Memorial Day of St. Maximus the Confessor

The Holy Church celebrates the Day of Remembrance of St Maximus the Confessor on February 3 (January 21, old style) This Byzantine monk, theologian and philosopher is revered by the Orthodox Church as a confessor and reverend, and by the Roman Catholic Church as a saint Maximus was born in Constantinople in 580 and in his youth held a high position at the court of Emperor Heraclius, with whom he was distantly related But the blessings of court life no longer suited the future saint, and in 630 Maxim wished to become a monk He goes to a monastery located not far from the capital, and soon becomes abbot there Subsequently, Maxim was founded in the monastery of Carthage, where his theological and philosophical activity began The saint’s asceticism was associated with opposition to the Monophysite heresy, whose supporters argued that there was only one will in the nature of Christ The Monophysites argued against the heresy of Eutyches, according to which there is only one nature in Christ Maxim decisively opposed both statements, proving that in the Lord there are two wills, as well as two natures Unwittingly, Maxim became an opponent of both the Tsar and the Patriarch, but he was not afraid and defended the Christian truth to the end, for which he endured many torments The saint and his disciples were persecuted, taken into custody, and tortured After numerous oppressions and trials, the Confessor’s tongue was cut out so that he could no longer read sermons, and he was deprived of his right hand so that he could no longer write theological works The mutilated Maxim was sentenced to lifelong exile in the lands of Colchis, where he died on August 13, 662 in serfdom For many, the death of Saint Maximus is tantamount to martyrdom, since the saint died from severe injuries and unbearable conditions For a long time, the name of the Confessor remained with the stigma of a state criminal, but the attitude towards his ascetic activity changed in the light of the numerous miracles that took place at the saint’s grave According to legend, every night three lamps were lit by themselves over the saint’s grave as a symbol of the heavenly trinity In folk tradition, February 3 was called the day of Maxim the Greek Christians came to the temple and asked for help in difficult situations They believed that if you ask St Maxim for a benefit for a dear person, the request will certainly come true And the custom advised to go into the forest and tell the birch tree about your worries; on the way back, a solution to the problem will certainly come to mind Folk custom advised spouses to shake off snow from a tree near the house, holding hands, which promised prosperity and prosperity There were also natural signs by which one could learn about the upcoming weather and harvest: - the clear sky was not welcomed, because it pointed to empty barns in the coming year; - but the clear moon, shining through the fast running of the clouds, promised a rich grain harvest; - clear weather predicted prolonged, evil frosts