Remember that passage in the synoptic gospels (Luke 2:24, Matthew 18:1, Mark 9:34) where the disciples start arguing about which one of them is the greatest? Jesus basically tells them to get a life (by losing it). Here at Lent Madness, however, Dionysius and Irene are battling to resolve the question once and for all. In the Battle of the Greats, Dionysius the Great takes on Irene the Great as we crank things back up for another week of saintly action. The winner will take on Brigid of Kildare.
We're glad to have the drama of Friday's server crash behind us and Lent Madness is now being hosted on a shiny new purple server using a company that understands "unlimited bandwidth" to actually mean "unlimited bandwidth." So, vote (once), comment, tell all all your friends to log on at the exact same moment and we should be fine. Thanks for collectively having the patience of a, well, saint.
Dionysius the Great
Dionysius was born sometime around 190 to a well-to-do pagan family. He attended a church school and was educated to be a priest. He was a bright and well-read child and a student of the scholar Origen. Dionysius became head of the Catechetical School of Alexandria in 232 and was elevated to Bishop of Alexandria in 248, succeeding Heraklas in both posts.
In 249 a series of riots broke out and anti-Christian violence ensued. This soon evolved into the Decian Persecutions. Christians were subjected to all manner of torture and cruelty, with the goal to force them to sacrifice to false gods. It was a time of martyrdom and forced migration as many fled to the deserts for safety.
Dionysius was among those who fled but was later seized after being recognized. He was ultimately freed by a party of Christians and resumed his exile in the desert where he remained until the persecutions came to an end in 251.
Dionysius is remembered especially for his role in how to treat Christians who had lapsed during the persecutions. Many believed there was no possibility for readmission to Holy Communion and the Church after such apostasies. Dionysius, however, offered a way toward reconciliation. He said that after a period of penance and re-baptism, those who had succumbed to pressure would be welcomed back into the Church.
A prayer penned by Dionysius reads,“O God the Father, Origin of Divinity, good beyond all that is good, fair beyond all that is fair, in whom is calmness, peace, concord: Heal the dissensions that divide us from one another, and bring us back into the unity of love that resembles your divine nature.”
Upon returning to Alexandria, Dionysius took up extensive writing, especially opposing heresy and exploring scripture. His work in interpreting scripture was especially admired.
In 257, at the instigation of Emperor Valerian, Christians were once again under persecution and Dionysius was exiled when he refused to sacrifice to pagan gods. After two years of exile, he returned to a city plagued by disease and wracked by violence. In this environment he served five more years as bishop until his death in 265.
Persecution, plague, and violence marked the life of Dionysius, and yet through all of this he remained faithful and diligent, causing Saint Basil to term him “Dionysius the Great.”
Collect for Dionysius the Great
Almighty God, you called your servant Dionysius the Great to be a champion of reconciliation during times of great fear and persecution. Grant us the grace to seek the calm, peace, and concord that mark the things of the kingdom of God, reminding us that our greatest consolation may be found in pondering your holy words, even in the darkest of times. Amen.
Irene the Great
Named Penelope and born as a Persian princess in the fourth century, Irene the Great is a legendary figure credited with miracles that astonish the modern reader. To keep her from hearing the gospel, her father (the pagan king Licinius) isolated her in a high tower like a Rapunzel of late antiquity, where she was watched over by thirteen young maidens and the statues of ninety-eight gods. She desperately objected to her seclusion and isolation from her mother and even the sunshine, but Licinius would not relent and sealed her in the tower with his signet ring until she was to marry. In spite of her father, an elderly tutor was hired to teach her. Servants hauled him up into the tower by an elaborate pulley system, and he spoke to her from behind a curtain and taught her about Jesus Christ.
When she reached marrying age, she received a series of signs from God delivered to the tower via an assortment of birds. Her tutor interpreted them as a call to virginity and as omens foreshadowing her suffering for her savior. Penelope was baptized and took the name Irene, which means peace. She initially failed to convert her parents, and like a righteously indignant teenager, destroyed all her father’s idols. As punishment, he threw her under wild horses to be trampled to death, but the horses did not stomp on her and instead attacked Licinius, gravely injuring him. Irene prayed for her father and he was healed in the presence of eyewitnesses, leading to the conversion of her parents and three thousand others.
Later, she refused the governor’s order to cease preaching, and he threw her into a pit of vipers. She remained unharmed for ten days, fed and guarded by an angel until her release. Her life of preaching and miracle-working continued, and thousands more people converted to Christianity.
In 330 the Persian King Sapor II had her arrested, beheaded, and buried. Remarkably, even for a woman who survived a pit of vipers, God resurrected her, and she continued teaching all the way to Ephesus, converting thousands more to the Christian faith! Finally, at divine bidding, she found an unused tomb, made the sign of the cross, and was sealed inside. When her friends returned four days later, the tomb was reportedly empty.
Ironically, those wishing to land a quick and happy marriage are encouraged to pray to Saint Irene, despite her role in history as a virgin and martyr saint. In Greece, she is also the patron saint of policemen.
Collect for Irene the Great
Jesus, you raised up your servant Irene the Great and set her before us as an example of deep thirst for faith and a hunger for righteousness. May we have the discerning spirit to seek more of you, disregarding the detours and damage the enemy may place in our path toward you. Let us, like Irene, never be given over to anger or malice, but continually pray for those who do not know you, never letting violence or intractability steal away the peace and consolation you give us with yourself. Amen.
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214 comments on “Dionysius the Great vs. Irene the Great”
A saint from Egypt and a saint from Iran - what a powerful reminder of the history of the Church in the Middle East and its contribution to our heritage. For the sake of our suffering sisters and brothers in both countries, so difficult to choose between these two, but chose Iran/Persia and the extraordinary Irene.
In honor of International Day of Women -- VOTE FOR IRENE!
I'm continuing my trend of voting for saints whose stories sound the most realistic. While it's possible Irene survived execution twice and was resurrected once, hers is unquestionably the less believable life story. Plus I love Dionysius' prayer for reconciliation.
How could anyone vote for a guy who ran everytime trouble came over a woman who showed so much bravery for her faith?
I vote for Dionysius as this was the name of our parish (late) cat. He was a great cat who welcomed all who appeared at our door, as Dionysius welcomed back the Christians who did not flee.
so a saint named after the Greek god of Wine? Oh wait, I don't drink anymore! so a saint who advocated for reconciliation with those who had denied the Christ in times of fear and torture; or wait how many times in my life have I denied the Christ for fear of being labeled a right wing fanatical nutcase? Oh wait, Dionysius is the root of my given name?Dionysius all the way!!!
Irene's story could be a Disney movie!
Disney would be a natural for the talking horse (pdf file).
I apparently have to vote for whoever has animals associated with them or who ever is a mystic. So Irene it was.
3.9.2015 Dionysius the Great
forgiveness, the gift
we all live by
for none of us
lives up to
our billing.
----------------
Remember Jesus suggested we are to forgive 7 times 70 (in one gospel) - more in others: that's what Dionysius was practicing - that and Staying Calm and Carrying On in spite of exiles, disease and sometimes just being in the wrong place at the wrong time - which I certainly can identify with. Irene was quite the magical person - and an escape artist as well, but was what we would call oppositional at times (not a bad trait either), yet Dionysius captures more of what I'm trying to channel these days!
Irene was unbelievably magical!
I voted for Dionysius the Great because I was able to use his prayer in a Facebook discussion where a number of retired USAF Combat Search and Rescue folks are advocating carpet bombing of ISIS, as a "solution" to the "ISIS Problem."
I voted for Irene. I believe in one baptism (contrary to what Dionysius required) and the resurrection of the body (which Irene seems to have experienced).
come on people, 10 days in a pit with snakes, a horse stampede having her head chopped off and still being resurrected, clearly, Irene was certainly a saint....worthy of the win!!!!! GO Irene!!!!
I voted for Irene, All the trauma she went through. She never gave up , she continue to do God's work.
I ended up voting for Dionysius but came to a greater appreciation of Irene after reading this account of her life: http://www.antiochian.org/1116814202. Personally, something with several layers of legend stripped away helps me better understand her ministry and witness. (No offense intended toward our Celebrity Blogger, of course!)
So, I find myself always voting for the saint to whom miracles are not attributed, for some reason. I guess I feel like those things are very often really just folklore, and that while real miracles certainly can be performed by Almighty God (who is, after all, Almighty), I believe God would not want us to focus on the miracles themselves but on the healing that they bring to our relationships with God and with each other. I know this is a bit of a ramble. Mainly I am wanting to be commenter # 21,000, I guess :-).
Alexandria, Egypt was a place of enlightenment where great cultures met, yet Emperor Valerian banished Christians from this city of light.
Interestingly, the order to banish Christians was rescinded by Valerian's son after Valerian was captured by the Persian king Shapur after Valerian's army lost the Battle of Edessa (Valerian spent the rest of his life as a prisoner of war). Dionysus and other Christians were able to return to Alexandria because of Valerian's shameful defeat.
Did Dionysius do the right thing by accepting banishment? Would martyrdom have been better? I don't know. I love the debate over whether it's better to die for your faith or better to live to fight another day.
I voted for Dionysius because his life gives us a glimpse of how Christianity has thrived for thousands of years.
According to the Orthodox Wiki article on Dionysius the Great, Dennis (the English given name derived from Dionysius) advocated the reinstatement of apostates who repented and did penance withOUT re-baptism. The SEC account sounds enough like Wikipedia that I wonder whether there is a scribal error in its account. Or maybe there is something tendentious in Orthodox Wiki. Can anyone out there get past this seeming War of the Wikis to resolve this question? I don't have access to hard copies of sources and commentaries. I've voted for Dennis on the grounds of our need for charity towards others, especially Christians separated from us by schism. and my sense that if there is any doubt as to whether a person has been baptised the safest course is conditional baptism.
I think Irene is like an ancient Jason- she is supposed to be stomped by wild horses-shut in with vipers- beheaded- and she keeps coming back- I can't see myself preaching "Become a Christian and no harm will come to you- excitement yes- insanity- but you will be more powerful than Jesus- or at least AS powerful as Jesus" can't buy it
Irene, for my aunt Irene, and because Irene the Great's given name was Penelope. Totally subjective, yes, and utterly irrelevant to her life as a Christian, and even though I love the prayer penned by Dionysus.
I voted for Irene because Dionysius baptized people twice. A theological NO-NO!
Woman's work is never done. She had to get up and keep on after suffering beheading. Good grief! I just have to vote for anyone who worked for peace.
After thinking it over and reading a few comments, I decided to go with Dionysius because reconciliation should really be a thing in today's world. Especially if you post your political opinions on Facebook, because some people are not nice and we should really, really, really pray for them. Even when all you want to do is smack 'em.
I know what it's like to have all sorts of obstacles raised to a woman's preaching! Irene for me.
Irene had a laudable value system and despite unthinkable coercion, she remained faithful to her righteous beliefs and converted multitudes to Christianity. I would love to visit Ephesus. St. Irene is my paternal grandmother's namesake, and I have the honor of sitting in her pew in our beloved Trinity Church. Dionysius is compelling, too, but my vote is a loyal one. I feel blessed by Irene.
Have to vote for Irene, as I work with an Irene, who is more than great, plus my mom was a policewoman and had a horse who sometimes got a little wild.
This was a hard one. They both leave me a little cold, but Dionysius was named after my favorite pagan god, and Irene was disrespectful to her father. The whole pit of vipers thing lacks credibility, and a four day death and resurrection -- really? No points for originality there.
Horses, vipers, beheaded, raised from the dead, an empty tomb and conversion of thousands.That says it all......... A choice from God
Rebaptism a "Theological No-no "??
When my mother converted to the Roman Catholic Church she sis to be the stronger had to be rebaptised "in case her original Baptism was not done properly" Same procedure for a friend of mine who converted. I'm mystified!
In any case , I believe Dionysus to be the stronger candidate especially for his prayer which I shall treasure.
Rebaptism a "Theological No-no "??
How is it that the Roman Catholic Church often insists on Rebaptising converts who are already Baptised Christians?
When I went through the Roman Catholic RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation as Adults) process, I had already been baptized & confirmed in the Methodist church.
When discussing Baptism, the biggest hurdle was verification of baptism - you needed a certificate of baptism or had to arrange for a letter from the church in which you were baptized confirming that you had, indeed, been baptized. How many of us still have the certificate and, if not, what are the chances of knowing where and approximately when we were baptized?
The second hurdle was verifying that we had been baptized in the Trinity. For mainstream denominations, that wasn't a concern. We did, however, have several people who were baptized by various storefront churches around town, that was more of a problem. Here, at least, a lot of those churches use scripture passages related to the baptism of Christ in the Jordan, which was a baptism of repentance rather than baptism in the Trinity.