(12/12/2019)
The Lord’s exhortation, “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16), is for all people at all times. This is why holy people can be found on all levels of society, from the aristocrat and distinguished scholar or philosopher, to the simple villager with little education. One of these humble people was a man named Spyridon, who would become a saint and be proclaimed as a “Miracle Worker” for the many wondrous acts done through God’s intercession, in his life and after his repose.
St. Spyridon, whose feast is celebrated on December 12th, was born in the year 270 A.D. He lived in a village on the island of Cyprus, and was a shepherd of sheep. He married and had a daughter named Irene. Not long after the baby was born, his wife died. St. Spyridon had a simple life, where he prayed and read Holy Scripture while tending his flock. He made the effort to hear the words of the Gospel and apply them to his life. As a result, he became a man of virtues. Here is an incident which was demonstrated his admirable character: One evening, thieves came to the pen in order to steal his sheep. God’s grace protected St. Spyridon the shepherd, and the thieves were thwarted by an invisible force that held them fast in front of the pen. It was as if someone had bound them hand and foot, making movement impossible. In the morning, when the saint came to put his sheep out to pasture, he saw the thieves there. He asked them what was wrong with them, and they replied: “We came last night to steal the sheep, but some kind of power immobilized us right here.” St. Spyridon was moved with compassion for them, and the gentle man not only did not condemn them, but he released them and offered them two sheep for their trouble, reasoning that they came all that way because of need. His virtues, combined with his love for everyone and exemplary Christian life made an impression upon those around him. That is why, when the local Bishop reposed in the Lord, the obvious choice for his successor by clergy and laity was St. Spyridon. He was elevated to be the next Bishop of Trimythous, Cyprus.
The life and work of a bishop at that time was not only hard but very dangerous, as the persecutions against Christians were on going. St. Spyridon himself had suffered tortures for the faith; his eye had been injured and his shoulder dislocated. Despite these obstacles, he proved himself to be an affection shepherd of the sensible sheep of his Diocese. In the midst of their difficulties, people would come to him for support and help. There were instances where problems were solved in a miraculous way. One such example was when someone in need came to him for a loan of money. He did not have any, but he was not going to send the man away empty handed. He noticed a snake in the yard, and with his prayer, it turned into gold! He told the man to take the golden snake and pawn it for the money. After paying his debt, he is to return the snake to the saint. This is exactly what happened! When St Spyridon received the golden snake back into his hands, he took it out to the yard and the snake went away as it returned to normal.
He is admired not only for his pastoral and charitable work, but also for his support for Orthodox doctrine in the face of heresy. Arianism was raging at the time, upsetting the Church and forcing the First Ecumenical Synod in Nicea of Bithynia. The Bishop of Trimythous Spyridon also took part in this Council. In the middle of a Council session, St. Spyridon stood up, turned towards Arius with a tile and said to him: “So that you may understand that God is One, in three persons, take a look at this.” He held the tile up high and immediately a flame arose upwards, water poured down and mud remained in his palm. Naturally, everyone was amazed by this incident and realized that as the tile is one, made of three elements, so too is God One in three persons. Of course, the language of material objects is not even close to adequately describing God, the Creator of all and the mystery par excellence. God’s essence is transcendent-beyond comprehension and description by the human mind or words.
God glorified St. Spyridon even after his repose in 348 A.D. His sacred relics are incorrupt, and since 1456 have resided in Corfu, an island in the northern Ionian Sea. It is here that they remain to the present day. The saint has miraculously interceded for the island in the face of enemies, plague, famine, drought and other disasters. Crowds of the faithful from all over the world hasten to venerate the saint’s holy relic every day and ask for his intercession. The miracles have never stopped.
My brothers and sisters, we too should make every effort to imitate St. Spyridon in his simplicity of character, his indulgence when others are unfair to us, his charity when people ask us for help, and his unshakable faith in the doctrines of our Church.
I wish you all, with St. Spyridon’s intercession, to enjoy the protection of God and His abundant blessings always. Amen.