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| ST ATHANASIUS. A FATHER OF THE CHURCH. Image from catholic.org |
"Jesus that I know as my Redeemer cannot be less than God."
- St Athanasius
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Today is the memorial of St Athanasius, a Bishop, Doctor of the Church, and considered one of the Fathers of the Church. His greatest contribution to the Church is his fight and defense of the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have to take note that when Christianity had finally became the State Religion of the vast Roman Empire through the Emperor Constantine, he became more acquainted with the beliefs of Arianism, a heresy which taught that the Lord Jesus Christ was not Divine and was just a creature that was given the status of God. Therefore, the Lord was not of the same essence of the One God. Arianism somehow relegated Him as some kind of an idol worshiped side by side with the true God. It started in Alexandria, one of the centers of Christianity in the East and when the priest Arius, its initial proponent, was anathematized by a Council called for by St Alexander, the Bishop of Alexandria at that time, in about 320, Arius went to Palestine and there got support from such Bishops as Eusebius of Caesarea, the Church historian, and Eusebius of Nicomedia, Arius' fellow in the Alexandrian school.
This heresy, which many Christian sects believe and teach today even if they have not known or deny having taken such tenet from Arianism, was believed, supported and taught by many in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire. Since Emperor Constantine transferred his residence from Rome to Constantinople because Rome did not appeal to him anymore, he therefore knew more about Arianism than the true Christian doctrine. So when the differences in doctrine started to create problems up to the level of the Bishops in the East, Constantine, who has just succeeded in defeating Licinius, his former co-Emperor in the East and wanting to also establish religious peace, called for the very first Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicaea, in 325, to settle the problem and reconcile the beliefs. Rome was not affected by the heresy but the Pope, St Sylvester I, sent legates which made the Council a truly universal one. At that Council, Arianism was declared a heresy and Arius was exiled to Illyria.
In that Council, St Alexander of Alexandria was accompanied by his deacon, St Athanasius who greatly contributed to the defense of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and the formulation of the proper doctrine. His presence in the Council would be the start of a life of conflict and of glory for being the defender of the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When St Alexander died a few months after this Council, St Athanasius was elected to succeed him in the See of Alexandria. That was 326. His main objective after taking the chair was the implementation of the Council's decrees particularly about the doctrine of the Lord's divinity. Because of this, he was exiled five times during his reign by various Emperors who were adherents of Arianism. But he never gave in to these but remained steadfast in his fight for the right doctrine. His reign extended for 45 years but 17 of those were spent in exiles. He was exiled five times.
The first one was under Emperor Constantine himself, who was initially content that at least having established political and military peace, religious peace was now also attained somehow after the result at the Council of Nicaea, but since he was more supportive of Arianism, exiled St Athanasius who tried to stamp out the heresy among his people, sending him to Trier, Germany for two and a half years. The second exile was under Emperor Constantius which lasted for seven and a half years during which the saint lived in Rome and the third time, still under the same emperor, which lasted for six years, was spent by the saint in the Egyptian desert. His fourth exile, about ten months of living in the Egyptian desert once again, was under Emperor Julian, the Apostate. His last exile was under Emperor Valens, which lasted only for four months and which the saint spent in his father's tomb. His many exiles and restoration gained for him the expression, Athanasius contra mundum, in English, Athanasius against the world.
For his zeal in defending the true doctrine and his extraordinary virtues, a fellow doctor of the Church, St Gregory Nazianzen, wrote,
"When I praise Athanasius, virtue itself is my theme: for I name every virtue as often I mention him who was possessed of all virtues. he was the true pillar of the Church. His life and conduct were the rule of bishops, and his doctrine the rule of the orthodox faith."
St Athanasius truly defended the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ not only through the formulation of words but most especially by the example of life for even under pressure and threat he never gave in and never gave up. He wasn't only fighting ordinary enemies, he was against Emperors. Through this we could also see how great his faith is for he stood up and fought for the heavenly King and never feared earthly rulers.
We could also say that Emperor Constantine's inclination to Arianism would somehow clear the case against the Catholic Church having been established by the emperor. That the papacy was his invention as some anti-Catholics claim. For if the true Church really ceased to exist and was only revived by the emperor, then why didn't it embraced Arianism? Why did the Church remained Catholic instead of Arian? The answer is very clear: the Lord Jesus Christ truly kept His promise that not even the gates of hell could overcome His Church [see Matthew 16;18] and that the Holy Spirit will lead it into all the truth [see John 14:26].
Let us ask the intercession of St Athanasius that we may have greater and more steadfast faith in the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and that God may grant us the same zeal which he endowed St Athanasius with so that we may be able to give true and full account of what we believe in when asked to do so.
This heresy, which many Christian sects believe and teach today even if they have not known or deny having taken such tenet from Arianism, was believed, supported and taught by many in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire. Since Emperor Constantine transferred his residence from Rome to Constantinople because Rome did not appeal to him anymore, he therefore knew more about Arianism than the true Christian doctrine. So when the differences in doctrine started to create problems up to the level of the Bishops in the East, Constantine, who has just succeeded in defeating Licinius, his former co-Emperor in the East and wanting to also establish religious peace, called for the very first Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicaea, in 325, to settle the problem and reconcile the beliefs. Rome was not affected by the heresy but the Pope, St Sylvester I, sent legates which made the Council a truly universal one. At that Council, Arianism was declared a heresy and Arius was exiled to Illyria.
In that Council, St Alexander of Alexandria was accompanied by his deacon, St Athanasius who greatly contributed to the defense of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and the formulation of the proper doctrine. His presence in the Council would be the start of a life of conflict and of glory for being the defender of the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When St Alexander died a few months after this Council, St Athanasius was elected to succeed him in the See of Alexandria. That was 326. His main objective after taking the chair was the implementation of the Council's decrees particularly about the doctrine of the Lord's divinity. Because of this, he was exiled five times during his reign by various Emperors who were adherents of Arianism. But he never gave in to these but remained steadfast in his fight for the right doctrine. His reign extended for 45 years but 17 of those were spent in exiles. He was exiled five times.
The first one was under Emperor Constantine himself, who was initially content that at least having established political and military peace, religious peace was now also attained somehow after the result at the Council of Nicaea, but since he was more supportive of Arianism, exiled St Athanasius who tried to stamp out the heresy among his people, sending him to Trier, Germany for two and a half years. The second exile was under Emperor Constantius which lasted for seven and a half years during which the saint lived in Rome and the third time, still under the same emperor, which lasted for six years, was spent by the saint in the Egyptian desert. His fourth exile, about ten months of living in the Egyptian desert once again, was under Emperor Julian, the Apostate. His last exile was under Emperor Valens, which lasted only for four months and which the saint spent in his father's tomb. His many exiles and restoration gained for him the expression, Athanasius contra mundum, in English, Athanasius against the world.
For his zeal in defending the true doctrine and his extraordinary virtues, a fellow doctor of the Church, St Gregory Nazianzen, wrote,
"When I praise Athanasius, virtue itself is my theme: for I name every virtue as often I mention him who was possessed of all virtues. he was the true pillar of the Church. His life and conduct were the rule of bishops, and his doctrine the rule of the orthodox faith."
St Athanasius truly defended the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ not only through the formulation of words but most especially by the example of life for even under pressure and threat he never gave in and never gave up. He wasn't only fighting ordinary enemies, he was against Emperors. Through this we could also see how great his faith is for he stood up and fought for the heavenly King and never feared earthly rulers.
We could also say that Emperor Constantine's inclination to Arianism would somehow clear the case against the Catholic Church having been established by the emperor. That the papacy was his invention as some anti-Catholics claim. For if the true Church really ceased to exist and was only revived by the emperor, then why didn't it embraced Arianism? Why did the Church remained Catholic instead of Arian? The answer is very clear: the Lord Jesus Christ truly kept His promise that not even the gates of hell could overcome His Church [see Matthew 16;18] and that the Holy Spirit will lead it into all the truth [see John 14:26].
Let us ask the intercession of St Athanasius that we may have greater and more steadfast faith in the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and that God may grant us the same zeal which he endowed St Athanasius with so that we may be able to give true and full account of what we believe in when asked to do so.
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