John of Damascus years of life. Venerable John of Damascus. LXII. his

From the Editor: About this wonderful and remarkable fact in history Orthodox Church Until now, alas, many of the laity, even those in the church, do not know. We decided to talk about this MIRACLE that happened to St. John of Damascus - Father of the Church - on our website. Exactly his... GROWED, through prayers Holy Mother of God, after being cut off due to slander, the hand became 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 laid the foundation for the glorification of the “Three-Handed” icon of the Mother of God date back to the 8th century, to the times of iconoclasm. The warriors of the heretic emperor Leo the Isaurian scoured the houses of Orthodox Christians, looking for icons, took them away and burned them, and handed over the icon worshipers to torture 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 of Damascus (his memory is celebrated by the Church on December 4). John forwarded letters to his many acquaintances in Byzantium, in which, on the basis of Holy Scripture and patristic traditions, he proved the correctness of icon veneration. The inspired letters of John of Damascus were secretly copied and passed from hand to hand, greatly contributing 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 treacherously exterminate John of Damascus. He ordered skilled scribes to carefully study John's handwriting and write, as if by his hand, a forged letter to the emperor proposing treason. The letter reported that the city of Damascus was carelessly guarded by the Saracens and that the Byzantine army could easily capture it, for which all possible assistance from the first minister was promised.

The emperor sent such a fake letter to the caliph, hypocritically explaining that, despite John’s proposals, he wanted peace and friendship with the caliph, and advised the execution of the traitorous minister.

The caliph fell into a rage and, forgetting about the many years of devoted service of his minister, ordered his right hand, with which he allegedly wrote treasonous lines, to be cut off. The severed hand was hung in plain sight in the market square.

John suffered severely from pain, and even more from undeserved insult. By evening, he asked the caliph to allow him to bury the severed hand of his right hand. The Caliph, remembering the previous zeal of his minister, agreed.

Having locked himself in the house, John of Damascus applied 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 vision, the Mother of God appeared to him and said: “You are healed, work diligently with this hand.”

Having awakened, John of Damascus poured out his gratitude to the wonderful Healer in the wondrous hymn “Every creature rejoices in you, O joyful one...”. The news of the miracle quickly spread throughout the city. The ashamed caliph asked John of Damascus for forgiveness and called on him to return to business government controlled, but from now on John devoted all his strength to serving God alone. He retired 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 down healing to him. In memory of the miracle, he attached to the lower part of the icon an image of his right hand, cast in silver.

Since then, such a right hand has been depicted on all lists of the miraculous image, called “Three-Handed”.

The image 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, wanting to preserve the icon, placed it on a donkey and let it go without an escort. With the 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 began to hold a procession of the cross every year at the place where the donkey stopped.

Once upon a time, the old abbot 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 recluse, announced that from now on She herself would be the abbess of the monastery. As a sign of this, the “Three-Handed Lady,” which had 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. From then to this day, Hilendar is ruled by a priest-vicar who stands during services at the abbot’s place, where the image of the “Three-Handed” - the Abbess of this monastery - is kept. The monks receive a blessing from Her, venerating 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.

The “Three-Handed One” has long been revered in Russia, where there are many copies of the first-revealed image, also famous for their miracles. Back in 1661, the Hilendar monks sent one such list as a gift to the New Jerusalem Monastery. Another list was taken from him in 1716, which has since been in the Moscow Church of the Assumption in Gonchary (Bulgarian Compound). The intercession of this shrine is associated with the fact that this temple was never closed, even during times of severe persecution of the faith, and retained all its bells. Nowadays, an akathist is read every Friday in front of this image in the church. In a tiled icon case on the outer western wall of the Church of the Assumption in Gonchary there is another list, and tireless prayers can be heard here before the face of the Mother of God “Three-Handed”.

Miraculous lists from the very first revealed Athos image or from other lists of the “Three-Handed One” were also located in the Moscow Church of the Intercession in Goliki, in the Tula Vladimir Church on Rzhavets, in the Beloberezh Hermitage near Bryansk, in the Voronezh Alekseevsky Akatov Monastery, in the Nile Hermitage on Seliger and in other places.

Nadezhda Dmitrieva
From the book “He Rejoices in You!”

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

The Monk John of Damascus was born around 680 in the capital of Syria, Damascus, into a Christian family. His father, Sergius Mansur, was treasurer at the court of the caliph. John had an adopted 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 Coema from Calabria from captivity and entrusted him with teaching children. The boys discovered extraordinary abilities and easily mastered the course of secular and spiritual sciences. After the death of his father, John took the position of minister and city governor at court.

At that time, the heresy of iconoclasm arose and quickly spread in Byzantium, supported by Emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717 - 741). Having come to the defense of Orthodox icon veneration, 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. On his orders, a forged letter was drawn up on behalf of John, in which the Damascus minister allegedly offered the emperor his assistance in the conquest of the Syrian capital. Leo the Isaurian sent this letter and his hypocritically flattering response to it to the caliph. He immediately ordered John to be removed from office, his right hand to be cut off and hanged in the city square. That same day, by evening, John’s severed hand was returned. The monk began to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos and ask for healing. Having fallen asleep, he saw the icon of the Mother of God and heard Her voice, telling him that he was healed, and at the same time commanding him to work tirelessly with his healed hand. When he woke up, he saw that his hand was unharmed.

Having learned 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 adopted brother and fellow student Cosmas, went to Jerusalem, where he entered the monastery of Saint Sava the Sanctified as a simple novice. It was not easy to find him a spiritual leader. Of the monastic brethren, only one very experienced elder agreed to this, who began to skillfully instill in the student a 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 ordered them to be sold much more 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 torn clothes of a simple basket seller. But John was recognized by his former housekeeper and bought all the baskets at the appointed price.

One day one of the monks died in the monastery and the brother of the deceased asked John to write something to console him. John refused for a long time, but out of mercy, yielding to the requests of the grief-stricken man, he wrote his famous funeral 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 - removing uncleanness from the monastery. The monk showed an example of obedience here too. After some time, the elder was instructed in a vision by the Most Pure and Most Holy Virgin Mary to lift the ban on John’s writing. The Patriarch of Jerusalem learned about the monk, ordained him a priest and made him a preacher at his pulpit. But St. John soon returned to the Lavra of St. 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 died around 780, at the age of 104.

St. John of Damascus created a clear and convincing synthesis of patristic theology and asceticism, and above all a post-Chalcedonian energetic Christology of Alexandrian origin. At the same time, participation in iconoclastic disputes forced him, like the ancient Antiochians, to emphasize the specific individuality of Jesus. The work of St. Petersburg was of great importance for overcoming the heresy of iconoclasm. John of Damascus, who sought to dogmatically and philosophically substantiate the significance and necessity of icons in Christian life and worship. Treatises by Rev. John of Damascus on the veneration of holy icons established him at the center of the 8th century movement directed against the prejudices of iconoclasm. This was the first detailed apology of religious images of that period, containing detailed theory image.

Rev. John of Damascus (born around 675, Damascus - died 12/04/749, near Jerusalem) after his death became one of the tax officials of the Muslim caliphate. According to legend, he studied together with Cosmas (later Mayumsky) from a certain captive monk from Calabria (also named Kosma). As a minister of state, he wrote the remarkable words “Against those who reject holy icons” (726 – 730), which later attracted everyone’s attention to him. We do not know exactly when John withdrew from the court and secluded himself in the monastery of Saint Sava. The lives of the saint tell of slander and persecution against him at the court of the caliph, about cruel punishment and miraculous healing. In the monastery the monk lived a strict and secluded life, in humility and obedience, which is so vividly and touchingly described in the well-known hagiography. Most of all, the Monk John was engaged in writing here, and sensitively responded to the theological topics of the day. John of Damascus clearly formulated the Christian understanding of the image and veneration of icons, and his concept subsequently became established in the Church.

The historical background of the theological work of St. John of Damascus, iconoclastic disputes arose. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that the iconoclasts transferred the dispute to the plane of philosophical abstraction, justifying their attempt to secularize Byzantine life and culture in the language of Neoplatonic philosophy: an icon, and in a broad sense - a material cult as such, is from this point of view an insult to a spiritual shrine " an inglorious and deadly substance." The undesirability of depicting Christ and the saints was justified in principle in the same way as Plotinus in his time, according to the story of Porphyry, justified the undesirability of depicting oneself: the spiritual is still not depictable through the material, and the material is not worth being depicted. Defenders of the veneration of icons in the East - in contrast to the West, where the issue was reduced to the utilitarian aspect of the pedagogical function of icons as “Scriptures for the illiterate” (the classic early expression of the position in relation to sacred art is from Pope Gregory I in letters to Bishop Serenus of Massalia, dating back to July 599 and October 600) and brought down from the heights of speculation to earth - accepted the terms of the discussion; they had to develop a theology of worship. This task fell largely on the shoulders of St. John of Damascus, the intellectual leader of the Orthodox, who, from outside the Byzantine Empire, had the greater opportunity to inspire his like-minded people and outline for them a strategy of argumentation.

In printed editions of the works of St. John of Damascus, the following works are usually indicated, written by him during the era of his literary activity: Three defensive words against those who condemn holy icons; A pictorial word about saints and icons worthy of veneration to all Christians and to Tsar Constantine Cavalinus, that is, Copronymus, and to all heretics; Message to King Theophilus about saints and icons worthy of veneration; A polemical conversation conducted by the faithful and Orthodox and having Christian love and zeal, to expose those who oppose the faith and teaching of our holy and Orthodox fathers. These works fulfilled their purpose, they helped many to understand the problem of iconoclasm, they convinced many, but there were also those who did not recognize their content. These works are not recognized by all researchers as the works of St. John of Damascus. It is believed that only three protective words can be recognized as works truly belonging to the pen of St. John. Therefore, in the study it is necessary to refer to the first work of St. John of Damascus in defense of icon veneration.

According to his teaching, saints can be depicted, but in a symbolic and allegorical form. It is possible and necessary to depict what actually happened (scenes from the Holy Scriptures, Lives of the Saints). You can paint Christ in the form in which he was on earth, but you cannot paint the image of God the Father. Images of saints are necessary - they decorate churches, replace books for the illiterate, and constantly remind us of deeds in the name of faith. However, an icon is not a painting, but a sacred image; when we worship an icon, we worship what is depicted on it (the “prototype”), and not the skill of the artist - icons should be anonymous. Icons are miraculous because they carry part of the divine power of the one depicted on them.

St. John constantly provides references to the Holy Scriptures. At the same time, we can notice patristic interpretation, given by him, to clarify quotations from the Bible. This tells us that St. John was competent in matters relating to the Tradition of the Church. Speaking about the importance of Tradition, Saint John asks questions in his reasoning and immediately answers them: “For just as the Gospel was preached throughout the whole world without scriptures, so throughout the whole world without scriptures it was committed to depict Christ, God Incarnate, and the saints, as well as and worship the Cross and pray standing to the east." When defending icons, Saint John relies on previously existing works in defense of icons. In particular, he repeats and complements in his written statements the arguments of Leontius of Naples, who said: “I draw and write Christ and the sufferings of Christ in churches and houses, and in squares, and on icons, and on linens, and in storerooms, and on clothes , and in every place, so that, seeing them clearly, you remember, and not forget... And just as you, when you worship the book of the Law, worship not the nature of the skins and ink, but the words of God found in it, so I worship the image of Christ. Not the nature of wood and paints - let it not be, but, worshiping the inanimate image of Christ, through it I think to embrace Christ Himself and worship Him... We, Christians, physically kissing the icon of Christ, or the apostles, or the martyr, spiritually kiss Christ Himself, or His martyr."

The most important works in defense of icons are four separate works, on the basis of which it will be possible to fully reveal the teaching of St. John of Damascus on the veneration of icons: “ Three words of defense against those who condemn holy icons or images” and the chapter “On Icons” in the treatise “An Exact Exposition Orthodox faith" In his “Words” in defense of icons, Damascus proceeded from the understanding of iconoclasm as a Christological heresy. The iconoclasts based their objections on the Old Testament prohibition of cupacing, ignoring the Incarnation. In response, St. John writes the following: “In ancient times (i.e. in the Old Testament), God, incorporeal and without form, was never depicted. Now that God appeared in the flesh and lived among people, we depict the visible God... I saw the human image of God, and my soul was saved. I contemplate the image of God, as Jacob saw, and differently: for with the eyes of his mind he saw an immaterial prototype of the future, and I contemplate a reminder of what was seen in the flesh.”

John of Damascus sought to dogmatically and philosophically substantiate the significance and necessity of icons in Christian life and worship. Damascene viewed religious painting in two ways: as an objective process that captures the reality of the world, and as a subjective process that reveals the artist’s inner world. For him, painting, like the Gospels, conveys religious truths perceived through the faith of the artist. “God truly became man for our salvation; did not appear only in human form, as he appeared to Abraham and the prophets, but essentially and truly became a man, lived on earth, communicated with people, performed miracles, suffered, was crucified, resurrected and ascended to heaven - and all this happened in reality, it was apparently by people and described in memory and instruction to us who did not live then.” The Gospels reflected the life of Christ on earth. And since, John continues, not everyone can read, the icons “serve us as a fraternal reminder.” It often happens, writes Damascene, “that we do not even think about the suffering of the Lord, but as soon as we see the icon of the Crucifixion, we remember His saving suffering, and we bow not before the substance, but before the One who is depicted.” John of Damascus clearly formulated the Christian understanding of the icon, and his concept subsequently became established in the Church.

Rejecting charges of idolatry, he made a clear distinction between the worship that is due to God and the veneration that people pay to images of Christ and saints. The Second Commandment must be understood in the context of the circumstances in which it was given. Even Judaism does not prohibit depicting living beings. For Christians, the primary argument was the incarnation of the Son of God - if God took on human flesh, then he can be depicted in this flesh. The iconoclasts objected that the only permitted image of Christ’s humanity was the bread and wine of the Eucharist. They pointed out that the church fathers did not leave a single prayer for the consecration of the icon. The pictorial representation itself contains a heresy: the artist confuses the human principle with the divine, falling into monophysitism, or represents only the human, separating it from the divine, like Nestorius.

In his third word, St. John points to the existing types of images. In total, he cites six such genera, which he saw in the Holy Scriptures. The first type of image is “the image of the Invisible God” (Col. 1:15) - Jesus Christ: “Son - natural look Father, completely equal in all respects, like the Father, except that he is not begotten, and not the Father.” The second type of image is the eternal Council of the Holy Trinity, which always remains unchanged. “For at His Council that which was predetermined by Him, and that which should inviolably happen in the future, was, first of all, endowed with signs and images of existence.” The third type of image is man, created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 3:26). “For he who is created cannot be of the same or the same nature with the uncreated, but is an image through imitation and likeness.” The fourth type of images are images and views found in the Holy Scriptures, which show us outlines, similarities of invisible and incorporeal objects, which has as its goal “to give at least some ideas about both God and angels...”. The Monk John also refers to this type of images as those found in the nature that surrounds us. “In creations, we notice images that covertly show us divine suffering, so that when we talk about the Holy Trinity, the highest of all principles, we depict It to ourselves through the sun, light and ray; or - a gushing spring, flowing water and flow" The fifth type of image is that which transforms and foreshadows the future, for example, the bush, the dew falling on the fleece are prototypes of the Virgin - the Mother of God, the serpent hanging on a tree - Christ Jesus. The sixth - the last type of image - is “an image established for the remembrance of the past, for example, a miracle, virtue for the glory and honor of those who declared themselves by the nobility of actions and shone in virtue.” St. John sees the purpose of the image in the fact that it “makes hidden things clear and shows them.” The image was invented for this purpose in order to show the mind the way in the knowledge of truth and to show it those images of the invisible that a person can only partially comprehend, or which are generally inaccessible to his knowledge.

What is depicted and what is not depicted on an icon? In his third word, St. John of Damascus argues as follows. The Divinity by His nature cannot be seen by us, since God is incorporeal. The same can be said about holy and fallen angels, about human souls that are not perceived by human eyes. But the Lord, by His Providence, allowed His chosen ones to see angels, human souls, only in the form that human nature could perceive and assimilate: “God, not wanting us to be completely ignorant of what is incorporeal, clothed it with forms and figures and images, in relation to our nature." Therefore, those images of incorporeal beings that were contemplated by godly people are depicted by us in a manner worthy of our perception. human form: “...Moses depicted cherubim, and how they appeared to worthy people, but they are depicted in such a way that the bodily image reveals a kind of spectacle, incorporeal and comprehended only by the mind.”

St. John explains more deeply the nature of invisible beings in relation to Divinity and humanity: Angel and soul and demon, in comparison with God, Who, however, is the only one above comparison, are bodies. Compared to material bodies (including humans), they are incorporeal. Therefore, angels and human souls cannot be called incorporeal in the full sense of the word. In this regard, they have a certain image of their essence, and are perceived by our mind to an accessible extent. And what can be perceived by us can be depicted as understood and assimilated. God, by His nature, is indescribable, but it is possible to depict those images of His appearance in the material world, which He Himself chose for this. The second Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity - God the Son - became incarnate and became visible. Why can't He be depicted in human form? We depict God the Son on icons as incarnate and living among us humans: “If, in proportion to our ability of understanding, we are raised to divine and immaterial contemplation through images, and divine Providence lovingly clothes with images and forms that which is devoid of forms and images, to lead us as if by a hand, then why is it not decent to depict, in accordance with our ability to understand, Him Who for our sake humanely submitted appearance and image? . “One can “imagine”, “depict” the Invisible God; and this can be done not because He is invisible, but because He became visible to us, having taken on human flesh and blood... I do not depict the invisible Divinity,” writes St. John, “but the flesh of God made visible.”

St. John pays attention to the prototype that we should keep in mind when honoring icons. The honor given to the image goes to the prototype. St. John refers in this case to the authoritative holy father: “For, as Saint Basil (the Great), who speaks God and is powerful in the interpretation of divine objects, says, the honor given to the image passes to the prototype.” By honoring the Mother of God and the saints of God, we thereby give honor to God. Standing in front of the icon of Christ, we mentally unite with Christ Himself, Who is depicted on it. Therefore, when praying in front of an icon, we pray not to the substance, the materials from which the icon is made, but to the one who is depicted on it, mentally turning to his prototype. In connection with the position of the prototype, St. John discusses the dignity of holy icons. He poses the question: what dignity do holy icons have, and how is this explained? We would be wrong if we believed that all the value, importance, and dignity of icons lies only in the material from which the icons are made. Expensive wood, paints, gold, silver, with which we can decorate an icon and give it material value, are not, in fact, the factor that would tell us about the dignity of the holy icon. St. John sees the value of the icon in the image that we honor: “It would be extremely absurd to madly venerate images and worship them for their material value. Consequently, the main power of the icon lies in the fact that it serves as the image and likeness of the person who is honored and glorified. The more sacred the image, the more revered the image is. We treat pictures of nature differently, differently to pictures of our ancestors, differently to the image of the king, and even differently to the holy icon of the Savior. We accept the first, we respect the second, and we honor the last, all depending only on what is depicted on them.” Thus, it becomes clear to us what the dignity of holy icons is: “Objects consisting of matter in themselves are not worthy of worship, and if the person depicted on them is filled with grace, then, according to the measure of faith, they also become participants in grace.” These objects, already consecrated by the sacred image depicted on them, have a different value, dignity in the eyes of a God-loving person. Contemplating Christ, the Mother of God, and the saints on the icons, we can involuntarily remember their lives, which are role models for us. Therefore, the holy fathers saw the need to depict on icons the exploits of Christ and, in general, those men who showed zeal in serving God and achieved salvation, for our benefit, so that we, contemplating all this, could join in the godly image in our lives.

Rev. John of Damascus names and defines the main functions of icon images, as they were interpreted and formed in the church tradition by the 8th century. Together with the verbal text, icons perform didactic-informative (“Icons replace books for the illiterate,” I. 17) and commemorative (reminder) functions (I. 17). They also have a decorative meaning - they decorate the temple. However, the main functions of the icon are actually sacred. Firstly, the icon (like any religious symbol) does not close the attention of the one contemplating it on itself, but raises his mind “through bodily contemplation to spiritual contemplation” (III. 12). Secondly, sacred images not only elevate the mind to spiritual essences, but are themselves involved in the sublime, the heavenly, for the Savior, having descended through His incarnation to the “humble wisdom” of people, retained His “sublimity” (I. 1264 C). Icons with images of Christ also bear the stamp of the sublime. Thirdly, icons have “divine grace”, which is given to them “for the sake of the name of those depicted on them” (I. 1264 B). This grace “is always co-present” “with the holy names, not in essence, but in grace and action” (I. 19), i.e. is given to the icon by the Holy Spirit and can manifest itself energetically. With the help of the charismatic energy of the icon, believers join in the saints and sacred events depicted and through this receive sanctification. “I place the image of the exploits and sufferings of the saints before my eyes in order to be sanctified through them and encouraged to zealous imitation” (I. 21). Finally, the icon is an object of worship. “Worship is a sign of reverence, that is, humiliation and humility” (III. 27). At the same time, they worship, of course, not the substance, the matter of the icon, but the image imprinted in it (II. 19), and this worship is addressed to the prototype itself. “So, we worship icons, worshiping not matter, but through them those who are depicted on them, for the honor given to the image passes to the prototype, as the divine Basil says” (III. 41). All of the above points can be found in the predecessors of Damascus (for example, in the first word there are 20 quotations from the Holy Fathers, in the second - 27, in the third - 90), but it was he who brought together everything that had been scattered before him in numerous treatises, sermons and messages of the Holy Fathers, into a single and holistic theory of the image.

The icon is consecrated with the name of the person depicted on it, inscribed on the icon, as the Rev. writes. John of Damascus in the first Word: “Obeying church tradition, allow the veneration of icons, sanctified by the name of God and the friends of God and for this reason overshadowed by the grace of the Divine Spirit.” So, according to the teaching of St. John of Damascus, the icon, through its inscription, is overshadowed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. The icon is also an image of the Father’s Hypostasis (but already alien to the Father) and the radiance of His glory, acting through its inscription. “Divine grace is communicated to objects consisting of matter, since they bear the names of those who are depicted on them.”

St. John explains in his writings the difference in worship that we give to God and His servants. The worship of the Divine is different from the worship of the Mother of God or the saints. Service befits God worship, Who is only worthy of such worship. In this service of worship, a person expresses recognition of the Lord as his Creator and Master, and surprise at His ineffable greatness, and love and gratitude for various blessings, hope in God, and prayer to Him and, finally, repentance and confession of one’s sins before Him. There is another way of worship that is appropriate to give to the Mother of God and the saints. It is called reverent. We do not worship saints as God. Reverent worship...is rendered for the sake of the Lord God to the saints, as His friends and faithful servants. They, that is, the saints, by their own free will have reached such a degree of perfection that God rests on them and lives in them as in His temples (1 Cor. 3:16).

Against the iconoclasts it was necessary to defend not only icon painting, but even more the veneration of icons and their worship (πρоσκύνησις). Even if a description or image of God is possible, is it permissible, is it useful? Damascene answers directly, again referring to the Incarnation. The incarnation of the Word sanctifies, as it were, “deifies” the flesh, and thereby makes it venerable - of course, not as a substance, but by the power of its union with God. This applies both to the flesh of Christ and to all “the rest of the substance through which my salvation was accomplished,” for it too is full of Divine power and grace. The Cross, the Sepulcher, Golgotha, the book of the Gospels, which is also a kind of icon, that is, an image or description of the Incarnate Word. The substance is not at all something low or despicable, but a creation of God. And since the incontainable Word was contained in it, the substance became worthy of worship. Therefore, material images are not only possible, but also necessary, and have a direct and positive religious meaning. For “our nature was glorified and transformed into incorruption.” This justifies icon painting and icon veneration in general - icons of saints as a triumph and a sign of victory. In the Old Testament, human nature was still under condemnation, and death was considered punishment, and the body of the dead was unclean. But now everything has been updated. Man was adopted by God and received incorruptibility as a gift. “Therefore we do not mourn the death of saints, but celebrate.” And the saints themselves are not dead: “after He who is Life itself and the Author of life was numbered among the dead, we no longer call those who rested in the hope of the resurrection and with faith in Him dead.” They are alive and stand before God with boldness. Damascene does not exhaust the question of writing and veneration of icons in his words. Not everything is completely clear to him. But later writers followed him. And the basic principles of the teaching about icons were already expressed by Damascene: icons are possible only by the power of the Incarnation, and icon painting is inextricably linked with the renewal and deification of human nature that took place in Christ; hence such a close connection between the veneration of icons and the veneration of saints, especially in their sacred and incorruptible remains. In other words, the doctrine of icons has a Christological basis and meaning. This was how it was before Damascus, and this is how his successors reasoned.

Clement O. ORIGINS. Theology of the Fathers of the Ancient Church. Texts and comments. Translation from French by G.V. Vdovina, edited by A.I. Kirlezheva. M.: Center for the Study of Religions, Publishing Company "Put", 1994.

World Encyclopedia: Mythology. Minsk: Modern writer, 2004. Pp. 348; Florovsky G.V. Eastern Fathers of the V-VIII centuries (from readings at the Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris). Paris, 1933. Additions. "HolyTrinityOrthodoxmission". Page 152.

Florovsky G., archpriest. Eastern Church Fathers IV-VIII centuries. / G. Florovsky. – Sergiev Posad, 1999. P. 248 – 249.

Meyendorff I., archpriest. Introduction to Patristic Theology. / I. Meyendorff. – Klin, 2001. Chapter of St. John of Damascus and Orthodox protection icon veneration.

Venerable John of Damascus. Three words of defense against those who condemn holy icons and images. – Sergiev Posad, 1993.

Lurie V. Lectures on iconoclasm. [Electronic resource]. - Electron, text, graph, sound. Dan. and application program (546 MB). Orthodox Christian Library. - 1 electron, opt. disk (CD-ROM). Andrey Lebedev's pages. h ttp:// www .akaka.al.ru

Kamlo P. John of Damascus - protector of holy icons. /P. Kamlo. - Symbol. – 1987. – No. 18. P. 62.

Andrey Lebedev's pages. Icon veneration. Published on h ttp:// www .akaka.al.ru

Venerable John of Damascus. The first word of defense against those who condemn the holy icons. Published at http://nesusvet. arod.ru/ico/books/dam1.htm

Venerable John of Damascus. The third word of defense against those who condemn holy icons. Published at http://nesusvet. arod.ru/ico/books/dam3.htm

See more about this: Bychkov V.V. The meaning of art in Byzantine culture. M., 1991, p. 46 ff.

Venerable John of Damascus. The first word of defense against those who condemn the holy icons. Published at http://nesusvet. arod.ru/ico/books/dam1.htm

Florovsky G., archpriest. Eastern Church Fathers IV-VIII centuries. / G. Florovsky. – Sergiev Posad, 1999. Chapter of St. John of Damascus.

Saint John of Damascus is a defender of icons, theologian and preacher of the word of God, who is deeply revered in Orthodoxy. His icons help believers in the most painful and painful moments of their lives.

The icon of St. John of Damascus, which has miraculous powers, has gained special respect and reverence from Orthodox believers. A holy righteous man is a faithful and infallible clergyman who has devoted his entire life to serving the Lord and doing godly deeds.

History of the icon

John of Damascus lived in the 9th century in the territory of the Caliphate of Damascus, holding a high position at court. The saint professed Christianity. His heart was filled with kindness and boundless compassion. The Christian helped everyone who needed help, without attaching importance to people's religious views.
Saint John devoted his entire life to the struggle for Orthodoxy, fighting the persecution of Christians by pagans and preaching the Word of the Lord. A supporter of Jesus Christ was one of the first to call for the worship and veneration of sacred icons, constantly coming into conflict with the Christian Church because of this. Despite the cruel oppression of Orthodox believers, the faithful preacher never hid his true faith and love for Christ.

The Byzantine emperor, who received a letter about the defense of Christianity by John of Damascus, became furious and ordered the novice of the Lord to be severely punished. But it was impossible to do this: the theologian was a citizen of another country. Therefore, in order to punish a supporter of Christianity, the ruler decided to slander John, accusing him of helping in the conquest of Damascus. The saint was summoned to trial, where the hand with which he allegedly wrote a confession about his complete betrayal of power was cut off. The severed hand was hung in the square as a lesson to others. After some time, she was returned to the preacher so that he could look at her and remember his betrayal.

According to legend, John, in pain, did not stop reading prayers to the Mother of God, and Her help did not take long to arrive. The day after the severed hand was returned to him, it was reattached to his hand. In gratitude for this, the theologian made a cast of a hand from silver and attached it to the icon of the Mother of God, which is now known as the “Three-Handed One”.

Where is the holy image and relics of John of Damascus located?

The image of God's saint adorns many Orthodox and Catholic churches. According to historical sources, he died at the age of 104, around 755
AD, however, the data differs, and somewhere you can find later references to the death of the defender of icons, dating back to 780. The thing is that historians know little about the life of the righteous man, because he lived in a very turbulent time, when a war between Muslims and the followers of Christ broke out in Byzantium.

In Russia, the icon and the ark with part of the relics of St. John are kept in the Zachatievsky stauropegial convent. Also, the holy image is kept in the Armenian church of the city of Rostov-on-Don.

How does the icon of John of Damascus help?

The icon of St. John of Damascus is an irreplaceable image that must be in every home. It helps with literally everything related to finding your purpose, strengthening your faith and gaining spirituality. Prayer for forgiveness of sins in front of such an icon will help you get rid of serious illnesses of soul and body. The help of John of Damascus is comprehensive. Prayer to the monk is a reliable protection of your personal happiness. Such an icon can be given to a man with the name Ivan, since the saint is the patron and protector of people with that name.

Remembrance day and years of life of the saint

The exact information about the life and death of the saint is unknown. Historians make only assumptions, content with indirect signs: who John met, what events he took part in, which historical figures knew him. Today it is generally accepted that the saint was born in 625 and died no later than 754.

Description of the icon

The holy image of John is very easy to distinguish from other icons of the great martyrs. In the icon, the preacher is depicted not in classical attire, like most of the saints, but in an Arabic turban. So, when painting the image, the icon painters decided to emphasize the origin of St. John. The saint is depicted as an old man, in whose hands is the Holy Scripture as a symbol of faith and the commandments of God.

Prayer to Saint John in front of his icon

“Reverend John! Be merciful to all people who ask for Your help. We cry to You, O pious saint of God, for we are sinners and have strayed from the righteous path. Enlighten us, O Saint John, guide us on the true path and convey our words to the Lord. Ask for everyone who is now a sinner for salvation and wisdom in order to withstand all the blows of fate and not fall under the influence of the devil. Help us through Your intercession to find strong faith, affirmation in good deeds, healing in illnesses, consolation in sorrows, intercession in offenses, help in troubles. Do not leave us who come running to You with faith, for we are weak and in need of help. Defender of Christianity, follower of Christ, hear our prayers and pray for our sins before the Lord. Deliver us from passions and show us the right path. We trust in Your strength and ambulance Yours, continuing to glorify Your name day and night. Amen".

Our whole life is a series of accidents that sometimes have bad consequences. Trouble awaits us everywhere, regardless of age, gender and religion. There is one God, and only in His hands does our whole life lie. When faced with problems, it is important to understand what He wants to convey to you and try to correct your mistakes. Only then will you be able to get rid of all troubles once and for all. We wish you peace in your soul, take care of yourselfand don't forget to press the buttons and

One day, my father was lucky enough to buy the Italian monk Cosmas, captured by pirates, at the market, thanks to whom John and his brother deeply studied theology and Greek philosophy. The boys discovered extraordinary abilities and easily mastered the course of secular and spiritual sciences. Having later entered the service, Damascene, thanks to his brilliant abilities, quickly rose to the top. After the death of his father, John took the position of minister and city governor at court, and he also became the closest adviser to Caliph Hisham.

Reaction to iconoclasm

Behind state affairs he did not lose a keen interest in the affairs of his fellow believers and wrote several letters to Eastern Christians denouncing heretical teachings. Just then Eastern Church was going through another turmoil. It was started in the city by Emperor Leo III the Isaurian, who subjected holy icons and relics to persecution. He declared all the emperors and bishops who had preceded him to be idolaters who had violated the main commandment of Moses (who, as is known, strictly forbade the depiction of the Divine). The clergy, and especially the monks, were very hostile to iconoclasm. Over the years, the resistance of admirers of icons became more and more stubborn, and the struggle against them became more and more fierce. Many were punished for their zeal for icons by beheading, lashes, expulsion and deprivation of their estates. Church schools were closed.

The dispute over icons was not just a ritual dispute. It was a dogmatic dispute, and it revealed theological depths. John vividly responded to him in three words, “Against those who reject holy icons” (726-730). Here he wrote that Moses’ prohibition to “make any likeness” of the Deity had a temporary meaning and was an educational measure to curb the Jewish tendency to idolatry. But with the beginning of the Christian era, education ended, and in the kingdom of grace, not all of the Law remained in force. For John, iconoclasm was tantamount to insensibility of the Divine-Human mystery. Of course, God, by the purest spirituality of His nature, is invisible and therefore indescribable - He has no real image in the material world. However, by His goodness, God revealed Himself to people in the Incarnation, thus becoming visible and depictable. “In ancient times, God, incorporeal and without form, was never depicted,” wrote John, “but now that God appeared in the flesh and lived among people, we depict the visible God.” There is and cannot be any idolatry in the veneration of icons, for Christians worship “not the nature of wood and paints,” but “the image of the Incarnate One,” through which they embrace and worship Christ Himself.

Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Three-Handed

Miraculous healing

Being beyond the reach of the Byzantine authorities, John sent out many messages to various Christian churches in defense of icon veneration. Stung by them, the emperor ordered that one of John's epistles be found written in his own hand, and then ordered experienced scribes to forge his handwriting. They composed a letter, as if on behalf of John, to Emperor Leo, in which he promised, at the right opportunity, to transfer Damascus into the hands of Christians. Leo sent this letter to Damascus to the caliph. He became angry and ordered John to be cut off right hand. As legend testifies, in the evening John, taking his truncated hand, began to pray in front of the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, and then fell asleep. In a dream, he saw the Mother of God from the icon say to him: “Your hand is now healthy, do not grieve about the rest, but work hard with it - make it a scribbler’s cane.” When John woke up, he saw his hand healed. When the caliph learned about this miracle, he realized that John had become a victim of slander, and invited him to return to his service, but Damascene refused. Around the city, he left his lucrative position, retired to the monastery of Saint Sava near Jerusalem and became a monk there. The icon of the Mother of God, before which he fervently prayed and received healing, John of Damascus took to the monastery, and added a third hand to its lower part.

Life in the monastery and death

According to the rules of this monastery, each newly arrived monk had to come under the supervision of an elder experienced in spiritual life. The abbot began to look for such a mentor for John, but most of the monks refused, not wanting to be the teacher of a man whose learning was known throughout the East. Finally, one of them agreed to instruct John and, first of all, decided to wean him from worldly pride: he forbade him to write epistles and even talk about secular sciences. John obeyed this prohibition and began to conscientiously fulfill all the orders assigned to him. One day the elder ordered him to take the baskets to the Damascus market and sell them there, although he knew that it was difficult for John to engage in such a despicable business in a city where everyone well remembered his greatness. John fulfilled this order unquestioningly. He found relaxation in church poetry and in a short time composed several funeral troparions, distinguished by their exceptional touchingness (many of them are still used during funeral services for the dead). John's mentor saw in this activity another manifestation of pride and imposed strict penance (punishment) on him, ordering him to cleanse all the latrines in the monastery with his own hands. John humbly fulfilled this unheard-of demand with the very hands that he had previously anointed with expensive aromas. After this, the elder forgave him, but still forbade him to write. Seeing his unyielding severity, the Mother of God once appeared to him in a night vision and said: “Why are you blocking a spring that can flow sweet and abundant water? Don't stop the source from flowing. Let those who are thirsty strive for this water.” The elder was embarrassed and no longer forbade John to write.

Works and labors of the saint

Damascene is credited with the authorship of many chants in the famous “Octoechos” - an octagonal system for Sunday services, which during his lifetime was adopted throughout the East, and after his death also in the West. Damascene carefully edited it and developed a number of holiday canons (Easter, Nativity, Epiphany, Preobrazhensky, Ascension, etc.). His "Octoechus" made a change in church services, giving it greater certainty and uniformity. In general, Damascene’s creativity was very multifaceted. He wrote lives, composed festive words and touching prayers, expounded the dogmas of faith and many sacraments of theology. He continued to write against heretics, especially iconoclasts. He compiled a “Manual” - an explanation of the most important theological expressions, the misunderstanding of which in ancient times was the cause of heresies, as well as several small works on dogmatics (among them: “On the Holy Trinity”, “On the Image of God in Man”, “On the Nature of Man” and others"). The sermons of Damascus were very famous. He did a lot to correct the divine service, reviewing and supplementing the Jerusalem charter of Sava the Sanctified. Finally, he was the first to set out the theological teaching of the Orthodox Church in a harmonious, systematic order.

Angels and demons, visible nature and heaven, about man, his properties and God's providence. To this day " exact statement"is the main symbolic book of Orthodoxy; and it is hardly possible to indicate another that is equal to it in objectivity, completeness and concentration.

Memory in the Orthodox Church

Day of Remembrance:

December 4 (December 17)

Troparion, tone 8:

Teacher of Orthodoxy, teacher of piety and purity, lamp of the universe, God-inspired fertilizer for the monastics, John the Wise, with your teachings you have enlightened everything, spiritual priest, pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4:

Let us sing to the hymn-writer and honorable God-spreader, to the Church of the punisher and teacher and the enemies of the opponent John: for we take up the weapon - the Cross of the Lord, repelling all the charm of heresies and as a warm intercessor to God grants forgiveness of sins to all.

Bibliography

Ryzhov K.V. 100 great prophets and religious teachers. Moscow: “Veche”, 2002. Pp. 267-272.
Minea service. December. Part 1.- Publication of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1982, p. 144–145.