My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE LIFE OF SAINT SPYRIDON THE WONDER-WORKER (Part II)

The First Ecumenical Synod was victorious against the heresy of Arius. Thereupon they were giving thanks to our Lord and Savior, having the Saint in great regard; not only the people and the hierarchs marveled and honored him but also the Emperor to a considerable degree. He besought Saint Spyridon to always entreat God on his behalf. Since the Synodical sessions had finished, Saint Spyridon went directly to his See and homeland.

When Saint Spyridon arrived in Cyprus, he found that his daughter Irene had reposed. She was a virgin who had never known a man, and she had kept her virginity inviolate that she might present it to her heavenly Bridegroom Christ. The bereaved holy man endured this affliction courageously, as one sensible and prudent. A few days after Irene was interred, a tearful woman approached the Saint and excitedly said, "I entrusted to thy late daughter's care certain articles, that is, expensive gold jewelry. But her repose came so quickly thereafter that I had not the opportunity to inquire where she deposited them."

Now Irene, for greater security, had buried the articles. The Saint carefully and diligently searched his entire house, but he was unable to find the jewelry. Saint Spyridon then went to the tomb of his daughter, followed by some other persons. Then, as though Irene were still alive, he began asking her, "Irene, my child, where didst thou put the woman's gold jewelry?" The dead daughter answered with a lively voice and disclosed a certain place. "That is where I have hidden the articles, my father." All those who clearly heard Irene were filled with dread and terror at that prodigious wonder. The Saint, as though he were master of life and death, spoke again to his girl, saying, "Be sleeping, child, until the Lord should raise thee at the universal resurrection." Saint Spyridon then went to the spot disclosed y his daughter and found the gold jewelry. This furnished proof of that phenomenal miracle.

The miracles performed by Saint Spyridon are just too many to enumerate. However, I will mention a few of them.

The Saint Resurrected Mother and Child

After the Saint left the palace, a certain Christ-loving man wished to offer the Saint hospitality in his home. While he was there, a certain barbarian woman, who could not speak Greek, entered. She bore in her arms a dead infant whom she laid at the feet of Saint Spyridon. Tears welled up in her and flowed abundantly, as she was making signs and gestures to the Saint that he resurrect her child...He, therefore, went to his knees and poured forth tears that moistened the floor below, entreating with faith the Merciful Physician to resurrect the child of the distressed mother and to show her to be "enjoying herself over children (Psalm 112:9).

The Saint kept praying. The Lord hearkened to Spyridon and raised the formerly dead child in a miraculous manner. The child began crying for food and for his mother. When the mother beheld her beloved child alive, she breathed her last on account of this unsurpassed event and her immeasurable joy. So the Saint again lifted his eyes heavenward and entreated Him Who grants life to the dead mother and said, "In the name of the Lord, rise." She straightway rose up, as though from sleep, and took the child into her embrace. The holy man then ordered both the woman and the deacon not to reveal this miracle to anyone.

The Miraculously Filling Church Lamp

On another occasion, as the Saint was chanting Vespers (Esperinos), the lamp was about to be extinguished, which would interrupt the divine office. He stood there grieved as he looked at the waning lamp. Straightway, an invisible power filled the lamp with oil to overflowing, so that some spilled on the floor. Consequently, the church servers brought in after jar after jar, and the jars were being filled by the overflowing oil. Thus with the miraculous filling of many vessels, even as it happened in ancient times for the widow by Prophet Eliseos, the abundance of grace that dwelt of grace that dwelt in the holy bishop was made manifest.

Saint Spyridon healed Emperor Constans of a grave sickness, seeing and hearing Angels, foreseeing future events and penetrating the secrets of the human heart. He turned many to the True Faith and did much else. By God's power, he made rainfall in a drought, stopping the course of a river, raising several of the dead. He dressed so simply that once when he was invited by the Emperor to the imperial court, a soldier took him for a beggar and struck him a blow. The meek and guileless Spyridion turned him the other cheek.

The Miracles of Saint Spyridon

In the days of old, the island of Kerkyra (known in modern times a Corfu) was stricken by a severe famine, and many necessities of life were lacking. On Great and Holy Saturday, the Saint appeared to the captains of certain nearby vessels and informed them of the serious need, and they brought wheat to the island. Therefore, the Holy Pascha was celebrated on the previously afflicted island with great splendor and joy with the provisions bestowed by the Saint.

Plague

At another time, a plague menaced the city of Kerkyra, and everyone, whether stricken or not, flocked to the shrine of Saint Spyridon, for there was a grave concern that the entire city would be contaminated. Yet, many of the pious people were not harmed in the least, and straightway, through the Saint's intercession, health and well-being were restored to the island.

On the 12th day of December, in the year 348 A.D., Saint Spyridon gave his soul into the hands of God. He was 78 years old. He bequeathed his sacred relics to the island of his birth, as a consolation for the faithful and as a fountain of healings. Upon his repose and up to the present day, his boldness before the Lord is even greater than when he was alive, as he has been shown to be a wellspring of miracles.

Saint Spyridon's presence has especially been felt on the island of Kerkyra (Corfu) where his holy relics are now found. More than 16 centuries have passed, and he has remained unravaged, being entirely incorrupt. He remained at Trimythous until the middle of the 17th century on account of barbarian raids. It then pleased God that the holy relics should be translated to Constantinople. The Saint was discovered to be whole and incorrupt, by the grace of Christ, and his skin was intact and supple.

Upon the fall of Constantinople--worthy of tears on Tuesday morning, the 29th day of May, in the year 1453 A.D., by the Islamic forces, a certain priest, Father George Kalohairetes, took up the holy relics of Saint Spyridon and bore them away to the island of Kerkyra (Corfu), lest the Moslem Turks should destroy the holy relics. His reliquary was placed in a small room of his church in the Capital city. It is opened daily for public veneration. His feet are exposed, and many Orthodox Christians kissed them. The reliquary bearing the Saint is carried about the city during his feast day. (Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George