S. John Damascene.
+ circ. A.D. 780
S. John Damascene has the double honour of being the last but one of
the Fathers of the Eastern Church, and the greatest of her poets. It is
surprising, however, how little is known of his life. That he was born of a
good family at Damascus,--that he made great progress in
philosophy,--that he administered some charge under the
Caliph,--that he retired to the monastery of S. Sabas, in
Palestine,--that he was the most learned and eloquent writer with whom
the Iconoclasts had to contend,--that at a comparatively late period of
life he was ordained Priest of the Church of Jerusalem, and that he died after
754, and before 787, seems to comprise all that has reached us of his
biography. His enemies, from an unknown reason, called him
Mansur:
1
whether he were the same with John Arklas, also an ecclesiastical poet,
is not so certain.
As a poet, he had a principal share in the Octoechus, of which I have
already spoken. His three great canons are those on Easter, the Ascension,
and S. Thomas's Sunday, the first and third of which I shall give either
wholly or in part. Probably, however, many of the Idiomela and Stichera which
are scattered about the office-books under the title of John and
John the Hermit, are his. His eloquent defence of Icons has deservedly
procured him the title of The Doctor of Christian Art.
CANON FOR EASTER DAY,
CALLED THE "GOLDEN CANON," OR, THE "QUEEN OF CANONS."
The circumstances under which the
Canon is sung are thus eloquently
described by a modern writer. The scene is at Athens.
"As midnight approached, the Archbishop, with his priests,
accompanied by the King and Queen, left the Church, and stationed themselves
on the platform, which was raised considerably from the ground, so that they
were distinctly seen by the people. Every one now remained in breathless
expectation, holding their unlighted tapers in readiness when the glad
moment should arrive, while the priests still continued murmuring their
melancholy chant in a low half-whisper. Suddenly a single report
of a cannon announced that twelve o'clock had struck, and that
Easter day had begun; then the old Archbishop elevating the cross,
exclaimed in a loud exulting tone, 'Christos anesti!'
'C
HRIST is risen!' and instantly every single individual of
all that host took up the cry, and the vast multitude broke through and
dispelled for ever the intense and mournful silence which they had
maintained so long, with one spontaneous shout of indescribable joy and
triumph, 'C
HRIST is risen!' 'C
HRIST is risen!'
At the same moment, the oppressive darkness was succeeded by a blaze
of light from thousands of tapers, which, communicating one from
another, seemed to send streams of fire in all directions, rendering
the minutest objects distinctly visible, and casting the most vivid
glow on the expressive faces full of exultation, of the rejoicing
crowd; bands of music struck up their gayest strains; the roll of
the drum through the town, and further on the pealing of the cannon announced
far and near these 'glad tidings of great joy;' while from hill
and plain, from the sea-shore and the far olive-grove, rocket
after rocket ascending to the clear sky, answered back with their mute
eloquence, that Christ is risen indeed, and told of other tongues that
were repeating those blessed words, and other hearts that leap for joy;
everywhere men clasped each other's hands, and congratulated one another,
and embraced with countenances beaming with delight as though to each one
separately some wonderful happiness had been proclaimed;--and so in
truth it was;--and all the while, rising above the mingling of many
sounds, each one of which was a sound of gladness, the aged priests were
distinctly heard chanting forth a glorious old hymn of victory in tones
so loud and clear, that they seemed to have regained
their youth and strength to tell the world how 'C
HRIST is risen from
the dead, having trampled death beneath His feet, and henceforth they that
are in the tombs have everlasting life.'"
That which follows is the "glorious old Hymn of Victory."
