St. Roman The Melode

Slava Saint of the Serbian Orthodox Choral Association

The Psalmist writes, "I will sing praise to the Lord while I have my being".  These words most beautifully embody the lifestyle of the Slava Saint of the Serbian Orthodox Choral Association: Saint Roman the Melode, whose day we celebrate on October 13th.

Roman the Melode (or hymnographer) was born in Emese of Syria of simple Christian parents near the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th century.  He became a deacon in the Church of the Resurrection in Beirut.  Later, under Emperor Anastasius, he entered the monastery of Cyrus, near Constantinople.

So great was his piety, that he often went from his cell to the Church of the Holy Mother of God, to whom the monastery was dedicated, and spent the whole night in prayer.

Because of the meekness and dedication of his service and the sweetness of his voice, he was a favorite of the parish.  Prompted by jealously, some of the Romans' companions suggested to the Patriarch that he request the deacon to compose a hymn and sing it at the Christmas service scheduled to be held at the famous cathedral of Hagia Sophia.

The huge edifice held thousands of people, hundreds of priests and clergy, as well as the emperor  and patriarch.  It was expected to be attended to capacity for the feast.

Roman, in his humility, felt totally inadequate to the challenge, unable to compose and knowing that he would be tongue-tied before all these people.  He went to the Church of the Holy Virgin and prayed fervently on his knees for help and consolation.

Exhausted with his supplications, he fell into a deep sleep, wherein the Virgin Mary appeared to him in a dream.  In her hand she held a scroll and approaching him, she said, "Open your mouth and eat this grace that I am about to give you."  The saint opened his mouth and swallowed the scroll.

His spirits born aloft by the ecstatic effects if this dream, he stood before the huge crowd and chanted a song, which the Church has called a Kontakion.  Words that he had not thought of even a moment before came to his lips and flowed out in a stream of praise.  St. Roman, in this way, was the first to compose the Kontakion, beginning with the Kontakion of Christmas:

   " Today a Virgin gives birth to One who existed before all things and the earth offers the unapproachable One

        a cave.  Angels with shepherds glorify Him; and the Magi journey with the Star; and for our sakes He is born a

       little Child-he, God that was before all ages."

So surprised were the people at the sweet voice and the new words coming from this shy deacon, that it was obvious to them that what they were hearing was nothing less than a song given to him as a gift from heaven.

Inspired by this experience, Roman composed Konatkia for all the feast days, for the all-holy Virgin and for all the saints, altogether over a thousand Kontakia, many of which the Church has adopted in her services all year round.

St. Roman was ordained a priest and attended the synod called by Patriarch Minas against Athimus the Monophysite in the year 536.  He died in the Lord some time after 556 A.D.

The miraculous event associated with this saint is depicted in one of the versions of the feast day icon of Pokrov, the Protection of the Virgin Mary, a feast celebrated on the day of the feast of St. Roman the Melode.

In this representation, we see Roman standing on the Ambo, singing before the emperor, empress, patriarch, priests and gathered throng of listeners and above him a vision of the Virgin with the outstretched arms, holding the protective veil and blessed by Christ, her Son.  She is holding the scroll of his dream.

We can see that it is most fitting that this should be the Slava Saint for the Serbian Orthodox Choral Association.  While our choirs sweetly sing in liturgical praise, let them remember this great Saint who worked untiringly to sing praise to the Lord while he had his being.

By Archimandrite Todor Mika of Oakland, CA