St. Joseph the Hymnographer, of Sicily (883)
Commemorated on April 3
"Saint Joseph was from Sicily, the son of Plotinus and Agatha.
Because Sicily had been subjugated by the Moslems, he departed thence and,
passing from place to place, came with Saint Gregory of Decapolis (see Nov. 20)
to Constantinople, where he endured bitter afflictions because of his pious
zeal. Travelling to Rome, he was captured by Arab pirates and taken to Crete,
whence he later returned to Constantinople. He became an excellent hymnographer
and reposed in holiness shortly after 886 (according to some, it was in 883).
The melismatic canons of the Menaion are primarily the
work of this Joseph; they bear his name in the acrostic of the Ninth Ode. He
also composed most of the sacred book known as the
Paracletike, which complements the Octoechos.
For this reason, Joseph is called par excellence
the Hymnographer." (Great Horologion)
The "bitter afflictions" which St Joseph suffered were probably due (judging
from his dates) to his veneration of the holy icons.
Note: In the Slavic calendar he is commemorated on April
4.
