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Troparion in Tone 3
O holy prize-winner and healer Panteleimon,
intercede with our merciful God
that He may grant to our souls
the forgiveness of our sins.
Kontakion in Tone 5
Thou didst faithfully follow the Merciful One
and wast granted the grace of healing.
O prize-winner and Martyr of Christ our God
by thine intercessions heal the diseases of our souls
and banish the snares of the enemy
from those who cry with faith: Save us, O Lord.
Panteleimon was born in the
city of Nicomedia into the family of the illustrious pagan Eustorgios,
and he was named Pantoleon. His mother St. Eubula (March
30) was a Christian. She wanted to
raise her son in the Christian Faith, but she died when the future
martyr was just a young child. His father sent Pantoleon to a pagan
school, after which the young man studied medicine at Nicomedia under
the reknowned physician Euphrosynos. Pantoleon came to the attention of
the emperor Maximian (284-305), who wished to appoint him as royal
physician when he finished his schooling.
The hieromartyrs Hermolaos,
Hermippos and Hermokrates, survivors of the massacre of 20,000
Christians in 303 (December
28), were living secretly in Nicomedia
at that time. St. Hermolaos 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 St. Hermolaos 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 St. Hermolaos with the name Panteleimon (meaning
"all-merciful"). Speaking with Eustorgios, St. 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 St. Hermolaos together with the man whose sight was
restored.
After the death of his father, St.
Panteleimon dedicated his life to the suffering, the sick, the
unfortunate and the needy. He treated all those who turned to him
without charge, healing 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 St. Panteleimon.
The envious doctors told the
emperor that St. Panteleimon was healing Christian prisoners. Maximian
urged the saint to refute the charge by offering sacrifice to idols. St.
Panteleimon confessed himself a Christian, and 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 ferocious Maximian executed the healed man, and gave St. Panteleimon
over to fierce torture.
The Lord appeared to the saint and
strengthened him before his sufferings. They suspended the Great Martyr
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 denounced the
emperor. At this time the priests Hermolaos, Hermippos and Hermokrates
were brought before the court of the pagans. All three confessed their
faith in the Savior and were beheaded (July
26).
By order of the emperor they
brought the Great Martyr 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 Great Martyr
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 St. 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 . St. Panteleimon's servants Lawrence, 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 St.
Panteleimon on Mt. Athos.
St. Panteleimon is venerated in
the Orthodox Church as a mighty saint, and the protector of soldiers.
This aspect of his veneration is derived from his first name Pantoleon,
which means "a lion in everything". His second name, Panteleimon, given
him at Baptism, which means "all-merciful", is manifest in the
veneration of the martyr as a healer. The connection between these two
aspects of the saint is readily apparent in that soldiers, receiving
wounds more frequently than others, are more in need of a
physician-healer. Christians waging spiritual warfare also have recourse
to this saint, asking him to heal their spiritual wounds. The holy Great
Martyr and Healer Panteleimon is invoked in the Mystery of Anointing the
Sick, at the Blessing of Water, and in the Prayers for the Sick.
St Panteleimon was born about 284
AD in the city of Nicodemia. His father, Evstorgios, was an idolater
while his mother, Evoulis, was a devout Christian. She raised her son,
whose real name was Pantoleonta, in the Christian way of life. She
passed away while her son was still young.
Initially Pantoleonta was educated
in his native tongue and then in Greek. His father sent him to study
under the famous physician, Evfrosinos. Quickly he surpassed the other
students. He was handsome, soft spoken, humble and all who spoke with
him felt true happiness and peace. Because of these virtues, he became
well known in Nicodemia. One day he went with Evfrosinos to the palace
and it was here that the ruler, Maximian, first saw him. He instructed
Evfrosinos to educate Pantoleonta to the utmost so that he could be
appointed royal physician.
At that time, St Ermolaos, the
head of the Church in Nicodemia, lived in a house with other Christians.
He watched Pantoleonta every day as he went to his studies and finally
asked him about his religion. Pantoleonta told him that while his mother
was alive he had been a Christian, but now his father had made him
follow the pagans. Ermolaos told him that if he believed with all his
heart in the true God he would be able to cure anyone with His help.
Pantoleonta acknowledged everything he was told and from that time on,
he went to Ermolaos for counsel and began to accept Christ with all his
heart.
Time passed, and one day, with the
grace of God, Pantoleonta saved a child from certain death after being
bitten by a viper. He needed no further proof that Christ was the true
God. Ermolaos baptised Pantoleonta, gave him Holy Communion, and
instructed him in the Sacraments of the Holy Church. He remained for
seven days with this holy man, and during this time he became completely
acquainted with the teachings and practices of the Church.
Soon, Pantoleonta was working
towards his father's conversion to Christianity. This was finally
achieved when he saw his son cure a man of his blindness. By the grace
of God, the man regained his sight, not only physically, but also
spiritually, for before this time he was an idolater. Pantoleonta took
the man and his father to St Ermolaos who baptised them.
Pantoleonta distributed his wealth
among the poor and then proceeded to cure all who came to him. The only
payment the St would ask was that the healed person believe that
Jesus Christ was their true healer. The other physicians became very
envious and wanting to betray the Saint to the Emperor, a group of them
went to Maximian and told him that the doctor that he himself had
educated was healing Christians and that the idolaters were converting
to Christianity. As proof, the blind man who was cured was brought
before the Emperor, who tried to convince him that the gods had cured
him and not Christ. But it was futile. Maximian realised that
everything the doctors had told him was true. He ordered that the man be
beheaded. The Saint secretly took the man's body and buried it in a
Christian place.
Pantoleonta was ordered to appear
before the Emperor, who described the charges that were brought before
him and ordered Pantoleonta to sacrifice to the gods. The Saint refused.
The false-priests and doctors begged the Emperor to execute him so that
Christianity would not gain in popularity among the people. Unable to
change his beliefs, Maximian ordered that the Saint be tortured. First
they tied him to a board and tore his skin with iron claws. Then, the
soldiers burned him with their torches. The Saint prayed to God to give
him strength to withstand the torture. Next the Saint was taken and
placed in a kettle but the tar remained cool around him. The Emperor
considered the miracles to be magic tricks performed by Pantoleonta.
Continuing with his efforts he had a boulder tied to the Saint and
thrown into the sea. The boulder became light and the Saint floated on
the water. Maximian still refused to recognise the power of the true
God. Next the Saint was placed in the stadium but the wild beasts
peacefully walked towards him and licked his feet. The crowd cheered and
together praised God and Pantoleonta. Maximian was enraged and had all
the animals butchered. The miracle served to honour the Saint and to
show others the way of righteousness.
The Saint was submitted to even
more tortures. He was tied to a wheel and then rolled down a hill. The
purpose was to tear the Saint's Body to pieces. Instead, it rolled over
several idolaters and killed them. The Saint again suffered no harm.
Pantoleonta decided to bring St
Ermolaos to the people, since his words could convert even more pagans
to Christianity. Ermolaos and two other men, Ermocratis and Ermippon,
were brought before the Emperor who tried to convince them that they
believed in a false God. Unable to make them renounce their faith they
were tortured and finally beheaded. The bodies were secretly taken by
some Christians and buried with honour.
The defeated Emperor passed final
sentence on the Saint. He was to he beheaded and his body was to he
cremated. The Saint was taken and tied to an olive tree. As the soldier
raised his sword to behead the Saint, the sword melted as if it were
made of wax. The soldiers fell to their knees and admitted their beliefs
in Christ. The Saint prayed for them and forgave them for their sins. A
voice came from heaven, saying to Pantoleonta that all he had asked for
had been granted and that from this time on he would he known not as
Pantoleonta, but as Panteleimon (All-merciful). He forced
the soldiers to behead him so that he could receive the crown of
martyrdom. After kissing the Saint, the soldiers beheaded him. St
Panteleimon gave his life for Christ on 27 July 304 AD. It is said that
the olive tree to which he was tied, immediately bloomed and brought
forth fruit. Hearing of this, the Emperor ordered that the tree be cut
down and that the body be burned. The soldiers, however, did not return
to the palace. They and other Christians, took the holy body and buried
it. The body was anointed with myrrh and buried outside of the city in
the Place of the Scholar Adamantinos.
St John of Damascus informs us
that the remains were transported to Constantinople, however, in the
12th century they were removed by the Crusaders. St Panteleimon is often
asked by faithful Christians to aid them in times of sickness. He is
believed to take special interest in those who are crippled. He is
considered equal to the Benevolent Saints Cosmas and Damianos.
Saint Panteleimon was born in
Nicomedia of a Christian mother, Eubula, and a pagan father, Eustorgius,
Panteleimon studied medicine as a young man. The priest Hermolaus
befriended him, instructed him in the Christian faith and baptized him.
Panteleimon miraculously healed a blind man whom other doctors had
treated in vain; he healed him by the name of Christ and baptized him.
From jealousy, the doctors denounced Panteleimon as a Christian, and he
went before the Emperor Maximian for judgment. He stood before the
earthly ruler in the body, but in his mind he stood before the heavenly
King. He freely declared himself to be a Christian before the Emperor,
and, in front of his eyes, healed a paralytic of a long infirmity. This
miracle brought many of the pagans to the Christian faith. The Emperor
put him to torture, but the Lord appeared to him on several occasions
and delivered him whole and uninjured. Then St. Hermolaus suffered along
with Hermippus and Hermocrates. Condemned to death, St. Panteleimon
knelt in prayer. At that, the executioner gave him a blow on the neck
with his sword, and the sword broke as if made of wax. The executioner
could not kill him until he had finished his prayer and had himself
given the word to behead him. Panteleimon was beheaded under an olive
tree, which after that became laden with fruit. "Panteleimon" means
"all-merciful." God the all-merciful received his righteous soul, and
glorified him among His greatest saints, his relics remaining incorrupt.
This wonderful martyr suffered with honor as a youth for Christ on July
27th, 304. St. Panteleimon is invoked in the prayers at the blessing of
water and the blessing of oil, together with St. Hermolaus and the other
unmercenaries and wonderworkers. The loveliest church dedicated to him
is found on the Holy Mountain
(d.c.305)
According to legend, St. Pantaleimon (the all-compassionate) was a
physician who did not take fees. He was martyred under the emperor
Diocletian, probably at Nicomedia.
In art he is depicted as a young man holding his doctor's tools or his
physician's bag.
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Saint Panteleimon the Glorious Healer |
