Память святого мученика Никандра

Saint Nikander lived in Egypt during the reign of Diocletian. This pious man was a doctor by occupation. He constantly visited the holy martyrs in prison who suffered for Christ, healed their ulcers, gave them the food they needed and buried their bodies. Once he saw the bodies of the martyrs thrown out into the field to be devoured by animals, but did not dare to approach them during the day, fearing that he himself would be captured by the tormentors, for he was a weak man and was afraid of fierce torment until he was strengthened by the grace of God. When night fell, he went to the bodies of the holy martyrs and, taking them on his shoulders one at a time, buried them in some secret place, wrapping them in clean shrouds. One pagan saw him doing this and reported him to the ruler. After this, Saint Nikander was taken by the tormentors and subjected to fierce torments, but he did not renounce Christ, but courageously and joyfully endured all the torments that he had previously feared. The torturer, seeing him so unshakable in his confession, like an unshakable pillar or an immovable mountain, ordered to skin him alive and behead him; Thus the holy martyr put off the old, earthly man and put on the new, heavenly man. After the cutting off of his honest head, he, like an honest oud, joined the most honest Head, Christ his Lord, and reigns with Him forever, glorifying the Most Holy Trinity with the faces of other holy martyrs. You might be interested in: