18.24). Procopius also records this in On the Buildings, how the Empress and the Emperor banished the very name brothel-keeper and set the women free who were held by these wicked men as slaves to every form of licentiousness and provided them with care. She also built a monastery for these women as a safe-house for them. The Right-Believing Queen Tamara of Georgia would emulate her virtue in contributing to the growth of the Church, the building of monasteries, and the care for the poor.

The Empress reposed, perhaps of cancer, on June 28, 548 A.D. and is commemorated in the Greek calendar on November 15 with Justinian and in the Slavonic calendar on November 14 with Justinian. In the Oriental Orthodox Church, she is commemorated on June 28. Amongst the Eastern Catholics, she is commemorated on November 14 according to those following the Slavonic calendar and on November 15 according to those following the Greek calendar and on June 28 among those following Oriental rites. Justinian the Great would light candles for her by the gate of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople (Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint, 1).

See also:

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint by David Potter

Pious Kings and Right-Believing Queens, by Protopresbyter James Thornton

St. Alfred, the Great King of England

Alfred was the youngest of five children and not expected to become the King of England. Because of this, his education was not largely focused on. He was not expected to become a King. He even desired to become a monastic and sought after a monastic life from an early age because his succession to the throne seemed unlikely. Yet at the age of five, Alfred was sent to the Pope of Rome where he was received with royal dignity and given the vestment of the Roman consulate. Alfred, living after the time of Charlemagne, would have been considered a resident of the Western Roman Empire through England's alliance with the Franks. It was not until he was twelve that he taught himself to read. His mother presented a book of English poetry to her sons and promised to give it to the first person who could learn to read it. Alfred was attracted to the beauty of the book so much that he began studying its contents and, learning from his teacher, began to learn to read. When one considers how intellectually influential the King became in England, this detail of his life, that he was unable to read for so long a period, seems almost remarkable. Especially given his overall resume of works that he translated!

Alfred was born to King Aethelwulf and his wife Queen Judith. In the year 855 A.D., his older brother Aethelbald seized the throne of England as Absalom once did the throne of Israel from his father David. Though the people would have been more than happy to see Aethelwulf restored to the throne when he had finally returned from visiting Rome, it was not the wish of Aethelwulf to see his son punished so. Aethelwulf allowed the King Aethelbald to continue ruling though the people would never refer to Judith as the Queen for the scandalous nature in which Aethelbald had proclaimed his own mother as his wife. Instead, the people referred to her as the "King's wife". Aethelwulf would repose two years after his return from Rome and Aethelbald would repose in 860 A.D., in the twelfth year of Alfred's life. Aethelbehrt succeeded his brother and it was then that England would experience numerous raids from Viking armies. These raids would end up changing the course of the young Alfred's life forever.

Aethelbehrt would crush the Viking forces, causing them to flee. But after five years, Aethelbehrt would go the way of all flesh. Alfred's brother Aethelstan had reposed some time in between. Aethelred would assume the Kingdom and Alfred would find himself second in line for the throne as more Vikings would raid England. He would fight alongside his brother, Aethelred, pushing the Vikings back, sometimes losing battles. But Alfred's life was now fully occupied by military campaigns against the Vikings as they ravaged the various parts of England. It was in 871, after Easter, that Aethelred would repose and Alfred would assume full reign over the English government. Alfred pushed the Vikings back but the fighting with the Danish Pagans would resume in 875. In 878, the Danish King Gunthram amassed a large assault upon Wessex. Alfred and his men were cornered. It was at this time, before the Great Battle of Edington, that St. Neot would appear in a dream to St. Alfred promising him victory. So likewise, a strange figure showed up at the fortress of St. Alfred. A beggar, asking for rations, St. Alfred retained full generosity not knowing who the beggar was. He gave the last supply of rations to this beggar. The next day, the rations were restored. The beggar, being none other than St. Cuthbert himself. The Battle of Edington was a decisive victory for the Anglo-Saxons and Gunthram embraced Christianity, being baptized with St. Alfred as his godfather.

From this point on, the Danish occupation of England was broken and Danish military forces would begin to be slowly driven out from England. St. Alfred would unify all of England through their common Christian creed and he would begin to set up institutions of education throughout all of England. Alfred, having regretted his lack of education growing up, sought to build up the university system in England and founded the University of Oxford. He also compiled different translations of the Psalms, he translated Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy, different parts of Pope Gregory I's Book of Pastoral Care and Dialogues, and St. Augustine's Solioquies. In a compilation of religious and classical works that the saint made known as Blooms, he wrote:

"Therefore he seems to me a very foolish man, and very wretched, who will not increase his understanding while he is in the world, and ever wish and long to reach that endless life, where all shall be made clear."

He commissioned the writing of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and The Anglo-Saxon Martyrology. He also wrote many numerous laws for his country, much like St. Justinian was a lawgiver for the Romans, St. Alfred was a lawgiver for the English.

St. Alfred was a pious, righteous, and devout King. One area of his life that he struggled with was his burning sexual passion. In order to fight these carnal desires, he would get up early from his sleep and visit the sites of churches, relics, and would venerate the holy icons of numerous saints and martyrs, until these desires finally would cease. Though on his wedding day, he would be inflicted with yet another illness of the flesh. St. Alfred would continue to be inflicted with illnesses throughout his life, but he bore all with humility and penitence. He built England up from ruin, uniting all under one ruler, drove out the Vikings, converted Pagans, and established learning in England. St. Alfred is the only English King to have been given the epithet, "the Great", and he truly was a great King.

His concluding prayer of his translation of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy, is the appropriate place to end.

"Lord God Almighty, maker and ruler of all creatures, I beseech You on behalf of Your mighty mercy, and through the sign of the Holy Cross, and through St. Mary's maidenhood, and through St. Michael's obedience, and through the love and merits of all Your saints, that You guide me better than I have done towards You; and direct me according to Your will and my soul's need better than I myself am able; and strengthen my mind to Your will and to my soul's need, and confirm me against the devil's temptations; and keep far from me foul lust and all iniquity; and protect me from my enemies visible and invisible; and teach me to perform Your will, that I may inwardly love You before all things with pure thought and clean body, for You are my Creator and Redeemer, my sustenance, my consolation, my trust and my hope. Praise and Glory be to You now and forever, world without end. Amen."

Alfred reposed October 26, 899, entering into eternal glory.

See also:

James Thornton, Pious Kings and Right-Believing Queens

Asser, Life of King Alfred

St. Hedwig, Duchess of Silesia

St. Hedwig,
Duchess and widow

Hedwig was born to Bertold III and his wife Agnes. These were the grandparents of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Hedwig was therefore the Aunt of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. She had three sisters and four brothers. Her sister Agnes was married to Philip Augustus, King of France; her sister Gertrude was married to Andrew, King of Hungary, and her third sister was the Abbess of Lutzingen in Franconia. Her brothers Bertold and Elebert were bishops of Aquileia and Bamberg respectively, and her brothers Henry and Otho divided up their father's principalities and became renowned generals. Hedwig was placed in the monastery of Lutzingen at a very young age where she would begin her studies. At age 12, she would be married to Henry, Duke of Silesia. Hedwig bore him six children: sons Henry, Conrad, and Boleslas, and daughters Agnes, Sophia, and Gertrude.

In 1233, the nobility of Poland expelled their Duke Ladislas, and conferred upon Henry the principalities. Always bearing in humility, Hedwig pleaded to her husband not to accept the offer, but it was to no avail and Henry gathered an army and took possession of the lands. From that point on, he was known as the Duke of Poland. He desired to leave his dominions to his second son, Conrad, but Hedwig supported that the oldest should hold the inheritance. This unfortunate disagreement between the Duchess and her husband led to the two sons clashing in military combat. Henry would prevail and Conrad would perish. This became one of the crosses that the Duchess would have to bear throughout her life.

She and her husband founded numerous monasteries including the Augustinian nunnery of Naumberg on the Bober which was later transferred to Sagan, the Cistercian monastery of Heinrichau, the priory of the Augustinian Canons at Kamenz, the Dominicans were brought to Bunzlau and Breslau, the Franciscans to Goldberg and later to Krossen, and the Templars would establish a house at Klein-Oels. In addition, she and her husband founded the monastery of the Cistercian nuns at Trebnitz where she spent most of her time doing many penances. The Hospital of the Holy Ghost at Breslau was founded by her husband and she would spend much time serving the leper women in the hospital in Neumarkt.

Her daughters Agnes and Sophia would die in infancy. Her son Boleslas would also die at an early age as well. She would carry the burden of child loss for most of her life but in all things, she looked to God and she desired to fulfill what was pleasing to God. Even in her marriage, she only carried out her penances to the extent that her husband would allow as she believed that the marital life was what God had called her to and wives are to honor their husbands. Seeing his wife so pious and devout, Henry would be more than willing to allow her to carry out her penances, and he too would find himself attired as a monastic within his royal courts. The two would make a pledge of virginity after their sixth child, and after being tonsured, Henry never once shaved his beard. For this, he was known as Henry the Bearded.

She would fast regularly throughout the year, only breaking such fasts on Sundays and Holy Days. She would kneel in Church on the stone floor without any mat between her knees and the ground. She would wear a hair cloth underneath her dress and would wear simple clothes. She taught her husband and her maids many prayers. She would even walk barefoot in the Winter to the Church, her feet bleeding on the way, yet the saint seemed unaffected by the cold while her maids, who were dressed more fittingly for the weather, would suffer greatly from the harsh weather as they made their way to Mass.

She would serve the poor and needy, and made the monastery of Trebnitz a place for orphans and young girls to receive their dowries. She had with her 13 impoverished people who would symbolize Christ and His Apostles for her. She would make certain they were fed with all sorts of meats and foods before she even gave herself her own refection. She did all of this out of her pure love for God and nothing falling short. She even showed sympathy for prisoners asking their sentences to be commuted. When the Lesko the White had died, he would be succeeded by his infant son, Boleslas V with his mother Grzymislawa as regent. Boleslas V would later marry St. Cunegund but he and his mother and his sister Salome would be taken into captivity by Conrad, Duke of Masovia, and brother of the late King. Henry wished to settle this with Conrad but Conrad took him captive. Hedwig expressed her desire to Conrad to see her husband in good health again. Conrad refused. And as her son Henry was about to assemble an army, Hedwig took matters into her own hands and traversed all the way to see the Duke. The Duke, upon seeing her, relented immediately and gave up her husband. In 1233, the people of Cracow and Sadomir would revolt against the tyranny of the Duke and Grzymislawa and her son entrusted themselves to the care of the Duke and Duchess of Silesia.

In 1238, Henry fell ill and died. All of the people mourned the Duke's repose but the widow remained the only one with a dry eye. Hedwig proclaimed, "Would you oppose the will of God? Our lives are his. We ought to find our comfort in whatever he is pleased to ordain, whether as to our own death, or as to that of our friends." All of her life, she always sought the will of God. Whether in marriage or in the loss of her children, or now in widowhood. She embraced all things as being wholly intended by the will of God and gave herself up to where God had placed her. She would now take the habit at the Cistercian Abbey of Trebnitz which she herself had built and live the remainder of her days in subjection to her daughter.

Anne of Bohemia,
widow of Henry II

She would witness the death of her son, Henry II, not long after. The Tartars were on the move through Russia and Bulgaria, and were now coming into Hungary and Poland. They had destroyed the city of Cracow, leaving only the Church of St. Andrew standing. They laid siege on Silesia which was protected by its walls and the prayers of St. Ceslas. The Duke raised an army and pushed them back but he was killed in the battle. His corpse was carried back to be interred in the convent of the Franciscans in Legnitz. His wife Anne and had retired with her mother-in-law at the fortress of Chrosne. Hedwig, seeing her daughter-in-law distraught, counseled her to accept the will of God.

“God hath disposed of my son as it hath pleased him. We ought to have no other will than his.” Then, lifting up her eyes to heaven, she prayed as follows: “I thank you, my God, for having given me such a son, who always loved and honored me, and never gave me the least occasion of displeasure. To see him alive was my great joy; yet I feel a still greater pleasure in seeing him, by such a death, deserve to be forever united to you in the kingdom of your glory. Oh, my God, with my whole heart, I commend to you his dear soul.” (St. Hedwiges, or Avoice, Duchess of Poland, W.)

Hedwig would teach her daughter-in-law much in the areas of humility and Anne would learn from her mother-in-law's sufferings to accept and grow in the will of God, putting all things into the hands of the Lord. God honored Hedwig with the gift of miracles and she would even cure a blind nun of Trebnitz. Her daughter-in-law was venerated as a saint in Poland too but never formally canonized. St. Hedwig's Feast Day is October 17.*

See also,

A.B.C. Dunbar, Dictionary of Saintly Women

*I rarely write about Western Saints after the first millennium because I am canonically Melkite but if I see an interesting royal saint or even just an interesting Western Saint, I'll definitely try to write about them.