By Fr. George Dorbarakis
Saint Nikon lived during the time of the governor Quintilian and was from the land of the Neapolitans. He was a handsome young man and radiant in appearance, and in wars his bravery struck fear into his opponents. His father was an idolater, while his mother was a Christian. In a great war, and indeed in a fierce battle, the blessed one remembered the exhortations of his mother, and after sighing deeply and saying, “Lord Jesus Christ, help me,” he made the sign of the Cross as though he were being surrounded by a wall, and advanced mightily into the midst of the enemy. Some he struck with the sword, others with the spear, and he did not cease until he had utterly defeated them all and put them to flight. All were astonished at his conduct, because the war turned favorably for them; thus, together with the others, he returned to his home. He revealed to his mother his intention for the future, and he sailed to the regions of Constantinople.
When he arrived at an island called Chios, he went up its mountain and remained there for seven days, devoted to fasting, vigils, and prayers. Then a divine angel informed him to go down to the shore with a staff, which the one who appeared to him had given him. Reaching the shore, he found a ship, boarded it, and after two days, when he disembarked, he arrived at Mount Ganos. By divine providence, a bishop appeared to him in the guise of a monk, and taking him by the hand, led him to a cave where he himself dwelt. There he catechized him and baptized him in the name of the Holy Trinity, also imparting to him the Holy Mysteries. After three years he ordained him a presbyter, and then a bishop.
He undertook the protection of all the monks who had gathered there, one hundred and ninety in number, and together with them he came to Mytilene. From there he proceeded to Italy, and after seeing his mother and burying her after her death, he reached Sicily, where he settled on the mountain of Tauromenium together with nine others. The governor, having learned about the Saint, immediately brought them all before him, and after questioning them about their faith, they threw them to the ground, beat them severely, and finally killed them with the sword. As for Saint Nikon, he was held by four men, burned with torches, then bound to beasts of burden and dragged on the ground, hurled down a precipice, struck in the mouth with stones, had his tongue cut out, and finally his head was cut off with a sword. In this manner his martyrdom also came to its end.
When he arrived at an island called Chios, he went up its mountain and remained there for seven days, devoted to fasting, vigils, and prayers. Then a divine angel informed him to go down to the shore with a staff, which the one who appeared to him had given him. Reaching the shore, he found a ship, boarded it, and after two days, when he disembarked, he arrived at Mount Ganos. By divine providence, a bishop appeared to him in the guise of a monk, and taking him by the hand, led him to a cave where he himself dwelt. There he catechized him and baptized him in the name of the Holy Trinity, also imparting to him the Holy Mysteries. After three years he ordained him a presbyter, and then a bishop.
He undertook the protection of all the monks who had gathered there, one hundred and ninety in number, and together with them he came to Mytilene. From there he proceeded to Italy, and after seeing his mother and burying her after her death, he reached Sicily, where he settled on the mountain of Tauromenium together with nine others. The governor, having learned about the Saint, immediately brought them all before him, and after questioning them about their faith, they threw them to the ground, beat them severely, and finally killed them with the sword. As for Saint Nikon, he was held by four men, burned with torches, then bound to beasts of burden and dragged on the ground, hurled down a precipice, struck in the mouth with stones, had his tongue cut out, and finally his head was cut off with a sword. In this manner his martyrdom also came to its end.
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A jewel both of ascetics and of martyrs is Saint Nikon, according to the hymnographer Saint Joseph. And this is because he proved to be a trophy-bearer against the devil both in asceticism and in martyrdom, to a degree that astonishes the faithful. “You were shown to be an ornament of ascetics and athletes, O holy one; for in both you were well-pleasing, winning trophies that astonish the mind against the one adversary” (Ode 8). Therefore also the Lord who gives the crowns, continues the Hymnographer, seeing him adorned with the beauty of his wounds and clothed in the purple of his martyric blood, made him dwell with Him (“Seeing you adorned with the beauty of your wounds and clothed in the purple of your martyr’s blood, the Bestower of crowns caused you to dwell with Him” - Ode 9). Saint Joseph is struck with amazement at the longing and fervent zeal of Saint Nikon, which raised him to such heights of spiritual contest, even to heaven. “How exceedingly beautiful is your longing which you acquired for the Lord, Nikon, and fervent your zeal, kindled by divine fire, and wondrous your struggle which united you to heavenly things” (Ode 9).
And these praises are not only for Saint Nikon, of course. They are also for all his disciples, who followed their teacher as a divinely-inspired army, in order that they too might struggle in spiritual contests. “Having girded yourself with a spiritual campaign, O martyr of Christ, you armed a divinely-inspired army for the contests of struggle” (Ode 3). And this truth confirms once again the fact that when a leader is consistent — that is, when he lives what he teaches — then he easily influences his well-disposed disciples, who follow him even to the point of offering their very lives. Such people who follow the virtuous man become themselves virtuous; therefore they also give forth fragrance like sweet-smelling roses, something that all the faithful of the Church then receive. “Like lilies you blossomed in the meadow of virtues, and like sweet-smelling roses you fragrance our hearts with the beauties of your martyrdom, divinely-inspired victors” (Ode 6).
Saint Joseph, however, also dwells attentively on the grace-filled point of the influence of the Saint’s mother upon him. Indeed, one cannot easily overlook what the Synaxarion notes — that at the most critical moment of his life he remembered his mother’s exhortations. This is certainly a particular grace of God, who does not leave us undisturbed but comes to remind us of His presence at moments when there is some crisis in our life. The words of his mother, in other words, spoken at an unsuspecting time, bore fruit when he was ready to receive them. And the most fitting time for this was the hour of battle, when even his very life was at stake. In the darkness of difficulty, those words functioned, pointing to Christ as light. “Light shone upon your heart through the divine words of her who bore you” (Kathisma of Matins).
This recalls what happened in a more recent case of a certain man who, being in the region of Corinth, was greatly influenced by Buddhists, so much so that he went and lived even in Tibet. And when his mind was completely darkened and confused by what they made him do and say, suddenly the name of Christ came to his mind. What he had heard earlier — the remembrance of the holy Name — worked entirely as a healing and awakening for him. It was the moment of God’s visitation, and from then on, even with difficulty, he returned to the faith, becoming a fervent believer. Both cases — few among countless similar ones — remind us that the word of God has tremendous power, which operates “underground.” No one should rush or become discouraged when he does not see immediate results from the sowing of the word. The bearing of fruit is a matter of God, who activates the seed, provided that there is also the good disposition of the person. And this last point about good disposition is also noted by the Holy Hymnographer: “By obeying the divine exhortations of your mother, Nikon, you obtained the power of the Cross in battles” (Ode 5).
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
