St. Nerses the Great

Adapted from "The Light of the World". Purchase your copy today.

A great man is chosen Catholicos against his will

The mightiest chiefs, princes, and commanders of every clan assembled in council with King Arshag to choose a new spiritual leader who would be worthy to be the next Catholicos.  They decided the next leader of the Armenian Church needed to be a grandson of St. Gregory.

They called for Nerses, the great-great-grandson of St. Gregory.  In his youth, he led a secular life and had been married.  He was now an official in the military, though he was not admired for his military prowess but for his piety and for being a strict observer of the Lord's commandments.  He loved the poor and cared for them so much that he freely shared his food and clothing with them.  He was a true defender of the suffering and the oppressed.

When nominated to be Catholicos, Nerses refused, thinking himself unworthy.  The assembled leaders were insistent and continued to press Nerses into service.  After forcibly convincing Nerses to serve as Catholicos, the nobles were leading him into the church for  his consecration when a dove came down upon the altar.  When it was time to consecrate Nerses, the dove settled above his head.  The assembled faithful cried out "You are pleasing God! His Spirit rested upon you!"

A new era of faith

Nerses performed many miracles and healings.  He rebuilt churches.  He convinced those who doubted and strengthened believers with the hope of eternal rewards.  Nerses displayed particular zeal when it came to charity, providing others the example of good deeds.  He helped build shelters for the poor, the sick, the lepers, and all who suffered.  Others in Armenia, influenced by his charity, began to give to the less-fortunate as well.

Under Nerses the number of churches and priests grew.  He helped usher in a time of peace and renewal throughout Armenia.  Then, while on a mission to Greece, Nerses was called on to heal the ailing son of the heretical king Valens.  Nerses preached to the king that if he accepted the Lord, God would heal his son.  Enraged, King Valens locked Catholicos Nerses up.  A few weeks later, the young son died.

In response to his son's death, King Valens persecuted Christians throughout his realm.  He was especially cruel to Catholicos Nerses, whom he deported with 70 others to a desert island in the middle of the sea so they would starve to death. 

On the island, Nerses encouraged the men to be strong and not to fear.  Kneeling in prayer, the hungry men soon felt a great wind.  The stormy sea then began to throw fish up onto the island, providing food for the men.

Rescue and return

After nine months, King Valens died, and the exiled men were rescued.  People were overjoyed to see their beloved Catholicos Nerses again.  All was well until Catholicos Nerses realized the Armenian King Arshag had begun to mistreat the poor and sick.  Catholicos Nerses tried to convince King Arshag to be more humane, but he did not pay attention to the Catholicos.

When King Arshag decided to invade Persia, nobles and those opposed to the war asked Catholicos Nerses to try and persuade the king not to go forward with the plan.  But, Catholicos Nerses told them God asks for obedience.  When the Persians fought back, they killed King Arshag and ravaged the Armenian countryside.  Nerses built shelters for those run off their lands by the Persian army. 

After the war, when Arshag's son Bab took to the thrown, he was constantly rebuked for his evil ways by the Catholicos.  In fact, the new king was forbidden to enter a church because he refused to repent.

King Bab pretended to have reformed his ways, and invited the Catholicos to a banquet celebrating his conversion.  There, however, the king served the Catholicos a glass of poisoned wine.  As soon as he drank, the Catholicos knew his fate, saying only: "Blessed is the Lord our God who made me worthy to drink this cup and attain a death for the sake of our Lord."  As he died, the Catholicos fell to his knees and implored forgiveness for his murderer and said "Lord Jesus Christ receive my spirit."