The Deepening of the Self

St. John of Damascus (ca. 674-749 A. D.)

Saint John of Damascus, born John Mansur, was the son of a tax collector for the Caliph, Abd Al-Malek (685-705 A.D.) He succeeded his father as a tax collector, serving under this Caliph and his successor.

While holding the office of tax collector, John wrote a series of discourses directed against Leo the Isaurian, Greek emperor from 717-741. This emperor was rallying against the presence of icons, symbols and images in Christian worship. John, trained in theology and the sciences, strongly defended the presence of Christian icons. Eventually, John entered the monastery at St. Sabbas to devote himself to the study of the church. At this monastery, he was assigned a strict spiritual formation director, whose discipline is reflected in John’s window. John was apparently sent into the marketplace of Damascus to sell three baskets at an exorbitant price and subject himself to derision in the city where he had once enjoyed great honor. The three baskets on the shield represent difficult tasks which contribute to the spiritual deepening of the self.

John also composed hymns for the church. His composition, the “Funeral Idiomela” is still sung in funeral services of the Byzantine Rite. His name is often associated with the “Te Deum,” a hymn of the Greek Church. Two of his Easter hymns are currently in use, “The Day of Resurrection,’ and “Come Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain.” The “Orthodox Faith” referred to in the window bears witness to John’s scholarship included in his works Fountain of Knowledge and Orthodox Faith.