Today our Synod commemorates St. John of Damascus. Here's what our Treasury and our website have to say about him:John of Damascus
John (ca. 675–749) is known as the great compiler and summarizer of the orthodox faith and the last great Greek theologian. Born in Damascus, John gave up an influential position in the Islamic court to devote himself to the Christian faith. Around 716 he entered a monastery outside of Jerusalem and was ordained a priest. When the Byzantine emperor Leo the Isaurian in 726 issued a decree forbidding images (icons), John forcefully resisted. In his Apostolic Discourses he argued for the legitimacy of the veneration of images, which earned him the condemnation of the Iconoclast Council in 754. John also wrote defenses of the orthodox faith against contemporary heresies. In addition, he was a gifted hymnwriter (“Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”) and contributed to the liturgy of the Byzantine churches. His greatest work was the Fount of Wisdom which was a massive compendium of truth from previous Christian theologians, covering practically every conceivable doctrinal topic. John's summary of the orthodox faith left a lasting stamp on both the Eastern and Western churches.
John's writings are cited in the Treasury, but not on this day. He has the honor of providing us the writing we read upon Christmas Day, which I cite only in part:
What greater thing is there, than that God should become man? And the Word became flesh without being changed, of the Holy Spirit, and Mary the holy and ever-virgin one, the mother of God. And He acts as mediator between God and man, He, the only lover of man, conceived in the Virgin's chaste womb without will or desire or any connection with man or pleasurable generation, but through the Holy Spirit and the first offspring of Adam. And He, who is like us, becomes obedient to the Father and finds a remedy for our disobedience in what He has assumed from us, and became a pattern of obedience to us without which it is not possible to obtain salvation. (Treasury, pp. 1053,1054)
As we commemorate St. John of Damascus, we cannot forget his many hymns. There are two that are included in our hymnal: "Come, Ye Faithful" and "The Day of Resurrection!" - both of which are Easter hymns. My favorite piece by him, however, is not in our hymnal:
What earthly joy remains untouched by grief?
What glory stands forever on the earth?
Frail shadows - all, delusive dreams;
Which death will one day sweep away.
But in the light of Your countenance, O Christ,
And in the enjoyment of Your beauty,
Give rest to those whom You have chosen and taken
For You are the Lover of mankind.
--St. John of Damascus, Friday Evening Aposticha Verse
10 comments:
St. John Damascene is one of the great treasures of both Eastern and Western Christianity.
As he is my patron saint, fr. Weedon, I wrote about him too on my blog. I've also written an Akathist hymn to him as well. You can read my blog, if you wish at:
http://myorthodoxjourney.blogspot.com/2009/12/commemoration-of-our-righteous-father.html
And, if you wish, you can read my akathist to St. John Damascene here:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AWhpaKp2qT_PZGN3cGtqZG5fMTdnc2J2cW5jMw&hl=en
Oh, one more thing, Fr. The information provided in the Treasury is incorrect. John Damascene was ordained a presbyter only shortly before his death (therefore around 760). He was a monk though since he entered into the Monastery of St. Sabbas in Jerusalem, whom we commemorate tomorrow. The joys of the Church calendar!
Land O'Goshen, even Portals of Prayer is now observing the commemorations on the Lutheran calendar!
A very good thing, methinks.
Christine
Yup. Here:
http://www.cph.org/cphstore/pages/forms/portals.asp
Chris,
Thanks for the links and the correction; but I note that Treasury could be read as implying he was ordained the year of his monastic profession, but doesn't exactly say that. Still, it does leave that impression, doesn't it?
Fr. Weedon, were you asked back by Issues, ETc. to do another talk on St. John Damascene? If not, why?
The TDP gives the impression that venerating icons is a fine practice. However, in response to Nicea II, the Council of Frankfurt in 794 and the Council of Paris in 810 taught, contrary to John of Damascus, that while images had didactic value, they were not to be worshipped. That view would seem to agree more with both early church and Lutheran practice.
It would have been preferable for the TDP to mention John of Damascus' best contribution to the Church, viz., his brilliant refutation of Islam.
Chris,
Not this year. Not sure who did it, but I'll bet they covered it somehow.
Joel,
The problem that the Frankish council had was that it misunderstood "veneration" as "worship" instead of as "honor." The council approved giving honor to icons; but did not at all commend "worshipping" them. It's similar to the honor we give to the Sacred Scriptures (I always kiss the Gospel when I am finished reading it) or people bowing to the Cross as it passes by in procession.
Joel,
I will just echo what Fr. Weedon said. THere is an inherent difference between latreia (worship) and proskynesis (honor) paid to images. A lot of people (mainly Protestants) who cannot understand the difference assume that we Orthodox who do use images don't know the difference either and thus we are condemned. Besides the two councils you mention (which were not Ecumenical, mind you) were Frankish. ANd the Franks were iconoclasts, not as radical as the Isaurian Emperors who ruled out East, but still pretty opposed to them.
One thing though about St. John's refutation of Islam is that it wouldn't really work today. Islam, back in St. John's day was regarded more of a Christian heresy than its own distinct religion. A lot has happened to Islam in 1200 years ago to further separate it from Christianity.
Pr. Weedon, Chris,
The 10 Commandments simply forbid bowing down to man-made images. By the perspicuity of Scripture, does that not rule out all veneration of man-made images, whether the mindset is one of mere honor or of full-fledged adoration?
Dear Joel,
Lutherans have always understood that as a rif on "no other gods." Hence the "them" we're not supposed to worship or serve are "other gods." This is very much in line with how St. John of Damascus defended the honor given to icons, or honor we give to the Gospel book, or the altar, or the Holy Cross.
Such honor is a far cry from the worship of the heart that looks to God for everything good. I think we modern Americans have trouble with it because we have trouble with the idea of honoring anyone or anything anymore. But it any case, honor is simply not adoration.
I honor the Gospel book, but I do not worship paper and ink. The pious Orthodox who kisses the icon of our Lord or of His holy Mother is not worshipping the paint and board in front of him; he is honoring the one whose image is portrayed.
If you want to see a similar thing in a Lutheran Church, check out the pictures from the Triduum at the Riga Cathedral and you'll notice the Lutherans lined up in the aisle on Good Friday to come forward and venerate (honor) the Holy Cross with a kiss. None of them are worshipping the Cross, but honoring it for the sake of Him who upon it became sin that we might become in Him the righteousness of God.
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