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. Josaphat Kunsevich

Since the Photian schism, the Greek Church and the Latin Church have made numerous attempts at full reconciliation with one another. Though some of these were resolved within the time of the crisis, others were not. One of the constant arguments against full unification with the Latins that the Greeks have held was over the issue of the filioque. The filioque was added to the Nicene Creed in the West in order initially to suppress Arian views on the nature of the Trinity and to re-emphasize the deity of Christ by affirming the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son. Whereas in the East, this procession has been affirmed to be from the Father through the Son, but not from both the Father and the Son. This has led to different arguments over the nature of the Trinity in both Eastern and Western theology. Some theologians seem to make a bigger deal out of the issue than most and I am not experienced enough to comment. But the East has often times made villains out of supporters of the filioque in both the West and among its own ranks. One such villain was Michael Palaeologus whose efforts to forcibly compel the East to accept Latinization and acceptance of the filioque ultimately led to his being denied a Christian burial in the Orthodox Church. St. John Doukas III made efforts to harmonize with the Latins but resisted their efforts to impose Latinization. St. Stephen Milutin opposed with force the efforts of Michael Palaeologus. Most notorious was St. Mark of Ephesus who, upon seeing the Council of Florence would not result in the desired compromise, condemned the Latins.

But there persisted a faction in both the Latin Church and the Greek Church which desired unification and acceptance than the division. St. Josaphat Kunsevich led the unification efforts in the early 17th century. Josaphat was baptized into the Ruthenian Orthodox Church and was nothing but a tradesmen when the Union of Brest was signed by a group of Orthodox Christians desiring union with the Catholic Church. These Christians were opposed by the Greeks who believed that the Union of Brest fell short of unification requirements. The Union of Brest sustained and upheld Greek tradition to be a fully legitimate expression of the Catholic faith. It resolved the dispute with the filioque clause by not mandating that the Greeks accept anything regarding the procession that could not be found in Scriptures, essentially making the doctrine a matter of theologoumenon, theological opinion. The issue of Purgatory was also settled as a matter of pious speculative theology, as long as some sort of purgation was affirmed (which the Greeks did in the tradition of Toll Houses), then the opinion was considered orthodox. Finally, it enabled the Greek clergy to stay married, not bounding them to clerical celibacy, and upheld the rite of the Byzantine tradition as a valid liturgical rite.

The converts to the newly established Greek Catholic rite were only required to uphold the supremacy of the jurisdictional authority of the Pope. This was still a problematic issue among the fiercely Orthodox and when Josaphat became the Archbishop of Polotsk in 1618, these tempers flared. Josaphat's father desired him to be a councilman but Josaphat's interests were in religion. Josaphat was deeply religious himself and seeing the unification with Rome, desired to uphold that unity and defend the unification with Rome under the conditions of the Union of Brest. He entered into the Basilian Monastery in Vilna in 1604 and would be ordained to the priesthood in 1609. He would be elevated to the Episcopacy in 1617, being made the Bishop of Vitebsk. Finally, he would be the Archbishop of Polotsk. As Archbishop he pleaded and defended the unification of the Greek Catholics with the Latins.

But he had harsh critics among the Orthodox who rejected the unification. Riots broke out and the Orthodox opponents of unification resorted to mob violence. One such, a priest named Elias, had to be jailed for the trouble he caused. In October of 1623, Josaphat challenged the mobs. He stated, "Some of you people in Vitebsk want to kill me. Well, here I am, I have come here of my own free will. I am your shepherd and I should be happy to give my life for you. If it please God that I should die for unity under the earthly headship of Peter's succession, so be it. I am ready to die for truth." A riot was staged by the followers of the Orthodox priest and Josaphat's residence was broken into. They hacked and beat the bishop and they threw his body into the water. The body was retrieved the following Friday and interred at Baila in Podlesie.

King Sigmund would petition the Pope for the canonization of Josaphat. He would eventually be presented to the reliquary in the Church of St. Sophia. His remains were examined and while they found the vestments to be damaged by the water, the body remained in tact. His face broke out into sweat when it was touched. Though his beard and hair fell away and the vestments disintegrated upon touch, the body was found to be of a white color, soft to touch. In 1650, when the body was exposed yet again, blood flowed from it. It was determined that Josaphat was indeed incorrupt and he would be canonized in 1867 by Pope Leo XIII, the first Eastern Catholic saint to be canonized by the Pope since the unification in 1595-1596. St. Josaphat, pray for the unity of the Church! Amen.

Sources:

The Incorruptibles, Joan Carroll Cruz

"St. Josaphat Kunsevich: Who was St. Josaphat?", St. Josaphat Parish

St. John the Merciful

St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria, was born to two wealthy parents, Kosima and Epiphanios, on the island of Cyprus in 555 A.D. Both of his parents were adorned with great virtue and his mother reflected the beauty of her virtue. Always wanting to honor his parents, the saint accepted a marriage that he was forced into by them. Though the saint had no desire for marriage or for child-rearing, he desired to give them the honor that was due to them as his parents. It was not in God's will that the soon-to-be Patriarch should retain the married state and St. John would see the death of his wife and his sons. Shunning wealth, the saint sought a more solitary life as a monastic, but when the Emperor Herakleios seized the throne of Constantinople, the people of Egypt begged for a Patriarch. Herakleios would appoint John to the Patriarchal throne of Constantinople at the people's request, and though not accepting it at first, he soon realized that the Emperor would resort to force if it had been necessary, so he accepted the throne.

The Archbishop would be both generous with the monetary assets of the Church, and he would go about reforming the Egyptian Church to a state of orthodoxy. He threw out the addition of "Who was crucified for us" that Patriarch Peter of Antioch had added to the Trisagion. This was in contrast to the orthodox faith which taught that the Divine Nature of Christ did not suffer death, for indeed, when Christ suffered in His flesh, death could not contain Him and spat Him out. How then could the Divine Nature have suffered death? St. John used the Church's wealth to build up hostels for strangers, lying-in hospitals for women in labor, and even would distribute food and grain during times of famine. He would give to all in proportion to the wealth that was possessed by each and in consideration of their social standing. He would always treat anyone as a child and showed abundant mercy to all who encountered him. When rebuked by others he replied, "If this money were my own which is being given away, perhaps I should sorrow. But since it is the Master's free gift and grace, one must observe the Donor's command and wishes unswervingly without disguise."

St. John had a vision once of a lady who approached him, most beautiful, who identified herself as the first daughter of the great King. This lady, he realized, was almsgiving. When a man approached him for six coins, he gave to him freely. This same man would disguise himself and come back for six coins more. St. John would give to him. Once again, this man came back and his clergy recognized that the man was deceiving the Patriarch. Rebuking them, St. John did not see villainy in the man, but rather saw Christ, and an opportunity to pay back what he owed Christ. He held courts for the poor who were being treated unjustly in Egypt and he sought to make it right for them whenever they had a just cause. He believed that the poor were greater than he for it would be the poor who would be the means by which he would reach Heaven. It would be their prayers that he would seek after. Once, a merchant asked him for assistance when he lost all the cargo on his ship. The merchant would once again lose the cargo and St. John revealed that some of the money was ill-gotten. He gave to the merchant yet again. Once again the merchant lost the cargo. He came to St. John yet again and St. John did give him the ten pounds of gold that he needed. The merchant came upon the British Isles where there was great famine and the merchant provided for the British with the abundance of wheat on board his ship. St. John had also noticed a problem of a famine of the Word of God, the Scriptures, and the Mysteries at the Mareotic Lake near Alexandria. He ordered churches be built for the inhabitants and priests appointed to minister to them. When this merchant arrived in Dekapolis, he had presented the tin to his client. But his client had discovered that the tin was silver. The merchant recognized this as a miracle from the prayers of the Patriarch offered to the God who had turned water into wine. The merchant and his client discovered that all the tin in the cargo he held had turned into silver.

St. John was clairvoyant and knew how his clergy had swindled a poor man whom he had instructed his clergy to present 15 pounds of gold too. They only gave five pounds though and a wealthy widow who had one son presented St. John with a note offering 500 pounds of gold. He explained that had they given the poor man the amount of gold they had been instructed to, this widow would have given them a thousand more. Indeed, the widow was amazed to find that when she had written the note, the word "one thousand" had been miraculously deleted. The governor Niketas then would coerce the Patriarch into giving money from the Church to the Empire. Niketas then found merchants carrying honey and wished to send some of the honey as offering to the Patriarch. When the pots reached the Patriarch, they were miraculously filled with gold. The Patriarch would experience his own losses when 13 ships of his carrying cargo were caught in a storm and in order to save both the crew and the ships, the cargo had to be thrown out into the sea. The Patriarch took this moment as Job did when the latter suffered much losses. A man named Kosmas, hoping to take advantage of the poverty that the Patriarch now found himself in, offered money to the holy Patriarch for the diaconate. Kosmas had been twice married and by canon law, would not be allowed to attain the diaconate. The Patriarch sniffed out the bribe and refused the man's offer.

Once, two priests were caught in fisticuffs with each other and both had to be suspended. One priest repented, but the other did not and had been the one to inspire Niketas to come against the Patriarch. Remembering Our Lord's command to make things right with one's brother before offering the gifts at the altar, the Patriarch sensed something wrong and paused before the gifts was offered. The priest had a stomachache as he began to pray the offertory. So the saint took the priest aside and apologized to the priest for everything and anything he had done wrong. The priest, in awe, then repented of all he had done to the Patriarch and the two were reconciled together.

He would regularly settle conflicts and never let his anger stay while the sun went down. Once, during another dispute with the Patrician Niketas, the Patriarch, realizing things would be unsettled and that night was coming, sent the Patrician a note that the sun was about to go down. Niketas and the Patriarch quickly resolved the matter. He also cautioned his nephew to avoid a dispute with a certain retailer. The Patriarch admired the tradition of another kingdom which presented its new king with four stones to choose from. The stone he chose would go to make his tomb, thus reminding him of his death. The Patriarch always lived with a reminder of his death. Once, the Patriarch was given a blanket by a certain rich ruler as a gift. The Patriarch took it initially but could not sleep knowing how many poor men he could have been feeding with the money that could be attained from selling the quilt. He sold the quilt and used the money to feed the poor. The rich man saw the quilt in the shop and bought it and gave it once again to the Patriarch. And the Patriarch took it and sold it again and distributed the money. This went on for some time and the money that the Patriarch would use, he counted as the rich man's gift, thus aiding the rich man's salvation. His Bishop Troilos was very avaricious toward his wealth and he ordered his Bishop to distribute a gold coin to each poor man until his pocket ran dry. This made Troilos sick. Seeing how sick the Bishop had become, the Patriarch brought to the Bishop the total sum of money that he had ordered to be given. But Troilos must also sign that the deed was done by the Patriarch. Later, the Bishop had a vision that he was in Paradise and saw a room prepared for him but an angel struck his name off the room and replaced it with John. He told the Patriarch what had happened and repented of his avariciousness.

He would recite the tale of a rich man named Peter who found that he would be saved by even the most hostile act of almsgiving and repented of his avariciousness afterwards as an example for people to follow. He was influenced deeply by St. Serapion who sold himself for a widow and thought that he had only given material wealth whereas St. Serapion gave himself. Once, a woman who had converted from Judaism was found with a monk and the monks slandered their brother. The Patriarch had the monk beaten for this but finding out that the monk had been slandered through a revelation, repented of what he had done to the monk and witnessing the monk's humility and honesty in how he had been providing shelter for this former Jewess who had converted to Christianity, was inspired to give even more to the monasteries and he lent more support to the monks afterwards. Especially after it was revealed how the Abba Vitalios would secretly lead the harlots away from their sinful lives, St. John refused to make any rash judgments on people or submit his ears to any potential slanders. "Indeed, many times we have seen the sin of our brother, but we have not seen his secret repentance. Only God judges the secret things of the heart, and He is able to accept the repentance and renew a right spirit in the sinner."

The saint humbly listened to the wisdom of his advisors John and Sophronios who would greatly assist in combating the Monophysite heresy which reigned rampant in Egypt. The Patriarch also admonished his flock to adhere to holy conduct in the liturgy, appearing to people who had held conversations during the Gospel reading while they were outside the Church and also warning people to only carry out the business of prayer in the holy sanctuary. The Patriarch also warned his flock not to commune with heretics, even if it meant that they would not be able to receive the Holy Mysteries for their entire lives for one is wed to the Church and one should not leave his wife for another woman, even if separated from her. He admonished his flock not to partake of Communion in the hand as well.

St. John thought much on death and the final judgment. Toward the end of his life, he sought to return to his homeland. But his old friend, the Governor Niketas, desired that the Patriarch grant a blessing to the Emperor in Constantinople. While they were venturing out at sea, a storm came upon the ship threatening them. St. John began to pray and the storm began to cease. An angel with a gold scepter in hand appeared and beckoned the saint to his homeland, for he was to see the King of Heaven. St. John told Niketas that he must go to Cyprus to see the Heavenly King though Niketas had intended him to see the earthly king. There in Cyprus, St. John wrote his will and reposed on the evening of November 11, 619 A.D. He was interred between two holy hierarchs on June 16 in the Church of St. Tychon in Cyprus. The hierarchs, upon the Patriarch's being laid to rest there, both gave way and moved to make room for the new hierarch that was to accompany them. Thus, St. John entered into his eternal rest, building many monasteries, churches, hospitals, hostels, and other structures for the homeless and the needy. Almsgiving would crown him with the wreath of Heavenly Glory.*

St. John the Merciful, pray for us!

*Adapted from The Life of St. John the Merciful in the Greek Synaxaristes from Nov. 12

Loss, grief, confusion

One of my dear friends writes lovely poetry on two different blogs, both of which I have linked in my blogroll on the side of my page. Though she has disclosed her name to me in private for the sake of including it in my prayers, most of you who have encountered her probably know her affectionately as "Rae". We first encountered each other through our shared experiences in the autistic community. Though she does not have autism, she does have close family members with autism. I also bear autism as a cross. It creates a multitude of confusion, especially with social interactions. I often have a difficult time forming and making friends because of my experiences. It is difficult for people to communicate with me as a result. For those who bear this cross or know close family bearing this cross, it is difficult to see their sufferings.

Her last poem is exceptionally beautiful. I recommend reading it several times. It is about our venturing around in this world. We find ourselves wandering around in darkness, yet as we bear this baptismal garment, there is for Christians a light that remains with us at all times. We cannot hope to fully know God in this life for our minds are too feeble to understand that infinite goodness that He is. We can only begin to grasp. Yet for Christians, we return to Him. We return to the home He has prepared for us. When we return, we will experience the full fruits of our labors. Though we are often times in confusion, pain, and suffering, we will be eternally glorified, partaking in the Divine light that shines through us, even if dimly for now.

Though this poem can be applied to all of our sufferings, she mentions that she wrote it for a woman who experienced the loss of her child and husband on the same day. One of the many crosses that are given out is that of grief. We experience and deal with grief so differently. Yet for those who are bound to the Resurrection, there remains a flicker of hope. We may not see this hope clearly in the losses that we have been inflicted with, but the hope does indeed prevail. There are many examples in Christian tradition of those who have been wounded with grief, but a particular woman in the history of Christianity comes to my mind whom this poem applies so well to.

St. Cleopatra was a widow of a Roman officer, living in Egypt, during the time of the Holy Martyr Varus. She had witnessed firsthand the sufferings of Varus. He was also a Roman officer and a Christian. Cleopatra was moved by his sufferings and also extended compassion for him as he had shared the position of her deceased husband. When he was killed, she pleaded for his relics so that she could honorably bury them, stating that her husband was an officer and that she wanted to bury his relics honorably. St. Varus was not her husband, but she took his relics and gave them honorable burial, building a Church for him. Cleopatra gave herself in devotion to the Holy Martyr from that point on.

Now Cleopatra had one son named John. Once, when praying, she asked the Holy Martyr Varus to give to her son that which was beneficial in the eyes of God. Her son, who was at an age to be enlisted into the army, became ill shortly afterward and died. In her grief, being hit with the loss of her son, she cursed at the Holy Martyr whom she had honorably buried and devoted herself to all this time. Experiencing confusion from her grief, she could no longer see what was beneficial to her son. She was losing faith from this experience. It was the Holy Martyr who appeared to her in a vision then, with her son at his side. She beheld her son in the glory of Heaven, crowned with a wreath and standing next to the martyr. Varus offered her son to her but pleaded that she would reconsider having now seen her son basking in the radiant glory of eternity. Cleopatra was called back to faith in this moment and allowed her son to remain in eternity. She would enter into eternal rest with Varus and John soon.

This life is incomplete. I grieve most for those who can only see this earthly life. Often times we want to curse at God because most of the time, we only see a tangled mess. We see ourselves apart from God, distant from God, plagued with dark and depressive thoughts, sometimes blasphemous, wondering if someone will ever lift these from us. We can always ask that the burden be made lighter, but much of the time, it is the things we overcome that make us great. I have heard how Samwise is the "true hero" of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Frodo gave into temptations and Samwise pulled him aside, always directing him onward. We all have spiritual directors in this life who aid us in our lives. But it is not what our directors overcome that lead us to Heaven. They are helping us overcome our temptations. Frodo is at the helm of it all, bearing the ring. He is suffering the deepest conflict of all the Hobbits and all of the characters. He is tasked with the greatest burden of all. This is what makes Frodo the hero. If God were to take away our temptations, our sufferings, what triumph would we experience when they were finally thrown down. This is why a Christian should not fear death, for in death, we enter into the most splendid of eternal rest.

Much like St. Cleopatra, we have our moments where we become angry toward the God we love wondering why He has weighed us down with such a heavy burden, why He has taken away those we love so dearly. But as we wrestle through this, as we continue to see only the tangled mess of the incomplete tapestry, as we see through the glass darkly, we come to realize there is beauty in our sufferings. Whatever your cross may be, whether it is dealing with developmental disorders or standing by a loved one as they experience a battle to overcome their developmental disability, or if it is the loss of a loved one as was thrown upon the woman my friend wrote her poem for or even St. Cleopatra, or maybe your cross is something different, we all struggle through this life. But we remain connected to Him through His touch. We come to touch His grace in the sacraments. He provides warmth for us when a friend lights a blessed candle for us. He lifts our burdens when we confess our sins to Him and receive His grace in the sacrament of reconciliation and He fills us with His grace once more when we partake of the Holy Eucharist. This touch remains with us, even should He appear most distant at times.

Why are the icons angry?

It was during Lent. I know I had a lot of baggage on me. That subdeaconess gave off an aura which just didn't agree with me. I don't know why she was liked by so many people and they seemed to blame me for my failure to like her in response. I just couldn't bring myself to talk to her. I had other sins that I had fallen back into since deciding to convert. I longed to have my confession heard but that was only for Christians. Sure, I go to Church regularly, but I don't decide whether to become a Christian. It's the Church that decides that. I might believe the doctrines but that doesn't make me a Christian. God makes you a Christian and if the Church allows you, you get to be one. But the Church was not allowing me.

I looked at the icon of Christ and saw a fierce scowl. Why does He scowl in anger at me? I know I've done a lot wrong but I've been trying to make it right. The Reader was in the nave at this time and I asked him why the icons are so angry. Why is this icon of Christ so furious? He said that it looked more expressionless, possibly stern as Christ the Teacher rather, to him. But the icons still looked angry, inflamed with rage toward me. I asked another lady why the icons were so furious. She said she never noticed the way they looked before. Have I not tried my best to serve God all my life yet when it comes to such exterior circumstances beyond my control He is to turn away in anger and hostility?

For a while, I tried to fix everything that was broken about me on my own thinking that it would earn His grace and yet still I remained on the outside of the Church. I didn't know what religion or faith I had held to when people asked such question of me. I went through the motions. I attended Church, I asked about becoming a Catholic numerous times, yet there seemed less and less of a benefit. I began to despair more severely and the anger in the icons remained. Have I not done everything in my power to change the situation? Do I not believe the right things? Do I not attend Church faithfully? Yet the reward appears for those who seem to desire it the least.

I hate talking about my conversion. It fills me with pride. I was ill-treated and pushed to the side. People aren't supposed to break into the Church. I worry often if I made demands of God. It was a time of confusion and often times, I am shocked I stuck it out so long. I ponder if the Church had shut itself down like it did last Spring before I was confirmed in the orthodox Catholic faith, should I even be a Christian at this point? I hesitate to say yes. The Church's officials have scandalized me so severely, I may have taken this as a sign from God that He desired me not. Are not conversions moments of joy? One goes from a worse state to a much better state, being filled with God's grace. Yet this conversion seems to have left me in perpetual doubt. How did I come to this faith suffering so much abuse from such an holy church?

I have fallen into much sin and temptations. I am stirred with anger and pride. How to humble myself? I ask for strength in my weakness. No. There were no demands made of God. You were left in delusion intentionally but look, you have been rescued. These abusers, these mockers, can do you no harm because you hold onto your baptismal garment. Those who pray for you faithfully, they are building up a store for you in Heaven. These are the ones you owe your devotion to. Your godmother, the Crazy Church Lady, who called you her godson when you thought you were distant. Your friend who prays so much for your godmother and for you and who will light candles for you. The Reader, now Priest, who shows godly humility. Presbytera spontaneously lit a candle for you just the other day. What other acts have you failed to see others doing for you?

As I came to give confession for the third time since my conversion, I looked to the icons. The expression of anger was gone. There stood I its place an expression of mercy, welcoming the sinner as he sought to return to the fold. Has this expression always been there? Maybe I was not looking in the right place for so long? But I have not seen the angry expression in the icons in quite a long time. I don't think I have seen this expression in the icons since that moment. They have presented me with mercy and grace. I was deluded to seeing this angry expression. Delusion came not from my control but without. With God's grace, I shall be delivered from this delusion and fly to the place He has prepared for me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit! Unto ages of ages, Amen.

The Theotokos in Pauline Theology

One common attack by Protestants is the overwhelming absence of the Theotokos in the writings of the New Testament. If she is so central a figure in Christianity, why isn't she mentioned in Scriptures? The argument is an argument from silence, yet she is very much central in Pauline theology. It is difficult for someone to see who is not used to the centrality of the Theotokos in Christianity, but we see her presence there loudly. St. Paul is often times confused as to whether it seems he supports women in leadership positions in the Church or if he is simply just a male chauvinist. It is very clear from a myriad of writings that St. Paul is abundantly supportive of the role of women in the Church, yet feminists like to attack him as being against women on the basis of one or two texts that suggest otherwise. This is because they silence the Theotokos, the most important woman of all. The most controversial text on women in St. Paul's theology is 1 Timothy 2:11-15,

Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.

Looked at in an isolated manner from Tradition, we can see how Protestant exegetes would turn this into bickering about what the proper role for women in tradition is. Yet we know from experience that the Catholic and Traditional view of the role of women is great and high. We have seen women as Empresses commanding their kingdoms such as Pulcheria, Irene of Athens, and Theodora the wife of Theophilos, Tamara of Georgia, the Old Testament shows women as heroes and as great leaders of the Israelites such as Deborah, Esther, and Judith, and St. Paul shows a respect for women such as Priscilla, Junia, and Phoebe. We cannot isolate one text and presume it as the whole. Even further, St. Paul's commentary on the origin of sin show it coming not from Eve or a woman but through Adam, the first man (Rom. 5:12).

When we go back all the way to the text of Genesis, we note that it is through the descendant of the woman that the serpent's head is to be crushed (Gen. 3:15). The pangs of childbearing would come upon the woman. And in Galatians 4, St. Paul draws an allegory between the descendants of Hagar and Sarah in comparing the children of the promise to the children of bondage (4:21-31) and also elaborates on the importance of Christ's birth to a woman (4:4-7). The key is not in that the woman is to be saved through a physical birth-giving. St. Paul is actually in fact elaborating quite a Marian theology in 1 Timothy 2.

It is through man in Pauline theology that sin comes into the world. Yet here, he recognizes the woman's involvement in sin coming into the world as well. It is in this acknowledgment that he is able to unite man and woman together. Without the Theotokos in the Christian Church, we come to a conclusion that is both a-theological and we place an artificial cultural restraint on St. Paul. Yet this is not the case. The Theotokos, in her humility, while alive, did not allow anyone to speak of her directly. Yet here, St. Paul speaks of her indirectly, but with loud and concise clarity for the Christian believer. It is through birth-giving that the woman is saved. Through her birth-giving of Christ. Eve led Adam to sin, but the obedience of the Theotokos, the humility of Our Lady, led to the God-Man coming into the world through her birth-giving of Him. Where we see the First Adam, we must also look to the Second Adam. Christians must also look to the Second Eve when we see the First Eve. Thus, when St. Paul references the First Eve, we must also look for the Second Eve, the Theotokos.