“Liars tell lies,” the holy martyr boldly answered. “It never even occurred to me to renounce Christ the true God.” Even if they had exhausted all the countless types of torment on me and invented different kinds of death, nothing would have ever forced me to renounce the Christian faith, which I confess to be true, and yours to be false and wicked!
“There’s no point wasting time or words with you,” the judge cried out in rage, “or throw off these clothes and, as you gave your word before, be ours, or the most painful death awaits you.” Choose any!
When Saint Pachomius chose the latter, he was taken to prison, where he remained for two days without food, without drink and without consolation from the Christian word. Finally, on the third day, the judges decided to put the saint to death. The prison guard gave him this news. With a feeling of inexpressible joy, glorifying God, the holy martyr listened to this news and spent the entire next night in praise and prayer. In the morning, when he was brought before the judge for final torture, Pachomius confessed the Lord Jesus with the same boldness, for which he was handed over to the executors of the death sentence. When they dragged him bound to the place of execution, many Turks and Christians followed him: the first of them raged over the passion-bearer, spitting and blaspheming him, and the last, that is, the Christians, wanted to see his blessed death.
While Saint Pachomius prayed for everyone in secret prayer and, having reached the place of his death, knelt down, the executioner did not want to behead him and whispered to him in a low voice so that he would not ruin his life in vain, but would rather renounce his Christ and enjoy the earthly bliss that Mohammed and his faithful slaves provide him.
“Do what you are ordered,” answered Saint Pachomius, “and do not waste time in vain!”
And the holy head of the wondrous passion-bearer was cut off! Thus Pachomius received the glorious crown of martyrdom: after three days his holy relics were taken by Christians and honestly buried. And the executioner, as soon as he cut off the head of the martyr, immediately went berserk, screamed and let out foam, ran around the city and died after a few days. At the time when Saint Pachomius suffered so solemnly and wonderfully for Christ, his elder Joseph was hiding, fearing the Turks; then, learning that his disciple had been beheaded, he glorified the Lord, came to the place where his suffering body lay, bowed and, bursting into tears, said:
- So, my beloved Pachomius, you have achieved and received what you wanted; Now pray to the Lord for me and for all those who call on you for help.
When the holy relics of the martyr were finally buried and his elder Joseph was extremely worried by the thought that the Turks would not find out about him, and when he trembled and was horrified by this thought, Pachomius appeared to him in a sleepy vision, illuminated by heavenly light, and cheerfully said to him:
- Don't be afraid, old man! You will be protected!
The Venerable Martyr Pachomius was then apparently glorified by God through miracles: one Christian woman from those places, suffering from a headache in her youth, with faith called upon the Venerable Martyr Pachomius for help and, having anointed the painful parts with his blood, was completely healed from her long-term illness. In gratitude for this, she conveyed to the holy Mount Athos the news about the holy martyr and about her healing, asking there to paint a holy icon of him and send it to her as a blessing, which was done, in honor and memory of the holy martyr Pachomius, and to the glory of Christ God, glorified by the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saint Pachomius suffered on May 8, 1730, on the day of the Ascension; however, his memory in the Greek menaions (published in Constantinople in 1842-43) is supposed to be celebrated on the 21st day of this month. His holy relics are located on the island of Patmos, in the monastery of St. John the Theologian.
Prp Prp. Myrrh-Streaming Nile, Mount Athos, Hierom. († 1651, commemorated May 7, November 12)
Nil Sorsky († 1508, commemorated April 7, May 7)
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St. Nicodemus of Serbia, Archbishop. († 1325, commemorated May 11)