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.
لم يكن سعي صفرونيوس ومعلمه في جمع أخبار الآباء القديسين في أورشليم فقط، بل في القسطنطينية والإسكندرية أيضاً. لذلك راحا يتنقلان كالنحل من زهرةٍ إلى زهرةٍ، بين الآباء القديسين الذين هم “فلاسفة الروح القدس”.
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.
من مؤلفاته مقالات عدة وكتابات تعليمية وأناشيد تدل على موهبته الشعرية والموسيقية. منها الايذيوميلة «وهي قطع صلاتية ذات نغم خصوصي». ومن أعماله أيضاً أنشودة “صوت الرب على المياه…” التي تُتلى خلال الساعات الكبرى في عيد الظهور الإلهي، وأنشودة رؤساء الشعوب “اجتمعوا على الرَّب…” التي تُرنَّم يوم الخميس العظيم. كذلك وضع العديد من أخبار القديسين. كحياة القديسة مريم المصرية.
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:
اولهما: ظهور هرطقة “المشيئة الواحدة في المسيح” حيث انبرى القديس مدافعاً عن المعتقد الارثوذكسي ومتنقلاً من مقاطعة الى اخرى رغم تقدمه في الشيخوخة. وكان لا يزال راهباً آنذاك.
الحدث الثاني هو دخول الاسلام الى المدينة المقدسة اورشليم. وكان لا يزال صفرونيوس بطريركاً عليها. فما إن علم بقرب دخولهم حتى ابعد الصليب المقدس الى القسطنطينية ورضي بتسليم المدينة بعد ان اشتد الحصار الاسلامي على أن يتعهدها الخليفة عمر بن الخطّاب نفسه. فوضع عمر ميثاقه مع صفرونيوس البطريرك على جبل الزيتون، ومن ثم صلّى على أنقاض هيكل سليمان حيث قام في ما بعد جامع عمر. وبذلك حفظ القديس صفرونيوس كنائس المدينة المقدسة وشعبها، كما حافظ على “وديعة” الإيمان الأرثوذكسي.
له مقالات عدة وكتابات تعليمية واناشيد كنسية لا زلنا نرتلها الى اليوم: “صوتُ الرب على المياه..” التي تتلى في عيد الظهور الالهي، و”رؤساء الشعوب اجتمعوا على الرب..” التي تُرتَّل يوم الخميس العظيم. كتب أيضًا العديد من سِيَر القديسين مثل سيرة القديسة مريم المصرية.
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.