Prayer of Saint Ioannikios
Reader: The Father is my hope, the Son my refuge, the Holy Spirit my protection. Holy Trinity, glory to you.
http://www.eea3.org/documenti/third/HuttunenEn.doc
Sometimes I think I make a lousy Greek. There is so much that I do not know about the history of my faith as an Orthodox. I am always learning something new even though I was baptized into the faith as an infant. Yesterday was one more occasion to be stunned when I was reading the weekly bulletin. While I had heard of St. Ioannikiois before, I must not have paid attention to what this man was all about before.
"For the first forty-three years of his life, the only thing one could call great about Ioannikios was his brute size which, coupled with an explosive temper, made him a fearsome figure, more at home on the field of battle than in the stillness of a church. rebellious at school, he spurned books as the tools of the weaklings, preferring to acquire an adeptness in the use of arms, as a result of which by the time he was eighteen he was overqualified for the military service but a hopeless illiterate. For the next quarter of a century, he showed not the slightest evidence of piety, yet a chance encounter brought out the true spirit latent within him and in illustration of the mysterious ways of God, he became a venerated saint of the Church."
Ioannikios knew about needing protection since he spent so many years as a warrior. We forget so many who managed to be men of faith as well as warriors.
"His military prowess assured him advancement in the ranks and he won wide recognition in a campaign against the Bulgarians, after which, at the age of forty-three, he unaccountably resigned his commission. Asked by his friends why he was leaving at the pinnacle of his military success, he answered honestly that he did not even know why himself, except that an inner force compelled him to seek another purpose in life, although he was not in the least aware to what end it would lead him." (From Orthodox Saints, Volume 4 George Poulos Holy Cross Orthodox Press, Brookline MA printed in the bulletin of Holy Trinity Church, Orlando FL 11-1-2009)
We remember Pope Julius for hiring Michael Angelo for the Sistine Chapel, but we don't remember he strapped on body armor a time or two in his own life.
In June, 1474, Giuliano was sent at the head of an army to restore the papal authority in Umbria.........
.......In 1480 he was sent as legate to the Netherlands and France to accomplish three things, viz. to settle the quarrel concerning the Burgundian inheritance between Louis XI and Maximilian of Austria, to obtain the help of France against the Turks, and to effect the liberation of Cardinal Balue whom Louis XI had held in strict custody since 1469 on account of treasonable acts. After successfully completing his mission he returned to Rome in the beginning of 1482, accompanied by the liberated Cardinal Balue. At that time a war was just breaking out between the pope and Venice on one side and Ferrara on the other. Giuliano made various attempts to restore peace, and was probably instrumental in the dissolution of the Veneto-Papal alliance on 12 December, 1482. He also protected the Colonna family against the cruel persecutions of Cardinal Girolamo Riario in 1484.
Pope Julius II
In 1506 he officially founded the Swiss Guard, in order to provide a constant corps of soldiers to protect the Pope.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Julius_II
He also knew what it was like to go to war but also he longed for peace.
Peace alludes so many after war. The visible scars of battle are regarded as badges of honor to some but to others painful reminders of what they were asked to do. Others carry scars no one can see with the naked eye unless someone manages somehow to look deep into their soul. These are very compassionate people and very brave.
What good is compassion without the courage to do something for others? What good would it do to be compassionate and see a child in the street but lack the courage to run out to save her? What good would it do to see anyone in need but lack the courage to put them first? All too often courage and compassion are not considered in harmony with each other.
When warriors come home (not just military, but law enforcement and emergency responders) their hearts are heavy by what they saw when others suffered. Their courage is often overlooked because of the pain they feel. Call them a hero and they tell you they were just doing their job. They know it was what they were supposed to do but most don't have a clue why that is. When they have to take a life to do their jobs, or see others die, they witness all the worst mankind has to offer instead of seeing what good there is there at the same time. The compassion they carry is what is good in the midst of what is bad.
They may look at what surrounds them and wonder where God is. Often they say any God allowing that kind of suffering cannot be good, especially when they see children suffering. They cannot see that there compassion to care in the first place came from good and not evil and that God's goodness was there all along because they were.
How can anyone hold onto that kind of love when they see so much hatred? How can they carry the burdens of others if they did not have the goodness within their soul in the first place? This is how God is still there even when the horror is there.
Being a warrior does not mean they stop feeling pain. It does not mean they are safe and sound just because they come back home. It does however mean that the more compassionate the soul within them, the more they will need help to heal from what they had to live through. They need to know that God did not abandon them or forsake them as much as they need to have the mental health help to heal.
How can they feel God did not abandon them when they are hurting so deeply at the same time they have to fight for benefits and VA healthcare? How can they feel it when their friends and families have no clue what is going on inside of them and take very little interest learning? It is so much easier for people to just assume they are no longer the same person and blame them for the change than to really think about the way they were before.
Imagine restoration of their lives and what can be produced by feeding their compassion instead of assaulting it. Imagine what it would be like to give them back reasons to hope, to be forgiven for whatever they feel they need to be forgiven for, to have their souls healed and to find there are reasons to be thankful after war and what they witnessed. Imagine all that is possible because it is. All that is required is they are helped by as many people as possible to talk to them as someone they care deeply for instead of a burden.
There are everyday saints within them because they were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of their friends and Jesus said there is "no greater love" than what they were willing to do. They did not do for medals, for riches or for power. They did it for the sake of their brothers and sisters and for strangers they never met. It's time to make them feel worthy of all the time and help we can give to them.
Posted to Great Americans by NamGuardianAngel on September 10, 2009
UPDATE
This must be the day for saints online. This just showed up on AOL.
Which saint has the best cash flow
A question for the holiday season:
Bruce Watson
Saints Hit the Big Screen
One interesting measure of profitability is film gross While many saints, including St. Bernadette, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Thomas Beckett, have inspired highly profitable films, the winner in this particular category is probably St. Joan of Arc. The central figure of at least 16 films, the history of Joan of Arc films dates back to almost the beginning of the film industry: the first Joan of Arc movie was produced in 1895. Her last major depiction, 1999's The Messenger, was directed by Luc Besson and starred Milla Jovovich. It grossed over $14 million in the United States.
But what of the lesser-known saints? Phil Dinovo, of Patron Saint Medals.com, pointed out that two of the most popular religious figures are St. Jude and St. Rita, both of whom are associated with desperate causes. For that matter, St. Michael and St. Christopher -- both of whom are associated with the military -- have drawn a great deal of devotion, especially over the past eight years. Given the state of the real estate market, one can only imagine how many distressed homeowners are burying St. Joseph statues in their yards in the desperate hope that his intervention will help them sell their homes.
