The venerable Maximus, whose name means "greatest" and whose way of life was unsurpassed, was born in the renowned queen of cities, Constantinople. His parents were of noble lineage and Orthodox, and gave him an excellent education. Maximus thoroughly studied philosophy and theology, and was widely respected for his wisdom, even in the imperial palace. Impressed by his knowledge and virtuous life, the Emperor Heraclius compelled him to become asekretis or first secretary and made him a chief counselor. The entire senate loved and respected Maximus, whose competence in affairs of government was of the highest order.
In those days appeared the heresy of Monothelitism, accord ing to which Christ our Lord possesses a single will. Its antecedent was the delusion of Eutyches, who asserted that our Lord has but one nature, and denied the Orthodox teaching that He, as God incarnate, has two undivided and unmingled natures, wills, and operations in one person. First to defend and disseminate Monothelitism were Cyrus, Patriarch of Alexandria, and Sergius, Patriarch of Constantinople. The Emperor Heraclius was drawn into this error early on by the two hierarchs. Cyrus in Alexandria and Sergius in Constantinople convened local councils endorsing the heresy, which then spread throughout the East. Only Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, rejected the false doc trine. Seeing that the Emperor, his courtiers, and many others had been corrupted, the blessed Maximus feared lest he go astray. He resigned from his duties at court and renounced all the world's glory, went to a monastery in Chrysopolis, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, and became a monk, preferring rather to be an outcast in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of sinners. On account of his virtuous life, he was chosen abbot after a few years.
Meanwhile, Patriarch Sergius convinced Heraclius to publish a decree called the Ekthesis, or "exposition", propagating Monothelitism. The entire population of the Empire was ordered to accept it, and as a result, the Church of Christ was thrown into confusion. Abba Maximus observed how turmoil prevailed in Constantinople and throughout the East, how the heretics multi plied and took control of churches, and how the Orthodox were buffeted by the tempest of persecution and diminished in number. Profoundly downcast, he sighed and wept bitterly, until he learned that the heresy had no followers in the West and had been completely rejected there. Severus, Pope of Rome, scorned the Ekthesis, and his successor John had it anathematized at a council; so the blessed Maximus decided to leave his monastery and go to the West. As an Orthodox Christian, he hoped to find refuge with the Orthodox of old Rome, since the Holy Land was under attack by the Saracens and it was impossible to reach Jerusalem. On the way he visited the bishops of North Africa, conversed with them, confirmed them in the faith, and advised them how to avoid being snared by the cunning adversaries. To those living in remote cities, he sent letters expounding the dogmas of Orthodoxy and warning about the dangers of heresy.
To be continued...