St. Athanasius was born in 295 in Alexandria, Egypt, into a noble Christian family. Even as a young man, he was conspicuous for his wisdom, acumen, and deep piety. When still only a Deacon, he was chosen by Bishop Alexander, the Patriarch of Alexandria, as his secretary and theological adviser. In 325, he accompanied the bishop to the great Council of Nicaea, which condemned Arius as a heretic and reaffirmed Christ's divinity. There, he became a sincere and courageous mouthpiece for his aged bishop. When the latter died in 328, Athanasius, although only 33, was unanimously elected successor. During his 46-year reign, the Arian faction gained significant political influence through their intrigues at the imperial court.
This caused the saintly Patriarch to endure 17 years of banishment. He was exiled from Alexandria on five separate occasions. Undaunted, he remained the ardent and fearless "champion of Christ's divinity." Far from seeking revenge, he tried to win his enemies through kindness and always retained his spontaneous sense of humor.
St. Athanasius said, "Justice does not consist merely in not doing anything evil; for not to do good is also evil. The law may be transgressed in either way." Throughout 50 critical years in Christian history, he was the chief defender of the integrity of the Catholic creed. Although he longed for martyrdom, his last years were peaceful, and he died at 78 in 373. The most famous of his many writings are 'On the Incarnation,' which he composed in his early twenties while still a Deacon, and the 'History of the Arians' written during his third exile among the Egyptian desert monks. His 'Life of St. Anthony' made an enormous appeal to men everywhere to lead the ascetical life. The vigor of his writings earned him the title of doctor of the Church.
St. Athanasius, holy defender of the faith, intercede for us that our faith may be a bridge that unites all Christian communities into one glorious community of believers, glorifying God in perfect unity.
#StAthanasius #feast #saintoftheday #faith #shalomworldprayer
Prepared and updated by:
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.
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