Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYR NESTOR
At the time of the suffering of Saint Demetrius the Myrrh-streamer, there was in Thessalonica a certain young man named Nestor, who had been taught the faith of Christ by Saint Demetrius himself. At that time the Christ-fighting Emperor Maximian arranged various games and entertainments for the people. The emperor's favorite was a certain Vandal by the name of Lyaeus, of Goliath-like stature and strength. As the emperor's gladiator, Lyaeus challenged men to single combat every day and slew them. And the bloodlust of Lyaeus amused the bloodthirsty emperor of the idols. For the combats of Lyaeus, the emperor had built a special arena, like a threshing floor (a terrace) on pillars. Below this floor, spears were fixed with their points upward. Whenever Lyaeus defeated someone in wrestling, he would hurl him down from that floor onto the whole forest of upturned spears. All around stood the pagan people with their emperor, and they made merry watching some wretched human being writhe in agony on the spears until he breathed his last. Among the innocent victims of Lyaeus were also many Christians. For whenever on a given day no one would voluntarily present himself to face Lyaeus in combat, then by the emperor's command Christians were dragged out by force to fight with Lyaeus. Watching this horrifying pagan amusement, the heart of holy Nestor was torn with pain. And he resolved to go out himself to face the giant Lyaeus in combat. But first he went to Saint Demetrius in prison and sought his blessing for this. Saint Demetrius blessed him, signed him with the sign of the Cross on his forehead and on his chest, and prophesied to him: "You will defeat Lyaeus, but you will suffer for Christ." Young Nestor then went out to face Lyaeus in combat. The emperor was present with a multitude of people; and all pitied the young Nestor, thinking he would perish, and tried to dissuade him from the fight with Lyaeus. But Nestor crossed himself and said: "O God of Demetrius, help me!" And with God's help Nestor overcame Lyaeus, overthrew him and hurled him onto the sharp spears, where the heavy giant quickly found his death. Then all the people cried out: "Great is the God of Demetrius!" But the emperor was shamed before the people, grieved for his favorite Lyaeus, and was greatly enraged at Nestor and at Demetrius. The wicked emperor therefore ordered that Nestor be beheaded with the sword and that Demetrius be pierced with spears. Thus this glorious Christian hero, Nestor, concluded his young earthly life in the year 306, and departed to the Kingdom of his Lord.
2. VENERABLE NESTOR THE CHRONICLER
At the age of seventeen he entered the Monastery of the Kiev Caves, still during the abbacy of Saint Theodosius. He wrote the first history of the Russian people, into which he wove the history of Russian monasticism. He was distinguished by an extraordinary humility and meekness. In his famous literary work he often calls himself "unworthy, coarse, ignorant, filled with every sin." But God, who knows the hearts of men, glorified this wondrous pleaser of His. When Nestor reposed on October 27, 1114, his relics worked a multitude of miracles.
3. SAINT ANDREW, PRINCE OF SMOLENSK
Out of love for Christ he abandoned worldly glory and honor, hid himself in a monastery, and there, disguised and unknown, served as a church attendant for thirty years. He reposed in the Lord peacefully in the year 1390. His wonder-working relics were discovered in 1540.
“But Nestor crossed himself and said: "O God of Demetrius, help me!" And with God's help Nestor overcame Lyaeus, overthrew him and hurled him onto the sharp spears, where the heavy giant quickly found his death.”
Hymn of Praise
Holy Nestor was indignant at evil
And was zealous for the faith of Christ.
A young disciple of holy Demetrius,
Young and frail against the terrible Lyaeus.
He cast the sign of the Cross upon himself,
And hurled mighty Lyaeus upon the spears;
Strength from on high was given to him,
As to David against Goliath.
"You will conquer, but you shall be tortured,
For your Christ you shall lay down your life!"
So Demetrius prophesied to him,
As he said, so it came to pass.
Joyfully Nestor went forth to his torments,
He glorified the wondrous Christ wondrously,
With sweet words, and with sweet hymns,
And with warm prayers for the Church.
Great in spirit, small in years,
Nestor did not spare his youth.
His blood strengthened the Church,
And glorified Nestor forever.
“Great in spirit, small in years, Nestor did not spare his youth. His blood strengthened the Church, and glorified Nestor forever.”
Reflection
A miracle of Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica. That the saints of God live clothed in great glory and power in the heavens, the Orthodox Christian knows not by any reasoning of his own but by the true help and appearances of the saints. Sometimes they appear so that a person both sees and hears them, sometimes so that he only sees or hears them, and sometimes they invisibly and inaudibly influence our thoughts, our condition and our actions. Among the many miracles of Saint Demetrius, this one too has been recorded. In the church of Saint Demetrius in Thessalonica, a certain young man named Onisiphorus had been appointed to serve as a church attendant. His chief task was to take care of the candles and oil lamps. This young man began to steal candles and take them home, and then resell them. Saint Demetrius appeared to him and said: "Brother Onisiphorus, your deed is displeasing to me, for you steal candles and thereby cause harm to others and most of all to yourself; cease this and repent!" Onisiphorus was frightened and ashamed, and for a time he stopped stealing candles. But later he forgot himself and again began to steal. One morning a prominent man brought large candles to the tomb of the saint, lit them, prayed and left. Onisiphorus approached the candles and reached out his hand intending to take them. But at that moment a voice came like thunder: "Are you doing this again?" Struck as if by thunder, Onisiphorus fell to the ground and lost consciousness. When people came, they lifted him up, and he gradually came to himself and told everything that had happened to him. And all were seized with awe and glorified God.
“Sometimes they appear so that a person both sees and hears them, sometimes so that he only sees or hears them, and sometimes they invisibly and inaudibly influence our thoughts, our condition and our actions.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous journey of Peter with the angel of God (Acts 12), namely:
1. How the angel led Peter out of the prison and brought him into the city;
2. How they invisibly passed the first and second guard;
3. How the locked gate of the city opened of its own accord before them.
“How the locked gate of the city opened of its own accord before them.”
Homily
on zeal for the house of God
The heavens are the house of God. The Church of God is the house of God. The bodies of believing people are the house of God. Where God is, there is the house of God; and where the house of God is, there is holiness. People desecrate the holiness of God, and the royal prophet is angered and burns with zeal. Every insult to the holiness of God he takes upon himself, and they fall upon him like fire, which inflames him all the more with zeal. People desecrate the heavens when they do not believe and deny that which God Himself has revealed to people for their salvation. When people oppose the truth, or when they distort the truth in a heretical manner, or when they willfully judge by their carnal reason concerning Christ the Lord, or when they doubt the angels and the saints and the Judgment and the immortal Kingdom of Christ and the eternal punishment of unrepentant sinners — in all these and similar cases, people assault the house of God like robbers and desecrate the sanctuary of the house of God. Then zeal rises in the heart of the righteous against the warring upon God and the blaspheming of God. Likewise, people attack the house of the holiness of God when they behave unworthily toward the Church of God, carelessly toward the ordinances of the Church, lazily toward the commandments of the Church, and maliciously toward the servants of the Church. And then zeal for the holiness of the house of God is kindled in the righteous and devout heart. Finally, the degradation of the human body too — the surrender to passions, the serving of sins, robbery, murder, coarseness, drunkenness and other wicked deeds — all of this is an assault on the holiness of the house of God, all of this is blasphemy against God and against man. And again the zeal of the zealot for holiness rises and shines before people like a heavenly flame.
O my brethren, let us emulate the zeal of Christ for the holiness of the house of God (John 2:17), and the zeal of the apostles and the holy fathers of our Orthodox Church. Let us be zealous for our salvation more than the devil is zealous day and night for our destruction. O Lord Jesus Christ, model of zeal for holiness, give us one spark of Thy zeal, that by being zealous we may resemble Thee and be saved by Thee. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“When people oppose the truth, or when they distort the truth in a heretical manner, or when they willfully judge by their carnal reason concerning Christ the Lord — in all these and similar cases, people assault the house of God like robbers and desecrate the sanctuary of the house of God.”