Born of Muslim parents, Saint Constantine was blinded as a youth by a malicious magician who, prompted by a demon, gave him a poison potion to drink. Bedridden for three years as a result, his desperate mother heeded the suggestion of a Christian woman to have him submerged in a miraculous pool. Like a foreshadowing of his eventual baptism, the holy Martyr was healed and a seed of salvation was planted in his heart which was watered each time he heard someone teaching about the Christian Faith. This eventually led him to the Holy Mountain he converted and began to responsibly cultivate a desire to give his life as a thank offering to Christ in imitation of the holy martyrs. Put off from this purpose for a time by his spiritual father, Saint Constantine traveled to Magnesia to affect the conversion of his sister. During this trip he was recognized by a Turk and was arrested as an apostate from Islam. This circumstance fanned the flame of his desire which had been as a smoldering coal, and the holy Martyr was given the courage to endure. Again at the prompting of a demon, his torturer devised a metal helmet meant to both retain heat and place a crushing pressure on the sides of his head. This helmet was heated in the fire and placed on Saint Constantine’s head. Meant for evil, the device became for him the helmet of salvation in the armor of God. When they began to cut and beat him, a golden cross appeared on his chest which became impervious to their assaults. Seeing they could do nothing else to the Martyr, he was bung upside down for the night where he suffered demonic attacks in the form of various temptations and apparitions. Saint Constantine, however, had been purified by the refiners fire, and easily repulsed the assault on his soul. He was further strengthened by a vision of the Mother of God who told him that he would survive to bear witness of her Son in Constantinople, but would eventually carry off the martyr’s crown . There a kindly priest offered to have him released, but the Saint declined. Appearing before the judge, he suggested that the judge be converted. The enraged man instead ordered that he be beaten and hung. Thus, the prophecy of the Theotokos came to pass, and Saint Constantine proved himself to be a faithful servant of the Lord to the end.
Author: Fr A
Hieromartyr Erasmus of Ochrid
Like a new Prophet Elijah, Saint Erasmus was also fed by ravens as he led the ascetic life in the Antiochian wilderness during Diocletian’s persecution. Elected Bishop against his will, he left the desert to lead the life of an Apostle, spreading the gospel through preaching attended by miracles. At Ochrid, he raised a Father and his child from the dead, cast down the idols in the temple, and won the whole city to Christ. For this he was made to appear before the Emperor, Maximian, who asked him what gods he worshipped. The saint calmly replied by asking him the same question, so he was taken to the Temple of Zeus. Upon entering, he cast a stern glance at a large bronze statue of the god, which melted under his righteous gaze. Showing its true nature, a dragon emerged from the remnants of the statue and began to terrorize the people who immediately asked to be baptized, fleeing to the God of Saint Erasmus for protection. The Saint received them into the faith and killed the dragon, only to be arrested for his troubles. The new converts were immediately put to death, and the holy Martyr was tortured and thrown into a prison cell. He was freed from prison by the Holy Archangel Michael and taken to Campania where he continued to proclaim the True Faith. At the time of his death, he was granted a martyrs crown, the faithful seeing it descend from heaven.
Nicephorus, Bishop of Milet
A member of the imperial staff and, later, of the clergy, Saint Nicephorus distinguished himself by his endless capacity for almsgiving. Through his practice of that spiritual discipline, he was able to quench the fire of the aggressive power of the soul (thymos) turning it to the dewy breeze of dispassion. Adding to that prayer, fasting, and meditation on Holy Scripture, he further conquered the desiring power of the soul, eliminating distraction and providing him clear vision of the visible and invisible creation. Initially, he faithfully put his right-ordered soul in the service of the Church as the Bishop of Milet, but he eventually resigned his position for the life of a simple hermit monk. In his retreat, he continued increasing his almsgiving in secret, thus rendering himself impenetrable to demonic temptation.
Jeremiah the Anchorite
As soon as he was able Jeremiah devoted himself to the eremitic life, living in silence and solitude in the high deserts of Syria. Like the man who found the pearl of great price, he sold all the pleasures and conveniences of this world, to buy the field in which he found it. In that field he endured all the deprivations of the ascetic life, counting them nothing compared to the treasures he received directly from the Lord’s hand, especially patience and endurance. He mounted up into the heavens using these two virtues as wings, and became a friend of God. Miracles and the power to cast out demons flowed from his continuous nearness to Christ, his only hope and consolation.
Germanus, Bishop of Paris
Saint Germanus was made a monk and priest after living a pious and faithful life as a young man. Dedicated to a life of strict austerity, his rigorous approach to the ascetic life sometimes caused problems between him and his Bishop. Nevertheless, the remained in obedience to his Father in Christ even when he was imprisoned by him. On one occasion, his cell door opened of its own accord, but he would not leave until he received a blessing to do so. In the middle of the Sixth Century, he was called to Paris by King Childebert and made Bishop of the city. Despite his new responsibilities, he did not ease his rule of prayer or way of life, adding the care of his flock as an additional labor. For his faithfulness, God granted Saint Germanus the ability to work miracles, heal the sick, and cast out demons by his prayer. He made sure that those whom he had delivered remained near to him for some time, so that he could continue in prayer with and for them and ensure that they had both been set free and had begun to live a life of repentance.
Andrew the Fool for Christ
A slave of slavic origin who resided in Constantinople in the service of a high ranking member of the Imperial Guard, Saint Andrew took on the extreme Davidic ascesis of feigned madness after he was granted a vision one night during prayer. In this vision, God revealed that he had been enlisted in the struggle against out true enemies, “the principalities,…the powers,…the world rulers of this darkness,…and…the evil spiritual forces of the supernatural realms.” He was told to pursue this course as a fool for Christ, and he obeyed immediately the next day by tearing his clothes and wailing in a loud voice. Irony of ironies, his master thought him possessed and had him committed to the Church of Saint Anastasia Pharmocolytria where he was held in chains. There his struggle began in earnest – he gave himself over to various kinds of bizarre behavior by day and to prayer by night. Having bursted into the view of the Evil One like a burning sun, one night he was set upon by a horde of demons trying to snuff out his torch in its infancy. Andrew, however, sought the aid of the holy and glorious Apostle John the Theologian who drove off the demons with a thunderous clap from the physical chains that bound the holy Fool. The friend of Christ also promised Saint Andrew that he would be his ever-present help in his ongoing battle against the darkness.
Once his captors realized that he was a threat to the demons only rather than to himself or others, they released him, and Andrew began to freely wander the city. This allowed him to deepen his humility by voluntarily bearing the spitting and insults of the crowds in imitation of our Lord and Master at the Passion. In fact, in another vision in which he was taken up into the third heaven, the Lord revealed that this was his particular mission for the overthrow of the Prince of this world. When the people began to repent of their sins through the Holy Fool’s prophetic ministry and imitate his downward path of humility according to their measure, the demons reproached him for despoiling their possessions. Andrew responded by rebuking them with the Lord’s authority. Enraged at their impotence, for they had no claim on him, they contrived to cause the Saint to fall into a pit of the earth. But the Holy Fool was delivered by the calling upon the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul who drew him out of the pit as the Lord drew the Prince of the Apostles from the sea.
Sometime later, a plague broke out in the city, and Saint Andrew spent his days walking up and down the streets praying with tears for the people, their healing and the forgiveness of their sins. One day, while at prayer, he was transported by the Spirit, like another Saint Philip, to Anaplous to meet with Saint Daniel the Stylite who suggested that they join together in their prayers for the deliverance of the capital city. The Lord answered by fire from heaven, casting out the demon who had instigated the epidemic.
By the end of his life, he was able to distinguish between different demonic spirits at a glance as well as the state of the souls of those with whom he interacted. This allowed him, as an experienced soldier in the army of the Lord, to devise deft plans of spiritual combat to counteract the work of the evil one in the lives of the faithful if they would but heed his instruction.
Therapontus of the White Lake
A disciple of the great light of Russian monasticism, Saint Sergius of Radonezh, Saint Therapontus set out for the White Lake with his friend, Saint Cyril, after receiving a revelation from the Lord. After arriving they both devoted themselves to the hesychastic life is separate cells. The area was inhospitable, both physically and spiritually, but the Saint was able to tame it on both levels. By his prayers local thieves accepted the Faith, wild animals were made gentle, and the demons were driven out. A community eventually formed around him, but he refused to be made their abbot. Instead, he simply provided them with a consistent example of monastic perfection – exceedingly merciful with the brethren but demanding of himself.
Apostle Carpus of the Seventy
One of the Seventy and a disciple of the Saint Paul, Saint Carpus is mentioned in Holy Scripture as having held a cloak for the Apostle to the Nations (2 Timothy 4:13). A successful evangelist in his own right and zealous for the Truth, he was made Bishop of Beroea in Thrace after having converted many pagans to the faith. In that capacity, God gave him the grace to work miracles and cast out demons, and, as a result, there was always a continuous stream of people coming to Holy Baptism.
Hymnography
Nerved with divine power, O Apostle, thou didst destroy the dragon that spake blasphemy to the uttermost, and didst save them that were perishing because of him.
(Ode Six, Third Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Nicetas the Stylite of Pereyaslavl
A particularly violent tax collector of Pereyaslavl-Zelessky, Saint Nicetas followed the path of that other tax collector, the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, after hearing the words of the Glorious Prophet Isaiah at Vespers calling the faithful to, “remove the evil of your deeds from before [the Lord’s] eyes” (Isaiah 1:16). Desperate to be washed clean, he fled to the Monastery of the Great Martyr Nicetas where he cried out for help for his imperiled soul. His sincerity being tested by the monks in various ways, the Saint patiently endured saying only that he needed help because he was perishing. He hungrily embraced the ascetic life, nourishing his soul on prayer, fasting, and night vigil. At night, he was attacked by the demons who had formerly enslaved him, but he drove them off with the sign of the cross and by asking for the intercession of Saint Nicetas, the patron and protector of the Monastery. Wishing his battle to remain secret, he took up residence on a pillar like the stylites of old where he continued to seek the Lord with tears. Despite these efforts, his reputation began to spread and, eventually, he became known to the pious Prince Michael of Chernigov who had fallen ill and become paralyzed. The Prince set out for the Monastery of Saint Nicetas at once. Knowing that the Prince’s deliverance was at hand if he made it to the monastery, a demon took on the guise of a monk and told Michael to turn around because the holy stylite was nothing but a fraud. Disturbed and confused, the Prince journeyed onward still. Seeing his failure, the demon tried again, this time appearing as a monk with a shovel. He told the Boyar that the Nicetas had died and that he had just buried him. This time, Prince Michael saw through the deception and chased the demons away by simply invoking the name of the Stylite. Having persevered, the Prince’s envoy arrived at the Saint’s pillar. Saint Nicetas gave him his walking stick, and upon receiving it, Prince Michael was healed and was able to walk on his own two feet to receive the man of God’s blessing.
Martyr Meletius the General
The piety and faith of the Roman General Meletius was such that, fearing their destruction at his hands, the demons of Galatia, his duty station, abandoned the idols they had previously inhabited and possessed a pack of stray dogs. In this guise they began roaming the city seeking Christians to attack. Making use of military tactics in spiritual warfare, Saint Meletius led a small band of Christian soldiers as well as some angels sent by God, to stalk and kill the beasts, expelling the demons by splitting them in two as did Abraham when made his covenant with God. Seeking to cut off any retreat, this General of the Lord’s army, went to the pagan temple and crushed the lifeless pagan idols by his prayer. Their mission completed, Saint Meletius and his human companions were arrested, tortured to no avail, and finally martyred, Meletius by hanging on a pine tree. The pagan sorcerer Callinicus was martyred along with them, having confessed Christ after seeing that his magic spells had no effect whatsoever on the holy hoplites.