St. John was born in the city of Damascus of a good Christian family. When his father died, he became the Governor of Damascus. At this time, the Emperor Leo made the law forbidding Christians to have statues or pictures of Our Lord and the Saints. St. John Damascene knew the Emperor was wrong and he joined with many others to defend this practice of the Christians. The Pope himself asked John to keep telling people that it is a good thing to have statues and holy pictures. They make us thing of Our Lord, our Blessed Mother and the Saints. But the Emperor would not give in to the Holy Father, and he again forbade statues to be put in public places. St. John bravely wrote three letters, telling the Emperor to give up his wrong ideas.
The Emperor became so furious that he wanted revenge. The Saint was condemned to have his right hand cut off, but the Blessed Mother attached it to his arm again in answer to his prayer.
This miracle made John decide to resign as Governor, give away all his money to the poor and become a monk. He kept on writing marvellous books to defend the Catholic religion, and at the monastery. One day he even went to sell baskets in the streets of Damascus. Many of those who had known him before were mean enough to laugh at him. Here was the man who had once been the great Governor of the city now selling baskets that nobody wanted to buy! Imagine how St. John must have suffered! Yet he thought of Jesus, the Son of God, Who wanted to be born in a stable, and then he felt happy to imitate Our Lord’s humility.
At the end of a long life full of merits, St. John died a peaceful, happy death.
Do we have nice pictures or statues of Our Lord, the Blessed Mother, and the Saints? Let us look at them often. They will remind us to pray to them an ask their help.
