Sainted Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem
Commemorated on March 11
Sainted
Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem, was born in Damascus. From his youthful
years he distinguished himself by his piety and his love for the classical
sciences. He advanced especially in philosophy, for which they were wont to
call him the Wise. But the future hierarch sought out an higher wisdom in the
monasteries, and in conversations with the wilderness-dwellers. He arrived in
Jerusalem at the monastery of Saint Theodosios, and there he became close with
the PriestMonk John Moskhos, becoming his spiritual son and devoting himself to
him in obedience. They journeyed together through the monasteries, and they
wrote down descriptions of the lives and precepts of the ascetics found there.
From these jottings was afterwards compiled their reknown book, the
"Leimonarion" or "Spiritual Meadow", which was highly esteemed
at the Seventh OEcumenical Council.
To save themselves
from the devastating incursions of the Persians, Saints John and Sophronios
quit Palestine and withdrew to Antioch, and from there they went to Egypt. In
Egypt Saint Sophronios became seriously ill. During this time he also decided
to become a monk and so he accepted tonsure from the Monk John Moskhos. After
the return to health of Saint Sophronios, they both decided to remain in
Alexandria. There they were fondly received by the holy Patriarch John the
Merciful (Comm. 12 November), to whom they rendered great aid in the struggle
against the Monophysite heresy. At Alexandria Saint Sophronios' eyesight was
afflicted, and he recoursed with prayer and faith to the holy UnMercenaries
Cyrus and John (Comm. 31 January), and he received healing in a church named
for them. In gratitude, Saint Sophronios then wrote the Vita of these holy
unmercenaries.
When the barbarians
began to threaten Alexandria, the holy Patriarch John, accompanied by Saints
Sophronios and John Moskhos, set out for Constantinople, but along the way he
died. Saints John Moskhos and Sophronios with eighteen other monks then set out
for Rome. At Rome the Monk John Moskhos also died (+ 622). His body was
conveyed by Saint Sophronios to Jerusalem and buried at the monastery of Saint
Theodosios.
In the year 628 the
Jerusalem patriarch Zacharias (609-633) returned from the Persian Captivity.
After his death, the patriarchal throne was occupied for a space of two years
by Saint Modestos (633-634, Comm. 18 December). After the death of Saint
Modestos, Saint Sophronios was chosen patriarch. Sainted Sophronios toiled much
for the welfare of the Jerusalem Church as its primate (634-644).
Towards the end of
his life, Saint Sophronios with his flock lived through a two year siege of
Jerusalem by the Mahometans. Worn down by hunger, the Christians finally
consented to open the city gates, on the condition that the enemy spare the
holy places. But this condition was not fulfilled, and holy Patriarch
Sophronios died in deep grief over the desecration of the Christian holy
places.
Written works by
Patriarch Sophronios have come down to us in the area of dogmatics, and
likewise his "Excursus on the Liturgy", the Vita of the Nun Mary of
Egypt (Comm. 1 April), and also about 950 tropars and stikhi-verses from Pascha
to the Ascension. While still a priestmonk, Saint Sophronios made review and
corrections to the "ustav-rule" of the monastery of the Monk Sava the
Sanctified (Comm. 5 December). And the "tri-odic song" of the saint
for the Holy Forty Day Great Lent is included in the composition of the
contemporary Lenten Triodion.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
