The story so far. John Damascene has been working as CFO for the Muslim caliph in Damascus. In his spare time he has been writing a series of hard-hitting articles in the Constantinople press, attacking the Byzantine president emperor Leo for promoting iconoclasm. Words like “anti-Christ” are getting used. Leo’s PR department responds by doxxing him to the caliph using a fake and treasonous letter. The caliph falls for it, and initiates cut-backs in John’s department – specifically paring John’s writing hand to the wrist. Now read on.
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18. John’s Plea to the Mother of God That His Hand Be Restored, in Anacreontic Verses.
As evening fell, and John supposed that the tyrant’s anger had subsided, he sent a representative to him, pleading and speaking thus, “My pain is increasing and has become unbearable. The sharp sting of my suffering will not cease as long as my severed hand remains suspended in the air. Therefore, command that it to be given to me, so that I may bury it in the earth, and the agony may subside.” The tyrant immediately allowed the request, and the hand was given to the righteous man. Having received it, he entered the oratory of his house and, falling prostrate before a certain sacred icon bearing the divine likeness of the Mother of God[1], he placed his severed right hand upon its former joint, and, he prayed from the depths of his heart, crying out with sighs and tears,
O Lady, most holy Mother, You who gave birth to my God,
For the sake of the holy icons, My right hand was cut off.
You are not unaware of the cause For which Leo went mad.
Hasten, then, with all speed And heal my hand.
The right hand of the Most High, Who took flesh from you,
Works many wonders Through your intercession.
Now, through your prayers, Let Him also heal this right hand of mine,
So that the hymns to you which you give me, And to the One incarnate from you,
May be written in harmonious melodies, O Mother of God,
And become an instrument For Orthodox worship.
For you can accomplish whatever you will, Since you are the Mother of God.
While John was saying these words with tears, he fell asleep. In his sleep, he saw the holy icon of the Mother of God looking at him with merciful and joyful eyes, and saying, “Behold, your hand has been made whole. Delay no longer, but make it the pen of a swift-writing scribe,[2] as you have promised me today.”
19. John’s Severed Hand Is Healed By the Prayers of Mary.
He awoke, and was healed, and he examined carefully the severed hand, and on seeing it he rejoiced in the spirit in God his Saviour and in His Mother, because the Mighty One had done great things for him. Rising to his feet, he lifted his hands on high and sang a divine hymn most fitting for the occasion. Throughout the whole night, he with his whole household rejoiced and sang a new song of thanksgiving to God, “Your right hand, O Lord,” he said, “has been glorified in strength; Your right hand has healed my broken right hand, and through it, you will crush the enemies, those who do not honour the venerable icons of Yourself and those of Her who bore You. By the abundance of your glory, you will crush the enemy icon-breakers through my hand.” So that night was like day to him, a light and not darkness;[3] and to express the prophetic word with a figure of speech,[4] there was there the pure sound of celebration and the voice of exultation in the tent of the righteous man.[5]
These things did not take place in secret, nor in silence; rather, that marvellous sound and harmonious jubilation was heard by those in the whole surrounding neighbourhood. Immediately some of the Christ-hating Saracens went to their own leader, saying that John’s right hand had not been cut off at all, but of someone else—perhaps a slave or some other attendant who had, out of loyalty, sacrificed himself in place of his master, and that those ordered to carry out the amputation had taken money instead of inflicting the penalty. “For John remains at home, singing and rejoicing in such a way that you might say that he was celebrating a wedding and composing a bridal song for the marriage hymns. Indeed, his joy seems even greater than that.”
20. The Barbarian Recognizes the Miracle.
When these things had been reported in this way, John was summoned. On his arrival, he was ordered to show his severed right hand; and as it was displayed, by the arranging of the Mother of God, a faint line of the cut also was visible, as a most undeniable sign that the severance had indeed taken place. At this, the barbarian exclaimed: “Who is the physician that has healed you, John? And what medicines were applied to you?” Then he [John] in a loud and clear voice proclaimed the miracle.[6] “My Lord,” he declared, “the Almighty Physician, whose power does not fall short of His will.” The barbarian responded, “Then I infer, O man, that you have suffered for something of which you are innocent. Forgive us, then, for the rash and thoughtless judgment, because of which we inflicted this punishment upon you. Go, then, and take charge of your former office; and you will be foremost among our advisors. From now on, we will undertake nothing without both your advice and guidance.”
21. He obtains permission to withdraw into a monastery instead, although with difficulty.
Then he [John] fell to the ground and prostrated himself, and, lying face-down for a considerable time, he pleaded to be excused and allowed to take another road, more desirable to journey upon, and to follow Him who says, “I am the Way.” But the barbarian did not grant permission. And it was like seeing gladiators, as one might say, the barbarian and the righteous man. The former strove by many ways to hold John fast in the chains of the world, while the other was fiercely trying to break them apart with zeal, and to take flight on angelic wings. A great stadium then lay open, where Christ was seated as judge of the contest, the audience was the angels. Indeed one might rightly say that the wicked spirits on the left side emboldened and strengthened the persuasiveness of the barbarian. Yet with great acclaim my gladiator conquered, and all the adversary’s persuasive efforts were reckoned as [nothing more than] the [feeble] arrows of infants. The victor departed, his head adorned with a radiant crown, and entered his home with a joyful countenance, though he had left it previously downcast.
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The wisdom of John’s decision to get out of the job will be understood by anyone who has worked in an office!
- [1]Θεομήτωρ.↩
- [2]Ps.44/45:1-2.↩
- [3]The Latin translation of Lequien expresses this idea twice; presumably the translator’s eye skipped back a phrase, and was not checked later.↩
- [4]ὑπαλλαγή↩
- [5]Here the chapter numbering diverges. Lequien numbers the next paragraph “20”, and the next two sections are both numbered “21”. I have followed the numbering of the Patrologia Graeca reprint, which is the Greek text used in the TLG. This makes Lequien’s “20” the second part of “19”, and then the first “21” as “20.”↩
- [6]lit. “became the herald of the miracle.”↩