Born as Anastasios Kephalas on October 1st, 1846, in what is now known as Turkey, Saint Nektarios had five other siblings. His family was poor, but that didn't stop his parents from teaching him the glory of God.

After finishing elementary school, he had dreams of becoming a theologian driven by his love for Christ, but he was too poor to afford any schools near him. At the age of 14, he got his parents blessings and headed off, alone, to Constantinople for work and to hopefully aid in their financial situation.

The young saint would try to board the boat to his destination, but he did not have the money to pay for the ride. He decided to try anyway, but was declined by the captain and told to "take a walk". Saint Nektarios understood, and began to leave.

When the boat began to leave, it would not move. The captain looked at the boy, and was moved. He called to Saint Nektarios, and told the Saint to get on the boat. Right when he did, it started to move now that it had the Saint on board.

He was boarded to visit holy lands. It was a rough night, a storm causing the risk of sinking the boat. Saint Nektarios saw the fear in the captain's eyes. He took off his cross necklace gifted to him by his grandmother, which contained a piece of the Venerable Cross and tied it to his waist. He dipped it into the water 3 times, calling on the Lord and saying; "Silence! Be still!"

And at once, the storm obeyed, and the ocean went into a tranquil state.

Although everyone was happy about this work of God, Nektarios was saddened, as his necklace had fallen into the sea.

Hours later, the captain investigated a knocking in the ships waterline. To his suprise, it was Saint Nektarios' cross! The boy was delighted when it was returned and praised God even more.

When he arrived to his destination, the young Saint began work at a tobacco company. His passion for the LORD had not wavered, and his desire to teach hadn't either. He said they would be extremely moved by the wise sayings and ideas the Saint had learned.

Although the Saint worked long, hard hours, he still didn't even make enough to afford clothing. As a result, he wrote a letter addressed to Christ, writing: 

"My dear Christ, you know well that I love you VERY much. Could you please send me a pair of shoes? Thank you."

When the kind merchant came to deliver the mail, he was confused when he saw who it was addressed to, and instead took it home. Later that day, he read it and cried. This poor boy had been through so much. He decided to answer the letter himself, sending a package to the Saint with a brand new pair of shoes and warm clothes for the harsh winter months.

Saint Nektarios cheered, thanking and praising the LORD.

When his boss saw him in his new attire, he got suspicious. He knew the Saint couldn't have been able to afford them. His boss accused the Saint of stealing and began to scold and beat him! 

The merchant, who had ACTUALLY given the Saint his new clothes, heard the commotion from across the street. He stormed in before taking his upset employer to the side, telling him that the Saint wasn't a thief, but that the clothes truly came from him.

After years, Christ answered another one of Saint Nektarios' prayer, which was him being able to go to school after getting a new job he could sustain himself with. 

At 20 years old, he moved to the island of Chios. There, he taught at an Orthodox school. After years, he joined a monastery as an Orthodox monk. After he finished his studies, he was sent to Egypt. In Egypt, he was ordained as a priest. All the locals loved him dearly.

But things took a turn for the worst when others, who were jealous of his success, began to spread horrible rumors and lie about Saint Nektarios. After much hatred, he left Egypt humbly and made his way back to Greece as a bishop, but it seems the lies had also made it all the way there. He was slandered, hated, and unable to work or teach anywhere! He remained calm, and trusted the LORD to lead him.

Now that he had no occupation, he began to make his spiritual writings again. In the end, he was given the role of a preacher on an island near Athens. When he held his sermons, he was ridiculed and made fun of by the attendees.

But one Sunday, he gave an amazing sermon full of truth and grace, which led the crowd to cheer for him for the first time in years!

He then began to serve Christ at a Christian school, which he helped remove secularism and corruption from. When he retired, he became a spiritual father to the nuns at the Holy Trinity Convent in Aegina.

He kept his writing books and poems. One night, he saw the Theotokos (Greek for God Beater, also title for Mary the Mother of God) in a vision. This is the encounter where his most famous piece "O Virgin Pure" derived.

But, things unfortunately don't end here...

Lies began to spread about the Saint from people who still believed the old lies, and he was accused of treating another person of the covenant's daughter in an inappropriate manner. The Metropolitan of Greece believed this, and came all the way to the island to yell at the Saint. 

When the police arrived, the checked the daughter, but found no signs of mistreatment. When they talked with the other nuns of the covenant, they all said none of them were or had seen Saint Nektarios mistreat someone.

After many more years, the Saint was elderly and diagnosed with prostate cancer. Instead of using his money, which he had already given to the poor, he stayed in a hospital ward for the less fortunate. 

In 1920, he died and moved onto everlasting life at the age of 74. The moment he 'fell asleep', everywhere in the hospital was filled with an amazing, glorious fragrance.

The man laying next to the Saint was a paralytic. When the nuns began to change the Saint, they laid his clothes down onto the paralyzed man's bed. Miraculously, through Saint Nektarios' intercessions and by the grace of God, the man stood and began to walk again!

Saint Nektarios is now deemed patron saint of people struggling with diseases and illnesses, especially cancer. He is also patron saint of the Aegina.

 

Source(s):

https://youtu.be/zhbgX7-QkGA?feature=shared