The meaning of Demetrius of Thessaloniki in a brief biographical encyclopedia. Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki the myrrh-streaming

Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica- one of the most revered saints in the Orthodox world, the heavenly patron of Thessaloniki.

Life

He was born into a rich and noble family of the Roman proconsul in the city of Thessaloniki in Greece (Thessaloniki, now Thessaloniki) during the reign of the wicked god-fighting kings Diocletian and Maximian. His parents, secret Christians, had no children for a long time. They earnestly prayed to the Lord to give them an heir. The all-merciful Lord heeded their prayers and gave them a son, whom they named Demetrius. When the boy grew up, they called a priest, secretly baptized him in their secret home church and constantly instructed him in the faith.

When his father died, and Demetrius had already reached adulthood, Emperor Galerius Maximian, who ascended the throne in 305, summoned him to his place. Demetrius was a handsome, chaste, intelligent and brave young man, and the emperor, convinced of his education and military-administrative abilities, appointed him in his father’s place as proconsul of the Thessalonian region, whose main duty was to defend cities from barbarians and exterminate Christians. In relation to Christians, the will of the emperor was expressed unambiguously: “Put to death everyone who calls on the name of the Crucified One.”

Instead of executing Christians, Dmitry began to convert the residents of Thessaloniki to the new faith. He began to openly teach them the Christian faith and eradicate pagan customs and idolatry. He was nicknamed the second Apostle Paul, since the Apostle himself founded the first community of believers here.
Rumors of this soon reached Maximian himself - the emperor’s anger knew no bounds. Returning from a campaign against the Sarmatians (tribes inhabiting the Black Sea steppes), Maximian stopped in Thessalonica, full of desire to deal with the Solunian Christians.

Having learned about this, Saint Demetrius ordered his faithful servant Lupp in advance to distribute the property to the poor with the words: “Divide the earthly riches among them, and let us seek for ourselves heavenly riches.” And he devoted himself to fasting and prayer, preparing himself to accept the crown of martyrdom.

The emperor entered the city and called his proconsul to him. Demetrius boldly confessed himself to be a Christian and began to condemn pagan polytheism. The emperor imprisoned him.

As if in a bright palace, Saint Demetrius sat in prison, praising and glorifying God. The devil, wanting to frighten the saint, turned into a scorpion and wanted to sting him in the leg. Making the sign of the cross, the saint fearlessly trampled the attacker. He was also honored with a visit from the Angel of God, who brought him peace and encouraged him before suffering.

Meanwhile, the emperor organized gladiatorial games and began to amuse himself with the spectacles. He had one favorite strongman, an outstanding wrestler named Liy, a Vandal by birth. Having ordered the construction of high scaffolds for him, Maximian watched with great pleasure as Liy fought with his opponents and put them to a painful death, throwing them onto spears. Among the dead were many Christians who were forced into battle.

A brave young man named Nestor, from Thessalonica Christians, came to his mentor Demetrius in prison and asked to bless him for single combat with the barbarian. Having made the sign of the cross over Nestor, Saint Demetrius predicted: “You will defeat Leah and endure torment for Christ!” Then, having entered into battle with Liy, he overpowered the royal wrestler and threw him down from the platform onto sharp spears. The death of Leah greatly saddened the king: he immediately ordered that blessed Nestor be put to death. But this execution did not console Maximian; all day and all night he regretted the death of Leah. Having learned that the holy martyr Nestor entered into single combat with Leah on the advice and blessing of Saint Demetrius, the emperor ordered that Saint Demetrius be pierced with spears.

Early in the morning of October 26, 306, soldiers entered the dungeon. They found the saint standing in prayer and immediately pierced him with spears. The body of the Great Martyr Demetrius was thrown out to be devoured by wild beasts, but the Thessalonians secretly betrayed him to the ground.

The faithful servant Saint Luppus collected the blood of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius on a towel, removed the imperial ring from his finger, a sign of his high dignity, and also dipped it in the blood. With a ring and other shrines, consecrated with the blood of Saint Demetrius, Saint Luppus began to heal the sick. The emperor ordered to seize and kill him.

History with relics

According to his life, after the execution of Demetrius, his body was thrown to be devoured by beasts, but they did not touch him and the remains were buried by Thessalonica Christians.

Under Saint Constantine, Equal to the Apostles (306-337), a church was erected over the tomb of Saint Demetrius, in which many miracles and healings were performed.

And after 100 years, one Illyrian nobleman named Leonty Having received healing from a serious, incurable illness in that temple, he wanted to build a new majestic temple as a sign of gratitude.

The former small temple was dismantled, and when they began to dig a ditch for the foundation, the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius were found completely intact and incorruptible. Fragrant myrrh flowed from them, so that the whole city was filled with fragrance, in connection with which the Great Martyr Demetrius received the church name Myrrh-streaming.

With great reverence, the holy relics were taken from the ground, and many sick people received healing through anointing with the flowing ointment. Leonty rejoiced not so much about his healing as about the discovery of the holy relics. He soon finished the work he had started and built a beautiful temple in the name of St. Demetrius on that place. Here, in the ark, bound in gold and silver, decorated with precious stones, the honorable relics of the great martyr were placed.

Ciborium for the shrine with the relics of St. Demetrius (located in the left nave of the basilica)

When the time came for Leonty to return to his homeland, he decided to take some of the relics of the saint in order to build a church in his city in the name of the Great Martyr Demetrius. But the saint, having appeared, forbade him to separate any part of the relics. Then he took only the shroud stained with the blood of the saint, with the help of which he miraculously crossed the turbulent and high-water river that he encountered on the way. Returning to Illyria, Leonty built a temple there in the name of the holy great martyr Demetrius, and miracles happened there too: the ruler of Illyria received healing from the scabs and pus that covered his body, many demoniacs and the sick were healed forever.

Myrrh-streaming

Since ancient times, the relics of Saint Demetrius have been revered as myrrh-streaming. Believers who came to the basilica to venerate the saint collected myrrh into glass ampoules. Warriors rubbed their bodies with sacred myrrh before battle. Myrrh was revered not only by Christians. John Anagnost, who described the capture of the city by the Turks, reports that Muslims also collected myrrh, considering it a medical drug for any disease. In ancient times, the flow of myrrh was very abundant - the Byzantine historian and writer Nikita Choniates describes how the Normans, who captured Thessaloniki in 1185, blasphemously collected myrrh into pots, fried fish on it and smeared their shoes with it. Although the myrrh-streaming of the relics has now stopped, the saint’s shrine is opened at vespers on the eve of the saint’s day of remembrance and cotton wool soaked in aromatic liquid is distributed to the believers.

Tales of Miracles

There are several collections of stories about the miracles of Demetrius of Thessalonica, created at the beginning and end of the 7th century. in Thessalonica. They are considered the most ancient and formed the basis for all subsequent ones. There were especially many miracles in Thessaloniki, where the relics of the Great Martyr Demetrius rested.

The Miracle of the Silver Throne. One day there was a fire in the temple dedicated to the saint. The strong fire melted the silver canopy over the relics of the saint. The Archbishop of Thessaloniki at that time was Eusebius, who wanted to restore the silver canopy. But he had too little silver. In this temple there was a silver throne, which remained completely undamaged during the fire. The archbishop decided to transfer the throne to the canopy for the saint’s tomb, but had not yet informed anyone of his intention. At the same time, there was one pious presbyter named Demetrius at the temple. The Holy Great Martyr appeared to him three times with the words: “Go and tell the bishop of the city: do not overfill the throne that is in my temple... I myself will take care of my temple and the city, leave me to take care of them.” And only the third time the bishop believed the presbyter and ordered not to overfill the throne. Soon a citizen of Thessaloniki, named Mina, came and brought with him 75 pounds of silver. He wished that this silver be spent for the canopy over the saint’s tomb. Then other citizens of Thessaloniki appeared and also brought silver. From the donations a beautiful canopy was made for the tomb of the Great Martyr Demetrius.

The miracle of the siege of the city. During the reign of Emperor Mauritius, the Avars living on the Don besieged the city of Thessaloniki. Saint Demetrius appeared on the city wall and, striking with a spear, threw off the wall the first of the enemies who climbed the wall. Falling, he dragged the other attackers along with him, and the 100,000-strong army of the besiegers fled in horror. But after some time the enemy came to his senses and besieged the city again. At this time, a certain pious resident of Thessaloniki named Illustrius fervently prayed in the church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius for the deliverance of the city from its enemies. And suddenly he saw two angels entering the temple and heading towards the saint’s tomb. At their call, the saint “came out in his likeness, his face shining more powerfully than a ray of sunshine.” The angels kissed him and conveyed the Lord’s command to leave the city, for the city would be taken by the filthy. Dmitry began to cry, saddened, and asked to tell the Vladyka: he cannot leave his city in such trouble and watch its death from the sidelines. “If you destroy the city, I will perish with it; if you save me, I will be saved with him.” The angels were dissatisfied with the saint’s decision and left, warning him that God’s wrath threatened him for disobedience. The saint lay down in the coffin. In the morning, Illustry told his fellow citizens about the vision, which greatly encouraged and delighted them. On the seventh day of the siege, the enemies fled for no apparent reason, abandoning their tents and throwing weapons.

Miracle about the help of the great martyr in famine. After the siege of the city was lifted, all grain reserves were destroyed and famine began in the city. The saint appeared several times on ships sailing the sea, walked around piers and islands, commanding ships everywhere with wheat to sail to Thessaloniki. Thus the city was saved from famine.

The miracle of the reclaiming of the relics of a martyr. When the pious king Justinian built a magnificent temple in Constantinople in the name of Sophia - the Wisdom of God, he sent honest men to Thessaloniki to bring from there some of the relics of the holy great martyr Demetrius for the decoration and consecration of the newly erected temple. Arriving in Thessaloniki, the messengers approached the sacred ark, where the relics of the great martyr rested, in order to fulfill the royal command; suddenly a pillar of flame burst out of the ark, showering everyone with a whole sheaf of sparks, and a voice was heard from the fire: “Stop and don’t dare touch me.” Everyone present fell to the ground, overwhelmed with fear; then the messengers, taking only a little land from the place where the relics were located, returned to the king and told him about everything that had happened to them. Everyone who listened to their story was amazed. The messengers gave half of the taken land to the king, and the rest was placed in the church treasury.

The Miracle of the Sexton Onesiphorus. Saint Demetrius did not allow the donations made to his temple to be stolen. One day, a young man named Onesiphorus, who was performing his obedience in the Thessalonica temple, at the teachings of the devil, came up with the idea of ​​stealing the candles lit near the shrine with relics and selling them again, appropriating the proceeds for himself. Saint Demetrius appeared to Onesiphorus in a dream and denounced him with the greatest condescension. This made an impression on the young man, but not for long. Soon he returned to his previous occupation. And so, when he once again extended his hand to the candles, a loud voice came from the coffin: “Are you doing this again?!” The young man fell to the ground and lay until he was raised, after which he told those present about his sinful passion and the denunciations of Saint Demetrius and repented.

The miracle of the release of prisoners. The life of Saint Demetrius also tells that he freed prisoners from the yoke of infidels and helped them reach Thessaloniki. So two beautiful maidens, having been captured and received orders from a foreign prince to embroider an image of Saint Demetrius (the pagan prince had heard a lot about the miracles of the saint and wanted to worship his image as if it were an idol). When the tired girls fell asleep at work, they were miraculously transferred, along with the image they had embroidered, to the Thessaloniki temple, where a vigil was being held in honor of the feast of St. Demetrius. The awakened girls glorified God, and the image was placed above the altar.

Intercession against the raids of the pagan Slavs. Repeatedly approaching the city, the pagan Slavs were driven away from the walls of Thessaloniki by the sight of a formidable, bright young man who walked around the walls and inspired terror in the soldiers. Perhaps this is why the name of Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica is especially revered among the Slavic peoples after their enlightenment with the light of the Gospel truth. On the other hand, the Greeks considered Saint Demetrius to be a Slavic saint par excellence.

Since ancient times, Serbs and Bulgarians have revered the Great Martyr Demetrius as the patron saint of the Slavs, calling them the “fatherland lover” of the Slavic peoples, linking this with the Slavic origin of the saint. It is no coincidence that the first work in the Slavic language by the saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius and Cyril after they created the Slavic alphabet was the “Canon of Demetrius of Thessalonica”. This canon is considered the starting point in the birth of great Slavic literature.

Veneration of Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica in Rus'

The Holy Great Martyr Demetrius performed many miracles in our Fatherland. His name in the most ancient Russian chronicles is mentioned before other names of saints: the Monk Nestor the chronicler says that the Greeks, defeated by the Grand Duke Oleg near Constantinople in 907, attributed their defeat not to the bravery of the Slavs, but to the intercession for them of their patron Saint Demetrius.

In Rus', St. Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica was revered as the patron of patriotism and all those who fight for the Fatherland. Russian soldiers always believed that they were under the special protection of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius. Moreover, in ancient Russian epics the Great Martyr Demetrius is portrayed as Russian by origin - this is how this image merged with the soul of the Russian people.

Church veneration of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius in the Russian Church began immediately after the Baptism of Rus'.

Founded in the 11th century Dmitrievsky Monastery in Kyiv, later known as St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. The mosaic icon of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica from the Cathedral of the Dimitrievsky Monastery has survived to this day and is located in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

It was erected in the 12th century, which is still a decoration of this ancient city.

In the 13th century, the holy noble prince Daniel of Moscow erected a temple in the name of the holy great martyr Demetrius, which became the first stone temple of the Moscow Kremlin. Later, under Prince John Kalita, it was dismantled, and in its place was erected Assumption Cathedral with the chapel of Demetrius of Thessalonica.

In 1197, the icon of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, written on the saint’s tombstone, was transferred from Thessaloniki to Vladimir by the Grand Duke Vsevolod Yuryevich, and this event was included as a holiday in the ancient calendar. This miraculous icon was first in Kiev, then in Vladimir, and on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380 it was solemnly transferred to Moscow as a great shrine by the holy noble prince Dimitri Donskoy and placed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (now located in the Tretyakov Gallery). One of the most valuable images of St. Demetrius is also the fresco on the pillar of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, painted by the Rev. Andrei Rublev.

The special veneration of Saint Demetrius in Rus' is also evidenced by the tradition of Russian princes naming their firstborns after him. This was the case with Yaroslav I, Yuri Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky, Ivan II, Ivan the Terrible, and Alexei Mikhailovich. In ancient Rus', the day of the Great Martyr Demetrius was considered one of the major holidays; the service was usually performed by the patriarch himself, in the presence of the tsar. The Holy Blessed Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy was a zealous admirer of Saint Demetrius.

Through the intercession of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica and the prayerful intercession of the Venerable Wonderworker Sergius of Radonezh, Russian soldiers won the most important victory in the history of our Fatherland over the heterodox Tatar-Mongol horde and the gathering of the Russian Land began. After the victory in the Battle of Kulikovo, in memory of the Russian soldiers who died in the battle with Mamai, it was installed for church-wide commemoration Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday. For the first time, this requiem service was performed on October 20, 1380 in the Trinity Monastery by the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh in the presence of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy. This church tradition is still alive today.

Iconography

Since ancient times, the memory of Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica has been associated in Rus' with military feats, patriotism and defense of the Fatherland. The saint is depicted on icons as a warrior in feathered armor, with a spear and sword in his hands. The iconography of the saint is close to the images of another Christian warrior-martyr - St. George the Victorious. Just like St. George, Demetrius of Thessaloniki did not participate in any military operations and did not win a single victory on the battlefield. Their feat consisted of courage and fortitude with which they defended their faith before pagan tormentors and, most importantly, in the resigned acceptance of death.

There are also hagiographic icons. Among them - “The Miracle of Dmitry of Thessalonica” - represents a holy warrior (sometimes in the form of a horseman with a spear), trampling the devil in the form of a scorpion, or the pagan king Koloyan, with whose name one of the many miracles of St. is associated. Dimitri. The Bulgarian Tsar Kaloyan (1197-1207), having ravaged many cities in Thrace and Macedonia, was about to capture Thessalonica, where the myrrh-streaming relics of St. Dimitri. He approached the city and settled down to rest. At night, the Great Martyr Demetrius appeared to him on a white horse and stabbed him in the heart with a spear. Kaloyan woke up with a deep wound and told the military leader Manastyr about the vision. Kaloyan died, and his army, gripped by horror, fled, taking the king’s body.

The relics of the Great Martyr Demetrius are located in Thessaloniki in the Basilica of St. Demetrius, which in 1988 was included in the list of World Heritage Sites as part of the Early Christian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki. In the Middle Ages, the relics were taken to Italy and returned back to Thessaloniki only in the 20th century: in 1978 - the honest chapter, and in 1980 - the main part of the relics (six large particles remained in Italy).

Troparion, tone 3:
You will find a great champion in troubles, the universe, a passion-bearer, and a conqueror of tongues. / Just as you brought down Liev’s pride, / and you boldly created Nestor for the feat, / so, Saint Demetrius, / prayed to Christ God / to grant us great mercy.

Kontakion, tone 3:
With the streams of your blood, Demetrius, God stained the church, giving you an invincible fortress, and keeping your city unharmed: for this you are the affirmation.

One of the most revered shrines in Orthodoxy is the icon of Demetrius of Thessalonica. The saint was deliberately killed for his unshakable and zealous faith in Christ. And his image to this day helps believers gain strength of spirit and protection from Above.

The icon of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica is of great importance for the Orthodox Church. The people also call the Great Martyr the Second Apostle Paul. The saint is an example of devotion to the Lord. Every believer receives protection and intercession through prayers to Dmitry. The saint of God will help you not to go astray, to find your purpose and cope with any difficulties.

The life story of Dmitry Solunsky

The holy martyr was born in Greece, into a family of Orthodox believers. From childhood, the boy acquired love for the Lord, led a righteous life and did good deeds. His life dates back to the reign of kings who were supporters of the fight against God, considering God the cause of evil in the world and condemning him for this.

At the age of 18, Dmitry was appointed to the post of military commander by the emperor of the state. The main requirements at the post were to protect their native lands from enemies and kill people of the Christian faith. The Great Martyr went against the rules and began to fight the pagans, preaching Christianity. When the ruler found out about Dmitry's deeds, he locked him in prison. But the martyr did not renounce his faith, even more praising the Lord. He prayed day and night, without fatigue or sadness. The emperor was angry with the preacher and had him executed. When the soldiers entered the dungeon, they saw Dmitry sitting on his knees and reading a prayer. The warriors immediately pierced the saint with spears.

The body of Dmitry of Thessalonica was thrown out to be devoured by wild animals, but local residents secretly buried the righteous man. A few years later, a temple was erected at the burial site of the martyr, where a large number of healings and miracles occurred. Later, the incorrupt remains of Dmitry Solunsky were found. God's saint died for his faith and love for Christ. Exactly for fortitude and for his righteousness the martyr was canonized.

Where is the miraculous image now?

The icon of the blessed Dmitry of Thessalonica adorns many churches in our country. The original image of the martyr is kept in the Moscow Tretyakov Gallery. Also, a particularly revered image of the saint is located in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on the Sparrow Hills in Moscow.

Description of the icon of Dmitry Solunsky

The most popular image contains the image of Dmitry of Thessalonica sitting on a horse. The righteous man plunges his spear into the enemy. The gates of the city depict guards and ordinary people holding an icon of St. Demetrius. At the top of the icon is an Angel descending from Heaven and placing a sacred crown on the head of the great martyr. In the left corner he gives His blessing to the holy martyr.

There is also a known image where Dmitry is depicted sitting on the royal throne. There is a crown on his head, and he holds a sword in his hands. The weapon in the hands of the saint symbolizes not only his courage, but the support and protection of the Lord during the earthly life of the righteous.

How does a miraculous image help?

It should be noted that the shrine is a symbol of courage and perseverance. The miraculous icon acts as the patroness of all warriors and soldiers fighting to defend their homeland. Also in front of the icon of Dmitry of Thessalonica pray for healing diseases, especially eye diseases. The saint helps to gain courage and bravery, endurance, peace of mind, and fortitude. The miraculous image of the blessed one is capable of protect your home from enemies and enemies, maintain peace and harmony in the family.

Days of celebration

Celebrations are held in honor of the great martyr of God November 8. Christians love and respect Saint Demetrius. On this day, Orthodox believers with great zeal pay homage to the great righteous man, offering prayers before His miraculous image.

Prayer to Demetrius of Thessaloniki in front of the icon

“Oh, most holy martyr of God, Dmitry! You are our helper and protector of all Christians. Ask the King of Heaven for atonement for our sins, for we repent and ask
forgiveness. We pray to You, Blessed Saint, deliver us from diseases, wars, attacks from enemies, fire, water and violence! We ask you, Great Dmitry, to protect our country from enemies and bloodshed. Become the intercessor of all Christians, protect them from grief and hatred! Give us strength, patience, courage and bravery! May you guide those who have strayed from the path leading to a righteous life onto the true path. And do not leave us, Holy Martyr! May we glorify Your name! May Your power come to us, blessed saint! In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Forever and ever. Amen".

Blessed Dmitry of Thessalonica is an example of a true righteous man, a brave warrior and a faithful servant of God. Those who call for his help lost faith in myself, in your own strength or simply lost your way. The saint has the power to guide you along the path leading to happiness and unity with the Lord. We wish you peace in your soul, take care of yourselfand don't forget to press the buttons and

Dmitry of Thessalonica is a famous Christian saint. He is revered as one of the first to enlighten people that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God the Father, our Savior from original sin and the conqueror of death. Not all believers know about the life of Demetrius, his exploits and labors, as well as the miracles that God performed through his prayers.

One of the most revered Orthodox Christian saints, the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, was the son of the Roman proconsul. The father of the future glorified saint served in the Greek city of Thessaloniki (now this city sounds like Thessaloniki, in Old Church Slavonic - Thessaloniki). The Monk Andrei Rublev paid special attention to the personality of the Great Martyr, painting the face of Demetrius on one of the frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir.

Life of Demetrius of Thessalonica

A saint was born in the third century after Christ. Then it was a particularly difficult time for Christians: for the open confession of Jesus Christ as God from the pagans and polytheists, the brave souls were threatened with certain, most often painful, death. Therefore, Christians hid their faith, that is, they were “secret.”

The parents of Saint Demetrius were such secret Christians. The future saint was baptized in a secret church, which was located inside the house itself. The boy was raised in the Christian faith. After the death of his father, Saint Demetrius received the position of ruler of the Greek Thessaloniki. Guided by zeal for the Christian faith, he began to openly spread Christianity and teach the true religion of the Thessaloniki inhabitants, who were mostly idolaters.

Soon the emperor received a denunciation that his proconsul Demetrius is an ardent Christian. The emperor was offended and ordered Saint Demetrius to be taken into custody and imprisoned. Demetrius knew that he was in danger of death, and began to prepare in advance. He distributed his property to the poor, and he devoted himself to fasting and prayer. In prison, he was honored with a visit from the Angel of Christ, and this led to the prisoner’s desire for martyrdom even more.

Maximian stopped in the city of Thessaloniki, returning from a military campaign. The ruler, having imprisoned his proconsul, decided to teach the inhabitants of the city a lesson and entertain himself with gladiator fights. Maximian's men were looking for Christians and dragging them into the arena. The famous fighter Liy easily defeated meek Christians in battle and, while the frenzied crowd rejoiced, threw them off the platform onto spears.

A young man named Nestor, who was a pupil of Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica, came to prison to listen to his instructions. The young man, no longer wanting to see Liy kill many beautiful and kind people, decided to engage in a duel with the bloodthirsty killer. He went to Demetrius in prison and asked for his prayers and blessings on this matter.

The saint crossed him and prophetically said that the young man would defeat Leah and accept martyrdom. The young Christian, supported by the almighty power of the Holy Trinity, defeated Leah and threw him off the platform onto the spears.

When the ruler Maximian called Nestor to answer what kind of sorcery he used to defeat such a skilled warrior, he answered directly that the gladiator was defeated by an angel who was sent by the “God of Demetrius.” The enraged emperor ordered without delay put Nestor to death.

Realizing that it was through the prayers of Demetrius that the young man was able to win, Maximian ordered him to be put to the same death as Leah was killed: the saint was tortured with spears. Demetrius's servant named Lupp collected the blood of the great martyr onto a cloth and dipped a ring belonging to the new saint into it.

Soon miracles of healing began to emanate from these objects. Word about them quickly spread throughout Thessaloniki, people came to honor the memory of the saint and receive the necessary help. The emperor found out about this and ordered the execution of Lupp. The body of Demetrius, like-minded people of the former proconsul, was buried out of fear of the ruler in the same place where he met his martyrdom. Many signs and wonders were performed at the place of death of Demetrius of Thessalonica, and now the glory of the great martyr spread throughout Thessaly and Macedonia.

Miracles of the Great Martyr

About the silver throne

Many miracles occurred at the relics of the saint, but only the brightest and most memorable ones have reached us.

One day there was a fire in the church built in honor of the great martyr. The strong flame melted the silver canopy over the shrine of St. Dimitri. The Archbishop of Thessaloniki in those years was Bishop Eusebius, who was going to restore the cover. However, he had very little silver for this.

Also in the same temple there was a silver throne, which remained completely undamaged after the fire. The archbishop decided to transfer the throne to the cover for the saint's shrine, but at the same time did not yet notify anyone of his intention. At the same time, there was one God-fearing presbyter named Dmitry at the church. The Holy Great Martyr appeared to him three times with the same words: “Go and tell the bishop that I myself will take care of the city and my church, and that he should leave me in charge of them. Therefore, let the throne not overflow.”

The pious Christian obediently conveyed the words of the saint to the archbishop, but he only listened to the words conveyed for the third time and ordered not to overfill the throne. Soon a citizen of Thessaloniki, whose name was Mina, appeared at the temple and donated 75 pounds of silver. He expressed the desire that this precious metal be used for a canopy over the saint’s shrine. After this, other citizens of Thessaloniki also came and brought silver in the same way. From the collected donations was made magnificent cover over the shrine of the Great Martyr Demetrius.

About the siege of the city

When Emperor Mauritius came to power, the Avars living on the Don besieged the city of Thessaloniki. The Monk Demetrius appeared on one of the city walls and, striking with a spear, threw off the wall the first of the enemies who climbed there. Falling, he dragged the other attackers along with him, and the hundred-thousand-strong army of the besiegers rushed away from the city in horror. However, after some time the enemy came to his senses and laid siege to the city again.

At that time, a certain righteous resident of Thessaloniki named Illustry fervently prayed in the Church of the Great Martyr Demetrius for the liberation of the city from its opponents. Suddenly he saw two angels who entered the temple and headed towards the tomb of the great martyr. At their call, Demetrius, as the story goes, “came forth in his likeness,” while, the narrator clarifies, “his face shone brighter than the sun’s light.” The welcoming angels “kissed him” and conveyed the command of the Almighty Lord to leave Thessaloniki, since Thessaloniki “will be taken by the filthy.”

Saint Demetrius began to cry, saddened, and asked to tell the Vladyka that he could not leave his hometown in such trouble and see its death, standing on the sidelines. The saint boldly answered the heavenly messengers: “If you destroy Thessaloniki, then I will perish with it; If you deliver, then I will be delivered with him.” The angels were disappointed with the decision of the great martyr and left, warning him that for disobedience he would face the wrath of God. The saint lay back in the tomb.

The next morning, Illustry told his fellow citizens about what he had witnessed. They were very encouraged and rejoiced that their heavenly intercessor was with them. After a week of siege, enemies for no apparent reason fled, abandoning both their throwing weapons and tents.

About help in hunger

When the siege of the city was lifted, it turned out that all the grain reserves in the city were destroyed, and famine struck in Thessaloniki.

The Great Martyr appeared more than once on ships sailing the sea, went around the islands and piers, commanding ships everywhere with wheat to go to Thessaloniki. Thus, the city was saved by Saint Demetrius from famine.

Miracle of the relics

When the pious ruler Justinian built a magnificent temple in Constantinople in honor of Sophia the Wisdom of God, he equipped honest men to Thessaloniki to bring from there any part of the relics of St. Great Martyr Demetrius for the decoration and consecration of the newly erected temple. Arriving in Thessaloniki, the king's envoys approached the sacred shrine, in which the relics of the great martyr rested, in order to fulfill the royal command.

Suddenly, a stream of flame burst out of the shrine, showering everyone present with a stream of sparks, and a voice came from the fire: “Stop and don’t dare touch me.” All who witnessed this miracle fell on their faces, filled with awe; After this, the royal envoys, having taken only a little land near the place where the holy relics were, returned to the ruler and told him about everything that had happened to them. Everyone who listened to the story was shocked. The envoys handed over half of the brought land to the ruler, and the remaining part was placed in the temple container.

Veneration of Demetrius of Thessalonica in Rus'

There is a lot of evidence that this saint was especially revered by our ancestors, as well as confirmation Dimitri's exceptional responsiveness, helping everyone who needs his protection:

The saint, although he was not Russian by origin, was nevertheless always considered a defender of our Motherland, one of the first patrons of those who participated in military affairs. Prince Dmitry Donskoy greatly revered the Greek saint. On the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo, in 1380, he solemnly transported the central shrine of the Vladimir Cathedral from Vladimir to Moscow - icon of the great martyr, which was written on the board of the saint’s tomb. In memory of the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Kulikovo, Demetrius Parents' Saturday was established for church-wide commemoration.

For the first time such a memorial service was held in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra on October 20, 1380 by the holy Venerable Sergius himself, abbot of Radonezh, and Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy himself was also present there.

How does the Great Martyr help?

The prayer to Demetrius of Thessalonica can be offered on very different occasions. Here are some examples when the saint showed (and personally) his great help:

If anyone needs help, then you can pray to the saint with an akathist- a small home or temple service, the text of which is compiled in such a way as to cover the entire biography of the saint, mentioning his main miracles and facts of help. Such a prayer is universal and will help you correctly express your feelings and requests to one of the great Christian saints.

The monastery contains a piece of the relics of Demetrius of Thessalonica.

Parents of the Great Martyr

The Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, the son of noble and pious parents, came from the city of Thessaloniki, where his father was a governor. At that time, wicked kings launched a cruel persecution against Christians; Therefore, Father Demetrius, who secretly believed in our Lord Jesus Christ and fulfilled His commandments, did not dare to openly confess His Most Holy Name, fearing the terrible threats of the pagans. Inside his chambers in the innermost room he had two holy icons, decorated with gold and stones; on one of them there was an image of our Lord Jesus Christ, and on the other - the Most Holy Mother of God; in front of these icons he lit candles and burned incense. In this secluded temple, he and his wife often offered prayers to the True God, living in the highest, His Only Begotten Son and Immaculate Lady. These pious spouses generously gave alms to the poor and never refused to people in need. Only one thing greatly saddened them: they did not have children. They earnestly asked the Lord to give them an heir, and after a while their desire was fulfilled.

Rise of Demetrius

The Almighty heeded their prayers and gave them a son, Saint Demetrius. The parents rejoiced greatly; they thanked the Lord greatly. All of Thessaloniki shared the joy of their governor, who arranged a meal for the whole city, especially for the poor.

When the boy grew up and could already comprehend the truth, his parents led him into the temple, where there were holy icons and, pointing to them, said:

- Here is the image of the One True God, who created heaven and earth, and this is the image of the Most Holy Theotokos.

They taught him the holy commandments of Christ, explained to him everything through which a person can know our Lord Jesus Christ, and showed him how vain and destructive faith in the bad pagan gods is.

From that time on, Demetrius, admonished both by the words of his parents, and especially instructed from above by the Holy Spirit, knew the truth: God’s grace had already rested on him; He believed in the Lord with all his soul and, worshiping the holy icons, kissed them with reverence.

Then Demetrius’s parents, calling a priest and some Christians known to them, baptized the youth in their secret temple in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy. Spirit.

Having received holy baptism, Demetrius learned the true faith, grew both in years and in mind, climbed higher and higher on the ladder of virtues - and the grace of God increasingly enlightened and admonished him.

Demetrius establishes Christianity in Thessaloniki

When Demetrius reached adulthood, his parents moved from this temporary life, teaching their son an example of a God-pleasing life and leaving him heir to the entire estate.

Meanwhile, Tsar Maximian, having learned about the death of the governor of Thessalonica, summoned his son, Saint Demetrius, to him. Noticing that he was intelligent and brave in battle, the king appointed him ruler of the entire Thessalonica region; entrusting him with this position, he said:

- Save your native city and cleanse it of wicked Christians, put to death everyone who calls on the name of the Crucified One.

Having accepted the royal appointment, Demetrius returned home and was greeted with honor by the residents of the city. For a long time he had wanted to establish the light of true faith in his hometown and was grieved when he saw that the inhabitants of Thessaloniki worshiped soulless idols. Now, upon arriving in the city, he immediately began to confess and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ in front of everyone; he taught everyone the commandments of Christ, converted the pagans to the holy faith and eradicated nasty polytheism; in a word, he was the second Apostle Paul for the Thessalonians. Rumors of this soon reached Maximian himself.

Imprisonment in a dungeon. Appearance of an angel

The king, having learned that the ruler he had installed, Demetrius, was a Christian and had already converted many to his faith, became very angry. Just at that very time, returning from the Sarmatian war, the king stopped in Thessaloniki. Even before Maximian arrived in the city, Demetrius entrusted to his faithful servant named Luppu all the property that he inherited from his parents, gold, silver, precious stones and clothes, and ordered all this to be distributed to the poor and needy.

“Divide this earthly wealth among them,” added the saint, “let us seek for ourselves heavenly wealth.”

And he himself began to pray and fast, thus preparing for the crown of martyrdom. The king immediately began to find out whether what he had heard about Demetrius was true? Fearlessly speaking before the king, Demetrius confessed himself to be a Christian and began to condemn pagan polytheism. The evil tormentor immediately ordered the confessor of the true faith to be imprisoned. Entering there, the saint prayed in the words of the prophet David: “Hasten, O God, to deliver me, [hasten], Lord, to help me.” (Ps. 69:2). “For You are my hope, O Lord God, my hope from my youth. I was established on You from the womb; You brought me out of my mother's womb; My praise to you will never cease. My mouth rejoices when I sing to You, and so does my soul, which You have delivered; and my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness all day long.” (Ps. 71:5, 6, 23, 24).

As if in a bright palace, Demetrius sat in prison, praising and glorifying God. The devil, wanting to frighten him, turned into a scorpion and wanted to sting the saint’s leg. Having marked himself with the sign of the cross, the saint fearlessly stepped on the scorpion, uttering the words of David: “You will tread on the asp and the basilisk; you will trample on the lion and the dragon.” (Ps.90:13).

While spending time in prison in this way, the saint was rewarded with a visit from an angel of God; in a bright light a heavenly messenger appeared before him with a beautiful heavenly crown and said:

- Peace be with you, sufferer of Christ, take courage and be strong!

The saint answered:

- I rejoice in the Lord and rejoice in God my Savior!

This appearance of the angel consoled and encouraged the holy sufferer; He wished even more strongly to seal with his blood the confession of the true faith of Christ.

Dimitri's student Nestor defeats the vandal Leah

Meanwhile, the king arranged games and began to amuse himself with spectacles. He had one outstanding fighter, a Vandal by birth, named Liy. Having ordered the construction of high scaffolds for him, Maximian watched with great pleasure how Leah fought with his opponents and, throwing them from a height onto spears, put them to a painful death. Among the spectators there was one young man - a Christian - named Nestor; bonds of spiritual friendship united him with Saint Demetrius, who was his mentor in the faith. Seeing that Leah was killing many and especially destroying Christians - the latter were forcibly forced into battle with Leah - this young man, perked up, wanted to fight the royal fighter. But before entering into battle, he went to prison to Saint Demetrius. Here Nestor told him everything that Leah was doing, said that he wanted to fight this merciless destroyer of Christians and asked the saint for blessings and prayers. Marking him with the sign of the cross, Demetrius predicted to him:

- You will defeat Leah and endure torment for Christ!

Approaching the place of the spectacle, Nestor exclaimed loudly:

- God Dimitriev, help me in the fight against my opponent!

Then, having entered into battle with Liy, he overpowered the royal wrestler and threw him down from the platform onto sharp spears. The death of Leah greatly saddened the king; he immediately ordered Blessed Nestor to be put to death. But this could not console Maximian; all day and all night he regretted the death of Leah.

Martyrdom of Demetrius

Having learned that Nestor had entered into single combat with Leah on the advice and blessing of Demetrius, the king ordered the holy great martyr to be pierced with spears.

“Liy,” thought the lawless tormentor, “was thrown by the hand of Nestor onto the points of spears; whatever death he suffered, Saint Demetrius must also suffer the same death, let him die the same death. which also destroyed our beloved wrestler Leah.

But the insane tormentor was seduced, believing that the death of the righteous and the sinner was the same; he was mistaken in this, for the death of sinners is cruel, but the death of saints is honorable in the eyes of the Lord.

As soon as the morning of October 26 dawned, soldiers entered Demetrius’s prison; They found the holy man standing in prayer, and immediately rushed at him and pierced him with spears. Thus, this confessor of Christ betrayed his honest and holy soul into the hands of the Creator.

At night, Christians secretly took the body of the saint, dishonorably cast into the dust, and reverently buried it.

Servant Lupp works many miracles with the blood of the Great Martyr Demetrius

At the place of the blessed death of the holy great martyr was his faithful servant, the aforementioned Lupp; he reverently took his master's robe, sprinkled with his honest blood, in which he also dipped the ring. With this robe and ring he performed many miracles, healing all sorts of diseases and casting out evil spirits.

The rumor of such miracles spread throughout Thessaloniki, so that all the sick began to flock to Lupp. Having learned about this, Maximian ordered to take blessed Lupp and cut off his head. And so the good servant followed his master, Saint Demetrius, to the heavenly mansions.

Miracles in the temple erected over the tomb of Demetrius

When much time had passed and the persecution of Christians had ceased, a small temple was erected over the tomb of St. Demetrius; Many miracles were performed here, and many sick people received healing from their ailments. One Illyrian nobleman named Leonty fell into a serious, incurable illness. Hearing about the miracles of the holy passion-bearer, he turned with faith to the holy Great Martyr Demetrius. When he was brought into the temple and laid in the place where the relics of the holy great martyr were buried, he immediately received healing and stood up completely healthy, thanking God and glorifying His saint, Saint Demetrius.

Finding the relics of the Great Martyr Demetrius. Healing the sick

Out of gratitude to the saint, Leonty wanted to build a great and beautiful church in honor of this glorious great martyr. The former small temple was dismantled, and when they began to dig a ditch for the foundation, the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius were found. completely intact and without any decay; fragrant myrrh flowed from them, so that the whole city was filled with fragrance.

Many people gathered for this spiritual celebration. With great reverence, the holy relics were taken from the ground, and countless sick people received healing through anointing with the flowing ointment. Leonty rejoiced not so much about his healing as about the discovery of the holy relics. He soon finished the work he had started and built a beautiful temple in the name of St. Demetrius on that place. Here, in an ark bound in gold and silver and decorated with precious stones, the honorable relics of the great martyr were placed. But Leonty’s concerns extended even further: he bought villages and vineyards and gave them to support the employees of this church. When the time came for him to return to his homeland, he decided to take with him some of the relics of the saint in order to build a church in his city in the name of Demetrius. But the saint, having appeared, forbade him to separate any part of the relics. Then Leonty took only the shroud stained with the blood of the saint and, putting it in the golden ark, went to his place in Illyria. During the journey from that shroud, many miracles happened through the prayers of the saint. Once, during his return, Leontius had to cross a river, which was heavily overflowing and raging menacingly; fear and horror gripped him, but suddenly Saint Demetrius appeared before him and said:

- Take the ark with the shroud in your hands and stop being afraid.

Leonty acted on the advice of the saint: he himself and those with him all crossed over safely. When he returned to his homeland, he first of all built a beautiful temple in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius. Invoking with faith the name of this great ascetic of Christ, Leonty, through the prayers of the saint, performed miracles. The ruler of Illyria was very sick, so that pus and scabs covered his entire body from head to toe. But Leonty saved the sick man from his serious illness by turning with prayer to Saint Demetrius; He also miraculously healed one man who was bleeding, and healed another who was furious; many other miracles happened there through the prayers of the saint. But there were especially many miracles in Thessaloniki, where the relics of this great martyr rested.

Miracles in the Church of the Great Martyr Demetrius in Thessaloniki

One day there was a fire in the church dedicated to the holy great martyr. The silver canopy over the relics of the saint of God was especially badly damaged: it melted from the fire. Archbishop Eusebius, who was at that time, was very concerned about making the canopy again. But he had too little silver. In this temple there was a silver throne, which remained completely undamaged during the fire. The archbishop planned to transfer this throne to the canopy of the saint’s tomb, but he had not yet informed anyone of his intention. At the same time, at this temple there was one pious presbyter named Demetrius. The Holy Great Martyr appeared to him and said:

- Go and tell the bishop of the city: do not dare to pour over the throne that is in my temple.

Demetrius immediately went to Eusebius and told him to abandon his intention. The archbishop was at first greatly amazed by the presbyter’s words, but then, believing that Demetrius could somehow find out his intention, he stopped marveling at this and even reprimanded the presbyter. A few days later, the archbishop already ordered the masters to appear before him. At this very time, Presbyter Demetrius came to Eusebius for the second time and said:

“The Holy Great Martyr again appeared to me, a sinner, in a dream and ordered me to tell you: for the sake of love for me, do not overflow the throne.”

The archbishop also sternly dismissed the presbyter, but, however, did not yet order the throne to be transfused. After some time, he again wanted to give up the throne, but Saint Demetrius, appearing to the same presbyter, said:

- Don’t be discouraged, I myself take care of my temple and city, leave me to take care of that myself.

Then the archbishop could no longer refrain from tears and said to everyone around him:

“Let’s wait a little, brothers, for the saint of Christ himself promised us his help.”

Before the archbishop had time to finish his speech, one Thessalonian citizen named Mina came and brought with him 75 pounds of silver.

“Often Saint Demetrius,” said Mina, “saved me from dangers and even saved me from death.” I have long wanted to make a donation to the temple of my gracious patron and wondrous intercessor. Now, since the morning, a voice has been urging me:

“Go and do what you’ve been meaning to do for a long time.” Giving the silver, Mina wished that this silver would be spent on the canopy for the tomb of the great martyr. After this, other citizens of Thessaloniki appeared and also brought silver. From the donations a beautiful canopy was made for the tomb of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius.

Defense of Thessalonica from the pagans. Intercession with the Lord

During the reign of Emperor Mauritius, the Avars demanded a large tribute from the inhabitants of Byzantium, but Mauritius refused to fulfill their demand. Then they gathered a huge army, which consisted mainly of Slavs, and decided to take Thessaloniki, which was distinguished by its extensive trade and great wealth. Although Emperor Mauritius sent an army to this city, the ulcer that raged shortly before greatly reduced the number of Solunsky inhabitants, and the number of the enemy army was enormous: it extended to 100,000. Even 10 days before the arrival of the enemies, Saint Demetrius appeared to Archbishop Eusebius and said that the city is in dire danger. But the Solunians thought that the enemy army would not approach the city soon. Suddenly, contrary to expectation, the enemy appeared not far from the city walls. He could even have entered the city unhindered at night, but the mighty right hand of the Almighty, through the prayers of Saint Demetrius, miraculously stopped the terrible enemies not far from the city. The enemies mistook one of the fortified monasteries located outside the city for Thessaloniki itself and stood under it the whole night; In the morning they noticed their mistake and rushed towards the city itself. The enemy detachments immediately launched an attack, until then Saint Demetrius appeared on the city wall in front of everyone in the form of an armed warrior, and the first of the enemies who climbed the wall, he struck with a spear and threw him off the wall. The last one, falling, dragged the other attackers along with him. - horror then suddenly took possession of the enemies - they immediately retreated. But the siege was not over, it was just beginning. At the sight of many enemies, despair seized even the bravest. At first everyone thought that the death of the city was inevitable. But then, seeing the flight of the enemies and the protection of the wondrous intercessor, the residents took courage and began to hope that the defender of Thessaloniki, Saint Demetrius, would not leave his hometown and would not allow it to fall to the enemies. Meanwhile, the enemies began to besiege the city, moved their guns and began to shake the foundations of the city walls; clouds of arrows and stones fired from throwing weapons obscured the daylight - all hope remained for help from above, and crowds of people filled the temple in the name of St. Demetrius. At that time in the city there was one God-fearing and very virtuous man named Illustrius. Arriving at night at the church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, in the church vestibule he fervently prayed to God and His glorious servant for the deliverance of the city from enemies, and suddenly he was honored to see a wondrous vision: two certain bright young men appeared before him, who looked like royal bodyguards - they were angels God's. The doors of the temple themselves opened before them, and they entered the church. Illustry followed them, wanting to see what would happen next. Entering, they said loudly:

-Where is the gentleman who lives here?

Then another young man appeared, looking like a servant, and asked them:

- What do you need it for?

“The Lord sent us to him,” they answered, “to tell him something.”

Pointing to the saint’s tomb, the young servant said:

- Here he is!

“Tell him about us,” they said.

Then the young man lifted the curtain, and from there Saint Demetrius came out to meet those who came; he looked the same as he is depicted on icons; a bright light emanated from him, like the sun. From fear and the blinding brilliance of Illustration he could not look at the saint. The young men who arrived greeted Demetrius.

“May grace be with you,” answered the saint, “what prompted you to visit me?”

They answered him:

“The Lord sent us, commanding you to leave the city and go to Him, for He wants to deliver it into the hands of enemies.”

Hearing this, the saint bowed his head and remained silent, shedding bitter tears. And the young servant said to those who came:

“If I had known that your coming would not bring joy to my master, I would not have told him about you.”

Then the saint began to say:

“Is this what my Lord willed?” Is this the will of the Lord of all, so that the city, redeemed with honest blood, should be delivered into the hands of enemies who do not know Him, do not believe in Him and do not honor His holy name?

To this those who came answered:

“If our Lord had not deigned this, He would not have sent us to you!”

Then Demetrius said:

“Go, brothers, tell my Master that His servant Demetrius says this:

- I know Your bounties, humane-loving Master Lord; even the iniquities of the whole world cannot surpass Your mercy; for the sake of sinners You shed Your holy blood, You laid down Your soul for us; now show Your mercy on this city and do not command me to leave it. You Yourself made me the guardian of this city; let me imitate You, my Master: let me lay down my soul for the inhabitants of this city, and if they are destined to perish, then I will perish along with them; Do not destroy, O Lord, the cities where everyone calls on Your holy name; Even if these people sinned, they still did not depart from You: after all, You are the God of the repentant.

The young men who came asked Demetrius:

— Is this how we should respond to the Lord who sent us?

“Yes, answer like that,” he said, “for I know that the Lord “is not completely angry, and is not indignant forever” (Ps. 102:9).

Having said this, the saint entered the tomb, and the sacred ark was closed; and the angels who talked with him became invisible. This is what Illustria was privileged to see in a wonderful and terrible vision. Finally, having come to his senses, he fell to the ground, thanked the saint for taking care of the city, and praised him for the fact that he begged the Vladyka not to betray the inhabitants of Thessaloniki into the hands of enemies. In the morning, Illustry told the citizens about everything he had seen and encouraged them to courageously fight the enemies. Having heard the story of Illustria, everyone with tears asked the Lord to send them mercy, and called on Saint Demetrius for help. Through the intercession of the saint, the city remained intact: soon the enemies retreated from the walls with great shame, not having the strength to take the city guarded by the glorious saint of God. On the seventh day of the siege, the enemies, for no apparent reason, fled in disarray, abandoning their tents and throwing weapons. The next day some of the enemies returned and said the following:

“From the very first day of the siege, we saw such a multitude of defenders among you that they far outnumbered our army. We thought that your army was hiding behind your walls. Yesterday it suddenly rushed towards us, and we ran.

Then the amazed citizens asked: “Who led the army?”

“We saw,” answered the returning enemies, “a fiery shining man on a white horse in snow-white clothes.”

The citizens of Thessalonica, hearing this, understood who had put the enemies to flight. This is how Saint Demetrius defended his city.

Demetrius saves the inhabitants of Thessaloniki from hunger

Soon after the enemies retreated from Thessalonica, another disaster struck this city. The enemies, in great numbers, devastated all the grain reserves during the siege, so that a great famine occurred in the city itself: people began to die in large numbers from lack of food. Seeing that his hometown was dying of hunger, the saint appeared several times on ships sailing at sea, walked around the piers and many islands, commanding ships everywhere with wheat to sail to Thessaloniki, and thus saved his city from hunger.

Miracle at the relics of the Great Martyr Demetrius

When the pious Tsar Justinian built a beautiful and magnificent temple in Constantinople in the name of the Wisdom of God, he sent honest men to Thessaloniki to bring from there some of the relics of the saint for the decoration and consecration of the newly erected temple. Arriving in Thessaloniki, the messengers approached the venerable ark, where the relics of the great martyr rested, in order to fulfill the royal command; suddenly a column of flame burst out of the ark, showering everyone with a whole sheaf of sparks, and a voice was heard from the fire:

- Stop and don’t dare.

Overcome with fear, those present fell to the ground; Then the messengers, taking only a few lands from that place, returned to the king and told him about everything that had happened to them. Everyone who listened to their story was amazed. The messengers handed over one half of the taken land to the king, and put the other half in the church treasury.

Denunciation of the money-loving Onesiphorus

The duty of a certain young man, Onesiphorus, was to light candles and arrange lamps in the church of St. Demetrius. Inspired by the devil, this young man began to steal candles and secretly sold them, and appropriated the money proceeds from such a sale for himself. Saint Demetrius did not tolerate such an atrocity committed in the temple dedicated to him: he appeared in a dream to Onesiphorus and with the greatest condescension began to denounce him:

- Brother Onesiphorus, I hate that you are stealing candles; through this you cause loss to those who bring them; no less you harm yourself; remember that people who act like you will face condemnation; leave this evil deed and repent.

Onesiphorus, waking up, felt shame and fear; but after some time he forgot the saint’s command and again began to steal candles, as he had done before - punishment soon befell him. One day, a certain pious man, getting up early in the morning, came to the church of St. Demetrius and brought several large candles. He lit them, placed them at the tomb of the great martyr and, having prayed, left the temple. Approaching the candles, Onesiphorus extended his hand to take them, when suddenly a voice was heard from the saint’s tomb:

- You're doing the same thing again!

Struck by this voice, like thunder, Onesiphorus immediately collapsed to the ground and lay like a dead man until one of the clerics entered. The newcomer raised the young man, overcome with horror. As soon as Onesiphorus came to his senses, he told everything: his sinful passion, and the first appearance of the saint to him in a dream, and the second denunciation of Demetrius. Then everyone, hearing such a story, came into great horror.

Dimitri helps the captives

Many prisoners were freed by the holy Great Martyr Demetrius from the yoke of the infidels. - So one bishop was taken by the barbarians and imprisoned in chains, but the saint appeared to him, freed him from the chains and, guarded by the saint, the bishop arrived safely in Thessaloniki. Another time, the barbarians, rushing into the boundaries of this city, took away many of the inhabitants. Between the prisoners were two beautiful maidens; They were good at embroidering on hoops and depicting various flowers, trees, birds, animals and human faces on fabric. The barbarians took them to their land and gave them as a gift to their prince. Having learned about their art, the prince told them:

“I know that in your land there is a great god, Demetrius, who works wonderful miracles; embroider his image on the canvas, and I will bow to him.

The girls answered:

- No, prince, Demetrius is not God, but only a great servant of God and a Christian helper. We will not fulfill your demand, because we know that you do not want to bow to him, but to violate his image.

“In my power,” the prince answered them, “your life and death; choose what you want: either do what I demand of you, then you will live; and if you do not carry out my orders, you will be executed immediately.

Fearing to die, the captives began to embroider the image of St. Demetrius. Just before the day when the memory of the saint is celebrated, the girls finished their work and on the night of October 26, sitting at their embroidery hoops, they leaned over the image they had embroidered and began to cry:

“Do not be angry with us, martyr of Christ,” they said, “we know that the lawless prince wants to laugh at your image; We call you to witness that we did not want to embroider your image, we were forced to do this under the threat of evil death.

Crying in this way over the image of the saint, they fell asleep.

During their sleep, Saint Demetrius, miraculously, like the angel of Habakkuk once, carried those girls along with their work that same night to Thessaloniki for his holiday and placed them in the church near his relics during the all-night vigil. Seeing such a miracle, everyone was surprised, and the girls, waking up, exclaimed:

- God bless. Where are we?

They could not come to their senses from surprise and thought that all this was happening in a dream.

Finally, they were finally convinced that they were really in Thessaloniki, they saw the tomb of the saint in front of them, they were standing in his temple, where there were many people praying. Then they publicly began to thank their intercessor, Saint Demetrius, and told everything that had happened to them. The inhabitants of Thessaloniki, delighted by such a wondrous miracle, then celebrated the day of remembrance of St. Demetrius with great jubilation, and placed the embroidered image above the altar, and many miracles were performed from it to the glory of God, One in the Trinity. Glory, honor and worship from all creation be to Him forever, amen.

The death of the saint occurred around 306.

Leonty held a prominent position in Illyricum, to which Thessaloniki region then belonged.

One of the most wondrous miracles with which God was pleased to glorify His great saint was the outflow of the world from his honest relics. This outflow is a wondrous sign of God’s grace. The end of the world began in the 7th century. A number of writers and historians testify to this incomprehensible phenomenon. Let us cite the Testimony of one of the writers, namely Demetrius Chrysologos, who lived in the second half of the 14th century: “it (i.e., myrrh) is not water in its properties, but is thicker than it and does not resemble any of the bodies on earth, either liquid or solid and not like any of those prepared artificially... it is more amazing than all the incense, not only prepared by art, but also created by nature by God.” Many healings occurred through anointing with this world; even peoples who did not believe in Christ treasured this wondrous current. So, during the destruction of Thessaloniki by the Turks in 1429, the prudent among the enemies intended to take with them a certain amount of this world, about the healing power of which they had heard so much. The Holy Church, calling Saint Demetrius the myrrh-streamer, praises Christ’s ascetic in this way: “Peace is fragrant and honest, Demetrius, the open source (Canon, Canto 1). Your peace flows from the ever-flowing sources.”

It was the Danube River.

Mauritius reigned from 582 to 603.

The Avars, whose tributaries were the Slavs who were not yet enlightened by the light of Christ's faith, lived on the Don, near the Caspian Sea.

This miracle happened in 547.

Justinian reigned from 527 to 566

One day an angel appeared to the holy prophet Habakkuk and commanded him to take food to Daniel, who was then imprisoned in the pit of Babylon. When Habakkuk said that he did not know where Babylon was, an angel miraculously transported him to this city. The memory of the holy prophet Habakkuk is celebrated on December 2.