Proklos of Constantinople and the Development of the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Fr.

• Fr. Maximos Constas

Proklos of Constantinople and the Development of the Constantinopolitan Theological Tradition

“Reflecting on the Past - Looking Towards the Future” Conference on the Ecumenical Patriarchate Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto 21 October, 2014

VVincent Riccardi, Sancti Patris Procli Archiepiscopi Constantinopolitani Analecta (Rome, 1630)

The Apostle Andrew 6th-century mosaic, San Vitale, Ravenna

Saint Proklos of Constantinople 43rd Patriarch of Constantinople (434-446) feast day 20 November

• St. John Chrysostom, 9th-century mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

Proclus receives the relics of Chrysostom, Menologion of Basil II (ca. 1000)

Return of the relics of St. John Chrysostom to Constantinople, November 2004

The Vision of the Prophet Isaiah, 12th-century manuscript (Vatican Library)

Seraph, 14th-century mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Constantinople

Καλὴ ἡ τῶν ψαλµῶν λύρα, θεόπνευστος ἡ τοῦ Πνεύµατος κιθάρα, τερπνὸν καὶ φοβερὸν τὸ τῆς προφητείας ᾅσµα. Σωτήριος ἀεὶ ἡ ψαλµῳδία· ψαλµὸς γὰρ µελῳδούµενος ἐκτέµνει ἀθυµίας, ῥιζοτοµεῖ λύπας, ἀποσπογίζει τὰ πάθη, κοιµίζει τοὺς θρήνους, χειρουργεῖ τὰς φροντίδας, ψυχαγωγεῖ τοὺς ἐν ὀδύναις, ἁµαρτωλοὺς κατανύγει, ἐξυπνίζει πρὸς εὐσέβειαν, ἐρηµίας πολίζει, τὰς πόλεις σωφρονίζει, εἰς οὐρανῶν µετεωρίζει καὶ µυστήρια προκηρύττει.

The lyre of the psalms is beautiful; the harp of the Spirit is inspired by God. The prophetic song is both joyful and fearsome. The singing of pslams is always salvific, for when a psalm when sung shears away despondency and cuts off sorrow at its root. It wipes away the passions and silences lamentations. It removes worldly cares, comforts the suffering, moves sinners to repentance, awakens one to piety, makes cities of the desert, chastens those in cities, raises us up to heaven, and proclaims mysteries in advance.

Ἑορτὴ γάρ ἐστι λύπης λήθη, φροντίδων ὕπνος, χαρᾶς γεωργός, φαιδρότητος πρόξενος, προσευχῆς καιρός, πενήτων θέρος, ἐκκλησιῶν κόσµος, πόλεων πανήγυρις, ἔχθρας ναυάγιον, φιλίας ἀνατολή, ἐπὶ γῆς οὐρανός, καὶ ἀναστάσεως καρπός. A feast is the forgetfulness of sorrow, the sleep of cares, the cultivation of joy, the cause of delight, the season of prayer, the adornment of the Church, the festival of cities, the shipwreck of hatred, the dawn of affection, heaven on earth, and the fruit of the resurrection.

Δεῦτε τοίνυν καὶ ἡµεῖς τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς µάγους ζηλώσωµεν, καὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀντὶ τῆς Βηθλεὲµ κατανοήσωµεν· ἀντὶ τοῦ σπηλαίου τὸ ἱερατικὸν ἀσπασώµεθα βῆµα, ἀντὶ τῆς φάτνης τὸ θυσιαστήριον προσκυνήσωµεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ βρέφους περιπτυξώµεθα τὸν διὰ βρέφους εὐλογούµενον ἄρτον. Come and let us zealously imitate the pious Magi, and let us behold the church in place of Bethlehem. In place of the cave, let us embrace the holy sanctuary; in place of the manger, let us venerate the altar table; instead of the child, let us receive the bread that has been blessed through the child.

Χριστὸς τῷ κόσµῳ ἐπεφάνη, καὶ τὸν ἄκοσµον κόσµον κοσµήσας. Ἰσχυρὸν τῆς ἀποστολικῆς ἁλείας τὸ δίκτυον, θαυµαστὸν τῆς Ἀνδρέου µνήµης τὸ ἀµφίβληστρον, ἀδιάκοπος τῶν ἀθανάτων νεκρῶν ἡ σαγήνη.

Παρθενικὴ πανήγυρις σήµερον τὴν γλῶτταν, ἀδελφοί, πρὸς εὐφηµίαν καλεῖ καὶ ἡ παροῦσα ἑορτὴ τοῖς συνελθοῦσιν ὠφελείας γίνεται πρόξενος. σκιρτάτω ἡ φύσις, χορευέτω ἡ ἀνθρωπότης, συνεκάλεσε γὰρ ἡµᾶς ἡ ἁγία Θεοτόκος, τὸ ἀµόλυντον κειµήλιον τῆς παρθενίας, ὁ λογικὸς τοῦ δευτέρου Ἀδὰµ παράδεισος, τὸ ἐργαστήριον τῆς ἑνώσεως τῶν δὺο φύσεων, ἡ πανήγυρις τοὺ σωτηρίου συναλάγµατος, ἡ παστάς ἐν ᾗ ὁ Λόγος ἐνυµφεύσατο τὴν σάρκα, ἡ ὄντως κούφη νεφέλη, ἡ τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβεὶµ µετὰ σώµατος βαστάσασα. ¡

The Virgin’s festival summons us today to words of praise, and the present feast has benefits to bestow

• n those who assemble to keep it. Let nature leap for

joy! Let all humanity dance! For she who called us here today is the Holy Theotokos, the untarnished vessel of virginity, the spiritual paradise of the “second Adam” (Romans 5:14), the workshop of the union of two natures, the celebration of the contract

• f salvation, the bridal chamber in which the Word

wedded the flesh, the veritable “nimble cloud” (Isaiah 19:1), who carried in her body the

• ne who rides upon the cherubim.

She is the awesome loom of the divine economy, upon which the robe of union was ineffably

• woven. The loom-worker was the Holy Spirit; the

wool-worker was the “overshadowing power from on high” (Luke 1:35). The wool was the ancient fleece of Adam; the interlocking thread was the spotless flesh of the Virgin. The weaver’s shuttle was propelled by the immeasurable grace

• f Him who wore the robe; and the artisan was

the Word Himself.

Let consuls (ὕπατοι) come running, for God, the heavenly consul, has appointed Christ as the earthly one. His throne is the Theotokos; His consular toga (τόγαν ὑπατικὴν) is His own seedless flesh. Strange is this apparel! Its fabrication is wondrous, for it has no share in human craftsmanship. O Virgin, where did you find the wool to weave the robe of the body for the Lord of creation? What sort of loom was your womb, upon which you wove the tunic without seam?

Annunciation, 5th-century mosaic, Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome

Byzantine Marriage Ring, 7th century, Dumbarton Oaks

Annunciation, 6th-century cameo (Hermitage, St. Petersburg)

Ivory pyxis, 6th century, Ravenna

Annunciation, 13th-century illuminated manuscript, Iviron, Mt Athos

Annunciation, 16th-century fresco, Dionysiou, Mt Athos

Annunciation, 16th-century fresco by Theophanes the Cretan, Stavronikita, Mt Athos

Annunciation, 16th-century panel painting, Dionysiou, Mt Athos

Ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν εὐσπλαχνίαν καταφεύγοµεν Θεοτόκε, τὰς ἡµών ἱκεσίας µὴ παρίδης ἐν περιστάσει, ἀλ᾽ ἐκ κινδύνων λύτρωσαι ἡµάς, µόνη Αγνή, µόνη εὐλογηµένη.

1) First native-born Patriarch of Constantinople 2) Outstanding preacher and orator 3) Devotion to the saints (St. John Chrysostom) 4) The Trisagion Hymn 5) Devotion to the Theotokos 6) Teaching about Christ

ΤΕΛΟΣ καὶ τῷ Θεῷ δόξα