Byzantine Saints: 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia (28 December)

About this sermon

On December 28, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Holy 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia, who were burned alive for their unwavering confession of Christ at the beginning of the 4th century, during the brutal persecution under Emperor Maximian (284–305). At that time, the emperor ordered the destruction of Christian churches, the burning of sacred books, and the stripping of Christians of their civil rights. Despite these threats, the Christian faith continued to spread—even within the imperial court itself. This video recounts the moving and powerful story of: Bishop Anthimus of Nicomedia, who shepherded the faithful unto martyrdom Saint Domna, the former pagan priestess who secretly converted to Christ Saint Indes, her faithful companion and martyr Abbess Agatha and Saint Theophila, preserved by divine miracles The final fiery martyrdom of 20,000 Christians inside the Nicomedia cathedral on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ As soldiers surrounded the church and set it ablaze, the faithful refused to renounce Christ. Bishop Anthimus baptized the catechumens and communed all present with the Holy Mysteries. United in prayer, all 20,000 perished in the fire, receiving their crowns of martyrdom. This is not merely history—it is a witness to the truth of Christ, the power of faith, and the victory of the Church through sacrifice. 📅 Feast Day: December 28 📜 Era: Early 4th Century 🔥 Theme: Martyrdom, Perseverance, Orthodox Christian Witness “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10) 00:00 Introduction – The 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia 00:21 Emperor Maximian’s Edict Against Christians 00:42 Bishop Anthimus and the Spread of Christianity 00:55 Saint Domna’s Conversion from Paganism 01:18 Baptism of Domna and Indes 01:24 Charity and Service to the Poor 01:36 Imprisonment and Angelic Deliverance 01:55 Saint Domna Feigns Insanity 02:12 Destruction of the Women’s Monastery 02:30 Saint Theophila Preserved by an Angel 02:40 Pagan Sacrifice and the Emperor’s Fury 03:00 Threats Against the Church of Nicomedia 03:21 Martyrdom of Presbyter Glycerius 03:36 The Burning of the Church – 20,000 Martyrs 04:07 Final Baptisms and Holy Communion 04:12 The Church Set Ablaze 04:21 Bishop Anthimus Escapes 04:39 Martyrdom of Commander Zeno 04:57 Continued Persecution of Christians 05:14 Martyrdom of Deacon Theophilus 05:31 Saint Domna’s Lament and Repentance 05:47 Recovery of the Martyrs’ Bodies 06:15 Saint Domna Honoring the Relics 06:26 Martyrdom of Saint Domna https://www.oca.org/saints/lives 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶️ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶️ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 ▶️ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶️ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶️ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #20kMartyrs #MartyrsOfNicomedia #OrthodoxChurch #OrthodoxSaints #ChurchHistory #ChristianMartyrs #EarlyChristianity #FaithUnderPersecution #LivesOfTheSaints #OrthodoxFeas

Topics

• Suffering & Trials