I would guess not many have heard of the martyr Joseph of Damascus, whose commemoration is today in the Orthodox Church. He was a remarkable "Antiochian" Christian who live in the 19th century, a priest of the Church, whose influence can still be felt in the Archdiocese of which I am a member in the U. S. because of the many sermons he preached from the Scriptures (daily), with great learning, and through some of the students he taught, such as Raphael of Brooklyn, a canonized saint of the Church. There is an amazing breadth to his learning, having studied at one point under a Muslim scholar, and at another point he learned Hebrew from one of his Jewish students.
Of course there were also conflicts, which can't be omitted: with Protestant missionaries, with the Melkites (in union with Rome), and disputations with Muslims. What is to be remembered is that he died because he was a faithful Christian:
On July 9, 1860, when the massacre in Damascus started, many Christians took refuge in the Patriarchal Cathedral (Al-Mariamieh); some came from the Lebanese cities of Hasbaia and Rashaia, where the massacre started and where killing took place. Others came from the villages around Damascus.
Following the tradition of the priests in Damascus, Father Joseph used to keep the Communion kit at his house. During the massacre of 1860 he hid his communion kit under his sleeves, and went jumping from one roof to another toward the Cathedral. He spent the whole night strengthening and encouraging the Christians to face the situation, for the attackers can kill the body but cannot kill the soul (Matthew 10:28); the crowns of glory have been prepared for those who committed themselves to God through Jesus Christ. In relating to them the martyrdom of some saints, he called them to emulate their life.
On Tuesday morning, July 10, the persecutors belligerently attacked the Cathedral, robbing, killing and burning everything. Many martyrs Were slaughtered, others went out on the streets and alleys; one of them was Father Joseph. As he walked on the streets, a religious scholar-, who was one of the attackers, recognized Joseph, because the latter had confuted him in a debate between them. Seeing him he shouted: "This is the leader- of Christians. If we kill him, we will kill all the Christians!" When he heard these words, Father Joseph knew that his end had come. He took out his communion kit, and partook of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The persecutors attacked him with their hatchets, as if they were woodcutters, and disfigured his body. Binding his legs with ropes, they dragged him over the streets until he was dashed into pieces.
Although he died as a martyr, his life, his vigilance, and his sufferings were a witness of his holiness. By "becoming like Him in His death" (Phil. 3:10), he was crowned with His glory. He became an example to be emulated, and a blessing to be acquired, and an intercessor to C our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him be the glory forever. Amen.
About 3,000 Christians--Orthodox and Melkites together--were killed in Damascus by Druze "marauders." There are more details about Joseph's life in those troubled times, his work, writings, and influence here on the website of St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Lebanon.
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