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March 12 Saints of the Day – Gregory Dialogus and Maximilian of Tebessa
On this day in 1884, Mississippi established the first U.S. state college for women. In 1982 it became the last state women’s college to break down and admit men. Sadly the student newspaper was not allowed to call the new male students “co-eds.”
The Orthodox calendar today lists Gregory Dialogus (540 – 604) “the Great,” Pope of Rome. While still on the rising arc of a promising political career, young patrician Gregory sold everything, turned the family home into a monastery, and became a monk. Before too long he was deaconified against his will and sent to Constantinople by Pope Pelagius II (who was not a pelagian), in part to beg for military help in fending off the Lombards (who had heard about the food in Rome and wanted it for themselves, if you get my drift). The Emperor demurred, either because his armies were all busy playing with the Persians, or because he had other diplomatic plans as regards the Lombards; my sources couldn’t agree. Greg knocked around the capital for six years, and got into a theological slugfest with the Patriarch (Eutychus), who opined that resurrected bodies would be lighter than air. Gregory tried to bring him down to earth.
Returning to Rome, he settled back into his monastery and soon became abbot. At one point he met with some Angle youths (from Britain, not Flatland), who were either slave boys for sale, or grown men there voluntarily. He immediately decided the Angles (the ones in Angle Land) needed to hear the Gospel, and headed out to preach it to them. He got about three days out of town when he was hauled back by a delegation from Rome, whose citizens apparently wanted to keep him close to hand. And sure enough, when the Pelagius went on to his reward, Gregory was tapped to be pope. He resisted mightily, even going so far as to write a letter to the Emperor imploring him to reject the election, but it was intercepted, and a schedule of the election sent in its place. He was so horrified of the idea of being pope that while they all waited for the Emperor’s response, he served as interim pope. When the Emperor’s blessing came back, Gregory’s feet once more grew cold, and in the end he was actually physically picked up and carried to St. Peter’s Basilica for the consecration.
Among his works are rewriting of the western liturgy, codifying of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts (used in the East), sending Augustine to Canterbury, and getting his name attached to Gregorian Chant, either legitimately or anachronistically. (The Gregorian calendar is the fault of another Gregory.) He is the patron saint of, inter alia, stonemasons.
The Catholic calendar today lists Maximilian of Tebessa (274 – 295), sometimes called the first conscientious objector. As the son of a military man, Maximilian was required by Roman law to join the army if called up. He was called up. Among other things he refused to wear the lead dog tags that contained an image of the emperor, considering it idolatry to do so. When he was brought before the proconsul and asked his name, he replied, “Why do you need my name? I’m a Christian and I’m not joining the army.” Told he must serve or die, he said, “Then cut off my head. My army is the army of God; I will not fight for this world.” Told there were Christians in the emperor’s bodyguard, he said, “That is their business” and “they know what’s right for themselves.” (An admirable attitude, I think.) This went back and forth for some time, until finally they said, “Okay we’ll just kill you now,” to which Max replied, “Death shmeath [well, mors schmors]. When I leave this earth, I shall live with Christ.” Just before they lopped off his head, he asked his father to give his new suit of clothes to the executioner. His father went home rejoicing that his son’s soul went to heaven. His son’s body went to Carthage. (There were worse places to be dead in 295.)
Bibliography
This Day in History for 12th March
Mississippi University for Women
Pope St. Gregory I (“the Great”) (Catholic Encyclopedia) – Main source
Pope Gregory I (Wikipedia)
Pope Saint Gregory the Great (SQPN)
Maximilian of Theveste M (RM) (St. Patrick DC) – Main source
Maximilian (martyr) (Wikipedia)
Copyright © 2013 Alex Riggle. All Rights Reserved.
New Orthodox Game Available for the Holidays! (Or Not)
CHICAGO — If you are looking for a game the entire family can play, and learn more about the Orthodox faith at the same time, look no further than Into the Liturgy. This game is sold by newcomer to the game community Athos Games (tagline: It’s a Mountain of Fun!). The company is currently working to sell through parish Orthodox bookstores (suggested retail $39.95). “We understand we’re working in a niche market,” stated Peter (the Aleut) Martinson. “Sometimes you just have to take a chance”.
“How is that working so far?” our reporter asked.
“Not well. We’re still waiting for blessings from their Bishops. We were really hoping to get in on the holiday rush. At this point it looks like we’ll have to aim for Pascha.”
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Orthodox Priest Serves Liturgy in Empty Building
Takoma Park, MARYLAND – Father John (“of Patmos”) Johnson this morning served the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom in a church containing only his wife Matushka Joanna (“the Baptist”) and their three children. The faithful of the Church of All Saints of Middle-Class North America (RumpOA) showed up en masse about ten minutes after the service ended. Father John was alone in his office, counting the offering.
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Even Wordier St. Basil’s Liturgy Discovered
First published September 20, 2002
ISTANBUL – In a discovery which is sure to send shock waves through shock-wave-permeable materials both north and south of the Golden Horn, an unnamed American musicologist discovered the text of an even wordier Liturgy of St. Basil this week in the basement of Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom, now a museum and trendy underground fish-n-chips shop). Read the rest of this entry
New Translation of Liturgy Raises Eyebrows
First published January, 2010
All Orthodox are familiar with the story of Saints Methodius and Kyril, who were commissioned to translate the services of the holy Church into a language “understanded of the [Slavic] people.” We are all aware of the importance of worshiping in a speaker’s native language, and find it quite natural that services are offered in multiple languages throughout the world. And yet, a great deal of misunderstanding and cross words have flowed from a recent project which translated the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom into Lolspeak.
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