Saint for the Month
of May 2003 Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria had been consecrated in the year 328 when the church was split. He was accused of many crimes - even of murder. He was constantly driven into exile returning to take up his see on more than one occasion. Shortly before his consecration the church the church the church had established Christian orthodoxy at a great council held in Nicea. Athanasius wrote brilliant works defending this council and its teachings, insisting that Jesus was truly God and fully man, defining the Holy Spirit also as God. As Bishop Alexandria he took responsibility for the welfare of the desert monks and fathers. He wrote a life of Saint Antony and was the person who introduced monasticism to the west. The desert fathers also protected Athanasius, after some of his enemies had broken into his church, killed and wounded worshippers and forced the Saint into exile for six years. Athanasius wrote at large about the work of Jesus Christ, 'It was his task to restore the corruptible to uncorruption,' he declared, 'and to maintain the honour of the Father before all.....He alone was able to recreate everything and to be ambassador for all men with the Father.' Athanasius, stated that Jesus was born, lived as a man, died and rose again, 'that, whithersoever men have been lured away, he may recall them from that place, revealing to them his own true Father, as he himself said, "I came to seek and to save that which was lost." He did not write what is usually known as the Athanasian Creed , almost certainly compiled from his ideas and writings. He died 2nd May 373, having been restored to his bishopric in Alexandria. 'All of us are naturally frightened dying and the dissolution of our bodies, but remember this most startling fact: that those who accept the faith of the cross despise even what is normally terrifying, and for the sake of Christ cease to fear even death. when he became man, the Saviour's love put away death from us and renewed us again; for Christ became man that we might become God.' Richard F Sibley May 2003 |