The Monk Martyr Nikon
The Monk Martyr Nikon was born at Neapolis (Naples). His father was a pagan, and his mother a Christian. He was not baptized, but his mother secretly instructed him in the tenets of Christianity. Nikon was still a pagan when he reached adulthood. He served as a soldier, and showed unusual courage and strength. Once, Nikon and his military company were surrounded by enemies. In deadly peril, he remembered the Christian precepts of his mother and, signing himself with the Sign of the Cross, he prayed to God, vowing to be baptized if he were saved. Filled with unusual strength, he killed many of the enemy, and put the rest to flight. He managed to return home, giving thanks to God for preserving his life. With the blessing of his mother, he set off in search of a priest. This was no easy thing to do in a time of persecution. St. Nikon took a ship to the island of Chios. He went up on a high mountain and spent eight days in fasting and prayer, entreating the Lord to help him. An angel of God appeared to St. Nikon in a dream, showing him the way. St. Nikon went to Mount Ganos, where many monks were hidden, headed by Theodosios the Bishop of Cyzicus. St. Nikon received from the bishop both the mystery of Baptism and the angelic schema (i.e., monastic tonsure). Living in the cave church, St. Nikon became an example for all the brethren. When St. Nikon had lived on the mountain for three years, an angel revealed to the bishop that St. Nikon should be consecrated bishop, and should move to the province of Sicily with all the monks. Bishop Theodosios obeyed the angel, and then died after he had entrusted the 190 monks to St. Nikon. After he buried Bishop Theodosios, St. Nikon sailed to Sicily with the brethren, and so was saved from approaching barbarians. By God’s grace, St. Nikon came to his native city Neapolis. He found his mother still alive, and he remained with her for the final day of her life. His mother collapsed on his chest with tears of joy and kissed him. Making a prostration to the ground, she said, “I give thanks to You, O Lord, for You have permitted me to see my son as a monk, and as a bishop. Now, my Lord, hear Your servant, and receive my soul.” When she had finished this prayer, the righteous woman died. Those present glorified God and buried her with psalmody. Rumors of St. Nikon’s arrival spread through the city, and ten soldiers, his former companions, came to see him. After conversing with the saint they believed and were baptized, and went with him to Sicily. Having arrived on the island, St. Nikon settled with the monks in a desolate area, called Gigia, near the river Asinum. Many years passed, and there was another persecution against Christians. Quintilian, the governor of Sicily, was informed that Bishop Nikon was living nearby with many monks. All 199 monks were seized and beheaded, but they left St. Nikon alive in order to torture him. They burned him with fire, yet he remained unharmed. They tied him to the tails of wild horses to be dragged over the ground, but the horses would not budge from the spot. They cut out the saint’s tongue, threw him off a high cliff, and finally beheaded him. The body of the hieromartyr Nikon was left in a field to be eaten by wild beasts and birds. A certain shepherd, possessed by an evil spirit, went to that place, and finding the body of the saint, he immediately fell to the ground on his face. The unclean spirit, vanquished by the power of the saint, had thrown him to the ground and gone out from him with a loud shriek: “Woe is me, woe is me, where can I flee from Nikon?” The healed shepherd related this to the people. The bishop of the city of Messina also learned of this, then he and his clergy buried the bodies of St. Nikon and his disciples.
SAINT NICON OF THE CIEV CAVES
Saint Nikon of the Kiev Caves was the first disciple and fellow-ascetic of St. Anthony, the founder of the Kiev Caves monastery, to which he came as a priest. At the monastery he tonsured all the new monks, and among their number was St. Theodosios of the Caves and. For tonsuring the favorites of the Great Prince Izyaslav, Sts. Varlaam and Ephraim St. Nikon brought the wrath of the prince down upon himself, but he refused to force the new monks to leave the monastery. The princess calmed Izyaslav, and he left St. Nikon in peace.When the number of brethren in the monastery had increased, St. Nikon desired to go into seclusion and live as a hesychast. He went to the Tmutarakan peninsula (on the eastern banks of the Kerchensk straits) and settled in an unpopulated spot. When news of his holy life and spiritual gifts spread throughout the region, many gathered about him, wishing to follow his example. Thus a monastery and a church were founded in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos. When he returned to the Kiev Caves monastery, St. Nikon was obedient to St. Theodosios as his spiritual Father. According to St. Nestor the Chronicler, when St. Theodosios had to go somewhere, he entrusted all the brethren to the care of St. Nikon. Sometimes he asked St. Nikon to offer instruction to the brethren in place of himself. Often, when St. Nikon was binding books, St. Theodosios sat near him and spun the thread for the binding. When Prince Svyatoslav drove out his brother Izyaslav from Kiev, St. Nikon returned to the monastery he founded. He returned under the igumen Stephen. When St. Stephen left the Kiev Caves monastery, St. Nikon was chosen as igumen of the monastery. He toiled much to adorn his monastery with spiritual books and icons. He died at a great old age (+ 1088) and was buried in the Near Caves of St. Anthony.
Martyrs Philetas, Lydia, Macedonos and Theop- repios, and Those with them
St. Philetas was a dignitary at the court of the emperor Hadrian (117-138), a persecutor of Christians. For openly confessing his faith in Christ the Savior, St. Philetos was brought to trial with his wife St. Lydia and their sons Macedonios and Theoprepios. By Hadrian’s order, St. Philetos was sent with his family to Illyria to the military governor Amphilochios to subject them to torture. Amphilochios gave orders to suspend them from a tree and to torture them with knives. After this, they were locked up in prison with the jailer Cronides, who believed in Christ. An angel came to them by night and eased their sufferings.On the following day the martyrs were plunged into a cauldron of boiling oil, but the oil cooled instantly, and the saints remained unharmed. The military governor Amphilochios was so astonished at this miracle that he himself believed in Christ and went into the boiling oil saying, “Lord, Jesus Christ, help me!” and he remained unharmed. The tortures were repeated when the emperor Hadrian came to Illyria. They threw the holy martyrs into the boiling oil again and again, but by the power of God they remained alive. The humiliated emperor returned to Rome, and the holy martyrs gave thanks to God, then they surrendered their holy souls to Him.
Saint Vassian I, Archbishop of Rostov
Saint Vassian I, Archbishop of Rostov, was a relative of St. Joseph of Volokolamsk. He was also a beloved disciple of St. Paphnutios of Borov, from whom he received monastic tonsure. In the year 1455 he became head of the Trinity-Sergiev monastery; in 1466, archimandrite of the Novospassky; and in 1467, Archbishop of Rostov. In 1479 the saint participated in the transfer of the relics of Sts. Cyprian, Photios and Jonah, hierarchs of Moscow and Wonderworkers of All Russia. St. Vassian was known for his edifying words of wisdom, and he was often a mediator in princely quarrels. He also built and beautified churches at Rostov. In 1480 the saint wrote a famous letter to Great Prince Ivan III at Ugra, urging him to take decisive action against the Tatars as an act of Christian patriotism. St. Vassian also wrote a Life of St. Paphnutios of Borov. The saint died in great old age on March 23, 1481 and was buried in Rostov’s Dormition cathedral.