July 10th: Saint Joseph of Damascus

Today is the commemoration of St. Joseph of Damascus, who was martyred during the anti-Christian riots that swept Syria in 1860. For a detailed account of his life, look here. He is especially dear to the author of this blog because of his activity in copying and comparing Arabic manuscripts and translating: "Apparently, he did not consider himself worthy to keep pace with the great Fathers of the Church; he confined himself to translating, editing, and presenting their writings to the faithful as a pure, intact and unblemished heritage."

Today the Church sings to him (in the fifth tone):


O faithful, let us honor the martyr of Christ,
The priest of the Church of Antioch,
Who baptized the land, the churches, and the people of Syria,
In the word of the Lord,
In his blood and in the blood of his companions.
Being baptized, since his youth, by the light of the Gospel,
He labored, taught
And kept the Church of Christ with her sheep.
Therefore, O Joseph the Damascene,
Be our example and our protector
And our fervent intercessor with the Savior.

هلموا يا مؤمنون نكرّم شهيجد المسيح
كاهن بيعة انطاكية
الذي عمّد أرض الشام وكنائسها وشعبها
بكلمة الكلمة
ودمائه مع رفقته
لأن منذ الطفولية اصطبغ بنور الأنجيل
فعمل وعلّم
وحفظ كنيسة المسيح وخرافها
فيا يوسف الدمشقي
كن لنا قدوة وحافظاً وشفيعاً حاراً لدى المخلص