Spiridon life. The Life and Ministry of the Church of the Wonderworker Spyridon Trimifuntsky. The crushing of the pagan idol upon the entry of St. Spyridon to the earth

THE LIFE OF ST. SPYRIDON OF TRIMIFUNTS.

(Salami), a miracle worker, was born at the end of the 3rd century on the island of Cyprus. From childhood, Saint Spyridon grazed sheep, imitated the Old Testament righteous with a pure and God-pleasing life: David - in meekness, Jacob - in kindness of heart, Abraham - in love for strangers. In adulthood, Saint Spyridon became the father of a family. Unusual benevolence and spiritual responsiveness attracted many to him: the homeless found shelter in his house, wanderers - food and rest. For the unceasing remembrance of God and good deeds, the Lord endowed the future saint with grace-filled gifts: clairvoyance, the healing of incurable patients, and the exorcism of demons.

After the death of his wife, during the reign of Constantine the Great (324-337) and his son Constantius (337-361), Saint Spyridon was elected bishop of the city of Trimifunt. In the rank of bishop, the saint did not change his way of life, combining pastoral service with works of mercy. According to church historians, St. Spyridon in 325 took part in the activities of the First Ecumenical Council. At the Council, the saint entered into a contest with the Greek philosopher, who defended the Aryan heresy (the Alexandrian priest Arius rejected the Divinity and the pre-eternal birth from God the Father of the Son of God and taught that Christ is only the highest creation). The simple speech of St. Spyridon showed everyone the weakness of human wisdom before the Wisdom of God. As a result of the conversation, the opponent of Christianity became its zealous defender and accepted holy Baptism.

At the same Council, St. Spyridon showed against the Arians a clear proof of Unity in the Holy Trinity. He took a brick in his hands and squeezed it: instantly fire went up from it, water flowed down, and the clay remained in the hands of the miracle worker. “These are the three elements, and the plinth (brick) is one,” St. Spyridon said then, “so in the Most Holy Trinity there are Three Persons, and the Deity is One.”

In the person of St. Spyridon, the flock acquired a loving father. During a long drought and famine in Cyprus, through the prayer of the saint, it began to rain, and the disaster ended. The saint's kindness was combined with fair severity towards unworthy people. Through his prayer, the merciless grain merchant was punished, and the poor villagers were delivered from hunger and poverty.

Envious people slandered one of the saint's friends, and he was imprisoned and sentenced to death. The saint hurried to help, the path was blocked by a high-water stream. Remembering how the flooded Jordan Joshua crossed (Joshua 3:14-17) , the saint, with firm faith in the omnipotence of God, offered up a prayer, and the stream parted. Together with his companions, unwitting eyewitnesses of the miracle, Saint Spyridon crossed on dry land to the other side. Warned of what had happened, the judge greeted the saint with honor and released the innocent.

St. Spyridon performed many miracles. Once, during a divine service, the fir-tree burned down in the lamp, and it began to fade away. The saint was upset, but the Lord consoled him: the lamp miraculously filled with oil. There is a known case when Saint Spyridon entered an empty church, ordered to light lamps and candles, and began worship. Having proclaimed "Peace to all," he and the deacon heard in response from above a great multitude of voices, proclaiming: "And your spirit." This choir was great and sweeter than any human singing. At every litany, an invisible choir sang "Lord, have mercy." Attracted by the singing coming from the church, people who were nearby hurried to it. As they approached the church, wonderful singing filled their ears more and more and delighted their hearts. But when they entered the church, they did not see anyone except the bishop with a few church ministers, and they no longer heard heavenly singing, from which they came to great amazement.

The saint healed the seriously ill Emperor Constantius, talked with his deceased daughter Irina, who was already prepared for burial. And once a woman came to him with a dead child in her arms, asking for the intercession of the saint. After praying, the saint brought the baby back to life. The mother, overwhelmed with joy, fell down lifeless. But the prayer of the saint of God brought life back to the mother.

The story of Socrates Scholasticus is also known about how the thieves decided to steal the sheep of St. Spyridon: in the dead of night they climbed into the sheepfold, but immediately they were bound by an invisible force. When morning came, the saint came to the flock and, seeing the bound robbers, having prayed, he untied them and for a long time persuaded them to leave the lawless path and get food by honest labor. Then, giving them a sheep each and letting them go, he said affectionately: “Let it not be in vain that you were awake.”

Seeing the secret sins of people, the saint called them to repentance and correction. Those who did not heed the voice of conscience and the words of the saint were punished by God.

As a bishop, Saint Spyridon set an example for his flock of a virtuous life and diligence: he pastured sheep, harvested bread. He was extremely concerned about the strict observance of the church order and the preservation in all inviolability Holy Scripture. The saint severely denounced the priests, who in their sermons inaccurately used the words of the Gospel and other inspired books.

The entire life of the saint is striking in the amazing simplicity and power of wonderworking, bestowed upon him by the Lord. At the word of the saint, the dead were awakened, the elements were tamed, idols were crushed. When in Alexandria the Patriarch convened a Council for the destruction of idols and temples, through the prayers of the fathers of the Council, all the idols fell down, except for one, the most revered. It was revealed to the patriarch in a vision that this idol was left in order to be crushed by St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky. Summoned by the Council, the saint boarded the ship, and at the moment when the ship landed on the shore and the saint set foot on the ground, the idol in Alexandria with all the altars fell into dust, which announced to the Patriarch and all the bishops the approach of Saint Spyridon.

December 25 - the memory of St. Spyridon Trimifuntsky The Lord revealed to the saint the approach of his death. The last words of the saint were about love for God and neighbor. Around the year 348, during prayer, Saint Spyridon reposed in the Lord. They buried him in the church in honor of the holy apostles in the city of Trimifunt. In the middle of the 7th century, the relics of the saint were transferred to Constantinople, and in 1453 to the island of Kerkyra in the Ionian Sea (the Greek name for the island is Corfu). Here, in the city of Corfu (the main city of the island) of the same name, the holy relics of St. Spyridon are still preserved in the temple of his name (the right hand of the saint rests in Rome). 5 times a year, a solemn celebration of the memory of St. Spyridon takes place on the island.

Saint Spyridon Trimifuntsky has been revered in Russia since ancient times. The “solstice”, or “turn of the sun for the summer” (December 25, new style), coinciding with the memory of the saint, was called in Russia “Spiridon’s turn”. Saint Spyridon enjoyed special reverence in ancient Novgorod and Moscow. In 1633 a temple was erected in Moscow in the name of the saint.

In the Moscow Church of the Resurrection of the Word (1629) there are two revered icons of St. Spyridon with a particle of his holy relics.

The testimonies of church historians of the 4th-5th centuries - Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen and Rufinus, processed in the 10th century by the outstanding Byzantine hagiographer Blessed Simeon Metaphrastus, have been preserved about the life of St. Spyridon. Also known is the Life of St. Spyridon, written in iambic verse by his disciple St. Triphyllius, Bishop of Leukussia of Cyprus († c. 370; Comm. 13/26 June).

Troparion of St. Spiridon, Ep. Trimifuntsky

The Cathedral of Pervago appeared to you as a champion and miracle worker, God-bearer Spiridon, our father. The same, you proclaimed dead in the tomb and turned the snake into gold, and whenever you sing holy prayers, You had angels serving you, most sacred. Glory to the One who gave you a fortress, glory to the one who crowned you, glory to the one who acts by you and heals all.

KontakionSt. Spiridon, Ep. Trimifuntsky

Wounded by the love of Christ, the most sacred, having fixed your mind on the dawn of the Spirit, with your active vision you have found the deed, God-pleasing, the Divine altar, asking all the Divine radiance.

From the book of the nun Nektaria (McLise) "Evlogita"

... Being in the episcopal rank, St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky received an invitation to participate in the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, convened in 325 by Emperor Constantine the Great, the purpose of which was to determine the basic truths of the Orthodox faith. The main topic for discussion of the Council was the teaching of the heretic Arius, who claimed that Christ was not God from eternity, but was created by God the Father. The Council was attended by 318 bishops, priests and monks, including such luminaries of the Church as Saints Nicholas of Myra, Athanasius the Great, Paphnutius of Thebes and Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria, who convinced the Emperor of the need to convene this Council.

The Fathers of the Council were faced with such a convincing "presentation" of the heretical doctrine by the famous philosopher Eulogius that, even being sure of the falsity of this doctrine, they were unable to resist the well-honed rhetoric of the heretic. During one of the most tense and heated discussions, Saint Nicholas became so angry listening to these blasphemous speeches, which caused so much embarrassment and confusion, that he gave Arius a resounding slap in the face. The assembly of bishops was indignant at the fact that St. Nicholas had struck his fellow cleric, and raised the question of banning him from serving. However, on the same night, the Lord and the Mother of God appeared in a dream to several members of the Cathedral. The Lord held the Gospel in his hands, and the Blessed Virgin a bishop's omophorion. Taking this as a sign that the boldness of Saint Nicholas was pleasing to God, they restored him to service.

Finally, when the skillful speeches of the heretics poured out in an irresistible, all-destroying stream, and it began to seem that Arius and his followers would win, the uneducated Bishop of Trimyphuntus rose from his place, as they say in the Lives, with a request to listen to him. Convinced that he would not be able to resist Eulogius, with his excellent classical education and incomparable oratory, the other bishops begged him to be silent. Nevertheless, St. Spyridon stepped forward and appeared before the assembly with the words: “In the name of Jesus Christ, give me the opportunity to speak briefly.” Eulogius agreed, and Bishop Spyridon began to speak, holding a piece of simple clay tile in his palm:

There is one God in heaven and on earth, who created the heavenly Forces, man, and everything visible and invisible. By His Word and His Spirit, the Heavens came into being, the Earth came into being, the waters united, the winds blew, animals were born, and man was created, His great and wonderful creation. From Him alone everything came from non-existence into existence: all the stars, luminaries, day, night and every creature. We know that this Word is the true Son of God, consubstantial, born of a Virgin, crucified, buried, and resurrected as God and Man; resurrecting us, He will give us eternal incorruptible life. We believe that He is the Judge of the world, who will come to judge all nations, and to whom we will give an account of all our deeds, words and feelings. We acknowledge Him to be of the same essence with the Father, equally honored and equally glorified, sitting at His right hand on the heavenly throne. The Holy Trinity, although it has three Persons and Three hypostases: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the One God - One inexpressible and incomprehensible Essence. The human mind is not able to comprehend this and does not have the ability to comprehend it, for the Divine is infinite. Just as it is impossible to contain the entire expanse of the oceans in a small vase, so it is impossible for the finite human mind to contain the infinity of the Divine. Therefore, in order that you may believe in this truth, look carefully at this small humble object. Although we cannot compare the Uncreated Supersubstantial Essence with the created and perishable, nevertheless, since those of little faith trust their eyes more than their ears - just like you, if you do not see with bodily eyes, you will not believe - I want to ... prove this truth to you, show it your eyes, through this ordinary piece of tile, also composed of three elements, but one in its substance and nature.

Having said this, Saint Spyridon created right hand sign of the cross and said, holding a piece of tile in his left hand: "In the name of the Father!" At that moment, to the amazement of all those present, a flame burst out from a piece of clay, with which they burned it. The saint continued: "And the Son!" “And the Holy Spirit!”, and, opening his palm, the saint showed the dry earth remaining on it, from which the tile was molded.

The assembly was seized with reverent fear and amazement, and Eulogy, shocked to the core, at first could not speak. Finally he replied: "Holy man, I accept your words and admit my mistake." Saint Spyridon went with Eulogius to the temple, where he pronounced the formula of renunciation of heresy. Then he confessed the truth to his fellow Arians.

The victory of Orthodoxy was so certain that only six of the Arians present, including Arius himself, remained in their erroneous opinion, while all the others returned to the confession of Orthodoxy ...

Modern miracles of St. Spyridon

Bombardment of Corfu

During World War II, when the Italians, on the orders of Mussolini, attacked Greece, one of their first victims was the neighboring island of Corfu. The bombing began on November 1, 1940 and continued for months. Corfu had no means of air defense, so Italian bombers were able to fly at particularly low altitudes. However, during the bombing, strange things happened: both the pilots and those who were on the ground noticed that many bombs, in an incomprehensible way, did not fall straight down, but at an angle, and fell into the sea. During the bombing, people flocked to the only shelter where they did not doubt to find protection and salvation - the church of St. Spyridon. All the buildings around the church were badly damaged or destroyed, and the church itself survived until the end of the war without a single damage, not even a single window pane cracked ...

Miracles of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky

Saint Spyridon for his virtuous life from ordinary farmers was made a bishop. He led a very simple life, he himself worked in his fields, helped the poor and unfortunate, healed the sick, raised the dead. In 325 St. Spyridon took part in the Council of Nicaea, where the heresy of Arius was condemned, who denied the divine origin of Jesus Christ and, consequently, the Holy Trinity. But the saint miraculously showed against the Arians a clear proof of Unity in the Holy Trinity. He took a brick in his hands and squeezed it: instantly fire went up from it, water down, and the clay remained in the hands of the miracle worker. For many, the simple words of the blessed elder turned out to be more convincing than the refined speeches of pundits. One of the philosophers who adheres to the Arian heresy, after a conversation with Saint Spyridon, said: “When, instead of proof from reason, some special power began to come from the lips of this elder, the evidence became powerless against it ... God Himself spoke through his mouth.”

Saint Spyridon had great boldness before God. By his prayer, the people got rid of the drought, the sick were healed, demons were cast out, idols were crushed, the dead were raised. Once a woman came to him with a dead child in her arms, asking for the intercession of the saint. After praying, he brought the baby back to life. The mother, overwhelmed with joy, fell down lifeless. Again the saint raised his hands to heaven, invoking God. Then he said to the deceased: “Rise up and get on your feet!” She stood up, as if awakening from a dream, and took her living son in her arms.

Known from the life of the saint and such a case. Once he entered an empty church, ordered the lamps and candles to be lit, and began the service. Nearby people were surprised by the angelic singing coming from the temple. Attracted by the wonderful sounds, they headed towards the church. But when they entered it, they saw no one but the bishop with a few clergymen. On another occasion, during the divine service, through the prayer of the saint, the fading lamps began to fill with oil of their own accord. The saint had a special love for the poor. Even before he was a bishop, he spent all his income on the needs of his neighbors and strangers. In the rank of bishop, Spiridon did not change his way of life, combining pastoral ministry with works of mercy. One day a poor farmer came to him asking for a loan of money. The saint, promising to satisfy his request, released the farmer, and in the morning he himself brought him a whole heap of gold. After the peasant returned his debt with gratitude, St. Spyridon, going to his garden, said: “Let's go, brother, and together we will give back to Him Who gave us such a generous loan.” The saint began to pray and asked God that the gold, previously turned from an animal, would again take on its original form. The piece of gold suddenly stirred and turned into a snake, which began to wriggle and crawl. Through the prayer of the saint, the Lord sent a downpour on the city, which washed away the barns of a rich and merciless merchant who sold bread during a drought at very high prices. This saved many poor people from hunger and poverty.

Once, going to the aid of an innocently condemned man, the saint was stopped by a stream suddenly overflowing from a flood. At the command of the saint, the water element parted, and Saint Spyridon and his companions continued on their way without hindrance. Hearing about this miracle, the unjust judge immediately released the innocently condemned. Having acquired in himself meekness, mercy, purity of heart, the saint, as a wise shepherd, sometimes reproved with love and meekness, sometimes by his own example led to repentance. One day he went to Antioch to the emperor Constantine, in order to pray to help the king suffering from illness. One of the guards of the royal palace, seeing the saint in simple clothes and mistaking him for a beggar, hit him on the cheek. But the wise shepherd, wishing to reason with the offender, turned the other cheek according to the commandment of the Lord; the minister realized that the bishop was standing before him and, realizing his sin, humbly asked his forgiveness.

The story of Socrates Scholasticus is known about how thieves decided to steal the sheep of St. Spyridon. Having made their way into the sheepfold, the robbers remained there until the morning, unable to get out of there. The saint forgave the robbers and persuaded them to leave the lawless path, then he gave them a sheep each and, letting go, said: “May you not stay awake in vain.” In a similar way, he reasoned with one merchant who wished to buy a hundred goats from the archpastor. Since the saint was not in the habit of checking the money given, the merchant withheld the payment for one goat. “Separating a hundred goats, he drove them out of the fence, but one of them escaped and again ran into the pen. Several times the merchant tried to return the stubborn goat to his herd, but the animal did not obey. Seeing the admonition of God in this, the merchant hastened to repent to St. Spyridon and returned the concealed money to him.

Having a loving heart, the saint at the same time was strict when he saw impenitence and persistence in sin. So he predicted a difficult death for a woman who did not repent of the grave sin of adultery and once punished a deacon who was proud of the beauty of his voice with a temporary illness. Saint Spyridon died about the year 348 and was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in the city of Trimifunt. His imperishable relics were transferred to Constantinople in the 7th century, and in 1460 to the Greek island of Kerkyra (Corfu), where they rest to this day, in a temple built in honor of his name. In Russia, Saint Spyridon is prayed for finding housing and repaying debts, the Greeks will repose him as the patron saint of travelers.

Miracles through the prayers of St. Spyridon

In November 1861, an eight-year-old boy in a Greek family born in Corfu fell ill with typhoid fever. Despite all the efforts of doctors, his condition worsened. The child's mother prayed to St. Spyridon all the days for help. On the seventeenth day, the boy became very ill. The unfortunate mother ordered to urgently send a telegram to relatives in Kerkyra, so that they could go to the church of St. Spyridon and ask them to open the shrine with the relics of the Saint.

Relatives carried out her instructions, and at that very hour (as the child's relatives later found out), when the clergy opened the cancer, the boy's body was shaken by convulsions, which the doctors took for death agony. But to the surprise of those present, the child opened his eyes, his pulse gradually recovered, and from that moment his health began to improve. All the doctors present admitted that it was a miracle of God.

In December 1948, on the eve of the holiday, a woman from Epirus arrived in Kerkyra with her eleven-year-old son George. The child was mute from birth. Previously, they visited many churches, where they prayed to the Lord for healing.

A few days before the feast of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, the boy's mother had a dream that the Saint had healed her son, and then she decided to take him to Kerkyra. For three days the mother and son prayed in the church of St. Spyridon, and when at the end of the celebration the relics of the Saint were carried over the child, George spoke at that very moment.

The girl, who suffered from a nervous crisis, which later turned into psychopathy, in a moment of enlightenment asked to be taken to the church of St. Spyridon. Entering the church, she venerated the icon and the relics of the Saint and felt that the heaviness had left her head. She stayed in the temple the whole next day and returned home completely healthy.

Modern wonders

I would like to tell you about one miraculous event, a witness, and one might even say, a participant in which I myself was. In 2000, from the Radonezh pilgrimage service, I went to the holy places of Greece. In Corfu, in the church of St. Spyridon, we asked the priest for blessings to collect oil from the lamp near the shrine with the relics of the Saint. The group thought it was better than store-bought. We collected the oil with a syringe and poured it into pre-stored bottles. The group was large, everyone crowded, trying to fill it as quickly as possible, someone inadvertently touched the lamp, and the remnants of the oil spilled. Everyone was very upset because of our awkwardness, but one woman was especially distressed - she was the last in line and she did not get a drop. I thought I'd give her some of mine. She was holding an empty bottle in her hands, and it suddenly began to fill up on its own! This happened in front of our entire group, so there were a lot of witnesses to this miracle. We were all literally shocked. On the bus, we recalled the incident when St. Spyridon's lamp filled itself. Everything is possible for God and His saints.

I thank the Lord and St. Spyridon for allowing me to witness this miracle!

I, sinful and unworthy r. God's Elena, in 2002, for a long time tried to exchange a one-room apartment for a two-room apartment. There were many problems, because offered remote from the subway or expensive. One day my sister called me (she serves in the temple) and asked how I was doing. I replied that nothing worked. Then she advised me to order a water-blessed prayer service to St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, which I did. Literally a week later we were offered a great option and at a reasonable price. The move was scheduled for December 25 - Saint's Memorial Day. Through the prayers of St. Spyridon, we succeeded. I often remember this and am very grateful to him. Thank God for everything!

Saint Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, pray to God for us.

In 2007, the relics of St. Spyridon were brought to the Danilovsky Monastery in Moscow. More than 1,300,000 Russians came to venerate the relics of the saint. Here are the stories of some of them, published in the book "St. Spyridon Trimifuntsky" by the publishing house of the Danilov Monastery.

A pregnant woman came to the right hand of St. Spyridon at the Danilov Monastery. She said that she and her husband dreamed of a child, she went around many doctors, but for seven years their marriage remained fruitless. They prayed to St. Spyridon and other saints, and, contrary to the predictions of doctors, a miracle happened.

The woman came to thank the Saint.

One financial structure bought an inactive sanatorium in the Moscow region. On its territory there is a temple and the house of the abbot. Unexpectedly, the new owner decided to build a parking lot on the site of the father's house. He did not make concessions and did not even want to discuss this issue. The father's large family was faced with the facts: the house would be demolished and a parking lot built. The priest turned with a prayer to Saint Spyridon, and the Saint did not leave him.

Arriving at the Danilov Monastery to the relics of St. Spyridon, the priest met a man who turned out to be a friend of the new owner of the sanatorium, this man was greatly surprised by the behavior of his acquaintance and promised to help. After some time, he, along with the owner of the territory, came to the priest for a conversation on resolving the current situation.

On Sunday, April 22, I went to the Danilov Monastery for the feast of the myrrh-bearing women. And when approaching the monastery, by chance (although there is nothing accidental in this world) I find out that the relics of Spyridon of Trimifuntsky were brought to the monastery (I rarely watch TV, and did not know about it). What a blessing it is that I visited the monastery that day and venerated the relics!

And the next day, on Monday, April 23, our youngest son called us, and I joyfully tell him that the relics of St. Spyridon had been brought to Moscow and I was at the Danilov Monastery on Sunday. My son says to me in such a tired, sick voice: “Pray, mom, for my salvation.” It turns out that they were on the water and turned over. Thank God! Everyone swam out, everyone is alive and well.

And I, not knowing about it, went to the monastery the day before, as if something was leading me there. Indeed, the ways of the Lord are inscrutable!

On Tuesday, April 24, I went back to the monastery. I ordered a Prayer of Thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ for saving the life of my son and a prayer service to St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky from my parents.

www.pravmir.ru

Opening remarks by Dmitry Rostovsky

The homeland of the marvelous Spyridon was the island of Cyprus. The son of simple parents and himself simple-hearted, humble and virtuous, from childhood he was a shepherd of sheep, and when he came of age, he married legally and had children. He led a pure and godly life. Imitating - David in meekness, Jacob - in heart simplicity and Abraham - in love for strangers. Having lived a few years in marriage, his wife died, and he began to serve God with good deeds even more freely and zealously, spending all his wealth on receiving strangers and feeding the poor; By this, while living in the world, he pleased God so much that he was rewarded from Him with the gift of miracles: he healed incurable diseases and cast out demons with a single word. For this, Spiridon was appointed bishop of the city of Trimifunt during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great and his son Constantius. And in the episcopal chair, he continued to work great and wondrous miracles.

Saving the people of Cyprus from hunger through the prayers of St. Spyridon

Once on about. There was a lack of rain in Cyprus and a terrible drought, followed by famine, and after famine, pestilence, and many people died from this famine. The sky was closed, and a second Elijah was needed, or someone like him, who would open the sky with his prayer (1 Kings ch. 17): this turned out to be Saint Spyridon, who, seeing the disaster that befell the people, and paternally pitying those who were dying of hunger, turned with zealous prayer to God, and immediately the sky was covered on all sides with clouds and abundant rain poured down on the earth, which did not stop for several days; the saint prayed again, and the bucket arrived. The earth was plentifully watered with moisture and gave abundant fruit: they gave a rich harvest of fields, gardens and vineyards were covered with fruits, and, after famine, there was great abundance in everything, according to the prayers of the saint of God Spiridon.

Teaching to a rich grain merchant, revealed through the prayer of Spiridon

Illustration from the book of Dimitry of Rostov "Lives of the Saints"

Spiridon of Trimifuntsky

But a few years later, for the sins of the people, by the permission of God, hunger again befell that country, and the rich grain merchants rejoiced at the high cost, having bread harvested over several harvest years, and, having opened their granaries, began to sell it at high prices. At that time there was a grain merchant in Trimifunt who suffered from an insatiable greed for money and an insatiable passion for pleasures. Having bought a lot of grain in different places and brought it on ships to Trimifunt, he did not want to sell it, however, at the price that stood in the city at that time, but poured it into warehouses in order to wait for the famine to increase and then, having sold at a higher price, get more profit. When the famine became almost universal and intensified from day to day, he began to sell his grain at the highest price. And so, one poor man came to him and, bowing humbly, with tears, begged him to show mercy - to give him some bread, so that he, the poor man, would not die of hunger along with his wife and children. But the merciless and greedy rich man did not want to show mercy to the beggar and said:

Go, bring the money, and you'll have everything you can buy.

The poor man, exhausted from hunger, went to Saint Spyridon and, with weeping, told him about his poverty and about the heartlessness of the rich man.

Do not cry, the saint said to him, go home, for the Holy Spirit tells me that tomorrow your house will be full of bread, and the rich will beg you and give you bread for free.

The poor man sighed and went home. As soon as night fell, as, by the command of God, a heavy rain fell, which washed away the granaries of the merciless money-lover, and carried away all his bread with water. The bread merchant with his family ran all over the city and begged everyone to help him and not let him become a beggar from a rich man, and in the meantime, poor people, seeing bread carried by streams along the roads, began to pick it up. The poor man who yesterday asked for it from the rich man also got himself an abundance of bread. Seeing the clear punishment of God over him, the rich man began to beg the poor man to take from him for free as much bread as he wished.
So God punished the rich for his mercilessness and, according to the prophecy of the saint, delivered the poor from poverty and hunger.

The second lesson to the rich grain merchant. The miracle of turning gold into a snake

One farmer known to the saint came to the same rich man and during the same famine with a request to lend him bread to feed him and promised to return what was given to him with interest when the harvest came. The rich man, in addition to those washed out by the rain, also had other granaries full of bread; but he, not taught enough by his first loss and not cured of stinginess, turned out to be just as merciless towards this poor man, so that he did not even want to listen to him.

Without money, he said, you won't get a single grain from me.

Then the poor farmer wept and went to Saint Spyridon of God, to whom he told about his misfortune. The saint consoled him and let him go home, and in the morning he himself came to him and brought a whole pile of gold (where did he get the gold - more on that later). He gave this gold to the farmer and said:

Take this gold, brother, to that grain merchant and give it as a pledge, and let the merchant lend you as much bread as you now need to live on; when the harvest comes and you have a surplus of grain, you redeem this deposit and bring it back to me.

The poor farmer took the gold from the hands of the saints and hurriedly went to the rich one. The greedy rich man rejoiced at the gold and immediately gave the poor bread as much as he needed. Then the famine passed, there was a good harvest, and, after the harvest, the farmer gave more than the rich man the grain he had taken and, taking back the pledge from him, carried it with gratitude to Saint Spyridon. The saint took the gold and went to his garden, taking the farmer with him.

Come, he said with me, brother, and let us give it together to the One who has lent us so generously.

Entering the garden, he laid the gold against the fence, raised his eyes to heaven and exclaimed:

My Lord, Jesus Christ, Who creates and transforms everything with His will! You, who once turned the rod of Moses into a serpent in front of the king of Egypt (Ex. 7:10), command this gold, previously turned by You from an animal, to take on its original form again: then this person will also know what kind of care You have about us and by the very deed will learn what is said in Holy Scripture - that "the Lord does whatever he wants" (Ps. 134:6)!

While he was praying like that, the piece of gold suddenly stirred and turned into a snake, which began to writhe and crawl. Thus, at first the snake, through the prayer of the saint, turned into gold, and then again miraculously turned from gold into a snake. At the sight of this miracle, the farmer trembled with fear, fell to the ground and called himself unworthy of the miraculous good deed rendered to him. Then the snake crawled away into its hole, and the farmer, full of gratitude, returned to his home and was amazed at the greatness of the miracle created by God through the prayers of the saint.

Saving a virtuous husband from slander. The miracle of stopping the water flow through the prayer of St. Spyridon

One virtuous man, a friend of the saint, out of the envy of evil people, was slandered before the city judge and imprisoned, and then sentenced to death without any guilt. Upon learning of this, blessed Spyridon went to save his friend from an undeserved execution. At that time there was a flood in the country and the stream that was on the way of the saint overflowed with water, overflowed its banks and became impassable. The miracle worker recalled how Joshua with the ark of the covenant crossed the flooded Jordan on dry land (Joshua 3:14-17) and, believing in the omnipotence of God, ordered the stream like a servant:

Become! thus commands you the Lord of the whole world, so that I may pass over, and the husband, for whose sake I hasten, may be saved.

As soon as he said ego, immediately the stream stopped in its course and opened a dry path - not only for the saint, but for all who walked with him. The witnesses of the miracle hurried to the judge and informed him of the approach of the saint and of what he had done on the way, and the judge immediately released the condemned man and returned him unharmed to the saint.

Providence of the secret sins of people. Salvation of the sinner, who was in unlawful cohabitation, from the death of the soul

The monk also foresaw the secret sins of people. So, one day, when he was resting from a journey with a stranger, a woman who was in illegal cohabitation wished to wash the saint's feet, according to the local custom. But he, knowing her sin, told her not to touch him. And he did not say this because he abhorred a sinner and rejected her: how can a disciple of the Lord, who ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners, abhor sinners? (Matthew 9:11) No, he wanted to make the woman remember her sins and be ashamed of her unclean thoughts and deeds. And when that woman persistently continued to try to touch the saint's feet and wash them, then the saint, wanting to save her from destruction, rebuked her with love and meekness, reminded her of her sins and urged her to repent.

The woman was surprised and horrified that her most apparently secret deeds and thoughts were not hidden from the penetrating eyes of the man of God. Shame seized her, and with a contrite heart she fell at the feet of the saint and washed them no longer with water, but with tears, and she herself openly confessed the sins of which she had been convicted. She acted in the same way as the harlot once mentioned in the Gospel, and the saint, imitating the Lord, graciously said to her: “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:48), and also: “Behold, you have recovered; sin no more” (John .5.14). And since that time, that woman has completely corrected herself and has served as a useful example for many.

The zeal of St. Spyridon according to the Orthodox faith. Victory in the competition of the heretic philosopher and his conversion to the Orthodox faith by the power of the word of Spyridon of Trimifuntsky

So far, only the miracles that St. Spyridon performed during his lifetime have been spoken of; now it must be said about his zeal for the Orthodox faith.

In the reign of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor, in the year 325 A.D., the 1st Ecumenical Council met in Nicaea to depose the heretic Arius, who impiously called the Son of God a creature, and not the creator of everything, and to confess Him consubstantial with God the Father. Arius in his blasphemy was supported by the bishops of then significant churches: Eusebius of Nicomedia, Maris of Chalcedon, Theognius of Nicaea, and others. The champions of Orthodoxy were men adorned with life and teaching: great among the saints Alexander, who at that time was still a presbyter and together with the deputy of St. Mitrofan, patriarch Tsaregradsky, who was on the sickbed and therefore was not at the cathedral, and the glorious Athanasius, who was not yet decorated with the presbyter rank and served as a deacon in the Alexandrian church; these two aroused particular indignation and envy in heretics precisely because they excelled many in understanding the truths of the faith, not yet being honored with episcopal honor; St. Spyridon was with them, and the grace that dwelt in him was more useful and stronger in the matter of admonishing heretics than the speeches of others, their proofs and eloquence. With the permission of the Tsar, the Greek sages, called Peripatetics, were also present at the council; the wisest of them came to the aid of Arius and was proud of his especially skillful speech, trying to ridicule the teachings of the Orthodox. Blessed Spyridon, an unlearned man who knew only Jesus Christ, "moreover, crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2), asked the fathers to allow him to compete with this sage, but the holy fathers, knowing that he was a simple man, completely unfamiliar with Greek wisdom forbade him to do so. However, Saint Spyridon, knowing what power wisdom from above has and how weak human wisdom is before it, turned to the sage and said:
- Philosopher! In the name of Jesus Christ, listen to what I have to say to you.

When the philosopher agreed to listen to him, the saint began to talk.

There is one God, - he said, - who created heaven and earth and created man from the earth and arranged everything else, visible and invisible, by His Word and Spirit; and we believe that this Word is the Son of God and God, Who, having mercy on us who have gone astray, was born of the Virgin, lived with people, suffered and died for our salvation, and rose again and with Himself resurrected the entire human race; we expect that He will come to judge us all with a righteous judgment and reward each according to his deeds; we believe that He is one being with the Father, of equal power and honor with Him... Thus we confess and do not try to investigate these mysteries with a curious mind, and you do not dare to explore how all this can be, for these mysteries are beyond your mind and far exceed all human knowledge.

Then, after a short pause, the saint asked:

Isn't that how it all seems to you, philosopher?

But the philosopher was silent, as if he had never had to compete. He could not say anything against the words of the saint, in which some kind of Divine power was visible, in fulfillment of what was said in Holy Scripture: "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" (1 Corinthians 4:20).

Finally he said:

And I think it's really like you say.

Then the old man said:

So, go and take the side of the holy faith.

The philosopher, addressing his friends and students, said:

Listen! While the competition with me was carried on by means of proofs, I put up against some proofs others and, with my art of arguing, reflected everything that was presented to me. But when, instead of evidence from reason, some special power began to come out of the mouth of this elder, the evidence is powerless against it, since a person cannot resist God. If any of you can think in the same way as I do, then let him believe in Christ and, together with me, follow this elder, through whose mouth God Himself spoke.

And the philosopher, having accepted the Orthodox Christian faith, rejoiced that he was defeated in the competition by the saints for his own benefit. All the Orthodox rejoiced, but the heretics suffered great disgrace.

Death of the daughter of St. Spyridon Irina. The marvelous miracle of Spiridon's conversation with his dead daughter, lying in a coffin

At the end of the council, after the condemnation and excommunication of Arius, all those present at the council, as well as Saint Spyridon, went home. At this time, his daughter Irina died; she spent the time of her blossoming youth in pure virginity in such a way that she was rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven. Meanwhile, a woman came to the saint and, weeping, said that she had given his daughter Irina some gold jewelry to keep, and since she soon died, the given was missing. Spiridon searched all over the house for any hidden jewelry, but did not find them. Touched by the tears of a woman, Saint Spyridon, together with his family, went up to the tomb of his daughter and, addressing her as if she were alive, exclaimed:

My daughter Irina! Where are the jewelery entrusted to you for safekeeping?

Irina, as if waking up from a sound sleep, answered:

My lord! I hid them in this place at home.

And she pointed to the place.

Then the saint said to her:

Sleep now, my daughter, until the Lord of all awakens you at the time of the general resurrection.

At the sight of such a marvelous miracle, fear attacked all those present. And the saint found something hidden in the place indicated by the deceased and gave it to that woman.

The illness of Constantius, the son of the ruler Constantine the Great, and the miracle of his healing after the touch of St. Spiridon. Teachings to the Disciple Triphyllius

After the death of Constantine the Great, his Empire was divided into two parts. The eastern half went to his eldest son Constance. While in Antioch, Constantius fell into a serious illness that doctors could not heal. Then the King left the doctors and turned to the Almighty healer of souls and bodies - God with fervent prayer for his healing. And in a vision at night, the Emperor saw an Angel, who showed Him a whole host of bishops, and among them especially two, who, apparently, were the leaders and chiefs of the rest; At the same time, the angel told the King that only these two could heal his illness. Waking up and thinking about what he had seen, he could not guess who the two bishops he saw were: their names and family remained unknown to him, and one of them then, moreover, was not yet a bishop.

For a long time the Tsar was at a loss and, finally, on someone's good advice, he gathered to himself bishops from all the surrounding cities and searched among them for the two he had seen in a vision, but did not find them. Then he gathered the bishops for the second time, and now in greater numbers and from more distant regions, but he did not find among them those whom he had seen. Finally, He ordered the bishops of all His Empire to gather to Him. The royal order, or rather, the petition reached both the island of Cyprus and the city of Trimifunt, where St. Spyridon bishopric, to whom everything had already been revealed by God regarding the King. Saint Spyridon immediately went to the Emperor, taking with him his disciple Trifillius, with whom he appeared to the King in a vision and who at that time, as was said, was not yet a bishop. Arriving in Antioch, they went to the palace to the King. Spiridon was dressed in poor clothes and had a date staff in his hands, a miter on his head, and an earthen vessel was hung on his chest, as was the custom among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who usually wore oil from the Holy Cross in this vessel. When the saint entered the palace in this form, one of the palace servants, richly dressed, considered him a beggar, laughed at him and, not allowing him to enter, hit him on the cheek; but the monk, in his gentleness and remembering the words of the Lord (Matt. 5:39), offered him the other cheek; the minister realized that the bishop was standing before him and, realizing his sin, humbly asked his forgiveness, which he received.
As soon as the saint entered the King, the latter immediately recognized him, since in this very image he appeared to the King in a vision. Constantius stood up, went up to the saint and bowed to him, with tears asking for his prayers to God and begging for the healing of his illness. As soon as the saint touched the head of the Tsar, the latter immediately recovered and extremely rejoiced at his healing, received through the prayers of the saint. The king paid him great honors and spent the whole day with him in joy, showing great respect for his good doctor.

Trifillius, meanwhile, was extremely struck by all the royal splendor, the beauty of the palace, the many nobles standing in front of the King sitting on the throne - and everything had a wonderful appearance and shone with gold - and the skilful service of the servants dressed in bright clothes. Spiridon told him:

Why are you so surprised, brother? Does royal majesty and glory make the King more righteous than others? Does not the King die like the last beggar, and is not buried? Will He not appear equally with others to the Terrible Judge? Why do you prefer that which is destroyed to the unchanging and marvel at nothingness, when you must first of all seek that which is immaterial and eternal, and love the incorruptible heavenly glory?

The monk taught a lot and gave himself, so that he would remember the beneficence of God and would himself be kind to his subjects, merciful to those who sin, benevolent to those who beg for something, generous to those who ask, and would be a father to everyone - loving and kind, for whoever reigns is not so , he should not be called a king, but rather a tormentor. In conclusion, the saint commanded the Tsar to strictly observe and preserve the rules of piety, by no means accepting anything contrary to the Church of God.

The king wanted to thank the saint for his healing through his prayers and offered him a lot of gold, but he refused to accept, saying:

It is not good, King, to pay with hatred for love, for what I have done for you is love: in fact, to leave the house, cross such a space by the sea, endure cruel cold and winds - is this not love? And for all this, should I take gold in return, which is the cause of all evil and so easily destroys all truth?

So the saint spoke, not wanting to take anything, and only by the most intense requests of the Tsar was he convinced - but only to accept gold from the Tsar, and not to keep it with him, for he immediately distributed everything received to those who asked.

In addition, according to the admonitions of this saint, the Emperor Constantius freed priests, deacons and all clergy and church servants from taxes, arguing that it was indecent for the servants of the Immortal King to pay tribute to the mortal King.

The miracle of the resurrection of a dead baby and the second resurrection of his mother, who died of joy

Having parted from the Tsar and returning to himself, the saint was received on the road by one Christ-lover into the house. Here a pagan woman came to him, unable to speak Greek. She brought her dead son in her arms and, weeping bitterly, laid him at the music of the saint. No one knew her language, but her very tears clearly indicated that she was begging the saint to resurrect her dead child. But the saint, avoiding vain glory, at first refused to perform this miracle; and yet, out of his mercy, he was overcome by the bitter sobs of his mother and asked his deacon Artemidotos:

What can we do, brother?

Why do you ask me, father, the deacon answered: what else can you do but call on Christ, the Giver of life, who has fulfilled your prayers so many times? If you have healed the King, will you really reject the poor and the needy?

Even more impelled by this good advice to mercy, the saint shed tears and, kneeling down, turned to the Lord with a warm prayer. And the Lord, through Elijah and Elisha, restored life to the sons of the widow of Sarepta and the Somanite (1 Kings 17:21; 2 Kings 4:35), heard the prayer of Spyridon and returned the spirit of life to the pagan baby, who, having come to life, immediately wept. A mother, seeing her child alive, fell dead with joy: not only a strong illness and sadness of the heart kill a person, but sometimes excessive joy also produces the same thing. So, that woman died of joy, and her death plunged the audience, after an unexpected joy, on the occasion of the resurrection of a baby, into unexpected sadness and tears. Then the saint again asked the deacon:

What should we do?

The deacon repeated his previous advice, and the saint again resorted to prayer. Raising his eyes to heaven and raising his mind to God, he prayed to Him Who breathes the spirit of life into the dead and Who changes everything with His one desire. Then he said to the deceased, who was lying on the ground:

Rise up and stand up!

And she got up, as if awakened from a dream, and took her living son in her arms.
The saint forbade the woman and all those present there to tell anyone about the miracle; but the deacon Artemidotus, after the death of the saint, not wanting to keep silent about the greatness and power of God, revealed through the great saint of God, Spyridon, told the believers about everything that had happened.

The case of the goat bought from St. Spiridon by a dishonest buyer

When the saint returned home, a man came to him who wanted to buy a hundred goats from his herd. The saint told him to leave set price and then take what you bought. But he left the cost of ninety-nine goats and hid the cost of one, thinking that this would not be known to the saint, who, in his simplicity of heart, was completely alien to all worldly concerns. When both of them were in the cattle pen, the saint ordered the buyer to take as many goats as he paid for, and the buyer, having separated one hundred goats, drove them out of the fence. But one of them, like a clever and kind slave, knowing that she was not sold by her master, soon returned and again ran into the fence. The buyer again took her and dragged her along, but she broke free and again ran into the pen. Thus, up to three times she escaped from his hands and ran to the fence, and he by force led her away, and, finally, he put her on his shoulders and carried her to him, while she bleated loudly, butted his horns in the head, fought and struggled so that everyone who saw it was amazed. Then St. Spyridon, realizing what was the matter and not wanting at the same time to expose the dishonest buyer in front of everyone, said to him quietly:

Look, my son, it must be not in vain that the animal does this, not wanting to be taken to you: did you hide the due price for it? Isn't that why it breaks out of your hands and runs to the fence?

The buyer was ashamed, revealed his sin and asked for forgiveness, and then gave the money and took the goat - and she meekly and humbly went to the house of her new owner who bought her ahead.

The Righteous Wrath of St. Spyridon and the Miracle of the Deacon's Teachings: Numbness and the Return of His Speech

On the island of Cyprus there was one village called Friera. Arriving there on one business, Saint Spyridon entered the church and ordered one of those who were there, the deacon, to make a short prayer: the saint was tired from the long journey, especially since then it was harvest time and there were intense heat. But the deacon began slowly to fulfill what was ordered to him, and purposely prolonged the prayer, as if with some kind of pride he uttered exclamations and sang, and obviously boasted of his voice. The saint looked angrily at him, although he was kind by nature, and, blaming him, said: "Shut up!" - And immediately the deacon became dumb: he lost not only his voice, but also the very gift of speech, and stood as if he had absolutely no language. Everyone present was terrified. The news of what had happened quickly spread throughout the village, and all the inhabitants fled to see the miracle, and horror came. The deacon fell at the saint's feet, begging with signs to allow him to speak, and at the same time the deacon's friends and relatives implored the same bishop. But the saint did not immediately condescend to the request, for he was severe with the proud and vain, and, finally, he forgave the offender, allowed his tongue and returned the gift of speech; at the same time, however, he imprinted on him a trace of punishment, without returning it to the language of complete clarity, and for the rest of his life left him weak-voiced, tongue-tied and stammering, so that he would not be proud of his voice and would not boast of the distinctness of his speech.

Miracle in the Church - Heavenly Singing

Once Saint Spyridon entered the church in his city for Vespers. It so happened that there was no one in the church except the clergy. But, in spite of that, he ordered to light a lot of candles and lamps, and he himself stood before the altar in spiritual tenderness. And when he proclaimed in due time: "Peace to all!" - and there was no people who would have given the usual answer to the goodwill of the world proclaimed by the saint, suddenly a great multitude of voices were heard from above, proclaiming: "And to your spirit." This choir was great and harmonious and sweeter than any human singing. The deacon, who was reciting litanies, was horrified, hearing after each litany some wondrous singing from above: "Lord, have mercy!" This singing was heard even by those who were far from the church, of whom many hastily went to it, and as they approached the church, the wonderful singing filled their ears more and more and delighted their hearts. But when they entered the church, they did not see anyone except the saint with a few church servants and did not hear any more heavenly singing, from which they came to great amazement.

Miracle in the Church - The Appearance of "Real Oil"

At another time, when the saint also stood in the church for evening singing, there was not enough oil in the lamp and the fire began to go out. The saint grieved over this, fearing that when the lamp went out, church singing would also be interrupted, and thus the usual church rule would not be fulfilled. But God, fulfilling the desire of those who fear Him, commanded the lampada to overflow with oil, as once the vessel of a widow in the days of the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:2-6). The church servants brought the vessels, put them under the lamp and filled them miraculously with oil. - This material oil clearly served as an indication of the exceedingly abundant grace of God, with which Saint Spyridon was filled and his verbal flock was drunk with it.

Teaching to the disciple of St. Spyridon Trifillius about vanity

On about. Cyprus has the city of Kirina. Once Saint Spyridon arrived here from Trimifunt on his business, together with his disciple, Triphyllius, who was then already the Bishop of Leukusia, on about. Cyprus. When they crossed Mount Pentadactyl and were in a place called Parimna (distinguished by beauty and rich vegetation), Triphyllius was seduced by this place and wished himself, for his church, to acquire some kind of estate in this area. For a long time he pondered this to himself; but his thoughts were not hidden from the penetrating spiritual eyes of the great father, who said to him:

Why, Triphyllius, do you constantly think about vain things and desire estates and gardens, which in reality have no value and only seem to be something essential, and with their illusory value arouse in the hearts of people the desire to possess them? Our treasure is inalienable - in heaven (1 Pet. 1:4), we have a temple not made with hands (2 Cor. 5:4), - strive for them and enjoy them in advance (through divine thinking): they cannot pass from one state to another, and whoever once becomes the owner of them, he receives an inheritance that he will never be deprived of.

These words brought great benefit to Triphyllius, and subsequently, by his truly Christian life, he reached the point that he became the chosen vessel of Christ, like the Apostle Paul, and became worthy of countless gifts from God.

So St. Spyridon, himself being virtuous, directed others to virtue, and those who followed his exhortations and instructions, they served for the benefit, and those who rejected them suffered a bad end, as can be seen from the following.

The case of a woman who sinned by adultery and the repentance of St. Spyridon

One merchant, a resident of the same Trimifunt, sailed to a foreign country to trade and stayed there for twelve months. At this time, his wife fell into adultery and conceived. Returning home, the merchant saw his wife pregnant and realized that she had committed adultery without him. He flew into a rage, began to beat her and, not wanting to live with her, drove her out of his house, and then went and told the Saint of God Spyridon about everything and asked him for advice. The saint, mentally lamenting over the sin of the woman and the great sorrow of her husband, called his wife and, without asking her if she had really sinned, since her very pregnancy and the fetus conceived by her from iniquity testified to the sin, he directly said to her:

Why have you defiled your husband's bed and dishonored his house?

But the woman, having lost all shame, dared to clearly lie that she conceived from no one else, namely from her husband. Those present were even more indignant at her for this lie than for the adultery itself, and said to her:

How can you say that you conceived from your husband when he was away from home for twelve months? How can a conceived fetus remain in the womb for twelve months or even more?

But she stood her ground and claimed that what she conceived was waiting for the return of her father to be born with him. Defending this and similar lies and arguing with everyone, she raised a fuss and shouted that she had been slandered and offended. Then Saint Spyridon, wanting to bring her to repentance, meekly said to her:

Female! You have fallen into a great sin - your repentance must also be great, for you still have hope for salvation: there is no sin that exceeds the mercy of God. But I see that despair has been produced in you by adultery, and shamelessness by despair, and it would be fair to incur a worthy and speedy punishment for you; and yet, leaving you a place and time for repentance, we publicly announce to you: the fruit will not come out of your womb until you tell the truth, not covering up with a lie what even the blind, as they say, can see.

The words of the saint soon came true. When the time came for the woman to give birth, she was overtaken by a fierce disease that caused her great torment and kept the fetus in her womb. But she, hardened, did not want to confess her sin, in which she died, without giving birth, a painful death. Upon learning of this, the saint of God shed tears, regretting that he judged the sinner with such a judgment, and said:

I will no longer pronounce judgments on people if what has been said so soon comes true over them in practice.

Conversion by Saint Spyridon to the Christian faith of a pagan, the husband of Sophronia

One woman named Sophronia, well-behaved and pious, had a pagan husband. She repeatedly turned to the Holy Hierarch of God Spyridon and earnestly implored him to try to convert her husband to the true faith. Her husband was a neighbor of St. Spyridon of God and respected him, and sometimes they, as neighbors, even visited each other's houses. One day many neighbors of the saint and the pagan gathered together; they themselves were. And then, suddenly, the saint says to one of the servants in a loud voice:

There is a messenger at the gate, sent from a worker tending my herd, with the news that all the cattle, when the worker fell asleep, disappeared, lost in the mountains: go, tell him that the worker who sent him has already found all the cattle intact in one cave.
The servant went and gave the messenger the words of the saint. Soon after, when those gathered had not yet had time to get up from the table, another messenger came from the shepherd - with the news that the whole herd had been found. Hearing this, the pagan was unspeakably surprised that Saint Spyridon knew what was happening behind the eyes, as what was happening nearby; he imagined that the saint was one of the gods, and wanted to do to him what the inhabitants of Lycaonia once did to the Apostles Barnabas and Paul, that is, to bring sacrificial animals, prepare crowns and perform a sacrifice. But the saint said to him:

I am not a god, but only a servant of God and a man who is like you in everything. And that I know what is happening behind the eyes - this is given to me by my God, and if you also believe in Him, then you will know the greatness of His omnipotence and power.

For her part, the wife of the pagan Sofroniy, seizing the time, began to convince her husband to renounce pagan delusions and to know the One True God and believe in Him. Finally, by the power of the grace of Christ, the pagan was converted to the true faith and enlightened by holy baptism. Thus the “unbelieving husband” was saved (1 Corinthians 7:14), as St. Apostle Paul.

On the Humility of Blessed Spiridon

They also talk about the humility of blessed Spyridon, how, being a saint and a great miracle worker, he did not disdain to feed dumb sheep and himself went after them. One night, thieves broke into the paddock, stole some sheep and wanted to leave. But God, loving His saint and guarding his meager property, tightly bound the thieves with invisible bonds, so that they could not leave the fence, where they remained in this position, against their will, until the morning. At dawn, the saint came to the sheep and, seeing the thieves bound hand and foot by the power of God, with his prayer he untied them and instructed them not to covet the property of others, but to feed on the labor of their own hands; then he gave them one ram, so that, as he himself said, "their labor and sleepless night would not be in vain," and let them go in peace.

Hospitality of St. Spyridon and teaching to a wanderer who refused food in the house of the Saint

Saint Simeon Metaphrastus, a description of his life. likened St. Spyridon to Patriarch Abraham in the virtue of hospitality. “You also need to know how he received wanderers,” wrote Sozomen, who was close to monastic circles, citing in his “ church history» an amazing example from the life of the saint.

Once, at the onset of Forty-cost, a stranger knocked at his house. Seeing that the traveler was very tired, Saint Spyridon said to his daughter: “Wash this man’s feet and offer him something to eat.” But in view of fasting, the necessary supplies were not made, for the saint "ate food only on a certain day, and on others he remained without food." Therefore, the daughter replied that there was neither bread nor flour in the house. Then Saint Spyridon, having apologized to the guest, ordered his daughter to fry the salted pork meat that was in stock and. having seated the wanderer at the table, he began to eat, “persuading that person to imitate himself. When the latter, professing to be a Christian, refused, he added: "It is all the less necessary to refuse, for the Word of God has said: All is pure pure (Titus 1:15)."

Teaching to the greedy merchant

One Trimyphuntian merchant used to borrow money from the saint for trading purposes, and when, upon returning from his business trips, he brought back what he had taken, the saint usually told him to put the money himself in the box from which he had taken it. He cared so little about temporary acquisition that he never even inquired whether the debtor paid correctly! Meanwhile, the merchant had already acted in this way many times, taking money out of the ark with the blessing of the saint and again putting back what he had brought back, and his business flourished. But one day, carried away by greed, he did not put the brought gold in a box and kept it with him, and told the saint that he had invested it. Soon he became impoverished, since the hidden gold not only did not bring him profit, but also deprived him of the success of his trade and, like fire, devoured all his property.

Then the merchant again came to the saint and asked him for a loan. The saint sent him to his bedroom to the box so that he would take it himself. He said to the merchant:

Go and take it, if you yourself put it."

The merchant went and, finding no money in the box, returned empty-handed to the saint. The saint said to him:

But, my brother, there has never been another hand in the box but yours. So if you had put the gold in then, you could take it again now.

The merchant, ashamed, fell at the saint's feet and asked for forgiveness. The saint immediately forgave him, but at the same time he said, as a warning to him, that he should not desire someone else's and not defile his conscience with his deceit and lies. Thus, a profit acquired by untruth is not a profit, but in the end a loss.

The crushing of the pagan idol upon the entry of St. Spyridon to the earth

In Alexandria, a council of bishops was once convened: the patriarch of Alexandria convened all the bishops subordinate to him and wanted by common prayer to overthrow and crush all pagan idols, of which there were still very many. And so, at the time when numerous fervent prayers were offered to God, both conciliar and private, all the idols both in the city and in the environs fell, only one idol especially revered by the pagans remained intact in its place.

After the patriarch prayed long and hard for the crushing of this idol, one night, when he stood at prayer, a certain Divine vision appeared to him and he was ordered not to grieve that the idol was not broken, but rather send to Cyprus and call Spiridon from there, Bishop of Trimifunt, for for this the idol was left, to be crushed by the prayer of this saint. The patriarch immediately wrote a letter to Saint Spyridon, in which he called him to Alexandria and spoke of his vision, and immediately sent this letter to Cyprus. Having received the message, Saint Spyridon boarded a ship and sailed to Alexandria. When the ship stopped at the pier, called Naples, and the saint descended to earth, at the same moment the idol in Alexandria with its numerous altars collapsed, which is why in Alexandria they learned about the arrival of Saint Spyridon. For when it was reported to the patriarch that the idol had fallen, the patriarch said to the rest of the bishops:

Friends! Spiridon Trimifuntsky is approaching.

And everyone, having prepared, went out to meet the saint and, having received him with honor, rejoiced at the arrival of such a great wonderworker and lamp of the world.

The Righteous Wrath of Spiridon and the Teaching of Humility and Meekness

Church historians Nicephorus and Sozomen write that Saint Spyridon was extremely concerned about the strict observance of the church order and the preservation in all integrity to the last word of the books of Holy Scripture. One day the following happened. On about. In Cyprus there was a meeting of the bishops of the whole island for church affairs. Among the bishops were St. Spyridon and the above-mentioned Triphyllius, a man who was tempted in book wisdom, since in his youth he spent many years in Berita, studying writing and science.

The gathered fathers asked him to pronounce a lesson to the people in the church. When he taught, he had to remember the words of Christ, spoken by Him to the paralytic: "Get up and take up your bed" (Mark 2:12). Triphyllius replaced the word "bed" with the word "bed" and said: "Get up and take your bed." Hearing this, Saint Spyridon got up from his place and, unable to bear the change in Christ's words, said to Trifillius:

Are you better than the one who said “saddle”, that you are ashamed of the word He used?

Having said this, he left the church in front of everyone. So he acted not out of malice and not because he himself was completely unlearned: having slightly shamed Triphyllius, who boasted of his eloquence, he taught him humility and meekness. In addition, Saint Spyridon enjoyed (among the bishops) great honor, as the oldest in years, glorious in life, the first in episcopacy and a great miracle worker, and therefore, out of respect for the face, anyone could respect his words.

A miracle that happened with the appearance of St. Spyridon. Prediction of death, death of Spyridon of Trimifuntsky

Such great grace and mercy of God rested on Saint Spyridon that during the harvest in the hottest part of the day, his holy head was once covered with cool dew that descended from above. It was in Last year his life. Together with the reapers, he went out to harvest (for he was humble and worked himself, not proud of the height of his rank), and now, when he was reaping his field, suddenly, in the very heat, his head was watered, as it was once with the rune of Gideon (Judgment 6:38), and all who were with him in the field saw it and wondered. Then the hair on his head suddenly changed: some turned yellow, others black, others white, and only God Himself knew what it was for and what it foreshadowed. The saint touched his head with his hand and told those who were with him that the time had come for the separation of his soul from the body, and began to instruct everyone in good deeds, and especially love for God and neighbor.

After several days, Saint Spyridon, during prayer, gave up his holy and righteous soul to the Lord, Whom he served in righteousness and holiness all his life, and was buried with honor in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Trimifunt. There it was established to celebrate his memory every year, and at his tomb numerous miracles are performed to the glory of the wondrous God, glorified in His saints, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to whom and from us be glory, thanksgiving, honor and worship forever. Amen.

(Salami), a miracle worker, was born at the end of the 3rd century on the island of Cyprus.

From childhood, Saint Spyridon grazed sheep, imitated the Old Testament righteous with a pure and God-pleasing life:

David - in meekness, Jacob - in kindness of heart, Abraham - in love for strangers.

In adulthood, Saint Spyridon became the father of a family.

His extraordinary benevolence and spiritual responsiveness attracted many to him:

the homeless found shelter in his house, wanderers - food and rest.

For the unceasing remembrance of God and good deeds, the Lord endowed the future saint with gifts of grace:

clairvoyance, healing the terminally ill, and casting out demons.

After the death of his wife, during the reign of Constantine the Great (324-337) and his son Constantius (337-361), Saint Spyridon was elected bishop of the city of Trimifunt. In the rank of bishop, the saint did not change his way of life, combining pastoral service with works of mercy.

According to church historians, St. Spyridon in 325 took part in the activities of the First Ecumenical Council. At the Council, the saint entered into a contest with the Greek philosopher, who defended the Aryan heresy (the Alexandrian priest Arius rejected the Divinity and the pre-eternal birth from God the Father of the Son of God and taught that Christ is only the highest creation).

The simple speech of St. Spyridon showed everyone the weakness of human wisdom before the Wisdom of God. As a result of the conversation, the opponent of Christianity became its zealous defender and accepted holy Baptism.

At the same Council, St. Spyridon showed against the Arians a clear proof of Unity in the Holy Trinity. He took a brick in his hands and squeezed it: instantly fire went up from it, water flowed down, and the clay remained in the hands of the miracle worker. “These are the three elements, and the plinth (brick) is one,” St. Spyridon said then, “so in the Most Holy Trinity there are Three Persons, and the Deity is One.”

In the person of St. Spyridon, the flock acquired a loving father. During a long drought and famine in Cyprus, through the prayer of the saint, it began to rain, and the disaster ended. The saint's kindness was combined with fair severity towards unworthy people. Through his prayer, the merciless grain merchant was punished, and the poor villagers were delivered from hunger and poverty.

Envious people slandered one of the saint's friends, and he was imprisoned and sentenced to death. The saint hurried to help, the path was blocked by a high-water stream. Remembering how the overflowing Jordan Joshua had crossed (Josh. 3:14-17), the saint, with firm faith in the omnipotence of God, offered up a prayer, and the stream parted. Together with his companions, unwitting eyewitnesses of the miracle, Saint Spyridon crossed on dry land to the other side. Warned of what had happened, the judge greeted the saint with honor and released the innocent.

St. Spyridon performed many miracles. Once, during a divine service, the fir-tree burned down in the lamp, and it began to fade away. The saint was upset, but the Lord consoled him: the lamp miraculously filled with oil.

There is a known case when Saint Spyridon entered an empty church, ordered to light lamps and candles, and began worship. Having proclaimed "Peace to all," he and the deacon heard in response from above a great multitude of voices, proclaiming: "And your spirit." This choir was great and sweeter than any human singing. At every litany, an invisible choir sang "Lord, have mercy."

Attracted by the singing coming from the church, people who were nearby hurried to it. As they approached the church, wonderful singing filled their ears more and more and delighted their hearts. But when they entered the church, they did not see anyone except the bishop with a few church ministers, and they no longer heard heavenly singing, from which they came to great amazement.

The saint healed the seriously ill Emperor Constantius, talked with his deceased daughter Irina, who was already prepared for burial. And once a woman came to him with a dead child in her arms, asking for the intercession of the saint. After praying, the saint brought the baby back to life. The mother, overwhelmed with joy, fell down lifeless. But the prayer of the saint of God brought life back to the mother.

The story of Socrates Scholasticus is also known about how the thieves decided to steal the sheep of St. Spyridon: in the dead of night they climbed into the sheepfold, but immediately they were bound by an invisible force. When morning came, the saint came to the flock and, seeing the bound robbers, having prayed, he untied them and for a long time persuaded them to leave the lawless path and get food by honest labor.

Then, giving them a sheep each and letting them go, he said affectionately: “Let it not be in vain that you were awake.”

Seeing the secret sins of people, the saint called them to repentance and correction. Those who did not heed the voice of conscience and the words of the saint were punished by God.

As a bishop, Saint Spyridon set an example for his flock of a virtuous life and diligence: he pastured sheep, harvested bread. He was extremely concerned about the strict observance of the church order and the preservation of the Holy Scriptures in all inviolability.

The saint severely denounced the priests, who in their sermons inaccurately used the words of the Gospel and other inspired books.

The whole life of the saint is striking in its amazing simplicity and the power of wonderworking. given to him by the Lord. At the word of the saint, the dead were awakened, the elements were tamed, idols were crushed. When in Alexandria the Patriarch convened a Council for the destruction of idols and temples, through the prayers of the fathers of the Council, all the idols fell down, except for one, the most revered. It was revealed to the patriarch in a vision that this idol was left in order to be crushed by St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky.

Summoned by the Council, the saint boarded the ship, and at the moment when the ship landed on the shore and the saint set foot on the ground, the idol in Alexandria with all the altars fell into dust, which announced to the Patriarch and all the bishops the approach of Saint Spyridon.

The Lord revealed to the saint the approach of his death. The last words of the saint were about love for God and neighbor.

Around the year 348, during prayer, Saint Spyridon reposed in the Lord. They buried him in the church in honor of the holy apostles in the city of Trimifunt.

In the middle of the 7th century, the relics of the saint were transferred to Constantinople, and in 1453 to the island of Kerkyra in the Ionian Sea (the Latin name of the island is Corfu).

Here, in the city of Corfu (the main city of the island) of the same name, the holy relics of St. Spyridon are still preserved in the temple of his name (the right hand of the saint rests in Rome). 5 times a year, a solemn celebration of the memory of St. Spyridon takes place on the island.

Saint Spyridon Trimifuntsky has been revered in Russia since ancient times. The “solstice”, or “turn of the sun for the summer” (December 25, new style), coinciding with the memory of the saint, was called in Russia “Spiridon’s turn”.

Saint Spyridon enjoyed special reverence in ancient Novgorod and Moscow. In 1633 a temple was erected in Moscow in the name of the saint.

In the Moscow Church of the Resurrection of the Word (1629) there are two revered icons of St. Spyridon with a particle of his holy relics.

The testimonies of church historians of the 4th-5th centuries - Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen and Rufinus, processed in the 10th century by the outstanding Byzantine hagiographer Blessed Simeon Metaphrastus, have been preserved about the life of St. Spyridon.

Also known is the Life of St. Spyridon, written in iambic verse by his disciple St. Triphyllius, Bishop of Leukussia of Cyprus († c. 370; Comm. 13/26 June).

Miracles of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky

Saint Spyridon for his virtuous life from ordinary farmers was made a bishop.

He led a very simple life, he himself worked in his fields, helped the poor and unfortunate, healed the sick, raised the dead. In 325 St. Spyridon took part in the Council of Nicaea, where the heresy of Arius was condemned, who denied the divine origin of Jesus Christ and, consequently, the Holy Trinity. But the saint miraculously showed against the Arians a clear proof of Unity in the Holy Trinity. He took a brick in his hands and squeezed it: instantly fire went up from it, water down, and the clay remained in the hands of the miracle worker.

For many, the simple words of the blessed elder turned out to be more convincing than the refined speeches of pundits.

One of the philosophers who adheres to the Arian heresy, after a conversation with Saint Spyridon, said: “When, instead of proof from reason, some special power began to come from the lips of this elder, the evidence became powerless against it ... God Himself spoke through his mouth.”

Saint Spyridon had great boldness before God.

By his prayer, the people got rid of the drought, the sick were healed, demons were cast out, idols were crushed, the dead were raised. Once a woman came to him with a dead child in her arms, asking for the intercession of the saint.

After praying, he brought the baby back to life. The mother, overwhelmed with joy, fell down lifeless.

Again the saint raised his hands to heaven, invoking God. Then he said to the deceased: “Rise up and get on your feet!” She stood up, as if awakening from a dream, and took her living son in her arms.

Known from the life of the saint and such a case. Once he entered an empty church, ordered the lamps and candles to be lit, and began the service. Nearby people were surprised by the angelic singing coming from the temple. Attracted by the wonderful sounds, they headed towards the church.

But when they entered it, they saw no one but the bishop with a few clergymen.

On another occasion, during the divine service, through the prayer of the saint, the fading lamps began to fill with oil of their own accord. The saint had a special love for the poor. Even before he was a bishop, he spent all his income on the needs of his neighbors and strangers.

In the rank of bishop, Spiridon did not change his way of life, combining pastoral ministry with works of mercy.

One day a poor farmer came to him asking for a loan of money. The saint, promising to satisfy his request, released the farmer, and in the morning he himself brought him a whole heap of gold. After the peasant returned his debt with gratitude, St. Spyridon, going to his garden, said: “Let's go, brother, and together we will give back to Him Who gave us such a generous loan.”

The saint began to pray and asked God that the gold, previously turned from an animal, would again take on its original form. The piece of gold suddenly stirred and turned into a snake, which began to wriggle and crawl. Through the prayer of the saint, the Lord sent a downpour on the city, which washed away the barns of a rich and merciless merchant who sold bread during a drought at very high prices. This saved many poor people from hunger and poverty.

Once, going to the aid of an innocently condemned man, the saint was stopped by a stream suddenly overflowing from a flood. At the command of the saint, the water element parted, and Saint Spyridon and his companions continued on their way without hindrance.

Hearing about this miracle, the unjust judge immediately released the innocently condemned.

Having acquired in himself meekness, mercy, purity of heart, the saint, as a wise shepherd, sometimes reproved with love and meekness, sometimes by his own example led to repentance. One day he went to Antioch to the emperor Constantine, in order to pray to help the king suffering from illness.

One of the guards of the royal palace, seeing the saint in simple clothes and mistaking him for a beggar, hit him on the cheek.

But the wise shepherd, wishing to reason with the offender, turned the other cheek according to the commandment of the Lord; the minister realized that the bishop was standing before him and, realizing his sin, humbly asked his forgiveness.

The story of Socrates Scholasticus is known about how thieves decided to steal the sheep of St. Spyridon. Having made their way into the sheepfold, the robbers remained there until the morning, unable to get out of there. The saint forgave the robbers and persuaded them to leave the lawless path, then he gave them a sheep each and, letting go, said: “May you not stay awake in vain.”

In a similar way, he reasoned with one merchant who wished to buy a hundred goats from the archpastor.

Since the saint was not in the habit of checking the money given, the merchant withheld the payment for one goat. “Separating a hundred goats, he drove them out of the fence, but one of them escaped and again ran into the pen. Several times the merchant tried to return the stubborn goat to his herd, but the animal did not obey.

Seeing the admonition of God in this, the merchant hastened to repent to St. Spyridon and returned the concealed money to him.

Having a loving heart, the saint at the same time was strict when he saw impenitence and persistence in sin.

So he predicted a difficult death for a woman who did not repent of the grave sin of adultery and once punished a deacon who was proud of the beauty of his voice with a temporary illness.

Saint Spyridon died about the year 348 and was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in the city of Trimifunt.

His imperishable relics were transferred to Constantinople in the 7th century, and in 1460 to the Greek island of Kerkyra (Corfu), where they rest to this day, in a temple built in honor of his name. In Russia, Saint Spyridon is prayed for finding housing and repaying debts, the Greeks will repose him as the patron saint of travelers.

Miracles through the prayers of St. Spyridon

In November 1861, an eight-year-old boy in a Greek family born in Corfu fell ill with typhoid fever.

Despite all the efforts of doctors, his condition worsened. The child's mother prayed to St. Spyridon all the days for help.

On the seventeenth day, the boy became very ill. The unfortunate mother ordered to urgently send a telegram to relatives in Kerkyra, so that they could go to the church of St. Spyridon and ask them to open the shrine with the relics of the Saint.

Relatives carried out her instructions, and at that very hour (as the child's relatives later found out), when the clergy opened the cancer, the boy's body was shaken by convulsions, which the doctors took for death agony.

But to the surprise of those present, the child opened his eyes, his pulse gradually recovered, and from that moment his health began to improve. All the doctors present admitted that it was a miracle of God.

In December 1948, on the eve of the holiday, a woman from Epirus arrived in Kerkyra with her eleven-year-old son George. The child was mute from birth. Previously, they visited many churches, where they prayed to the Lord for healing.

A few days before the feast of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, the boy's mother had a dream that the Saint had healed her son, and then she decided to take him to Kerkyra. For three days the mother and son prayed in the church of St. Spyridon, and when at the end of the celebration the relics of the Saint were carried over the child, George spoke at that very moment.

The girl, who suffered from a nervous crisis, which later turned into psychopathy, in a moment of enlightenment asked to be taken to the church of St. Spyridon. Entering the church, she venerated the icon and the relics of the Saint and felt that the heaviness had left her head. She stayed in the temple the whole next day and returned home completely healthy.

Modern Miracles of Saint Spyridon Bombardment of Corfu

During World War II, when the Italians, on the orders of Mussolini, attacked Greece, one of their first victims was the neighboring island of Corfu. The bombing began on November 1, 1940 and continued for months.

Corfu had no means of air defense, so Italian bombers were able to fly at particularly low altitudes.

However, during the bombing, strange things happened: both the pilots and those who were on the ground noticed that many bombs, in an incomprehensible way, did not fall straight down, but at an angle, and fell into the sea.

During the bombing, people flocked to the only shelter where they did not doubt to find protection and salvation - the church of St. Spyridon.

All the buildings around the church were badly damaged or destroyed, and the church itself survived until the end of the war without a single damage, not even a single window pane cracked ...

Modern miracles in Russia

I would like to tell you about one miraculous event, a witness, and one might even say, a participant in which I myself was. In 2000, from the Radonezh pilgrimage service, I went to the holy places of Greece. In Corfu, in the church of St. Spyridon, we asked the priest for blessings to collect oil from the lamp near the shrine with the relics of the Saint.

The group thought it was better than store-bought. We collected the oil with a syringe and poured it into pre-stored bottles. The group was large, everyone crowded, trying to fill it as quickly as possible, someone inadvertently touched the lamp, and the remnants of the oil spilled. Everyone was very upset because of our awkwardness, but one woman was especially distressed - she was the last in line and she did not get a drop.

I thought I'd give her some of mine. She was holding an empty bottle in her hands, and it suddenly began to fill up on its own! This happened in front of our entire group, so there were a lot of witnesses to this miracle. We were all literally shocked. On the bus, we recalled the incident when St. Spyridon's lamp filled itself. Everything is possible for God and His saints.

I thank the Lord and St. Spyridon for allowing me to witness this miracle!

I, sinful and unworthy r. God's Elena, in 2002, for a long time tried to exchange a one-room apartment for a two-room apartment. There were many problems, because offered remote from the subway or expensive.

One day my sister called me (she serves in the temple) and asked how I was doing. I replied that nothing worked.

Then she advised me to order a water-blessed prayer service to St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, which I did. Literally a week later we were offered a great option and at a reasonable price. The move was scheduled for December 25 - Saint's Memorial Day. Through the prayers of St. Spyridon, we succeeded.

I often remember this and am very grateful to him. Thank God for everything!

Saint Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, pray to God for us.

*********

In 2007, the relics of St. Spyridon were brought to the Danilovsky Monastery in Moscow. More than 1,300,000 Russians came to venerate the relics of the saint. Here are the stories of some of them, published in the book "St. Spyridon Trimifuntsky" by the publishing house of the Danilov Monastery.

A pregnant woman came to the right hand of St. Spyridon at the Danilov Monastery. She said that she and her husband dreamed of a child, she went around many doctors, but for seven years their marriage remained fruitless. They prayed to St. Spyridon and other saints, and, contrary to the predictions of doctors, a miracle happened.

The woman came to thank the Saint.

One financial structure bought an inactive sanatorium in the Moscow region. On its territory there is a temple and the house of the abbot. Unexpectedly, the new owner decided to build a parking lot on the site of the father's house.

He did not make concessions and did not even want to discuss this issue. The father's large family was faced with the facts: the house would be demolished and a parking lot built. The priest turned with a prayer to Saint Spyridon, and the Saint did not leave him.

Arriving at the Danilov Monastery to the relics of St. Spyridon, the priest met a man who turned out to be a friend of the new owner of the sanatorium, this man was greatly surprised by the behavior of his acquaintance and promised to help.

After some time, he, along with the owner of the territory, came to the priest for a conversation on resolving the current situation.

On Sunday, April 22, I went to the Danilov Monastery for the feast of the myrrh-bearing women. And when approaching the monastery, by chance (although there is nothing accidental in this world) I find out that the relics of Spyridon of Trimifuntsky were brought to the monastery (I rarely watch TV, and did not know about it). What a blessing it is that I visited the monastery that day and venerated the relics!

And the next day, on Monday, April 23, our youngest son called us, and I joyfully tell him that the relics of St. Spyridon had been brought to Moscow and I was at the Danilov Monastery on Sunday. My son says to me in such a tired, sick voice: “Pray, mom, for my salvation.” It turns out that they were on the water and turned over. Thank God! Everyone swam out, everyone is alive and well.

And I, not knowing about it, went to the monastery the day before, as if something was leading me there. Indeed, the ways of the Lord are inscrutable!

On Tuesday, April 24, I went back to the monastery. I ordered a Prayer of Thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ for saving the life of my son and a prayer service to St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky from my parents.

Akathist to St. Spyridon

Akathist(Greek akathistos, from Greek a - a negative particle and kathizo - I sit down, a hymn, when singing which they do not sit, "non-sitting song") - special laudatory chants in honor of the Savior, God's Maieri or saints.

Akathists consist of 25 songs, which are arranged in the order of the letters of the Greek alphabet: 13 kontakions and 12 ikos (“kontakion” - a short hymn; "ikos" - long song).

The ikos end with the exclamation "rejoice" and the kontakion - "Hallelujah" (in Hebrew - "praise God").

At the same time, the ikos end with the same chorus as the first kontakion, and all other kontakions end with the alleluia refrain.

Akathist to St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky with a text performed by the Male Choir of the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra in Zayatsky.

Every parent wants to bring up in his child a beautiful and strong character for a happy life. Children take an example from others, and often book characters become role models. The most convincing are real images, and among them the most beautiful are holy people, their life experience. With this in mind, the Nicaea Publishing House has released a series of books in which the lives of Christian ascetics are collected, talentedly presented by modern writers for children. Reading these books together creates a good family tradition and gives children wonderful examples of love and kindness to become better and happier. One of these books will be discussed later in our program. It is called "The Life of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky in retelling for children." ***

Several books have already been published in this series, thanks to which young readers will learn about Saints Nicholas the Wonderworker and Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky), about the saint of the northern capital - Blessed Xenia of Petersburg, about the great naval commander - Righteous Theodore Ushakov, about St. Sergius and Seraphim. This book tells the story of the life of St. Spyridon Trimifuntsky, revered throughout the Orthodox world. The book is written in a lively, understandable language for kids and schoolchildren, is intended for children 4-6 years old and is perfect for family reading and exciting discussion. And now let's open the book and read part of the life, which was compiled by Valery Posashko.

“Once upon a time there was a simple and kind shepherd Spiridon at the end of the 3rd century on the island of Cyprus. He was accustomed to work from early childhood - as a boy he grazed sheep. And when he grew up, he met a girl whom he fell in love with, married her, and they had children. They lived, worked and were happy. But perhaps a simple shepherd would not have become a shepherd of thousands of Christians if the Lord had not called him to serve. Spiridon had to go through a difficult test: his beloved wife fell ill and died. But Spiridon did not despair and did not give up, but devoted his life to serving people. For this humility and simplicity, for trust in God and the extraordinary power of faith, the Lord rewarded him with the gift of working miracles. And a special gift - to love every person, forgetting even about yourself.

As the author notes, “the kindness of the widowed shepherd very soon became known throughout the district: if a wanderer passes by, he can always spend the night and strengthen his forces at Spiridon; if a beggar passes, he also has a road to Spiridon, where they will definitely feed him and even give him some bread on the way. The townspeople chose Spiridon as their bishop. But he continued to live very modestly, making do with little and striving to give more than to take. He even raised crops and tended sheep, like an ordinary shepherd! Once on the island for many weeks there was not a drop of rain, but there was a terrible heat! Nothing grew, and famine began, and then diseases. Desperate residents asked their bishop to pray for the Lord to help them. And as soon as Spiridon got up from prayer, the sky was covered with clouds and the rain came down like a bucket! Everything poured and poured, for several days, and people rejoiced. The earth was filled with rain water and gave a rich harvest.

Spiridon gave most of his harvest to the poor. Another was given as a loan to those in need: for example, someone did not have enough money for a cow or it was necessary to patch the roof of a barn. Why in debt? The saint understood that, receiving food without labor, a person can become completely lazy. But who and what takes from him, Spiridon did not count at all. “Go to my pantry and take as much as you need,” he said to the coming person and did not even check how much and what he took there. It remained on the conscience of the petitioner. Knowing this custom of his, one cunning merchant decided to be cunning. He asked the saint to sell him 100 goats, and paid only for 99. “Go and take as much as you bought,” Spiridon said and calmly went about his business.

The satisfied merchant ran to the paddock. He carefully counted - one, two, three, four ... 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 ... All the goats obediently followed him. He is happy, happy, rubbing his hands, but suddenly he sees: one goat is running back to Spiridon. He's after her! I took it by the horns, dragged it along. The goat rests, shakes its head, kicks its legs, uses its horns. She broke free and ran back. The merchant got angry, put the animal on his shoulders and carried it. Then the goat bit him and again ran to Spiridon. The bishop understood everything, but he was so kind that he did not want to denounce and scold the merchant in front of everyone. He said to him quietly, so that no one would hear, “Look, my son, it is not in vain that the animal does this. Have you withheld the proper price for it?” The merchant was ashamed and immediately repented. Spiridon, of course, forgave him. But one should not think that Saint Spyridon only stroked everyone on the head. When needed, he could be very strict and even harsh. However, this severity has always been to the benefit of man.

In 325, in the city of Nicaea, by order of Emperor Constantine the Great, the First Ecumenical Council was held - a meeting of bishops and patriarchs from all over the world. Why did they gather? The fact is, - the author narrates, - that one bishop - a learned man and a skillful orator named Arius was mistaken in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and misled many Christians. Spiridon asked to give him the floor. At first they didn’t want to do this: “Just stop the shepherd from Trimifunt - what else will he say there? ..” But still they allowed it. The saint began to speak simply and sincerely about God, about Christ, His death and Resurrection. One Greek philosopher grinned at first, and then became more and more serious, and in the end completely lowered his eyes and thought deeply. When Spiridon finished speaking, there was silence. The philosopher was silent for a long time and looked at the floor. Finally he said, "I think it's really just as you say."

He turned to his friends and said, “As long as I argued with intelligence and evidence, everything was fine. But God Himself is on the side of this elder, and a person cannot resist God.” This philosopher was soon baptized and became an Orthodox Christian. But others asked Spiridon to explain better: how can God be one and at the same time in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Then the saint picked up an ordinary brick in his hands - and you know that bricks are made from clay when it is mixed with water and then burned on fire ... So, the Bishop of Trimifuntsky tightly squeezed an ordinary kir-pich in his hand ... And what is it?! A flame burst out of it, water flowed, and clay remained in Spiridon's hands. One object, and in it three substances at once! Philosophers immediately understood everything and agreed: indeed, God is what Orthodox Christians say about Him - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Saint Spyridon, with his simple but clear confession of faith, converted many heretics to Orthodoxy.

Concluding his story, the author writes: “There is such a proverb: with whom you behave, you will gain from that. If you are with a harmful and ill-mannered person, then you yourself can become harmful and ill-mannered, and when you are friends with a smart person, you can become smart yourself. From a holy person one can learn both love, and kindness, and a simple sincere faith in God. Learn to believe - not cunningly and cleverly, like Arius, but simply, sincerely and cordially, like St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky. After all, when you are with God, you are not afraid of anything in the world: neither the water stream that blocks the path, nor the mercilessly scorching sun, nor death itself. This is evidenced by the life of the saint.

*** St. Spyridon lived a long life and died at a ripe old age doing what he loved most while living on earth: talking with God. The bishop came from the field where he worked, began to pray, and the Lord took away his loving and simple soul. Now Saint Spyridon prays for all of us, for everyone who asks him for help. The city where the holy bishop lived and served is now called not Trimifunt, but Tremetusia, and the relics of the saint are on the Greek island of Corfu, in the main - cathedral - cathedral of the city. five days a year locals honor the memory of the saint, making these days religious processions with his honest relics. Similar processions were established in memory of the miraculous help of St. Spyridon to the inhabitants of the island, and are performed on the Week of Vay, Great Holy Saturday, August 11 and on the first Sunday in November. And of course today is December 25th.

Despite the fact that in Orthodoxy material wealth is not considered true purpose it is not customary to ask and pray for a person and it is not customary to ask and pray for him, but among those whom the Church considers saints, there is one who is often addressed with requests for material assistance and stability.
Spiridon of Trimifuntsky is often asked to help with matters at work, with money, with solving housing difficulties and other worldly affairs.
But after getting acquainted with his life, the understanding comes that Saint Spyridon is asked in many other cases, because in Christianity he is revered on a par with his contemporary -

It must be remembered that icons or saints do not "specialize" in any particular area. It will be right when a person turns with faith in the power of God, and not in the power of this icon, this saint or prayer.
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THE LIFE AND MIRACLES OF SAINT SPYRIDON OF TRIMIFUNTS

Saint Spyridon was born around 270 AD. e. in Cyprus in a village near Trimifunt (Trimitus), so he was called the Trimifuntsky Wonderworker.
From childhood, Spiridon was a shepherd, he led a righteous and God-pleasing life. He looked like the Old Testament righteous: the prophet David - with his meekness, Jacob - kindness, Abraham - love for strangers. Therefore, on the icons, Bishop Spyridon of Trimifuntsky is not depicted in the miter of the lord, on his head he has the usual shepherd's hat.

The saint did not have any wealth, but he still tried to give shelter and food to those in need. Unusual benevolence and his spiritual warmth attracted to him a variety of people.
After the death of Bishop Trimifunt, Spiridon was unanimously elected the first priest of the city. But even being in such a high rank, the saint all the time showed an example of humility - he, like an ordinary person, worked, earning his own living.
For many of his virtues, the Lord endowed Spiridon with the gift of insight and healing people. Saint Spyridon treated patients who were hopeless for conventional medicine, but first of all, he tried to save people from mental illnesses, and also cast out demons.
By the grace of God, the Saint could control the forces of nature - once, through his prayer, during an unusual dry land that happened in Cyprus and claimed many lives from hunger, the sky was covered with clouds, and life-giving rain began to fall.
Several years passed, breadlessness again hit the country, merchants raised grain prices, making huge profits. One poor man turned to a rich merchant, begging him to give him grain at interest, but this rich man was especially greedy and did not want to help. The peasant decided to tell his misfortune to Spiridon, who consoled him:

"Don't cry, soon your house will be full of bread, and tomorrow this rich man will beg you to take bread from him for free."

And at night, by the will of God, a downpour fell, destroying the barn of a greedy merchant, a lot of grain was carried away by streams of water.
The next day, the desperate rich man ran and asked everyone to take as much bread as they needed, he already wanted to at least save what was left. Many gathered grain carried away by streams of water along the roads; this farmer also collected wheat for his family.

Soon another poor man again asked for help from this merchant, promising to return the grain with interest after he received the harvest, but the rich man demanded a huge exorbitant deposit from him. This man also turned to Bishop Spiridon, begging for help. On the morning of the next day, the saint himself brought gold to the poor man and told him that it was necessary to give this gold to the merchant, take wheat from him, sow grain, and after harvesting it was necessary to redeem this pledge and bring it to Spiridon.
Everything happened just like that - the poor man took the gold, received grain, sowed it, harvested a rich harvest, bought back the ingot and brought it to the saint. Taking this gold, reverend Spiridon and the peasant went to the rich man. Approaching his garden, the saint lowered the gold to the ground near the fence and uttered a prayer from his lips:

“My Lord, Jesus Christ! By his will, he who creates and transforms everything! Command this gold, which You previously turned from an animal, to take on its original form again.”

During prayer, the gold began to move and then reincarnated into a writhing snake.
For the sake of the need of his neighbor, St. Spyridon first turned the viper into gold, and then turned it back into a snake. This miracle was seen by both the merchant and the peasant, they immediately fell to their knees, glorifying the Lord God, whose power was shown by Spyridon of Trimifuntsky.

Once a friend of Bishop Spiridon was slandered. He, the innocent, was put in prison, where he awaited the death sentence. When the saint was informed about this, he immediately rushed to help. But on the path of St. Spyridon there was a wide river, which overflowed heavily, and besides, heavy rains destroyed the crossing through it.
Like Joshua crossing the overflowing Jordan, St. Spyridon ordered the water to part.
The course of the river, as if by order, stopped, and a passage was formed that remained dry, along which Spiridon and his companions, “ as dry', crossed to the opposite bank. Then the waters closed again, and the river flowed again as usual. Witnesses of this told the judge about what a miracle happened with the help of the saint. The judge received Spiridon with honors, listened and released his innocent friend.

Once Spyridon Trimifuntsky came to the temple to serve Vespers. Then there was no one in the church except the clergy, Vladyka stood in front of the altar, and a large number of candles were lit. During the service, Bishop Spyridon proclaimed:

"Peace to all!".

There was no one to answer, but suddenly they heard from above:

"And your spirit!".

After each request, the litany was heard from above, as if a great multitude of voices were singing:

"Lord have mercy!".

Witnesses of this were people who went into the temple to look at the singing, but saw in it only St. Spyridon and some church ministers.
It is believed that the Celestial Angels themselves served with St. Spyridon in this service.

In 325, at the initiative of Emperor Constantine the Great, the First Ecumenical Council was convened, which was held in Nicaea. At the Council, for the first time, three hundred and eighteen holy fathers met together, among whom were Bishops Spyridon of Trimifuntsky and His Holiness Nicholas of Myra (Nicholas the Wonderworker). At this Council, important church matters were discussed, in particular, it was necessary to determine one's attitude towards the Arian doctrine, which was gaining then, in defense of which very intelligent orators and philosophers spoke.
After the speech of Spyridon, who explained his thoughts about Christ in simple words, even the most sophisticated Arian philosopher Eulogius admitted that from the lips of the saint he felt a special power against which any evidence was powerless. Later Eulogius renounced this heresy and accepted Baptism.

Speaking at the Council, Bishop Spyridon personally showed the Unity in the Holy Trinity, against which Arius opposed. Coming out in front of everyone and crossing himself, he, with the words

"In the name of the Father"

squeezed the brick (plinth) that was in his hand and at that moment fire blazed from the stone. The saint continued:

"and the Son!"

- water flowed from the hand. After the words

"and the Holy Spirit!"

Spiridon opened his hand and everyone saw dry clay on it - the remains of a brick.

“There are three elements, and there is only one plinth. So it is in the Most Holy Trinity - Three Persons, and the Divinity is One.

- this is how St. Spyridon explained to the Arians the Unity of the Three Divine Hypostases of the Holy Trinity.
In a simple brick, three substances are combined together - fire, water and earth. There is also one God, whose three Hypostases we know: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Seeing such arguments of the saint, some Arians again returned to the confession of Orthodoxy.

After the Council in Nicaea, the glory of Spyridon Trimifuntsky spread to the entire Orthodox world. They began to especially respect and revere him, but the humble shepherd returned to his place in Cyprus in order to further modestly fulfill his duties.

When Constantine the Great died, his son Constantius, who was very seriously ill, became emperor. The best doctors were invited, but no one was able to heal him.
And then one day, in a dream, the emperor saw two priests who were able to overcome the disease. After a long search, Constantius finally saw those whom the Angel pointed out to him in a dream - they were Saints Spyridon and his disciple Trifillius.
As soon as they entered the chambers of the emperor, he recognized them, got up and went to meet them, which was then the highest manifestation of honor. After Constantius humbly bowed down and asked for the help of St. Spyridon, he prayed to the Lord and laid his hand on the head of the king. Just an ordinary touch healed the emperor, the pain that had tormented him for many years passed instantly and without a trace. Numerous courtiers who were at the same time witnessed this event.
After the emperor was freed from illness, Saint Spyridon set about healing his spiritual ailments. He often and for a long time talked with him, explained to Constantius the essence of faith, that it was necessary to fight against temptations and not to do what was contrary to God's commandments. He said that every Christian should have humility and mercy, and even more so a king who rules over entire nations. As a result of this communication, Constantius became very attached to the saint and, at his request, freed all the ministers of the Church from taxes. The king also wanted to generously endow his savior, but Spiridon did not want to accept the gifts, saying:

“It is not good to pay with hate for love, for what I have done for you is love. I left home, sailed the sea for a long time, endured severe cold and winds to heal you. Isn't this love? And you give me gold, the cause of all evil.”

Still, the emperor persuaded the saint to take the money, which Saint Spyridon immediately, as soon as he left the palace, gave to the poor. Constantius found out about this act and realized that he was given another lesson in the mercy and generosity of a poor man who so easily gave up a large fortune.

Returning home, Saint Spyridon met a woman whose child had recently died. She was a pagan and did not know Greek at all, but even so it was clear that she was very grieving and would very much like her baby to be alive. Spiridon, seeing her suffering, asked his deacon Artemidor:
— What should we do, brother?
— Why are you asking me, father? the deacon answered him. — If you have healed the king, will you really reject this unfortunate woman?
Saint Spyridon on his knees began to pray to the Lord, and He heard him - the child came to life. Seeing this miracle, his mother fell dead, her heart could not stand it.
Again the holy Monk Spyridon asked the same question to Artemidorus and again received the same answer. Again the elder turned to God with prayers, then he said to the deceased:

"Rise up and get back on your feet!"

As if awakening from a dream, without understanding anything, the woman opened her eyes and stood up. Everyone who saw this miracle was ordered, because of the modesty of the saint, to keep silent about it. Artemidorus told this story to people only after the death of the saint.

Once Spyridon Trimifuntsky with his student Triphyllius ended up in Parimna, in one very beautiful place. Triphyllius was fascinated by nature and decided to purchase an estate for a church. The thoughts of the student were revealed to Saint Spyridon, and he said:

“Why, Triphylly, do you constantly think about vain things? You want an estate that doesn't really have any value. Our treasures are in Heaven, we have a house not made by hands, eternal - strive for them and enjoy them in advance (through divine thinking): they cannot pass from one state to another, and whoever once becomes the owner of them will receive an inheritance that will never be lose."

Thus, the saint's instructions gradually raised the spiritual level of his disciple. The teaching has been beneficial. The disciple of Spyridon Trimifunsky, Saint Triphyllius, in his righteous life received many gifts from the Lord.

Saint Spyridon is revered by the world for wise man possessing a prophetic gift, he saw the sinful deeds of people and tried to help them repent of them. And whoever lied to the saint, the Lord himself punished him.

One man spent a whole year on business on a long business trip, and when he returned, he found out that his wife had been cheating on him and was even expecting a child. He told Spiridon about this, who called the harlot to him and began to conscience her. The woman replied that she was slandered and that in fact the child was from her husband. Of course, this lie was revealed to Spiridon, and he told her:

“You fell into a great sin, your repentance must be great. I see that your adultery has led you to despair, and despair has led you to shamelessness. It would be fair to incur a speedy punishment for you, but you must be given time to repent. Sin has no such power that is capable of surpassing God's philanthropy. The Lord is ready to support all those who fall, but for this you must repent. Remember, the baby won't be born until you tell the truth."

When the time came for the baby to appear, some force prevented the birth. This woman suffered from pain, but still did not confess her sin, so she died in sin, without repentance. Vladyka, having learned about such a death, was very sorry for this sinner, he said:

“I will no longer pronounce judgments on people if what I said comes true so quickly ...”

For everyone who heard of Spyridon Trimifuntsky and knew the saint, he was a pure example of piety, simplicity and modesty. His earthly life ended at the age of about 80 during prayer. The exact date of the repose of the saint is unknown, but it is believed that this happened in 348.

His relics rest on the island of Corfu in the church named after him, and his right hand is in the Church of Our Lady of Santa Maria in Rome.

For so many centuries, the body of the saint did not succumb to decay, and the temperature is always 36.6 degrees.
In Moscow there is a shrine - the slipper of Spiridon Trimifuntsky, which was brought from the island of Corfu. It has been noticed that this slipper wears out, as if the miracle worker still walks and helps people, performs holy miracles. There is no scientific explanation for this fact.

Spiridon's slipper is in the Intercession Church of the Danilov Monastery.

GROWTH OF THE REPRED SPIRIDON

We magnify you, Saint Father Spiridon, and honor your holy memory, for you pray for us Christ our God.

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