2 May 2017 - St Athanasius - homily - Tuesday of the 3rd week of Easter - Acts 7:51—8:1A

      Alexandria was one of the great centers of learning and commerce in the Ancient World.  Athanasius was the Archbishop of the great city of Alexandria in the 4th century for 45 years, an incredible amount of time. Yet, during that long time he was Archbishop, Athanasius was exiled by different emperors 5 different times.   More than 6 years of that time of exile was spent in the desert.  D. He also had to flee Alexandria 6 additional times when he feared for his life. Athanasius is one of that select group of men and women who have been named as a Doctor of the Church for their contributions to spirituality, theology, and Church doctrine. There are currently only 36 men and women who have been given such a distinction.  As Archbishop, Athanasius battled Arianism, a belief named after Arius, a priest who lived in Alexandria in this same era. Arius and those who supported Arianism saw Jesus the Son as being subordinate and inferior to God the Father. In fact, Arius saw Jesus as a being who did not exist at the beginning of time, who was created and a separate and distinct entity from the Father. Many emperors and Church leaders of this era held this same heretical belief. The writings and teaching of Athanasius defended the doctrine of the Trinity and are fundamental as to how we understand the three persons of the Trinity today in the Church’s teachings. 

      Even though Athanasius endured much violence, persecution, and exile in his service to the Church, tradition passes down that Athanasius died peacefully in his own bed, surrounded by clergy and his supporters.  Stephen, however, is recorded as the first martyr of the Early Church in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles today.  Stephen, in fact, has his own feast day on our Church liturgical calendar, on December 26, the day after Christ’s birth.  We don’t know much about Stephen other than what is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.  Scripture scholars believe that he was probably a Jew who had lived outside of Israel and who was greatly influenced by the Greek culture.  We do not know, however, as to whether the mob that stoned Stephen was acting outside the auspices of Jewish law or if this incident was following Stephen’s trial by the Sanhedrin.  As we heard of the trials of Athanasius, the saint we celebrate today, and of others in our modern world who are being persecuted for their faith, as we see our own religious liberties curtailed and limited in different ways in our society, perhaps the story of Stephen has even more resonance and meaning to us.