The Life of The Great Martir Saint Haralambos "On February 10th we honor one of the most beloved

Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church. His name is Haralambos. In English, the translation for the name Haralambos used by most Orthodox Christians is "Harry". Haralambos lived in the 2nd century in a small town called Magnesia in Asia Minor. He became a Priest at a very early age and served his community with great zeal. What has prompted the Orthodox Christians throughout the world to display such love and affection for St. Haralambos? Why has he been so very close to the hearts of all of us for over 1700 years? Perhaps it is because of the fact that no other Priest in the history of Christianity suffered so much in one lifetime for his religious convictions. In the city of Magnesia, the governor of the province, Loukianos, inflicted great pain upon St. Haralambos because he refused to worship the idols of the Empire. The saintly Priest was first tied to a post in the public square and ridiculed by the pagans. Soldiers of the governor slashed the body of St. Haralambos with heavy cutting irons. St. Haralambos in spite of the terrible agony refused to deny Christ and accept their pagan gods. After being tortured, Haralambos was dragged by his beard through the streets of Magnesia by soldiers on horseback. Many additional forms of torture were used to force Haralambos to give up his faith, yet he would not. During the ensuing months, St. Haralambos miraculously survived all forms of torture. Eventually the people called him "the man they cannot kill". People spoke of many miracles attributed to St. Haralambos during his imprisonment. Thousands came to the jail to seek his blessing. Hundreds of afflicted souls came to be healed of their sicknesses. Haralambos became known also as the miracle-worker. He caused the lame to walk and the blind to see. Some thought he was the Resurrected Christ who had returned to earth. St. Haralambos proclaimed to all that he was not the Messiah but he was only the instrument of the Lord's Divine Grace. The Roman Emperor, Servius, was enraged by the actions of Haralambos and ordered the Saint to be brought to the capital of the Empire that was then located in the ancient city of Antioch (192 A.D.) In the city of Antioch, Haralambos was led about the city with a horse bridle in his mouth. This was done to ridicule both him and the Christian faith, which he continued to uphold. The soldiers of the Emperor nailed Haralambos to a cross with over 100 large spikes that pierced the skin of the pious Saint. Other forms of torture were administered, and yet Haralambos did not relent or die. In his great anger, the Emperor ordered Haralambos beheaded! As the two executioners raised their swords to kill the Saint, suddenly a voice was heard from heaven saying, "Well done My faithful servant, enter into the kingdom of Heaven."

At that very moment, St. Haralambos passed away without a single blow being struck. The executioners were dumbfounded. They knelt before the body of the Saint and asked God for forgiveness. The Emperor became even more enraged, and ordered the two would-be executioners of Haralambos beheaded. Their names were Porphirios and Baptos, whose feast is celebrated also on February 10th. Thus the beloved Saint Haralambos truly had become "the man they couldn't kill," for he was taken by God Himself into the Kingdom of Heaven." St. Haralambos guarded his people much as a shepherd would guard his flock, therefore, he is considered to be the protector of shepherds and their flocks. The body of St. Haralambos is now in the Monastery of Saint Stephen in the Meteora, Greece, where it performs miracles to this day. Sfntul Mare Mucenic Haralambie (grec. Haralambos, ), d. 202, este cel mai btrn mucenic dintre cei prznuii de cretini. Sfantul Haralambie a trit n secolul II; el a fost preot n cetatea Magnezia din provincia roman Asia Minor(Asia Mic, n Turcia de azi). i-a nchinat viaa slujirii lui Hristos i ndrumrii credincioilor, pe care i sftuia, i nva i i mbrbta n acele vremuri de mari prigoane anticretine. Reuind s pstreze comunitatea cretin din Magnezia foarte unit i sporind numrul credincioilor prin convertirea multor pgni, Haralambie a ajuns episcop al Magneziei i al mprejurimilor acestui ora. Lucian, numit de ctre mpratul Septimiu Sever (193-211) ca proconsul (guvernator) al cetii Magnezia din Asia Mic i al teritoriului aferent, era foarte suprat de faptul c Haralambie reuise s converteasc foarte muli pgni i s fac din comunitatea cretin de acolo un exemplu i pentru alii. n plus, Lucian tia prea bine c, dac voia s se menin n graiile mpratului, trebuia s se remarce i prin prigonirea cretinilor. El a ordonat arestarea episcopului Haralambie i i-a poruncit acestuia s se nchine idolilor pgni (statuile zeilor aezate n temple). La refuzul categoric al lui Haralambie, Lucian a dat ordin ca acesta, n ciuda vrstei sale foarte naintate (avea 113 ani), s fie torturat pn cnd i va renega credina i se va se nchina zeilor pgni. Torionarii si au folosit un instrument cu care i-au jupuit pielea de pe tot corpul, supunndu-l la chinuri inimaginabile. I-au rupt carnea cu crlige de fier i l-au jupuit de piele, timp n care sfntul le mulumea clilor si, spunnd: "V mulumesc, frailor, c mi-ai rennoit sufletul care dorete s se uneasc cu venicia!". Vznd c sfntul rabd durerile fr s scoat vreun cuvnt ru, doi soldai care l pzeau, Porfirie i Vaptos au mrturisit credina lor n Hristos, dar au fost omori pe loc, prin tierea capului cu sabia.

La fel, alte trei femei care au vzut puterea sfntului de a ndura chinurile, L-au ludat pe Hristos i au fost i ele imediat martirizate. Se spune c proconsulul Lucian, cuprins de mnie, a apucat el nsui instrumentele de tortur, ncepnd s-l rneasc pe sfntul martir, cnd deodat minile iau czut ca secerate de sabie, rmnndu-i atrnate de corpul sfntului. Atunci, l-a scuipat n fa pe sfnt, dar gura i s-a strmbat i i s-a ntors la ceaf. Lucian, disperat, l-a implorat pe sfnt s-l salveze cu rugciunile sale i s se milostiveasc de el. Sfntul martir, n buntatea lui, s-a rugat pentru Lucian, care s-a vindecat pe loc. La vederea acestor minuni, muli dintre cei prezeni au trecut la cretinism, printre care i Lucian, care a czut la picioarele sfntului episcop i l-a rugat s-l boteze. Deasemenea, proconsulul Lucian a oprit persecutarea cretinilor din provincia pe care o guverna, intenionnd s-i raporteze mpratului toate cele ntmplate. ntre timp, Haralambie a fcut multe alte minuni, ca vindecarea unor bolnavi, redarea vederii unui orb, i chiar i nvierea unor mori. Locuitorii ntreagii regiuni din jurul Magneziei au nceput s cread n Iisus Hristos. mpratul Septimiu Sever, care se afla atunci la Antiohia (n vestul Asiei Mici), cnd a auzit toate acestea, a fost cuprins de mnie i a trimis o trup de trei sute de soldai pentru a-l aresta pe Haralambie i a-l aduce n faa lui. Soldaii nu s-au mulumit doar cu arestarea sfntului ci l-au supus i la chinuri, legndu-i barba n jurul gtului i trgndu-l de ea pe drum. Odat ajuns n Antiohia, sfntul mucenic a fost supus la alte chinuri: soldaii mpratului i-au nfipt un piron de fier n trup, i-au ars faa i i-au jupuit pielea de pe trup; ns sfntul Haralambie s-a vindecat n chip miraculos. mpratul, uimit, a vrut atunci s-l pun la ncercare pe Haralambie: a fost adus o persoan care era chinuit de un duh ru timp de 35 de ani, pentru a vedea dac Haralambie ar putea alunga acest demon. Sfntul, cu harul lui Dumnezeu, a fcut i aceast minune. mpratul a exclamat: "Adevrat, mare este Dumnezeul cretinilor!". Apoi mpratul a adus n faa lui corpul unui tnr biat care murise cu trei zile n urm, iar acest tnr a nviat dup rugciunea fcut de Haralambie. Vznd toate acestea, muli oameni au nceput s cread n Hristos Mntuitorul. Chiar i fiica mpratului, Galinia, a trecut la cretinism, zdrobind cu minile ei statuile zeilor dintr-un templu pgn. Prefectul Crispus al Antiohiei l-a ndemnat pe mprat s-l ucid ct mai grabnic pe Haralambie, pentru a stvili astfel rspndirea cretinismului n provincia Antiohia. La noul refuz al Sfntului mucenic de a se nchina zeilor pgni,

mpratul a dat ordin s i se zdrobeasc gura cu pietre i s i se ard barba, dar sfntul a ntors flcrile asupra chinuitorilor si. n cele din urm, la insistenele prefectului Crispus, mpratul a pronunat sentina de condamnare la moarte a lui Haralambie, prin tierea capului cu sabia. Dup execuie, fiica mpratului, Galinia, care trecuse la cretinism, a ngropat trupul martirului cu mult onoare. Moatele Sfntului Haralambie (mai precis, un fragment mare din craniul su) se aflau n altarul bisericii Sf. Gheorghe din Iraklitsa Veche (n Grecia). n anul 1922, au fost mutate la biserica din Iraklitsa Nou[1]. Un alt fragment (chiar mai mare) al craniului Sfntului Haralambie este pstrat n Mnstirea Sfntul tefan de la Meteora. Este demn de remarcat faptul c racla n care se afl moatele dateaz din secolul XVII. n biserica Mnstirii Miclueni, din Iai, se afla moatele a treizeci de sfini, printre care i ale Sfntului Haralambie. Prticele din moatele sale se mai afl i la Mnstirea Raca, la Catedrala episcopal din Galai, precum i la bisericile bucuretene Sfntul Dumitru (Pota), "Sfinii Arhangheli (Oelari) i "Sfntul Stelian. Sfntul sfinit mucenic Haralambie este cunoscut i ca fiind aprtor mpotriva ciumei i a foametei. n Acatistul inchinat lui se spune: Bucura-te, izbvitorule de cium i de foamete!. Istoria consemneaz c oamenii au cerut ajutorul su n diferite situaii grele, cum au fost ciuma lui Caragea Vod din 1813, dar i foametea din vremea lui Alexandru Moruzi, din 1795.