St. Pantanleon was a physician to Emperor Maximin. The good doctor was a Catholic, yet he did not realized how blessed he was - how great the treasure of his Faith. Hell, however, knew the value of this treasure and also the work that God had planned for this man. So the demons worked to pull him away from the Church. Sometimes, the diabolical torments of the martyrs have caused unfortunate Catholics to apostatize - deny their Faith. But the emperor’s physician fell to temptations which can be even more deadly. Pantaleon was seduced by the bad example and influence of his pagan companions in the emperor’s court.

Yet even though the poor physician threw away his Faith, God did not give up on this poor man’s soul. The time came when Heaven extended a merciful hand to Pantaleon and sent to him a zealous priest named Hermolaus. By the grace of God, the holy man's words touched the apostate's conscience. Brought to a sense of his guilt, Pantaleon returned to the True Faith.

From then on, Pantaleon strove to save others from the eternal loss that he was rescued from. He began by converting his pagan father, and had the joy to see him die a Catholic. When his father died, Pantaleon was left a considerable fortune. He distributed his wealth amongst the poor and the sick, doing all he could to their benefit.

As a physician, he was intent on restoring his patients to health of both body and soul. Numerous invalids who suffered from incurable diseases were aided and cured by his prayer, particularly by the invocation of the holy and powerful Name of Jesus. Many who suffered through ignorance of the Faith were converted by Pantaleon. He also encouraged his fellow Catholics to practice and profess their holy Faith. Everywhere this saint went, he brought blessings and consolation from God to the people.

St. Pantaleon had such a love for God and the Faith, that he wanted to prove his fidelity as much as he could, even by shedding his blood for it. Sadly, not all of his companions in the medical field shared the saint’s zeal. Many of these unfortunate men were pagans. Rather than following St. Pantaleon to the truth, they went to the heathen emperor, Maximin. They complained to him of St. Pantaleon’s zealous work to spread the faith. The holy physician was then brought before the emperor's tribunal, and ordered to sacrifice to the idols. In pure and simple faith, St. Pantaleon said:

"The God whom I adore is Jesus Christ. He created Heaven and earth, He raised the dead to life, made the blind see and healed the sick, all through the power of His word. Your idols are dead, they cannot do anything. Order a sick person to be brought here - one that is declared incurable. Your priests shall invoke their idols for him and I shall call on the only true God, and we shall see who is able to help him."

The proposal was accepted. A man sick with the palsy was brought. This invalid could neither walk nor stand without help. To the best of their ability, the heathen priests prayed. All watched and waited. Time passed, the clamours to their false gods continued, but the poor sickly man was not helped in the slightest. After these fruitless efforts, St. Pantaleon prayed. He knew that God would answer him, not only for the invalid’s sake, but also for the benefit of all those watching. And so, after praying with great confidence, the saintly physician took the sick man by the hand, and told him:

"In the name of Jesus, the Son of God, I command thee to rise and be well."

At these words, the man stricken by palsy arose. He was restored to perfect health. By this wonderous miracle, a great number of those present were converted. But the emperor and the idolatrous priests were all the more enraged.

Maximin now attempted to lure the saint back over to paganism, using flattery and bribes to do so. But Pantaleon would never forget how he had already once denied his True and loving God. After being blessed with a life of grace and gifts, Pantaleon wanted to show his gratitude for God's Mercy. Nothing the emperor said could make St. Pantaleon deny his faith.

The instruments of satan have no patience, especially in their efforts to take one of God’s best friends away from Him. The emperor Maximin had failed to win over the holy physician with a few nice words. So he tried to threaten the saint, but his threats were no more successful than his bribes. Furious beyond words, Maximin put his threats to action. The brave confessor of the Faith was tortured in every way Maximin’s cruelty could contrive. In the end, St, Pantaleon was nailed to a tree, like his God before him. Then his holy life was ended with his beheading. The priest Hermolaus and two brothers named Hermippos and Hermocrates joined Pantaleon in receiving a martyr’s throne in heaven. They all happily entered eternity in the year 308.

St. Pantaleon is a model and hope for all in any state of life. When this physician returned to the Faith he had thrown away, he was fully aware that danger, suffering, and persecution were in store for him because of this decision. It’s almost hard to believe that this was the same man who had so nearly lost his soul through the influence of his bad companions. But grace can always touch a person. And when it does, God accompanies it with all the strength that person needs. And in the end, it was not just one man saved. God used Pantaleon to save many, many others - both during his life and even after his death.

So we must never give up hope on anyone we see heading down the wrong path. Rather, let us pray to St. Pantaleon for perfect health of mind, body and especially of soul, for them, for ourselves, and for everyone else.