February: Day 25: Saint Tarasios, Patriarch of Constantinople

February: Day 25:
Saint Tarasios, Patriarch of Constantinople
 
(On the Veneration of Holy Icons)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Tarasios, whose memory is celebrated today, was a senator when he was elected Patriarch of Constantinople. At that time there were many foolish people among the Christians who rejected the veneration of holy icons. Tarasios was zealous for the veneration of holy icons not only during his life, but also after his death. Thus, when Leo the Armenian, having become emperor several years after the death of Saint Tarasios, again armed himself against the venerators of holy icons, he once saw Saint Tarasios in a dream, who, pointing at him, ordered a soldier, Michael, to kill him, and he dealt him a mortal blow with a sword. Alarmed by this dream, Leo sent to the monastery of Saint Tarasios to find out whether the soldier Michael was hiding there... not suspecting that Saint Tarasios warned him in a dream about Michael the Stammerer, one of the military leaders who actually killed Leo on the very day of Christ's Nativity.

It is also known about Saint Tarasios that he led the strictest life and, despite his noble birth and rank, he dressed simply and did not allow anyone to serve him when putting on or taking off his clothes; he was so kind, meek and humble in heart that he himself served others, especially the sick, for whom he arranged rooms.

II. From the brief outline of the life of Saint Tarasios presented, you have seen, brethren, that he was zealous for the veneration of holy icons not only during his life, but also after his death. This holy zeal of his teaches us to venerate holy icons and not to listen to the seductions of those heretics of our time who, for example, the Stundists, reject the veneration of holy icons.

a) The veneration of holy icons is one of the most ancient institutions in the Church of Christ and it existed everywhere, both in the East and in the West.

If the veneration of holy icons was contrary to the Lord, the Lord would not have commanded Moses to erect two golden cherubs on the ark.

If the holy icons were not in agreement with the will of the Lord, then the Lord Jesus Christ would not have deigned to imprint His image on a towel and send it to the sick Abgar.

Furthermore, if the holy icons were not in agreement with the commandments of the Lord, then the closest eyewitness and servant of Christ, the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, would not have painted the image of the Most Holy Theotokos. If the veneration of holy icons were contrary to God, then the Holy Church, which can never sin or deviate from the truth, would not have elevated their veneration to the level of dogma, i.e., holy and immutable truth.

b) People who do not venerate holy icons are obvious opponents of the will of God, and one should not have any communication with them. Whoever does not venerate holy icons and says that they are idols, according to the words of the Seventh Ecumenical Synod, is anathema, i.e., he is excommunicated from the Church, and therefore from eternal salvation.

Therefore, brethren, exhorting us to venerate the holy icons, we will say in the words of the Holy Apostle Paul: "I beseech you in the name of Christ, do not be carried away by the evil spirit of the times and by every wind of doctrine, by the craftiness of men and by the cunning wiles of deceit" (Eph. 4:14); "keep yourselves from those who cause strife and discord, and avoid them" (Rom. 16:17).

III. Let us venerate the holy icons and adore them. Whoever venerates the holy icons, venerates God, but whoever does not venerate the holy icons, does the will of the devil, who has raised up a persecution of the holy icons, as he himself said about this to Saint Theodosios: “I will turn many people away from venerating the icon of Christ and they will follow me, doing my will” (May 29).

Remembering all this, let us venerate the holy icons and protect ourselves from the grave sin of resisting the decrees of our Mother, the Holy Church. 

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