Saint john of damascene. John Damascene What they pray to the saint

reverend John Damascus was born in the capital of Syria, Damascus, from noble and pious parents, whose fiery faith in Christ, tested in sorrows and temptations, was stronger and more precious than gold that perishes, albeit by fire tested, gold. It was a difficult time then. The Saracens conquered that country and, taking this glorious city, caused all kinds of trouble to Christians, killing some, selling others into slavery, and not allowing anyone to openly confess Christ. At this time, John's parents, covered by the providence of God, were kept safe and healthy with all their property; They also kept the holy faith, for God gave them the opportunity to gain favor with the Saracens, as Joseph once had with the Egyptians and Daniel with the Babylonians, so that the wicked Hagarians did not forbid the parents of the saint to believe in Christ and openly glorify His holy name. In addition, they made Father Saint John the city judge and the head of public buildings.

Living in such prosperity, he did a lot of good for his fellow believers: he ransomed prisoners, freed those imprisoned and delivered them from death, and gave a helping hand to all those who were suffering. The saint's parents were in Damascus among the Hagarians, like lamps in the night, like a seed in Israel, like a spark in the ashes. That is why they were preserved by God, so that through them a lamp would be kindled in the Church of Christ, clearly shining to the whole world - Blessed John of Damascus. Having given birth to him according to the flesh, they hastened to make him a child of light and through baptism, which was a very difficult matter at that time. The Hagaryans did not allow anyone to be baptized, while the saint's parents unhindered revived their child with baptism and gave him a name, meaning the grace of God. The boy's father was very concerned that he was brought up in good teaching and learned not Saracen customs, not military courage, not animal hunting, not some other worldly art, but meekness, humility, fear of God and knowledge of the Divine Scriptures. Therefore, he earnestly asked God to send his son a wise and pious man who would be a good teacher and mentor for the boy in good deeds. The saint's parent was heard by God and received what he wanted in this way.

Damascus robbers made frequent raids on land and from the sea to neighboring countries, captured Christians and, bringing them to their city, sold some in the markets, others put to death. Once it happened to them to captivate a certain monk by the name of Cosmas, handsome in appearance and beautiful in soul, who came from Italy. Together with other prisoners, they decided to sell it on the market. Those whom the robbers wanted to behead with the sword, falling at the feet of this monk, with tears begged him to pray to God for their souls. Seeing the reverence given to the monk by those doomed to death, the Saracens asked him what dignity and honor he enjoyed in his fatherland among Christians. He answered:

I had no dignity, I was not even awarded the priesthood; I am only a sinful monk, taught philosophy, and not only Christian, but also the one invented by the pagan sages!

Having said this, the monk wept bitterly. Not far off stood John's parent, seeing the weeping old man and recognizing him as a monk by his clothes, he approached him and, wishing to comfort him in his sorrow, said:

In vain, man of God, you cry over the loss of the world, which you denied long ago and for which you died, as I see from your appearance and clothes.

I cry, - answered the monk, - not for the loss of the world - for him, as you said, I died - and I do not care about anything worldly, knowing that there is another life - better, immortal and eternal, prepared for the servants of Christ, which I hope and I get with the help of God; I am crying that I am leaving this world childless, without leaving behind an heir.

John's parent was amazed at the words of the monk and said:

Father, you are a monk who dedicated yourself to God for the preservation of purity, and not for the birth of children: why do you grieve for children?

The monk replied:

You do not understand, sir, what I said: I am not talking about the fleshly son and not about the earthly inheritance, but about the spiritual. I, as you yourself see, am a poor monk and have nothing, but I have a great wealth of wisdom, which I have enriched myself with from my youth working with the help of God. I studied various human sciences: rhetoric, dialectics, philosophy taught by Stagirite and the son of Ariston, - I know land surveying and music, I studied well the movement of heavenly bodies and the flow of the stars, so that from the beauty of creation and its wise arrangement I can come to a clearer knowledge of the Creator Himself ; finally, I have studied well the doctrine of the mysteries of Orthodoxy, compiled by Greek and Roman theologians. Having such knowledge myself, I did not teach it to anyone, and what I have learned, I cannot teach anyone now, for I have neither the time nor the student, and I think that I will die here by the sword of the Hagarians and appear before my Lord like a tree, that did not bear fruit, like a slave who hid the talent of his master in the earth. This is what I cry and cry about. As the fathers in the flesh grieve that, being married, they have no children, so I grieve and grieve that I do not have a single spiritual son who would be the heir of my wealth of wisdom after me.

Hearing such words, Saint John's father rejoiced that he had found the long-desired treasure, and said to the elder:

Do not be sad, father: God can fulfill the desire of your heart.

Having said this, he hurriedly went to the Saracen prince and, falling at his feet, zealously asked to give him the captive monk and did not receive a refusal: the prince gave him this gift, which, indeed, was more precious than many other gifts. Joyfully John's parent brought blessed Cosmas to his home and consoled him after long suffering, providing him with comfort and peace.

Father, - he said, - be the master of my house and an accomplice in all my joys and sorrows.

And he added:

Here God not only gave you freedom, but also fulfilled your desire. I have two children: one is my son according to the flesh - John, and the other is a boy, adopted by me instead of a son, from Jerusalem, an orphan from childhood, he has the same name with you, for he is also called Cosmas. I pray you, father, teach them wisdom and good morals and instruct them in every good deed, make them your spiritual sons, revive and educate them, and leave them behind you as heirs of that spiritual wealth that no one can steal.

The blessed elder Cosmas rejoiced, glorified God and began to diligently educate and teach both youths. The youths were reasonable, assimilated everything taught by the teacher and successfully studied. John, like an eagle soaring through the air, comprehended the lofty secrets of teaching, and his spiritual brother Cosmas, like a ship quickly rushing in a favorable wind, soon comprehended the depth of wisdom. Studying diligently and diligently, they acquired in a short time wisdom, studied grammar, philosophy and arithmetic, and became like Pythagoras and Diophanes; they also studied land surveying, so that they could be recognized as the new Euclids. How they improved in poetry is evidenced by the church hymns and poems they composed. They did not leave astronomy either, and also studied the theological secrets well. In addition, they learned good manners and a virtuous life and became perfectly perfect in knowledge, spiritual and worldly wisdom. John was especially successful. The teacher himself wondered at him, whom he surpassed in some areas of wisdom. And John was a great theologian, as evidenced by his divinely inspired and divinely wise books. But he was not proud of his wisdom. As a fruitful tree, the more fruit grows, the lower it bows to the ground with branches, so John, the more he succeeded in wisdom, the less thought about himself and knew how to tame the vain dreams of youth and passionate thoughts, but his soul was like a lamp, filled with oil, kindle with the fire of Divine desire.

And once the teacher Cosmas said to John's father: - Your desire, sir, has been fulfilled: your youths have learned well, so that they already surpass me in wisdom, it is not enough for such disciples to be equal to their teacher. Thanks to their great memory and unceasing labors, they have perfectly comprehended the full depth of wisdom; But God increased their gift. I do not need to teach them further: they themselves are already capable of teaching others. Therefore, I beg you, sir, let me go to the monastery, where I myself will be a disciple and learn the highest wisdom from perfect monks. The worldly philosophy that I have learned sends me to the spiritual philosophy, which is more worthy and purer than the worldly one, for it benefits and saves the soul.

Hearing this, John's father was saddened, not wanting to lose such a worthy and wise teacher. However, he did not dare to restrain the elder so as not to grieve him, fulfilled his desire and, having generously rewarded him, let him go in peace. The monk, however, withdrew to the Lavra of the Monk Sava and, having lived there safely until his death, departed to the most perfect Wisdom - God. A few years later, John's father also died. The prince of Saracen, calling on John, invited him to become his first adviser; John refused, having another desire - to work for God in silence. However, he was forced to obey and against the desire to accept the leadership, and he received in the city of Damascus more power than his parent.

At that time, Leo the Isaurian reigned in Greece, who brutally, like a roaring lion, rebelled against the Church of God. Vomiting icons from holy churches, he betrayed them to the flame, and mercilessly tormented the Orthodox believers and those who worshiped holy icons with fierce torment. Hearing this, John was kindled with zeal of piety, imitating Elijah the Thesbite and the Forerunner of Christ of the same name. Taking the sword of the Word of God, he began to cut off with it, as it were, the head, the heretical wisdom of the wicked king; he sent out many messages about the veneration of holy icons to those faithful who were known to him. In these Epistles, on the basis of Holy Scripture and the ancient tradition of the God-bearing Fathers, he wisely showed how to pay tribute to the worship of holy icons. Those to whom he wrote, John asked to show his message to other brothers of the same faith in order to establish them in Orthodoxy. So the saint strove to fill the entire universe with his inspired messages. Having spread throughout the entire Greek kingdom, they affirmed the Orthodox in piety, while they struck heretics as if they were Ostnes. The rumor of this reached the very tsar Leo, who, unable to bear the exposure of his wickedness, summoned heretics like him and commanded them to take on a false form of piety and find among the Orthodox some epistle of John, written by his own hand, and asked to read it as if for their own benefit. After many efforts, the accomplices of this evil plan found somewhere among the believers one letter, written by John's own hand, and, flatteringly begging, gave it into the hands of the king. The tsar instructed the skilled scribes that, looking at the letter of John, they would write in the same letters on behalf of the holy epistle to him - to King Leo, as if written in John's own hand and sent from Damascus. The message was this:

Rejoice, king, and I rejoice in your state in the name of our common faith and give worship and due honor to your royal majesty. I inform you that our city Damascus, which is in the hands of the Saracens, is poorly guarded and does not have a strong guard at all, the army in it is weak and small in number. I implore you, be merciful to this city, for God's sake, send your courageous army. Having shown the appearance that it intends to go to another place, it can accidentally attack Damascus, and then you can easily take the city into your possession, and I will help a lot in this, because the city and the whole country are in my hands.

Having written such a letter to himself on behalf of John, the cunning king ordered the Saracen prince to write from himself as follows:

There is nothing better, I think, than to have peace and be in friendship, for keeping peace promises is very commendable and kind to God; therefore, the peace made with you, I want to keep honest and faithful to the end. However, a certain Christian living in your state, with his frequent letters to me, encourages me to disturb the peace and promises me to give the city of Damascus into my hands without difficulty if I unexpectedly send my army. I am sending you one of those letters that this Christian wrote - this will convince you of my friendship, and in the one who dares to write to me like this, you will see treason and enmity and you will know how to execute him.

These two letters the wicked king Leo sent with one of his associates to Damascus to the Saracen prince. Having accepted and read them, the prince called John and showed him that false letter that had been written to King Leo. John, reading and considering the epistle, said:

The letters in this charter are somewhat like the letter of my hand, but it was not my hand that wrote this, for it never entered my mind to write to the Greek king, it cannot be that I served my master slyly.

John understood that this was the work of the enemy, evil, heretical cunning. But the prince, having become furious, ordered to cut off the innocent John's right hand. John earnestly asked the prince to wait and give him some time to clarify his innocence and the hatred that the evil heretical king Leo had for him, but he did not achieve what he asked for. The highly angry prince ordered the execution to be carried out immediately. And they cut off John's right hand — that hand that strengthened the faithful about God; this hand, which denounced those who hated the Lord with its writings, instead of the ink with which it wrote about the veneration of icons, was soaked in its own blood. After the execution, John's hand was hanged in the market, in the middle of the city, and John himself, exhausted from pain and loss of blood, was taken to his house. When evening came, learning that the prince's anger had already passed, the blessed one sent him the following request:

My illness is increasing, and it torments me inexpressibly, I cannot have any consolation as long as my truncated arm hangs in the air; I pray you, my lord, order you to give me my hand so that I can bury it in the ground, for I believe that if it is buried, I will receive relief in my illness.

The tormentor heeded this request and ordered to remove his hand from the public place and give it to John. Taking the truncated hand, John entered his prayer room and, falling to the ground in front of the holy icon of the Most Pure Mother of God, depicted with the Infant of God in her arms, put the severed hand to the joint and began to pray with tears and sighing emanating from the depths of his heart:

To the Most Pure Mother of God, who gave birth to My God, here is my right hand cut off for the sake of Divine icons. You know what made Leo angry, hurry to help and heal my hand. The Right hand of the Most High, incarnate from You, performs many miracles for the sake of Your prayers, therefore I pray that He will heal my right hand also according to Your intercession. About Bogomati! Let this hand of mine write that which You Yourself will allow in praising You and Your Son, and may it help the Orthodox faith with its writings. You can do everything if you want, because You are the Mother of God.

Saying this with tears, John fell asleep and saw in a dream the Most Pure Mother of God, looking from the icon at him with bright and merciful eyes and saying:

Your hand is now healthy, do not grieve for the rest, but work hard with it, as you promised me, make it a cursive cane.

Waking up, John felt his hand and saw it healed. He rejoiced in spirit about God his Savior and His Immaculate Mother, that the Almighty had performed such a miracle on him. Rising and raising his hands to heaven, he offered thanks to God and the Mother of God. And he rejoiced all night with the whole house, singing a new song:

- "Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorified in power"(Ex. 15: 6); Your right hand healed my truncated right hand and will crush enemies who disrespect Your Honest and Your Most Pure Mother image, and destroy with it, to exalt Your glory, enemies destroying icons.

When John thus rejoiced with his family and sang thanksgiving songs, the neighbors heard this and, learning about the reason for his joy and joy, they were very surprised. Soon the prince of Saracen learned about this and, immediately calling on John, ordered to show him the truncated hand. On the joint from which the hand was cut off, a sign, formed by the will of the Mother of God, remained like a red thread, for an obvious indication of the former cutting off of the hand. Seeing this, the prince asked:

What doctor and with what medicine so well connected the hand to the joint and so quickly healed and revived it, as if it were not cut off and dead?

John did not hide the miracle and publicly said about it:

My Lord, Almighty Physician, having heard my fervent prayer through His Most Pure Mother, healed my wound with His Almighty Power and made the hand that you commanded to cut off healthy.

Then the prince exclaimed:

Woe is me! Not considering slander, I unjustly condemned and innocently executed you, good man. I beg you, forgive us that we so quickly and unwisely condemned you, accept from us your former rank and your former honor and be our first adviser. From now on, without you and your advice, nothing will happen in our state.

But John, falling at the feet of the prince, asked for a long time that he would let him go from himself and did not hinder him from following his Lord with those monks who denied themselves and took up the yoke of the Lord. The prince did not want to let him go, and he tried to persuade John to remain the head of his house and the manager of his entire state. And there was a long dispute between them: one asked for the other, one tried to defeat the other by asking. With difficulty, John achieved his goal: although not soon, he nevertheless begged the prince, and he was given the freedom to do what he pleased.

Returning to his home, John immediately distributed his countless possessions to the needy, set free the slaves, and went to Jerusalem with his fellow practitioner Cosmas. There, having venerated the holy places, he came to the Lavra of Saint Sava and began to beg the abbot to accept him as a deluded sheep, and to introduce him to his chosen flock. The hegumen and all the brethren recognized Saint John, because he was already in glory and everyone knew him, thanks to his power, honors and great wisdom. And the abbot was glad that such a man had come to humility and poverty and wanted to be a monk. Accepting him with love, the abbot summoned one of the brethren, who was the most experienced and labored in ascetic deeds, wishing to entrust him with John under the command, so that he would teach him both spiritual wisdom and monastic deeds. But he refused, not wanting to be the teacher of such a man who excelled many in his learning. The hegumen called another monk, but this one did not want to, also the third and fourth and all the others refused, each of them confessed that he was not worthy to be the mentor of such a wise man, besides, everyone was ashamed of the nobility of John. After all, one was summoned with a simple disposition, but a reasonable old man; he did not refuse to be John's mentor. Having received John into his cell and wishing to lay the foundations of a virtuous life in him, the elder first of all gave him the following rules: that he should not do anything of his own free will; so that works and fervent prayers are offered to God as a kind of sacrifice; so that he shed tears from his eyes, if he wants to cleanse the sins of the past life, for this is more valuable before God than any dear incense. These rules were the basis for those deeds that are performed by bodily labor. For the same thing that befits the soul, the elder laid down the following rules: that John should not have anything worldly in his mind; not only did he not imagine any indecent images in his imagination, but he would keep his mind inviolable and clean from all vain addiction and empty pride; so that he does not boast of his wisdom and of what he has learned, and does not think that he can comprehend everything perfectly to the end; so that he does not covet any revelations and knowledge of the innermost secrets; would not have hoped for the rest of his life that his mind was unshakable and could not sin and fall into error; on the contrary, let him know that his thoughts are weak and his mind can sin, and therefore he should try not to allow his thoughts to be scattered and let him take care to focus them together, so that in this way his mind is enlightened from God, his soul is sanctified and his body is cleansed of all defilement; let his body and soul unite with the mind and be three in the image of the Holy Trinity, and man will become neither carnal nor spiritual, but spiritual in everything, having changed by good will from two parts of man - body and soul into the third and most important, that is, into the mind ... Such a spiritual father to his spiritual son and a teacher to his disciple prescribed statutes, adding the following words:

Not only do not write messages to anyone, but do not even talk about anything from the secular sciences. Observe silence with reasoning, for you know that not only our philosophers teach silence, but Pythagoras also bequeathed to his disciples a long-term silence, and do not think that it is good to say good things untimely. Listen to David say, " was silent even about good"(Ps 38: 3). How did he benefit from this? - listen:" My heart is kindled in me"(Ps 38: 4), that is, the fire of divine love, which kindled in the prophet by meditation on God.

All these instructions of the elder went into the heart of John, like a seed on good earth, and having given a sprout, took root, for John, living for a long time with that God-inspired elder, carefully fulfilled all his instructions and listened to his orders, obeying him unhypocritically, without contradiction and any murmur; even in his thoughts he never resisted the dictates of the elder. This is what he inscribed in his heart, as on the tablets "Every commandment of the father, according to the teaching of the apostles, must be fulfilled without anger and doubt" (cf. 1 Tim. 2: 8). And what good will it be to one who is in obedience to have deeds in his hands, and in the mouth of a murmur, to obey the order, but to contradict with his tongue or mind, and when such a person will be perfect? Never. It is in vain for such people to labor and think that they are living virtuous; combining obedience with murmuring, they carry a serpent in their depths.

Blessed John, as a true novice, was uncomplaining in all the services commanded to him.

One day the elder, wishing to test John's obedience and humility, gathered many baskets, the weaving of which was their occupation, and said to John:

I heard, child, that baskets are sold more expensive in Damascus than in Palestine, but we lack many of the essentials in our cells, as you yourself see. So, take these baskets, go quickly to Damascus and sell them there. But be careful not to sell them for less than the specified price.

And the elder set the price for the baskets much higher than they cost. A true novice neither in word nor in his mind did not contradict, did not say that those baskets were not worth the appointed price and that the road was very long; he did not even think that he was ashamed to go to the city where everyone knew him and where he was previously known to everyone for his power; he said nothing of the kind and did not think of it, showing himself an imitator of the Lord Christ, obedient to death.

Saying: "Bless, father," and having received the blessing from his spiritual father, John immediately took the baskets on his shoulders and hurried to Damascus. Dressed in torn clothes, John walked around the city and sold his baskets in the market. Those who wanted to buy those baskets asked how they were sold, and, having learned their high price, they scolded and laughed, insulted and rebuked John. The acquaintances of the blessed one did not recognize him, because he, who once wore golden-weaved clothes, was dressed in the rags of beggars, his face changed from fasting, his cheeks dried up and his beauty faded. But one citizen, who had once been John's servant, looking closely into his face, recognized the saint and was surprised at his beggarly appearance. Taking pity and sighing from his heart, he approached John as if he were a stranger, and gave him the price assigned to the saints for all the baskets - not because he needed baskets, but out of regret for such a man who, from great fame and wealth came, for God's sake, into such humility and poverty. Taking the payment for the baskets, John returned to the one who had sent him, like a certain conqueror from the war, having cast down the enemy of the devil to the earth by obedience and humility, and with him pride with vain glory.

After some time, one monk of that Lavra died. His own brother, left alone after the deceased, cried inconsolably for him. John consoled him much and for a long time, but he could not console his infinitely grieved and grieved brother. With tears, he began to ask John to write some touching funeral song for him to comfort and ease his grief. John refused, fearing to break the commandment of the elder, who ordered him not to do anything without his command. But the mourning brother did not stop praying to John, saying:

Why don't you have mercy on my sorrowful soul and give me at least a small medicine for my great heart disease? If you were a bodily physician and some kind of bodily illness happened to me, and I would ask you to treat me, would you really, having the opportunity to heal, reject me, and I would die from that illness? Would you give an answer to God for me because you could help me and refused? Now I suffer more from heart disease and seek the least help from you, you neglect me. And if I die of sorrow, won't you give a big answer to God for me? If you are afraid of the elder's orders, then I will so hide what you have written that your elder will not know and will not hear about it.

John finally bowed down to such speeches and wrote the following tombstone troparia:

- "Kaya everyday sweetness", "all human vanity", "people who are in vain crumpled", and others, which to this day are sung in church at the funeral of the dead.

Once, when the elder left somewhere from the cell, John, sitting in it, sang the troparia he had composed. After a while, the elder returned and, approaching the cell, heard the singing of John. Immediately he hurriedly entered the cell and began to say to him with anger:

That you forgot your promises so soon and, instead of crying, you rejoice and have fun, singing some songs to yourself?

John told the reason for his singing and, explaining that he was forced by the tears of his brother to write songs, began to ask the elder for forgiveness, having fallen on the ground. However, the elder, implacable as a solid stone, immediately excommunicated the blessed one from his cohabitation and expelled him from his cell. The exiled John remembered the expulsion of Adam from paradise, which happened for disobedience, and wept bitterly in front of the elder's cell, as Adam once before paradise. After this, he went to other fathers, whom he recognized as perfect in virtue, and prayed that they would go to the elder and beg him to forgive his sin. They went and prayed to the elder to forgive his disciple and accept him into his cell, but he remained adamant to their requests. One of the fathers told him:

Impose a penance on the one who has sinned, but do not exclude him from cohabitation with you.

The elder said:

This is the kind of penance I impose on him if he wants to be forgiven for his disobedience: let him cleanse the passages of all cells with his own hands and wash all the stinking places in the monastery.

The fathers were ashamed of such words and left in confusion, marveling at the elder's cruel and unyielding disposition. After meeting them and bowing according to custom, John asked what their father had told them. Having told about the elder's cruelty, they did not dare to tell about what the elder had appointed him for testing, they were ashamed to convey such orders of the elder. But John persistently asked them to say what their father had appointed him, and when he found out, he rejoiced beyond their expectations, eagerly accepting the work assigned to him, although it aroused shame. Immediately, having prepared the vessels and an instrument for cleaning, he began to obey the command with zeal, touching the impurities with those hands that he had previously anointed with various scents, and defiling the right hand with impurities that had been miraculously healed by the Most Pure Theotokos. O deep humility of a wonderful husband and a true novice! The elder was moved by seeing such humility of John, and coming to him, embraced him and kissed his head, shoulders and arms, saying:

Oh, what a martyr for Christ have I made? Here is the true son of blessed obedience!

John, ashamed of the elder's words, fell on his face before him, as before God, and, not being exalted by the praiseworthy speeches of his father, but humbling even more, prayed that he would forgive his sin. Taking John by the hand, the elder led him into his cell. John was so happy about this, as if paradise had been returned to him, and he lived with the elder in the same harmony.

After a short time, the Lady of the World, the Most Pure and Blessed Virgin in the night vision appeared to the elder and said:

Why did you block a spring that could pour out sweet and abundant water - water that is better than flowing from a stone in the desert - water that David wanted to drink - the water that Christ promised to the Samaritan woman? Do not prevent the source from flowing: it will flow abundantly, and the whole universe will flow and give drink, cover the seas of heresies and transform them into a wonderful sweetness. Let those who are thirsty strive for this water, and those who do not have the silver of a pure life, let them sell their passions and, by imitating the virtue of John, let them acquire purity in dogma and deeds from her. He will take the harp of the prophets, the psalter of David, sing new songs to the Lord God and surpass Moses and the songs of Miriami. Nothing in comparison with him the useless songs of Orpheus, which are narrated in fables; he will sing a spiritual heavenly song and imitate the cherubic songs. He will make all the churches of Jerusalem, as it were, young women playing the tympanum, so that they sing to the Lord, proclaiming the death and resurrection of Christ; he will write the dogmas of the Orthodox faith and denounce heretical false teachings: " A good word is poured out of my heart; I say: my song is about the King"(Ps. 44: 2).

The next morning the elder, calling John, said to him:

O child of Christ's obedience! Open your mouth to attract the spirit, and what you have received in your heart, speak with your mouth; let them speak of the wisdom that you have learned by meditating on God. Open your mouth, not for narration, but for words of truth, and not for fortune-telling, but for dogmas. Speak to the Jerusalem heart, contemplating God, i.e. to the serene church; speak not empty words thrown into the air, but those that the Holy Spirit has inscribed on your heart. Ascend to the high Sinai of God-vision and the revelation of Divine mysteries, and for your great humility, by which you descended to the utmost depth, now ascend to the church mountain and preach, preaching the gospel to Jerusalem. Lift up your voice, for the Mother of God has told me many glorious things about you. I pray, forgive me for being an obstacle to you because of my rudeness and ignorance.

From that time on, Blessed John began to write divine books and compose melodious hymns. He composed an octoi, with which, like a spiritual flute, he still entertains the Church of God to this day. John began his first book with these words: "Your commanding right hand will be gloriously glorified in the fortress."

Regarding the miraculous healing of his right hand, he, delighted with joy, so called to the Mother of God: "In thee rejoices, Graceful, every creature."

The plate, which was wrapped around his cut off hand, John, in remembrance of the wondrous miracle of the Most Pure Theotokos, wore on his head. He also wrote the lives of some of the saints, composed festive words and various touching prayers, set forth the dogmas of faith and many of the sacraments of theology; he also wrote against heretics, especially against the iconoclasts; compiled other psychotic writings, which to this day the faithful eat as if they were spiritual food, and from which they drink as from a sweet stream.

Saint John was encouraged to such labors by Blessed Cosmas, who grew up with him and studied under one teacher. He encouraged him to write Divine books and compose church songs and helped him himself. Subsequently, Cosmas was made Bishop of Mayum by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. After this, the same patriarch, having summoned the Monk John, consecrated him to the priesthood. But John did not want to remain in the world for long. Avoiding worldly glory, he returned to the monastery of the Monk Sava and, retiring in his cell, like a bird in a nest, diligently engaged in the writing of Divine books and the work of his salvation. After collecting all the books he had written before, John read them again and carefully corrected in them what he considered necessary to correct, especially in words and speeches, so that nothing would remain unclear in them. In such labors, useful for himself and important for the Church of Christ, and in the exploits of monasticism, John spent a lot of time and attained perfect monasticism and holiness. Having pleased God, he departed to Christ and His Most Pure Mother, and now, worshiping Them not in icons, but contemplating Their Faces in heavenly glory, prays for us so that we too may be honored with the same Divine contemplation, by his holy prayers and the grace of Christ, to Him but with the Prepet and the Most Blessed Mother, let there be honor, glory and worship forever. Amen.

Troparion, voice 8:

Orthodoxy is a mentor, piety to the teacher and purity, the universe to the lamp, monastics, God-inspired fertilizer, to John the Wise, you enlightened everything with your teachings, the spiritual warden. Pray Christ God, save our souls.

Kontakion, voice 4:

A hymnographer and an honest worshiper, the church of the punisher and the teacher, and the enemies of the resistance fighter John, let us sing: take the weapon, the Cross of the Lord, reflect all the delusion of heresies, and like a warm representative to God, he gives everyone forgiveness of sins.

1 Damascus is the main, richest trading city in Syria, one of the oldest in the whole world; lies northeast of Palestine, with the Barada River flowing through it, in a beautiful and fertile plain, at the eastern foot of Anti-Lebanon. And now Damascus, which is part of the Turkish Empire, is one of the richest cities in Asia, with a population of over 150,000. residents.

2 St. John Damascene was born around 680. His generic nickname was Mansur.

3 Genesis 41:37.

5 Hagaryans or otherwise Saracens - Arabian Bedouins. The name Hagarians, which originally meant this nomadic tribe, was later extended by Christian writers to all Arabs, and then came to mean Muslims in general. The Arabian Bedouins were called Hagarians because, according to Jewish tradition, they were descendants of Ishmael, the son of Hagar, a slave of Abraham.

6 Father of St. John of Damascus, Sergius Mansur, corrected the post of chief logothete under the Damascus caliph Abd-Almalik (686-705), i.e. treasury manager, treasurer.

7 John, translated from the Hebrew, means: God's grace.

8 Stagir is a city on the Chalcedonian peninsula, where the Greek philosopher Aristotle was born (IV century BC), therefore named Stagirite. The Greek philosopher Platan (IV century BC) is named here as the son of Ariston. Philosophy is a science that studies the higher questions of being, about God, about the beginning, the essence and laws of the world and man, about the purpose of man and the ultimate goals of the existence of the world, etc. Rhetoric and dialectics are sciences that study the laws of thought and ways of expressing them.

9 Gospel expression from the parable of the talents. Mt. 25:16.

10 Pythagoras - the famous Greek philosopher of the 6th century. BC; Diophanes - Alexandrian mathematician of the 4th century according to R. Kh.

11 Euclid - mathematician of the 3rd century B.C.

12 Reverend Savva, so-called. The "Sanctified", the great Palestinian hermitage (his memory is celebrated on December 5), a disciple and companion of the Monks Euthymius and Theodosius the Great, later asceticised in solitude in the desert near Jerusalem, where in 484 he founded a monastery 12 miles from Jerusalem, later known as Lavra Sava the Sanctified.

13 The highest authority at the court of St. John of Damascus reached under Caliph Velis (705-716), with whom he was the closest adviser and minister. But, having assumed the responsibilities of a new title, he never forgot his highest service - Jesus Christ and always tried to be faithful to the truth of Christ and useful to the Holy Church. The proclamation of the truth of Christ and the exposure of false teachings became for John the main work of life. And he, from the very first time of his activity, came out to fight the heretics of that time: with the Nestorians who enjoyed the patronage in Syria, who shared the human and divine nature in Jesus Christ and taught that the man Jesus was born from the Virgin Mary, with whom, from the moment of conception Him, God united His Word by His grace and dwelt in Him, as in a temple, and with the Monophysites or Jacobites, who recognized in Christ one divine nature, which supposedly swallowed up human nature in Him. Against the latter, John Damascene wrote a rather lengthy, thorough essay in defense of the pure, Orthodox faith. In addition, he fought Monothelism, degenerated from Monophysitism, which recognized only the Divine will in Christ, and with the remnants of ancient Gnostic teachings, combined with false Manichean teachings - with the heresy of the so-called. "Pavlikians", who recognized, besides the good God, who created the pure spirit and revealed in Christianity, an evil principle - the dimiurge, who created the visible world and the human body and was revealed in Judaism and paganism. The incarnation of the Son of God, according to the teachings of "Pavlikians", was only apparent: they denied all the rites and external institutions of the church. Finally. John Damascene also wrote an apology against Mohammedanism, which at that time prevailed in Syria.

14 Leo the Isaurian reigned in the Byzantine Empire from 716 to 741.

15 St. John of Damascus wrote an essay in defense of St. icons and sent him to Constantinople, where, by the way, he wrote: "Conscious of my unworthiness, no doubt I should be silent and only mourn my sins before God, but seeing that the Church of God is agitated by a cruel storm, I think that now is not the time to be silent , I fear God more than the earthly sovereign, while the sovereign's power is so great that it can easily captivate the people. " But the offensive in this essay in relation to the emperor Leo St. John said nothing. At the request of his friends, John wrote two more letters one after another in defense of St. icons. The Epistles of John were read eagerly in Constantinople and in other places, the weak were supported by them in Orthodoxy, and the strong were strengthened in strength.

16 Osten, ostna, osn - a pointed cane used to induce donkeys and oxen to go quickly.

17 A fellow practitioner and friend of Damascus, Cosmas, later Bishop of Mayum, one of the greatest hymnalists of the Eastern Orthodox Church. His memory is celebrated by the church on October 12.

18 According to the statute of St. Sava the Sanctified, each newcomer was entrusted for testing, supervision and admonition to an elder experienced in spiritual life. This was the case with John, despite the fact that his pious life and extensive learning were known throughout the east.

19 Tablets - stone boards that served in ancient times for the inscription of letters; on the tablets were inscribed on Sinai the ten commandments of the law of God. In a figurative sense, the tablets mean the human heart.

20 Such are, for example, "Where there is worldly addiction", "Remember the crying prophets: I am earth and ashes", "I weep and weep", and others, the so-called, "self-agree". All of them are distinguished by an extraordinary touchingness, naturally and with power at the grave of the sons of Adam they depict the fate of the son of dust and the vanity and corruption of everything earthly, and tender prayers for the repose of the deceased are raised to God. All of them were included in the sequence of the burial of the departed and are used in the Orthodox Church to this day.

21 Penance, from the Greek, means: retribution, punishment, prohibition. Penance was established in the church for the penitent in ancient times and is based on the words of Ap. Paul, who, giving the Corinthians advice or rule (canon) to forgive the sins of the repentant and to accept him into their fellowship, says that such a prohibition (epitimia) is enough - and adds that if they accept him into their love, then he will also. In the missal, penance is called "the canon (rule) of satisfaction." Thus, according to the instructions of the apostle, penance consists in forbidding the sinner to have communion with the church for a time, which is why it is a punishment. But at the same time it does not matter as a punitive measure, deprivation of the rights of a member of the church; it is only "spiritual medicine." In the language of church canons, penance means the voluntary performance by those who have confessed, as appointed by the confessor, certain deeds of piety (prolonged prayer, alms, increased fasting, pilgrimage, etc.).

22 Num. 20:11. It speaks of the water miraculously brought out of the rock by Moses with the blow of the rod.

23 2 Kings 23:15.

24 John 4:14 am. The Lord promised the Samaritan woman living water, flowing into eternal life, i.e. the grace of the Holy Spirit.

25 Ex. 20. As you know, the chants of Moses and Mariami on the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea were included in many chants of John of Damascus and, by the way, served as the basis for the 1st canon.

26 Orpheus - a singer - a hero of Greek myths, whose singing power was so great that he set trees and rocks in motion, tamed wild animals.

27 1st irmos of the 1st voice in the octoichus. Octoechos was one of the first works of song by St. John Damascene. According to the Patriarch of Jerusalem John, St. Damascene, unshakable confessor and sufferer for the veneration of St. icons, inspired by the miraculous healing of his hand, cut off by the enemies of faith, sang this solemn song: "Your commanding right hand will be glorious in the fortress", at the foundation of which was the victory song of thanksgiving Moses when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea - after which the ranks of others followed sacred songs, consisting of an octoich, or an osmoglasnik (Sunday services, divided into 8 tones), the appearance of which made a change in the entire composition of the church service. Even during the life of St. Damascene oktoih it was received throughout the east, and after a while moved to the west; later, the octoi was multiplied by the chants of other Christian song-makers, but in the present type of service on Sundays, the main composition belongs to St. John Damascene. The octoichus contains a service for every day of the week, performed in one of the eight voices or chants, the rite of Vespers, Compline, Matins and Liturgy for weekdays, and for Sundays, in addition, Small Vespers and Midnight Office. The singing of the octoichus begins on weekdays after the Sunday (week) of All Saints and ends before Saturday of the Meat Week; on Sundays it begins on the Sunday following the week of All Saints and continues until the 6th week of Lent. Octoi is not used during divine services, except for the indicated intervals, even on the twentieth holidays and on their forefeast, which occur on weekdays. Octoechus gave the church service a greater certainty and uniformity. After imparting to church singing the correct uniformity and feelings worthy of Christian service, St. Damascene thereby put an obstacle to the confusion that had prevailed before him in church singing with his octoichus. Of the many different melodies, he chose for church chants mainly those that are capable of expressing feelings decent to Christians, and did not use those that could excite feelings that are inconsistent with the importance of Christianity. He limited himself to seven voices so that the worshipers would not be entertained by the variety and frequent change of chants, and so that a certain number of melodies, keeping attention on melodies that were worthy and understood together for everyone, would arouse certain and worthy qualities and affirm in the general attention the spirit and content of the prayers being sung. The same certainty of the chants put an end to the arbitrary inventions of refined, absent-minded, dishonorable art, and the simplicity of the chants of the conciliator, expressing the humble simplicity of Christian prayer, disposes the soul to the same prayer and, pulling it out of the noise of vanity, as if ascending to the throne of God. At the same time, eight voices seem to indicate the eight voices of the heavenly hierarchy, ceaselessly praising God: the Mother of God, angels, prophets, apostles, saints, martyrs, saints and righteous ones, and therefore the singing of the octoichus can spiritually and mysteriously signified "the silent prayer the likeness of the saints, forever rejoicing in heaven before the throne of God. ”The musical signs of the octoichus of St. John of Damascus were hooked.

28 Subsequently, this solemn song in honor and glorification of the Most Holy Theotokos became part of the liturgy of Basil the Great as a sponsor. Among the many other hymns of St. John of Damascus, in general, especially a lot of them composed hymns in honor of the Mother of God, under whose special grace-filled patronage and intercession he was. Such are, for example, his canons for the Annunciation, Dormition, Nativity of the Virgin, "Open the doors of mercy to us", "Most glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Thy Son", "I put all my hope in You" and others. In general, as a church songwriter, Damascene is taller than in all other respects, and is positively inimitable, which is why for his chants he was called "Golden-jet", and this name belongs to him: all his chants deserve the name of exemplary songs; in all of them one can see the remarkable animation characteristic of a tall singer. Of the 64 canons compiled by him, the most sublime, solemn and light-joyful is the canon on St. Easter. St. John of Damascus compiled the entire Paschal service, after which it is impossible to find another song in the samples of human creativity, more full of feelings as much alive as high, holy and truly unearthly delights. The canons for the Nativity of Christ, the Epiphany of the Lord, the Ascension of the Lord with stichera are approaching the Easter one. His Sunday services are as excellent in poetic power as in dogmatic content. Damascene wrote the beautiful troparion "We bow to Thy Most Pure Image, Good One." His antiphons and funerary songs are also remarkable - exemplary and touching songs of a penitent soul. Damascus, however, composed many stichera and other church hymns. In general, Damascene is such a songwriter, above whom neither before nor after was he in the church.

29 In addition to his chants, St. John Damascene became famous for his theological writings, which give him a place of honor among the great church fathers. A careful study of the philosophy of the Greek scientist Aristotle formed in him a clear-cut thinker, precise in his concepts and words. St. John was the first of the church fathers to set forth in a harmonious, systematic manner the theological teaching of the Orthodox Church, in which lies its inalienable glory. In his writings Damascene is a dogmatist and polemicist, historian and philosopher, orator and poet of the Church. Three of his most important works: dialectics, a book about heresies and a presentation of faith, completely different in subject, he gave one general name - "The Source of Knowledge". The most important of them is the "Statement of the Orthodox Faith", which constitutes a harmoniously and consistently presented systematic teaching on the contemplative truths of Revelation, which served as a model for theologians of the East and West. Moreover, in the same strict order, St. John wrote "Sacred Parallels" - a comparison of the sayings of Holy Scripture about the statutes of faith and piety with the sayings of the fathers and teachers of the church; the objects here are arranged alphabetically in order to be closer to the general understanding; "Guide" - an explanation of the most important theological expressions, the misunderstanding of which in ancient times was the cause of heresies; several small works on dogma: "On Right Thinking" - with an explanation of the teachings of the six ecumenical councils; "On the Holy Trinity", "On the Image of God in Man", "On the Nature of Man" and so on. Between the works of St. John against heretics, the first place is occupied by his three words against those who condemn icons; he also owns an apology against the Mohammedans and works against the Nestorians, Monophysites, Monothelites and Manichees. Next, I should note a brief interpretation of the Epistles of Ap. Paul, extensive memory of St. to the martyr Artemia and his sermons, for example, on the Transfiguration of the Lord, Nativity and the Dormition of the Theotokos, the Word about the dead in the faith, instruction about eight evil thoughts, etc. Savva the Sanctified, and composing a month.

30 Saint John of Damascus died about 777, 104 years old, and was buried in the Lavra of Sava the Sanctified near the shrine of St. the founder of the Lavra. Under the Byzantine Emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus (1282-1328), St. his relics were transferred to Constantinople.

In the middle of the Syrian desert, at the foot of Mount Hermon, there is a fertile valley irrigated by mountain rivers, and in the middle of it, like an oasis, is a beautiful city. Damascus. Magnificent palaces, luxury homes, fountains and swimming pools. Orthodox churches and Muslim mosques are surrounded by white stone walls. Truly the "Pearl of the East".

In this main city of Syria was born a noble nobleman and ascetic monk, a great writer and remarkable poet, learned theologian and philosopher-polemicist, the greatest man of his (eighth) century and of the entire Christian era - the Monk John of Damascus. Millions of Christians listen to it, read and sing it every day: evening prayer, prayer for Holy Communion, Easter service, funeral stichera, and even more than sixty canons. And also theological works ...

Useful materials

He lived an amazing life, filled with works and miracles, his living artistic image more than once fell under the pen of talented writers, poets and screenwriters. Let us also try, with God's help and without pretending to be genius, to retell a wonderful story about him.

Biography

Near the end of the century VII. A time of tough confrontation between two empires: the Arab Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire. The pious husband Sergius ibn Mansur regularly serves under the Caliph of Damascus, he holds the high position of the chief treasurer (logofet).

He is a Christian, therefore he uses all his influence at court in the interests of the Orthodox Church. His ancient family is noble, his ancestors are famous for civil and Christian virtues. His house is abundant, because he always willingly shares his property with fellow believers.

Childhood

But the heart of the venerable husband is filled with sadness, for he and his wife are no longer young for years, and the Lord has not blessed them with children. From a trip to Jerusalem, where Sergius went to worship the Holy Sepulcher, he returns with a baby. The couple decided to raise the orphan boy as their son, and two years later (in 680 BC) God sends them his own child. Mansur ibn Serjun at-Taglibi (the future Venerable John of Damascus) is brought up together with his half-brother according to pious Christian traditions.

And their father's love for charity is once rewarded with dignity. In the slave market, which he visits every month in order to ransom and release at least one Christian captive, he acquires something that will subsequently bring joy to his parent's heart.

Captured by sea robbers, a Christian monk named Cosmas, on that happy day, finds freedom, and the beloved sons of the Caliph logoofet are a good teacher and wise mentor. The pious monk tries to pass on all his knowledge to his disciples, and the disciples, thanks to diligence, succeed in teaching so that one day the teacher must admit: "I have nothing more to teach you."

But the happiest years - the careless adolescent, unfortunately, pass quickly: the dear teacher and beloved father leave the young men. John's half-brother chooses the monastic path and goes to asceticate in a monastery in the Holy Land. Oh, how the heart of young John yearns for the same, but the only heir and obedient son of his parents is forced to take a high position in the palace of the caliph: he becomes the closest adviser to the ruler.

Although he reluctantly accepts the high title, he serves diligently and conscientiously, while trying to be useful to the holy Church of Christ. To proclaim the truth and expose the lie - he considers it his main duty:

“I must not abandon my God-given talent for words,”

- writes the monk in one of his works.

To serve with a pen, he gets a time when the Orthodox of the East has a huge number of alien-speaking enemies: apart from the hostile Mohammedans, the country is being torn apart by sectarians and heretics, and a new misfortune has appeared in the person of the Byzantine emperor Leo Isaur. The Byzantine ruler who came to power hastens to declare: "The veneration of icons is idolatry."

This becomes the reason for the persecution of Christians, who have venerated holy images from time immemorial. When the icons began to be publicly destroyed, and as a result of the clashes, Christian blood was poured, and rumors went far beyond the borders of the Roman Empire, reaching Syria, Damascus Chrysostom did not remain silent. As a zealot for the purity of Orthodox teaching, he writes several appeals to Christians, which are distributed among the inhabitants of Constantinople and have great success. He also appeals to the emperor himself:

"You do not worship the image, - do not worship the Son of God, who is a living image of the invisible God and an unchanging image",

- having read the parchment with such a message, the Byzantine basileus enrages.

He cannot leave the impudent accuser without revenge. But how to get to a subject of another country who lives at the court of the Mohammedan sovereign? Cunning and slander are weapons of all palace intrigues, and in this case they turn out to be very useful. Leo informs the Caliph in writing that his closest adviser offers him his assistance in the capture of Damascus, and as proof he encloses a skillfully forged letter.

Icon "Three-handed"

The expectation that the temperamental and quick caliph would not forgive treason was justified. An imaginary criminal in the palace square is publicly cut off the right hand. When the caliph's anger subsides, the former first counselor gets his own hand for burial. In his house, in front of the icon of the Mother of God, John mourns his mutilation in sorrow.

It's already deep after midnight, and he does not leave everything his own. Finally, fatigue takes over, and he is forgotten in a restless sleep, kneeling before the icon. And the Most Holy Mother of God looks at him from the icon with merciful and full of love eyes. Of course, She heard the petitions of the innocent sufferer.

“I hear all my children calling on my name with faith in my Son. Your hand is now healthy, do not grieve for the rest, but work diligently with it, as you promised me; make it a cursive cane. "

In the morning, shaking off the remnants of his disturbed sleep, John gently moved his index finger - a sharp pain pierced his entire body, he realized that he was healed! And only a small scar remained, as a reminder of the clipping. A song of praise flowed from a grateful heart:

“Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorified in the fortress; Your right hand has healed the truncated right hand, which will now crush the enemies ... "And a new song in honor of the Mother of God:" In Thee, the Grace rejoices, every creature, the angelic cathedral and the human race! ... "

The caliph, enlightened by a miracle, realizes that his first minister turned out to be an innocent victim of insolent slander. No matter how hard it was for a powerful ruler to admit his guilt, he nevertheless asks for forgiveness from John, and hurries to restore him to office with the return of all palace honors.

But, John now knows for sure - he has a different path, the miracle that happened is a call to monastic exploits. He, thanking the Caliph, resigns from his post, and, having distributed a huge estate, is going on a journey: to the Lavra of St. Sava in Jerusalem. But before that, in memory of the miraculous healing, on his order, a copy of the brush was made from silver, which is reverently attached to the icon of the Mother of God, before which the monk prayed so fervently.

Interesting fact

The miraculous icon with a silver brush is now kept in the Khilandar Athos monastery, and is called "Three-handed".

Mother of God Three-handed
XIV century.
94 × 67 cm
Khilandar Monastery, Athos
Turnover - St. Nicholas.

In the monastery

At dawn, John left his hometown. He had to walk on foot through Lebanon and Palestine to the Holy City of Jerusalem. It was joyful to walk, a new feeling - a feeling of complete freedom, overwhelmed him.
He walked and dreamed of coming to the famous Lavra of Sava the Sanctified. How the brothers will meet him. How there, far from the hustle and bustle, he begins to write selflessly. His creations will eradicate delusion and heresy and help people find the truth. And these creative plans were fun in my soul.

But his plans were not destined to come true. According to the monastery charter, each newcomer is entrusted for supervision and admonition to an elder experienced in the spiritual life. Before such an old man, John stood with his head bowed.

Not immediately did the meaning of what the elder said reached his consciousness. And when he got there, the earth disappeared from under his feet, and the light dimmed in his eyes.
“No praises and essays,” he echoed, “tell me, honest father, and for how long do you give me this rule?
“For the rest of his life,” came the answer, and the novice knelt down, helpless. He wanted to say that it was beyond his strength, that this vow was like death, but a spasm gripped his throat.
“You must die for the world,” the elder replied to his thoughts, he was adamant.
“As you said, let it be so,” said John at last.

The first year easily coped with obedience, and it seems that he has already completely resigned to his fate. And at this time, in the depths of his soul, unceasing monastic prayer melted the poetic gift with reverent feelings. Only once, before Holy Communion, a prayer spilled out of his mouth by itself:

"I stand before the doors of your temple and I do not retreat from fierce thoughts ..."

The elder listened attentively, and then looked sternly at his disciple. .. The look was enough. Humility and obedience are the rules of monastic life. For the sake of this rule, I went with baskets to my native Damascus, where, standing in the rows of malls, called an unheard-of high price for them, accepting ridicule and spitting from buyers.

But one day he disobeyed his spiritual mentor. On that day, the elder was away, and John performed a prayer, weaving a basket at the threshold of his cell. The young monk found him doing this. Kneeling down before John, he told about his grief, he told that his brother had died and grief was breaking his heart, and asked for comfort in the form of prayer, in which John was so skillful. Seeing that grief drove his brother in faith into despair, the monk could not refuse his requests, he wrote those touching hymns that are sung today at burial.

Venerable John Damascene
Bogatenko Yakov Alekseevich (1880-1941)
1905 g.
Wood, tempera
18 × 14.5 cm
Museum of Musical Culture
named after M.I. Glinka, Moscow, Russia

The old mentor, hearing the singing, was grieved, and John for his willfulness and disobedience was expelled from his cell. His head humbly bowed, the novice knelt all night before the closed door of his leader. Only at the request of Abbot Lavra, the elder replaced excommunication with penance ... But what a! The culprit must cleanse all the impurities with his own hands, only after that the mentor was ready to cancel his decision.

And the guilty one, not a little embarrassed, happily takes a bucket and a shovel in his hands, and he should immediately obey the command. Then the mentor was convinced that his efforts were not in vain: the disciple, concealing his pride, rejected himself.

And after a while, the Queen of Heaven herself stood up for her chosen one, appearing to a strict elder in a dream. Enlightened by such a vision, John himself begs to open his lips sealed in silence:
- Let everyone hear your sweet-sounding verbs. Henceforth, I bless you to raise your voice strong.
- Christ is Risen! - exclaimed the disciple, despite the fact that the time for Easter had long since passed. And a touching Easter song poured in the middle of summer:

“Yesterday I was buried with You, Christ, and today I get up with You, resurrected, yesterday still crucified…!

The novice had a chance to understand that without a harsh school of humility, his praise to God was hardly needed. Soon John took monastic vows and was enrolled in the monastery brethren. From that time on, there was no hindrance to creativity: freed from the impressions of the world, he plunged into the world of his soul. Here, within the walls of the monastery, the monk created everything that delights the ears of all those who hurry to the temple of God to this day.

- Your chants, John, will be listened to by such simpletons as I, and everything will be clear to them, - the elder used to say, listening to the next composition of his pupil.

Death and Memorial Day

The year of the death of the saint is unknown, it is only known that John survived the year 754, and died earlier than 787, therefore, he reposed in the Holy Lord, having exchanged the eighth decade. He was buried in the Lavra of St. Savvas. Remembrance is celebrated by the Church on December 17.

Proceedings

During the time when the monk lived in Damascus, he often had to observe the following picture: in order to attract Christians to Mohammedanism, or maybe just make fun of the Orthodox, the Mohammedans asked questions to which even educated believers could not find answers. As a guide to a worthy way out of any dispute, John recorded the "Conversation of a Christian with a Saracen."

Bishop Cosmas of Mayum asked the monk to consistently expound the dogmas of the Orthodox faith. John did not immediately decide on this matter, but as a result the world saw the most important of his works: "An accurate exposition of the Orthodox faith." The Peru of St. John also owns the trilogy-treatise "The Source of Knowledge" and the book "Three words of defense against those who condemn holy icons."

Saints John of the Ladder, John of Damascus and Arsenius the Great
Double-sided pill icon
Second half of the 16th century
Tempera on canvas.
25 × 20.2 cm
Vladimir-Suzdal Historical and Artistic
and Architectural Museum-Reserve, Vladimir, Russia
Inv. B-6300/116
Included in a series of double-sided calendar icons,
originating from the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in Suzdal.
Turnover - "The Resurrection of Lazarus".

What they pray to the saint

• about healing;
• in difficult life situations;
• about the ability to freely and correctly express your thoughts ("about the gift of speech")

The image of John Damascene is recognizable - icon painters paint him in a turban, so you can easily find his icon in the church. He lived in another century in another country, but that doesn't matter. Time, boundaries and languages \u200b\u200bare just conventions, you will surely feel a spiritual connection with this greatest saint through his works, just as the author of these lines felt closeness and joy from communication when he wrote about him.

Troparion, kontakion, magnificence

Troparion, voice 8:

In you, father, it is known that the hedgehog is saved in the image: accept the Cross, you followed Christ, and the dey taught you to despise the flesh; The same and from the angels rejoice, Venerable John, your spirit. Another troparion, voice 8: Orthodoxy mentor, piety to the teacher and purity, the universe to the lamp, monastics God-inspired fertilizer, John the Wise, you have enlightened everything with your teachings, spiritual warrior, pray to Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion, voice 4:

A hymnographer and an honest God-verbalist, to the Church of the punisher and teacher, and enemies of the resistance fighter, John let us sing: take the weapon, the Cross of the Lord, reflect all the delusion of heresies, and like a warm intercessor to God, he gives everyone forgiveness of sins.

Magnification:

We bless you, venerable Father John, and we honor your holy memory, mentor of monks and interlocutor of angels.

Akathist

Akathist to the Monk John of Damascus

Kontakion 1

Chosen servitor of Christ, reverend Father John, we will write a praiseworthy one for you, as for the golden-tongued chanter of cherubic hymns and seraphim verbs, the Orthodox Church and our intercessor and a warm prayer for us: you, as if you have boldness to the Lord, pray for us with a continuous prayer of forgiveness and in calling ti:

Ikos 1

You were an earthly angel and a heavenly man, Venerable John, and you had in your life a warm love for the Mother of God, you did not want to build a holy icon of Her and put this in your cell reverently, you dwelt in unceasing prayers. We, while pleasing thee, sice with a verb:

Rejoice, not ashamed of us before the Lord.

Rejoice, our vigilant prayer-book to the Mother of God.

Rejoice, our gracious and meek father.

Rejoice, quick helper in troubles and circumstances.

Rejoice, consolation of the mournful and sad.

Rejoice, give all those who ask for an ambulance.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 2

Seeing, venerable Father John, her right hand, which wrote a lot in defense of the honor and worship of holy icons, was unmercifully cut off at the libel of the iconoclast king, ask it from the unfaithful tormentor, and attaching it to her truncated joint, tearfully praying to the Most Pure Virgin theotokos, she will heal about the hedgehog , and the All-Gracious and All-Powerful Family of our Intercessor, she soon heard your prayer, and having appeared to you in a dream, you bestowed healing on the truncated hand, so gratefully eat God: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

The human mind cannot comprehend the power of the blessed healings, miraculously displayed by the icon of the Mother of God, and explain the miracle of greatness, how your severed right hand is whole and healthy in one piece, on it only the scarlet sign of the former ulcer was left quickly by the Doctor's Hospital, Blessed to you, pleasing the Tsar pleaser of God, sice with the verb:

Rejoice, zealous servant of God.

Rejoice, cohabitant of angels.

Rejoice, companion of the monks.

Rejoice, warm intercessor who come running to you.

Rejoice, bestowed intercessor and patron from God.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 3

Having shown the power of the right hand of the Most High in the healing of his truncated right hand, God-versed John, with red songs sing the Lady the All-good and the likeness of the truncated hand of yours apply to the healing image of the Mother of God for the memory of the everlasting great miracle; therefore, this holy icon of the Three-handed is now visible and is called, with three hands, on it are described glorifying the sacrament of the Holy Trinity, while miracles from all of them are all leading to praise to the Lord: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Have great zeal for Bose, the spirit-bearing songwriter of the Holy Church and her sweet divine glorifier, Venerable John, praising the wondrous mercy of the Mother of God with laudatory singing until the end of your life, in memory of the former miracle of dress, your truncated hand is wrapped around your head, on the head of your burden But the Mother of God is multifunctional, as a rich heritage, to the Saint Lavra of the Monk Sava the Sanctified, to all the faithful for worship. For such your concern for our souls, we cry out to you in due course:

Rejoice, for you have completely pleased God.

Rejoice, for you have received the crown of immortal life.

Rejoice, enjoy heavenly sweetness.

Rejoice, be satisfied with God's goodness.

Rejoice, faithful teacher and mentor.

Rejoice, strong champion of the enemies of the holy Orthodox faith.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 4

A storm of bewilderment confuses my mind, venerable Father John, how worthy of God to proclaim your greatness, but you, like a good and merciful, look not at the dignity of this creation, but at our zealous will and teach us sinners, how it befits the soul to feel the praise of God and petit: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hearing those near and far, venerable Father John, your angel-like life, and as through your prayer, many who flow to you with faith receive the grace-filled consolation and gratefully remembering a few of your good deeds, I have also left you in spiritual songs, joyfully you like this:

Rejoice, for you have left the country for the sake of your fatherland.

Rejoice, for you have enlightened us with divine chants.

Rejoice, pillar of piety.

Rejoice, repository of virtues.

Rejoice, proclaim heavenly truth with the golden-speaking lips.

Rejoice, do not impute earthly honors for anything.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Venerable John Damascene. Fresco, early 14th century. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in Protat (Athos)

Kontakion 5

Godly, like a shining star, you walked, a saint of God, to the holy city of Jerusalem to worship holy places, where you remained without returning to the world, you entered as a monk into the monastery of the Monk Sava the Sanctified, gratefully singing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Having seen your angelic rite, your life, blessed Father, of your humility, depth of your humility, constant prayer, self-control, firmness and great zeal of your spirit for purity, you wondered and glorified the man-lover of God, who strengthens the weak human nature. We please you and call to sit:

Rejoice, marvelous adornment to those who are monastics.

Rejoice, beloved beauty of the house of God.

Rejoice, you received the anointing from the Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, consecrated vessel of the grace of God.

Rejoice, good and faithful servant of Christ.

Rejoice, true servant of the Lord.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 6

The God-bearing preacher, being the Monk John, taught true God-knowledge and piety in accordance with the brethren, and guided you on the path of salvation in the manner of your life, so let us all sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Ascend in your soul the shining light of true knowledge of God, illuminating the souls of the faithful, with sweetness listening to the chants that you have composed and praising thee:

Rejoice, organ of the All-Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, tympane, delighting pious senses.

Rejoice, source of inspired chants.

Rejoice, kind-hearted flute, joyous to the souls of mankind with spiritual songs.

Rejoice, psalter, proclaiming the glory of God.

Rejoice, an inexhaustible stream of God's grace.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 7

Although, venerable Father John, you did beg to console a monastic brother grieving over the death of a friend, to console him to write hymns about the repose of the souls of the dead in the Kingdom of Heaven, for this sake we sing the angelic song to the Almighty God: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

For the new prayer book and wonderworker, the Lord reveals itself, reverend Father John, the Orthodox Church flaunts the same and brightly with you, as boldness is commanding to Christ and to Him, praying for us sinners, crying out to you with love:

Rejoice, illuminating lamp of the Orthodox faith.

Rejoice, zealous champion of piety.

Rejoice, unshakable pillar of the Church of God.

Rejoice, adorned with a temple of virtues.

Rejoice, for you have delighted your faithful people who were written off by your pious feelings.

Rejoice, thou hast proclaimed heavenly truths with golden-speaking words.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 8

You thought of a wanderer and a stranger to be in this impermanent world, Venerable Father, and seeking the coming city of Heavenly Jerusalem, lift up all your thoughts to it, putting your mind on the divine, and crucified your flesh with passions and lusts, singing sweetly tympane, in a mortified body, a victory song to Christ God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

You have all clothed yourself with all the weapons of God, as if the warrior of Christ, having girded your loins with truth, donned the armor of righteousness, and having shod your nose with the preparation of the gospel of the world, you perceived the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, and the spiritual sword, which is also the verb of God, which is also Thou art able to conquer all the slander of the evil one; Help us, Father Reverend, with your prayers, to resist the temptations of the enemy, and imitate you in conquering our passions, so we call you:

Rejoice, for correcting soul-destroying pride with holy humility.

Rejoice, extinguishing the flame with the meekness of absolute rage.

Rejoice, you who waste your wealth and your love of money for the poor.

Rejoice, enduring all vexations and offenses without anger.

Rejoice, for you have driven away gloom from yourself with constant prayers, and you have achieved joy in the Lord.

Rejoice, for you have kept your soul and body with celibacy and vigilance.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 9

Thou hast hated every pleasure of the flesh, I am most blessed, and thou hast loved the One God with all my heart; the same, the Lord also love thee and glorify miracles, giving us a favorable prayer book in front of His goodness: we humbly pray to you, whenever the imams appear before the Righteous Judge, pray Him for us, may he not remember our iniquities, and grant us a blessed fate at the right hand of those who stand and cry to Him : Alleluia.

Ikos 9

Vitya the many proclaimed ones, all thy deeds and miracles do not suffice to speak out all thy deeds and miracles, God-wise Father John, for the kindness of your life truly surpasses human praise, both of which, we conquer love for you, we dare to humbly praise thee by singing such:

Rejoice, saint of the Orthodox Church, who does not flicker with a lamp.

Rejoice, affirmation and praise of your abode.

Rejoice, wonderful beauty of monastic faces.

Rejoice, inherent consolation for the Christian family.

Rejoice, who love and honor you, an advocate of salvation.

Rejoice, lead sinners to correction.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 10

You have inherited eternal salvation, a saint of God, and a righteous death, like the crown by your exploit, you received, painlessly and peacefully passed from the earthly to the heavenly abode, where your holy soul received a reward from the hand of the Almighty God, and with the angelic armies there will be His Divine throne, singing silently A song to him: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

The Heavenly King's servant is good and faithful, the talent given to you is not hidden, but diligently aggravated it and I will buy it spiritually, Father John, help us, earthly and earthly, to imitate the life of your saint and acquire at the end of our good hope of salvation, yes we sing you sweet voices:

Rejoice, holy God, holy and immaculate death of earthly life.

Rejoice, chosen one of Christ, painlessly and peacefully betraying your spirit in the hand of God.

Rejoice, for your death is honest before the Lord and your success with the saints.

Rejoice, for your memory is honored with praise in the holy Church.

Rejoice, for you have migrated to the heavenly abodes and do not leave the earthly ones.

Rejoice, zealous intercessor of all who come running to you and quick intercessor.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 11

We bring you singing of praise, reverend, but with meager songs we praise you: as if your adolescence, if your youth, if your old age is full of the essence of good deeds and love, even to God and your neighbor, they all broadcast the same song of God: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

Your disciples, the great servitor of God, have seen your peaceful end, dissolving the sorrow of separation from you with grace-filled consolation in the hope of your omnipotent intercession at the throne of God, wherever hear those who call you with love:

Rejoice, you have received the crown of immortal life from the hand of the Almighty.

Rejoice, heir to the all-blessed kingdom of Christ.

Rejoice, citizen of Jerusalem.

Rejoice, inhabitant of the Heavenly Zion.

Rejoice, for you received eternal peace through the labors of temporary life.

Rejoice, bliss, prepared for the righteous from time immemorial, righteously perceived.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 12

May we ask for divine grace, God's servitor, that it always covers us from enemies visible and invisible, may teach us to imitate you in the purity of angels and gentleness, may direct our hearts to humility, repentance and unremitting fulfillment of the commandments of Christ; may he grant us a Christian end and comfortably lead us through the airway, may he vouch for the glory of the great God there and forever petition him: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

We sing thy valiant deeds, good-victorious warrior of Christ, our father John, we bless thy blessed end, singing to you zealously: Rejoice, for you lived holy and righteously on earth.

Rejoice, for you truly were an earthly angel and a heavenly man.

Rejoice, for your memory is with praises, and your dormition with the saints.

Rejoice, as the gates of paradise were opened to you, and you entered into the joy of your Lord.

Rejoice, for your soul, Christ the Life-Giver, is delighted in the heavenly villages.

Rejoice, as with disembodied forces, do not eat the Trisagion Song to God.

Rejoice, venerable Father John, great saint and glorious miracle worker.

Kontakion 13

Oh, great and glorious miracle worker, venerable our father John! Having graciously accepted this small prayer of ours, with your prayers save us from mental and physical ailments in this life and the eternal torment to come, and grant us, together with you, in the Kingdom of Heaven, petit God: Alleluia.

"This kontakion is read three times and packs Ikos 1 and Kondak 1 ...".

Prayer

Prayer

O holy head, venerable father, blessed Abvo John! Do not forget your poor ones to the end, but remember us always in holy and auspicious prayers to God: remember your flock, you yourself have saved, and do not forget to visit your children, pray for us, holy father, for your spiritual children, as if you have boldness to the Heavenly King: do not keep silent for us to the Lord, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love: remember us unworthy at the Almighty Throne, and do not cease praying for us to Christ God, for you have been given grace to pray for us. We do not think that you are dead: even if you have passed away from us in body, but still living after death, do not depart from us in spirit, saving us from the arrows of the enemy and all the delights of the demonic and the wiles of the devil, our good shepherd. Even though your cancer is always visible in front of our eyes, your holy soul with angelic hosts, with incorporeal faces, with heavenly powers, standing by the throne of the Almighty, rejoices with dignity, leading you truly and after death is alive, we fall to you and We pray to you: pray for us to the Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls, and ask for time for us to repent, may we pass from earth to heaven without restraint, from the bitter ordeals, demons of the air princes and from eternal torment, may we get rid of, and let us be heir with all the righteous who have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ from time immemorial: all glory, honor and worship befitting Him, with His Fatherless Father, and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer is different

Venerable Father John! Look at us with mercy and raise those who are devoted to the earth to the height of heaven. You are a mountain in heaven, we are on the earth below, removed from you, not only by a place, only by our sins and iniquity, but we are running to you and crying out: instruct us to walk in your way, teach and guide. Your whole holy life has become a mirror of every virtue. Stop not, please God, crying to the Lord for us. Ask for your intercession from the All-Merciful God of our God the peace of His Church, under the sign of the militant cross, harmony in faith and unanimity, superstition and schisms, destruction, confirmation in good deeds, healing for the sick, for the sad consolation, for the offended intercession, for the needy help. Do not put us to shame, who come to you with faith. All Orthodox Christians, by your miracles of fulfillment and mercies of beneficence, confess that they are their patron and intercessor. Reveal your ancient mercy, and you have helped them all with their father, do not reject us, their children, who are marching towards you with their feet. The upcoming more honorable icon of yours, as if I am living for you, we crouch down and pray: accept our prayers and lift them up on the altar of God's blessing, so we will receive you grace and timely help in our needs. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in faith, so that we undoubtedly hope to receive all that is good from the Master's mercy through your prayers. Oh, great servant of God! To all of us who flow to you with faith, help your intercession to the Lord, and rule all of us in peace and repentance, end our life and retire with hope in the blessed bosom of Abraham, where you rest joyfully in labor and labors, glorifying God with all the saints , in the Trinity of the glorious, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Canon

Canon to Saint John of Damascus, voice 2

Song 1

Irmos: In the depths of the bed, sometimes the Pharaoh's omnipotence is armed force, but the incarnate Word consumed all-evil sin: the glorified Lord is gloriously glorified.

Start your praises to those who want me, give your now a honey voice, reverend, the Orthodox Church has understood by her songs, Father John, even your memory honors yours.

As a wise and witty judge, looking at the most splendid nature, the eternal one prejudiced those who are not worthy: you who abide have changed temporarily, Father John, where you and now glorify Christ.

Theotokos: Having surpassed Thou, Pure, all creatures, visible and invisible, Ever-ever: Thou didst give birth to the Creator, as if it were good pleasure to incarnate in Thy womb, He, with boldness, pray to save the singing Thy.

Song 3

Irmos: There is a wilderness, like Krin, Lord, the pagan barren, the Church by Your coming, in which my heart will be firmly established.

Thou hast squandered wealth, reciprocating to God, so much the same for you in Heaven the Kingdom is prepared; but even now, John, you have received a multiple reward.

Accepting the wisdom of talent, decorating by deeds, you have understood, John, the Church of Christ, you have made it much worse, and you have left your life.

Theotokos: Chini marveled at Angels, Most Pure One, and human hearts were terrified of Thy Nativity. The same Thy, the Mother of God, we honor by faith.

Kontakion, voice 4

Let us sing to the Church of the punisher and the teacher and enemies of the resistance fighter John: we will take the weapon - the Cross of the Lord, reflect all the delusion of heresies, and as a warm representative to God gives forgiveness to all sins.

Ikos

To the church instructor, and the teacher, and the sacrificer, as the mysterious secret of the unspeakable, cry out in accordance: like to God, with your prayers, open our mouths and vouch for the words of your teachings, you are a partaker for the Trinity, as if another sun shone in the world, brightening miracles and teachings, like Moses, always learning in the law of the Lord, you were a lamp in word and deed, and constantly praying to all forgiveness of sins.

Song 4

Irmos: Thou didst come from the Virgin, not an intercessor, not an Angel, but Himself, Lord, incarnate, and you saved all of me, man. To those I call Ti: glory to Thy strength, O Lord

Having obeyed the command of Christ, you left the worldly beauty, wealth, sweetness, grace, for His sake, take your cross, you followed, John the wise.

Having conferred to the impoverished Christ of mankind for the sake of salvation, you were glorified, as you were promised, and reign for the reigning one, John.

Theotokos: Ty, the haven of salvation and the wall is impenetrable, Mother of God, in all faithfulness: Thou didst save our souls from Thy prayers from troubles.

Song 5

Irmos: Intercessor to God and thou art a man, Christ God: by Thee, Master, to the Light-Commander, Thy Father, from the night of ignorance the bringing of the Imam.

By the fear of Christ, Father, we are affirmed to a divine life, carnal wisdom you subdued everything to your spirit, yours, John, cleansing your feelings.

Having cleansed all filthiness of the body, and mind, and soul, carefully, God-wise, you received the dawn of the three-solar, John, bright you rich in talent.

Theotokos: Pray for Thy Son and the Lord, Virgin Virgin, for the captives deliverance from the opposing situation, for those who hope for Thee, a peaceful gift.

Song 6

Irmos: In the depths of sinful things I am, Savior, and in the abyss of life I am overwhelmed, but, like Jonah from the beast, and raise me from the passions and save me.

Enlightened by the Spirit with grace, Divine and human knowledge of things, clearly enriched, demanding, John, you taught without envy.

Like the face of the Heavenly, wise, you have adorned the Church in Orthodox Christianity, inviting the Trinity of God to the Trinity.

Theotokos: Unknowingly, Virgin, gave birth to art and the everlasting Virgin, showing the true Deity, your Son and God, images.

Canto 7

Irmos: The godless command of the wicked tormentor has raised high fire to eat. Christ, as a God-godly youth, extended the spiritual dew, who is blessed and glorified.

We kindle with zeal, the godless heresies, you objected to all evil things with light scriptures, whitening to everyone clearly sown anciently, wise, about John, written subtly.

Warmly you exposed the evil-named disciples of Manenta blasphemous wickedness, corrupting the encroaching Church of Christ, your words and dogmas, about John, even you have done.

Theotokos: The most holy saints, we understand Thee, as the One who gave birth to the indispensable God, The virgin is not shameless, Mother is unhappy: for all the faithful have exuded incorruption by Thy Divine Christmas.

Canto 8

Irmos: The sometimes fiery cave in Babylon is shared by God's command, the Chaldeans scorching, the faithful irrigating, singing: bless all the deeds of the Lord, the Lord.

Thou didst denounce the Java, who was treasured to John, Nestoria's division, Sevirov's confluence, one-willed insanity, but the faith of the one-acting radiance of Orthodoxy all overshadowed the end.

All the enemy of the tares is usually heretical in the Church of Christ, this worship is swept away in the honest icons, but if you find it awake, all-blessed John, it eradicates every evil seed.

Theotokos: You are inseparable from the Father, you have lived in the womb of God, you have conceived without seeds and indescribably given birth to you, the Most Pure Mother of God: the same Thee, the salvation of all of us, we confess.

Canto 9

Irmos: The Beginning of the Parent is the Son, God and the Lord, incarnate from the Virgin, appear to us, darkened to enlighten, gather the wasted one. Thus we magnify the All-chanting Mother of God.

Thou didst teach all the Church Petit sons the Orthodox One in the Trinity, the Honest, while the embodiment of the Word of Divine theology of theology, John, understanding the inconvenient for many in the Holy Scriptures.

The holy ranks singing songs, reverend, the Pure Theotokos, Christ's Forerunner, the same apostles, prophets with fasting and wise teachers, righteous and martyrs, in those tabernacles now being established.

Theotokos: The palace was like the mind of the incarnation of the Word, the Virgin to the Mother of God, clothed with the glory of virtues and speckled. By this we proclaim Theotokos, the Most Immaculate, the Mother of God.

^ sss ^ Venerable John of Damascus ^ sss ^

From the Editor: Alas, this remarkable and remarkable fact in the history of the Orthodox Church is still unknown to many of the laity, even those in the Church. We decided to tell about this MIRACLE that happened to St. John Damascene - Father of the Church - on our website. It was his ... GENERATED, according to the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, after being cut off by libel, the hand was the reason for the appearance of the icon of the Mother of God, so revered in our world, called the "Three-handed"!

The events that marked the beginning of the glorification of the icon of the Mother of God "Three-handed" date back to the 8th century, to the times of iconoclasm. The warriors of the heretic emperor Leo the Isaurian scoured the homes of Orthodox Christians, looking for icons, took them away and burned them, and sacrificed icon-worshipers to torment and death.

Only outside the Byzantine lands, in Muslim Damascus, the Orthodox were not constrained in the veneration of icons. The reason was that the first minister of the local caliph was a zealous Christian, theologian and hymnographer John Damascene (the Church commemorates him on December 4). John forwarded letters to his numerous acquaintances in Byzantium, in which, on the basis of Holy Scripture and patristic traditions, he proved the correctness of the veneration of icons. Inspirational letters of John Damascene were secretly copied, passed from hand to hand, contributing a lot to the assurance of the truth of the Orthodox and the denunciation of the iconoclastic heresy.

Damascus. Modern look.

The enraged emperor, in order to deprive the Church of the invincible defender of Orthodoxy, decided to cunningly exterminate John Damascene. He ordered skilful scribes to carefully study John's handwriting and write, as it were, a fake letter to the emperor with a proposal for treason. The letter said that the city of Damascus was carelessly guarded by the Saracens and that the Byzantine army could easily capture it, in which all kinds of help from the first minister were promised.

The emperor sent such a fake letter to the caliph, hypocritically explaining that, despite John's proposals, he wants peace and friendship with the caliph, and advises the traitorous minister to be executed.

The caliph fell into a rage and, forgetting about the many years of devoted service of his minister, ordered to cut off his right hand, with which he supposedly wrote treasonous lines. The severed brush was hung in full view in the marketplace.

John suffered severely from pain, even more from undeserved resentment. In the evening, he asked the Caliph to allow him to bury the severed hand. The Caliph, remembering the previous zeal of his minister, answered with consent.

Shutting himself up in the house, John of Damascus put the severed hand to the wound and went deep into prayer. The saint asked the Mother of God to heal the right hand, which wrote in defense of Orthodoxy, and vowed to use this hand to create creations for the glory of the Lady.

At that moment he fell asleep. In a dream, the Mother of God appeared to him and said: "You are healed, work diligently with this hand."

Having awakened, John Damascene poured out his gratitude to the wonderful Healer in the wondrous chant "O you rejoices, Delighted, every creature ...". The news of the miracle quickly spread throughout the city. The ashamed Caliph asked John of Damascus for forgiveness and urged him to return to the affairs of government, but from now on John gave all his strength to serve God alone. He withdrew to a monastery in the name of Saint Sava the Sanctified, where he took monastic vows. Here the monk brought an icon of the Mother of God, which sent him healing. In memory of the miracle, he attached to the lower part of the icon an image of the right hand, cast in silver.

Since then, such a right hand has been drawn on all the lists from the miraculous image, called the "Three-handed".

The icon remained in the monastery in the name of Saint Sava until the 13th century, when it was presented to another Saint Sava, the Archbishop of Serbia. During the invasion of Serbia by the Hagarians, the Orthodox, wishing to preserve the icon, placed it on the donkey and let him in without a guide. With precious luggage, he himself reached the Holy Mount Athos and stopped at the gates of the Hilendar monastery. Local monks accepted the icon as a great gift, and at the place where the donkey stopped, they began to perform a procession with the cross every year.

Once an old hegumen died in the Hilendar monastery. The election of a new one caused strife and division among the brethren. And then the Mother of God, appearing to one hermit, announced that from now on she would herself be the abbess of the monastery. As a sign of this, the "Three-handed", which hitherto stood in the altar of the monastery cathedral, was miraculously transported through the air to the middle of the temple, to the abbot's place. Since then and to this day, Hilendar has been ruled by the priest-governor, who stands during the services at the abbot's place where the image of the Three-Handed, the Mother Superior of this monastery, is kept. The monks receive a blessing from Her, kissing the icon, as if from an abbot.

During the Greco-Turkish wars, Athos remained outside the power of the Gentiles: the Turks admitted that they often saw the mysterious Woman guarding the walls of the Hilendar monastery and out of reach of human hands.

"Three-handed" has long been venerated in Russia, where there are many copies of the first image, also famous for miracles. As early as 1661, monks of Hilendar sent one such list as a gift to the New Jerusalem Monastery. In 1716, another copy was removed from it, which has since been in the Moscow Church of the Assumption in Gonchary (Bulgarian courtyard). With the intercession of this shrine, they associate the fact that this temple never, even during the most violent persecutions on faith, was not closed and kept all its bells. Nowadays in the temple in front of this image the akathist is read every Friday. In the tiled icon case on the outer western wall of the Church of the Assumption in Gonchary there is another copy, and tireless prayers are heard here before the face of the Mother of God "Three-handed".

Miraculous copies from the very first Athonite image or from other copies of the "Three-handed" were also in the Moscow Church of the Intercession in Goliki, in the Tula Vladimir church on Rzhavets, in the Beloberezhskaya desert near Bryansk, in the Voronezh Alekseevsky Akatov monastery, in the Nilovaya desert in the Seliger and other places.

Nadezhda Dmitrieva
From the book "He rejoices in You!"

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/050725075420.htm

John Damascene, the greatest theologian and hymnographer.

According to church tradition, he, an important person in the state, according to a forged letter, allegedly testifying to his betrayal to the Caliph, was popularly chopped off his right hand, hanging it in the bazaar. Through fervent prayer to the Mother of God, the hand given to him by the Caliph grew.

The saint sang the enthusiastic hymn of thanksgiving “Rejoices in Thee, Graceful, every creature,” which was later included in the liturgy of St. Basil the Great. The image of the saint's hand was constantly held by the icon of the Mother of God (hence the well-known iconic image of the Mother of God - "").

The name of John is also surrounded by great love in Russian secular art. "The ecstatic canon of Damascene At the all-night vigil they sang today, And my soul was full of emotion, And wonderful words warmed my soul" (A. N. Apukhtin, "A Year in the Monastery. Excerpts from the Diary", 1883).

"I was born simple to be a singer, to praise God with a free verb!" - exclaims the saint in the inspired poem of A. K. Tolstoy "John of Damascus", which served as the basis for Taneyev's captivatingly beautiful cantata of the same name - schoolchildren should know it ...

Venerable John Damascene was born about 680 in the capital of Syria, Damascus, into a Christian family. His father, Sergiy Mansur, was a treasurer at the court of the Caliph. John had an adoptive brother, the orphaned youth Cosmas, whom Sergius took into his house. When the children grew up, Sergius took care of their education.

At the Damascus slave market, he ransomed the learned monk Cosmas of Calabria from captivity and instructed him to teach children. The boys showed extraordinary ability and easily mastered the course of the secular and spiritual sciences. After the death of his father, John took up the post of minister and governor at the court.

At that time in Byzantium, the heresy of iconoclasm arose and quickly spread, supported by the emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717-741).

Defending Orthodox veneration of icons, John wrote three treatises "Against those who condemn holy icons." John's wise, inspired writings infuriated the emperor. But, since their author was not a Byzantine subject, he could neither be imprisoned nor executed.

Then the emperor resorted to slander. By his order, a forged letter was drawn up on behalf of John, in which the Damascus minister allegedly offered his assistance to the emperor in the conquest of the Syrian capital. Leo the Isaurian sent this letter and his hypocritical-flattering answer to the Caliph. He immediately ordered to remove John from office, cut off his right hand and hang it in the city square.

On the same day, in the evening, the severed hand was returned to John. The monk began to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos and ask for healing. Falling asleep, he saw the icon of the Mother of God and heard Her voice, informing him that he was healed, and at the same time commanding him to work tirelessly with the healed hand. When he woke up, he saw that his hand was unharmed.

Learning about the miracle that testified to John's innocence, the caliph asked him for forgiveness and wanted to return him to his former position, but the monk refused. He distributed his wealth and, together with his foster brother and fellow student Cosmas, went to Jerusalem, where he entered the monastery of Sava the Sanctified as a simple novice. It was not easy for him to find a spiritual guide. Of the monastic brethren, only one very experienced elder agreed to this, who began to skillfully instill in the disciple the spirit of obedience and humility.

First of all, the elder forbade John to write, believing that success in this field would cause pride. Once he sent the monk to Damascus to sell baskets made in the monastery, and he instructed them to sell them much more expensive than their real price. And so, having made a painful journey under the sultry sun, the former nobleman of Damascus found himself in the market in the tattered clothes of a simple basket seller. But John was recognized by his former steward and bought all the baskets at the appointed price.

Once one of the monks died in the monastery and the brother of the deceased asked John to write something in consolation. John refused for a long time, but out of mercy, yielding to the requests of a grief-stricken one, wrote his famous tombstone troparia. For this disobedience, the elder expelled him from his cell. All the monks began to ask for John. Then the elder entrusted him with one of the most difficult and unpleasant tasks - to remove impurities from the monastery. The monk here also showed an example of obedience. After some time, the elder was instructed in a vision by the Most Pure and Most Holy Virgin Mary to remove the ban from the writings of John.

The Jerusalem Patriarch learned about the monk, ordained him a priest and made him a preacher at his pulpit. But the Monk John soon returned to the Lavra of the Monk Sava, where until the end of his days he spent time writing spiritual books and church hymns, and left the monastery only to denounce the iconoclasts at the Council of Constantinople in 754. He was subjected to imprisonment and torture, but he endured everything and, by the grace of God, remained alive. He reposed about 780, at the age of 104.

JOHN DAMASKIN
Troparion, voice 8

Orthodoxy is a mentor, piety to the teacher and purity, / the universe is a lamp, monastics are divinely inspired fertilizer, / to John the Wise, you have enlightened everything with your teachings, spiritual warrior, / pray to Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion, voice 4

A hymnographer and an honest God-verbalist, / To the Church of the punisher and teacher / and the enemies of the resistance fighter, John let us sing: / take the weapon, the Cross of the Lord, / reflect all the delusion of heresies / and like a warm intercessor to God / forgive all sins.

Venerable John Damascene on the worship of holy icons

Since some reproach us for the fact that we worship and venerate the image of our Savior and the image of the Mother of God, as well as the image (icons) of other holy servants of Christ, then let them know that originally God created man in His image.

Why do we bow to each other (we greet each other, if not for the reason that we are all created in the image of God? The God-bearing and holy great father of the Church, Basil the Great, says that the honor given to the image goes back to the primordial.

The archetype is that from which the likeness is drawn and from which the image on the icon is given. And for what reason did the people of Moses worship the tabernacle of the things of heaven, standing around it, while the tabernacle was the likeness of many images, for God said to Moses: “ Look, make them according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain"(Ex. 25:40).

Likewise, were the cherubim who overshadowed the altar not the work of human hands; in the same way, the glorious Jerusalem church was not built by the art of the human hand?

Holy Scripture condemns only those who worship idols and who offer sacrifices to demons. Both the Greeks and the Jews offered sacrifices: but the former offered sacrifices to demons, the latter to God. The victims of the Greeks were rejected and cursed, the sacrifices of the Jews were favorable to the Lord.

Noah made a sacrifice, and “ the Lord smelled a pleasant scent”(Gen. 8:21), for this sacrifice was offered from a pure and benevolent heart; but the Hellenic idols, as vile and God-hating, were forbidden and cursed, since they were the idols of demons.

Besides this, who can depict the face of God, invisible, incorporeal, indescribable, defying image?
It would be insane atheism to want to portray the Divine as it exists in Itself. For this reason, icons were not used in the Old Testament.

But then, when the merciful God, by His mercy, arranging our salvation, appeared in the image of a true man, and not in the likeness of only a human face, as he once appeared to Abraham and the prophets, but revealed Himself to be a true man, walking on the earth, living with people, performing miracles, suffering, being crucified on the cross, being buried, then resurrected and ascended to heaven - then everything that was in reality, everything that people saw, but that which we did not see, who did not live at that time - All these things were then written down for our edification and reminder, so that we, not seeing this, how we would hear that. and, having believed, received bliss (eternal).

And since not everyone is given to know the scriptures, not everyone is given the gift of reading books, the holy fathers unanimously decided to depict all this on icons for the quickest remembrance, as glorious victorious signs. For often, through our negligence, we forget about the suffering of the Lord; Having looked at the image of Christ's crucifixion, we immediately remember His saving sufferings and, falling down, bow down, not things, but to Him, whose image we see before us; for we worship not the material of which the gospel is composed, but the word of God written in it; in the same way, we bow not to the material from which the cross is made, but to the Crucifixion of Christ depicted by the cross.

The cross would not differ in any way from the material from which it is composed, if it did not represent the Crucifixion of Christ. The same should be said about the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, for the honor that we give to the Mother of God goes back to the Incarnate from Her.

Likewise, the courageous deeds of the holy saints of God, depicted on icons, excite us to courage, jealousy and imitation of their virtues and to glorify God and, as we said, the honor that we give to the blessing ascetics depicted on the icons is evidence of our diligence before the Lord common to all of us and, besides, that honor goes back to the true prototype.

What we said is not recorded in the Holy Scriptures, just as it is not written there about worship to the East, veneration of the cross and many other things like that. In the History it is recorded that Abgar, the king of Edesa, sent his painter, he painted the image of the Lord, but he (the painter) could not fulfill the order, because of the wonderful light that came from the face of Christ.

Then the Lord Himself applied a towel to His divine and life-giving face and depicted His likeness on the towel, which He sent to Abgar in order to fulfill his desire. And that the holy Apostles gave us much without the scriptures, the Apostle of the Gentiles, Saint Paul, testifies to this, saying: “ so, brethren, stand firm and keep the traditions that you have been taught, either by our word or by our message."(2 Thess. 2:15). And elsewhere: " i praise you, brothers, that you remember everything of mine and keep the traditions"(1 Cor. 11: 2).

1 Saint John Damascene is a famous theologian and hymnist, monk of the monastery of St. Savvas, a zealot of Orthodoxy in the fight against iconoclasts, who lived in the 8th century. For his highly artistic, touching chants, he received the name "golden-jet". His memory is celebrated by the Holy Church on December 4.

2 Speaking about people who reproach Christians, St. John of Damascus has in mind the iconoclasts. The iconoclastic heresy appeared in the 8th century, hence St. John of Damascus was its contemporary. Iconoclasts unwisely confused icon veneration with idolatry. Saint John Damascene, in the present word about the worship of holy icons, exposes the godless error of the iconoclasts. The founder of the iconoclastic heresy is Constantine, Bishop of Nakolia (in Phrygia - Asia Minor region). The most zealous champions of iconoclasm were the emperors Leo III the Isaurian (717-741) and Constantine V Copronymus (741-775). This heresy was condemned at the VII Ecumenical Council, which took place in 787 in the city of Nicea.

3 St. Basil the Great - the most famous father of the Church of the 4th century. - His memory is celebrated by St. Church on January 1 and 30.

4 Noah is the son of Lamech, the last patriarch before the flood. The sacrifice to God was brought by Noah after leaving the ark (Gen. 8: 15-20) and was a type of the sacrifice of Christ.

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The Monk John Damascene was born about 680 in the capital of Syria, Damascus, into a Christian family. His father, Sergiy Mansur, was the treasurer at the court of the Caliph. John had an adoptive brother, the orphaned youth Cosmas, whom Sergius took into his house. When the children grew up, Sergius took care of their education. At the Damascus slave market, he ransomed the learned monk Koemu from Calabria from captivity and instructed him to teach children. The boys showed extraordinary ability and easily mastered the course of the secular and spiritual sciences. After the death of his father, John took up the post of minister and governor at the court.

At that time, the heresy of iconoclasm arose in Byzantium and quickly spread, supported by the emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717 - 741). Defending the Orthodox veneration of icons, John wrote three treatises "Against those who condemn holy icons." John's wise, inspired writings infuriated the emperor. But, since their author was not a Byzantine subject, he could neither be imprisoned nor executed. Then the emperor resorted to slander. By his order, a forged letter was drawn up on behalf of John, in which the Damascus minister allegedly offered his assistance to the emperor in the conquest of the Syrian capital. Leo the Isaurian sent this letter and his hypocritical-flattering answer to the Caliph. He immediately ordered to remove John from office, cut off his right hand and hang it in the city square. On the same day, in the evening, the severed hand was returned to John. The monk began to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos and ask for healing. Falling asleep, he saw the icon of the Mother of God and heard Her voice, informing him that he was healed, and at the same time commanding him to work tirelessly with the healed hand. When he woke up, he saw that his hand was unharmed.

Learning about the miracle that testified to John's innocence, the caliph asked him for forgiveness and wanted to return him to his former position, but the monk refused. He distributed his wealth and, together with his foster brother and fellow student Cosmas, went to Jerusalem, where he entered the monastery of Sava the Sanctified as a simple novice. It was not easy for him to find a spiritual guide. Of the monastic brethren, only one very experienced elder agreed to this, who began to skillfully instill in the disciple the spirit of obedience and humility. First of all, the elder forbade John to write, believing that success in this field would cause pride. Once he sent the monk to Damascus to sell baskets made in the monastery, and he instructed them to sell them much more expensive than their real price. And so, having made a painful journey under the sultry sun, the former nobleman of Damascus found himself in the market in the tattered clothes of a simple basket seller. But John was recognized by his former steward and bought all the baskets at the appointed price.

Once one of the monks died in the monastery and the brother of the deceased asked John to write something in consolation. John refused for a long time, but out of mercy, yielding to the requests of a grief-stricken one, wrote his famous tombstone troparia. For this disobedience, the elder expelled him from his cell. All the monks began to ask for John. Then the elder entrusted him with one of the most difficult and unpleasant tasks - to remove impurities from the monastery. The monk here also showed an example of obedience. After some time, the elder was instructed in a vision by the Most Pure and Most Holy Virgin Mary to remove the ban from the writings of John. The Jerusalem Patriarch learned about the monk, ordained him a priest and made him a preacher at his pulpit. But the Monk John soon returned to the Lavra of the Monk Sava, where until the end of his days he spent time writing spiritual books and church hymns, and left the monastery only to denounce the iconoclasts at the Council of Constantinople in 754. He was subjected to imprisonment and torture, but he endured everything and, by the grace of God, remained alive. He reposed about 780, at the age of 104.