November: Day 20: Teaching 1: Saint Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople

November: Day 20: Teaching 1:
Saint Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople
 
(Lessons From His Life:
a. About the Importance of Patristic Writings;
b. About the Origin of the Trisagion Hymn; and
c. About Reverent Participation in Religious Processions)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople, whose memory is celebrated on this day, was a disciple of Saint John Chrysostom and during his episcopacy lived in the same room with this great Father of the Church. One night, approaching the door of Saint John's cell, Proclus saw that Saint Chrysostom was writing, and behind him stood a venerable man who was whispering something in his ear. Proclus was amazed at this, knowing that no one could enter where Saint John was without Saint Proclus himself introducing whomever was needed to his teacher. This continued for three nights, and all this time Saint Proclus constantly saw this man whispering something in John's ear. Finally, Saint Proclus told his teacher about this, and when he received the answer that no one was with Saint John that night, and that he had not spoken with anyone, then Saint Proclus, having described the appearance of this man, looked at the icon of the Holy Apostle Paul, hanging on the wall near the table where Saint John Chrysostom wrote his commentaries on the epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul and exclaimed: “This is the one who spoke with you, I saw him at night!” Then both recognized that the Holy Apostle Paul had appeared to them, and they thanked God - Saint Chrysostom for the secret inspiration and instruction from Paul, and Proclus for the vision that he was granted.