Continued 👆🏽
With the courage of the prophets and the tenderness of a father, Saint Athanasius entered the imperial palace and declared:
"Either slay me and crown me a martyr like my fathers, or return me to my flock."
Oh, what boldness! What divine defiance! Yet the king, fearing unrest should he shed this righteous blood, sought to kill the saint without a sword. He cast him adrift in the vast sea on a boat with no oars, no sails, no water, no food.
But let all the earth know: the sea is God’s path, and He walks upon its waves. That day, the Lord Himself came down escorted by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. They rowed the boat, and other angels brought food from heaven. Athanasius, kept alive by the Lord of life, was transported back to Alexandria, where the faithful received him with inexpressible joy and holy tears.
V. The End of a Life and the Beginning of a Legacy
Saint Athanasius died around the 7th day of May, in the year of our Lord 373, having borne the full burden of apostolic suffering. His soul, refined by fire, ascended like incense to the throne of the Almighty.
He is called:
The Pillar of Universal Orthodoxy,
The Supreme Patriarch,
The Chief Doctor of the Church,
The Champion of the Creed,
And above all, Apostolic not by title alone, but by deed and suffering.
Conclusion:
May the Lord grant us the intercession of this great pillar of Orthodoxy. May He, through the prayers of Saint Athanasius, fortify our faith, shield us from heresy, and grant us boldness to confess the Incarnate Son of God.
May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always.
May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us.
Amen.
© John's Repentance
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