Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as being part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together. Sadly, the gathering together for feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West.
It need not be so! Today we will remember the ancient feasts.
The Feast Day of St. Joseph the Hymnographer
This is a Christian religious celebration of St. Joseph, a 9th century Christian saint famous for his prolific catalogue of liturgical poetry and for his opposition to iconoclasm.
Who is St. Joseph the Hymnographer?
Joseph the Hymnographer (Greek: Όσιος Ιωσήφ ο Υμνογράφος, romanized: Ósios Iosif o Ymnográfos) was a Greek monk of the ninth century. He is one of the greatest liturgical poets and hymnographers of the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is also known for his confession of the Orthodox Faith in opposition to Iconoclasm.
As a poet he is often confused with Joseph, the Archbishop of Thessalonica and brother of Theodore the Studite, who were one generation older than he was, so that in many cases, attribution of specific hymns to him is uncertain.
He was born around 816 AD in Sicily of devout parents, Plotinus and Agatha. Joseph's family had to flee from Sicily due to the Arab invasion of the island. According to the hagiographer Theophanes they went to Peloponnese. At the age of fifteen he was tonsured a monk at the Latomos Monastery of Thessalonica. About 840 the bishop of Thessalonica ordained him a hieromonk (priest-monk). While visiting Thessalonica the distinguished Gregory of Dekapolis was so impressed with Joseph, because of his rare character, that he invited him to join his Stoudios Monastery in Constantinople.
Iconodule mission to Rome
With the resurgence of Byzantine Iconoclasm under Leo V the Armenian and Theophilos, Joseph was sent by Gregory to Rome following an invitation of Pope Leo III in 841. While en route, Joseph was captured by slave-trading pirates and sold as a slave in Crete. In slavery St. Nicholas appeared to Joseph and asked him to sing in the name of God. Nicholas then said to him: "Arise and follow me!" Joseph found freedom soon after his vision. He could finally return to Constantinople after more than one year in slavery in Crete. Theophanes is not clear, when Joseph returned to Constantinople, but he mentioned in one paragraph a triumphal return after the death of Theophilos and the restoration of the icons, but also after the recent death of Gregory of Decapolis.
Monastic foundations
According to the temporal reconstruction of the early vitae by Daniel Stiernon, Joseph founded a monastery dedicated to his deceased mentor, Gregory of Dekapolis, in 855. Joseph started with an inclosure together with his and Gregory's disciple John at St. Antipas. After the latter's death in 850, he spent some years in a kind of sanctuary dedicated to St. John Chrysostom, where he continued his ascetic labors and attracted followers. Joseph transferred the relics taken from Gregory's corpse, together with those from their disciple named John, and placed them in a sanctuary of his monastery's church dedicated to St. Bartholomew the Apostle.
Exile and recognition as an anachorete and saint
In 858, he was exiled to the theme of Cherson after denouncing Caesar Bardas, brother of the Empress Theodora, for illicit cohabitation. Joseph returned again to Constantinople in 867, after Bardas had been assassinated.
Through the favour of the Patriarch Ignatius I, he was appointed skeuophylax (keeper of the sacred vessels—i.e., the official responsible for the building containing the treasure of the church) in the Great Church of Constantinople. Joseph also stood high in the favor of Patriarch Photius the Great, the rival and successor of Ignatius, and accompanied Photius into banishment. He was among those who inspired the first missionaries to Russia.
He reportedly possessed the "gift of discernment" because of which Photius appointed him the spiritual father and confessor for priests, recommending him as, "A man of God, an angel in the flesh and father of fathers." He died 3 April 886 AD according to Theophanes.
Hymnography
Since Joseph's contribution to the Studites reform is often confused with the works of Joseph of Thessalonica, Theodore's brother, the exact attribution of poems "by Joseph" is still a controversial issue. Tomadakes (1971) has attributed 385 canons and 9 kontakia of the menaion, 68 canons of the parakletike, 6 complete canons of the triodion and 34 triodes-tetraodes, 2 canons and 24 triodes-tetraodes of the pentekostarion to the Sicilian Joseph. He also created more than 6 canons and 13 stichera—so-called apokrypha which were not included in the new chant books of the sticherarion created by the Studites. This attribution regards Joseph more or less as the author or even inventor of the Parakletike, but earlier sources which had been recently discovered, do not confirm this view, it rather reframes the question, how the repertoire was changed and re-ordered by Joseph's initiative.
Hagiography and veneration
Joseph the Hymnographer appears as well in Latin as in Greek hagiography. The earliest Vita was written by Theophanes who followed Joseph in his monastery as hegoumenos. There is a later synaxarion, probably of the 11th century, attributed to one John the Deacon whose exact identity is still a controversial matter.
Godfrey Henschen's edition of the synaxarion was reprinted at Patrologia Graeca. A younger Vita was written by Theodore Pediasimos during the early Palaiologan period (early 14th century).
The feast of Joseph the Hymnographer is celebrated on 3 April in the Greek tradition, on 4 April in the Slavic rite, and on 14 June in the calendar of saints of the Roman Catholic Church.
How do you celebrate the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Hymnographer?
One way to celebrate would be to participate in, or listen to, St. Joseph's liturgical poetry.
You can find a helpful and already compiled list of at least some of his works at hymnary.org (just click the link.)
What do you eat for the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Hymnographer?
St. Joseph was born in Sicily, lived for a while in both Thessalonica and Constantinople. He is well-known for his liturgical poetry, his opposition to iconoclasm, and his dedication to a monastic life. I think you could be creative in your celebration of this saint, leaning on any part of this background to draw some culinary inspiration.
I will suggest a famous dish from the saint's place of birth, Sicily:
Caponata
What you'll need to make it?
The ingredients to make caponata are simple and readily available in most grocery stores. Together, they give this little vegetarian eggplant salad all sorts of beautiful texture and special flavor. Here's what you'll need:
- Eggplant: If you're wondering what kind of eggplant to use for caponata, you can use globe eggplant that is readily available in most supermarkets all year round. 1 large eggplant will be sufficient here.
- More vegetables: 1 yellow onion chopped, 1 red bell pepper cored and chopped, 2 small celery stalks thinly sliced
- Tomatoes: I use 1 cup crushed canned tomatoes here which add a ton of umami with less work.
- Greek olives and capers: these both add a bit of that briny salty flavor that distinguishes caponata from ratatouille or any other eggplant dish really. about ¼ cup pitted green olives and 2 tablespoons of capers.
- Sweet flavor makers: ¼ cup raisins and 2 teaspoons of honey (you can do more honey if you like yours on the sweeter side).
- 1 bay leaf
- Crushed red pepper flakes: I use about ½ teaspoon for an extra kick)
- Vinegar and wine: I used ¼ cup red wine vinegar and ¼ cup dry white wine (any dry white wine you have will do)
- Fresh herbs for garnish: a little bit of parsley and fresh mint, if you have them (2 tablespoons each).
Typically, capontata starts with frying cubed eggplant in a bit of oil until browned. While I love fried eggplant, in this case, I found roasting the cubes to offer the same result. Plus roasting is less hands-on, so I can work on the rest of the ingredients while the eggplant is roasting.
Once the eggplant is fully roasted, it's added to the pan with the rest of the ingredients which have been braising to create a tasty, sweet and sour base or sauce.
How to make caponata?
- Roast the eggplant. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes and season with salt (I like to let my salted eggplant sit in a colander for a few minutes to sweat out any bitterness, but that is optional. If you do this, just be sure to pat the eggplant dry). Toss the eggplant with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and spread on a large sheet pan. Roast in 400 degrees F heated-oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until fully cooked and tender.
- Cook the onions, bell peppers and celery in a large skillet with a bit of extra virgin olive oil until softened. Season with salt.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to make the sauce base. To the same skillet, add crushed tomatoes, capers, olives, raisins, honey, bay leaf and crushed pepper flakes. Stir in the vinegar and white wine. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the eggplant. Since the eggplant is fully cooked, simply stir it in with the rest of the ingredients and allow it to cook for 2 to 3 minutes or so together, then finish with fresh parsley and mint.
Eggplant caponata is better the next day, but if you need to serve it on the same day, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Is there a prayer to say for the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Hymnographer?
via smp.org
Reflection
Saint Joseph the Hymnographer lived through terrible and abundant suffering. He underwent struggles that few individuals in our society come close to experiencing. And despite his suffering, he strove to understand and worship God. Saint Joseph the Hymnographer reminds us that, no matter how terrible and painful our lives may be, God is with us and wants to love us.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, help me to always be aware of the depths of your love for me and my love for you.
When is the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Hymnographer celebrated?
The feast of Joseph the Hymnographer is celebrated on 3 April in the Greek tradition, on 4 April in the Slavic rite, and on 14 June in the calendar of saints of the Roman Catholic Church.
I hope all who celebrate have a wonderful day!
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