Feast Day: May 2
Each year on May 2, the Church honors one of its most stalwart defenders of the faith—St. Athanasius of Alexandria. Known as the “Father of Orthodoxy,” Athanasius stood boldly for truth during one of the most turbulent theological battles in Church history: the fight against Arianism.
Born around the year 296 in Alexandria, Egypt, Athanasius grew up in a time when Christianity was emerging from persecution into imperial favor. He became the secretary to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria and attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325. There, the Church formally condemned the Arian heresy—a teaching that denied the full divinity of Christ—and Athanasius played a key role in defending the doctrine that Jesus Christ is “consubstantial with the Father.”
Just a few years later, Athanasius was made bishop of Alexandria, a post he would hold for 45 years—though nearly half of that time was spent in exile. He was exiled five times by emperors sympathetic to Arian theology, enduring slander, threats, and even physical danger. Yet he never relented in his defense of the truth.
One of Athanasius’ greatest contributions to the Church was his theological clarity and courage. He wrote extensively, including his classic treatise On the Incarnation, which proclaimed the mystery of the Word made flesh. “God became man,” he famously wrote, “so that man might become god”—a profound summary of the Christian vision of salvation.
In addition to his theological writings, Athanasius also played a role in forming the New Testament canon. In his Festal Letter of 367, he listed the 27 books that now comprise the New Testament, marking one of the first times the complete canon was recorded in Christian history.
St. Athanasius died in 373, after a life of unwavering dedication to Christ and the Church. Though he was often alone in his fight—so much so that the phrase Athanasius contra mundum (“Athanasius against the world”) was coined—he remains a shining witness to the power of truth upheld with humility and courage.
Today, as confusion and division continue to threaten the unity of the Church, we look to St. Athanasius as a model of fidelity. May his intercession give us the strength to stand firm in our faith and boldly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, true God and true man.
Prayer:
St. Athanasius, champion of Christ’s divinity and steadfast guardian of the faith, pray for us. Strengthen our hearts to hold fast to the truth in times of trial and lead us ever closer to the fullness of life in Jesus Christ. Amen.
