Holy Hieromartyr Neophytus of Urbnisi (VII)
The holy Hieromartyr Neophytus was a Persian by origin. In the seventh century, by order of the emir Mumn, ruler “of the Arabs and the Syrians and the Medes”, the commander Ahmad invaded Georgia with a vast army. After laying waste the valley of the Liakhvi, Ahmad sent two captains, Omar and Burul, towards Mtskheta. At the confluence of the Mtkvari and the Aragvi, near the village of Tsikhedidi, the soldiers saw across the river, among the rocks of Sarkineti, “caves hewn out”; they counted it a disgrace and an offence against the sultan not to plunder them, and went into the Mtkvari to cross over, but they could in no way get across the river.
The perplexed Saracens asked their captives: “What is in the caves?” The captives answered that this was the monastery of the blessed Shio of Mghvime, where “men who are servants of God” lived, deprived of every comfort of this world.
Hearing of them greatly astonished the lawless host. The commanders resolved to report everything to Ahmad. Ahmad, awed by the divine power, sent Omar to the monastery with gold and many useful things, and bade him give the monks this request: “Pray for me, servants of God, and accept this my gift, and offer aloes and incense to be burned at the grave of your teacher.”
As he drew near to the caves of Sarkineti, Omar sent a man to the monks and informed them: I come to comfort and serve you, and not to harm you.
When he came to the gate of the monastery, the commander saw “a multitude of bodiless horsemen of light, moving wonderfully upon the air, and in their midst an old monk, most radiant to behold”. The humility of the dwellers of the monastery and their modest way of life, as though “angels were shining in the flesh”, made the greatest impression on Omar. He understood that the strange horsemen were angels of the Lord and the old monk the abbot of this monastery, and he said to the monks: “Holy ones of God, why are you afraid of men? For I see truly the guards of your monastery, horsemen of light guarding you, flying upon the air, and in their midst a wonderful monk, hoary of beard and hair, whose goodly aspect I am not able to tell; and I believe that those horsemen are angels of God and that monk is your teacher.”
Omar made a vow before the monks: “When a fitting time comes to me, I will come to you and become a Christian, and be baptised, and become a monk, and abide with you until my death.” He left his godlessness, his homeland, his command and his riches, came to the house of Shio of Mghvime and was baptised. Two of his servants were baptised with him. After his baptism Omar was named Neophytus (new plant), and his friends Christodoulos (servant of Christ) and Christophoros (Christ-bearer).
By God’s providence Saint Neophytus was installed as hierarch on the see of Urbnisi. The hierarch’s wisdom and zeal amazed everyone. He was a true father of his flock: “He strengthened those who were weak, healed the sick, bound up the broken, helped the one in evil plight, turned back the one who strayed and sought the lost; he abode with them, kept them and did not scatter them.”
The enemy could not bear the Persian’s apostolic labour. The Mazdeans resolved to kill the hierarch who preached Christ.
The lawless found a suitable time and fell upon Neophytus when he had withdrawn to pray. The lawless knew that Saint Neophytus longed for the death of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr, and so they sentenced him to be stoned. The saint answered in a gentle voice: “Sweet to me is death, godless ones, sweet to me. Longed for by me is the loosing of the bonds of the immortal and the mortal nature… From now on I shall confirm with my blood the holy Church for which I have laboured, which the Son and Word of God gathered through my preaching with His own precious blood; and what God has ordained for me, let it be, for He called me from godlessness to His own light.”
The raging lawless ones stoned the saint. The last words of the holy hieromartyr were: “Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit.”
