Neophytus

ON ST. NEOPHYTUS, MARTYR AT NICAEA IN BITHYNIA.

Under Diocletian.

Neophytus, Martyr, at Nicaea in Bithynia (St.)

[1] At Nicaea in Bithynia, on January 20, the feast of St. Neophytus the Martyr is observed. He, at the age of fifteen, was beaten with scourges, cast into a furnace, exposed to wild beasts, and when he remained unharmed The feast of St. Neophytus on January 20. and steadfastly professed the faith of Christ, he was at last slain by the sword. So the Roman Martyrology. On the same day the Menologion: "The feast of the holy Martyr Neophytus, who was from Nicaea in Bithynia, born of pious parents Theodore and Florentia, under the Emperor Diocletian. When he was in the fifteenth year of his age, he suddenly presented himself before the Governor Decius, and freely proclaiming the faith of Christ, he was first beaten with scourges, then cast into a burning furnace, and delivered to the bites of wild beasts; and when he had remained unharmed through all of these, at last a certain barbarian rushing upon him, he was struck down with an axe."

[2] Molanus in the supplement to Usuard assigns his feast to January 21, others on the 21st, as do Maximus Cythyraeus and the Menaea, which narrate his acts more fully. On December 7 a St. Neophytus Martyr is celebrated in the same Menaea; but he is a different person, for that one was drowned in water.

ACTS FROM THE MENAEA.

Neophytus, Martyr, at Nicaea in Bithynia (St.)

From the Menaea.

(a) A spear tears Neophytus from the ground, Neophytus, most beautiful, like a young shoot.

(b) He was a native of Nicaea in Bithynia, homeland, parents, born of Christian and pious parents, Theodore and Florentia, at the time when Diocletian held power. He was quickly filled with divine grace in the very beginnings of his life. sanctity, For at nine years of age, having prayed with other boys who were being instructed together in letters, he miraculously nourished them. And a dove flying around his bed spoke in a human manner, miracles, by which portent the holy boy's mother was struck dead; but he revived her by his prayers. He then withdrew to Mount Olympus, and entering a cave under the guidance of the dove, he drove out a wild beast that was sheltered there; and he established his dwelling in that place, nourished by an Angel. In the eleventh year of his age, by divine admonition, solitary life, he descended from the mountain and visited his parents, and from their means he relieved the poverty of the poor, then returned to the mountain. At last, in the fifteenth year of his age, entering the road under the protection of Angels, he presented himself to the Governor Decius. torments, There, with incredible boldness, he professed the faith; he was first beaten with scourges, then cast into a burning furnace; escaping unharmed by the grace of Christ, he was thrown to wild beasts; death. but when he had overcome all these unharmed, a barbarian rushing upon him, he was slain by the sword.

(a) An allusion to the etymology; for neophyton means a newly planted shoot. In Greek:

Ton Neophyton ekrizoi gethen dory, Neophyton kalliston hoiaper thallos.

(b) Maximus Cythyraeus recounts the same things.

(c) Raderus considers this incredible. Why more so than the ass of Balaam, which spoke in a human manner, especially since that was a true beast, while here the Angel appeared under the form of a dove?

(d) This mountain was treated on January 9, in the Life of St. Eustratius, note (c).