A saint from Antioch, Sophronius, whose name means “chastity,” was born in Damascus, to two pious and chaste parents, Planthus and Myra. This was around the year 550 AD. Have great mental energy. And with an outstanding poetic talent. He combined wisdom and chastity, earning him the nickname “The Wise.” He learned sciences in his youth and then taught them.

Sophronius, with his human wisdom, realized that there is a higher wisdom than earthly wisdom. It is the wisdom that is unparalleled, namely the heavenly wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit.

He knew that obtaining this divine blessing was only possible by living pleasing to God. Therefore, he began to visit the monasteries and rituals surrounding Jerusalem, on a pilgrimage to the holy places there. When he entered one of the polytheistic monasteries, the monastery of Saint Theodosius, he met a monk named John. He was a distinguished priest. Sophronius clung to him without reservation and became a disciple of him. A deep trust linked the two, to the point that Sophronius became a constant companion of his teacher on all his travels to visit the holy fathers, benefit from them, and collect their news.

Sophronius and his teacher sought not only to collect news of the holy fathers in Jerusalem, but also in Constantinople and Alexandria as well. Therefore, they moved like bees from flower to flower, among the holy fathers who are “philosophers of the Holy Spirit.”

In Alexandria, John Sophronius became a monk after suffering from an illness from which he did not expect to recover. But by the grace of God, our saint recovered and, since then, he and his disciple began to strive to save themselves and others. Therefore, they stood against the heresy of one nature.

Sophronius and John resided in Alexandria for a few years. Until the Persians began to threaten them, they went to Constantinople and from there they traveled to Rome.

After the death of John, the teacher of Sophronius. Sophronius transferred the body of his teacher to the monastery of Saint Theodosius, in Palestine, where he originally became a monk after it was not possible to transfer him to Sinai as he requested. Sophronius stayed in Jerusalem with twelve of his disciples. The Holy City was still in Persian hands. After Heraclius achieved victories over the Persians, Zechariah, its patriarch, returned to the leadership of the church, which was in the hands of Modestus by proxy, restoring the Life-giving Oud (the Cross). Zechariah did not remain in his seat long because he fell asleep and Modestus was chosen to replace him. He also died two years later, and Sophronius replaced him after he rose to the priestly ranks.

Sophronius worked to spread the right faith and stand up to heresies. Like the one will that said there were two natures in Christ but one will. He called for a local council that condemned the new heresy.

His writings include several articles, educational writings, and songs that demonstrate his poetic and musical talent. Among them are the Idiomila, “which are prayer pieces with a special melody.” Among his works also is the song “The Voice of the Lord on the Waters…” which is recited during the major hours of the Feast of the Epiphany, and the song of the leaders of the peoples “Gather in the Lord…” which is sung on Holy Thursday. He also wrote many stories about the saints. Like the life of Saint Mary of Egypt.

The Caliph Omar bin Al-Khattab also negotiated, following the Arab conquest and the siege of Jerusalem for two years, where the Caliph secured the rights of the Christians and the holy places belonging to them, and the gates of the city were opened. This was in the year 638 AD.

The saint of God did not live long after opening the gates of the city of Jerusalem. That is because the Lord chose him. This was, it is believed, around the year 639 AD, and he witnessed two important events:

The first: the emergence of the “one will in Christ” heresy, where the saint rose up defending the Orthodox belief and moved from one province to another despite his advanced old age. He was still a monk at that time.

The second event is the entry of Islam into the holy city of Jerusalem. Sophronius was still patriarch. As soon as he learned of their imminent entry, he removed the Holy Cross to Constantinople and agreed to hand over the city after the Islamic siege intensified, with Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattab himself taking care of it. Omar made his covenant with Patriarch Sophronius on the Mount of Olives, and then prayed on the ruins of the Temple of Solomon, where the Mosque of Omar later stood. Thus, Saint Sophronius preserved the churches of the Holy City and its people, and also preserved the “deposit” of the Orthodox faith.

He has many articles, educational writings, and church songs that we still sing to this day: “The Voice of the Lord upon the Waters...” which is recited on the Feast of the Epiphany, and “The Leaders of the Peoples Gathered Against the Lord...” which is sung on Holy Thursday. He also wrote many lives of saints, such as the life of Saint Mary of Egypt.

The church celebrates him on the eleventh of March.

Troparia in the fourth tune
Your deeds of truth have made you appear to your flock as a law of faith, an image of meekness, and a teacher of perseverance, Father Sophronius. Therefore, through humility you achieved exaltation and wealth through humility, so you intercede with Christ God to save our souls.