So, having prepared for the journey and having received the blessing of the holy fathers as parting words, they soon set off and safely reached the fatherland of Nektarios, since the blessed one had a desire to suffer for Christ where, out of his own foolishness, he denied Him. Upon arrival in Vriulla, Nektariy took off his monastic attire and dressed in Turkish and thus lived there until the Muslim holiday of Bayram, and during all this time he showed the appearance that he was a true Muslim. But after three days he boldly appeared before the judge and, after the usual greetings, said to him: “Mr. Judge! Of course, seeing me in Turkish clothes, you think that I am a Muslim. But no: I was born a Christian and now a true Christian, a believer in my Redeemer Jesus Christ, but in my childhood, when I still could not distinguish right from left, the local Hussein Agha deceived me, promising various benefits, if only I would renounce the Christian faith, which I did.
But when I came of age and saw that he used his promises to deceive me, to seduce me, and therefore, having learned both the deception and the false Muslim faith, I left him and retired to Algeria (the martyr named this place actually so that it would not be revealed where he lived). Now I have come here in order to publicly confess here the One whom I have denied, and for my bitter fall to accept torment from you, the enemies of my Christ, and, having shed my blood, to appear clean in the heavenly abodes.” Saying this, he took off the fez208 and the green bandage from his head and threw them away with contempt.
The courage with which Nectarius spoke surprised the judge, and he, seeing his youth and physical beauty, began to caress and persuade him to leave his delusion. After many flattering promises, he finally quietly said to the martyr: “My son, I see that you are still so young and in an imperfect mind, and therefore I believe that you are not saying all this on your own, but someone taught you; So, go and think carefully, for your falling away from the Muslim faith will bring bitter torment.”
“It’s in vain, judge, you think so about me and my youth,” the martyr said with a meek smile. “Just order me to be tormented and you will see how I will endure all your torments, being strengthened by the power of my God, whose strength is not made perfect in strength, but in weakness.” So, I have long thought about all the torment, otherwise I would not have come here to confess my Lord Jesus Christ, and I curse your prophet Mohammed as a false one and the son of the devil.
But the judge still spared the holy martyr and, without causing him any harm, ordered him to think and leave.
The next day the martyr of Christ again came to the judge and with a cheerful face said:
“Mr. Judge! Yesterday you told me that I should carefully think about my situation, and so I thought about it all night, but both yesterday and today, I remain in my conviction, moreover, I have become even more contrite and mourn my sin, but I trample on your Muslim faith as ungodly and leading to destruction.”
Finally, the judge, losing patience, ordered him to be taken to the prince of that area. This showed that the judge was betraying him to a higher authority, which had the right to torture and execute. But since the prince was not at home at that time, they locked the holy martyr in prison, hammering his feet into stocks, and placing a heavy chain around his neck. At this time, many noble and wealthy Muslims came to his prison, who, wanting to seduce the martyr, persuaded him and promised him various honors and riches so that only he would agree to renounce the faith in Jesus Christ. But the holy sufferer stood firmly against temptation, counting all their promises of honors and wealth as nothing. The divine love that reigned in his heart neglected everything, and what he desired was not the wealth and glory of the vain world, but the speedy release from the body and the appearance in the face of the living God.
Five days passed; The prince arrived and ordered the holy martyr to be brought to his court. As soon as the martyr was brought, the prince asked him:
“Are you the one who is being held in prison for renouncing our faith, which you accepted voluntarily?”
“Yes, it’s me,” the saint answered complacently.
- Who told you such nonsense that you would become a saint for your insolence?
- Not nonsense, but the truth, which was promised by our Lord Jesus Christ and Who will have mercy on me for confessing His holy name, and through my shed blood will cleanse me from the vile circumcision that was performed on me by you Muslims.
- Well, did God Himself really come to you, the unclean one, and assure you of this?
– Yes, God Himself, Who reveals Himself to those who believe in Him through the Holy Scriptures.
The prince, seeing the boldness of the martyr, began to caress him, saying: “My friend! Come to your senses, have pity on your youth and good looks, preserve our faith, and I will make you my son, provide you with all the blessings and place you above all my associates; otherwise, I will order you to be tortured and then killed as the most worthless of people.”
“May your wealth, honor and glory be your destruction,” the martyr answered him, “but I don’t care about torment and dishonorable death, since that’s why I gave myself away.” So, do with me what you want, but I will never renounce Jesus Christ for anything in the world. “The prince, seeing himself humiliated, ordered him to be thrown into prison again, putting a chain on his neck even heavier than the first, and shackling his legs. But the blessed one endured suffering complacently, for love for Jesus Christ drowned out bodily pain. At this time, Elder Stephen and other pious Christians offered up prayers to the Most High God, so that He would strengthen the holy martyr in his exploits; some of the more courageous ones entered his prison and conveyed the Holy Mysteries sent to him by Stephen, after communion of which the saint became even more strengthened in spirit.
Meanwhile, the prince, at the inspiration of his age-old enemy the devil, did not want to let go of the victim and in every way seduced him through his messengers, eminent citizens, wanting to deviate him from Christ, but when he saw that Stephen remained in his firm intention, he ordered him to be tortured, and the executioners began to torture the saint with bitterness: they beat him with sticks, they covered his head with hot copper cups. After these cruel tortures, which were repeated several times, the saint lost consciousness, and then they threw him into prison. But the next day the young man was found healthy and unharmed; the invisible power of God healed the saint; Seeing this, the Muslims were perplexed and at the same time aware of their powerlessness. Therefore, the prince ordered his head to be cut off, which happened on the same day on Malkaza Square, and the pure soul of the holy sufferer flew to the heavenly monasteries, on July 11, 1820, in the 21st year from birth. The mad monster ordered the body of the saint to be thrown into a dry well and covered with earth and stones, which was exactly what his zealous servants did.
But after a few days, pious Christians managed to secretly take the holy relics from the well and divided them among themselves for consecration: one part was taken by the elder of the venerable martyr Nektarios Stefan and transferred it to the holy Mount Athos, the other was taken by the martyr’s mother, and the third by local Christians.
Through the prayers of the Holy Martyr Nektarios, O Christ God, grant us also the ability to end our lives in peace and receive the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
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Icons of the Mother of God “Three-handed”