November: Day 20: Teaching 1: Saint Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople

November: Day 20: Teaching 1:
Saint Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople
 
(Lessons From His Life:
a. About the Importance of Patristic Writings;
b. About the Origin of the Trisagion Hymn; and
c. About Reverent Participation in Religious Processions)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople, whose memory is celebrated on this day, was a disciple of Saint John Chrysostom and during his episcopacy lived in the same room with this great Father of the Church. One night, approaching the door of Saint John's cell, Proclus saw that Saint Chrysostom was writing, and behind him stood a venerable man who was whispering something in his ear. Proclus was amazed at this, knowing that no one could enter where Saint John was without Saint Proclus himself introducing whomever was needed to his teacher. This continued for three nights, and all this time Saint Proclus constantly saw this man whispering something in John's ear. Finally, Saint Proclus told his teacher about this, and when he received the answer that no one was with Saint John that night, and that he had not spoken with anyone, then Saint Proclus, having described the appearance of this man, looked at the icon of the Holy Apostle Paul, hanging on the wall near the table where Saint John Chrysostom wrote his commentaries on the epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul and exclaimed: “This is the one who spoke with you, I saw him at night!” Then both recognized that the Holy Apostle Paul had appeared to them, and they thanked God - Saint Chrysostom for the secret inspiration and instruction from Paul, and Proclus for the vision that he was granted.

After the death of Saint Chrysostom, Saint Proclus had to fight hard against the heresy of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who was condemned by the Third Ecumenical Synod of Ephesus in 431. Nestorius was deposed and exiled and another was appointed in his place. Saint Proclus ascended the throne in place of the latter. During his reign and at his persuasion, the relics of Saint John Chrysostom, who died in exile, were solemnly transferred to Constantinople.

During the reign of Saint Proclus, a terrible earthquake occurred in Constantinople – churches, houses, and stone city walls fell and collapsed. All the people were terrified. Saint Proclus organized a religious procession and solemnly held a public service in the open air. Everyone wept, prayed fervently, and cried out loud: “Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!” asking for mercy from the disaster that had befallen. Suddenly, one youth from among the worshipers was suddenly lifted up into the air; soon by the same invisible force he was lowered to the earth, not the least bit injured. He declared that he had been in heaven, and had heard angels there singing: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal!” Everyone began to repeat this song with the addition of the words: “Have mercy on us,” – and the earthquake ended. God had mercy on His people. From that time on, this sacred hymn was introduced into use in the divine service. They sing it during the Divine Liturgy, they sing it at Matins at the end of the Great Doxology, and it is rare that they do not sing it during a church service. They sing it, or rather, they will sing it most of all when, after our death, our sinful body is carried from home to the temple and from the temple to eternal rest.

The Holy Patriarch Proclus died peacefully in 446.

II. The life of Saint Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople, presents us with many lessons.

a) First of all, we learn from it that the writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church were not composed without inspiration from above, as we saw in the appearance of the Holy Apostle Paul to Saint John Chrysostom , who wrote an interpretation of the epistles of the Holy Foremost Apostle. This alone shows that the works of the Holy Fathers deserve our deep attention and study. Indeed, the works of the Holy Fathers constitute the richest treasury of the truths of the Christian faith and the purest and most abundant source of Orthodox theology. Being partakers of the Holy Spirit by the holiness of their lives, the Fathers of the Church had, one might say, an affinity with the spirit of Holy Scripture. They lived in Christ, and therefore His word dwelt in them, according to His unshakable assurance: “If you abide in Me, My words also abide in you” (John 15:7). The study of the Holy Scriptures, in which the truths of faith are contained, was their favorite pastime; some of them knew the entire Bible by heart: therefore, the truths of faith in the patristic works are presented not only in general features and abstractly, but are revealed in all possible fullness, in particular details.

It is clear after this how important it is for us to gain knowledge of the teaching of faith directly from the works of the Holy Fathers. The Holy Fathers act on the mind and heart of a Christian "by that inner power of the teaching of Christ, according to which it, as an immutable truth, satisfying the essential demands of the human spirit, itself testifies to its Divine dignity and completely subdues the human heart." That is why the very style of their works is distinguished by special strength and expressiveness. To a certain extent, we can attribute to them what the first heralds of the Christian religion said about themselves: "We speak not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (1 Cor. 2:13); i.e., speaking of spiritual things, the Holy Fathers expounded them spiritually.

b) From the life of Saint Proclus we learn further that the Trisagion is an angelic hymn. Therefore, great reverence and attention are required of us when singing this angelic hymn. How reverently and fervently should those present pray when it is sung! They should pray, expressing their prayerful mood with external signs - the sign of the cross and prostrations. But it is very sad to see that when this angelic hymn is sung, some stand motionless, do not want to prostrate - they ask God for mercy and do not bow. But if you ask a person like you for something, and then bow to him: how can you not bow low, reverently, when you ask God for mercy - for mercy here and there - from troubles, sorrows, illnesses in this life and from eternal torment in the life to come?

c) Finally, from the life of Saint Proclus we learn about the antiquity of the establishment of religious processions. That is when religious processions still existed - 1500 years ago, and that they were performed reverently at that time is evident from the fact that during the religious procession such a miracle occurred, the rapture of a youth to heaven, and the revelation of such a great mystery as angelic singing occurred. And we have many religious processions, especially in our Moscow.

But how do Orthodox people treat them? To our shame, we must say that for some Christians the religious procession serves as a simple spectacle - they come out, look and leave, or sit in the house and calmly, indifferently watch the procession.

Tell me, is this the kind of participation that the Holy Church expects? Many not only do not prostrate before the relics carried in the procession, but do not even want to depict the sign of the Holy Cross on themselves. Honor and praise to those who participate in the procession itself, and follow the crosses and icons, in a prayerful mood and joyfully bearing the labors of the procession. It is wonderful and useful to "labor" out of obedience to the Church, for the glory of God, for the benefit of others and for one's own salvation.

Do not forget, brethren, that religious processions are organized to arouse holy thoughts, feelings, desires, and especially to awaken a feeling of repentance and a feeling of gratitude to God for the mercies shown, since religious processions are established for the most part in memory of one or another blessing of God shown either to our place, city or village, or to our entire fatherland.

III. Let us, brethren, treat religious processions more wisely and reverently, remembering that we are presenting the sacred signs of our faith, in the company of the holy saints of God, whose icons are carried in religious processions. If you want to participate in the religious procession with your own procession, then be sure to be in a prayerful mood at all times. Then you will receive true benefit from the religious procession.

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.