Sainted Spyridon of Trimyphunteia
Commemorated on December 12
Sainted Spyridon
of Trimyphunteia was born towards the end of the III Century on the
island of Cyprus. The accounts have preserved little about his life. But it is
known, that he was a shepherd, and had a wife and children. He used all his
substance for the needs of his neighbours and the homeless, for which the Lord
rewarded him with a gift of wonderworking: he healed the incurably sick and
cast out devils. After the death of his wife, during the reign of Constantine
the Great (306-337), they ordained him bishop of the Cypriot city of
Trimyphunteia. Even with the dignity of bishop the saint did not change his
manner of life, combining pastoral service with deeds of charity. According to
the witness of Church historians, Saint Spyridon in the year 325 participated
in the sessions of the First OEcumenical Council. At the Council, the saint
entered into a dispute with a Greek philosopher, who was defending the Arian
heresy. The plain direct speaking of Saint Spyridon showed everyone the
impotence of human wisdom afront Divine Wisdom: "Listen, philosopher, to
what I tell thee: we believe, that the Almighty God from out of nothing did
create by His Word and His Spirit both heaven and earth, and all the world both
visible and invisible. The Word is the Son of God, Who didst come down upon the
earth on account of our sins; he wast born of a Virgin, He lived amongst
mankind, and suffered and died for our salvation, and then He arose, having
redeemed by His sufferings the Original Sin, and He hath resurrected with Him
the human race. We believe, that He is One in Essence and Equal-in-Dignity with
the Father, and we believe this without any sly rationalisations, since it is
impossible to grasp this mystery by human reason". As a result of their
discussion, the opponent of Christianity became the saint's zealous defender
and later accepted holy Baptism. And after his conversation with Saint
Spyridon, turning towards his companions, the philosopher said: "Listen!
While the disputation with me was conducted by means of argued proofs, I could
set forth to certain proofs other proofs, and by the very art of debate I could
refute anything, that others might propose. But when, instead of proofs from
reason, there began to issue forth from the mouth of this elder some sort of
especial power, and the rational proofs became powerless against it, since it
is impossible that man can withstand God. If any of you should come to think as
I now indeed do, let him believe in Christ and together with me follow this
elder, from whose lips doth speak God Himself". At this Council, Saint
Spyridon displayed a proof in evidence of the Oneness within the Holy Trinity.
He took in his hand a brick and he grasped it – for an instant fire emerged
from it upwards, water flowed downwards, and there remained clay in the hands
of the wonderworker. "There are these three elements, but one tile
(brick), – and Saint Spyridon then said, – suchlike also the Holy Trinity:
Three Persons, but One God".
The saint concerned
himself about his flock with great love. Through his prayer, drought was
replaced by abundant life-producing rains, and otherwise incessant rains were
replaced by fair weather. And likewise through his prayer the sick were healed
and demons cast out. One time a woman came up to him with a dead child in her
arms, imploring the intercession of the saint. He prayed, and the infant was
restored to life. The mother, overcome with joy, collapsed lifeless. Through
the prayer of the saint of God the mother was restored to life. Another time,
hastening to save his friend, falsely-accused and sentenced to death, the saint
was hindered on his way by the unanticipated flooding of a watery brook. The
saint commanded the freshet: "Halt! For thus biddeth thee the Lord of all
the world, that I might cross over and a man be saved, on account of whom be my
haste". The will of the saint was fulfilled, and he crossed over happily
to the other shore. The judge, apprised of the miracle that had occurred,
received Saint Spyridon with esteem and set free his friend.
Similar instances are
known from the life of the saint. One time he went into an empty church, he
gave orders to light up the lampadas and candles, and then he began the
Divine-services. Intoning the "Peace be unto all", both he and the
deacon heard in reply from above the resounding of "a great multitude of
voices, proclaiming: "And with thine spirit". This choir was majestic
and more sweetly melodious than any human choir. To each ectenia-petition of
the litanies, the invisible choir sang "Lord, have mercy". Attracted
by the church singing wafting forth, the people situated nearby hastened
towards it. And as they got closer and closer to the church, the wondrous
singing all more and more filled the ears and gladdened their hearts. But when
they entered into the church, they saw no one besides the bishop and several
church servers, nor did they hear any moreso the church singing, by which they
were greatly astonished".
Saint Simeon
Metaphrastes, the author of his Life, likened Saint Spyridon to the Patriarch
Abraham in his virtue of hospitality. "This also mustneeds be known, how
he received strangers", – wrote that insider of the monastic circles,
Sozomen, who in his "Church History" offers an amazing example from
the life of the saint. One time, at the onset of the Forty-day Great Lent a
stranger knocked at his door. Seeing that the traveller was very exhausted,
Saint Spyridon said to his daughter: "Wash the feet of this man, that he
may recline to dine". But with it being Lent there were none of the
necessary provisions, since the saint "partook of food only on set days,
and on other days he went without food". His daughter therefore answered,
that in the house there was neither bread, nor even flour. Then Saint Spyridon,
apologising to his guest, ordered his daughter to roast a salted ham in the
food-provisions, and having seated the stranger at table, he began to dine,
"urging that man to do likewise. When the latter refused, calling himself
a Christian, the saint rejoined: "It be no less proper to refuse this,
since the Word of God hath proclaimed: "All is pure to the pure"
(Tit. 1: 15)".
Another historical
detail, reported by Sozomen, was likewise exceedingly characteristic of the
saint: he had the custom to distribute one part of the gathered harvest to the
destitute, and another portion to those having need while in debt. For himself
personally he did not take a portion, but simply showed the entrance to his
supply-room, where each could take as much as was needed, and thereafter make a
return in like manner, without controls or accountings.
There is also the
tale by Sokrates Scholastikos about how robbers planned to steal the sheep of
Saint Spyridon: in the deep of night they broke into the sheepfold, but here by
some invisible power they found themselves all tied up. With the onset of morning
the saint went to his flock, and seeing the tied-up robbers, he prayed and
untied them and for a long while he upbraided them to leave off from their path
of iniquity and earn a livelihood by respectable work. "Then, having made
them a present of a sheep and sending them off, the saint said kindly: "Be
ye not vigilant in vain".
They often likened
Saint Spyridon to the Prophet Elias (Elijah or Ilias), since it was through his
prayer during the times of drought that frequently threatened the island of
Cyprus, that rain occurred: "Let us view the Angelic-equal Spyridon the Wonderworker.
Formerly did the land suffer exceedingly from want of rain and drought: there
was famine and pestilence and a great many of the people were stricken, but
through the prayers of the saint there did descend rain from the heavens upon
the earth: wherefore the people delivered from woe gratefully do proclaim:
Hail, thou in semblance to the great prophet, in that the rain driving off
famine and malady in good time is come down".
All the Vitae (Lives)
of the saint are striking in the amazing simplicity and powerful wonderworking,
granted him by God. Through a word of the saint the dead were awakened, the
elements of nature tamed, the idols smashed. At one point at Alexandria, a
Council had been convened by the Patriarch in regard to the idols and pagan
temples there, and through the prayers of the fathers of the Council all the
idols fell down, except one – which was very much revered. It was revealed to
the Patriarch in a vision that this idol remained to be shattered by Saint
Spyridon of Trimyphunteia. Invited by the Council, the saint set sail on a
ship, and at the moment the ship touched shore and the saint stepped out on
land, the idol in Alexandria with all its offerings turned to dust, which then
was announced to the Patriarch and all the bishops gathered round Saint
Spyridon.
Saint Spyridon lived
his earthly life in righteousness and sanctity, and in prayer he offered up his
soul to the Lord (+ c. 348).
In the history of the
Church, Sainted Spyridon is venerated together with Sainted Nicholas,
Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. His relics repose on the island of Corfu, in a
church named after him (except for the right hand, located in Rome). His memory
is celebrated a second time on Cheesefare Saturday.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
