Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, whose memory is celebrated on August 9 AD. - one of the most revered saints Orthodox Church: We can hardly find a temple where there would not be an icon of the saint. On the days when the venerable head of the great martyr was brought from the holy Mount Athos to Moscow, believers stood in lines for many hours to venerate the relics, thank them for the healing, or ask the saint for help and intercession.
In everything - a lion
Saint Panteleimon was born in Bithynia (Asia Minor) into the family of a noble pagan Eustorgius. The boy was named Pantoleon (which means “a lion throughout”): his parents wanted him to grow up to be a courageous and fearless young man.
His mother raised her son in the Christian faith, but died early. Subsequently, she was canonized: the memory of Saint Evvula is celebrated on March 30.
After the death of his wife, his father sent Pantoleon to a pagan school, and then taught him the art of medicine from the famous physician Euphrosynus in Nicomedia.
Young Pantoleon stood out among his peers: he was eloquent, behaved well and was very handsome. When he was presented to Emperor Maximian (284-305), he wanted to keep him as court physician.
Chosen One of God
At this time, the Hieromartyrs Presbyters Hermolai, Hermippus and Hermocrates lived secretly in Nicomedia, having survived the burning of 20 thousand Christians (December 28) in the Nicomedia Church in 303 and the suffering of the Hieromartyr Anthimus (September 3). From the window of a secluded house, Saint Hermolai repeatedly saw a handsome young man and shrewdly saw in him the chosen one of God’s grace. One day the presbyter called Pantoleon to his place and began a conversation with him, during which he explained to him the basic truths of the Christian faith. From then on, Pantoleon began to visit the Hieromartyr Ermolai every day and listened with pleasure to what God’s servant revealed to him about the Sweetest Jesus Christ.
One day, returning from the teacher, the young man saw a dead child lying on the road, bitten by an echidna, which was wiggling right next to him. Filled with compassion and pity, Pantoleon began to ask the Lord to resurrect the deceased and kill poisonous reptile. He firmly decided that if his prayer was fulfilled, he would become a Christian and receive holy Baptism. And by the action of Divine grace the child came to life, and the echidna scattered into pieces before the eyes of the surprised Pantoleon.
Birth into eternal life
After this miracle, Saint Hermolai baptized the young man in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The newly baptized man spent seven days with his spirit-bearing teacher, absorbing the divinely revealed truths of the Holy Gospel into his heart. Having become a Christian, Pantoleon often talked with his father, revealing to him the falsity of paganism and gradually preparing him to accept Christianity. At this time, Pantoleon was already known as a good doctor, so they brought to him a blind man whom no one else could heal. “The Father of Light will return light to your eyes. True God,” the saint said to him, “in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, who enlightens the blind, receive your sight!” The blind man immediately received his sight, and with him the saint’s father, Eustorgius, also received his spiritual sight, and both joyfully accepted holy Baptism.
Life is for others
After the death of his father, Saint Pantoleon dedicated his life to the suffering, sick, poor and poor. He treated everyone who turned to him free of charge, visited prisoners in prisons and at the same time healed the suffering not so much with medical means, but by invoking the Lord Jesus Christ. This caused envy, and the doctors reported to the emperor that Saint Pantoleon was a Christian and was treating Christian prisoners.
Maximian persuaded the saint to refute the denunciation and sacrifice to idols, but the chosen passion-bearer of Christ and the blessed physician confessed himself to be a Christian and, in front of the emperor’s eyes, healed the paralytic: “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, arise and be healthy,” said Saint Pantoleon, and the sick man immediately recovered. The embittered Maximian ordered the execution of the healed man, and betrayed Saint Pantoleon to the cruellest tortures. “Lord Jesus Christ! Appear to me at this moment, give me patience so that I can endure the torment to the end!” - the saint prayed and heard a voice: “Do not be afraid, I am with you.” The Lord appeared to him “in the form of presbyter Ermolai” and strengthened him before suffering. The Great Martyr Pantoleon was hanged from a tree and his body was torn with iron hooks, burned with candles, stretched on a wheel, thrown into boiling tin, and thrown into the sea with a stone around his neck. However, in all the tortures, the courageous Pantoleon remained unharmed and boldly denounced the emperor. The Lord repeatedly appeared to the saint and strengthened him. At the same time, presbyters Ermolai, Ermippus and Hermocrates appeared before the court of the pagans. They courageously confessed the Lord Jesus and were beheaded (July 26).
Martyr's Crown
By order of the emperor, the holy great martyr Pantoleon was brought to the circus and thrown to be torn to pieces wild animals. But the animals licked his feet and pushed each other away, trying to touch the saint’s hand. Seeing this, the spectators rose from their seats and began shouting: “Great is the Christian God! May the innocent and righteous young man be released!” The enraged Maximian ordered the soldiers to kill with swords all who glorified the Lord Jesus, and even kill the animals that did not touch the holy martyr. Seeing this, Saint Pantoleon exclaimed: “Glory to Thee, Christ God, that not only people, but also animals die for You!”
Finally, maddened with rage, Maximian ordered the head of the Great Martyr Pantoleon to be cut off. The soldiers brought the saint to the place of execution and tied him to an olive tree. When the great martyr began to pray to the Lord, one of the soldiers hit him with a sword, but the sword became soft like wax and did not cause any wound. Amazed by the miracle, the soldiers shouted: “Great is the Christian God!” At this time, the Lord once again revealed himself to the saint, calling him Panteleimon (which means “much merciful”) instead of his previous name Pantoleon, for his great mercy and compassion. Hearing the Voice from Heaven, the soldiers fell to their knees before the martyr and asked for forgiveness. The executioners refused to continue the execution, but the Great Martyr Panteleimon ordered the emperor’s order to be carried out. Then the soldiers said goodbye to the great martyr with tears, kissing his hand. When the martyr's head was cut off, milk flowed out of the wound along with blood, and the olive tree to which the saint was tied, at that moment blossomed and was filled with healing fruits. Seeing this, many people believed in Christ Jesus. The body of Saint Panteleimon, thrown into the fire, remained undamaged, and then the Nicomedia Passion-Bearer was buried by Christians on the nearby land of the scholastic Adamantium.
“I won’t die, but I will live”
Lawrence, Vassa and Provian, servants of the great martyr, wrote a narrative about the life, suffering and death of the great martyr. The memory of Saint Panteleimon has been revered by the Orthodox East since ancient times. Already in the 4th century, churches were erected in the name of the saint in Armenian Sebastia and Constantinople. The blood and milk that flowed during the beheading of the saint were kept until the 10th century and were given healing to believers.
The honorable relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon were scattered in pieces throughout Christendom. There are especially many of them on Holy Mount Athos. His honest and multi-healing head is kept in the Russian Athos Monastery of St. Panteleimon, in the cathedral church dedicated to his name.
In Nicomedia, on the eve of July 27 - the day of remembrance of the holy great martyr - a solemn ceremony is held procession With miraculous icon saint Thousands of people - Orthodox Christians and non-Orthodox - Armenians, Catholics and even Mohammedans come here and bring hundreds of sick people who receive healing through the prayers of the saint. The church book “kontakion”, kept in the Nicomedia Metropolis, records two thousand autographs of Greeks, Turks, Italians and Armenians who received healing through the prayers of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.
The veneration of the holy martyr in the Russian Orthodox Church has been known since the 12th century. Grand Duke Izyaslav, in Holy Baptism Panteleimon, had an image of the great martyr on his combat helmet and through his intercession he remained alive in the battle of 1151. Under the command of Peter I, Russian troops won two naval victories over the Swedes on the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Panteleimon: in 1714 at Gangauze (Finland) and in 1720 at Grengam (a small harbor on the Åland Islands).
The name of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon is invoked when performing the sacrament of the Blessing of Unction, the blessing of water and prayer for the weak. His memory is especially solemnly celebrated in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos. The cathedral in his name was built in 1826 according to the type of ancient Athonite temples. In the altar, in the precious ark, is kept main shrine monastery - the head of the holy great martyr Panteleimon. 8 days before the holiday, the forefeast begins. These days after Vespers they sing prayer canons for 8 voices, it is noteworthy that for each day there is a special canon. On the day of the holiday, a solemn all-night vigil is held and thousands of guests and pilgrims participate in the divine service.
Birth
When the wicked Maximian, the cruel tormentor of Christians, reigned, and when almost the entire universe was covered with the darkness of idolatrous wickedness, everywhere a great persecution was erected against believers in Christ and many confessors of the most holy name of Jesus Christ died as martyrs, then he suffered for Christ in the Bithynia country in the city of Nicomedia and the saint Great Martyr Panteleimon.
This most glorious passion-bearer of Christ among the martyrs was born in the same city of Nicomedia from a noble and wealthy father named Eustorgius and from his mother Evvula. His father, by his faith, was a pagan, ardently devoted to idolatry; the mother is a Christian, taught the holy faith from her forefathers and diligently serving Christ. So, those united physically were separated spiritually: he brought sacrifices to false gods, she brought a “sacrifice of praise” to the true God. The boy who was born to them, about whom our word is, was named Pantoleon, which means: a lion in everything, for it was assumed that he would be like a lion in courage. But, later, the youth was renamed Panteleimon, that is, all-merciful, because he showed mercy to everyone when he treated the sick without payment or gave alms to the poor, with a generous hand distributing his father’s wealth to those in need.
Childhood and adolescence of the Holy Healer Panteleimon. Education
WITH early childhood the mother raised the boy in Christian piety, teaching him to know the one true God who lives in heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ, so that he would believe in Him and please Him good deeds, disgusting pagan polytheism. The boy listened to his mother’s instructions and assimilated them as far as was possible in his adolescence. But, what a loss and deprivation! his kind mother and leader departed to the Lord in her young years, leaving the boy not yet in perfect mind and age. After her death, the boy easily followed in the footsteps of his father's delusion; his father often brought him to worship idols, confirming him in pagan wickedness.
Then the boy was sent to a grammar school, and when he successfully completed the course of all external pagan wisdom, his father sent him to one famous doctor Euphrosynus to a medical school, so that he would gain skill in the art of medicine. The boy, being of a receptive mind, easily learned what he was taught and, soon surpassing his peers, was not much equal to the teacher himself: moreover, he was distinguished by his behavior, eloquence, beauty and made a pleasant impression on everyone; He was known to Tsar Maximian himself. For Maximian lived at that time in Nicomedia; handing over Christians to torture, he burned 20,000 of them in the church, on the day of the Nativity of Christ he killed Bishop Anthimus, and, after various torments, he put many to death of various kinds. The doctor Euphrosynus often came with medicines to the torturer’s royal chambers, either to himself or to his courtiers, because this doctor gave remedies for illnesses to the entire royal court. When Euphrosynus came to the king’s palace, he was accompanied by the youth Pantoleon, who followed his teacher, and everyone was amazed at the beauty and kind mind of the youth. And the king, seeing him, asked:
Where is he from and whose son?
Having received the answer, the king ordered the teacher to quickly and as best as possible teach the boy all the medical art, expressing the desire to have him with him always, as worthy to stand before the king and serve him. At that time, the young man had already reached adulthood.
Panteleimon’s acquaintance and conversation with the elder presbyter Ermolai Strengthening in the Christian faith
Illustration from the book of Demetrius of Rostov "Lives of the Saints"
Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon
In those days there was an old presbyter in Nicomedia named Ermolai, who, out of fear of the wicked, hid with a few Christians in a small and insignificant house. Pantoleon's path, when he walked from his house to his teacher and back, lay past the dwelling in which Ermolai was hiding. Seeing through the window a young man who often passed by, Ermolai recognized his good disposition from his face and gaze; Having understood in spirit that the young man would be a chosen vessel of God, Ermolai one day went out to meet the young man and begged him to come to his house for a very short time. A meek, obedient young man entered the old man’s house. Having seated him next to him, the elder asked him about his origin and parents, about his faith and about his entire way of life. The young man told everything in detail and said that his mother was a Christian and died, and his father was alive and, according to pagan laws, worshiped many demons. And Saint Hermolai asked him this way:
Well, and you, good child! Which side and faith would you like to belong to, your father’s or your mother’s? The young man answered:
“My mother, while she was alive, taught me her faith, and I loved her faith. But my father, as the stronger one, forces me to fulfill pagan laws and wants to install me in the royal chamber with the rank of close and high-ranking warriors and servants of the king.
Saint Hermolai asked again:
- What teaching does your teacher instruct you in?
The young man said this:
- The teachings of Asclepiades, Hippocrates and Galen; That’s exactly what my father wanted, and the teacher says that if I learn these teachings, I can easily cure all sorts of diseases in people.
IN last words Saint Hermolai found a reason for a useful conversation and began in the heart of the young man, as on good soil, to sow the good seed of God’s words:
Believe me,” he said, “oh, good young man!” - I tell you one truth; the teaching and art of Asclepiades, Hippocrates and Galen are insignificant and can help little those who resort to them. And the gods whom King Maximian and your father and other pagans worship are vain and nothing more than fables and deception for the weak-minded. There is only one true and omnipotent God - Jesus Christ, in whom, if you believe, you will heal all kinds of illnesses by just calling on His Most Pure Name. For He gave sight to the blind, cleansed lepers, raised the dead; he drove out demons, whom the pagans worship, from people with one word; not only He Himself, but also His garments brought healing: for the wife, who had been plagued with bleeding for twelve years, as soon as she touched the hem of His garment, was immediately healed. But who can tell in detail about all His wonderful actions? Just as it is impossible to count the sand of the sea, the stars of heaven and the drops of water, so it is impossible to count the miracles and measure the greatness of God. And now He is a strong Helper to His servants, comforting the sad, healing the sick, delivering from disasters and freeing all enemy evils, not expecting to be begged by one or the other. but preventing prayers and even heart movement. He gives the power to do all this to those who love Him and sends them the gift of even greater miracles; finally gives endless life in the eternal glory of the heavenly kingdom.
Pantoleon believed these instructions of Saint Hermolai as true, taking them into his heart; With joy he delved into them with his mind and he said to the holy elder:
“I heard this many times from my mother and often saw how she prayed and called on that God about whom you tell me.”
From that day on, Pantoleon came to the elder every day and enjoyed his inspired conversations, strengthening himself in the knowledge of the true God. And when he returned from his teacher Euphrosynus, he did not come home until he visited the elder and received spiritually beneficial instructions from him.
The first Miracle of the Healer Panteleimon is the resurrection of a dead youth and the killing of the echidna, from whose bite he died. Baptism of Panteleimon
One day it happened to him, when on the way back from the teacher he turned a little to the side, to find a dead child, bitten by a huge viper, and the viper itself, lying right next to the stung one. Seeing this, Pantoleon was at first frightened and retreated a little, and then thought to himself like this:
Now the time has come for me to test and see if everything that Elder Ermolai said is true.
Looking up at the sky he said:
- Lord Jesus Christ, although I am unworthy to call upon You, if You want me to become Your servant, show Your power and make it so that your name, this boy came to life, and the viper died.
And immediately the boy, as if from sleep, stood up alive, but the viper split in half. Then Pantoleon, having completely believed in Christ, turned his physical and spiritual eyes to heaven and blessed God with joy and tears for having led him from darkness to the light of His knowledge. He quickly went to Saint Ermolai the presbyter, fell at his honest feet, asking for baptism. He told him about what had happened, how the dead youth came to life by the power of the name of Jesus Christ and how the viper that caused death died. Saint Hermolai, leaving the house, went with him to look at the dead viper and, seeing it, thanked God for the perfect miracle through which He brought Pantoleon to His knowledge. Returning home, he baptized the young man in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and, having performed the liturgy in his inner room, he communed with him the Divine Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Allegorical words of Panteleimon about His Baptism. Soul-saving questions for my father, in the hope of converting him to the true faith
After baptism, Pantoleon remained with the elder Ermolai for seven days, learning from the divine words communicated to him through the lips of the elder and the grace of Christ: how from a source of living water he fattened his soul to an abundance of spiritual fruits. On the eighth day he went to his home, and his father asked him:
My son, where have you been for so many days? Was I worried about you?
The saint replied:
“I was with the teacher at the king’s palace; they treated a sick man whom the king loved very much, and did not leave him for seven days until he was restored to health.
Thus spoke the saint, and he did not speak a lie, but under the guise of a parable, conveying the truth mysteriously and allegorically: in his mind he called Saint Hermolai the presbyter teacher; by the royal chamber he meant that inner peace in which things were done. divine sacrament, and called sick his soul, which he loved heavenly King and which was used for seven days by spiritual healing.
When the next morning he came to the teacher Euphrosynus, he asked him:
- Where have you been for so many days?
- My father, having bought the estate, sent me to accept it, and I slowed down, carefully examining everything that was there: because it was bought at a high price.
And he spoke allegorically about holy baptism, which he received, and about the other sacraments of the Christian faith, which he learned and which are all of extraordinary value, surpassing all riches, for they were purchased by the blood of Christ. Hearing this, Euphrosynus stopped his questions. Blessed Pantoleon was filled with the grace of God, carrying inside the treasure of the holy faith. He cared greatly about his father, how to lead him out of the darkness of idolatry and bring him to the light of the knowledge of Christ, and every day, talking with him with wisdom in parables and questions, he said to him:
Father! why the gods, made standing, as they were first placed, and stand to this day, never sit down; those who were made to sit until this day sit and never get up?
Your question is not entirely clear to me,” the father answered, “and I myself don’t know how to answer it.”
The saint, constantly asking other questions similar to this to his father, forced him to doubt his gods and gradually understand the lies and delusions of idolatry; the father had ceased to venerate idols as much as he had venerated them before, offering them numerous sacrifices and worship every day, but began to despise them and not worship them.
Seeing this, Pantoleon rejoiced that although he aroused doubts in his father regarding idols, he did not manage to completely turn him away from them. More than once Pantoleon wanted to break the idols of his father, of which there were many in his house, but he restrained himself, partly so as not to anger his father, whom, according to the commandments of God, must be revered, partly he expected that his father, having come to know the true God himself, would want to crush with his own hand their.
Miraculous healing of a blind man. Pateleimon's pagan father, Evstorgius, seeing this miracle, converts to Christianity
At that time, a blind man was brought to Pantoleon, asking for healing in this way:
I beg you, have mercy on me, blinded and deprived of precious light; all the doctors that there are in this city treated me and I did not receive any benefit from them, but I also lost the last glimmers of light that I could see, along with all my property; for I spent a lot rewarding them, and instead of healing, I received from them only harm and loss of time.
The saint objected to him:
If you gave away all your property to those doctors from whom you received no benefit, then how will you reward me if you receive healing and receive your sight?
“All the last little,” exclaimed the blind man, “that I have left, I will willingly give to you.”
The saint said:
The gift of insight, which opens the light for you, will be given to you by the Father of lights, the true God, through me, His unworthy servant, and you do not give what you promised to me, but give it to the poor.
Hearing this, Eustorgius, the father of Pantoleon, said to him:
My son! do not dare to touch such a thing that you cannot do, otherwise you will be ridiculed: what, in fact, can you do more than the best doctors who treated him and could not cure him?
“No one,” the saint objected, “of those doctors knows what remedy is used in this case, as I know, for there is a huge difference between them and between my teacher, who revealed this remedy to me.”
His father, thinking that he was talking about the teacher Euphrosynus, remarked:
I heard that your teacher also used this blind man and could not do anything.
Wait a little, my father! - answered Pantoleon, - and you will see the power of my healing.
With these words he touched the blind man's eyes with his fingers, saying:
In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, who enlightens the blind, receive your sight.
Immediately the eyes of the blind man opened and he began to see. And at that moment Pantoleon’s father, Eustorgius, together with the man who had received his sight, believed in Christ and were baptized by the holy presbyter Ermolai, and they were filled with great spiritual joy about the grace and power of Christ.
The overthrow of idols in the house of the Healer Panteleimon, the death of his father. Panteleimon performs many miraculous healings in the city
Then Eustorgius began to destroy all the idols in his house, in which his son Saint Pantoleon also helped him; Having crushed the idols into pieces, they threw the latter into one deep ditch and covered them with earth. After living for a short time after this, Eustorgius reposed in the Lord. Pantoleon, having become the heir to his father’s very rich estate, immediately granted freedom to male and female slaves, rewarding them generously; He began to distribute property to those in need: the poor, the poor, widows and orphans. He went around the prisons and, visiting all those who suffered in chains, consoled them with healing and donations of what they needed; Thus, he was a doctor not only of wounds, but also of the human poor; for everyone accepted endless alms from him; the poor were enriched by his bounty; and the grace of God helped him in his treatment. For he was given the gift of healing from above and he freely healed all sorts of diseases, not so much with pharmaceutical means, but by invoking the name of Jesus Christ. It was then that Pantoleon appeared, in reality, as Panteleimon, that is, all-merciful, both in name and in fact, showing mercy to everyone and not letting anyone go without alms or not consoled, for he gave help to those who were insufficient, and treated the sick without compensation. The whole city with its sick turned to him, leaving all other doctors, for no one received such quick and perfect healings as from Panteleimon, who successfully treated and did not accept payment from anyone. And the name of the all-merciful and free doctor became known throughout the people, and other doctors were condemned and ridiculed.
Hostile envy of doctors towards the gift of healing of St. Panteleimon, slander to the king. Tsar Maximian kills the first blind man healed by Panteleimon
As a result, considerable envy and enmity arose on the part of the doctors towards the saint; it began from the time when the above-mentioned blind man regained his sight. The matter arose as follows.
One day, when this blind man, who had received his sight thanks to Saint Panteleimon, was walking through the city, the doctors saw him and said to themselves:
Isn’t this the one who was blind and sought healing from us and we could not cure him? How can he see now? who and by what means healed him and opened his eyes?
And they asked him how he received his sight? And that man did not hide that his doctor was Panteleimon. Those, knowing that he was a student of Euphrosynus, said:
A great teacher makes a great student.
They did not know that the power of Christ acted through Panteleimon and, without realizing it, they confessed the truth that Panteleimon was a great disciple of the great teacher - Jesus Christ. But although with their lips they hypocritically praised the saint, yet in their hearts, out of envy, they conceived evil and watched the saint, looking for some accusation against him in order to destroy him. And noticing that he goes to prison and here heals the wounds of the disciples suffering for Christ, they told Maximian the tormentor:
Tsar! The young man whom you ordered to teach the art of medicine, wanting to have him with you in your chamber, despising your so obvious mercy towards him, went around the dungeons, treating prisoners who blasphemed our gods, philosophizing in the same way about our gods and inclining others to the same malice. . If you do not destroy him soon, you will cause yourself a lot of trouble, because you will see how many, thanks to his seductive teaching, will turn away from the gods. In fact, he attributes the medical art with which Pantoleon heals not to Aesculapius or another of the gods, but to some Christ, and everyone he treats believes in Him.
This is what the slanderers said, begging the king to order the summoning of the blind man healed by Pantoleon as proof and exact evidence of the truth of their words. And the king immediately ordered that the blind man who had received his sight be found, and when he was brought in, he asked him:
Tell me, man, how did Pantoleon heal your eyes?
He answered:
He called on the name of Christ, touched my eyes, and I immediately received my sight.
“What do you think,” the king turned to him, “Christ healed you or the gods?”
Tsar! - he answered, “these doctors whom you see around you put a lot of care into my healing for a long time; They took all my property and not only did not bring me any benefit, but they deprived me of the little vision that I had and finally blinded me. Panteleimon, by one calling of the name of Christ, made me sighted. Now you are on your own, oh king! judge and decide who is the best and real doctor: Either Aesculapius and other gods, who were called upon for a long time and did not help at all, or Christ, who was called only once by Panteleimon and immediately gave me healing.
Not knowing how to respond to this, the king, according to the custom of all tormentors, began to force him to commit wickedness:
Do not be mad, man, and do not remember Christ, for it is obvious that the gods have given you the opportunity to see the light.
The healed one, not paying attention to the authority of the king and not fearing the threats of the tormentor, answered Maximian more boldly than the blind man of the Gospel (John 9:27), who was once presented for questioning to the Pharisees:
You yourself are going crazy, oh king! calling your blind gods the givers of sight, and you yourself are like them, not wanting to see the truth.
Filled with anger, the king ordered to immediately take his life with a sword, and the head of the good confessor of the name of Jesus Christ was cut off, and he walked away to see face to face in the unflickering heavenly light the One whom he confessed on earth, having received bodily vision. Saint Panteleimon bought his body from the murderers and buried it near the body of his father.
Conversation between Panteleimon and Tsar Maximian. Healing the Paralytic
After that, the king ordered Pantoleon to be summoned to him. While the soldiers led the saint to the king, he sang the words of the Psalm of David: “O God of my praise, be not silent, for wicked lips and deceitful lips have been opened against me.”(Ps. 109:1-2) and further from that psalm. So he appeared in body before the earthly king, in spirit - before the Heavenly one.
King Maximian, looking at him without any anger, meekly began to convince him:
I have not heard good things about you, Pantoleon; They tell me that you condemn and humiliate Aesculapius and other gods in every possible way, but you glorify Christ, who died an evil death, and rely on Him and call Him alone God. It seems to you that you are not unaware of how much attention I paid to you and how great mercy I showed to you, that you were accepted in my palace, and I ordered your teacher, Euphrosynus, to quickly teach you the art of medicine, so that you would always be at your side. to me; But you, despising all this, turned away to my enemies. But, however, I don’t want to believe what they say about you; because people are used to telling a lot of lies. That is why I called you to tell the truth about yourself and expose the false slander of envious people against you, in the presence of everyone, making, as befits, a sacrifice to the great gods.
The saint answered:
Deeds, more than words, need to be given faith, O king! because truth is learned much more from deeds than from words. So, believe the stories about me, that I renounce Aesculapius and your other gods, and glorify Christ, because from His deeds I knew that He is the One True God. Listen briefly to the works of Christ: he created the heavens, established the earth, raised the dead, restored sight to the blind, cleansed the lepers, and in one word raised the paralytic from their beds. I don’t know what the gods you worship have done like this, and can they do it? If you now want to know the almighty power of Christ, you will see its effect immediately in reality. Order to bring here some person lying on his deathbed, about whom the doctors have lost hope, and let your priests come and call on their gods and I will call on my God - and whichever of the gods heals the sick person, let him be recognized as the One true God, others may they be rejected.
The king liked this advice of the saint, and he ordered to immediately look for such a sick person.
And then a man was brought to bed, weakened for many years, who could not act with a single member and was like some kind of insensitive tree. The priests, who served idols and were experienced in the art of medicine, also came and suggested to the saint that he first call on his Christ.
The saint objected to them:
If I call on my God and my God heals this paralytic, then whom will your gods heal? But let you be the first to call on your gods, and if they heal the sick, then there will be no reason to call on my God.
So the priests began to call on their gods: one - Aesculapius, the other - Zeus, the other - Diana, the others - other demons, and neither voice nor attention was noticeable. And for a long time they practiced their ungodly prayers without any success. The saint, seeing their futile efforts, laughed. Seeing him laughing, the king turned to Pantoleon:
If you can, Pantoleon, make this person healthy by calling on your God.
Let the priests leave, said the saint, and they left.
Then the saint, approaching the bed, raised his eyes to heaven and said the following prayer:
- “Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me; in the day of my tribulation, incline Your ear to me; on the day [when I cry to You], quickly hear me.”(Ps. 102:2-3); and show Your almighty power before those who do not know You, for everything is possible for You, O King of powers!
Having said this prayer, the saint took the paralytic by the hand and said:
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, stand up and be healthy!
And immediately the paralytic stood up, felt strength throughout his whole body and rejoiced as he walked, and, taking his bed, carried it to his house.
The pagan priests ask the king to destroy Panteleimon. The king tortures Saint Panteleimon: on the “torment” tree, in a cauldron with tin, in the depths of the sea, in an animal circus
Seeing such a miracle, many of those present believed in Christ; The priests who served the idols gnashed their teeth at the servant of Christ and turned to the king with these words:
If he remains alive, then the sacrifices to the gods will be destroyed, and we will be ridiculed by Christians; destroy him, O king! As soon as possible.
Then the king said to Pantoleon:
Bring, Pantoleon, a sacrifice to the gods, so as not to die in vain; You know, after all, how many people died because they renounced our gods and as a result of disobedience to our orders. Don’t you know how cruelly Elder Anfim was tortured?
“All those who died for Christ,” answered the saint, “did not perish, but found themselves eternal life. And if Anthimus, being old and weak in body, could endure cruel torment for our Lord, how much more should I, young and strong in body, fearlessly endure all the torments to which you condemn me, for I will consider life empty if I do not die for Christ, and if I die, I will consider it a gain.
The king ordered the naked martyr to be hanged on a torment tree and his body to be whittled with iron claws, his ribs being scorched with hot candles. He, enduring these sufferings, looked up to heaven and said:
Lord Jesus Christ! appear to me at this moment, give me patience so that I can endure the torment to the end.
And the Lord appeared to him in the form of presbyter Ermolai, saying:
Don't be afraid, I am with you.
And immediately the hands of the tormentors weakened and seemed to become dead, so that the instruments of torture fell out of them and the candles went out. Seeing this, the king ordered the martyr to be removed from the place of torment and said to him:
What is the power of your magic that the servants were exhausted and the candles went out?
The martyr answered like this:
My magic is Christ, whose almighty power does everything.
The king objected:
What will you do if I prescribe even more severe torment?!
“In great torment,” answered the martyr, “my Christ will show greater strength, sending me greater patience to shame you.” And I, having suffered more severe torments for Him, will receive greater rewards from Him.
Then the tormentor ordered to melt the tin in big cauldron and throw the martyr there. When the tin was boiling, they brought the martyr to the cauldron, but he raised his eyes to heaven and prayed like this:
When he prayed like this, the Lord again appeared to him in the form of Ermolai, and, taking him by the hand, he entered the cauldron with him, and immediately the fire went out and the tin cooled, and the martyr sang the words of the psalm: “I will cry to God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry, and He will hear my voice.”(Ps. 54:17-18). Those present marveled at the miracle, and the king exclaimed:
What will finally happen if the fire goes out and the tin gets cold? What kind of torment will I give this wizard over to?
Those ahead advised:
Let him be thrown into deep sea, because he cannot bewitch the entire sea - and he will perish immediately.
The torturer commanded that this be done.
The servants, seizing the martyr, took him to the sea, put him in a boat, tying a large stone around his neck; Having sailed far from the shore, they threw him into the sea, and themselves returned to the shore. When the saint was thrown into the sea, Christ appeared to him again, as the first time, in the form of Ermolai, and the stone tied to the martyr’s neck became as light as a leaf, so that Panteleimon stayed with him on the surface of the sea, without sinking, but, as if on dry land, he walked on the waters, guided, as the Apostle Peter once was, by the right hand of Christ; he went ashore, singing and glorifying God, and appeared before the king. The king was indescribably amazed at such a miracle, exclaiming:
What is the power of your magic, Pantoleon, that you subjugated the sea to it?
And the sea, the saint explained, obeys its Master and fulfills His will.
So you own the sea too? - asked the king.
“Not I,” answered the martyr, “but my Christ, the Creator and Ruler of all visible and invisible creation.” He possesses both heaven and earth, and equally the sea: "Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path is in the great waters"(Ps. 77:20).
After this, the tormentor ordered to prepare an animal circus outside the city in order to give the martyr to be devoured by wild beasts. The whole city gathered for this spectacle, wanting to see how the beautiful and innocently suffering young man would be tormented by animals. The king also appeared here; Having brought the martyr, he pointed his finger at the animals with the following words:
They are prepared for you; So, listen to me, take care of your youth, spare the beauty of your body, make a sacrifice to the gods, otherwise you will die a cruel death, tormented by the teeth of beasts.
The saint expressed a desire to be torn to pieces by beasts rather than obey such evil advice and command. And they threw him to the beasts. The Lord, too, appeared to the saint in the form of the presbyter Ermolai, blocked the mouths of the beasts and made them meek, like sheep, so that, creeping up to the saint, they licked his feet. He stroked them with his hand and each of the animals tried to have the saint’s hand touch him, pushing one another aside. The people, seeing this, were amazed and loudly exclaimed:
Great is the Christian God! may the innocent and righteous young man be released!
Then the king, filled with anger, brought out soldiers with drawn swords against those who glorified Christ God, and many of the people who believed in Christ were killed; The king ordered to kill all the animals. Seeing this, the martyr cried out:
Glory to You, Christ God, that not only people, but animals die for You!
Great Martyr Panteleimon in prison, conversation with the king. Death of the Holy Martyrs Presbyter Hermolai (teacher of Panteleimon) and those who served with him, Hermippos and Hermocrates
And the king left the scene of the spectacle, grieving and angry, and threw the martyr into prison. The killed people, taken by their own, were buried, and the animals were left to be devoured by dogs and carnivorous birds. But even here a great miracle happened: these animals lay for many days without any touch, not only from dogs, but also from birds, and what’s more, their corpses did not emit a smell. Having learned this, the king ordered them to be thrown into a deep ditch and covered with earth. For the martyr, he ordered to build a terrible wheel, studded with sharp spokes. When they tied the saint to him and began to turn the wheel, the wheel immediately, by the action of an invisible force, shattered into pieces and many who stood nearby were wounded to death, and the martyr came off the wheel safe and sound. And fear fell upon everyone, in view of such miracles with which God was glorified in the face of His saint. And the king was greatly amazed and asked the martyr:
Who taught you to perform such great magical acts?
“I was taught not magic, but true Christian piety,” said the martyr, “by the holy man Presbyter Ermolai.
Where is your teacher Ermolai, - asked the king, - do we want to see him?
The martyr, understanding in spirit that the time of the crown of martyrdom was approaching for Ermolai, answered the king:
If you order, I will call him to you.
And the saint was released, accompanied by three soldiers guarding him, to call for the presbyter Ermolai.
When the martyr came to the house in which the presbyter lived, the elder, seeing him, asked:
Why have you come, my son?
Lord and father, the king is calling you.
“You came at the right time to call me,” said the elder, “because the hour of my suffering and death has come; for that night the Lord appeared to me and announced: “Hermolai, you must suffer much for Me, like My servant Panteleimon.”
With these words, the elder joyfully went with the martyr and appeared before the king. The king, seeing the presbyter, asked him about his name. The saint, calling his name, did not hide his faith, loudly calling himself a Christian. The king asked him again:
Is there anyone else of the same faith as you?
The elder answered:
I have two co-servants, true servants of Christ, Hermippos and Hermocrates.
Then the king ordered them to be brought before him and said to those three servants of Christ:
It was you who turned Pantoleon away from our gods?
Christ Himself, they objected, our God calls those whom He considers worthy to Himself, leading them from the darkness of idolatry to the light of His knowledge.
Now, - the king suggested, - leave your false words and turn Pantoleon back to the gods, then your first guilt will be forgiven and you will earn honors from me to such an extent that you will become my closest friends in my palace.
“How can we do this,” the saints asked firmly, “if we ourselves are preparing to die with him for Christ our God?! Neither we nor he will renounce Christ, much less offer sacrifices to deaf and soulless idols.
Having said this, they turned all their thoughts to God and began to pray, raising their eyes to heaven. And the Savior appeared to them from above, and immediately an earthquake occurred and the area shook.
“You see how the gods are angry with you,” the king proclaimed, “they are shaking the earth!”
“You said the truth,” the saints agreed, “that because of your gods the earth shook, for they fell from their places to the ground and were broken, overthrown by the power of our God, who was angry with you!”
When they said this, a messenger from the temple came running to the king with the news that all their idols had fallen to the ground and crumbled to dust. The mad ruler, seeing in all this not the power of God, but the magic of Christians, exclaimed:
Truly, if we do not destroy these Magi at the earliest speed, then the whole city will perish because of them.
He ordered Panteleimon to be taken to prison, but Elder Ermolai and his two friends with him, subjected to many tortures, were condemned to be beheaded with a sword. And so the three holy martyrs: Presbyter Hermolai and those who served with him, Hermippus and Hermocrates, having accomplished their martyrdom, together appeared before the Holy Trinity in heavenly glory.
Death of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon through the beheading of His Honorable Head. A miracle revealed by the Lord during the execution
After the murder of the three holy martyrs, the king, ordering that Saint Panteleimon be presented before him, addressed him with the following words:
I have converted many from Christ to our gods, but you are the only one who does not want to listen to me. Your teacher Ermolai and both of his friends bowed to the gods and made a sacrifice to them, and I honored them with an honorary rank in my palace. Do the same and you will receive the same honor with them.
The martyr, knowing in his spirit that the saints had died, asked the king:
Order them to come here so that I can see them before you.
“They are not here now,” the king lied, “because I sent them to another city, where they will receive great wealth.”
“So you, against your will, spoke the truth,” the saint explained to him, “you sent them away from here, putting them to death, and they really went to the heavenly city of Christ to receive riches that cannot be seen by the eye.
The king, seeing that the martyr could in no way be swayed to wickedness, ordered him to be severely beaten and, having subjected him to cruel wounds, condemned him to death, to have his head cut off with a sword, and ordered his body to be put on fire. And the soldiers took him and led him to beheading outside the city.
The saint, going to his death, sang a psalm of David: “They pressed me a lot from my youth, but they did not overcome me. On my ridge the Oratai screamed.”(Ps. 129:2-3). And so on until the end of the words of that psalm.
When the soldiers took the martyr away from the city to a distance of more than one mile, then they came to the place where the Lord wanted His servant to die; they tied Panteleimon to an olive tree and, approaching, the executioner struck the saint on the neck with his sword, but the iron bent like wax, and the saint’s body did not take the blow; because he had not yet finished his prayer.
The warriors exclaimed in horror:
Great is the Christian God!
And, falling at the feet of the saint, they asked:
We pray to you, servant of God! pray for us, that our sins may be forgiven, which we did to you by order of the king.
When the saint was praying, a voice was heard from heaven, addressed to him and approving his renaming; because the Lord, instead of Pantoleon, called him Panteleimon, clearly giving him grace to have mercy on all those who come running to him in all sorts of troubles and sorrows - and the Lord called him to heaven. The saint, filled with joy, ordered the soldiers to behead him with a sword; but they did not want to, because they were afraid and trembling attacked them. - Then the saint addressed them with these words:
If you do not fulfill what has been entrusted to you, you will not receive mercy from my Christ.
The soldiers approached and first kissed his whole body; then they assigned one - and he cut off the martyr's head and instead of blood, milk flowed. From that moment on, the olive tree was covered with fruit from root to top. Seeing this, many of the people who were at the truncation believed in Christ.
The king was informed about the miracles performed here, and he immediately ordered that olive tree to be cut into pieces and burned along with the body of the martyr.
When the fire went out, the believers took the saint's body from the ashes, undamaged by the fire, and buried the scholastic Adamantius with honor on the nearby land.
Lawrence, Vassa and Provian, who served at the martyr’s house, followed him from afar, saw all his torment and heard a voice from heaven that came to him, wrote a story about his life and torment and handed it over to the holy churches in memory of the martyr, for the benefit of those who read and listen. to the glory of Christ our God with the Father and the Holy Spirit, glorified now and always and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Saint Panteleimon was beheaded on July 27, 305. In Basil's monthly book it is said that the blood and milk that expired during the beheading of the saint were stored until the 10th century. and gave healings to the believers; This is also mentioned in the Greek verse prologue of the 12th century. Memory of St. Since ancient times, Panteleimon has been especially revered in the East; The churches built in his name in Armenian Sebastia and in Constantinople date back to the 4th century. His relics were transferred to Constantinople; from there most of moved to Paris in Saint-Denis, and the chapter supposedly to Lyon in 802, but the Russian pilgrim Anthony in 1200 saw its chapter in Sofia in Constantinople, and according to the testimony of Stefan Novgorod (1350) in the 14th century. relics of St. Panteleimon rested in the Blachernae Church in Constantinople. Some of the relics are now in the Athos Panteleimon Monastery.
The great martyr and healer Panteleimon was born in the city of Nicomedia into the family of a noble pagan Eustorgius and named Pantoleon. His mother Evvula was a Christian. She wanted to raise her son in the Christian faith, but died when the future great martyr was still a young boy. His father sent Pantoleon to an elementary pagan school, after which the young man began to study the art of medicine from the famous physician Euphrosynus in Nicomedia and became known to Emperor Maximian (284-305), who wanted to see him at his court.
At the same time, the holy martyrs Presbyters Hermolai, Hermippus and Hermocrates, who survived the burning of 20,000 Christians in the Nicomedia Church in 303, secretly lived in Nicomedia. Saint Hermolai repeatedly saw Pantoleon walking past their shelter. One day the presbyter called the young man into his home and told him about the Christian faith. After this, Pantoleon visited the holy martyr Ermolai every day.
Once a young man saw a dead child on the street, bitten by an echidna that was still nearby. Pantoleon began to pray to the Lord Jesus Christ for the resurrection of the deceased and the killing of the poisonous reptile. He firmly decided that if his prayer was fulfilled, he would become a follower of Christ and accept Baptism. The child came to life, and the echidna scattered into pieces in front of Pantoleon.
After this miracle, Pantoleon was baptized by Saint Hermolai with the name Panteleimon (all-merciful). Talking with Eustorgius, Saint Panteleimon prepared him for the adoption of Christianity, and when the father saw how his son healed a blind man by invoking the Name of Jesus Christ, he believed in Christ and was baptized together with the blind man who had received his sight.
After the death of his father, Saint Panteleimon dedicated his life to the suffering, sick, poor and poor. He treated everyone who turned to him free of charge, healing them in the Name of Jesus Christ. He visited prisoners in prison, especially Christians, with whom all prisons were overcrowded, and treated them for their wounds. Soon the rumor about the gracious doctor spread throughout the city. Leaving other doctors, the residents began to turn only to Saint Panteleimon.
Out of envy, the doctors reported to the emperor that Saint Panteleimon was treating Christian prisoners. Maximian persuaded the saint to refute the denunciation and sacrifice to idols, but Saint Panteleimon confessed himself to be a Christian and, in front of the emperor’s eyes, healed the paralytic in the Name of Jesus Christ. The fierce Maximian executed the healed man who had glorified Christ, and betrayed Saint Panteleimon to the most severe torment.
The Lord appeared to the saint and strengthened him before suffering. The Great Martyr Panteleimon was hanged on a tree and torn with iron claws, burned with candles, then stretched on a wheel, thrown into boiling tin, and thrown into the sea with a stone around his neck. During all the tortures, the great martyr remained unharmed and boldly denounced the emperor.
At the same time, the presbyters Hermolai, Hermippus and Hermocrates appeared before the court of the pagans. All three firmly confessed their faith in the Savior and were beheaded (information about them was published on July 26).
By order of the emperor, the Great Martyr Panteleimon was thrown to be torn to pieces by wild animals in the circus. But the animals licked his feet and pushed each other away, trying to touch the saint’s hand. The spectators rose from their seats and began to shout: “Great is the Christian God!” The enraged Maximian ordered the soldiers to cut down with swords all who glorified the Name of Christ, and to cut off the head of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.
The saint was brought to the place of execution and tied to an olive tree. When the great martyr was praying, one of the soldiers hit him with a sword, but the sword became soft like wax and did not cause any wound. The saint finished his prayer, and a Voice was heard calling the passion-bearer by name and summoning Heavenly Kingdom. Hearing the Voice from Heaven, the soldiers fell to their knees before the holy martyr and asked for forgiveness. The executioners refused to continue the execution, but the Great Martyr Panteleimon ordered that the emperor’s order be carried out, saying that otherwise they would not have a part with him in future life. The soldiers said goodbye to the saint with tears, kissing him.
When the martyr's head was cut off, milk flowed from the wound. The olive tree to which the saint was tied became covered with fruit at the moment of his death. Many present at the execution believed in Christ. The body of the saint, thrown into the fire, remained undamaged in the fire and was buried by Christians († 305). The servants of the Great Martyr Panteleimon, Lawrence, Vassa and Provian, saw his execution and heard a Voice from Heaven. They wrote a story about the life, suffering and death of the holy great martyr.
The holy relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon were dispersed in pieces throughout the Christian world: his venerable head is now in the Russian Athos Monastery in the name of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.
The veneration of the holy martyr in the Russian Orthodox Church has been known since the 12th century. Prince Izyaslav, baptized Panteleimon, son of Saint Mstislav the Great, had an image of the Great Martyr Panteleimon on his helmet. Thanks to the saint's intercession, he remained alive during the war of 1151. On the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Panteleimon, Russian troops won two naval victories over the Swedes (in 1714 at Gangauze, in 1720 at Grenham).
The Great Martyr Panteleimon is revered in the Orthodox Church as a formidable saint, the patron saint of warriors. This side of veneration reveals his first name Pantoleon, which means "lion in everything." The second name given at Baptism is Panteleimon, that is, “all-merciful,” revealed from the veneration of the great martyr as a healer. Among Western Christians, he is considered the patron saint of doctors. The connection between these two patronages of the saint is clearly visible from the fact that warriors, who receive wounds more often than others, need a doctor-healer the most. That is why Christians waging spiritual warfare also resort to this saint with a request to heal the ulcers of the soul.
The name of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon is invoked when performing the sacrament of the Blessing of Unction, the blessing of water and in prayer for the weak.
The day of remembrance of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon in the Russian monastery on Mount Athos is a temple holiday. The forefeast begins 8 days before the holiday, during which, after Vespers, prayer canons are sung in 8 voices, with a special canon for each day. The second day of the holiday is ktitor's day. On the very day of the holiday, after Vespers, the cathedral holds a memorial service for the deceased builders and benefactors of the monastery, consecrates it and distributes kolivo (kutia). The choruses to the 9th song of the canon to the great martyr and healer Panteleimon according to the handwritten Athonite service were published in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate (1975, No. 3, pp. 45-47).
Saint Panteleimon's father was an infidel, and his mother was a Christian, and from early childhood she raised her son in piety, teaching him to believe in the One True God and our Lord Jesus Christ and to please Him with good deeds.
But his mother died when Saint Panteleimon was still very young, and, raised by his father, he left the Christian faith. Having received an excellent secular education and being distinguished by his intelligence and beauty, Panteleimon was noticed by the king and was already preparing to enter his service.
However merciful Lord, wanting to save the lost young man, brought him together with the priest Ermolai. He, having talked with Panteleimon, told him: “Believe me, oh good young man! Jesus Christ is the True and Almighty God. And if you believe in Christ, you will heal all kinds of illnesses with one invocation of His Most Pure Name. Just as it is impossible to number the sand of the sea, celestial stars and drops of water, it is impossible to count miracles and measure the greatness of God.” From that day on, Panteleimon came every day to Elder Ermolai and talked with him, strengthening himself in the knowledge of the True God.
One day he happened to find a dead child on the road, bitten a huge snake, and the snake itself lying nearby. Seeing this, Panteleimon thought: “Now the time has come for me to test and make sure whether everything that Elder Ermolai said is true.” Looking at the sky, he said: “Lord Jesus Christ, although I am unworthy to call on You, if You want me to become Your servant, show Your power and make the boy come to life and the snake die in Your name.” And immediately the boy stood up alive, and the snake fell apart in half. Then Panteleimon completely believed in Christ, accepted holy baptism and received communion of the Divine Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ.
After this, the saint distributed all his property to the poor and began to do many good deeds. He was given the gift of healing by God, and he healed all kinds of illnesses free of charge by calling on the name of Jesus Christ. Then all the residents of the city began to resort only to Saint Panteleimon for help, and to laugh at other doctors. The doctors were offended and reported to the wicked Tsar Maximian that Panteleimon was a Christian.
The king began to persuade the saint to renounce Christ, but to no avail. Then he ordered the naked martyr to be hanged on a tree and his body to be whittled with iron claws, his ribs being scorched with candles. The saint, enduring these torments, exclaimed: Lord Jesus Christ! Appear to me at this moment and give me patience to endure the torment to the end.” And the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not be afraid, I am with you.” And immediately the hands of the tormentors seemed to become dead.
Then the king ordered to melt the tin in a large cauldron and throw the martyr into it. Panteleimon prayed to God, and the Lord appeared to him again, and, taking him by the hand, entered the cauldron with him. And immediately the fire went out, and the tin cooled.
Then the king decided to drown Saint Panteleimon. They tied a large stone around his neck and threw him into the sea far from the shore. But Christ again appeared to the martyr, and he went ashore, singing and glorifying God.
When they tried to give Panteleimon to be eaten by wild animals, the Lord tamed them with His power, so that, crawling towards the saint, the predators licked his feet.
After this, the king ordered the martyr to be brutally beaten and then cut off his head with a sword.
Thus, the holy Great Martyr Panteleimon reposed in the Lord (305) and now gives grace and healing from God to all who come to him with faith.
In our article we will try to find out as much as possible about the life of the holy healer Panteleimon. We will see icons and learn the texts of prayers directed to this saint.
Sultry summer days the parish churches are not crowded. The Orthodox people are in a hurry to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, weeding, watering, hilling. It’s true – a summer day feeds the year. But then the ninth of August comes, and Orthodox Christians wipe the sweat from their faces, straighten their stiff backs, and put on clean shirts. This day in church calendar is not marked in red, is not revered as the great holiday of the Twelve, but there are so many people in churches... And small village churches, crooked by years of fighting against God, and city churches firmly rooted in the ground, and polished, immaculate capital and monastery churches - all sparkle with crosses on hot summer sun, everyone opens their gates for the holiday.
Of course, today is the day of remembrance of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon, the same one whom we ask in our prayers to save us, our children, parents, acquaintances, friends, neighbors, distant and close relatives from illness, illness, and infirmity. Write any name in the note about health, and it will come in handy. There are no healthy people among us now. Everyone is weak. And it’s not so bad if it’s physical, but if it’s spiritually ill, then it’s a complete disaster.
I remember my recent “conflict” in the temple near the icon of the healer Panteleimon. Quietly, so as not to disturb the old lady mopping the floor, I tell my friend:
– The healer Panteleimon lived in the first Christian times, in Nicomedia. It’s far away, in Asia Minor on the shores of the Sea of Marmara...
“You’re talking nonsense,” the old woman attacks me, “in Asia Minor there’s some... He’s Russian.” Ours, dear. Why do you confuse a person?
So that “a flame would not ignite from a spark,” I remained silent then. Russian and Russian. Now I'll tell you. Yes, he lived in Nicomedia. There was one a beautiful city V ancient state Bithynia. The icon shows a brown-eyed, handsome young man in yellow-green clothes. Curly hair frame a beautiful face. Sad and calm look. Panteleimon. Great martyr and healer. Life is short, like the light of a candle.
He was a kind doctor and showed promise. Even the emperor favored him. But a handsome boy with curly hair, he broke the silence of his peace and well-being with a joyful and bold exclamation: “My God is Jesus Christ! I believe!” And - the countdown towards inhuman suffering began. He was forced to abandon the Christian faith and return to paganism. He was threatened. He was tortured. He was promised all the riches of the earth. But his face was bright and his words were invariable: “I believe!”
In the name of Christ, he treated the lame, the blind, and lepers. In the name of Christ he helped the disadvantaged. And in the name of Christ he accepted martyrdom. This was in 305. Since those distant times, the Great Martyr Panteleimon has not turned his back on those whom he helped during his lifetime. The sick and disadvantaged have not diminished over the centuries. On the contrary, time promoted sin, and sin promoted disease.
I don’t know a temple where there would not be an icon of the healer Panteleimon. This is truly ours, dear one, so what if he’s from Nicomedia. And in Orthodox homes his icon is required. Sick, weak Rus' prays, asks its saint for help. Believes him. That’s why he throws away the half-weeded beds on the day of his blessed memory. There are especially many poor people in the churches on this day. Crutches, wheelchairs, faces distorted by convulsions, bloodshot eyes, stumps of arms, heart-rending screams of madness - everything is here today. Some people just enter the temple and rush to the candle box to buy a candle, light it and ask: “Help, healer. To me, my mother, son, daughter, sister, brother, daughter-in-law, stepfather..."
Does it really help? Can this young doctor, who left the luxurious imperial palace under torture and on the chopping block, hear us? Many stories of his healings are preserved in ancient chronicles, and parish priests and priests in monasteries know how many cases from their own practice. And I know a lot of them. And I’ll tell you about one. Not seen, not heard. Happened to me. Believe the original source.
I was on a sea pilgrimage voyage. Behind are Constantinople, Cyprus, the Holy Land of Jerusalem, ahead is Greece. Tomorrow early in the morning we will dock at the sun-drenched port of Thessaloniki and go on a boat trip along the Athos peninsula, where Orthodox monks live. The monastery is called Panteleimonov in memory of the healer Panteleimon. But that’s tomorrow... And today is a friendly evening in one of the cabins.
Thessaloniki
One of the pilgrims has a birthday. I remember the bottle of champagne in my cabin, it will be very useful at our feast. I run, run for a gift along the narrow deck, along the same row of cabin doors, along the steep ship stairs. I'm in a hurry. Everyone has already gathered and is waiting for me - with champagne. And suddenly - something flashed right next to the eyes, slashed with unbearable pain. I don't remember anything else. I came to my senses in my own cabin. Lie. A friend leaned over me. There's another one nearby. I hear the words of their prayer: “Servant of God Natalia.” My heart went cold. They're having a funeral service, or what? I can hardly move my tongue - stop.
“Hush,” they tell me, “you can’t talk.”
What happened to me? At that moment, when I ran down the stairs, the ship’s hundred-kilogram cook sharply, with all his might, opened the galley door. I was in a hurry too. The door is heavy, massive, with sharp metal edges. One edge of it hit me squarely on the forehead. I cut it without much difficulty.
They didn't give me a mirror for a long time. And when they did give it... It would have been better not to have given it. A bleeding wound, a swollen eye, a distorted face. A prayer was read above me for the sick Natalia, and I, swallowing tears, said goodbye to tomorrow’s walk along Mount Athos. Where should I go now? I suffered all night. My head was aching from pain, no compresses helped. But in the morning, exhausted and sleep-deprived, I still decide to go for a walk to Mount Athos. They say: look at yourself. What should I watch? And so I know that it can’t be worse. But the monastery of Panteleimon, and Panteleimon is a healer! Will he really leave the traumatized pilgrim from Russia with his prayers?
They put me in the front seat of the bus. A friend keeps medicines ready. I sit, afraid to move. The beauty outside the window is not pleasing, it hurts, oh, what a headache. Sympathetic glances: so how? It’s normal – I smile strainedly. And I myself have already regretted it a hundred times: where I’m going, I would lie in my cabin...
We transfer to the ferry and head towards Athos. The monks of the Panteleimon Monastery greet us with the ringing of bells. A cheerful, sunny sound scattered across the surface of the sea... a boat separated from the monastery pier. There are three monks in it, catching up with our ferry and changing seats. A small carved reliquary is carefully and reverently held in their hands. The relics of the healer Panteleimon... God's saint He appeared himself, to us, whose infirmities are countless, to me, sitting in the shade under a blue umbrella, so tired from the raw wound on my forehead. That's true ambulance! I wouldn’t even dare to suggest that my prayers were answered, but there are so many monks, priests, and deeply religious pilgrims on the ship. Many people sympathized with me, maybe they prayed?
We take turns approaching the ark and venerating the holy relics. We are worried, we understand that this is a special moment in our lives. It's my turn. Having venerated the relics, I mentally ask the healer to heal, help me in weakness, and I perform a daring act: with my tormented forehead I touch the darkening relics in the ark. And in the evening... in the evening the pilgrims had unexpected entertainment: they looked on my forehead... for traces of the wound. The tumor subsided, the eye opened, the wound healed, and only a thin, barely noticeable thread of the scar lay on my forehead as a memory of the pain that had passed and the miracle that had happened.
Monastery of St. Panteleimon
Here's the story. Among my colleagues in the editorial office there are two who traveled with me and are ready to confirm what was said. But why do we need confirmation? If there had been no help from the Nicomedia saint, people would not have come to him. Remember what doctors we go to? To those whom they recommend to us. And they recommend it after they have helped someone. Rumor, both good and bad, is always quick in Rus'. And if they are already going, if they are already falling before the icon, if they are revering them as one of their own, as a dear one, Panteleimon helps. It helps some, good word of mouth reaches others. So the glory of the saint of God goes across Rus', and there are always candles in front of his icon.
It just so happened that for two years in a row I celebrated the holiday of his memory in New Athos, in Abkhazia. The New Athos monastery was built on the model of that Greek one, and is also called Panteleimonov. Patronal feast day in the first year after the recent war. There was a hospital here. Sandbags still stick out in the window openings. Father Vissarion, a local priest, delivers a sermon. And suddenly a simple and unexpected thought: a hospital, well, of course, what else could there have been here during the war? Barracks, hospital. The healer gathered the wounded here under his protection, alleviated their suffering, helped them gain strength and survive. True to his healing craft, the saint unites the heavenly and earthly hospitals. Just as he was a skilled doctor on earth, so he remained one in heaven. And from there his help, his prayer, his miracles came to us.
New Athos Monastery in Abkhazia
Lately, in doctors’ offices, the eye has been caught by the icon of the healer Panteleimon. Good sign. Together it is always more convenient. And the phrase to the doctor – “Heal yourself” – is full of great meaning. Anyone who has achieved it can no longer be a failed doctor.
Is it possible to live at home without the icon of this heavenly healer? After all, we run to the hospital if it’s completely unbearable, but in life, what don’t we tolerate, what doesn’t happen? My finger was burned by a hot frying pan. We slipped out of the blue, turned around awkwardly, and took a sip of ice-cold mineral water from the refrigerator. Or we fell into depression, or in anger brought ourselves to a hysterical fit... “Do not abhor my sinful ulcers,” we say these words from a prayer to Saint Panteleimon the Healer and go to the icon. Let's be silent, concentrate, pray. And the pain will go away, and the anger will dull, and depression will dry up before it has time to bloom in magnificent color.
Give it a try. It's so simple. What if your own will be added to the overall rich experience of healing through the prayers of the saint. And you will tell your friends and acquaintances about it: “It happened to me, and it helped me.” And the area where the great healer labors will increase by one more healed person.
There is only one obligatory condition for prayer - humility. Otherwise, people often enter the temple, walk with measured steps, without looking around, walk to the icon of the healer Panteleimon, and light a candle. They turn around and leave with their heads held high. They don’t ask humbly, they demand. A candle is like a receipt in a store. Paid. Now take the goods out and put them down. But there is no product - a book of complaints! I came, asked, lit a candle - it didn’t help! And it won't help! Because “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
The healer Panteleimon is depicted on icons with a small casket in his left hand and a thin spoon in his right. There are healing potions in the chest. He knows which one is which. Desperate people, exhausted from walking through doctors' offices where equally desperate doctors sit, come to him from all over Rus' for healing. It will be done for you according to your faith, said the Lord. And it is given by faith to those who believe. And it is not given - due to unbelief.
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