Yesterday was the Feast of St John Damascene (sometimes known as the last of the Fathers of The Church. .I don't know if you know much about him but if not you can brush up here: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08459b.htm But it occurs to me that anyone who doubts that God can miraculously intervene with great effect in history (or deal from the bottom of the deck if you like) can learn a lot from St John and Islam. At St Johns time the Iconocalsts had taken over Byzantium .These were folks who, drawing on scripture from the Old Testament had falsely believed that any representation of the Holy was wrong (Judaism is itself iconoclastic) . So you could not for instance have icons or holy pictures, stained glass and so one. So they basically went about smashing them all up. Since the Iconocalsts had the upper hand much of what is rich in our Catholic Culture would ahve been lost with who knows what spiritual harm. However St John Damascene lived in an Islamic controlled area and so was able to write wonderfully well against the iconclasts that it is basically due to his writings that they were overcome. The irony is that Islam itself is conclastic, they don't do images. But they didn't mind John writing against them because it was basically Infidels fighting Infidels and so who cared? But it is marvellous how God used an Islamic controlled area to bring truth to the Church. Bringing great good out of great evil. May He do as much in our own times. We need it.
In Orthodoxy St John Damascene is known as St John of Damascus. Here is a beautiful Paschal Chant by St John, sung by Orthodox Nuns. The video celbrates icons/images and is very beautiful:
By the way if anyone is interested in reading a treasure of Orthodoxy I would recommend the Philokalia. It is simply marvellous. If ever I was marooned on a desert island and could choose one book I might spring for this one .It is a huge work, some of the 35 authors are recognised by the Catholic Church as Saints. It is about the way of prayer and is food for the hungry if you are interested in the spiritual life. It is kind of like a hundred spiritual books in one. Since most of the saints are orthodox you make new friends. 'Be at Peace with your own soul; then heaven and earth will be at peace with you. Enter eagerly into the treasure house that is within you, and so you will see the things that are in heaven; for there is one single door to them both.' St Isaac the Syrian
