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 a heathen,  and  had  the  consolation  to  see  him  die a Christian. He divided  the  ample  fortune  which he inherited  amongst  the  poor  and  the  sick. As a physician,  he  was  intent  on  healing  his  patients both by  physical  and  by  spiritual  means. Christians he confirmed  in  the  practice  and  confession of the  Faith,  and  the  heathens  he  sought  to  convert. Many suffering  from  incurable  diseases were restored  to  health  by  his  prayer  and  the  invocation of  the  holy  name  of  Jesus. His presence was everywhere  fraught  with  blessings  and  consolation.

St. Pantaleon  yearned  to  prove  his  fidelity  to the  Faith  by  shedding  his  blood  for  it,  and  the opportunity came  to  him  when  his  heathen  associates in  the  healing  art  denounced  him  to  the  emperor as  a  zealous  propagator  of  Christianity. He was  brought  up  before  the  emperor's  tribunal and ordered  to  sacrifice  to  the  idols. He replied: "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  can  not  do  anything.  Order  a  sick  person to  be  brought  here,  one  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