Saint of the Day – 13 October – Saint Theophilus of Antioch (Died c184) Confessor, Bishop of Antioch from 169 until 182, Scolar and Writer, Theologian, Apologist, Defender of the Faith against heresy. His writings (the only remaining extant being his apology to Autolycus) indicate that he was born a pagan, not far from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia (modern Middle East) and was led to embrace Christianity by studying the Sacred Scriptures. Also known as – Teofilo.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Antioch, the holy Bishop, Theophilus, who held the pontificate in that Church and City, the sixth after the blessed Apostle, Peter.”
Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, was the Author of many works, one of which has survived, while we only know the titles of others. From the pages of this work, we can once again hear the words of the Saint, in defence of Christian doctrine and faith, even then the subject of accusations by unbelievers and the vicious.
“But, if you tell me” – wrote the ancient Bishop – “Show me your God,” I will say to you: “Show me your man and I will show you my God.
Show me, therefore, that they see clearly, the eyes of your soul and that the ears of your heart hear well…
God shows Himself to those who can see Him, when they have opened the eyes of the soul.
Everyone has their good eyes but someone has veiled them, incapable of seeing the light of the sun.
However, the fact that the blind do not see, does not show at all, how the light of the sun does not appear.
The blind blame themselves and their eyes.
In the same way, my son, if you have the eyes of your soul veiled by your faults and your bad habits, you will not be able to see the light.
Like a clear mirror – this is how man must keep his soul pure.
If the mirror is rusty, the face of man does not appear on its surface.
In the same way, if man is a sinner, this man cannot contemplate God.”
The Author of these phrases, which St Augustine himself would later take up, was born in a region of the East, near the Tigris and the Euphrates. He was a pagan and received a Greek education. He converted by observing the customs of Christians, clearly superior to those of pagans and, by reading the Sacred Scriptures. He would then skilfully use his experiences as a convert and his knowledge of profane culture, in his polemics against unbelievers and philosophers.
He was elected Bishop of Antioch in 169 and still held the pastoral care of the great City, where Saint Peter himself had had his first Chair at the death of Marcus Aurelius, in 180. His apostolic care, in the midst of one of the most populous and most agitated communities of the early Christian world, did not distract him from his studies and intellectual activity.
Eusebius of Caesarea, the Historia (Died 339), speaks of the zeal which he and the other chief Shepherds displayed in driving away the heretics who were attacking Christ’s flock, with special mention of his work against Marcion.
He made contributions to Christian literature, writing polemical works against the heretics of the time, works of catechesis, commenting on the Scriptures, works of history, to clear away pagan myths. In short, he was a Bishop who left a strong imprint of his intelligence and culture in the history of his time, just as he left traces of his charity and mercy in the souls entrusted to him.
St Jerome and Eusebius mention numerous works of St Theophilus existing in their time. They are:
- the existing Apologia addressed to Autolycus;
- a work against the heresy of Hermogenes;
- against that of Marcion;
- some catechetical writings;
- St Jerome also mentions having read some commentaries on the Gospels and on Proverbs, which bore Theophilus’ name but which he regarded as inconsistent with the elegance and style of his other works.
The one undoubted extant work of St Theophilus, the 7th Bishop of Antioch, is his Apology to Autolycus (Apologia ad Autolycum), a series of books defending Christianity written to a pagan acquaintance.
AnaStpaul 