St. Athanasius and the proper formation of the laity

Today is the memorial of St. Athanasius, the great fourth-century bishop of Alexandria. He was so fabulous a bishop that three separate emperors exiled him from his see five different times. Yeah, you rock!

Among all his truly amazing and even miraculous deeds and achievements, including being one of St. Antony's closer disciples and writing his life, which played a most instrumental role in the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo, etc., etc., one of the ones that most stands out for me was his extraordinary formation of the laity of Alexandria.

During his third exile, in the mid-350's, the self-indulgently semi-Arian Emperor Constantius tried to impose one of his lackeys, a priest named George, as bishop in Athanasius's place. After listening to him preach for a while, the people decided they'd had quite enough of his heresy, so they dragged him out of his (really Athanasius's) pulpit and lynched him in the market just outside.* That's what I call "Catholic Action!"

(It should be noted that this was a political thing, really, and not mere random violence, since the soldiers - Arians by association at the very least - had murdered some dozens of the faithful when they had come to arrest Athanasius and impose George and the (false) bishop. By killing George, they were explicitly rejecting Constantius's interference in the local Church. The clear message was "George sleeps with the fishes." He who lives by the sword, etc.)

Anyway, Constantius was no doubt deeply pissed, but he didn't try to impose another Arian lackey as (false) bishop. Not too long after, he died, and his cousin, Julian -- the last remaining relative of Constantine the Great, later called "Julian the Apostate" -- permitted all the exiled orthodox bishops to return to their sees.

St. Athanasius, confessor and doctor of the faith, pray for us. By your holy example and intercession, may we so love and believe the true and holy Catholic faith, that we defend it as worthily.

* NB, please don't take this as any kind of endorsement of violence, political or otherwise. The fourth century was a violent age; in that context, this action might be seen as admirable in defense of the faith. In the abstract, Christ who died for us, certainly does not desire us to kill for him. Certainly in today's politics, such an action would not be commendable in any way.