Posts in category: Αγιοι της μονης 2 – Ξενοφώντος

The Monastery also has pieces of holy relics of the New-martyrs Theodoros of Byzantium and Theodoros of Mytilene; the Holy-martyrs Efthimios, Ignatios and Akakios the Athonite; St Ignatios of Mithimnis; St Gregorios of Assos; the newly-canonized Martyrs Rafael, Nikolaos and Eirini; the New-Martyr Georgios of Ioannina; St Nektarios of Pentapoleos; a vertebra of St Nifon, the Patriarch of Konstantinople; the Holy Gerasimos Makrinitis, and the Holy Simeon the Barefoot and ‘Threadbare’; pieces of relics of St Theonas, archbishop of Thessaloniki, Epifanios of Cyprus, and Alexios the Man of God; a piece of the cranium of the Saint and New-Martyr Argyris, and the Saint and Hieromartyr Serafeim, Bishop of Fanario, a vertebra of the Great Methodias of Kimolos, and others.

The list continues with a vertebra of the St Lazarus the Just, pieces of the sacred relics of the Three Hierarchs, of St Athanasios of Alexandria, of the Saint and Hieromartyr Eleftherios, of St Mina of Egypt and St Mina of Kallikelados, of St Ignatios the Theoforos, St Ioannis the Merciful, St Paraskevi and St Ermolaos, St Barbara, St Ioannis Damaskinos, the Holy Pavlos the Simple, the St and Great-martyr Iakobos of Persia, and the St and Great-Martyr Theodoros of Stratilatos.

Some indicative examples of the Monastery’s collection are: The existence of a number of cross-shaped reliquaries which contain pieces of the Holy Cross; pieces of the right hand and the cranium of St Georgios; blood from the Holy Precursor and St Dimitrios; a large piece of the cranium of the Great-martyr Stefanos; the right hand of St Marina; relics of St Xenofont the Senator and the lower jaw of his son, the holy Arkadios; a piece of the sacred relics of the apostles Sts Andrew, Filippos and Bartholomaios, and St Varnava; a piece of the cranium of St Anna the Theopromitoros (‘Grandmother of God’), and the foot of St Theodoros of Tironos.

In the Xenofontos Monastery, there are a significant number of treasured sacred relics, which are ceremoniously exhibited on the feast day of each saint in order for the faithful to venerate and honor the saint. The sacred relics of the saints are exhibited for viewing by visitors, and are considered to be priceless treasures of the Church since through their incorruptibility, the sweet fragrance with they often emit, and their miraculous abilities, they pass down the blessing of the Holy Spirit to those who with reverence and faith honour them.