Lives of Saints - The
Synaxarion
The
twenty third day of September, Commemoration of the Great Earthquake at
Constantinople AD 447, and of the Miracle of the TRISAGION
In
the reign
of the Emperor Theodosius II (408-50) God, bountiful and rich in mercy, caused
the ground to shake dreadfully for almost four months to warn Christian people
to be always ready for the Great Day when the dead shall be raised, heaven and
earth shall be changed into a new form, and every man shall be summoned to
judgement upon the uprightness of his faith and the purity of his life. Fear
gripped the entire City. The Emperor, the Patriarch Saint Proclus (20 Nov.) and
all the people of Constantinople, went in procession barefoot to the parade
ground of the Hebdomon, where they made earnest prayer to God for their safety.
About
the third hour, the ground once more began shaking, and a young boy was suddenly
taken up into the skies by the strength of the Almighty, while the terrified
people cried: Kyrie
eleison with
redoubled fervour. When he came down from on high, the child declared he had
been taken up amid the choirs of angels, who were singing: Holy
God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us! and
that a voice had commanded him to tell the Patriarch that the people ought to
make their supplications to God in this way, without adding anything. The
Patriarch instructed the chanters and people to intone this hymn, that joins
confession of the three Divine Persons, to the cry of the Seraphim in the vision
of Isaiah (Isa. 6:3). Whereupon the earth stopped shaking and the child gave up
his soul to God.
The
most pious Empress Pulcheria (10 Sept.) enjoined Saint Proclus to order this
hymn to be solemnly chanted henceforth in the Liturgy. At the holy Council of
Chalcedon (451), the Fathers from the Roman
diocese
of Asia greeted the proclamation of the true Faith by chanting the Trisagion,
which has since become an essential element in the private as well as in the
common prayer of Orthodox Christians.
When
Peter the Fuller, the usurping Patriarch of Antioch, wanted to spread the poison
of the theopaschite heresy (a type of Monophysism), he had the expression: who
was
crucified
for us,
added to the Thrice-holy hymn (c. 468). The Orthodox remembered that when the
child was miraculously taken into heaven, the divine voice had distinctly
forbidden any addition to the hymn, and they strove hard to maintain the
Trinitarian understanding of the Trisagion against a Christological
interpretation. So by right glorification of the one only God in three Persons
the Orthodox Faith was kept.
The
first day of October, Memory of our Holy Father ROMANUS the MELODIST
Our
holy Father Romanus was from Emesa in Syria. He became deacon of the Church of
Berytus (Beirut), and settled in Constantinople during the reign of the Emperor
Anastasius I about the year 496. His virtuous life was a shining example to the
faithful, and he fulfilled his duties conscientiously at the Church of the
Mother of God of Cyrrhus to which he was appointed. But Romanus had not been
blessed with a well-modulated voice so was unable to glorify the Creator
melodiously as he wanted to. One Christmas in the Church of Blachernae at the
Vigil of the Nativity, the Mother of God appeared to him holding in her hand a
scroll which she gave him to eat. As soon as he tasted it, an indescribable
sweetness filled his mouth and, going up into the ambo, he began to intone in an
angelic voice the kontakion that has come down to us: Today
the
Virgin gives birth to Him who is above all being...
This
gift remained with him for the rest of his life. Through the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, he adorned most of the feasts of the liturgical year with wonderful
hymns. More than one thousand kontakia are ascribed to him. Some say that he
also composed the renowned Akathist to the Mother of God. Saint Romanus died in
peace some time after 555 to join the angelic choir that he so well represented
on earth.
The
same day, Memory of the Holy Monk and Chanter JOHN KOUKOUZELIS, who led the
ascetic life at the Great Lavra on the Holy Mountain of Athos and died in peace
Our
holy
Father John was born at Dyrrachium (now Durres in Albania) in Illyria at the end
of the thirteenth century. His father died in his childhood and it was his
mother who had him educated by the most renowned masters. His angelic voice
brought him early recognition. He became the best of the court singers and the
favourite of the Emperor, who wanted to arrange a good marriage for him.
But,
at heart, the young man only wanted to take leave of the world and embrace the
monastic life. God provided an opportunity when the Abbot of the Great Lavra
visited the Court. John introduced himself to the Abbot without saying exactly
what his court office was. After testing him for some days, the Abbot clothed
him in the angelic Habit and took him with him to the Holy Mountain. He was
given the task of taking the goats to graze in the hills.
There,
far from every human soul, he spent the entire day in prayer and addressed God
on High in such sweet tones that the very beasts of his flock looked up from
their grazing to listen, and the whole of nature seemed to grow still, as if
loath to disturb him. But, one day, he was heard by a monk who was so struck by
his wonderful gift of song that he told the Abbot about it. John was then
obliged to say exactly who he was. Meanwhile, the Emperor had sent everywhere to
look for him; but, thanks to the Abbot’s pleas on his behalf, John was allowed
to remain on Mount Athos. He settled near the Lavra in a cell dedicated to the
Holy Archangels, where he lived in solitude for six days of the week, returning
to the monastery on Sundays in order to chant in the church, which lifted up the
hearts of many among the monks.
On
the fifth Saturday of Great Lent (when we sing the Akathist), as he sought to
raise his voice in a worthy manner to the most holy Mother of God, she appeared
to him, handed him a gold coin and said, ‘Rejoice, John my son, chant for me
and I will never leave you.’ Then the All-Holy Mother miraculously cured the
gangrene that affected his legs through his standing hour after hour in the
choir. Saint John spent the rest of his life in repentance, fasting and
continuous prayer. He knew beforehand the day of his death so was able to gather
together the brethren, ask their forgiveness and request them to bury his body
in his kellion of the Holy Archangels. His musical compositions, many of which
survive in manuscript, mark a decisive stage in the development of Byzantine
music.
The
same day, Memory of our Holy Father GREGORY the
CHOIR
MASTER (Domestikos) of the Great Lavra
Saint
Gregory
was a chanter at the Great Lavra on the Holy Mountain of Athos at the same time
as Saint John Koukouzelis. Once, on the eve of the Theophany God put it into his
heart during the holy Liturgy to chant the hymn: O
full
of
grace, thou who art the joy of all creation, instead
of the accustomed: It
is very meet to bless thee. Whereupon
the Mother of God appeared to him, thanked him, and just as she had done for
Saint John Koukouzelis, gave him a gold coin as a pledge of her favour. This
coin has been kept ever since by the monks of the Lavra. Having led a life
acceptable to God, Saint Gregory fell asleep in peace.
SOURCE
: The Synaxarion - The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church
Volume
One - Introduction, September,
October