John of Damascus, priest (676-749)

                                                 John of Damascus

“I do not worship matter, 

I wor-ship the God of matter, who became matter for my sake, and deigned to inhabit matter, who work-ed out my salva-tion through matter.” 

John was a defender of icons during the Iconoclastic Controversy when images, icons,- any physical representation of God - was suspect. In 726 The Emperor had published his first Edict Against the Holy Images which formally began the Iconoclastic Controversy which did not end until 787 at the Council of Nicea.. John’s point was that it was not the icon itself that was venerated, but the spiritual reality it represented.  His enraged critics called him an idol worshipper and, ironically it was only his residence in Jerusalem, a city then under Muslim control, and thus beyond the emperor, that assured his safety. His feast, for many years celebrated on March, 27, is now on Dec. 4.

Thanks to the wonderful publication Give us this Day and Holy Women, Holy Men......