Martyr Conon of Isauria

[walaa farouk]

Martyr Conon of Isauria


The Holy Martyr Conon of Isauria was born in Badinḗ (Βαδινή), a village near the city of Isauria in Asia Minor, whose inhabitants had received the Christian Faith from the Apostle Paul. From his youth, Saint Conon was protected by the Archangel Michael, who helped him in many difficult situations during his life.
At the insistence of his parents, Conon was betrothed to a girl named Anna, and on their wedding night, he persuaded her that they should remain virgins. He took a candle and put it under a vessel and asked his bride: "Which is better, light or darkness?"
"Light," she replied.
Then he spoke to her about Christ, and how the spiritual life was far superior and more desirable than the physical. Thus, Conon and Anna lived together as brother and sister. Later, Conon brought his wife and her parents to the Christian Faith.His father, Saint Nestor, rebuked the idolaters, but they opposed him, saying that there is no other God but the idols. He converted them and prepared them to confess Christ with a loud voice, and to be baptized. As a result, Saint Nestor was put to death, thereby receiving a Martyr's crown.
Shortly thereafter, Conan's wife and her parents died, and he withdrew completely from this earthly life, devoting himself to the monastic labors of prayer, fasting and divine contemplation.
By the grace of God, Saint Conan received so much power and authority over the demons, that he was able to order some of them to farm the land. Others were sent to protect the fruit, and then he enclosed the rest in clay vessels, which he sealed. He hid and buried these in the foundation of his house.
In his old age, the holy ascetic received the gift of working miracles.Through his preaching and miracles, many pagans were turned to Christ. When a persecution of Christians began in Isauria, Saint Conon was one of the first to suffer. He was tortured severely for refusing to sacrifice to the idols. However, when the inhabitants of Isauria learned of the torments to which the Saint was subjected, they went armed with weapons in order to protect the Martyr. Fearing the people's wrath, the torturers fled, and the Isaurians found the Martyr wounded and bloodied. Those who were sick anointed themselves with his blood, and they were healed. Saint Conon was saddened because he had not been found worthy of being martyred for the Lord. He lived in Isauria for two more years, and then he departed to the Lord in the second century.
After the Saint's repose, some Christians wanted to convert his house into a church. As they were digging, they found the clay vessels containing the evil spirits. When one of the jars was opened the demons came forth in the form of fire. The building collapsed, the wood and the ropes were burnt, and no one was able to approach that place until after sunset. After some time, that place was freed from the influence of the demons, by the prayers of Saint Conon, and through the prayer and fasting of the Christians who lived there.