This great man was elected patriarch with God’s goodwill. This holy confessor Saint Methodius and martyr, was raised to the throne. With great joy by all the faithful people.
Saint Methodius was the Patriarch of Constantinople and was honored on June 14. Methodius, the Archpriest of Christ, was of Sicilian descent. He received a monastic life from his youth and increased in many good works. And in the reign of Leon the Armenian, the fighter against icons, the Patriarch of Constantinople being Most Holy Nichiphorus. Saint Methodius held the office of an apocrisiar and was sent by Patriarch Nichiphorus to the Pope of Rome. For ecclesiastical affairs.
And he lingered there for a long time. Because the wicked Emperor Leo had banished the Most Holy Nichiphorus from his throne. And in his place, he raised the one-of-one mind with him. The heretic Theodotus Milesianus, he of the nickname Caister.
When did Methodius return to Rome?
Happy Methodius, therefore, suffered much toil fighting the heretics. And overcoming and conquering them, he was tormented in bonds and prison by the wicked emperor. As the Greek Zonara tells us, who says that Michael Travlos. At least at the beginning of his reign, he showed himself good to many fathers who were banished by Leo the Armenian. For the honoring of icons, he pardoned them from punishment. And released them from bonds.
According to historians, after the death of Emperor Leo and the lying patriarch Theodotus, Saint Methodius returned from old Rome to new Rome and, having the priesthood, served the Lord in holiness and righteousness, always rebelling against the heresy of icon-wrestling, which at that time was very widespread. Because after Leo, the Armenian took the kingdom of Michael, Valves, or Travlos, of the same heresy as himself. And the seat of the patriarchate of Constantinople was held by unbelievers.
After having cast off that hypocritical good deed, he manifested his wickedness. He began to persecute the upright and, besides many others who had been worked, rose in anger against St. Methodius and Ephtimius, archbishop of Sardis. So he banished Ephtimius because he honored the holy icons and imprisoned Methodius in the dungeon of Crit.
Biography of Methodius
| Full name: | Methodius |
|---|---|
| Date of birth/ Feast Day: | 0815 AD |
| Year of death: | 0885 AD |
| Place of birth: | Thessalonica |
| Father's name: | Leo |
| Mother's name: | Maria |
| Nationality: | Slav |
| Life accomplishments: | After the death of St. Cyril, buried in the Basilica of San Clemente in the Eternal City, his brother Methodius was appointed Archbishop of Moravia and the Slavs, a ministry he held until his death in 885 with many trials and tribulations caused by the political and religious rulers of the Germans who did not conform to the papal decision, but even finally caused it to be changed and the Slavic mission banned. |
| Death cause: | Natural causes. |
What did Methodius do?
The same Zonara writes of that emperor and how bad he was with the faith; for Michael, the Travullus followed Copronymus in all things, being subject to the Jews, commanded fasting on Saturday, and did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. He disparaged the incredible things that will be and mocked the holy prophets. Yet he said they were not devils. The sins of the flesh he did not count as sins, and he counted Judas the seller as saved, counting him holy.
Because the wisdom of the Scriptures was very hateful to Methodius, he would not let people give their children to the book’s teaching, lest his folly should be seen by those who knew the power and mysteries of the divine Scriptures; for he wanted all to follow his error.
In ignorance and without the book. St. Methodius, as one too wise and skillful in the divine Scriptures, in the dogmas of the right faith, and the ordinances of the Holy Fathers, was very much opposed to this wicked emperor; therefore, he was tormented as a confessor of the truth, not only with bonds and imprisonment but also with beatings.
Read also: Who were Methodius and Cyril?
How long was Methodius in prison?
After the death of Theophilus, Michael the Third, his son, took the kingdom; but his mother, Theodora, was the ruler of the kingdom kingdoms because Michael, her son, was too young.
Then after the death of Theophilus, Michael, the third son, took the kingdom; but his mother Theodora, his mother, was ruling the kingdom because Michael, her son was too young. Having taken over the domain, this one first began to take care of the peace of the Church of Christ, which was greatly disturbed by the fighters against the holy icons.
And after the saint gained his freedom, he again fought the heretics, teaching them to give the holy icons the honor and worship they deserve. Thus he again turned to anger against the adversaries, and even the emperor was made aware of it and was troubled with rage against the saint, but he endured him for a time.
Who asked Methodius by what chance he got the disease?
Methodius, the high priest of Christ, was of a Sicilian family. From his youth, he received a monastic life and increased in many good deeds. In the reign of Leon the Armenian, the fighter against icons, the Patriarch of Constantinople being Most Holy Nichiphorus, Saint Methodius had the ordination of an apocrisiar. Patriarch Nechifor sent it to the Pope of Rome for ecclesiastical affairs.
The Most Holy Patriarch Methodius, being asked by those honorable judges by what means the illness had befallen him. He answered them: “When I was sent by the Most Holy Patriarch Nichiphorus to the bishop of Rome. While I was staying there, there came to me from the tempter of the body – the angel of Satan. Very great craving for bodily sin and a great burning of the limbs. So I fought day and night with that passion. He was laboring with fasting, with watching, and with all kinds of murderous toil.
He lingered there long because the wicked Emperor Leo had banished the Most Holy Nichiphorus from his throne. And in his place, the heretic Theodotus Milesians raised the one of a mind with him.
Primary Takeaways
- Methodius, being without malice, faithful, and a true follower of his Lord. He did not let that be done and forgave them and delivered them. Not only from death but also from the beatings that befell them.
- He punished all his enemies with this punishment: on all the great feasts of the feast, he was to go from the church of Vlaherna, of the Most Holy Virgin of God. With the custom and with lighted candles. To the Sovereign church of St. Sophia, and there. Standing by the church doors to receive anathema in their ears.
- Methodius, after all those ecclesiastical disturbances and after his many trials. He endured for the sake of the holy icons and directed the pastoral office in peace. And quiet, adorning the see of the patriarchate of Constantinople with his image and with his life. Like that of the angels, guarding well the worldly flock of the sheep of Christ. And feeding it with the pasture of the teachings of God.
Conclusion
His Most Holy Patriarch Methodius also rested in the Lord on the 14th day of June. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of the Blessed John. He prophesied to the Patriarch that without delay, he, too would pass from this temporal life to the eternal.
And after Saint Methodius had moved to the Lord, there was much mourning and grief for him. The Church of Constantinople had been deprived of such a great and enlightening father to the whole world. And they gave him an honorable burial. As befitted so great an archpriest.
