(d.326) As bishop in Alexandria, Egypt, Alexander had to deal with problems from a local priest named Arius, whose heresy about the nature and divinity of Jesus was gaining a lot of traction throughout the Church. Alexander lived through the persecution of the Church and the relative peace that followed the Edict of Milan, which decriminalized Christianity in 313. Alexander was the leader of the opposition to Arianism at the First Council of Nicaea. He was also a mentor to Saint Athanasius, his successor in Alexandria and future Father of the Church.
It was foundational for the early Church to articulate the nature of Jesus correctly, as small errors led to major misunderstandings of truth. As Catholics, we cannot be confused about the nature of our Higher Power. How has the Catholic understanding of God strengthened your recovery?
“For the Lord Incarnate was condemned, in order to bestow mercy on us; bound, in order to loose us; seized, in order to free us; He suffered, to heal our sufferings; He died, to restore life to us; He was buried, to raise us up again. One, in truth, was condemned, thousands were set free; One was buried, thousands rose again” (Saint Alexander of Alexandria).
Reflection by Brad Farmer