The Holy Great Martyr Procopius
Procopius was born in Jerusalem of a
father who was a Christian and a mother who was a pagan. At first,
his name was Neanias. Following the death of his father, the mother
raised her son completely in the spirit of Roman idolatry. When
Neanias matured, Emperor Diocletian saw him and, at once, took a
liking to him and brought him to his palace for military service.
When this nefarious emperor began to persecute Christians, he ordered
Neanias to go to Alexandria with a garrison of soldiers and there to
exterminate the Christians. But, on the road, something happened to
Neanias similar to that which happened to Saul [Paul]. In the third
hour of the night there was a strong earthquake and, at that moment,
the Lord appeared to him and a voice was heard: "Neanias, where
are you going and against whom are you rising up?" In great
fear, Neanias asked: "Who are You Lord? I am unable to recognize
You." At that moment, a glowing cross as if of crystal appeared
in the air and from the cross there came a voice saying: "I am
Jesus, the crucified Son of God." And further, the Lord said to
him: "By this sign that you saw, conquer your enemies and My
peace will be with you." That experience completely turned him
around and changed the life of Commander Neanias. He issued an order
to make the same kind of cross which he saw and instead of going
against the Christians he, with his soldiers, turned against the
Agarians who were attacking Jerusalem. He entered Jerusalem as a
victor and declared to his mother that he is a Christian. Being
brought before the court, Neanias removed his commander's belt and
sword and tossed them before the judge thereby showing that he is
only a soldier of Christ the King. After great tortures he was cast
into prison where the Lord Christ, again, appeared to him, baptized
him and gave him the name Procopius. One day twelve women appeared
before his prison window and said to him: "We too are the
servants of Christ." Accused of this they were thrown into the
same prison where St. Procopius taught them the Faith of Christ and
particularly about how they will receive the martyr's wreath. For
that reason in the marriage ritual of the betrothed, St. Procopius is
mentioned along with the God-crowned Emperor Constantine and Empress
Helena. After this, those twelve women were brutally tortured.
Witnessing their suffering and bravery, the mother of Procopius also
believed in Christ and all thirteen were slain. When St. Procopius
was led to the scaffold, he raised his hands toward the east and
prayed to God for all the poor and misfortunate, orphans and widows
and especially for the Holy Church that it may grow and spread and
that Orthodoxy shine to the end of time. And to Procopius there was a
reply from heaven that his prayers were heard after which he joyfully
laid his head under the sword and went to his Lord in eternal joy.
St. Procopius honorably suffered in Caesarea in Palestine and was
crowned with the glorious wreath of immortality on July 8, 303 A.D.
Respectably Taken From the:
"The Prologue of Ohrid"
by St. Nikolai of Zica, Serbia(Velimirovic)
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