Ο Άγιος Προκόπιος ο Μεγαλομάρτυς

φ.βικιπαίδεια

Ο Άγιος Προκόπιος ο Μεγαλομάρτυς είναι άγιος της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας και η μνήμη του γιορτάζεται στις 8 Ιουλίου.

Βίος

Ο άγιος Προκόπιος γεννήθηκε στην Ιερουσαλήμ της Παλαιστίνης κατά τους χρόνους της βασιλείας του αυτοκράτορα Διοκλητιανού, από κάποιον χριστιανό ευγενή ονόματι Χριστόφορο και την ειδωλολάτρισσα Θεοδοσία, και τον ονόμασαν "Νεανία".

Σε μικρή ηλικία έχασε τον πατέρα του, και η μητέρα του φρόντισε να τον αναθρέψει ως ειδωλολάτρη. Μάλιστα, η μητέρα του τον προσέφερε ως υπηρέτη στον αυτοκράτορα Διοκλητιανό, προσφέροντάς του και χρήματα προκειμένου να δεχθεί τον γιό της. Ο Διοκλητιανός δέχθηκε τον εθνικό τότε "Νεανία" κάνοντάς τον Δούκα της Αλεξάνδρειας της Συρίας, και δίνοντάς του ως πρώτη εντολή να διώκει και να τιμωρεί τους Χριστιανούς.
Η μεταστροφή του αγίου στον Χριστιανισμό

Μετά την ανάληψη του αξιώματος, ο νεαρός Δούκας ξεκίνησε μαζί με δύο αξιωματικούς του, με προορισμό την πόλη Απάμεια (σημερινή ονομασία Χαμάν), η οποία ήταν και μητρόπολη της Αντιόχειας. Επειδή είχε πολύ ζέστη, ταξίδευαν κατά τη διάρκεια της νύχτας, όταν φτάνοντας περίπου 30 χιλιόμετρα έξω από την πόλη, έγινε σεισμός και ο ουρανός φωτίστηκε από αστραπές. Τότε ο Νεανίας άκουσε από τον ουρανό μία φωνή να τον απειλεί με θάνατο, εάν εκτελέσει τις διαταγές του Διοκλητιανού και διώξει τους Χριστιανούς.

Ο καλοπροαίρετος Δούκας, μη γνωρίζοντας ποιος του μιλάει, ζήτησε από την φωνή να του φανερωθεί, και τότε εμφανίστηκε μπροστά του ένας κρυστάλλινος Σταυρός και από εκεί ακούστηκε φωνή που του έλεγε : "Εγώ είμαι ο Εσταυρωμένος Ιησούς, ο Υιός του Θεού του Ζώντος". Ξαφνιασμένος ο Νεανίας από αυτή την αποκάλυψη, όταν έφτασε στην Απάμεια ζήτησε να κατηχηθεί και αφού πίστεψε στο Χριστό, βαπτίστηκε λαμβάνοντας το όνομα Προκόπιος. Όταν επέστρεψε στη Σκυθόπολη, στην Κοίλη Συρία (την αρχαία Νύσσα που οι Εβραίοι ονόμαζαν Βεθοάν), κατασκεύασε έναν Σταυρό από χρυσό και ασήμι, κατά τον τύπο του Σταυρού που του είχε φανερωθεί, επάνω στον οποίο εμφανίστηκαν μετά την ολοκλήρωσή του τρεις εικόνες με εβραϊκά γράμματα. Στην κεντρική έγραφε "Εμμανουήλ" και στις δύο πλαϊνές "Μιχαήλ" και "Γαβριήλ".

Έχοντας τον Σταυρό αυτό λάβαρο στις μάχες κατά των Σαρακηνών, επέστρεψε νικητής στην Αλεξάνδρεια. Η μητέρα του, γεμάτη χαρά για τις νίκες του γιου της, τον προέτρεψε να θυσιάσει στα είδωλα για να ευχαριστήσει τους θεούς, αλλά ο Προκόπιος της απάντησε ότι για τις νίκες τις κατάφερε με τη δύναμη του Χριστού και όχι των ειδώλων. Αμέσως η μητέρα του τον ανέφερε στον αυτοκράτορα, ο οποίος διέταξε τον ηγεμόνα της Καισαρείας Ούλκιο, να εξετάσει τον Προκόπιο για την Πίστη του.
περισσότερα στη βικιπαίδεια

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Saint Procopius the Great Martyr is a saint of the Orthodox Church and his memory is celebrated on July 8.

Life

Saint Procopius was born in Jerusalem, Palestine during the reign of the emperor Diocletian, to a Christian nobleman named Christopher and the pagan Theodosia, and they named him "Neania".

At an early age he lost his father, and his mother took care to raise him as a pagan. In fact, his mother offered him as a servant to the emperor Diocletian, offering him money in order to accept her son. Diocletian accepted the then national "Neania" by making him Duke of Alexandria in Syria, and giving him as his first command to persecute and punish the Christians. The saint's conversion to Christianity

After assuming office, the young Duke set out with two of his officers, bound for the city of Apamea (today's name Haman), which was also the metropolis of Antioch. Because it was very hot, they were traveling during the night, when reaching about 30 kilometers outside the city, there was an earthquake and the sky was lit up by lightning. Then Neanias heard a voice from heaven threatening him with death if he carried out Diocletian's orders and persecuted the Christians.


The benevolent Duke, not knowing who was speaking to him, asked the voice to reveal itself to him, and then a crystal Cross appeared in front of him and from there a voice was heard saying to him: "I am the Crucified Jesus, the Son of the Living God". Neanias was surprised by this revelation, when he arrived in Apameia he asked to be catechized and after he believed in Christ, he was baptized taking the name Procopius. When he returned to Scythopolis, in Hollow Syria (the ancient Nyssa which the Jews called Bethoan), he made a Cross of gold and silver, after the type of the Cross that had been revealed to him, on which appeared after its completion three images with Hebrew characters . In the central one was written "Emmanuel" and on the two sides "Michael" and "Gabriel".


Having this Cross as his banner in the battles against the Saracens, he returned victorious to Alexandria. His mother, full of joy at her son's victories, urged him to sacrifice to the idols in order to please the gods, but Procopius replied that he achieved the victories with the power of Christ and not the idols. Immediately his mother reported him to the emperor, who ordered the ruler of Caesarea, Ulcius, to examine Procopius for his Faith. more on wikipedia

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Свети великомъченик Прокопий е светец на православната църква и паметта му се чества на 8 юли.

живот

Свети Прокопий е роден в Йерусалим, Палестина по време на управлението на император Диоклециан, в семейството на благородник християнин на име Христофор и езичничката Теодосия, и те го нарекли "Неания".

В ранна възраст той губи баща си, а майка му се грижи да го възпита като езичник. Всъщност майка му го предлага за слуга на император Диоклециан, като му предлага пари, за да приеме сина си. Диоклециан прие тогавашния национален „Неания“, като го направи херцог на Александрия в Сирия и му даде като първа заповед да преследва и наказва християните. Обръщението на светеца към християнството

След като встъпва в длъжност, младият херцог тръгва с двама от офицерите си към град Апамея (днешното име Хаман), който е и метрополия на Антиохия. Тъй като беше много горещо, те пътуваха през нощта, когато стигнаха на около 30 километра извън града, имаше земетресение и небето беше осветено от светкавици. Тогава Неаний чул глас от небето, който го заплашвал със смърт, ако изпълни заповедите на Диоклециан и преследва християните.


Благосклонният херцог, без да знае кой му говори, помоли гласа да му се разкрие и тогава пред него се появи кристален кръст и оттам се чу глас, който му казваше: „Аз съм Разпнатият Исус, Син на живия Бог". Неаний бил изненадан от това откровение, когато пристигнал в Апамея, той поискал да бъде катехизиран и след като повярвал в Христос, бил кръстен с името Прокопий. Когато се завърна в Скитополис, в Куха Сирия (древната Ниса, която евреите наричаха Бетон), той направи кръст от злато и сребро, според типа на кръста, който му беше разкрит, върху който се появиха след завършването му три изображения с еврейски знаци. В централната е изписано "Емануил", а от двете страни "Михаил" и "Гавриил".

Имайки този кръст като свое знаме в битките срещу сарацините, той се завърна победоносно в Александрия. Майка му, изпълнена с радост от победите на сина си, го увещавала да принесе жертва на идолите, за да угоди на боговете, но Прокопий отговорил, че той постига победите със силата на Христос, а не с идолите. Майка му веднага съобщила за него на императора, който наредил на владетеля на Кесария Улций да изпита Прокопий за вярата му. повече в wikipedia 

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