Saint Nektarios of Aegina

Portrait of Saint Nectarios of Aegina

Saint Nektarios of Aegina (1 October 1846 – 8 November 1920) is one of the most renowned Greek saints. He is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and was officially recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1961. He lead a life of love, holiness, charity and humility and was greatly loved by the people. He is also associated with performing divine miracles through God's power.

According to St. Nectarios Church:

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But the love and admiration of the people for him turned to his disadvantage. Because of his holy virtues, because of the spotless life that he led, because of his holy sermons, and because of all those things which made him stand out, immediately malice arose among his colleagues who were also Metropolitans of the See of Alexandria, and amongst the bishops and higher clergy. They did not like St. Nectarios because he was different from them. For this reason they slandered him to the Patriarch, Sophronios, saying that the holy Father had his eye upon the Patriarchal Throne, because he had this "false show of piety," as they called it. They did not want to recognize his true virtue and unmatched spiritual beauty. Instead they said that all his virtue was only a show so that he would be considered holy by the people. He was accused of using his popularity with the people to dethrone the Patriarch. Since our Holy Father was truly so popular with the people, the Patriarch was easily convinced that he was in danger. For if the people rose up, truly Nectarios would have much power. Little did they know the true worth of the man. Little did they understand that he was not a proud man, and not ambitious, as they were, for positions and for power and for glory. The Saint made no attempt to justify himself but placed all his hope in the promise of Christ who has said: Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account (Matt. 5:11).

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Biographical and encyclopedia articles on Saint Nektarios of Aegina:

• Saint Nektarios of Aegina, Orthodoxwiki.com
• The Life of St. Nectarios
• Sotos Chondropoulos. SAINT NEKTARIOS: The Saint of Our Century. Translated by Peter and Aliki Los. Publications "Καινούργια Γή", Greece. ISBN 978-960-7374-43-1 (St. Nektarios Monastery, Roscoe, NY.)
• A Brief Account Of The Life Of St. Nectarios, Metropolitan of Aegina at www.serfes.org
• Nectarios at www.st-seraphim.com
• Saint Nektarios at www.fatheralexander.org
• Agios Nektarios Church & Monastery at www.aeginagreece.com

• St. Nectarios: Who is He? What Has He Done For Us?, St. Nectarios Orthodox Church, Florida

Founded by Saint Nektarios of Aegina: Monastery of Agios Nektarios in Aegina, Greece

The article Aegina Agios Nektarios Monastery indicates:

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The Monastery of Agios Nektarios in Aegina Greece: The Monastery of Agios (Saint) Nektarios is the most important religious monument of Aegina, located 6 km from the center of Aegina Town. The monastery was founded by the Bishop of Pentapolis Nektarios around the period of 1904-1910, after the request of several nuns. Bishop Nektarios settled down in Aegina in 1908, yet the monastery operated again in 1904 under his guidance while he remained in Rizarios School. He lived in the monastery for 13 years and he was buried under a plane tree outside the church of the monastery. Inside the monastery, there are two small chapels which actually host the tomb and holy relics of Agios Nektarios. His cell which was his home is found behind the two chapels and it is open to the public. Today 14 nuns live in the Monastery of Agios Nektarios. Close to the Monastery there is an imposing church, dedicated to the Saint. The church has two high bell towers and four series of windows, all covered with red bows. Following the steps up, there is the church of Holy Trinity. Agios Nektarios has been a popular priest and educator at the beginning of the 20th century. He is also known for his innumerable miracles and his healing abilities when he cured a demonized man. Another significant event convinced the locals for his sainthood when they asked him to pray for a drop of rain on the island. Those two events were perceived as signs from God. After a severe illness, he died in 1920. Today, this monastery is one of the most visited sites in Aegina. His memory is celebrated on November 9th with local festivities.

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Religious tourism as a factor of tourism development in Greece: A case study of the Monastery of St. Nektarios in Aegina, Greece

• Religious tourism as a factor of tourism development in Greece: A case study of the monastery of St. Nektarios on Aegina, 2019 (Journal: Менаџмент у хотелијерству и туризму) (Web presence of Monastery of St. Nektarios in Aegina, Greece)

Monastery of St. Nektarios. Aegina, Greece

Commentary on the writings of Saint Nektarios of Aegina

• Commentary on the writings of Saint Nektarios of Aegina - Compiled by Father Demetrios Serfes

• Saint Nektarios as seen through his Letters

• Writings Of Saint Nektarios The Wonderworker, Bishop Of Pentapolis

Reports of miracles of Saint Nektarios of Aegina

Greek icon of Saint Nektarios of Aegina

• Reports of miracles of Saint Nektarios of Aegina
• Father Demetrios Serfes - St. Nectarios of Aegina at www.serfes.org

Quotes of Saint Nektarios of Aegina

• Quotes of Saint Nektarios of Aegina

• St. Nektarios of Aegina quotes

• St. Nektarios of Aegina quotes

Quote: A Christian must be courteous to all

“A Christian must be courteous to all. His words and deeds should breathe with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which abides in his soul, so that in this way he might glorify the name of God. He who regulates all of his speech also regulates all of his actions. He who keeps watch over the words he is about say also keeps watch over the deeds he intends to do, and he never goes out of the bounds good and benevolent conduct. The graceful speech of a Christian is characterized by delicateness and politeness. This fact, born of love, produces peace and joy. On the other hand, boorishness gives birth to hatred, enmity, affliction, competitiveness, disorder and wars.” – Saint Nektarios of Aegina

Quote from Saint Nektarios of Aegina's book Know Thyself

"If you wish to know God you must first know yourself." - Saint Nektarios of Aegina

Books written by Saint Nektarios of Aegina

• Books written by Saint Nektarios of Aegina

• Writings of St. Nektarios

Summary of Saint Nektarios of Aegina's book Know Thyself

Summary of Saint Nektarios of Aegina's book Know Thyself: "The saying “Know Thyself” is a well-known hallmark of ancient philosophy. In Christianity this imperative assumes vital importance as a duty enjoined both by natural law and by Holy Scripture, for "they are wise who know themselves well" (Prov. 13:10). Since God created the human person according to His "image and likeness" (Gen. 1:26-27), self-knowledge is moreover a central path to attaining the knowledge of God. As Saint Gregory of Nyssa says, "If you wish to know God you must first know yourself." In this edifying book first published in Greek in 1905, Saint Nektarios gathers beneficial sayings and vividly portrays the various virtues, vices, and states of the soul. He aims to assist us in the difficult task of self-knowledge so that the reader can “study himself, examine himself with precision, behold the image of his soul as in a mirror so that he might discover its passions and diligently seek his soul’s cure." Part One explores the virtues of faith, hope, and love, with descriptions of their beauty and meditations on their inestimable value."

Special relationships

• Saint Savas the New of Kalymnos - Spiritual Brothers, great friends & co-confessors to each other.
• Philotheos (Zervakos) - From the Holy Monastery of Panagia Myrtidiotissa, Elder Philotheos wrote a well-known Christian apologetic in 1976 addressed to Archimandrite Cyprian. This letter is considered of extreme historical importance in the Greek Orthodox Church and Eastern Orthodox Church since it is written in defense of his spiritual father, St. Nectarios.
• Amphilochios (Makris) - He always had a great wish to meet the holy Metropolitan. When His excellency inquired of him, "What the greatest and most singular desire of his soul was", the elder responded in simplicity, "I wish that everybody would become monastics". The elder is the sole person who was invited by the Saint to stay overnight in his private quarters.

Book biography on Saint Nektarios

Saint Nectarios of Aegina

• Saint Nektarios: The Saint of Our Century, Kainourgia Gē Publications; First Edition (January 1, 1997)

Movie about Saint Nektarios of Aegina

• Man of God, 2021. The movie was written and directed by Yelena Popovic.

Film Review of the 2021 movie Man of God

• Film Review: “Man of God” – A Work of Beauty and Love

See also

• Greek Orthodox Church
• Eastern Orthodox Church

External links

Videos:

• A Wellspring of Humility - Saint Nektarios of Aegina

Video series:

• The Life of Saint Nektarios, Part 1: His Upbringing and Development
• The Life of Saint Nektarios, Part 2: His Trials and Persecutions
• The Life of Saint Nektarios, Part 3: His Final Years and Blessed Repose
• The Teachings and Writings of Saint Nektarios the Wonderworker