St. Athanasius: Father of Orthodoxy and Defender of Christ

St. Athanasius, the "Father of Orthodoxy," always had a special calling to God, visible even in childhood. When he was young, the bishop of Alexandria witnessed him playing with some other boys as they pretended to administer Baptism. The bishop found that the baptisms were valid and decided at that moment to train Athanasius to become a priest. Athanasius spent the rest of his life tirelessly dedicated to Christ and defending his divinity. He was a fierce opponent of the Arian heresy that claimed that Jesus was simply another human created by the Father. Athanasius stood firm in support of Christ's divinity and was present at the very first Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicea in 325. The council concluded with the condemnation of Arianism and the dogma of the divinity of Christy being produced. This, however, was not the end of Athanasius' battle with the heresy. The Arians refused to quit and worked to have the new bishop exiled for a total of 17 years due to false charges. All throughout his years of tribulation, Athanasius' faith never wavered as he famously stated that "If the world is against the truth, then I will be against the world." St. Athanasius is honored in both Catholic and Orthodox Churches and his feast day is celebrated on May 2.