St. Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople, devoted all his time from a young age to prayer and the study of the Holy Scriptures. The Lord honored him with the great happiness of being a disciple of St. John Chrysostom (+ 407, November 13), who ordained him first to the rank of deacon and then to the rank of presbyter. Saint Proclus witnessed the appearance of the Apostle Paul to St. John Chrysostom. From his teacher, Saint Proclus received a deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and learned to express his thoughts in a perfect form.
After the exile and death of St. John Chrysostom, St. Proclus was ordained by the Holy Patriarch Sisinius of Constantinople (426-427) to the rank of bishop of the city of Cyzicus, but under the influence of Nestorian heretics, the flock expelled their saint. Then Saint Proclus returned to the capital and preached the Word of God in the churches of Constantinople, strengthening the listeners in the Orthodox faith, denouncing the pious heretics. After the death of St. Patriarch Sisinius, St. Proclus was elevated to archbishop. After becoming Patriarch of Constantinople, he ruled the Church for twelve years (434-447). Through the efforts of St. Proclus, under the holy Tsar Theodosius II (408-450), the relics of St. John Chrysostom were transferred from Koman to Constantinople.
During the patriarchy of Proclus, the empire suffered a devastating earthquake that lasted several months. In Bithynia, the Hellespont, and Phrygia, cities collapsed, rivers disappeared from the face of the earth, and devastating floods occurred in previously waterless places. The people of Constantinople, led by the patriarch and the emperor, left the city and prayed for the cessation of an unprecedented disaster. During one prayer service, a boy was lifted into the air by an invisible force from the crowd and carried to such a height where the human eye could no longer see him. Then, unharmed, the boy was lowered to the ground and told that up there, he heard and saw Angels praising God, singing: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal." All the people sang the Trisagion Prayer, adding to it: "Have mercy on us" – and the earthquake stopped. The Orthodox Church sings this prayer during the divine service to this day.
The congregation of Constantinople loved their patriarch for his ascetic life, for his care for the underprivileged and for his sermons. Many of the saint's creations have survived to our days. The most famous are the two Words of the saint directed against Nestorians in praise of the Mother of God and four Words for the Nativity of Christ, expounding the Orthodox doctrine of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The work of the holy Patriarch on the organization of the deanery in all church affairs has gained universal respect. Surrounded by love and honor, Proclus departed to the Lord at an advanced age (+ 446-447).
The Church remembers St. Proclus
03.12.2023, 06:00