St. Demetrios, the Great Martyr, pray for us!
All the world has you, its mighty champion, fortifying us in times of danger, and defeating our foes, O Victorious One. So, as you humbled Lyaios’s arrogance by giving courage to Nestor in the stadium, thus, O holy Great-martyr Demetrios, to Christ our God pray fervently, beseeching Him to grant us His great mercy. ~Apolytikion of St. Demetrios
Dearest Spiritual ’Ohana,
God is glorious in His Saints! Everyday of the year we have Saints to commemorate. Just take a look at your Church wall calendar, and you will see numerous Saints listed, along with the Scriptural Reading for the Epistle, Gospel or during Great Lent, Old Testament Reading for the day. In October, we especially have a Saint, I would like to highlight, namely St. Demetrios the Great Martyr celebrated on October 26th, each year. St. Demetrios of Thessaloniki, the Myrrh-streamer, is a highly venerated saint in the Orthodox Christian Faith remembered for his faith and martyrdom in the early 4th century.
Early Life and Conversion
• Aristocratic background: Born in Thessaloniki (then part of the Roman Empire) around 270 AD, Demetrios came from a prominent and wealthy family.
• Military command: Based on his noble background and personal merits, Emperor Galerius Maximian appointed him as proconsul of the Thessaloniki district. In this role, he commanded Roman forces in the region
• Secret Christian faith: Demetrios's parents were secret Christians, and he was secretly baptized and raised in the faith. When he took office, he openly confessed his Christianity, rather than following the emperor's directive to persecute Christians.
• Converting the faithful: Upon his return to Thessaloniki, Demetrios used his position to preach the gospel and convert many citizens to Christianity, angering Emperor Maximian.
Imprisonment and Martyrdom
• Arrest and imprisonment: When the emperor discovered Demetrios's actions, he ordered his arrest. Demetrios was imprisoned in a Roman bathhouse beneath the city's forum.
• The gladiator challenge: While in prison, a young Christian named Nestor asked Demetrios for a blessing before facing the formidable gladiator Lyaeus in the arena. Nestor was victorious, killing Lyaeus.
• Execution: Enraged by the death of his favorite gladiator and by Demetrios's influence, Emperor Maximian ordered both Nestor and Demetrios to be executed. Soldiers pierced Demetrios with lances in his prison cell on October 26, 306 AD. Miracles and Legacy
• The Myrrh-streamer: After his death, a miraculous, fragrant myrrh began flowing from his tomb. This phenomenon earned him the epithet "Myrrh-streamer" (Myrovlitis) and became a source of healing for the faithful.
• Patron of Thessaloniki: St. Demetrios is the patron saint of Thessaloniki, credited with defending the city from many attacks over the centuries, particularly invasions by Slavic tribes in the 6th and 7th centuries.
• A historical record: A 7th-century collection of homilies called the Miracles of Saint Demetrios provides an account of his miraculous interventions during sieges of the city.
• The Basilica of St. Demetrios: A church was built over his grave in Thessaloniki in the 5th century. It later grew into the Basilica of St. Demetrios, a major pilgrimage site where his tomb and relics are housed.
In Christ,
+Fr. Alexander