The holy New Martyr
Ahmed was born in the seventeenth century to a Muslim family in Constantinople.
By profession he was a copyist in the Great Archives. In accordance with
Ottoman law, since he did not have a wife, he had a slave instead, a Russian
woman. Another captive from Russia lived together with her, an old woman, also
a slave. Both these women were very pious.
On feast days the
old woman would go to church. Taking the blessed bread or antidoron, she would
give it to the young woman to eat. The old woman would also bring her holy
water to drink. Whenever this occurred and Ahmed was close to her, he would
smell a beautiful and indescribable fragrance coming out of her mouth. He would
ask her what she was eating to make her mouth smell so fragrant. Not realizing
what was happening, the slave would say that she was not eating anything.
However, he persisted in asking. Eventually she told him that she was eating
the bread which had been blessed by the priests, which the old woman brought
her whenever she returned from church.
On hearing this,
Ahmed was filled with longing to see the Orthodox church and how Orthodox received
this blessed bread. Therefore he summoned a priest and told him to prepare a
secret place for him, so that he could go when the Patriarch was serving the
Liturgy. When the appointed day arrived, dressed as an Orthodox, he went to the
Patriarchate and followed the Divine Liturgy. While he was in church, he saw
the Patriarch shining with light and lifted off the floor, as he came out of
the altar and through the holy doors to bless the people. As he blessed, rays
of light came from his finger tips, but though the rays fell on the heads of
all the Orthodox, they did not fall on Ahmed’s head. This happened two or three
times and each time Ahmed saw the same thing. Thus, Ahmed came to the faith.
Without hesitation he sent for the priest, who gave him rebirth through
baptism. Ahmed remained a secret Orthodox for some time, concealing his
baptismal name, which is why it has not come down to us.
However, one day
Ahmed and certain noblemen were eating together. Afterwards they sat talking
and smoking, as is the Muslim custom. In the course of the conversation they
began to discuss what the greatest thing in the world. Each gave his opinion.
The first guest said that the greatest thing in the world was for a man to have
wisdom. The second maintained that woman was the greatest thing in the world.
And yet a third said that the greatest thing in the world, and by far the most
delightful, was good food – for was this not the food of the righteous in
paradise?
Then it was Ahmed’s
turn. They all turned to him, asking him for his opinion on this matter. Filled
with holy zeal, Ahmed cried out that the greatest thing of all was the Faith of
the Orthodox. And confessing himself to be a Christian, he boldly censured the
falseness and deception of the Muslims. At first, on hearing this the Muslims
were aghast. Then, filled with unspeakable rage, they fell on the holy martyr
and dragged him to a judge, so that he could be sentenced to death. He was
beheaded, receiving the crown of martyrdom on the orders of the ruler on 3 May
1682. According to St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite, his memory is celebrated on
December 24th.
Holy Martyr Ahmed,
pray to God for us!
Source: https://stjohntheforerunnerblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/saint-ahmed-calligrapher.html
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