Saint Ananie
Compagnon de
saint Paul (✝ 60)
Il était un fidèle observateur de la Loi, mais très vite
il adhéra à la foi en Jésus-Christ, le messie attendu. C'est lui qui éclaira saint Paul dans ses premiers tâtonnements au sein
de l'Église et lui conféra le baptême. La disponibilité de ce laïc a été
déterminante pour l'avenir de l'Église.
Commémoraison de saint Ananie, le disciple du
Seigneur qui baptisa, à Damas, Paul après sa conversion.
St. Ananias
Missionary, martyr, and patron of St. Paul. A
Christian in the city of Damascus, Ananias was commanded by Christ in a vision
to seek out Saul, the future Paul, who had staggered his way into the city
following his dramatic encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus.
In his description of the Conversion of Saul, St.
Luke discloses the existence of a Christian community in Damascus. It is the
first community of Christians outside Palestine and, on the evidence of the
Acts of the Apostles, it could even have been in existence before the community
at Antioch. Only 5 or 6 years after the Ascension of our Lord, we find a
Judaeo-Christian group in Damascus, organized around a charismatic leader
called Ananias and identifying themselves by a number of different names: the
Followers of the Way, the Disciples, those who invoke the Name of the Lord, the
Saints, the Brothers…
Another detail revealed by the holy Hagiographer is
the name of Ananias: outside Jerusalem and its surroundings, he is the first
spiritual leader of a community to be mentioned by his personal name. Who was
this character? The only thing we know about him is that he was a disciple who
was merciful, of good repute, pious and fearful of the Lord, and perhaps even a
recipient of visitations and visions from God. The lack in his biography has
been filled up by legend. It is said that he was one of the 72 disciples, that
he was a native of Damascus and that the Apostles recommended him to return
there.
It is also said that he preached the gospel in
central Syria as well as in Damascus, and that because he was well versed in
Latin he was present when St. Paul testified before the Proconsul Felix.
It is reported that he was arrested and condemned
to death by the Roman Governor, Licianus Mucianus, and was stoned to death
outside the city. Over his tomb a memorial was constructed, and later a
monastery. The monastery was frequently mentioned by Arabic writers of the
mediaeval period.
The great distinction of Ananias and his Christian
community was the baptizing of St. Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles. After the
conversion on the road to Damascus, which left Saul blind, Ananias cured him
and baptized him. After seeing Paul start his missionary work, Ananias went to
Eleutheropolis, where he was martyred for the faith. His house was converted
into a Sanctuary and has always been a place of religious devotion.
