Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as being part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together. Sadly, the gathering together for feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West.
It need not be so! Today we will remember the ancient feasts.
The Feast Day of St. Hegesippus
This is a Christian religious celebration of Hegesippus, a 2nd century Christian convert from Judaism, who lived early enough to know those who knew personally the Apostles, and who wrote against the heresies of Gnosticism and Marcionism. He wrote extensively and though his works are now mostly lost, he wrote extensively and was influential in the early Church. It is believed his writings may have survived in Eastern libraries until the 16th or 17th centuries, however, his works are preserved now through mention by the writing sof Eusebius.
Biography and Tradition – Feast Day Recipe – Prayer – Celebration Date
Who is St. Hegesippus?
Hegesippus (Ancient Greek: Ἡγήσιππος; c. 107 – c. 180 AD), also known as Hegesippus the Nazarene, was a Christian writer of the early Church who, in spite of his Greek name, may have been a Jewish convert and certainly wrote against heresies of the Gnostics and of Marcion.
Biography
The dates that Hegesippus flourished are insecurely fixed by the statement of Eusebius that the death and apotheosis of Antinous (130) occurred in Hegesippus’ lifetime, and that he came to Rome under Pope Anicetus (Bishop of Rome c. 157–168) and wrote in the time of Pope Eleuterus (pontificate c. 174–189).
Eusebius says that Hegesippus was a convert from Judaism, learned in the Semitic languages and conversant with the oral tradition and customs of the Jews, for he quoted from the Hebrew, was acquainted with the Gospel of the Hebrews and with a Syriac Gospel, and he also cited unwritten traditions of the Jews. Eusebius’ own shaky command of Hebrew and Aramaic, and his lack of personal knowledge of customs of the Jews, were insufficiently founded to judge Hegesippus as a dependable source. He seems to have lived in some part of the East, for, in the time of Pope Anicetus (A.D. 155–166) he travelled through Corinth to reach Rome, collecting on the spot the teachings of the various churches which he visited, and ascertaining their uniformity with Rome, according to this excerpt:”And the Church of the Corinthians remained in the true word until Primus was bishop in Corinth; I made their acquaintance in my journey to Rome, and remained with the Corinthians many days, in which we were refreshed with the true word. And when I was in Rome, I made a succession up to Anicetus, whose deacon was Eleuterus. And in each succession and in each city all is according to the ordinances of the law and the Prophets and the Lord”
Works
Hegesippus’ works are now entirely lost, save eight passages concerning Church history quoted by Eusebius, who tells us that he wrote Hypomnemata (Ὑπομνήματα; “Memoirs” or “Memoranda”) in five books, in the simplest style concerning the tradition of the Apostolic preaching. Through Eusebius, Hegesippus was also known to Jerome, who is responsible for the idea that Hegesippus “wrote a history of all ecclesiastical events from the passion of our Lord down to his own period… in five volumes”, which has established the Hypomnemata as a Church history. Hegesippus appealed principally to tradition as embodied in the teaching which had been handed down through the succession of bishops, thus providing for Eusebius information about the earliest bishops that otherwise would have been lost.
J.B. Lightfoot, in Clement of Rome (London, 1890), found traces of a list of popes in Epiphanius of Cyprus, (Haer., xxvii, 6) that may also derive from Hegesippus, where that fourth-century writer carelessly says: “Marcellina came to us lately and destroyed many, in the days of Anicetus, Bishop of Rome”, and then refers to “the above catalogue”, though he has given none. He is clearly quoting a writer who was at Rome in the time of Anicetus and made a list of popes A list which has some curious agreements with Epiphanius in that it extends only to Anicetus, is found in the poem of Pseudo-Tertullian against Marcion; apparently Epiphanius has mistaken Marcion for “Marcellina”. The same list is at the base of the earlier part of the Liberian Catalogue, doubtless taken from Hippolytus. Correspondences among the lists of Irenaeus, Africanus, and Eusebius cannot be assumed to have come from the lost list of Hegesippus, as only Eusebius mentions his name.
Eusebius quotes from Hegesippus fifth and last book a long account of the death of James the Just, “the brother of the Lord”, who was given the obscure Greek epithet Oblias, which is supposed to be a Greek transliteration of a Semitic word. Dr. Robert Eisenman connects “Oblias” with “Protector of the people”, as were other ‘Zaddikim’. He also transcribes from Hegesippus the story of the election of his successor Simeon, and the summoning of the descendants of Jude the Apostle to Rome by the Emperor Domitian. A list of heresies against which Hegesippus wrote is also cited. Dr. Lawlor has argued that all these passages cited by Eusebius were connected in the original, and were in the fifth book of Hegesippus. He has also argued the likelihood that Eusebius got from Hegesippus the statement that John the Evangelist was exiled to Patmos by Domitian. Hegesippus mentioned the letter of Pope Clement I to the Corinthians, apparently in connection with the persecution of Domitian. It is very likely that the dating of heretics according to papal reigns in Irenaeus and Epiphanius—e.g., that Marcion‘s disciple Cerdon and Valentinus came to Rome under Anicetus—was derived from Hegesippus, and the same may be true of the assertion that Hermas, author of The Shepherd of Hermas, was the brother of Pope Pius I (as the Liberian Catalogue, the poem against Marcion, and the Muratorian fragment all state).
Theodor Zahn has shown that the work of Hegesippus may still have been extant in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in three Eastern libraries, saying: “We must lament the loss of other portions of the Memoirs which were known to exist in the seventeenth century.”
The writings of St. Hegesippus come up most often when discussing the issue of whether Jesus Christ had brothers through the Virgin Mary. His writings touch on that subject through the mention of these brothers:
What is a food you can eat to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Hegesippus?
I thought a recipe that might have been used at the time of this saint seemed like a great idea to help celebrate his feast day.
Moussaka with Lamb and Bechamel
Oh my goodness, moussaka is the ultimate comfort food—layers of savory lamb, creamy bechamel, and tender eggplant that just melt together. You’re going to love how cozy this feels on a chilly evening, and it’s honestly easier to make than it looks!
Ingredients
– 1 lb ground lamb (I like a bit of fat for flavor)
– 2 large eggplants, sliced into ½-inch rounds (salted and drained to reduce bitterness—trust me, it makes a difference!)
– 1 large onion, finely chopped (yellow onions work best here for sweetness)
– 3 cloves garlic, minced (fresh is key for that punch)
– 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano for their bright flavor)
– ½ cup dry red wine (something you’d drink, like a Cabernet)
– 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (my go-to for richness)
– 4 tbsp unsalted butter (room temp blends easier into the bechamel)
– ¼ cup all-purpose flour
– 2 cups whole milk, warmed (cold milk can make the sauce lumpy)
– ½ tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated if you have it—so aromatic!)
– ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the canned kind)
– 2 large eggs, beaten (room temp helps them incorporate smoothly)
– Salt and black pepper to seasonInstructions
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with olive oil.
2. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let them sit for 20 minutes to draw out moisture, then pat dry with paper towels—this prevents a watery moussaka.
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the eggplant slices for 3-4 minutes per side until golden; set aside on a plate.
4. In the same skillet, add another tbsp olive oil and sauté the onion for 5 minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
5. Add the ground lamb and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon until no pink remains.
6. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and red wine, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes until slightly thickened; season with salt and pepper.
7. For the bechamel, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in flour, and cook for 1 minute to form a roux.
8. Gradually whisk in the warm milk until smooth, then simmer for 3-5 minutes until thickened, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
9. Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg, Parmesan, and beaten eggs quickly to temper them—this keeps the sauce creamy.
10. Layer half the eggplant slices in the baking dish, spread the lamb mixture evenly on top, then add the remaining eggplant.
11. Pour the bechamel over the top, spreading it to cover completely.
12. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly; let it rest for 10 minutes before serving to set the layers.Mmm, the finished moussaka has a crispy, golden top giving way to rich, meaty layers and a velvety bechamel that’s pure comfort. Serve it warm with a simple Greek salad on the side for a full Mediterranean feast—leftovers taste even better the next day!
What is a prayer to say on the Feast Day of St. Hegesippus?
Prayer to St. Hegesippus
O St. Hegesippus, faithful servant of Christ,
Guide us in our journey of faith.
Help us to uphold the teachings of the Church
And to live our lives in accordance with God’s will.
Intercede for us, that we may grow in understanding
And courageously share our faith with others.
Amen.
When is the Feast Day of St. Hegesippus celebrated?
This feast is celebrated annually on 7 April.
I hope that everyone who celebrates has a wonderful day!
