Today the Church remembers St. Panteleimon, Martyr.
Ora pro nobis.
Panteleimon was born in the city of Nicomedia in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) into the family of the illustrious pagan Eustorgius, and he was named Pantoleon, meaning “a lion in all things”, indicating his father’s desire that his son would grow up to be a formidable man. His mother Euboula was a Christian. She wanted to raise her son in the Christian Faith, but she died when he was just a young child. His father sent Pantoleon to a pagan school, after which the young man studied medicine at Nicomedia under the renowned physician Euphrosynus. Pantoleon came to the attention of the emperor Galerius (293-305 AD), who wished to appoint him as royal physician when he finished his schooling.
The hieromartyrs Hermolaus, Hermippus and Hermocrates, survivors of the massacre of 20,000 Christians who were burned alive on Christmas Day in 303 AD during the persecution of Diocletian (303-305 AD) were living secretly in Nicomedia at that time. Saint Hermolaus saw Pantoleon time and again when he came to the house where they were hiding. Once, the priest invited the youth to the house and spoke about the Christian Faith. After this Pantoleon visited Saint Hermolaus every day.
One day the saint found a dead child on the street. He had been bitten by a great snake, which was still beside the child’s body. Pantoleon began to pray to the Lord Jesus Christ to revive the dead child and to destroy the venomous reptile. He firmly resolved that if his prayer were fulfilled, he would become a follower of Christ and receive Baptism. The child rose up alive, and the snake died before Pantoleon’s eyes.
After this miracle, Pantoleon was baptized by Saint Hermolaus with the name Panteleimon (meaning “all-merciful”). Speaking with his father Eustorgius, Saint Panteleimon prepared him to accept Christianity. When the father saw how his son healed a blind man by invoking Jesus Christ, he then believed in Christ and was baptized by Saint Hermolaus together with the man whose sight was restored.
Upon his father’s death, he came into possession of a large fortune. He freed his slaves and, distributing his wealth among the poor, developed a great reputation in Nicomedia. He healed them in the name of Jesus Christ. He visited those held captive in prison. These were usually Christians, and he healed them of their wounds. In a short time, reports of the charitable physician spread throughout the city. Forsaking the other doctors, the inhabitants began to turn only to Saint Panteleimon. Envious colleagues denounced him to the emperor during the Diocletianic persecution (which started in 303 AD and continued under Maximian until 311 AD. Many scholars believe that the persecution of Christians under Diocletian was actually instigated by Galerius, whom Diocletian had appointed as one of three co-emperors. Diocletian wanted primarily to purge the military of Christians and impose only legal repercussions, but Maximian wanted Christians to be executed by being burned alive. Galerius was equally fierce. This edict of persecution was followed in most of the empire, though co-emperors in some provinces ignored it, such as Roman Britain and Gaul, where co-emperor Constantius, whose wife Helena was a Christian, ignored it, as did his successor and son Constantine. It was Galerius who ended this era of persecution with an edict in April 311 AD. Strangely, during his last bout of illness, his last request was that Christians should pray for him as he suffered with a painful and fatal illness. It was Constantine who officially ended the persecution of Christians in 312 AD.).
Panteleimon suggested that a sick person, for whom the doctors held out no hope, should be brought before the emperor. Then the doctors could invoke their gods, and Panteleimon would pray to his God to heal the man. A man paralyzed for many years was brought in, and pagan priests who knew the art of medicine invoked their gods without success. Then, before the very eyes of the emperor, the saint healed the paralytic by calling on the name of Jesus Christ. The emperor Maximian wished to save him and sought to persuade him to apostasy, and urged the saint to refute the charge by offering sacrifice to idols. Panteleimon, however, openly confessed the Faith. The ferocious Maximian executed the healed man, and,regarding the miracle as an exhibition of sorcery, gave Saint Panteleimon over to fierce tortures and condemned him to death.
The Lord appeared to the saint and strengthened him before his sufferings. They suspended Panteleimon from a tree and scraped him with iron hooks, burned him with fire and then stretched him on the rack, threw him into a cauldron of boiling tar, and cast him into the sea with a stone around his neck. Throughout these tortures the martyr remained unhurt, and he denounced the emperor in continued to confess the Faith.
At this time, the priests Hermolaus, Hermippus and Hermocrates were discovered and were brought before the court of the pagans. All three confessed their faith in the Savior and were beheaded.
By order of the emperor they then brought Panteleimon to the circus to be devoured by wild beasts. The animals, however, came up to him and licked his feet. The spectators began to shout, “Great is the God of the Christians!” The enraged Maximian ordered the soldiers to stab with the sword anyone who glorified Christ, and to cut off the head of the Panteleimon.
They led the saint to the place of execution and tied him to an olive tree. While the martyr prayed, one of the soldiers struck him with a sword, but the sword became soft like wax and inflicted no wound. The saint completed his prayer, and a Voice was heard from Heaven, calling the passion-bearer by his new name and summoning him to the heavenly Kingdom.
Hearing the Voice, the soldiers fell down on their knees before the holy martyr and begged forgiveness. They refused to continue with the execution, but Saint Panteleimon told them to fulfill the emperor’s command, because otherwise they would have no share with him in the future life. The soldiers tearfully took their leave of the saint with a kiss.
When the saint was beheaded, the olive tree to which the saint was tied became covered with fruit. Many who were present at the execution believed in Christ. The saint’s body was thrown into a fire, but remained unharmed, and was buried by Christians. Saint Panteleimon’s servants Laurence, Bassos and Probus witnessed his execution and heard the Voice from Heaven. They recorded the life, the sufferings and death of the saint.
Portions of the holy relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon were distributed throughout all the Christian world. His venerable head is now located at the Russian monastery of Saint Panteleimon on Mt. Athos.
Saint Panteleimon is venerated in the Orthodox Church as a mighty saint and healer. His prayers are invoked in the Mystery of Anointing the Sick, at the Blessing of Water, and in the Prayers for the Sick.
Almighty God, who gave to your servant Panteleimon boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, the power to heal the sick, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
