From an early age, Mansour acquired an important literary, philosophical, and religious culture: his biography told us that his teacher was a monk from the island of Sicily, a prisoner of war whose father bought him, then liberated him (emancipated him), and entrusted him with teaching his two sons: the first, Mansour, and the second, Qazma, his adopted son. He mastered Greek, the language of the upper class of highly educated people, and the Syriac language, the language of the people used in liturgy, and although all of his writings that have reached us were in Greek, it is certain that he also knew Arabic, the language of his original family.
في ذلك الوقت (حوالي سنة 725)، قامت بدعة تحارب تكريم الأيقونات المقدسة. مدعية أن هذا التكريم إنما هو عبادة وثنية . فهبَّ يوحنا بكل ما لديه من قوة وثقافة يدافع عن التمسك بالسجود للأيقونات المقدسة موضحاً أن هذا السجود إنما هو مجرد تكريم للأشخاص الممثلة في الأيقونات، وليس هو على الإطلاق عبادة الصور. وقد فعل كل ذلك، “رغم أنه لم يكن بعد من ذوي مراتب البيعة المقدسة”.
إلا أن المجمع النقاوي الثاني 787، بعد أن تبّت تكريم الأيقونات المقدسة، أعاد لهؤلاء المحرومين في مجمع هييرا اللصوصي سنة 754، كرامتهم “رحمة أبدية لجرمانوس ويوحنا وجاورجيوس، أبطال الحقيقة… إن الثالوث قد مجّد ثلاثتهم” .
وكان يوحنا ينذوي في صومعته، في سيق مار سابا يؤلف مع أخيه قزما الترانيم والقوانين الدينية التي لا تزال الكنيسة تترنم بها إلى يومنا هذا. وكانت قريحته فيّاضة لدرجة أنه استحق أن يُدعى فيما بعد بـ “مجرى الذهب”. ثم شاءت العناية الإلهية أن يُنتخب قزما أسقفاً على مايوم، المعروفة اليوم بميلمس (قرب غزة)، وطُلب مراراً إلى يوحنا أن يُرتسم كاهناً. وكان في كل مرة يرفض، إلى أن “استحضره بطريرك البيت المقدس وسامه قسيساً بغير مراده، بل بكثرة الزامه إياه غلبه على رأيه. ولما عاد من عنده إلى السيق زاد في نسكه وأتعابه. وانعطف إلى تصنيف أقواله التي سرت إلى أقصى المسكونة” .
Historians consider that his ordination was completed by the hands of Patriarch John V of Jerusalem (735).
توفي القديس يوحنا الدمشقي على الأرجح سنة 749 في ديره المذكور، بعد أن قضى حياة طويلة في النسك والتأليف. فدفن هناك وبقي قبره معروفاً ومكرماً حتى القرن الثاني عشر. ومن ثم نُقلت عظامه، على مايبدو، إلى القسطنطينية . وما كاد يموت حتى ذاع صيت قداسة يوحنا الدمشقي، فأخذ الشعب في تكريمه وإنشاد تآليفه الليتورجية والرجوع إلى كتبه اللاهوتية…
His writings:
- Fountain of knowledge: It is divided into
- Philosophy and Logic: It discusses philosophical challenges, explains the role of philosophy in relation to theology, and is considered an introduction to the following parts
- Most heresies and their cause..
- Orthodox Faithfulness, Orthodox Faith, and One Hundred Articles on the Orthodox Faith. It includes a presentation of the most important doctrines.
- Summary of the Antioch Orthodox Secretariat: Written by Elijah, Metropolitan of Yabrud
- An article about the Trinity, which is in the form of a question and answer
- مقالة عن “قدّ،س قدّوس قدّوس” يبيّن أن هذه الصلاة موجّهة إلى الأقانيم الثلاثة وليس إلى الابن وحده.
- A general introduction to the doctrines: written by him - and collected by his disciples - to John, the Metropolitan of Latakia
- Three articles in defense of holy icons: written between the years 726 and 730 after the issuance of the decree against honoring holy icons.
- An article against a Jacobite bishop: in which he rejects the views and principles of the Jacobites, especially their statement that there is one nature in Christ.
- An article against Manichaeism: It is in the form of a dialogue between an Orthodox and a Manichaean to show the errors of dualism.
- A debate between a Muslim and a Christian: defending the doctrine of incarnation and rejecting the theory of predestination.
- Essay against witches.
- An essay on complex nature: a rejection of the views of those who believe in one nature.
- An article about the fact that Christ has two wills: It is a response to those who say that Christ has one will.
- Essay against the Nestorians: Those who say that Christ has two persons as well as two natures.
- John the Orthodox's polemic: with Manichaeus he rejects the ideas of Mani
- An author explaining the Epistles of Saint Paul. He was inspired by the writings of John Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria.
- A short article about fasting
- Essay on bad spirits
- An essay on virtues and vices.
- المواعظ: في رقاد السيدة وميمر عن ولادة السيدة وعن التجلي والتينة اليابسة التي لعنها يسوع ويوم السبت العظيم ……………. إلخ
- Liturgical compositions and religious chants
معلومات أوسع وإحاطة أكثر بحياة القديس يوحنا، تجدها في قسم التاريخ>> تاريخ الكنيسة حتى القرن التاسع>> “John Damascus, the gold rusher“
Our Orthodox Church celebrates his memory on the fourth of December.
Troparia in the eighth tune
You appeared, O contemplative John, a guide to the upright faith, and a teacher of good worship and purity, O star of the inhabited world, and the beauty of the wise high priests, and with your teachings you enlightened all, O musician of the soul, interceding with Christ God to save our souls.
And also Troyaria in the eighth tune
Come, let us praise the singing, melodious nightingale, who sung the Church of Christ and delighted it with his beautifully melodious, melodious songs. By him I mean John of Damascus, the all-wise, the leader of the hymns who was filled with divine and universal wisdom.
Qandaq with the fourth tune
Let us praise, O believers, the writer of hymns, the teacher and lamp of the Church, the venerable John, the one who opposes the enemies, because he bore the weapon of the Cross of the Lord, thus confronting with it the error of all the innovators, and since he is a fervent intercessor with God, he grants forgiveness of transgressions to all.
Another song with the second tune
You tamed your body and humiliated it with toil during the many labors of asceticism, O righteous father, so you soared to heavenly heights, and in it you were given divine melodies and you sang them publicly for the Lord’s loved ones.