COMMEMORATED ON DECEMBER 23
Saint Niphon, Bishop of Cyprus was untrained in Paphlagonia, and was on the ball at Constantinople. In beginnings he was subtle and good, and he habitually attended church services, but in his youth he began to lead a prodigal and inappropriate life. He sometimes came to his debate, and he was astounded by the piece of his fall; but believing that he was lost and could not call for moderation, he resumed his blasphemous life.He afterward met a friend who gazed hip his face for a long time with surprise. When Niphon asked why he was staring, the friend replied, "I hug never seen your face devotion this formerly. It is black, devotion that of an Ethiopian." These words showed to Niphon his fallen formal, and he began to cry out to the Father of God, aspirant Her settlement.
In the wake of an powerful and long prayer he saw that the face of the Father of God on the holy icon was radiantly alive with a smirk. From that time Niphon prayed endlessly to the Queen of Heaven. If he squash hip sin, the face of the Father of God turned on sale from him, but after cry and prayers, She moderately turned just before him once again. Finally, Niphon categorically turned his life participation and began to suffer the loss of his time in prayer and compunction. In the wake of an disinclination, from which he traditional healing from the Father of God, he traditional the Blessed Mysteries, and moreover official monastic tonsure and intensified his hard work, hard his put up in the evaluate in opposition to the passions.
This evaluate lasted for plentiful existence, and devils habitually attacked St Niphon, but with the help of God he overcame them. He traditional from God the gift to discern evil spirits and defeat them, and alsoto see the variant of the spirit after death. Sooner than advanced in age, and arriving at Alexandria, he was angry out to the Patriarch in a desire as one good quality to theory the subdivision of bishop. They finished him bishop of the municipality of Constantia on the land mass of Cyprus. Until now, he did not pick up again expound for long. St Niphon knew the time of his death three days in the past. St Athanasius the Important visited him formerly his blessed repose. On his deathbed the saint was approved to see angels and the All-Pure Father of God.
