Byzantine Saints: Venerable Maximus the Confessor (21 January)

About this sermon

St Maximus the Confessor, commemorated on January 21, stands as one of the greatest theologians and defenders of Orthodox Christology in Church history. Born in Constantinople around 580, St Maximus was raised in a devout Christian family and received an exceptional education in philosophy, rhetoric, and theology. Though he rose to prominence as chief counselor to Emperor Heraclius, he renounced worldly power when he recognized the spread of the Monothelite heresy, which falsely taught that Christ had only one will. Embracing the monastic life, St Maximus became a fearless defender of the Orthodox teaching that Christ possesses two wills—divine and human—united without confusion. His theological clarity, holiness, and courage drew countless people to the truth, from bishops and clergy to laypeople and imperial officials. Traveling throughout Africa, Alexandria, Crete, Carthage, and Rome, St Maximus tirelessly opposed heresy at great personal cost. Alongside St Martin the Confessor, he played a crucial role in the Lateran Council of 649, which formally condemned Monothelitism. For his unwavering confession of the true Faith, St Maximus was imprisoned, tried for treason, mutilated (his tongue and right hand cut off), and exiled. He reposed in the Lord on August 13, 662, after foretelling his own death. Miracles followed at his tomb, confirming him as a true beacon of Orthodoxy. Beyond his martyrdom, St Maximus left the Church an unparalleled theological legacy. His writings on theosis (deification), the Incarnation, the Holy Trinity, Sacred Scripture, and the spiritual life profoundly influenced later saints such as St Symeon the New Theologian and St Gregory Palamas. This video presents the full life, struggles, and theology of St Maximus the Confessor, showing why his witness remains essential for the Church today. 00:00 – Introduction & Feast Day of St Maximus the Confessor 00:20 – Birth, Education, and Early Life in Constantinople 00:40 – Service Under Emperor Heraclius 00:54 – The Rise of the Monothelite Heresy 01:04 – Entrance into Monastic Life 01:23 – The Ecthesis and Imperial Heresy 01:44 – St Maximus Defends Orthodoxy 02:04 – Flight to the West and African Mission 02:22 – Monophysitism vs. Monothelitism Explained 03:00 – Crisis in the Eastern Patriarchates 03:15 – Preaching in Crete and Alexandria 03:36 – Emperor Constans II and Renewed Persecution 03:49 – Mission in Carthage and Conversion of Patriarch Pyrrhus 04:22 – Rome and Pope Theodore 04:32 – The Typos of Faith 04:47 – St Martin the Confessor and the Lateran Council 05:07 – Condemnation of Monothelitism 05:21 – Arrest and Imprisonment 05:41 – Torture, Exile, and Confession 05:55 – Repose of St Maximus and Miracles 06:36 – Theological Works and Legacy 07:22 – Teaching on Theosis 08:08 – Moral and Anthropological Writings 08:21 – Influence on Later Orthodox Theology https://www.oca.org/saints/lives 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 SensusFidelium.TV - https://sensusfidelium.tv/@SensusFidelium 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶️ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶️ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 Please "Like" our videos so that Youtube shares it to others by clicking the "Like" thumbs-up under the video = 👍🏻 ▶️ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. #StMaximusTheConfessor #OrthodoxSaints #OrthodoxTheology #ChurchFathers #Monothelitism #Christology #Theosis #January21 #EasternOrthodox #Patristics