All Saints of North America Orthodox Church · Phoenix, Arizona

Orthodox Church on the west side of Phoenix Arizona including Sun City, Surprise, Peoria, Glendale, Litchfield Park, Buckeye, Tonopah, and more

  • Home
  • About
    • Clergy & Leadership
    • ASONA Mission Statement
    • New Visitor Information
    • How to Become Orthodox
    • For Orthodox Visitors
    • List of Activities for Orthodox Christians Desiring to Transfer to ASONA
  • Faith
    • Statement of Faith
    • About Orthodox Christianity
    • Saints of North America
    • Welcome Home! Evangelicals Come Home to Orthodoxy
    • What happens to those who have never heard of Jesus?
    • To Sincere Converts to the Orthodox Faith, and those who are Seeking
  • Education
    • The Correct Understanding of Being Born Again
    • Eucharist: Sacrament or Symbol?
    • Eucharistic Bread: Leavened or Unleavened?
    • LIVE Online Catechism
    • Christian Names and Patron Saints
    • Welcome to the Orthodox Church! (Videos)
  • Catechesis
    • List of Activities to Complete Prior to Baptism
      • A List of Responsibilities of a Godparent in the Orthodox Church
    • Online Catechism Lessons
    • Audio Lectures
    • Bible Survey Lessons
    • The Mystery of Confession
    • Mystagogy
  • Directions
  • Calendar
    • ASONA Calendar
    • Paschal Greetings from Around the World
    • When Someone Dies
  • Articles
  • Contact
    • Donate Now
    • GIVING Page
    • The Book of Needs
  • Great Lent
  • AZ Icon Workshop
  • New Member Class
  • Ready Page
  • Ecclesioclasm
  • Weekly Bulletin
  • Children’s Education

The Miracle of St. Euphemia the All-Praised at the 4th Ecumenical Council

July 21, 2022 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

The holy Great Martyr Euphemia (September 16) suffered martyrdom in the city of Chalcedon in the year 304, during the time of the persecution against Christians by the emperor Diocletian (284-305). One and a half centuries later, at a time when the Christian Church had become victorious within the Roman Empire, God deigned that Euphemia the All-Praised should again be a witness and confessor of the purity of the Orthodox teaching.

In the year 451 in the city of Chalcedon, in the very church where the glorified relics of the holy Great Martyr Euphemia rested, the sessions of the Fourth Ecumenical Council (July 16) took place. The Council was convened for determining the precise dogmatic formulae of the Orthodox Church concerning the nature of the God-Man Jesus Christ. This was necessary because of the widespread heresy of the Monophysites [“mono-physis” meaning “one nature”], who opposed the Orthodox teaching of the two natures in Jesus Christ, the Divine and the Human natures (in one Divine Person). The Monophysites falsely affirmed that in Christ was only one nature, the Divine [i.e. that Jesus is God but not man, by nature], causing discord and unrest within the Church. At the Council were present 630 representatives from all the local Christian Churches. On the Orthodox side Anatolius, Patriarch of Constantinople (July 3), Juvenal, Patriarch of Jerusalem (July 2), and representatives of Saint Leo, Pope of Rome (February 18) participated in the conciliar deliberations. The Monophysites were present in large numbers, headed by Dioscorus, the Patriarch of Alexandria, and the Constantinople archimandrite Eutychius.

After prolonged discussions the two sides could not come to a decisive agreement.

The holy Patriarch Anatolius of Constantinople proposed that the Council submit the decision of the Church dispute to the Holy Spirit, through His undoubted bearer Saint Euphemia the All-Praised, whose wonderworking relics had been discovered during the Council’s discussions. The Orthodox hierarchs and their opponents wrote down their confessions of faith on separate scrolls and sealed them with their seals. They opened the tomb of the holy Great Martyr Euphemia and placed both scrolls upon her bosom. Then, in the presence of the emperor Marcian (450-457), the participants of the Council sealed the tomb, putting on it the imperial seal and setting a guard to watch over it for three days. During these days both sides imposed upon themselves strict fast and made intense prayer. After three days the patriarch and the emperor in the presence of the Council opened the tomb with its relics: the scroll with the Orthodox confession was held by Saint Euphemia in her right hand, and the scroll of the heretics lay at her feet. Saint Euphemia, as though alive, raised her hand and gave the scroll to the patriarch. After this miracle many of the hesitant accepted the Orthodox confession, while those remaining obstinant in the heresy were consigned to the Council’s condemnation and excommunication.

After an invasion by the Persians during the seventh century, the relics of Saint Euphemia were transferred from Chalcedon to Constantinople, into a newly built church dedicated to her. Many years later, during the period of the Iconoclast heresy, the reliquary with the relics of the saint was cast into the sea by order of the Iconoclast emperor Leo the Isaurian (716-741). The reliquary was rescued from the sea by the ship-owning brothers Sergius and Sergonos, who gave it over to the local bishop. The holy bishop ordered that the relics be preserved in secret, beneath a crypt, since the Iconoclast heresy was continuing to rage. A small church was built over the relics, and over the reliquary was put a board with an inscription stating whose relics rested within.

When the Iconoclast heresy was finally condemned at the holy Seventh Ecumenical Council (in the year 787), during the time of Saint Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople (784-806) and the emperor Constantine VI (780-797) and his mother Saint Irene (797-802), the relics of the holy Great Martyr Euphemia were once again solemnly transferred to Constantinople.

Source

Share the post "The Miracle of St. Euphemia the All-Praised at the 4th Ecumenical Council"

  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Bookmark

Filed Under: General, Theology [post-edit]

All Saints of North America Orthodox Church

11234 W. Alabama Ave.
Youngtown, AZ 85363

(928) 910-2186

RSS Orthochristian.com

  • The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
  • Thursday of the Great Canon
  • To Live and Remember Death. How Does the Remembrance of Death Help in the Spiritual Life?
  • Remain With Him: A Word to Communicants After Holy Communion

RSS LifeSite News

  • Miscarriage is When a Baby Tragically Dies, Abortion is When a Baby is Purposefully Killed
  • Florida Attorney General Tells State Supreme Court There’s No Right to Abortion
  • Leftist Democrats Push Equal Rights Amendment That Would Mandate Abortions Up to Birth Nationwide

A Directory of Arizona Orthodox Churches

Recent Posts

  • Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, April 2, 2023
  • Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, March 26, 2023
  • Children’s Lesson for Sunday, March 19, 2023
  • Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, March 19, 2023
  • Children’s Lessons for Sunday, March 12, 2023

RSS Western American Diocese

  • 12th Annual Great Lenten Retreat, Sunday April 2, 2023, Holy Virgin Cathedral
  • NATIVITY EPISTLE  of His Eminence NICHOLAS Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

RSS Journey to Orthodoxy

  • On the Path of Love: From Islam to Christianity
  • Madagascar: Church Opens Huge Complex with Church, Schools, Orphanage, Old Folks’ Home
  • Australia: Orthodoxy Fastest Growing Church amidst General Christian Decline
  • Finding the Right Holy Hospital — For Me
  • To Sincere Converts to the Orthodox Faith, and those who are Seeking

RSS Good Guys Wear Black

  • Conservative Clergy vs Liberal Clergy?
  • On the Meaning and Power of a Priest’s Blessing
  • July 10-13, 2022 – Liturgical Practicum
  • History, Symbolism and Modern Use of Orarion
  • Priestly Priorities

Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, April 2, 2023

Orthodox Calendar



Copyright © 2023 All Saints of North America Orthodox Church · All Rights Reserved
Designed by Fr. John A. Peck · Log in