Venerable Martyr Nicholas Dvali (†1314) — October 12 / October 25 (Julian Calendar)

On this day, October 12 according to the Julian Calendar (October 25 civil calendar), the Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates the Venerable Martyr Nicholas Dvali.

The holy martyr Nicholas Dvali was the son of pious Orthodox parents. His God-fearing mother and father dedicated him to the Lord from his birth. At the age of twelve the boy Nicholas went to the Klarjeti wilderness, where he was tonsured and began his ascetic labors. Afterwards the saint went to Jerusalem and settled in the Georgian Monastery of the Holy Cross. Burning with the desire to die as a martyr for Christ, Saint Nicholas boldly preached the faith among the Muslims and fearlessly exposed their errors.

The unbelievers seized Saint Nicholas and, after many kinds of torture, locked him in prison. The Christians managed to free the confessor from prison. At the command of his abbot, Saint Nicholas went to the Georgian monastery on Cyprus. He prayed to the Lord for a martyr’s end, and received a revelation from Saint John the Baptist that he should go to Damascus.

Arriving in Damascus, the saint again boldly confessed Christ before the unbelievers and exposed their folly. The enraged godless men seized the holy confessor, beat him cruelly and threw him into a dungeon. The Christians barely managed to free him from captivity. Newly released, Saint Nicholas went once more to the gathering of the unbelievers and again denounced their folly, for which he was cruelly tortured, flogged five hundred times and thrown into prison. The holy martyr was healed through a miraculous appearance of the Forerunner, and two months later he was set free again.

The emir of the city happened to see Saint Nicholas as he was preparing to travel to Jerusalem, seized him and sent him to the great emir, Dengiz. Dengiz offered the saint to accept Islam. Saint Nicholas courageously confessed Christ.

The great emir ordered his execution. The blessed martyr turned toward the east, joyfully bowed his neck to the sword and said: “Glory to Thee, O Christ God, Who hast made me worthy to die for Thee.” The sword cut off the head of Saint Nicholas. The severed head glorified God seven times, crying out: “Glory to Thee, O Christ God!” The Persians who witnessed this miracle burned the holy body. For three days a pillar of light stood over the place of his martyrdom.

When the spiritual father of Saint Nicholas learned of the martyric end of his spiritual son, he glorified God and prayed that it be revealed to him whether Nicholas had been numbered among the holy martyrs. One day, while reading a book, he beheld in a miraculous vision a mountain filled with light and fragrance, and a radiantly adorned choir of holy martyrs, among whom the Great-martyr George shone most brightly. Saint George called to Saint Nicholas: “Nicholas! Come forth and behold this elder, thy spiritual father, for he has shed many tears for thee.” Nicholas greeted his elder: “Behold, thou seest me and my place; henceforth grieve no more for me,” he comforted him. Saint Nicholas Dvali was martyred on Tuesday, October 19, 1314.