October: Day 14: Teaching 2: Holy Martyrs Nazarios, Gervasios, Protasios and Celsus

 

October: Day 14: Teaching 2:
Holy Martyrs Nazarios, Gervasios, Protasios and Celsus
 
(Qualities of the First Christians)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Martyrs Nazarios, Gervasios, Protasios and Celsus, remembered today by the Holy Church, suffered during the reign of Nero (in the first century). Nazarios was born in Rome and received a pious Christian upbringing under the guidance of his mother, then was baptized by Bishop Linus. Upon reaching adulthood, Nazarios received from his parents his share of the estate and retired to Milan. Here he began to engage in charitable work, distributing alms to the poor and rendering various services to imprisoned Christians. At that time, the Emperor Nero raised a persecution of Christians; among those persecuted were the holy brothers Gervasios and Protasios. The parents of Gervasios and Protasios were Christians and suffered for the faith; their sons struggled in fasting and prayer for ten years, fearlessly confessed the faith, were persecuted by the Roman government and were imprisoned in Milan. Nazarios, who often visited them in prison, loved them and consoled them with conversation. The prefect was informed that Nazarios was visiting Christian prisoners, access to whom was prohibited. Nazarios was placed under guard and brought to the prefect's court. For his resolute refusal to recognize the pagan gods and honor them with sacrifices and worship, Nazarios was subjected to cruel torture and was expelled from the city. The exile withdrew to Gaul (present-day France) and there preached the Christian faith. In the city of Chemilly, he baptized the son of a Christian woman, named Celsus, and supervised his upbringing. When Celsus came of age, he became Nazarios' companion in the work of preaching. The mayor of Chemilly, a zealous pagan, imprisoned Celsus and Nazarios and only at the request of his wife released them. From Chemilly, Nazarius and Celsius went to preach in the city of Trier and there converted many to Christianity. The pagan authorities, dissatisfied with the success of the Christian preaching, sent the holy preachers to Rome for the emperor's judgment. Celsus and Nazarios were given to be eaten by wild animals, but they did not touch them. The Saints were thrown into the sea, but they did not drown and walked on the waters of the sea as if on dry land. This miracle amazed the pagans, the Christian faith acquired new followers, and saved the holy confessors from further torture. Celsus and Nazarios were released and again withdrew to Milan. But in Milan, the pagan authorities again subjected them to torture and imprisoned them in the same dungeon where Gervasios and Protasios were imprisoned. The prefect wrote to Nero asking what he should do with the imprisoned Christians. The emperor, learning that they were still alive, became very angry and ordered their immediate execution. The relics of all four holy martyrs were kept under cover until Bishop Ambrose (fourth century) transferred them to the Church of the Holy Apostles. When their relics were taken out of the ground, many sick people were healed; thus the blind man Severus, having touched the garments of the Holy Martyrs, was immediately healed of his illness.

Athenagoras of Athens: Life, Works and Thought (Fr. George Florovsky)

Athenagoras of Athens 

 

By Fr. Georges Florovsky    

Athenagoras of Athens, the most lucid and eloquent writer among the Apologists, was most probably a pagan who converted to Christianity. Bossuet considered him the author "of one of the finest and earliest Apologies of the Christian religion." Almost nothing is known of his life except that he was an Athenian and considered himself "a Christian philosopher." St. Photius held that he was the same Athenagoras to whom Boethos, the Platonist, dedicated his work On Difficult Expressions in Plato (Bibl. Cod. 154 f.). He is mentioned by Methodius in De resurrectione (I, 36) and by Philip Sidetes in his lengthy Χριστιανική Ιστορία. About 177 Athenagoras wrote his Plea Regarding Christians — πρεσβεία περι των χριστιανών. Α second work, On the Resurrection of the Dead — περί αναστάσεως νεκρών — has been attributed to him and he was most probably the author.

The Epistle of Ignatius of Antioch to the Romans

CHAPTER 0

0:0 Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, unto her that hath found mercy in the bountifulness of the Father Most High and of Jesus Christ His only Son; to the church that is beloved and enlightened through the will of Him who willed all things that are, by faith and love towards Jesus Christ our God; even unto her that hath the presidency in the country of the region of the Romans, being worthy of God, worthy of honour, worthy of felicitation, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy in purity, and having the presidency of love, walking in the law of Christ and bearing the Father's name; which church also I salute in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of the Father; unto them that in flesh and spirit are united unto His every commandment, being filled with the grace of God without wavering, and filtered clear from every foreign stain; abundant greeting in Jesus Christ our God in blamelessness.

On the Illustrious Saint Polycarp (St. Jerome)

 By St. Jerome

(On Illustrious Men, 17)

Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John and by him ordained bishop of Smyrna, was the leader of all Asia, where he saw and had as teachers some of the apostles and of those who had seen the Lord.

He, on account of certain questions concerning the day of the Passover, went to Rome in the time of the emperor Antoninus Pius, while Anicetus was bishop of the Church in that city. There he led back to the faith many of the believers who had been deceived through the persuasion of Marcion and Valentinus, and when Marcion met him by chance and said "Do you know us" he replied, "I know the firstborn of the devil."