St. Athanasius, 295-373. Doctor of Orthodoxy, Feast May 2nd.

The reason Athanasius is called the "Champion of Orthodoxy" is because of his many victories for the cause of Catholicism. This holy bishop was defeated many times but that did not stop or hinder him from succeeding. He encountered many setbacks, endured great hardship and was confronted with intense political struggles and challenges.

He was accused of murder, sedition and promoting bloodshed to name but a few. He was slandered, hated and banned. In fact, more than any other doctor of the Church and probably more than any other person who ever lived, he was exiled. He was banned at least five times from his residence and area of authority! Imagine the yo-yo, psychological jerks and anguishes any person would endure because of this trauma? His belief in God never wavered.

Athanasius refused to yield to anything or anyone other than the authentic, orthodox faith that was passed on to him by his ancestors and followers of the faith. He would not conform to any doctrine other than the established one that Jesus Christ was absolutely divine and human. Because he vigorously defended Christ’s divinity based on traditional teaching, he was repeatedly exiled. What persecutions and humiliations he underwent! What bravery, courage and stamina showed itself as he defended the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ.

Orthodox Judaism adheres to biblical laws as interpreted in the authoritative, rabbinical tradition and seeks to observe all the practices commanded by it. Catholic orthodoxy was severely challenged by perhaps its greatest test in the history of Catholicism by the insidious heresy of Arianism. This false teaching festered for hundreds of years. It also raises its ugly head even today stating that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God but He is not God.

In questioning the divinity of Christ, Arianism struck at the very heart of Christianity. Athanasius saw it as his main mission to fight the heresy with every means at his disposal including the excommunication of the arch-heretic, Arius. He, however, had a strong support in the Roman emperor, Constantine and his sons. They favored Arius who persuaded them that Athanasius was in error. Knowing full well what would happen if he didn’t agree with Arius, he disagreed. He would not back down. It wasn't that he was stubborn. It was a manner of principle that was at stake.

Catholicism from its initial stages has always averred that Jesus is more than a unique human being. He is the Man-God. He is a total divine and human person. It is through the declaration of this statement(of truth) that Catholicism is positively established, declared and reaffirmed with each successive generation by all of its members. It is established on a body of evidences, witnesses and tradition that is based on, and above, reason. At the same time, it is without any contradiction. Catholicism holds this truth to be sacred, divine and unalterable. It is unquestionably considered to be one of her finest, jewels- sparkling, distinct and different from all other religions in the world-- by far, and, there are thousand of beliefs and religions.

St Athanasius was bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. It was a great patriarchal see of the Church at that time. He was a young bishop but his youth did not stand in the way of faithfully executing his offices to protect and defend the Church from false and misleading errors. He directed all of his energies to band and outlaw Arianism. He wrote extensively about every aspect of Arianism in an attempt to stamp it out despite being deposed repeatedly. His unflinching stance regarding the divinity of Christ remained solid and intact.

Listen to what he says in one of his letters about Christ Who was very dear to him: "My writing has caused me great pain. For the more I desired to write, and endeavored to force myself to understand the divinity of Christ, so much the more, it seemed, the understanding of this great mystery escaped me. Moreover, I was unable to express in writing even what I seemed to grasp, so that what I wrote fell short even of the imperfect shadow of truth in my mind. Although often tempted to quit, I constrained myself to keep writing so as not to disappoint you and those who depend on me.”

This quote is powerful, humble, revealing, challenging and mysterious. It expresses truth beyond human comprehension. Isn’t truth exactly that? Truth is more noble and superior to reason. It is also undefinable, undeniable and indescribable.

Christ declared that He was the Truth. Challengers as Pontius Pilate throughout history have asked the same sneering and rhetorical question: What is truth? It is, above all, a mystery and does not have a specific answer in human terms. Truth is a divine Person because Jesus said He is the Truth. Those who believe, speak and act according to this Truth become a part of It-both human and divine. Thus, we can affirm that truth, in general, is a mystery yet explainable. It is tangible and yet intangible. It is concrete, yet it beyond our senses. It is visible, yet invisible and invincible.

Athanasius had received a sacred trust and even though he couldn’t totally understand that trust, he would honor it, come what may. God is a sacred mystery that no one can adequately comprehend. No one has ever explained God as Jesus Christ. Therefore, according to Athanasius, no one is more deserving to be believed as much as Jesus is. It was that simple. Jesus said it, and, for Athanasius, that was it!

Faithfulness is a virtue, a gift and a beatitude. It is always directed toward a person, cause or thing. It is the willingness to assent to someone or something bigger than life itself. Athanasius did not disappoint the followers of Jesus by yielding to pressure and pain when he was challenged and tested. He upheld the traditions of his predecessors and everything passed down to him.

Petition this holy doctor of the Church to guide you with discernment. It is extremely difficult to know, when and how, to change or challenge outdated Christian practices, attitudes and beliefs. Some things change and need updating. Some things never change and shouldn’t be tinkered with or altered. We need the Spirit of God to discern the difference. We also need courage, confidence and wisdom to distinguish when to change or challenge ritual, custom, tradition, rules and regulation. Many of these need constant updating and enhancement. However, we also need to know when not to change or take calculated risks when certain principles and practices are involved. The issue is separating what is a principle and what is a practice. This is not an easy distinction.

Christians are often asked to overcome insurmountable obstacles. We have Athanasius as a superb model and example when it comes to faith and example. Hardly anyone today is going to be exiled, once, because of their faith, let alone five times. To be banished from home or country is devastating. Athanasius wasn't thinking of himself. He had studied the bible and he knew of God's faithfulness to those who placed their trust in the Almighty. This champion was tremendously faithful. His knowledge of the history of God's people in Holy Writ was exceptional but his own faith was incomparably more extraordinary.

The following is taken from an article by Donna Steichen entitled "St Athanasius and the Birds" listed in The Latin Mass, A Journal of Catholic Culture. Their website can be found:

http://www.latinmassmagazine.com/

Athanasius was exiled "three times by general councils or synods dominated by Arian bishops, twice by order of the Emperor. He was slandered, condemned by a false council, tried and acquitted of various absurd charges. The Emperor Constantine and his successors considered Athanasius a trouble-maker." But John Henry Cardianl Newman called him 'a principal instrument after the Apostles by which the sacred truths of Christianity have been secured and conveyed to the world'.

Newman wrote "The body of bishops failed in their confession of the Faith... They spoke variously, one against another; there was nothing, after Nicea, of firm, unvarying, consistent testimony, for nearly sixty years. There was untrustworthy Councils, unfaithful bishops; there was weakness, fear of consequences, misguidance, delusion, hallucination, endless, hopelessness, extending into nearly every corner of the Catholic Church. The comparatively few who remained faithful were discredited and driven into exile; the rest were either deceivers or were deceived."

Faith is a powerful force. It can motivate us to do extraordinary things. God’s gift can sustain us in crises. It can assist us achieving overwhelming odds. It also affords us peace of mind when we carry out our responsibilities and duties. The more responsible we are, the more faithful we become. That, in turn, enriches and deepens our faith and commitment to our responsibilities. God allows all of us to be challenged in order to strengthen us and enrich us to a fuller capacity and stature.

In addition, faith is also as a binding and blinding light that guides us more surely than all the signs, signals and showings we could ever receive by our natural eyes. Every time we say the Nicene Creed or the Apostles' Creed we might remember our forefathers especially Athanasius. He and our relatives have safeguarded our faith in the mystery of the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ. He is true God and true Man. Despite our doubts and uncertainties, which invariably happen, we need to acquiesce and persevere in believing in the presence of God in the manner that God wants us. We need to listen carefully to the Church and her official representatives constantly to achieve faithfulness to Christ.

We should remain faithful to our faith, no matter what, because if we don't, we will afterwards feel the hurt. However, we must be careful in what we believe because many have espoused the wrong cause, purpose or person and have been duped and misled. We can not do better than trust in Athanasius and follow his advice. By treasuring and valuing the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ which is given to us daily, almost ridiculously, we too will act more humane and divine. If Christ wants to make a fool of Himself, by giving us incredible spiritual treasures, both by His Flesh and His presence, we should not be questioning His generosity. Rather, we should be questioning our own generosity if we fail to oblige and please Him daily.

If we are ever tempted to leave Catholicism for another religion let us remember the reason why we are changing. Is it because of men or God that we are changing? Athanasius embraced all that was handed down to him and he too was tempted to quit and give up often. However, he remained steadfast and faithful. He accepted Catholicism even though he couldn’t explain or understand all that he grasped. Should we not do the same?

The book Orthodoxy, by G. K. Chesterton, is a classic that builds on the many themes of the Father and Doctor of Orthodoxy, St Athanasius. There are many other books and periodicals that continue with the living Christian tradition(see Sources and link page) and continuing dialogue of all believers, past and present.

The English language edition of Communio is a quarterly review that offers the finest in Catholic theological and cultural thought of eminent scholars from around the world. It is very easy to get confused with the Catholic orthodox way and other orthodoxies.

There are Orthodox Jews, Russian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox among many others. Conforming to established doctrine especially in religion is very important to maintain one’s belief. However, true religion is not to help us only to conform. It merely starts there to give us true liberty of heart and mind. There are many political and religious conservative groups. Orthodoxy is not necessarily only conservative.

The thin paperback entitled Saint Athanasius by F.A. Forbes depicts the saint’s struggles, conflicts and challenges. It is less than one hundred pages. It can be read in a brief period but it contains lessons for a lifetime. If you think your faith is solid and unshakeable this book may surprise you. It will reveal what authentic faith really is and how it is measured. One can not possibly grasp the persecution, hostility and whimsical changes of the political administration during Athanasius’ time. During this period the Church did not have independence from the government and was answerable to it. The Arian heresy is like the king and queen of all heresies. It is the most subtle and most slick spiritual error in history because it minimizes life. It has lasted longer than any other heresy and it exist today. It is camouflaged, cunning and crafty. It will take the life out of your spirituality if you have one or rob you of the truth whichever way it can. Arianism goes for your jugular vein. It smoothes and suffocates your faith and you may not even be aware what it is happening. It is spiritual death by carbon monoxide-painless but lethal.

The author of Saint Athanasius paints a vivid picture of the ancient Church and its time. Its message will make you treasure and appreciate your faith, the Church and above all, Jesus Christ-true God and true Man. This brief story is about intense, political, government and religious intrigue and entrapment. It could be compared to today’s government, specific laws and how they conflict with religion and life. In fact, this book could be compared to any period in the two thousand years of Church history and its face-to-face struggles with politics, religion and government. It is about banishment and restoration of stalwart Christians in an up and down saga of forgiving and ferocious attacks on the Catholic faith. It is the glorious story of Catholic Church as stated in the Nicene Creed we say at our liturgical mass. Its main focus is on a vibrant, victorious, personality that the Church cherishes. He is the beloved, bishop, St Anthansius, Doctor of Orthodoxy.

It is only by sincere searching for the truth, praying, living one faith according to one’s traditions, acting honestly with one’s conscience, reading the scriptures and other inspired writings and doing these functions together, will one arrive at authentic religion and love of God as Athanasius professed. His heroic example is an amazing testament to following the Catholic tradition in spite of incredible odds against him and severe banishments.

It would have been impossible for our saint to accomplish what he achieved without divine help. Who assisted him? Where did he get his motivation and strength despite his many setbacks and obstacles? We can be sure that Athanasius received spiritual fortitude from St Mary. Listen to what he says. “ If the Son is King, the mother who begot Him is rightly and truly considered a Queen and Sovereign.” Mary according to all the doctors is not a queen of justice but a queen of mercy intent only in commiserating and pardoning sinners.

A sovereign typically has unlimited resources, power and authority. We can be sure that the Mother of God offers us poor sinners unlimited support and graces especially when we are ill treated and severely malign as was St Athanasius. We need to remember to supplicate her as Queen and Mother.

Remember the famous Memorare prayer. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy… Athanasius put himself in Mary’s hands and she helped him bear his many exiles, disappointments and extensive grief even with joy and complete resignation. He strongly aligned himself with Mary and made the greatest contribution to new interest in the person and mission of the Virgin Mary in the plan of salvation. The bishop of Alexandria became a vigorous defender and affirmer of the teaching of revelation on the Mother of the Lord.

In praise of Mary from Gambero’s books, listed in the sources, Athanasius comments on Mary. “Oh noble Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness. For who is your equal in greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word? To whom among all creatures shall I compare you, O Virgin?”

No creature can be compared to Mary. She is truly the Mother of God. She had the physical presence of God, in Flesh, dwelling within her body for nine months exactly as all pregnant mothers. Jesus and Mary came exactly as us and identified exactly as us except our human inclination toward sin. Although we are sinners due to original sin, the presence of God is denied to none that sincerely seek God. One of Athanasius Easter letters states, “whenever anyone seeks him (God) he is freely admitted into the presence of God."

Read and reflect on Athanasius inspiring and eloquent words from the May 1999 and 2001 issue of the Magnificat.

The Son is in the Father, insofar as it is given us to understand, because the whole being of the Son is proper to the Father’s essence, as radiance is from light, and as a stream is from a fountain... Whoever thus contemplates the Son, contemplates what is proper to the Father’s essence.

Even before the Word became man, he was worshiped by the angels and the whole of creation as having the prerogatives of the Father...For as he (Jesus) was ever worshiped as being the Word and existing in the form of God, so being what he ever was, though become man and called Jesus, he still has, as before, the whole creation under foot, and bending their knees to him in this name, and confessing that the Word's becoming flesh, and undergoing death in flesh, has not happened against the glory of his Godhead, but to the glory of God the Father.

For it is the Father's glory that man, made and then lost, should be found again; and, when done to death, that he should be made alive, and should become God's temple.

We, however, apart from the Spirit, are strangers and distant from God. Thus, our being in the Father is not of ourselves, but is in the Spirit who is in us and who abides in us, and whose presence in us we preserve by our confession of the faith… It is then by the Spirit who is in the Word which is in the Father that we too shall be in the Son and in the Father.

Athanasius contributed greatly to the establishment of monastic life throughout the Western Christian world. His polemical writings against Arianism and his writings of the Life of St Anthony achieved astonishing popularity.

I can do no better to close on Athanasius life than to quote lines from Forbes final chapter entitled “The Truce of God”.

In 366 Pope Liberius died and was succeeded by Pope St Damasus, a man of strong character and holy life. Two years later, in a council of the Church it was decreed that no Bishop should be consecrated unless he held the Creed of Nicea. Athanasius was overwhelmed with joy on hearing this decision. The triumph of the cause for which he had fought so valiantly was now assured. Athanasius’ life was drawing to an end.

Five years later, after having governed his diocese for forty-eight years-years of labor, endurance and suffering he passed peacefully into the presence of that Lord for whose sake he had counted all his tribulations as joy.

From his earliest youth Athanasius had stood forth as the Champion of Truth and defender of the Faith-a gallant warrior who had not laid down his arms until the day of his death. Where a weaker man would have lost courage, he had stood firm; suffering had only served to temper his spirit, as steel is tempered by the fire.

Among men who were capable of every compromise he had remained loyal and true, and few have been more loved or hated than he. To his own people he was not only their Bishop and martyr in all but deed; above all, he was an intensely lovable person whose very greatness of soul only made him more compassionate.

To the outside world he was a guiding light, a beacon pointing straight to God. He was a living example of the truth that a man may be large-minded and yet strong; that he may hate error, yet love the erring-stand like a rock against heresy, yet be full of compassion for heretics.

Scarcely was Athanasius dead when he was honored as a saint. Six years after his death, St Gregory Nazianzen speaks of him in one breath with the patriarchs, prophets and martyrs.

His influence is with us today; his memory lingers in the words of that Nicene Creed. It is largely owing to his valor that we possess it today. Through his works breathes the same spirit-the spirit that nerved him to fight and suffer. His intense love is revealed by his devotion to Jesus and His members in the Church and to safeguard that honor.

Perhaps not only at the Catholic Mass when the Creed is said, but whenever we start a rosary saying the Apostle's Creed, holding the crucifix in our hands, we remember momentarily St Athanasius, if for no other reason, to thank him for our faith, our whole creed, before we dwell on the mysteries of the rosary.

The Nicene Creed at Mass keeps the Apostles' Creed alive and active and conversely, the Apostles' Creed always fuels and inflames the Nicene Creed whose authors is the unmistable and unequal, Champion of Orthodox, Saint Athanasius.

Athanasius and Eastern Church links:

      http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta15.htm
      http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02035a.htm
      http://www.catholic.org/saints/saints/athanasius.html
http://www.antonius.org/docs/library/orthodoxy/doctrine/nicea.htm
Athanasius
New Advent Fathers