Saint Athanasius. Bishop. Confessor. Doctor Of The Church. Feast Day 2 May.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Saint Athanasius. 
   Bishop. Confessor. Doctor Of The Church. 
   Feast Day 2 May.

Double.

White Vestments.

Saint Athanasius.

Bishop of Alexandria.

This File: 4 March 2006.

User: Maksim.

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Saint Athanasius.

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Saint Athanasius, also known as Athanasius The Great and Athanasius The Confessor, was a Bishop and Doctor of The church. He is called the "Father of Orthodoxy," the "Pillar of The Church" and "Champion of Christ's Divinity."

Athanasius became Bishop, and Alexander of Alexandria’s Secretary, in 318 A.D., after being ordained a Deacon. Around 323 A.D., Arius, an ambitious Priest of The Alexandrian Church, denied The Divinity of Christ, and began spreading word that Jesus Christ was not truly Divine.

Athanasius was present during the great Church debate and stood alongside Alexander of Alexandria during the famous Council of Nicaea, where The Nicene Creed was adopted as The Creed of The Church. Five months later, Alexander died and Athanasius succeeded him after being unanimously elected. He was Consecrated as the new Bishop of Alexandria in 328 A.D., and continued the fight against Arianism.

Efforts to get Athanasius impeached began, and he was charged with various crimes. Even though he proved his innocence, Emperor Constantine commanded Athanasius to go to The Council of Tyre in 335 A.D. Athanasius was exiled for the first time. After returning to Alexandria, two and a half years later, his enemies continued to try to exile him. He was completely vindicated by a Synod called by Pope Julius I, but was unable to return home to Alexandria until the death of the new Cappadocian in 345 A.D.

In 353 A.D., Athanasius faced more condemnations by the Arians in the Councils at Arles, France, and again in 355 A.D., in Milan, Italy. The persecutions escalated to physical attacks until Athanasius escaped and hid in the desert with a group of Monks for six years. After returning to Alexandria in 361 A.D., he was exiled two more times until Emperor Valens permanently restored him in 364 A.D. Over the course of his life, Athanasius was banished five times and spent seventeen years of his life in exile for the defence of The Doctrine of Christ's Divinity.

He died on 2 May 373 A.D., in Alexandria, Egypt. He is a Patron Saint of Theologians, and Faithful Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians. To this day, Athanasius is hailed as a great Defender of The Faith. His Feast Day is Celebrated on 2 May.

The Church, still covered with the blood of her Martyrs, had, in the 5th-Century A.D., to sustain the dreadful assaults of heretics. Arius dared to despoil The Divine Redeemer of all His Glory as Son of God; to make of Him a simple creature only higher in Grace than others.

God then raised up Saint Athanasius: "He fills him with the Spirit of Wisdom" (Introit), and "anoints him as Bishop of Alexandria, with His Holy Oil" (Offertory), for, as an athlete off Christ, he had to Preach The Master's Truth, at the price of innumerable sacrifices (Epistle, Gospel).

In 325 A.D., Saint Athanasius was the herald of the illustrious assembly of the 318 Bishops who condemned Arius at The Council of Nices, proclaiming that Jesus was The Son consubstantial with The Father. That is why he is often represented with a symbol of The Trinity as an emblem.

He died in 373 A.D., and was proclaimed Doctor of The Church.

Let us, like Saint Athanasius, affirm The Divinity of Jesus Risen Again.

Mass: In médio Ecclésiae.
Credo: Is said.