![\"\"](\"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sf_pantelimon-techirghiol.webp\")
<\/a>Throughout the history of the Church, the mother\u2019s role in giving birth to and nurturing faith in a child\u2019s soul has always been significant. A mother sows the seeds of living, active faith in the soul of her child. Through her warm and tender love, she opens up the unseen universe of spirituality within the child\u2019s soul. Through humble patience and perseverance, she develops the child\u2019s connection to the heavenly world\u2014the world of goodness, truth, and holiness. Through piety and pure prayer, she helps the child feel the peaceful and joyful presence of the Holy Spirit. She teaches him to love people and to help them selflessly. The spiritual father, in turn, nurtures this seedling, refining, strengthening, deepening, and sharpening his faith to the measure of the love of Christ, Who sacrifices Himself for God and for humanity.<\/h3>\nWe reverently honor the holy Christian women, from the dawn of the Church to the present day, just as we honor the holy spiritual fathers\u2014the mentors and guides on the path of faith. From Saint Emilia, mother of Saints Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Peter of Sebaste, and Navcratie, to Saint Olympias of Farca\u0219a, mother of Saint Petronius of Prodromu. From Saint Macrina the Younger to Saint Elizabeth of Pas\u0103rea. We honor Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, who, through Saint Macrina the Elder, planted holiness in the home of Saints Basil and Emilia, just as we honor Saints Paisius and Cleopas, Arsenius and Sophian, who guided many souls along the path of holiness. We honor Saints Nona, Antuza, and Monica together with their sons, the great holy hierarchs: Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, and Augustine of Hippo, just as we honor Saint Philothimia of R\u00e2me\u021b together with her son, Saint Dometius the Merciful. We honor Saint Platonida of Curtea de Arge\u0219 and Saint Maria Br\u00e2ncoveanu, together with their holy husbands: Neagoe Basarab, Constantine Br\u00e2ncoveanu the Martyr, and his sons.<\/p>\n
It is the mother who teaches the child the first prayers, worship, the joining of the fingers, making the sign of the cross, going to church, and receiving Holy Communion as the visible works of faith and love for Christ. Many mothers have shone with holiness through love, humility, gentleness, hard work, and sacrifice. They raised their children in such a way that they might become saints, understanding that this was their mission from God. The Most Holy Virgin Mary understood that the Lord Christ came into the world to sacrifice Himself on the cross for our salvation; therefore, she too sacrificed herself, interceding for our salvation. The mother of the Holy Martyr Clement of Ancyra left a will to her son in which she urged him to become a martyr, so that through him she too might share in martyrdom. The mother of Saint Stephen the Great urged her son toward martyrdom for his faith in Christ and his neighbor. Saint Felicitas saw in the children she bore the gift received from God, which she returned with gratitude to the Giver. In this same spirit of holiness and self-sacrificing love, we can understand the life, sufferings, and martyrdom of the great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, the fountain of mercy, grace, and healing.<\/p>\n
The Child Pantoleon: Between Father, Mother, and Spiritual Father<\/strong><\/p>\n Pantoleon, Saint Panteleimon, was born in Nicomedia in the year 275 to a pagan father, Eustorgius, and a Christian mother, Saint Eubula. Usually, the father nurtures a child\u2019s mind, while the mother nurtures his heart. In Nicomedia, the memory of the persecution of the 20,000 martyrs\u2014burned alive in a church on the feast of the Nativity of the Lord by order of Emperor Decius\u2014was still fresh. At that time, a sense of ambivalence prevailed: on the one hand, the fear of persecution among the city\u2019s inhabitants and the security enjoyed by the pagan idolaters protected by the emperor; on the other hand, the faith in Christ and the fervent love for Him held by the few remaining Christians.<\/p>\n The child Pantaleon\u2014whose name means \u201centirely lion,\u201d that is, \u201cas strong as a lion\u201d\u2014named by his father, grew up in this world. His father, a powerful and wealthy pagan official, provided him with an education aimed at attaining power, fame, and wealth in this world. He studied grammar, philosophy, and medicine. His intelligence, zeal, insight, and skill propelled him to become a successful young man. Maximian wanted him among his personal physicians, and his father rejoiced. His mother, Saint Eubula, cared for his soul. This guidance shaped the soul and character of the young future physician.<\/p>\n His mother departed to be with Christ, regretting that she had not been deemed worthy of martyrdom. Without fully understanding this desire, Saint Panteleimon kept her faith, prayer, and love in his heart. Now it is the spiritual father\u2019s turn: the priest Ermolae (according to some, even the bishop of the few remaining Nicomidian Christians), who spots and calls out to the young physician. He speaks to him, kindling his heart with love for the One Physician whose healings are beyond number. He speaks to him about the truth and love of Jesus Christ, the Son of God made Man.<\/p>\n About the Savior who sacrificed Himself and His many healings\u2014all out of love! His love heals souls and bodies, bestowing life and happiness. He heals with just a word, with a touch. His garments healed; everything He touched became a source of life and healing. Moreover, He gave the power to heal to those who believe in Him. The wisdom of Hippocrates pales in comparison to the riches of Christ: \u201cYou, young man, can heal just as He does!\u201d<\/p>\n The Young Doctor Pantelimon<\/strong><\/p>\n When a Christian man wounded by his persecutors was brought before Professor Eufrosin and his students (even though the teaching of medicine was to help any sick person, under any circumstances), they all refused to treat him, so as to avoid falling out of favor with the persecuting emperor. Pantelimon was the only one who bent down to tend to him. His kind and honest soul gave him the courage to take action, for from his heart sprang not only courage and strength, but also great compassion and love. Later, he would be given the name \u201cof mercy,\u201d that is, Pantelimon, which means \u201cthe most merciful.\u201d<\/p>\n The young doctor, at the urging and through the prayers of his spiritual father, put his faith to the test! It is not enough to believe in miracles; you must believe that Christ can perform them through you as well, if you live according to His commandments. And Pantelimon tried! He lived a pure and honest life. He prayed as best he could\u2026<\/p>\n Once, as he was returning from Father Ermolae\u2014on his way home, right in front of him\u2014a viper fatally bit a child. This was the moment! \u201cLord, if everything Your servant says is true, bring the child back to life and kill the beast!\u201d… And the miracle happened, and his faith was strengthened. He was baptized and began a new life. Grace and faith filled his heart, and the gift of healing worked powerfully through him. He became an apostle! He healed multitudes of the sick with just a word\u2014with the sign of the Holy Cross and the invocation of Christ\u2019s name.<\/p>\n He preached the Gospel of Christ, exhorted people to live a Christian life, and called the pagans to baptism. He freed slaves and gave generously to the poor. He turned his father\u2019s house into a hospital for the many. All of this he did free of charge. He treated his father, who remained a pagan, with abundant love and profound wisdom. \u201cIf idols are alive, how is it that a standing idol statue never sits down, and a seated idol statue never stands up?\u201d His father began to waver in his pagan faith, and his conversion was not long in coming.<\/p>\n A poor blind man comes to Pantelimon, the doctor who treats patients for free; he had spent his entire fortune on doctors in hopes of regaining his sight. But instead of being healed, he lost\u2014along with his fortune\u2014the little sight he had left. \u201cWhat will you give me if I heal you?\u201d the saint asked him. \u201cEverything I have left!\u201d replied the sick man. \u201cThere\u2019s no need. Just believe!\u201d Believe in the true God and give your wealth to the poor. \u201cIn the name of Jesus Christ, receive your sight!\u201d And the blind man was healed on the spot.<\/p>\n The spiritual power of Saint Panteleimon shook Nicomedia and its surroundings through the miracle of the blind man\u2019s healing. His father\u2019s heart opened wide to receive faith in Jesus Christ. He was baptized and lived out his life as a good Christian.<\/p>\n Confession and Martyrdom<\/strong><\/p>\n The young doctor was filled with love for his Savior: day and night he preached the word of the Gospel and healed multitudes of the sick in the name of the Lord Christ. The hatred and envy of his colleagues, pagan doctors, reached fever pitch, and the denunciation of his faith was imminent.<\/p>\n He was 27 years old. He was perfect in faith, in love, and in the experience of grace, and because of all the good he had done for people, he was prepared even for martyrdom. He awaited martyrdom, just as the Great Physician and Savior Jesus Christ had.<\/p>\n In the year 304, Emperor Diocletian, together with his son-in-law Maximian, issued four new edicts of persecution against Christians. As a result, thousands of Christians and Roman military officials\u2014including the officers George, Procopius, Demetrius, and Mina\u2014were martyred. Likewise, Saint Ermolae, the Priest, was deemed worthy of the sweet and eternally radiant crown of martyrdom.<\/p>\n Saint Panteleimon\u2019s free healings certainly affected the pockets and prestige of his fellow physicians. The healing of the blind man and other healings deemed impossible by human medicine led them to denounce him as a Christian. He, who was beloved by the emperor, found himself before Maximian. He confessed naturally, with great dignity and composure, that he was a Christian. He confessed his boundless love for Christ and Christ\u2019s boundless love for humanity. He confessed that Christ\u2019s infinite divine power can heal any illness. Through that power, he too performs miracles and healings.<\/p>\n He called upon the emperor, the officials, Professor Eufrosin, and his former colleagues to believe in Christ. But they all remained steadfast in their unbelief. At the saint\u2019s suggestion, they brought an incurably paralyzed man, a man on the verge of death, for his fellow priests to heal by invoking the gods. Pantelimon healed him through prayer to his God.<\/p>\n Blinded by unbelief, they condemned the saint to countless torments. Instead of blood, however, milk and myrrh flowed from his pure body. At the moment of his death, a voice from heaven spoke of the great martyr.<\/p>\n source:ziarullumina.ro<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Throughout the history of the Church, the mother\u2019s role in giving birth to and nurturing faith in a child\u2019s soul has always been significant. A mother sows the seeds of living, active faith in the soul of her child. Through her warm and tender love, she opens up the unseen universe of spirituality within the … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["entry","post","publish","author-antonel","post-18209","format-image","category-biblioteca","post_format-post-format-image","has-format"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18209"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18257,"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18209\/revisions\/18257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sfioanevanghelistul.ca\/wordpress\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}