St. Irene Chrysovalantou | Orthodox Calendar

THE GREAT HOLY MARTYR DEMETRIOS,

MYRRHBEARER OF THESSALONIKA

Του Αγίου ενδόξου Μεγαλομάρτυρος Δημητρίου του Μυροβλύτου

October 26th

The Great Martyr Demetrios the Myrrhbearer of Thessalonica was the son of a Roman proconsul in Thessalonica. Three centuries had elapsed and Roman paganism, spiritually shattered and defeated by the multitude of martyrs and confessors of the crucified Savior, intensified its persecutions. Both the father and mother of St. Demetrios were secretly Christians. In a secret house-church in his father's home, the child was baptized and raised in the Christian Faith.

By the time Demetrios had reached maturity and his father had died, the emperor Galerius Maximian had ascended the throne (305). Maximian, confident in Demetrios' education as well as his administrative and military abilities, appointed him to his father's position as proconsul of the Thessalonica district. The chief tasks expected of this young commander consisted of defending the city from barbarians and the eradication of Christianity. In regard to Christians, the will of the emperor was expressed simply, "Put to death anyone who calls on the name of Christ." The emperor did not suspect that in appointing Demetrios he had opened up a way for him to bring many to Christ.

Accepting the appointment, Demetrios returned to Thessalonica and immediately confessed and glorified our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of persecuting and executing Christians, he openly began to teach the Christian Faith to the inhabitants of the city and to overthrow pagan customs and idolatry. The compiler of his Life, St. Simeon Metaphrastes, says that because of his teaching zeal he became "a second Apostle Paul" for Thessalonica, particularly since "the Apostle to the Gentiles" once founded at this city the first community of believers (1 Thess, 2 Thess).

The Lord also destined St. Demetrios to follow the holy Apostle Paul to a death by martyrdom. When Maximian learned that the newly-appointed proconsul was a Christian, and that he had converted many Roman subjects to Christianity, the rage of the emperor know no bounds. Returning from a campaign in the Black Sea region, the emperor decided to lead his army through Thessalonica, filled with the desire to massacre the Christians.

Learning of this, St. Demetrios ordered his faithful servant Lupus to distribute his wealth to the poor with the words, "Give away my earthly riches among them, for we shall seek heavenly riches for ourselves." And he began to pray and fast, preparing himself for martyrdom.

When the emperor came into the city, he summoned Demetrios, who boldly confessed himself a Christian and denounced the falsehood and futility of Roman polytheism. Maximian gave orders to lock up the confessor in prison. An angel came to him in confinement, comforting and encouraging him.

Meanwhile the emperor amused himself with a games in the circus, esteeming as his beloved champion a German by the name of Lyaeos. He challenged Christians to wrestle with him on a platform built over the upturned spears of the victorious soldiers. A brave Christian named Nestor went to the prison to his advisor Demetrios and requested a blessing to fight the barbarian. With the blessing and prayers of Demetrios, Nestor prevailed over the fierce German and hurled him from the platform onto the spears of the soldiers, just as the murderous pagan would have done with the Christian. The enraged commander gave orders to execute the holy Martyr Nestor (October 27) and sent a guard to the prison to kill the one who had blessed this deed, St. Demetrios.

At dawn on October 26, 306 soldiers appeared in the saint's underground prison and ran him through with lances. His faithful servant, St. Lupus, gathered up the blood-soaked garment of St. Demetrios, and he took the imperial ring from his finger, a symbol of his high status, and dipped it in the blood. With the ring and other holy things sanctified by the blood of St. Demetrios, St. Lupus began to heal the infirm. The emperor gave orders to arrest and kill him.

The body of the holy Great Martyr Demetrios was cast out for wild animals to devour, but the Christians took it and secretly buried it in the earth. During the reign of St. Constantine (306-337), a church was built over the grave of St. Demetrios. A hundred years later, during the construction of a majestic new church on the old spot, the incorrupt relics of the holy martyr were uncovered. Since the seventh century a miraculous flow of fragrant myrrh has been found beneath the crypt of the Great Martyr Demetrios, so he is called "the Myrrh-gusher." Several times, those venerating the holy wonderworker made attempts to transfer his holy relics, or part of them, to Constantinople. Invariably, St. Demetrios made it clear that he would not permit anyone to remove even a portion of his relics.

Source: OCA