John of Damascus icon. Testimonies of the ancient and glorious saints about icons. Remembrance day and years of life of the saint

Reverend John Damascene 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.

John (John-Mansur) Damascus (c. 675 - to 753)

A great poet, a major theologian and fighter for Orthodoxy. Born in Damascus, into a rich and noble Christian family, he received a varied education. Under the guidance of a teacher, he studied philosophy, mathematics, astronomy and music.

At first, John served at the Umayyad court, then retired to the monastery of St. Sava (near Jerusalem), where he lived until his death.

John of Damascus was an exceptionally gifted man, interesting in many ways. His spiritual heritage is enormous and constitutes a priceless treasure of the Church. Tradition calls John the author of wonderful church hymns, from which the Christian world still draws wisdom, strength and consolation. Laconicism and liveliness of language, touching lyricism and depth of thought - all this is done by Damascene the greatest poet Byzantium and the entire Christian world. It is no coincidence that he was called “golden jet”. He was one of the first to compile a calendar of days of remembrance of Christian saints and ascetics.

His musical activity is also closely connected with John’s poetry. He owns the first church musical system and the design of most Christian chants in the collections “Typikon” and “Octoechos”.

He is even better known as a theologian. He created a fundamental work, “The Source of Knowledge,” consisting of three parts: “Dialectics,” “Book of Heresies,” and “ Exact statement Orthodox faith." This system of ideas about God, the creation of the world and man, which determines his place in this and the other worlds. This work had a huge influence on future generations of not only Orthodox, but also Catholic theologians (for example, Thomas Aquinas). For the Orthodox Church, the work of John is still the primary source of the foundations of Christian doctrine.

From the point of view of art criticism, Damascene is interesting as a fierce opponent of iconoclasm and the creator of the theory of the Sacred Image, which laid the foundation for the canonization of icon painting.
According to his theory, 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.

The Caliph suspected John-Mansur of spying for Byzantium and ordered his right hand to be cut off. John put the severed hand in place, all night earnestly praying for healing to the icon of the Mother of God, according to legend, painted by the Evangelist Luke himself. The next morning the brush grew back. To commemorate this miracle and as a sign of eternal gratitude, Damascus attached a hand cast in pure silver to the silver frame of the miraculous icon. Now it is in the Hilardar monastery (Athos, Greece). This is how one of the canonical iconographic images of the Mother of God arose - the Mother of God of Three Hands.

In the middle of the Syrian desert at the foot of Mount Hermon there is a fertile valley irrigated by mountain streams, and in the middle of it, like an oasis, is a beautiful city. Damascus. Magnificent palaces, luxurious houses, fountains and swimming pools. Surrounded by white stone walls Orthodox churches and Muslim mosques. Truly the “Pearl of the East”.

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

Useful materials

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

Biography

The 7th century is approaching the end. The time of fierce confrontation between two empires: Arab Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire. The pious husband Sergius ibn Mansur regularly serves under the Caliph of Damascus; he occupies the high position of chief treasurer (logothete).

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

Childhood

But the heart of the respectable husband is filled with sadness, for he and his wife are no longer young in years, and the Lord has not blessed them with children. From a trip to Jerusalem, where Sergius went to venerate 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 AD) God sent them their own child. Mansur ibn Serjun at-Taghlibi (the future Venerable John of Damascus) was raised together with his half-brother according to pious Christian traditions.

And their father's love for charity will one day be worthy of reward. At the slave market, which he visits monthly in order to ransom and free at least one captive Christian, he acquires something that will later bring joy to his parent’s heart.

A Christian monk named Cosmas, captured into slavery by sea robbers, finds freedom on that happy day, and the beloved sons of the caliph's logothete become a good teacher and wise mentor. The pious monk tries to pass on all his knowledge to his students, and the students, thanks to their diligence, succeed in learning so much that one day the teacher must admit: “I have nothing more to teach you.”

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

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

“I should not leave the talent of words entrusted to me by God useless,”

– the reverend writes in one of his works.

He gets to serve as a pen at a time when the Orthodox Church of the East has a huge number of heterodox enemies: in addition to hostile Mohammedans, the country is being torn apart by sectarians and heretics, and in the person of the Byzantine emperor Leo the Isaurian, a new misfortune has appeared - iconoclasm. The Byzantine ruler who came to power hastens to declare: “The veneration of icons is idolatry.”

This becomes a reason for persecution of Christians, who from time immemorial have venerated holy images. When icons began to be publicly destroyed, and as a result of clashes, Christian blood was shed, and rumors spread far beyond the borders of the Roman Empire, reaching Syria, the 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 residents of Constantinople and have great success. He also addresses the emperor himself:

“You do not worship an image, and do not worship the Son of God, who is the living image of the invisible God and the unchanging image,”

- Having read the parchment with such a message, the Byzantine basileus becomes furious.

He cannot leave the daring accuser without revenge. But how to get to a subject of another country living at the court of the Mohammedan sovereign? Cunning and slander are the weapons of all palace intrigues and in this case they turn out to be very useful. Lev notifies the caliph in writing that his closest adviser is offering him his assistance in capturing Damascus, and encloses a skillfully forged letter as proof.

Icon "Three-handed"

The expectation that the temperamental and quick to kill caliph would not forgive betrayal was justified. The right hand of an imaginary criminal is publicly cut off in the palace square. When the caliph's anger has subsided, the former first adviser receives his own hand for burial. In his house, in front of the icon of the Mother of God, John mournfully mourns his injury.

It’s already deep after midnight, but he doesn’t leave everything to his own. Finally, fatigue gets the better of him, and he falls into 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 pleas 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 about the rest, but work hard with it, as you promised me; make it a scribbler's reed."

In the morning, shaking off the remnants of a disturbing dream, John carefully moved his index finger - a sharp pain pierced his whole body, he realized that he was healed! And only a small scar remained as a reminder of the cutting off. From a grateful heart flowed a song of praise:

“Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorified in strength; Your right hand healed the truncated right hand, which will now crush enemies...” And a new hymn in honor of the Mother of God: “Blessed One, every creature, the angelic council and the human race rejoice in You!...”

The caliph, miraculously brought to his senses, realizes that his first minister turned out to be an innocent victim of blatant slander. No matter how hard it was for the powerful ruler to admit his guilt, he still asks for forgiveness from John and hurries to reinstate him in his position 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 deeds. He, having thanked the caliph, renounces his position, and, having distributed a huge estate, gets ready to go: to the Lavra of St. Sava, in Jerusalem. But before that, in memory of miraculous healing, according to his order, a copy of the brush is made from silver, which is reverently attached to the icon of the Mother of God, in front of which the monk prayed so fervently.

Interesting fact

The miraculous icon with a silver brush is now kept in the Hilandar Athos Monastery, and is called “Three-Handed”.

Our Lady of Three Hands
XIV century
94 × 67 cm
Hilandar Monastery, Mount Athos
Back - St. Nicholas.

In the monastery

At dawn, John left his hometown. He had to travel 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—came over him.
He walked and dreamed of how he would come to the famous Lavra of St. Savva the Sanctified. How the brethren will greet him. How there, far from the bustle, he will write selflessly. His creations will eradicate error and heresy and help people find the truth. And these creative plans made my soul happy.

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

The meaning of what the elder said did not immediately dawn on him. And when he got there, the earth disappeared from under his feet, and the light in his eyes dimmed.
“No praises or essays,” he echoed, “tell me, honest father, for how long are you giving me this rule?”
“For the rest of my life,” came the answer, and the novice sank to his knees in helplessness. He wanted to say that this was beyond his strength, that this vow was the same as death, but a spasm squeezed his throat.
“You must die for the world,” the elder answered his thoughts; he was adamant.
“As you said, so be it,” John finally said.

The first year he easily coped with obedience, and it seemed that he had already completely resigned himself 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 flowed spontaneously from his lips:

“I stand before the doors of Your temple and do not retreat from evil thoughts...”

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

But one day he disobeyed his spiritual mentor. That day the elder was away, and John said a prayer, weaving a basket at the threshold of his cell. The young monk found him doing just that. Kneeling down before John, he told about his grief, he said that his brother had died and grief was tearing his heart apart, and asked for consolation in the form of prayer, in which John was so skilled. Seeing that grief had driven his brother in despair into despair, the monk could not refuse the requests, he wrote those touching hymns that are still sung at funerals.

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

The old mentor, hearing the singing, was upset, and John was expelled from his cell for self-will and disobedience. With his head humbly bowed, the novice stood on his knees all night before the closed door of his leader. Only at the request of the abbot of the Lavra, the elder replaced the excommunication with penance... What a thing! The culprit must clean out all the impurities with his own hands, only after that the mentor was ready to cancel his decision.

And the guilty one, without any embarrassment, happily takes the bucket and shovel into his hands, and should immediately carry out the command. Then the mentor became convinced that his efforts were not in vain: the student, having overlooked his pride, rejected himself.

And some time later, the Queen of Heaven herself stood up for her chosen one, appearing in a dream to the strict old man. Enlightened by such a vision, John himself begs to open his lips sealed with silence:
- Let everyone hear your sweet-sounding verbs. From now on, I bless you to raise your voice strongly.
- Christ is Risen! - the student exclaimed, despite the fact that Easter time had long expired. And a touching Easter song poured out in the middle of summer:

“Yesterday I was buried with You, Christ, and today I rise with You, risen, yesterday still crucified...!

The novice was able to understand that without the harsh school of humility, God hardly needed his praises. Soon John took monastic vows and was enrolled in the monastery brethren. From then on, there were no hindrances 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 to this day of all those who rush to the temple of God.

“Your chants, John, will be listened to by simpletons like me, and everything will be clear to them,” the elder used to say, listening to another composition of his student.

Death and Memorial Day

The year of the saint’s death is unknown, it is only known that John survived the year 754 and died earlier than 787, therefore, the saint reposed in the Lord, having reached his eighties. He was buried in the Lavra of St. Savva. The memory is celebrated by the Church on December 17.

Proceedings

At the time when the monk lived in Damascus, he often observed the following picture: in order to attract Christians to Mohammedanism, or perhaps simply to mock the Orthodox, the Mohammedans asked questions to which even educated believers could not find answers. John wrote down “The Conversation of a Christian with a Saracen” as a guide to a dignified way out of any dispute.

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.” St. John’s pen also includes the trilogy-treatise “The Source of Knowledge” and the book “Three words of defense against those who condemn holy icons.”

Saints John Climacus, John of Damascus and Arsenios the Great
Double Sided Pill Icon
Second half of the 16th century.
Canvas, tempera.
25 × 20.2 cm
Vladimir-Suzdal Historical and Artistic Institute
and architectural museum-reserve, Vladimir, Russia
Inv. B-6300/116
Part of a series of double-sided saint icons,
originating from the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Suzdal.
Verso - “The Raising of Lazarus.”

What do they pray to the saint for?

• about healing;
• in difficult life situations;
• about the ability to freely and correctly express one’s thoughts (“about the gift of speech”)

The image of John of Damascus is recognizable - icon painters paint him wearing a turban, so you can easily find his icon in the temple. He lived in a different century in a different country, but that doesn't matter. Time, boundaries and languages ​​are just conventions, you will definitely feel a spiritual connection with this greatest saint through his works, just as the author of these lines felt closeness and joy of communication when writing about him.

Troparion, kontakion, magnification

Troparion, voice 8th:

In you, father, it is known that you were saved in the image: accept the Cross, you followed Christ, and you taught in action to despise the flesh, for it passes away, but the things of the soul are immortal. In the same way, O Reverend John, your spirit rejoices with the angels. Another troparion, tone 8: Teacher of Orthodoxy, teacher of piety and purity, lamp of the universe, God-inspired fertilization for the monastics, John the Wise, with your teachings you have enlightened everything, spiritual priesthood, pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.

Kontakion, voice 4:

Let us sing to the hymn-writer and honest God-spreader, to the Church of punisher and teacher, and to the enemies of the opponent, John: for the weapon, the Cross of the Lord, has repelled all the charms of heresies, and as a warm intercessor to God, grants forgiveness of sins to all.

Magnification:

We bless you, Reverend Father John, and honor your holy memory, teacher of monks and interlocutor of angels.

Akathist

Akathist to St. John of Damascus

Kontakion 1

Chosen saint of Christ, Reverend Father John, we write praises to you, as the golden-speaking singer of cherubic hymns and seraphim verbs, the Orthodox Church and our intercessor and warm prayer book for us: you, as if you had boldness to the Lord, prayed for us with continuous prayer and asked for forgiveness for our sins calling you:

Ikos 1

You were an earthly angel and a heavenly man, Reverend John, and in your life you had a warm love for the Mother of God, you tried to build Her holy icon and reverently placed this in your cell, you remained in unceasing prayers. We, pleasing you, say:

Rejoice, unashamed intercessor for us before the Lord.

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

Rejoice, our merciful and meek Father.

Rejoice, quick helper in troubles and circumstances.

Rejoice, consolation to the mournful and sorrowful.

Rejoice, to all who ask ambulance serve.

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

Kontakion 2

Seeing, Reverend Father John, his right hand, who wrote a lot in defense of the honor and veneration of holy icons, was mercilessly cut off at the behest of the iconoclast king, I asked for it from the unfaithful tormentor, and applying it to the joint that had been truncated, tearfully praying to the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God for her to be healed , and the All-Blessed and All-Powerful Intercessor of our family, soon heard your prayer, and having appeared to you in a dream, you granted healing to your truncated hand, so you could sing in gratitude to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

The human mind cannot comprehend the power of the grace-filled healings miraculously revealed by the icon of the Mother of God and explain the great miracle how your severed right hand was found whole and healthy in one night, and on it only the scarlet sign of the former ulcer was left by the Good Physician, pleasing the Queen of Heaven with praises to you, servant of God, we say:

Rejoice, zealous servant of God.

Rejoice, fellow angels.

Rejoice, interlocutor of the venerables.

Rejoice, warm intercessor who comes running to you.

Rejoice, gifted from God to an intercessor and patron.

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

Kontakion 3

Showing the power of the right hand of the Most High in healing his truncated right hand, the God-speaking John, sang with red songs the Lady of the All-Good and applied the likeness of his truncated hand to the healing image of the Mother of God for the sake of the everlasting memory of the great miracle; Therefore, now this holy icon of the Three Hands is visible and is called, with three hands described on it glorifying the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and the miracles that happen from it, leading everyone to cry out in praise to the Lord: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Have great zeal for God, spirit-bearing hymn-writer of the Holy Church and sweet divine glorifier of her, Venerable John, with songs of praise until the end of your life you glorify the wondrous mercy of the Mother of God, in memory of the former miracle of the cloth with which your truncated hand was wrapped, on the head of your burden, an icon And the Mother of God, who has many healing powers, as a rich inheritance, was given to the Holy Lavra of the Venerable Savva the Sanctified, for veneration by all the faithful. For your care for our souls, we duly appeal to you:

Rejoice, for you have completely pleased God.

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

Rejoice, enjoy the sweets of heaven.

Rejoice, be satisfied with God's goodness.

Rejoice, faithful teacher and mentor.

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

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

Kontakion 4

A storm of bewilderment confuses my mind, Reverend Father John, how worthy it is to God to proclaim your greatness, but as you are good and merciful, look not at the dignity of this creation, but at our zealous will and teach us sinners how it is proper for our souls to feel the praises of God and sing: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Having heard those near and far, Reverend Our Father John, your angelic life, and as through your prayer the many who flow to you with faith receive grace-filled consolation and gratefully remember your many good deeds, which you left for us in hymns and spiritual songs, we joyfully cry out to this one for you:

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

Rejoice, for you have enlightened us with divine hymns.

Rejoice, pillar of piety.

Rejoice, repository of virtues.

Rejoice, you who speak heavenly truth through your golden lips.

Rejoice, do not attribute earthly honors to anything.

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

Venerable John of Damascus. Fresco, early 14th century. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Protata (Athos)

Kontakion 5

God-lovingly, like a shining star, you walked, servant of God, to the most holy city of Jerusalem to worship the holy places, where you remained, without returning to the world, you entered as a monk into the monastery of the Venerable Savva the Sanctified, chanting gratefully to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Having seen your angelic life equal to the angels, blessed father, the depth of your humility, unceasing prayer, firmness of abstinence and the great zeal of your spirit for purity, you were amazed and glorified the philanthropist God, who strengthens the weak human nature. We please you and call you:

Rejoice, wonderful adornment for those who venerate monasticism.

Rejoice, lover of the splendor of the house of God.

Rejoice, you who have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, consecrated vessel of God's grace.

Rejoice, good and faithful servant of Christ.

Rejoice, true servant of the Lord.

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

Kontakion 6

Once a God-bearing preacher, St. John, you continually taught the brethren the true knowledge of God and piety and taught you the way of your life on the path of salvation, so that we might all sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

The shining light of true knowledge of God rises in your soul, illuminating the souls of the faithful, who listen with sweetness to the chants you composed and praise you:

Rejoice, organ of the All-Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, tympanum, delighter of pious feelings.

Rejoice, source of God-inspired chants.

Rejoice, good-voiced pipe, gladdening the human soul with spiritual songs.

Rejoice, O psalter, proclaiming the glory of God.

Rejoice, inexhaustible stream of God's grace.

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

Kontakion 7

Although, Reverend Father John, you tried to console a monastic brother grieving over the death of a friend, to console him by writing hymns about the repose of the souls of the departed in the Kingdom of Heaven, for this sake we sing the angelic song to the Almighty God: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

The Lord has revealed you as a new prayer book and wonderworker, Venerable Father John, and the Orthodox Church flaunts with you in the same way and with great boldness for Christ, Who prayed for us sinners, crying out to you in love:

Rejoice, most luminous lamp of the Orthodox faith.

Rejoice, zealous champion of piety.

Rejoice, unshakable pillar of the Church of God.

Rejoice, adorned temple of virtues.

Rejoice, for you have sweetened the pious feelings of faithful people with your writings.

Rejoice, you spoke heavenly truths with golden lips.

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

Kontakion 8

Thou hast thought of being a wanderer and a stranger in this fickle world, O Reverend Father, and of seeking the coming city of heavenly Jerusalem, raising all your thoughts to it, placing your mind on the divine, and you have crucified your flesh with passions and lusts, singing sweetly, as if in tympanum, in a mortified body, a victorious song to Christ God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

You have put on all the armor of God, like a warrior of Christ, having girded your loins with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod on your nose for the preparation of the gospel of peace, you have received the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, which You were able to defeat all the slander of the evil one; So help us, Reverend Father, with your prayers, to resist the temptations of the enemy, and to imitate you in conquering our passions, so that we call to you:

Rejoice, through holy humility you have trampled down soul-destroying pride.

Rejoice, who extinguished the flame of perfect rage with meekness.

Rejoice, poor people your wealth wasteful and hating the love of money.

Rejoice, having endured all kinds of annoyances and insults without anger.

Rejoice, for through unceasing prayers you have driven away despondency from yourself, and have achieved joy in the Lord.

Rejoice, for through abstinence and vigil you have kept your soul and body chastely.

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

Kontakion 9

You hated all carnal pleasure, O blessed John, and you loved the One God with all your heart; In the same way, the Lord loved you and glorified miracles, giving us a prayer book favorable to His goodness: we humbly pray to you, when the imams appear before the Righteous Judge, pray to Him for us, that He may not remember our iniquities, and grant us a blessed fate at the right hand of those standing and crying out to Him : Alleluia.

Ikos 9

The orations of many things, it is not enough to express all your deeds and miracles, God-wise Father John, for the kindness of your life truly surpasses human praise, but we, conquered by love for you, dare to humbly praise you with the following singing:

Rejoice, holy lamp of the Orthodox Church, unflickering.

Rejoice, affirmation and praise of your monastery.

Rejoice, wonderful beauty of the monastic faces.

Rejoice, everlasting consolation for the Christian race.

Rejoice, to those who love and honor you as the mediator of salvation.

Rejoice, lead sinners to correction.

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

Kontakion 10

You have inherited eternal salvation, servant of God, and you have received a righteous death as a crown by your feat, painlessly and peacefully passed from the earthly to the heavenly abode, where your holy soul received reward from the hand of the Almighty God, and with the angelic hosts stands before His Divine throne, singing the silent A song for him: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

Good and faithful servant of the Heavenly King, the talent given to you is not hidden, but hardworkingly aggravated it and I will buy a lot spiritually for him, Father John, help us, earthly and earthly, to imitate your holy life and acquire at our exodus the good hope of salvation, so that we may sing tender voices to you:

Rejoice, holy one of God, having holy and immaculately ended your earthly life.

Rejoice, chosen one of Christ, painlessly and peacefully surrendering your spirit into the hand of God.

Rejoice, for your death is honorable before the Lord and your dormition is with the saints.

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

Rejoice, for you have settled in the heavenly abodes and have not left the earthly ones.

Rejoice, diligent intercessor of all those who come running to you and quick representative.

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

Kontakion 11

We bring you songs of praise, reverend one, but with meager songs we praise you: for whether your adolescence, your youth, or your old age are all filled with the essence of good deeds and love for God and neighbor, they all proclaim the same song of God: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

Your disciples, great servant of God, saw your peaceful death, and the sorrow of separation from you was dissolved by the consolation of grace in the hope of your omnipotent intercession, grief at the throne of God, where you hear with love those calling you:

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

Rejoice, heir of the all-bright Kingdom of Christ.

Rejoice, high citizen of Jerusalem.

Rejoice, resident of Heavenly Zion.

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

Rejoice, blessedness, prepared for the righteous from eternity, having righteously received.

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

Kontakion 12

Ask for divine grace for us, servant of God, may it always cover us from enemies visible and invisible, may it teach us to imitate you in the purity of angels and gentleness, may it direct our hearts to humility, repentance and unflagging fulfillment of the commandments of Christ; may he grant us a Christian death and lead us comfortably through the airy path, may he make us worthy to see the glory of the great God and sing to Him forever: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

We sing of your valiant deeds, O valiant warrior of Christ, Our Father John, we bless your blessed death, singing to you earnestly: Rejoice, for you lived holy and righteous on earth.

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

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

Rejoice, for the gates of heaven have been opened to you, and you have entered into the joy of your Lord.

Rejoice, for Christ, the Giver of Life, has accepted your soul into the heavenly villages.

Rejoice, for with the disembodied forces you silently sang the Trisagion to God.

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

Kontakion 13

Oh, great and glorious miracle worker, Reverend Our Father John! Having graciously accepted this little prayer of ours, with your prayers save us from mental and physical ailments in this life and the future eternal torments and grant us, together with you, in the Kingdom of Heaven to sing to God: Alleluia.

“This kontakion is read three times and again Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1...”

Prayer

Prayer

O sacred head, reverend father, most blessed Abbot John! Do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in holy and auspicious prayers to God: remember your flock, which you yourself shepherded, and do not forget to visit your children, pray for us, holy father, for your spiritual children, as you have boldness to the Heavenly King: do not be silent for us to the Lord, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love: remember us unworthy at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not stop praying for us to Christ God, for the grace has been given to you to pray for us. We do not imagine that you are dead: even though you passed away from us in body, but remained alive even after death, do not depart from us in spirit, preserving us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of the demonic and the snares of the devil, our good shepherd. Even though your relics are always visible before our eyes, your holy soul is with the angelic hosts, with the disembodied faces, with heavenly powers, standing at the throne of the Almighty, we rejoice worthily, knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we bow down to you and we pray to you: pray for us to the Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to heaven without restraint , may we be delivered from bitter ordeals, demons, princes of the air, and from eternal torment, and may we be heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous, who from all eternity have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ: to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His Beginning Father, and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The prayer is different

Reverend Father John! Look upon us mercifully and lead those who are devoted to the earth to the heights of heaven. You are a mountain in heaven, we are on earth below, removed from you, not only by place, but by our sins and iniquities, but we run to you and cry: teach us to walk in your way, enlighten us and guide us. Your entire holy life has been a mirror of every virtue. Do not stop, servant of God, crying to the Lord for us. By your intercession, ask our All-Merciful God for the peace of His Church, under the sign of the militant cross, agreement in faith and unity of wisdom, destruction of vanities and schisms, affirmation in good deeds, healing for the sick, consolation for the sad, intercession for the offended, help for the needy. Do not disgrace us, who come to you with faith. All Orthodox Christians, having performed your miracles and beneficent mercies, confess you to be their patron and intercessor. Reveal your ancient mercies, and to whom you helped the Father, do not reject us, their children, who are marching towards you in their footsteps. Standing before your most honorable icon, as I live for you, we fall down and pray: accept our prayers and offer them up on the altar of God’s mercy, so that we may receive your grace and timely help in our needs. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in faith, so that we undoubtedly hope to receive all the good things from the mercy of the Master through your prayers. Oh, great servant of God! Help all of us who flow to you with faith through your intercession to the Lord, and guide us all in peace and repentance, end our lives and move with hope into the blessed bosom of Abraham, where you now rest joyfully in your labors and struggles, glorifying God with all the saints , in the Trinity glorified, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Canon

Canon to the Holy Venerable John of Damascus, tone 2

Song 1

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

Let those who wish to begin your praise, grant now your honeyed voice, O Reverend, to whom you have made clear the Orthodox Church with hymns, Father John, who honors your memory.

As a wise and witty judge, looking at those who exist in nature, you have prejudged those who are not worthy; for you have changed those who are temporal, because you abiding, Father John, where Christ has glorified you even now.

Theotokos: Thou hast appeared above, Pure, all creatures, visible and invisible, Ever-Virgin: For Thou hast given birth to a Creator, as Thou hast deigned to be incarnated in Thy womb, Whom with boldness pray to save Thee who sing.

Song 3

Irmos: The desert has blossomed like a cranium, Lord, the pagan barren, the Church by Your coming, in which my heart has been established.

You have squandered your wealth, giving to God in return, so the Kingdom has been prepared for you in Heaven; but even now, John, you have received multiple rewards.

The wisdom of receiving the talent, adorning it with deeds, made clear to you, John, the Church of Christ, which you greatly aggravated, and abandoned your life.

Theotokos: I marveled at the Angels, O Most Pure One, and feared the human heart at Thy Nativity. Moreover, we honor Thee, the Mother of God, with faith.

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, which reflects all the charms of heresies and as a warm intercessor to God grants forgiveness of sins to all.

Ikos

To the church mentor, and teacher, and priest, like the secret of the unspoken, we cry out in agreement: open our lips to God with your prayers and make us worthy to speak the words of your teachings, for you have appeared as a participant in the Trinity, like another sun, shining in the world, shining through miracles and teachings, like Moses, always studying the law of the Lord, you were a lamp in word and deed and constantly prayed for forgiveness of all sins.

Song 4

Irmos: You came from the Virgin, not an intercessor, nor an Angel, but the Lord Himself, who became incarnate, and you saved all of me, a man. Thus I call to You: glory to Your power, O Lord.

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

Having communicated to the impoverished Christ of mankind for the sake of salvation, you were glorified, as He was promised, and you reigned to the ever-reigning John.

Theotokos: You, the refuge of salvation and the insurmountable wall, Mother of God, Lady, we know all the faithful: You have delivered our souls from troubles with Your prayers.

Song 5

Irmos: Thou art an intercessor for God and man, O Christ God: for by Thee, O Lord, didst thou bring the imams to the Master of Light, Thy Father, from the night of ignorance.

Through the fear of Christ, Father, we are strengthened to the Divine life, you have subdued all carnal wisdom to the spirit, yours, John, purifying your feelings.

Having thoroughly cleansed your body, mind, and soul of all filthiness, O God-Wise One, you received the three-solar dawn, O John, who enriched you with bright gifts.

Theotokos: Pray to Your Son and Lord, O Pure Virgin, to grant deliverance from the opposite situation to those who are captive, and to grant peace to those who trust in You.

Song 6

Irmos: In the depths of sin I am, O Savior, and in the abyss of life I am overwhelmed, but, like Jonah from the beast, lead me up from passions and save me.

Having been enlightened by the Spirit by grace, having clearly enriched yourself with the knowledge of Divine and human things, you unenviably taught those who demanded it, John.

Like the face of Heaven, wise, you have adorned the Orthodox Church, inviting constant songs to the Divine Trinity.

Theotokos: Without artifice, O Virgin, Thou didst give birth to the eternal Virgin, revealing the true Divinity, Thy Son and God, images.

Song 7

Irmos: The ungodly command of the lawless tormentor rose high in flames. Christ spread spiritual dew to the Godly youth, He is blessed and glorified.

We kindle with zeal, God-fighting heresies, you countered all evil with bright scriptures, making clear to everyone what was sown in ancient times, by the wise, about John, written subtly.

You have warmly denounced the blasphemous wickedness of the evil-named disciples of Manent, who have corrupted the encroached Church of Christ, with your words and dogmas, about John, which you have perpetrated.

Theotokos: The Most Holy Saints we mean Thee, as the only One who gave birth to the indispensable God, the undefiled Virgin, the brideless Mother: for Thou hast poured out incorruption upon the faithful through Thy Divine Nativity.

Song 8

Irmos: Sometimes the fiery furnace in Babylon shared the actions of God's command, scorching the Chaldeans, watering the faithful, singing: bless all the works of the Lord, the Lord.

Thou hast exposed, in reality, the blessed John, the Nestorian division, the Sevirian merging, the one-willed pre-madness, but the single-effectual faith of Orthodoxy has been brought to an end by all.

All the enemies of tares are usually heretical in the Church of Christ, this worship is swept away in honest icons, but you will not slumber, O all-blessed John, uprooting every seed of evil.

Theotokos: You are from the inseparable Father, who lived in the womb of a God-husband, without seed you conceived and gave birth unspeakably, to the Most Pure Mother of God: we also confess You, the salvation of us all.

Song 9

Irmos: The Beginningless Parent, the Son, God and Lord, incarnated from the Virgin, appeared to us, darkened to enlighten, fellow squandered. Thus we magnify the All-Sung Mother of God.

Thou hast taught all the Church's sons to sing the Orthodox Unity in the Honest Trinity, and the incarnation of the Divine Word to appear in theology, John, making clear what is inconvenient to many in the Holy Scriptures.

Having sung the hymns of the holy ranks, O Reverend, the Pure Mother of God, the Forerunner of Christ, the same apostles, prophets, fasters and wise teachers, righteous men and martyrs, in those tabernacles now dwelling.

Theotokos: The palace was that of the incarnation of the Word, the Virgin Mother of God, clothed with the glory of virtues and dotted with it. To those, the All-Immaculate, we proclaim the Mother of God.

^sss^Reverend John of Damascus^sss^

Life of St. John of Damascus (c. 675–753), the greatest theologian and hymnographer, would not have strengthened the hearts of boys thirsting for the heroic, and girls striving for beauty?

According to church tradition, he, an important person in the state, was publicly beheaded on the basis of a forged letter that allegedly testified to his betrayal of the Caliph. right hand, hanging it in the market. Through fervent prayer to the Mother of God, the hand given to him by the Caliph grew.

The saint sang an enthusiastic hymn of gratitude, “Every creature rejoices in You, O Gracious One,” 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 (this is where the famous icon image of the Mother of God - “Three Hands”) originates.

Great love surrounds the name of John in Russian secular art.

“The enthusiastic canon of Damascus was sung at the all-night vigil today, And my soul was full of tenderness, And the 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 glorify God with a free verb!” - exclaims the saint in A. K. Tolstoy’s inspired poem “John of Damascus”, which served as the basis for Taneyev’s captivatingly beautiful cantata of the same name - schoolchildren should know it.

We are criminally impoverishing our national culture by depriving schoolchildren of its wondrous beauty. And those listening (and even performing!) Tchaikovsky’s romance “I bless you, forests” - do they suspect that it is a great saint singing Eastern Church? If they had imagined it, then instead of a smeared sluggish (or even lisping) complacency, a stern, powerful inspiration would have burned in their hearts! And his icon would not have adorned the literature and music classes, elevating the very spirit educational institution and destroying dirt from souls?

We love Caliph John;
He deserves honor and affection,
Called to governing affairs
He's the only Christian
Enslaved Damascus.
The ruler installed it
And to rule the court, and to rule the city,
He talks to him alone,
He sits next to him in the council;
Its palaces are surrounded
Fragrant gardens,
The tiles shine with azure,
The walls were decorated with amber;
In the midday heat, shelter and shade
They give awnings, silk fabrics,
Night and day in patterned baths
The icy fountains are noisy.

But peace flees from him,
He wanders gloomily; not the one
He had previously imagined walking along the road,
He would be happy and miserable,
If only he could, in the silence of the forest,
In the remote steppe, in solitude,
Forget the excitement in the yard
And humbly dedicate your life
Work, prayer, singing.

And it has been heard more than once
His eloquent voice
Against the insane heresy,
What has risen to art
A violent and noisy thunderstorm.
He fought with her stubbornly,
And from Damascus to Constantinople
Was like a fighter for the honor of icons
And like an art fence,
Long known and respected.

But the noise and shine disturbs him,
He can't get along with them
And, overcome with heavy thoughts,
Longing in the soul and sorrow on the face,
Governor John entered
To the palace of the Damascus ruler.
“O sir, listen! my san,
Majesty, splendor, power and strength,
Everything is unbearable to me, everything is disgusting.
Attracted by another calling,
I cannot rule the people:
I was born simple to be a singer,
Praise God with a free verb!
In a crowd of nobles there is always one,
I am full of torment and boredom;
Among the feasts, at the head of the squads,
I hear other sounds;
Their irresistible call
I'm drawn more and more towards you -
Oh, let me go, Caliph,

And he answered the requester:
“Rejoice, my beloved slave!
There is no eternal sadness in the world
And there is no incurable melancholy!
By your wisdom alone
All around Damascus is powerful and glorious.
Who is now equal to our greatness?
And who would dare to wage war on us?
And I will raise your lot -
No wonder I am around the powers -
You will accept the celebration of honor,
You will be my only brother:
Take half of my kingdom,
Just rule the other half!”

To him the singer: “Your generous gift,
O sir, the singer is not needed;
He is friendly with another force;
Heat burns in his chest,
By which creation is based;
It is his calling to serve the creator;
His soul is the invisible world
Thrones higher and purple.
He will not change, he will not deceive;
Everything that attracts and attracts others:
Wealth, power, fame, honor -
Everything in this world is in abundance;
And all the treasures of nature:
The vast expanse of the steppes,
Misty outline of distant mountains
And the seas are foamy waters,
Earth, and sun, and moon,
And round dances of all constellations,
And the depth of the blue firmament -
It's all just a reflection,
Only the shadow of mysterious beauties,
Of which the eternal vision
Lives in the soul of the chosen one!
Oh, believe me, he is not bribed by anything,
To whom is this wonderful world accessible?
Whom God has allowed to look
Into that hidden crucible,
Where prototypes boil,
Creative forces are trembling!
Then their solemn tide
Sounds to the singer in his verb -
Oh, let me go, Caliph,
Let me breathe and sing in freedom!”

And the caliph said: “In your chest
I have no power to restrain my desire,
Singer, you are free, go,
Where does your calling take you?

And here are the ruler's palaces
Oblivion became the prey;
The variegated teeth are dressed
Grass and dust of desolation;
His countless treasury
It has long been distributed to the poor,
The zealous servants are no longer visible,
The slaves were set free
And no one will indicate
Where did their master disappear to?
There are walls and paintings in the mansions
Long covered with cobwebs,
And the fountains are overgrown with moss;
Ivy creeping through the choirs
From the very vaults to the ground
They fall in a green pattern,
And the field poppy calmly
It grows all around on ringing slabs,
And the wind rustling the grass,
The forgotten ones walk in the halls.

I bless you, forests,
Valleys, fields, mountains, waters!
I bless freedom
And blue skies!
And I bless my staff,
And this poor sum
And the steppe from edge to edge,
And the light of the sun, and the darkness of the night,
And a lonely path
Which way, beggar, am I going,
And in the field every blade of grass,
And every star in the sky!
Oh, if I could mix my whole life,
To merge my whole soul with you!
Oh, if I could into my arms
I am your enemies, friends and brothers,
And conclude all nature!
Like a mountain storm approaching,
Like the onslaught of foaming waters,
Now it's growing in my chest
The holy power of inspiration.
Praise is already trembling on my lips
To everything that is good and worthy -
What deeds should I sing about?
What battles or wars?
Where am I for my gift
Will I find a high task?
Whose triumph will I convey?
Or whose fall will I pay?
Blessed is he who is near glorious deeds
The fleeting one adorned his age;
Blessed is he who knows how to live
Touch the eternal truth at least once;
Blessed is he who sought the truth,
And he who, defeated, fell
In the crowd insignificant and cold,
Like a victim of a noble thought!
But my praise is not for them,
No outpouring of delight for them!
The dream has chosen for songs
Not their high deeds!
And he does not shine in a crown,
To whom does my soul long?
Not surrounded by the brilliance of glory,
Not on a ringing chariot
He stands, the proud son of victories;
Not in the triumph of greatness - no, -
I see him in front of me
With a crowd of poor fishermen;
He quietly, peacefully,
He walks among the ripening grains;
The joy of my good speeches
It pours into simple hearts,
He is a hungry herd of truth
Leads to its source.

Why was I born at the wrong time?
When between us, in the flesh,
Carrying a painful burden
He was on the path of life!
Why can't I carry
O my Lord, your chains,
To suffer with your suffering,
And accept the cross on your shoulders,
And on the head a crown of thorns!
Oh, if I could kiss
Only the edge of your holy garment,
Just a dusty trace of your steps,
Oh my Lord, my hope,
Mine is both strength and protection!
I want all my thoughts for you,
A song of grace to you all,
And the thoughts of the day and the vigil of the night,
And every heartbeat,
And give my whole soul!
Don't open up for someone else
From now on, prophetic lips!
Rattle only the name of Christ,
My enthusiastic word!

The clock is running. Night Shadow
More than once replaced by scorching heat,
More than once, rising, azure day
He unwrapped the veil from sleeping nature;
And before the wanderer in the distance
And they worried and grew
Various paintings:
Snowy peaks turned white
Above the dense cedar forest,
The Jordan sparkled in the expanse of the steppe,
And the Dead Sea turned black,
Merging with the blue sky.
And so, winding in the wide steppe,
The curved line lay down
In front of him is the Kidron stream
The riverbed has been waterless for a long time.

It was getting dark. The steam flowed blue;
Silence reigned all around;
The stars twinkled; over the desert
The moon rose slowly.
Bregov burned rapids
They run down steeply to the bottom,
Spiraling a narrow valley
Double vertical wall.
Below are crosses, symbols of faith,
They stand on cliffs here and there,
And the wanderer's eyes are visible
There are dug caves in the cliffs.
Here from all over the world,
Fleeing worldly worries,
The holy fathers came
Seek peace and salvation.
From the edges to the dry bottom,
Where the steep descent leads into the valley,
erected by their hands
A strong wall made of stones,
Resistance to the steppe Saracen.
There is a gate in the wall. Tight entrance
A tower guards above them.
The path winds over the ravine,
And so, going down the rocks,
In the light of the stars, with a tired step
A wanderer approaches the gate.
“You, storm-free dwelling,
You, the font of knowledge,
Cemetery of worldly thoughts
And the cradle of new life,
I greet you, desert,
I have always strived for you!
Be my refuge from now on
A haven of songs and work!
All worldly cares
Laying down at these gates,
Brings to you, holy fathers,
A new brother has his gift and harp!”

"The Hermits of the Kidron Stream,
The abbot calls you to a council!
Gather together: one who came from afar
A new brother brings his greetings to you!
Great is his faith and calling,
But he must go through the test.

I give it to one of you:
He is that singer, famous among everyone,
That dispersed the darkness of iconoclasm,
By whose word lies are trampled and broken,
Then John, the defense of holy icons -
Who wants to mentor him?”

And the abbot only called this name,
The whole row of monks became agitated,
And they marvel and look at the singer,
And a whisper runs between them.
With all their gray heads drooping,
With humility they say to the abbot:

“Blessed is this glorious warrior of God,
Blessed is his coming among us,
But who is worthy of teaching here?
Who shines the light of truth around him?
Whose word sounded like a bell to us -
Do we dare to accept this as a beginning?”

Then a brother emerges from the crowd alone;
That monk was stern in appearance,
And his torturing gaze was stern,
And he said a stern word to the singer:
“The regulations tell us to keep our posts,
We know no other service! —

If you want to be under my command,
I agree to give you instructions,
But from now on you must postpone
Unnecessary thoughts, fruitless fermentation;
The spirit of idleness and the charm of song
Fast, singer, you must win!

If you came as a hermit to the desert,
Know how to trample worldly dreams,
And on the lips, having humbled my pride,
You put a seal of silence!
Fill your spirit with prayer and sorrow -
Here are my rules for your new beginning.”

The monk fell silent. Unexpected verdict
Like thunder fell in the midst of a peaceful synclite.
Everyone was confused. The singer's gaze faded,
Paleness covered the sunken cheeks.

And he stood motionless for a long time,
Silently lowering his eyes to the ground,
As if he was looking for an answer,
But I didn’t have the strength to answer.

And he began: “With all my strength,
And all my thoughts, and all my aspirations -
I dedicated myself to just one goal:
Praise the creator and glorify in song.

But you command me to mourn and be silent -
To yours, father, I obey your will:
The heart will no longer leap with joy,
A seal of silence will seal your lips.

So this is where you were hiding, renunciation,
What I promised more than once in prayers!
My joy was singing,
And you, Lord, chose him as a sacrifice!

Come, days of silence and torment!
Sorry, my gift! Lie down on the harp, dust!
And you, cherished sounds in your chest,
Freeze everything on your trembling lips!

Come down, night, on your sorrowful brother
And wean him from the sun with darkness!
Fade, become eclipsed without return,
The ringing rays of my psalms!

Perish, life! Go out, altar fire!
Calm down in me, agitated blood!
Only you shine, heavenly love,
In my night a radiant star!

Oh my god! Forgive the last moan
The last murmur of the suffering heart!
One moment - this whisper will freeze,
And I will rise, reborn by you!

It's finished. Waves of darkness roll in.
The gaze goes out. The blood runs cold. It's all over!
From the world of sounds now to the world of silence
The debunked singer is descending upon you!”

In a deep gorge
Like swifts' nests
Desert cells darken along the yellow cliffs,
But no one’s speech can be heard;
Everything is quiet until he gets ready for service.
A swarm of hermits;
And then echoes their ritual singing
One echo is dull.
And there, above the edges of the valley,
Triumph reigns in the deserted desert,
And not a single palm tree is visible anywhere,
Everything is empty and dead.
Like a burning burden
So the sky oppresses the tired earth,
And it seems like time
It makes its slow, sonorous flight over it.
Sometimes a distant growl can be heard
Hungry Lion;
And there will be silence again,
And again only dry grass rustles,
When a snake crawls out from under the stones
It will flash with scales;
The field locusts are crackling like wings
Sometimes it will take off. Or sometimes it happens
The desert will wake up from a wild cry,
Stones will fall down, and there, in the heights,
Trembling and wavering, the shaggy peak
Will appear in the sky. On a light horse
A horseman will appear; right above the ravine
Holding back the horse of foamy years,
He will pass by the monastery at a pace
Yes, he will send a curse to the monks from above.
And everything will be quiet again. Only at noon the eagle
They soar on motionless wings,
Yes, in the evening the stars are shining,
And they drag on boringly long days in a string.

Sometimes the firmament is blue
Clouds pass over the valley;
They are picture after picture,
While swimming, they twist among themselves.
So, in endless movement,
Always swirls in front of me
A series of memories
A reflection of a lost life;
And they cling and curl endlessly,
And the will is forever besieged,
And the numb singer
Caressing, calling for songs.
And the idle gift became my punishment,
Always ready to wake up;
So he waits only for the wind to blow
A smoldering fire under the ashes -
Before my restless spirit
Images are crowded together,
And, in silence, above a sensitive ear
The rhythmic harmonies tremble;
And I, not daring to be sacrilegious
To call them to life from the kingdom of darkness,
I drive back into the chaos of the night
My unsung psalms.
But in vain I, in a fruitless battle,
I repeat the statutory words
And memorized prayers -
The soul takes its rights!
Alas, under this black robe,
Like those days under the crimson,
Burned alive by fire,
The heart is restless!
Yudol, where I was buried
Fermentation of active forces,
Freedom of creative speech -
A vale of fatal silence!
Oh, tell my soul
The peace of your rapids is gloomy!
Desert wind, oh dispel
My unsleeping thoughts!

In vain he asks and waits for peace from the silent vale,
The desert wind cannot dispel a waking thought.
Years pass one after another, all fruitless years!
The fatal silence weighs more and more heavily on him.
So he once sat at the entrance of the cave, with his hand
Closing my sad eyes and listening to the inner sounds.
One monk came up to the mournful one,
He fell to his knees before him and said: “Help, Joanna!
My brother according to the flesh has passed away; he was like a brother
to me!
A heavy sorrow consumes me; I would like to cry -
Tears do not flow from the eyes, but boil in grief
heart.
You can help me: just write a touching
song,
A funeral song for a dear brother, so that when you hear it,
I could cry, and my melancholy would be relieved!”
John looked meekly and sadly answered him:
“Or don’t you know by what statute I am bound?
The old man strictly forbade my songs!”
The same one began to beg him again, saying: “He won’t recognize
The elder never talked about it; he went away for three days,
We're burying my brother tomorrow; I pray to you with all my soul,
Give me consolation in my infinitely bitter sadness!”
Once again, having received a refusal: “John! - said the monk, -
If you were a physical doctor, and I would be sick
I died as I do now from grief and sorrow,
Would you refuse to help me? And won't you give me an answer?
Lord God for me, if now I die inconsolable?
So speaking, he shook the soft heart of Damascus.
Full of his own sadness, the singer gave place to pity;
Then inspiration descended on him like a black cloud,
The gloomy images appeared in a crowd, and in the air there were sounds
They began to sob over the deceased.
The singer, bowing his head, listened to the invisible singing,
He listened for a long time, and stood up, and, with prayer, entered the cave,
There, with an obedient hand, he wrote down what sounded to him.
This is how the rules were violated, this is how the silence was broken.

Over free thought displeases God
Violence and oppression:
She, born free in her soul,
He will not die in chains!

Did you really think, myopic,
Shackle your dreams?
Is it possible to trample on the living sounds within yourself?
Did you think forcibly?

From the Lebanese mountains, where in the azure heights
The distant snow is whitening,
Rising into the vastness of the steppes, the wind is stormy
Will he keep his run?

And will the stream flow backwards?
What's thundering between the rocks?
And the sun there, rising from the east,
Will he come back?

The sad ringing of bells
In the morning the valley resounds.
The deceased was brought to the church;
Sad funeral ritual
The Council of Hermits is taking place.
The altar glows with candles,
The singer stands with a downcast gaze,
Sings a parting troparion,
The monks echo him in chorus:

“What sweetness in this life
Are you not involved in earthly sadness?
Whose wait is not in vain?
And where is the happy one among people?
Everything is wrong, everything is insignificant,
What we have gained with difficulty -
What glory on earth
Is it standing firm and immutable?
All ashes, ghost, shadow and smoke,
Everything will disappear like a dusty whirlwind,
And we stand before death
And unarmed and powerless.
The hand of the mighty is weak,
The royal commands are insignificant -
Receive the deceased slave,

How the ardent knight found death,
She brought me down like a predator,
The grave opened its mouth
And she took everything in life.
Save yourself, relatives and children,
From the grave I call to you,
Save yourself, brothers and friends,
May you not see the flames of hell!
All life is a kingdom of vanity,
And, feeling the breath of death,
We fade like flowers -
Why are we fussing in vain?
Our thrones are graves,
Our palaces are destruction,
Receive the deceased slave,
Lord, to the blessed villages!
Among a pile of smoldering bones
Who is the king? who is the slave? judge or warrior?
Who is worthy of the kingdom of God?
And who is the outcast villain?
O brothers, where are the silver and gold?
Where are the many hosts of slaves?
Among the unknown coffins
Who is poor and who is rich?
All ashes, smoke, and dust, and ashes,
Everything is a ghost, a shadow and a specter -
Only in heaven with you,
Lord, harbor and salvation!
All that was flesh will disappear,
Our greatness will decay -
Receive the deceased, Lord,
To your blessed villages!

And you, representative of everyone!
And you, intercessor to the mourners!
To you about your brother lying here,
To you, holy one, we cry!
Pray to the divine son,
Pray to Him, most pure one,
So that the obsolete on earth
I left my troubles here!
All ashes, dust, and smoke, and shadow!
Oh friends, don't believe the ghost!
When it dies on an unexpected day
The decaying breath of death,
We will all lie down like bread,
Pruned with a sickle in the fields, -
Receive the deceased slave,
Lord, in happy villages!

I'm going on an unknown path,
I walk between fear and hope;
My gaze has faded, my chest has grown cold,
The ear does not listen, the eyes are closed;
I lie silent, motionless,
I don’t hear brotherly sobs,
And from the censer there is blue smoke
It is not for me that the fragrance flows;
But eternal sleep while I sleep,
My love doesn't die
And with this, brothers, I pray to you,
Yes, everyone cries out to the Lord:
Lord! On the day when the trumpet
The trumpet of the end of the world will sound, -
Receive the deceased slave
To your blessed villages!

This is how he sings with the monks.
But between them, an unexpected guest,
Frowning his brows, he appears
Old mentor John.
Severe strict features,
Lifting the head majestically:
“Singer,” he says, “are you so
Do you observe and honor my statutes?
When our brother's ashes are before us,
It is not proper for us to sing, but it is proper for us to cry!
Go away, unworthy monk, -
You can’t live within our walls!”

And, struck by angry speech,
The culprit fell at his feet:
“Sorry, father! I don't know myself
How I violated your laws!
There was a silent voice inside me,
In irresistible heartache
Sounds came out involuntarily
The song started pouring out involuntarily!”
And it embraces the feet of the old man:
“Forgive my guilt, father!”
But he does not heed repentance,
He says: “Run, singer!
Hitherto worldly pride
Still alive in your chest"
Move away from our cells,
Don’t desecrate the desert with yourselves!”

Fatal news passed through the Lavra,
The hermits were confused by the meeting:
“Our John, honor to the Church of Christ,
The mentor has incurred indignation!
Will he really have to endure
Is this a shameful exile for him, the singer?
And our hearts were filled with pity,
And everyone prays for the singer.

But, like a pillar, the mentor is adamant,
And so in response to those asking, he says:
“The charter, which I once legitimized,
It will not be canceled now for nothing.
Who is prone to pride and disobedience,
The way we pull out the thorn.
But if the regrets in it are not false,
With penance he will redeem forgiveness:

Let him go around the laurels of the black yard,
He walks around with a shovel and a broom;
Having humbled your spirit, let dirt and rubbish be everywhere
He will sweep away with his disobedient hand.
Until then my sentence is strong on him,
And there is no forgiveness for him before me!”
Silenced. And, having heeded the merciless refusal,
All the brethren dispersed in sadness.
________

Contempt, friends, for the singer,
That the sacred gift humiliates
What bows before idols
The beauty of the laurel crown!
What is the voice of truth and honor
He preferred the suggestion of benefits,
What is there to please and flattery?
Shamelessly sold my verb!
From century to century it is ready to sound,
He is destined for execution and disgrace,
His shameless word
Like a popular verdict.

But you, another hungry for food,
You, who are drawn by prayer,
High in heart, poor in spirit,
Living in thought with Christ,
You who have a prophetic gaze
I did not bow to the shine of the world, -
You can drink without reproach
The whole humiliation is a phial!

And the elder’s speech reached Damascus.
Having learned the penance conditions,
The singer is in a hurry to make amends,
Hastens to honor the unheard-of statute.
Joy has replaced bitter sorrow:
Without a murmur, he took the shovel in his hands,
The singer of Christ does not think of mercy,
But he endures humiliation for God's sake.
________

The one who with eternal love
He repaid evil with good -
Beaten, covered in blood,
Crowned with a crown of thorns -
All those brought together by suffering,
In life I have my share of offended people,
Oppressed and humiliated
He overshadowed with his cross.

You, whose best aspirations
They perish for nothing under the yoke,
Believe, friends, in deliverance -
We are coming to God's light!
You, bent over,
You, depressed by chains,
You, buried with Christ,
You will rise with Christ!

It's getting dark. The steam flows blue;
There is darkness and silence in the gorge;
The stars twinkle; and the moon
Rising quietly over the desert.
Alone in my cave
The hermit left irritated.
Everyone is asleep. Silvered by the moon,
The stream seems to have dried up.
Rocky peaks above
From the darkness they look here and there;
But the old man's heart is not attracted
Nature peaceful pictures;
It died for life.
Bending his stern brow,
He, alien to the world, alien to his brothers,
He lies prostrated before the crucifix.
Gray head in the dust,
And he calls death to himself,
And whispers dark words,
And he hits Percy with a stone.
And for a long time he bowed,
And for a long time he called for death,
And finally, exhausted,
Voiceless, he fell to the ground,
And the old man sees a vision:

The arch of the cliffs suddenly opened up,
And the fragrance spread,
And from invisible heights
A glow falls into the cave.
And in its trembling rays,
Shining with starry clothes,
The Holy Virgin Appeared
With a baby sleeping in his arms.
Merged from the wonderful light,
Her heavenly gentle appearance.
“Why are you persecuting John?”
She says to the monk.-
His prayer sounds
Like the voice of heaven on earth,
Flowed into obedient hearts,
Healing sorrows and torment.
Why, old man, did you block
Mercilessly that source is strong,

Which the world would drink
Healing and abundant water?
Is this what grace is for in life?
The Lord sent to his creatures,
May they be subjected to fruitless torture
Execute and kill yourself?
He gave nature abundance,
And flowing rivers run,
He gave movement to the clouds
Flowers for the earth and wings for the birds.
How about a singer's live speech?
Are you bound by a difficult commandment?
Let his verb flow
The melodious river is endless!
Let his dreams water him,
Like rain, the valley of life;
Leave the earth its flowers,
Leave the consonances of Damascus!”

The vision disappeared into the clouds,
Dawn rises from the fog...
An alarmed monk stands up
Calling and looking for John -
And then the old man hugged him:
“O son of the humility of Christ!
I comprehended you with my soul -
From now on you can sing again!
Open your prophetic lips,
Your persecution is over!
In the name of the Lord Christ,
Singer, holy inspirations
Pour from your sonorous heart,
Well, I beg you, forgive me, oh child,
What a barrier to free speech
I was because of my rudeness!”

Sing, O sufferer, the song of Sunday!
Enjoy your new life!
The touch of the long mold has disappeared,
Free speech has risen!

The one who broke the shackles of the soul,
Let the creation be silently praised!
May the Lords of Power solemnly praise
And the sun, and the month, and the choirs of lights,
And every breath in the world!

Blessed is he who now, Lord, is before you
It is possible to think and speak!
With a fearless heart and a warm prayer
In your name he goes to battle
With everything that is wrong and false!

Ring out, my Sunday song!
Like the sun rise above the earth!
Break the murderous dream of existence
And radiant light everywhere,
Thunder what was created by darkness!

It doesn't fall from wild heights,
Among the dark rocks, a mountain stream;
It is not a menacing storm that is coming;
It is not the wind that stirs up the black dust;
Not hundreds of bending oaks
Centuries-old heads make noise;
Not a series of sea swells runs,
Shaking gray combs, -

Then John's speech flows,
And, full of new strength,
She smashes like God's sword
To the dust of the enemies of Christ.

It is not the red sun that rises;
The bright morning has not come;
Not a flock of swans jumped
In spring on the bosom of clear waters;
Not nightingales, in a free country,
The neighboring nightingales are called;
Not the roar of a bell
From multi-temple cities, -

You can hear the splash of people everywhere,
That is the rejoicing of Christians,
That glorifies free speech
And John praises in songs,
Whom to praise in your verb
Will never stop
Not every blade of grass in the field,
Not every star in the sky.

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 the persecution of 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 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.