Holy Great Martyr Demétrios
the Myrrh-Gusher
Commemoration of the
Great Earthquake
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This glorious and wonderworking saint was born in Thessalonica of noble and devout parents. Implored of God by childless parents, Demetrios was their only son, and so was raised and educated with great care. Demetrios’s father was a commander in Thessalonica. When his father died, Emperor Maximian appointed Demetrios as commander in his place. As he appointed him, Maximian, an opponent of Christ, particularly recommended that he persecute and exterminate the Christians in Thessalonica. Demetrios not only disobeyed the emperor but openly confessed and preached the Lord Jesus Christ in the city of Thessalonica. When the emperor heard of this he became furious with Demetrios. Then, when he was returning from battle against the Sarmatians, Maximian stopped at Thessalonica to investigate the matter. The emperor summoned Demetrios and questioned him about his faith. Demetrios openly acknowledged his Christian Faith to the emperor and also denounced the emperor's idolatry. Maximian cast Demetrios into prison. Knowing what was awaiting him; Demetrios gave all his goods to his faithful servant Lupus to distribute to the poor, and joyfully awaited his imminent suffering for Christ the Lord. An angel of God appeared to him in prison, saying: ``Peace be to you, O sufferer of Christ; be brave and be strong!'' After several days, the emperor sent soldiers to the prison to kill Demetrios. The soldiers found the saint of God at prayer and ran him through with lances. Christians secretly took his body and honorably buried it. Healing myrrh flowed from the body of the martyr of Christ, curing many of the sick. Soon, a small church was built over his relics.
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An Illyrian nobleman, Leontius, was afflicted with an incurable illness. He hastened, with prayer, to the relics of St. Demetrios and was completely healed. In thanksgiving, Leontius erected a much larger church on the site of the old church. The saint appeared to him on two occasions. When Emperor Justinian wanted to translate the relics of the saint from Thessalonica to Constantinople, flaming sparks sprang from the tomb and a voice was heard: "Stop, and do not touch!'' And thus, the relics of St. Demetrios have remained for all time in Thessalonica. As the protector of Thessalonica, St. Demetrios has appeared many times, and on many occasions has saved Thessalonica from great calamity. His miracles are without number. The Russians considered St. Demetrios to be the protector of Siberia, which was conquered and annexed to Russia on October 26, 1581
HYMN OF PRAISE
FOR THE HOLY GREAT MARTYR
DEMETRIOS THE MYRR-GUSHER
St Nikolai Velimirovich
Thessalonica glorifies its wonderful saint-
St. Demetrios, servant of the Most-high God.
Demetrios, the commander,
Servant of the Creator and Lord.
St. Paul bedewed Thessalonica with tears, Demetrios watered it with his blood. Demetrios, the commander,
Servant of the Creator and Lord.
The tears of the apostle and the blood of the martyr
Are the glory, salvation and pride of Thessalonica.
Demetrios, the commander,
Servant of the Creator and Lord.
Let us also glorify Christ's soldier,
The myrrh-gushing saint and courageous Holy Martyr. Demetrios, the commander,Servant of the Creator and Lord.
CHURCH OF THE GREAT MARTYR
IN THESSALONICA
TEMPLON
RELICS OF THE GREAT MARTYR
2 Saint Timothy 2:1-10
King James Version
2 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.
7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Saint John 15:17-16:2
King James Version
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
16 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
CONFESSION/REPENTANCE
Are you about to approach your confessor?
If so, don't neglect the preparation
provided by St. Nikolai.
Repent of your ways, inhabitants of the earth.
Behold, the eye of the Master of the world is keeping watch deep within you. Do not trust your seducible eyes, let the Eye illumine your way. Your eyes are curtains over the Eye of God.
Repentance is admission of the way of sin. Repentance opens up a new way. The penitent's eyes are open to two ways: to the way which he is going, and to the way he should be going.
There are more who feel repentant than there are who turn their wheels onto a new way. I tell you: the penitent must have two types of courage--he must have the courage to weep over his old way, and he must have the courage to prepare himself for a new way.
What good is it for you to feel repentant and still tread the old way? How do you describe a person who is drowning and shouts for help, but when help arrives will not grab hold of the life line? I liken such a person to you.
Repent of your yearning for this world and all that is in this world. For this world is the graveyard of your ancestors, which is gaping and waiting for you. Just a little longer and you will be ancestors and will yearn to hear the word "repentance," but you will not hear it.
Just as the wind begins blowing and carries off the mist before the sun, so will death carry you off before the face of God.
Repentance rejuvenates the heart and lengthens one's lifetime. The tears of a penitent wash darkness from his eyes, and give his eyes a childlike radiance. The eye of my lake is like the eye of a deer, always moist and radiant as a diamond. In truth, the moisture in the eyes drains the anger in the heart.
The soul in the penitent is like a new moon. A full moon must wane, a new moon must wax.
The penitent clears the weeds from the field of his soul, and the seed of goodness begins to grow.
Truly, the penitent is not one who laments over the evil deed he has committed, but one who laments over all the evil deeds that he is capable of committing. A wise landowner not only cuts the thornbush that has pricked him, but every thornbush on the field that is waiting to prick him.
O my Lord, make haste to show a new way to every penitent, after he scorns his old way.
O heavenly Mother, Bride of the All-Holy Spirit, bow down toward our heart, when we repent. Open the fountain of tears within us, that we may wash away the heavy clay, that saddens our eyes.
O All-Holy Spirit, blow and disperse the unclean stench from the soul of the penitent that has been choking him and lead him to repentance.
We bow down and beseech Thee, O Life-giving and Mighty Spirit!
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