Click on the picture for Fr. Longenecker's interesting discourse on this saint & an interesting twist on the Incarnation.
Here is lastest entry in the Called to Holiness series I write for the church bulletin:
St. Athanasius († 373) – May 2
Once the Roman emperor Constantine ended the persecutions of Christians, surely the Church would enter a new era of peace, right? Well, it didn’t turn out that way, especially for the bishop of Alexandria.
The Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ Jesus, grew rapidly during that time & threatened to rip the Church apart. Even many bishops became part of this movement; & clashes between the heretics & those adhering to the orthodox faith were often violent. Athanasius defended the faith vigorously against the heretics, but suffered repeated exile from his diocese & threats on his life. The emperor Valens ultimately restored Athanasius to his see, where he continued to denounce heresy & zealously preach the true Christian faith.
May his intercession lead us to be faithful witnesses in word & deed to the Church’s One, Holy, Catholic, & Apostolic faith in Christ Jesus, no matter the cost.
Once the Roman emperor Constantine ended the persecutions of Christians, surely the Church would enter a new era of peace, right? Well, it didn’t turn out that way, especially for the bishop of Alexandria.
The Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ Jesus, grew rapidly during that time & threatened to rip the Church apart. Even many bishops became part of this movement; & clashes between the heretics & those adhering to the orthodox faith were often violent. Athanasius defended the faith vigorously against the heretics, but suffered repeated exile from his diocese & threats on his life. The emperor Valens ultimately restored Athanasius to his see, where he continued to denounce heresy & zealously preach the true Christian faith.
May his intercession lead us to be faithful witnesses in word & deed to the Church’s One, Holy, Catholic, & Apostolic faith in Christ Jesus, no matter the cost.
Fr. Orr mentioned him in his homily at the Sunday E.F. Mass, using this expression, "the hammer of heretics." I thought that was interesting, since - although I know Father in no way intended it this way - the SSPX & other super-trad schismatics hold up Anathasius as a champion, & there are a least a few SSPX-types in the congregation who refuse to attend an Ordinary Form Mass whatsoever, deeming it an invalid ceremony. Because Athanasius was oft at odds with the local civil & ecclesial authorities, many of whom were given over to the Arian heresey, the SSPX'ers often invoke his name as they clamor about a "state of emergency" in the Church (which may be true; it may also be perpetually true), which makes them the de facto keeper of Sacred Tradition, which they claim packed it's bags & left Rome after the Second Vatican Council. Interesting that the neo-Donatists would enlist the Hammer of Heretics to their cause.
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To paraphrase Fr. Corapi, "You can fall off the boat either port of starboard; either way, your in the water with the sharks." Ubi Petrus ibi ecclesia, I always say! After all, Jesus stood in his boat, right?
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