An accurate statement of the Orthodox faith
John was born in Syria, in Damascus, in the seventh century, which is why he became known as John of Damascus; he came from a noble family, which instilled in him the ideals of the Christian faith from childhood. This happened due to the fact that a captive monk who knew a lot about science and theology appeared in their house. At birth, the future saint was named after his grandfather - Mansur.
Having received a proper education, John of Damascus took the corresponding position at the court of the caliph; according to some sources, he was a minister, according to others, a tax collector. In public service, he did not pursue wealth and honors, but fulfilled his duties exactly; his soul strove for Christ. The Lord actually tested how faithful John would remain to him. Under the Byzantine Emperor Leo, the heresy of iconoclasm was popular, and the Monk John compiled treatises “Against those who condemn holy icons,” where the terms “veneration” and “worship” were first introduced. Such writings angered the emperor - with the help of a forged letter he slandered the Monk John. The Caliph sentenced him to the punishment of cutting off his right hand.
But as they say, “The Lord will not put to shame all those who trust in him,” having received a cut off hand, John of Damascus put it to his hand and began to pray to the Mother of God. Waking up in the morning, he discovered that a miracle had happened - his hand was completely normal. This is how the image of the Most Holy Theotokos “Three-Handed” arose, in whose glorification St. John wrote a hymn. After this, the caliph asked him for forgiveness and invited him to return to service, but John refused.
John of Damascus decided to break ties with the world forever - he gave away all his property, set his slaves free and entered the monastic path. It is not known exactly in which of the monasteries of Jerusalem (perhaps it was the monastery of Sava the Sanctified) he took monastic vows, and then he received the name John, under which he became known as one of the Fathers of the Church. The monastic life was not easy for John: his spiritual mentors knew about his noble origin and constantly gave him tests of humility and obedience, which he passed with honor.
One day, the monastery brethren asked him to write a consoling word on the death of one of the monks, and before that, John made a promise to one of the elders of the monastery to leave his studies in literature, but yielded to the requests of the monks. Having learned about this, the elder kicked him out of the monastery, but subsequently he was honored with a visit from the Mother of God, who commanded that St. John be allowed to write. He returned to the monastery, devoted the rest of his life to monastic deeds and writing, he wrote the book “An Accurate Exposition of the Orthodox Faith,” the essay “Against Heresies,” and several sermons about the Mother of God. The Monk John of Damascus departed to the Lord, having crossed the hundred-year mark.
See also: Patristic literature
Monastic feat
Eventually, the activities of the monk became known and began to irritate even the iconoclast emperor himself. And then the heretics used their favorite heretical weapon - lies - to fight the fighter for the purity of faith. Only this time the lie was not aimed at the dogmas of faith, but at undermining the reputation of their defender. John of Damascus was slandered before the caliph, accused of conspiracy and treason. Moreover, for this purpose, a method of slander that was both sophisticated and shameful was chosen. The clerk, having forged the saint's handwriting, wrote a letter to the emperor on his behalf with a promise to surrender the city of Damascus. This letter was then given to the Caliph. As a result, John was subjected to disgrace and cruel punishment: cutting off his hand.
But by special Divine intervention, after the tearful, heartfelt prayer of the sufferer in front of the icon of the Mother of God, the severed hand, leaning against the wound and tied with a handkerchief, was miraculously healed (at that time he was as if in a dream), the desecrated honor was restored, and the detractors were put to shame. Subsequently, in memory and gratitude of this event, the monk attached to the icon an image of a hand made of silver. In honor of this event, the image of the Mother of God “Three Hands” was established in iconography
John was again offered a place at court, but he refused the position and, having distributed all his property, freeing his slaves, withdrew from this world, joining the ranks of the monastic brotherhood. It is known that monastic tonsure took place in one of the Palestinian monasteries. There is a legend that this monastery became the Lavra of St. Savva the Consecrated. Along with monasticism, John also adopted a new name, under which he became glorified before God and the Church - John (before that his name was like his grandfather: Mansur).
They say that at first the monks treated him with caution, because after all, he was a former nobleman. Many refused to take him under their mentorship. Finally, there was one stern ascetic who agreed to take him into obedience. True, at the same time, John was given a firm condition that he resolutely refuse to engage in any literary work. And he refused.
But it happened that a relative of one monk died, after which he, overwhelmed with grief, began to beg John to write something comforting about this. John refused for a long time, but then he finally decided and composed funeral verses. The poems turned out to be beautiful, but the saint’s mentor, the elder, who forbade him to engage in writing, was indignant and even kicked him out of his cell. Then John began to ask him for forgiveness. Other monastic brethren also joined this request. Finally, the elder agreed to forgive the monk, but he, according to his word, had to cleanse the monastery of impurities with his own hands.
John, showing sincere humility, fulfilled the order, which touched the heart of the stern confessor. Meanwhile, the Mother of God Herself stood up for John, appearing to the elder in a vision. After this incident, the elder blessed John for literary creativity for the glory of Orthodoxy.
According to some sources, at one time Patriarch John of Jerusalem summoned John of Damascus to himself and ordained him to the rank of presbyter. Soon the Patriarch rested and John returned to his monastery. The year was 735.
After the throne of the autocrat passed to Copronymus, the struggle with icons broke out with even greater ferocity. John of Damascus, having arrived in Constantinople, boldly denounced the emperor and the heretical bishops who looked into his mouth. It is alleged that at the Council of 754 (755) an anathematism was pronounced against St. John of Damascus. According to some information, he was even imprisoned.
The year of the saint's death is not precisely established. It is believed that John of Damascus rested in the Lord around 775-780.
Agafonov Nikolai - John of Damascus
1 …
PROLOGUE
A caravan is traveling through the Syrian desert. Two dozen camels marching with their heads held high and even half a dozen dejected mules loaded with silk from China, gems from Persia, aromas and ivory from India, copper and silver from Armenia. The caravan is accompanied by a mounted detachment of Bedouins armed with spears and short swords. Tired travelers can already discern the ridge of the Lebanese Mountains, barely visible in the blue sky. To the left of the caravan rises the famous Mount Hermon, the white peak of which sparkles in the rays of the generous southern sun, like a scattering of precious diamonds.
But then the caravan climbs another hill, and the eyes of the Arab horsemen open to a view of a fertile valley, irrigated by rivers and streams flowing from the mountains. Carefully cultivated fields of cotton and flax rise from the foot of Hermon to the very outskirts of Damascus, this true “pearl of the East.” White stone walls with high crenellated towers surround temples and mosques, magnificent palaces and beautiful houses with marble pools and fountains. The city, as it was at that time, fully corresponded to such sublime metaphors as “the feather of the bird of paradise” and “the necklace of a beauty”, which Oriental poets awarded it with, expressing their genuine admiration for the capital of Syria.
And yet, perhaps, “The Fragrance of Paradise” can be considered the most successful name for a city surrounded by green gardens. The air of Damascus is filled with the sweet aroma of roses, which grow here in great abundance. The branches of fruit trees break under the weight of the fruit. Juicy plums and fragrant apricots, almonds and large olives, the famous Damask grapes and streams of cool water constantly babbling in the gardens - this is not the ideal of paradise, glorified in the seventy-sixth sura of the Koran! Perhaps this is why the followers of the Prophet Muhammad, when creating the Arab Empire in the 7th century, chose Damascus as the capital of their powerful caliphate.
PART ONE
CHAPTER 1
1
The fifty-sixth year of the Hegira[1] was unsuccessful for Caliph Mu'awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan. The large-scale offensive against Constantinople he launched six years ago was a complete failure both from land and sea. The Muslim fleet was half burned by “Greek fire”[2], and its remains were consumed by a storm off the coast of Pamphylia. And the Arab ground army suffered a crushing defeat from the imperial army in Libya. To top it all off, the Lebanese highlanders, whom the Arabs called Mardaites, rebelled in the caliphate itself[3]. And even the elderly Muawiya had no time for war with external enemies. Now he was more concerned about the issue of transferring the throne to his son Yazid. Considering all these circumstances, the Caliph asked for peace from Emperor Constantine Pogonatus, and now, depressed by gloomy thoughts, he was awaiting an embassy from Constantinople.
But if Muawiya had no time for fun, then literally two blocks from the caliph’s palace, in the house of his minister, on the contrary, great joy reigned. Something happened that the great logothete[4] of Damascus, Sergius Mansur, no longer dared to hope for: he had a son.
When Sergius turned 50 years old and his wife was 37, the hope of having a child, which had glimmered in his heart for almost two decades, suddenly began to fade. And then, filled with desperate boldness, he mournfully exclaimed:
- Lord, for so many years I prayed to You to give an heir to our Mansur family, but You did not hear me and did not see my suffering. There are probably people who need Your consolation more than I, a great sinner. And yet I will not remain silent before You about my sorrowful misery. I will go where Your soul once grieved and suffered immensely, asking the Heavenly Father: “My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me? The time has come for me, a sinner, to ask You, Lord: why did You leave me as a barren fig tree, withered by the merciless wind of time?
And indeed, Sergius soon got ready and set off on foot to Jerusalem. He returned from there not alone, but with a baby in his arms, and told his wife how, early in the morning, going to the Holy Sepulcher for prayer, he found a child lying at the very threshold of the temple. It was not possible to find out who gave him the lift, so Sergius decided to adopt an orphan boy sent to him by God Himself.
There, in Jerusalem, Sergius baptized his adopted son, giving him the name Cosmas. And now, not even a year has passed since his own son was born.
When the birth of the long-awaited baby began, Sergius went into the prayer room. In the afternoon, the maid Favsta entered the chapel with a child in her arms with a joyful exclamation:
- My lord! Oh my lord! Look, you have a son!
Sergius rose from his knees. From excitement, he could not even utter a word, but only silently extended his hands. Fausta carefully handed him the swaddled baby, and he, tenderly pressing his son to his chest, turned to the icons. Somehow, involuntarily, by itself, the prayer of the righteous Simeon flowed from his lips: “Now you are releasing Your servant, Master, according to Your word, in peace...”
The baby began to cry. Favsta, worried, timidly offered to take the newborn to his mother. Sergius, who already wanted to give his son away, suddenly changed his mind, went up to the icon of the Mother of God and placed the baby in front of it:
“I thank You, Most Holy Virgin, that through Your intercession the Lord gave me a half-blooded son.” You are the true Mother of all the faithful children of the Church of Christ, and therefore I ask You, Lady of Heaven, take him under Your grace-filled protection, let him serve Your Son and our God.
The boy placed in front of the icon fell silent, smacked his lips and smiled.
On the eighth day, the newborn baby was named John - the same as the name of his grandfather, who at one time ruled Damascus.
2
Monk Cosmas was sitting on the deck, his back leaning against the side of the ship, and his elbow resting on a bay of thick ropes lying nearby. In this position, he decided to get some sleep before the midday heat arrived. All night the sea was stormy, and the ship was thrown like a chip on the waves, so that the monk sometimes thought: just a little more, and the depths of the sea would swallow them along with the ship. Cosma, who was not used to the sea motion, literally had his insides turned inside out. He prayed to God that all this would end as soon as possible, and caught himself thinking that even death in the waves of the water frightened him less than the continuation of the vile state in which he was. Exhausted by a sleepless night, he now rejoiced in the calm. But the sailors and captain, on the contrary, grumbled dissatisfiedly: “It’s better to have a storm with wind, at least there is at least some movement!”
Warmed up in the rays of the rising sun and rocked by the gentle swell of the sea, the monk dozed off. But soon his sleep was interrupted by alarming cries and chaotic running around the deck. Opening his eyes, Cosma saw that everyone was very excited about something and anxiously peering into the distance. He stood up and, leaning on the side, also began to peer in the same direction as everyone else. A ship was approaching them, and it was already possible to discern that it was an oared galley. One of the sailors, climbing the mast and examining the ship, shouted:
- These are the Saracens, coming straight at us.
“All oars to the water,” ordered the ship’s navkler [5] and, more quietly, so that only Cosmas could hear, he said with bitterness: “Eh, we won’t get away from them.” Listen, monk,” he suddenly turned to Cosmas, “I won’t take any payment from you for transportation, just pray to God that He will work a miracle and send us the wind, otherwise we won’t get away from these robbers.”
Cosmas began to pray, at the same time realizing - not so much with his mind as with his soul - the futility of his prayer, until finally a simple, clear thought dawned on his mind: Divine Providence did not by chance put him on this particular ship, and now it is also not by chance that he is giving it into his hands robbers.
- May Your will be done, O Lord, always good and perfect! - exclaimed Cosmas, amazed at this revelation.
The galley was already close and, without slowing down, was heading straight towards their ship. The sailors, clearly not sharing Cosmas’s mood, armed themselves with a small spear and a sword and with gloomy doom awaited the enemy, ready to give battle.
There was the sound of breaking wood. Cosma, unable to hold on to the side, fell to the deck. Immediately, iron hooks on ropes soared above his head and dug into the sides. The Arabs began to pull their galley towards the Greek ship. Several sailors tried to cut the ropes with swords, but the Arab archers did not allow them to finish their job. A sailor fell next to Cosmas, pierced by an arrow. Warlike cries rang out: “Alla! Allah!” - and immediately half-naked barefoot Arabs with drawn short swords in one hand and daggers in the other began to jump onto the deck over the head of Cosmas, who was leaning against the side. A battle broke out on the ship. The advantage was clearly on the side of the attackers. After a short time the battle ended. The surviving Greeks threw down their swords and surrendered to the mercy of the winner. Their hands were tied and they were taken to the stern of the ship. One Arab with a terrible scar across his entire left cheek approached Cosma and, looking fiercely at him with his only remaining eye, shouted to his comrade:
1 …
Creative heritage
Saint John was an extremely talented and prolific church writer. With all the breadth of topics raised in his writings, it is difficult to find a place in them worthy of negative criticism. In this regard, John of Damascus is rightly recognized as one of the most sober and orthodox exponents of the Holy Tradition of the Church.
Among the most famous fundamental works of this father, the Accurate Exposition of the Orthodox Faith stands out. A characteristic feature of this theological treatise, which distinguishes it from many other doctrinal manuals of that time, is a clear, systematic presentation, a brief but succinct explanation of the dogmatic truths presented.
Another, no less remarkable work can be called the Philosophical Chapters. Within the framework of this work, a clear explanation is given of the most important theological expressions and terms, including those formally borrowed from philosophy. The work: About One Hundred Heresies in Brief is dedicated to listing and exposing heresies.
In addition, the monk composed many works of various directions, including those dedicated to the most important Christian holidays (see, for example: Homily on the glorious Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ; Two words on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Three words of praise on the Dormition of the Mother of God) as well as hymnographic , song-writing nature (see: Easter Canon).
