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Holy Martyr Nikoloz Dvali (†1314)

Memory 19 October (1 November)

Nikoloz Dvali, one of the great saints of the Georgian Church, was distinguished by his love for Christ from his youth. His parents began preparing him for the monastic life on the day he was born. Thus he was dedicated to God from his infancy.

At the age of fourteen Nikoloz set off for the Klarjeti Wilderness and began to lead a strict ascetic life. Later he journeyed to Jerusalem and, having venerated the holy places, decided to remain there, where none of his loved ones could disturb him.

But before long even this failed to satisfy St. Nikoloz’s desire to draw nearer to God, so he asked his spiritual father for a blessing to receive the crown of martyrdom and began to seek death for Christ’s sake. He was arrested and tortured several times by the Muslims for publicly preaching the Christian Faith, but the local Christians always succeeded in setting him free.

On October 19, 1314, St. Nikoloz finally attained his goal — he was beheaded by the Muslims. The last words he spoke were: “Glory toThee, O Lord, Who hast accounted me worthy to die for Thy sake!” After they had beheaded him, the unbelievers burned the holymartyr’s body.

(The life of St. Nikoloz Dvali is described in greater detail in the commemorations for February 12.)

Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze

For further information on the book THE LIVES OF THE GEORGIAN SAINTS by Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze contact St. Herman Press:
St. Herman Press, P.O. Box 70, Platina, CA 96076
http://www.stherman.com/catalog/chapter_five/Lives_of_the_georgian_saints.htm

11/9/2007

Holy Martyr Kozman

Holy Martyr Kozman
Commemorated October 17/30

Holy Martyr Kozman

Holy Martyr Kozman
Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze
The Life of St. Kozman has not been preserved. In the commemorations for this day it is mentioned only that he died a martyr’s death in the region of Kartli. Here it is fitting to note that, due to its geopolitical circumstances, Georgia has throughout history been a constant victim of foreign aggression. To give one’s life for his motherland and Faith became so customary for the Georgian people that the Georgian Church is unable to commemorate all of its martyrs by name.

The Lives of the Georgian Saints

The Lives of the Georgian Saints
Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze

The Lives of the Georgian Saints

The Lives of the Georgian Saints
Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze
Since the time of the ancient Greek historians, Georgia has been viewed as an enigma hidden behind impenetrable mountains and a complex language. Little has been written about this small country and its saints. Now, Pravoslavie.Ru presents the entire collection of the Lives of the Georgian saints which has been translated for the first time into English. These lives encompass the seventeen hundred years of Orthodox Christianity in Georgia. The stories of ascetics and bishops, warriors and noblemen are intertwined with the tumultuous history of the Georgian land.

Holy Hierarch Alexandre, Bishop of Guria and Samegrelo (†1907)

Holy Hierarch Alexandre, Bishop of Guria and Samegrelo (†1907)
Commemorated October 27/November 9

Holy Hierarch Alexandre, Bishop of Guria and Samegrelo (†1907)

Holy Hierarch Alexandre, Bishop of Guria and Samegrelo (†1907)
Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze
The holy hierarch Alexandre (Alexi Okropiridze in the world) was born in 1824, in the village of Disevi in the Gori district, to the family of the village priest. Growing up around the church, he received his primary education at Gori Theological School and later continued his education at Tbilisi Seminary.

See also

Fr. Proclus, Carpathian Hermit

Fr. Proclus, Carpathian Hermit

Fr. Proclus, Carpathian Hermit

Fr. Proclus, Carpathian Hermit
Igor Zybin
The brothers avoided telling these secrets, fearing the spirit of vainglory. If the Holy Spirit wants to help a person to fast, then it is a miracle of God. But sometimes He abandons us, so that we might live in humility, for we also need the earthly. He who never gets upset when someone scolds him feels these joys very strongly.

Venerable Nikoloz, Radiant Star of the Georgians (†1308)

Venerable Nikoloz, Radiant Star of the Georgians (†1308)
Commemorated November 3/16

Venerable Nikoloz, Radiant Star of the Georgians (†1308)

Venerable Nikoloz, Radiant Star of the Georgians (†1308)
Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze
Saint Nikoloz was the author of many church services, but little else about his life is known.He lived in the second half of the 13th century, and the last years of his life coincided with the reign of King Vakhtang III (1298, 1302–1308), the son of the holy king Demetre the Devoted.

Venerable Fathers and Mothers of the Klarjeti Wilderness (8th–10th centuries)

Venerable Fathers and Mothers of the Klarjeti Wilderness (8th–10th centuries)
Commemorated October 5/18

Venerable Fathers and Mothers of the Klarjeti Wilderness (8th–10th centuries)

Venerable Fathers and Mothers of the Klarjeti Wilderness (8th–10th centuries)
Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze
For centuries the region of Tao-Klarjeti in southwestern Georgia was known for its holiness, unity and spiritual strength. The cultural life and faith of Kartli were nearly extinguished by the Arab-Muslim domination from the 8th to 10th centuries. Tao-Klarjeti, however, which had been emptied by a cholera epidemic and the aftermath of the Islamic invasions, filled with new churches and monasteries, becoming a destination for many Christian ascetics.