Butt-Kicked for Truth Telling
On this day in the Year of Our Lord 373 died a great champion and defender of Catholic Orthodoxy, a saint, and a doctor of the Church.
Saint Athanasius was Patriarch of Alexandria for 45 years during the time of the Arian heresy, which he opposed with every fibre of his being. The Arians held that Christ was a creature and therefore not eternal and not consubstantial with the Father.
The Church called the Council of Nicaea to address it, and wrote the Creed to refute it. Of the hundreds of bishops at the Council, only two supported the Arian position.
Nevertheless, Kings and Emperors supported this heresy. Why? Theories have a way of getting personalized and tangled up in ego and pride.
The Church, only recently legalized, was attacked in the public sphere for failing to support the trendy theories of Arianism. Although the disputes seems a trifle obscure to the general public today, back then there was rioting. Those supporting the orthodox position were frequently the target of attacks, both verbal and physical. People were killed.
Athanasius was a loud and eloquent defender of orthodoxy against the fads and fashions of the world. As a result, the world kicked his butt.
Under five emperors and by exile on five different occasions, he gave testimony to the truth of the Catholic position. His allegiance to the Church never wavered, his courage never weakened. As consolation in the face of horrendous calumnies and cruel persecution, Athanasius looked to the unwavering love of his Catholic people.
Even time brought no mitigation in Arian hatred. For five years he hid in a deep, dry cistern to be safe from their raging wrath and their attempts to assassinate him. The place was known only to one trusted friend who secretly supplied necessary food.
(The Church’s Year of Grace, Pius Parsch)
Saint Athanasius endured horrible persecution for defending the truth. Let us ask him to pray for us, that we might have the courage to do likewise.
These are fountains of salvation that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these alone is proclaimed the doctrine of godliness. Let no man add to these, neither let him take out from these. For concerning these, the Lord put to shame the Sadducees, and said, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures” and He reproved the Jews, saying, “Search the Scriptures, for these are they that testify of ME”.
(Saint Athanasius)
