The life of St Spyridon the Wonderworker Bishop of Tremithus
After the death of his
wife, during the reign of Constantine the Great (306-337), he was made Bishop
of Tremithus, Cyprus. As a bishop, the saint did not alter his manner of life,
but combined pastoral service with deeds of charity.
According to the witness of
Church historians, Saint Spyridon participated in the sessions of the First
Ecumenical Council in the year 325. At the Council, the saint entered into a
dispute with a Greek philosopher who was defending the Arian heresy. The power
of Saint Spyridon’s plain, direct speech showed everyone the importance of
human wisdom before God’s Wisdom: “Listen, philosopher, to what I tell you.
There is one God Who created man from dust. He has ordered all things, both
visible and invisible, by His Word and His Spirit. The Word is the Son of God,
Who came down upon the earth on account of our sins. He was born of a Virgin,
He lived among men, and suffered and died for our salvation, and then He arose
from the dead, and He has resurrected the human race with Him. We believe that
He is one in essence (consubstantial) with the Father, and equal to Him in
authority and honor. We believe this without any sly rationalizations, for it
is impossible to grasp this mystery by human reason.”
As a result of their
discussion, the opponent of Christianity became the saint’s zealous defender
and later received holy Baptism. After his conversation with Saint Spyridon,
the philosopher turned to his companions and said, “Listen! Until now my rivals
have presented their arguments, and I was able to refute their proofs with
other proofs. But instead of proofs from reason, the words of this Elder are
filled with some sort of special power, and no one can refute them, since it is
impossible for man to oppose God. If any of you thinks as I do now, let him
believe in Christ and join me in following this man, for God Himself speaks
through his lips.”
At this Council, Saint
Spyridon displayed the unity of the Holy Trinity in a remarkable way. He took a
brick in his hand and squeezed it. At that instant fire shot up from it, water
dripped on the ground, and only dust remained in the hands of the wonderworker.
“There was only one brick,” Saint Spyridon said, “but it was composed of three
elements. In the Holy Trinity there are three Persons, but only one God.”
The saint cared for his
flock with great love. Through his prayers, drought was replaced by abundant
rains, and incessant rains were replaced by fair weather. Through his prayers
the sick were healed and demons cast out.
A woman once came up to him
with a dead child in her arms, imploring the intercession of the saint. He
prayed, and the infant was restored to life. The mother, overcome with joy,
collapsed lifeless. Through the prayers of the saint of God, the mother was
restored to life.
Another time, hastening to
save his friend, who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death, the saint
was hindered on his way by the unanticipated flooding of a stream. The saint
commanded the water: “Halt! For the Lord of all the world commands that you permit
me to cross so that a man may be saved.” The will of the saint was fulfilled,
and he crossed over happily to the other shore. The judge, apprised of the
miracle that had occurred, received Saint Spyridon with esteem and set his
friend free.
Similar instances are known
from the life of the saint. Once, he went into an empty church, and ordered
that the lampadas and candles be lit, and then he began the service. When he
said, “Peace be unto all,” both he and the deacon heard from above the
resounding of “a great multitude of voices saying, “And with thy spirit.” This
choir was majestic and more sweetly melodious than any human choir. To each
petition of the litanies, the invisible choir sang, “Lord, have mercy.”
Attracted by the church singing, the people who lived nearby hastened towards
it. As they got closer and closer to the church, the wondrous singing filled
their ears and gladdened their hearts. But when they entered into the church,
they saw no one but the bishop and several church servers, and they no longer
heard the singing which had greatly astonished them.”
Saint Simeon Metaphrastes
(November 9), the author of his Life, likened Saint Spyridon to the Patriarch
Abraham in his hospitality. Sozomen, in his church history, offers an amazing
example from the life of the saint of how he received strangers. One time, at
the start of the Forty-day Fast, a stranger knocked at his door. Seeing that
the traveler was very exhausted, Saint Spyridon said to his daughter, “Wash
the feet of this man, so he may recline to dine.” But since it was Lent there
were none of the necessary provisions, for the saint “partook of food only on
certain days, and on other days he went without food.” His daughter replied
that there was no bread or flour in the house. Then Saint Spyridon, apologizing
to his guest, ordered his daughter to cook a salted ham from their larder.
After seating the stranger at table, he began to eat, urging that man to do the
same. When the latter refused, calling himself a Christian, the saint rejoined,
“It is not proper to refuse this, for the Word of God proclaims, “Unto the pure
all things are pure” (Titus 1:15).
Another historical detail
reported by Sozomen, was characteristic of the saint. It was his custom to
distribute one part of the gathered harvest to the destitute, and another
portion to those having need while in debt. He did not take a portion for
himself, but simply showed them the entrance to his storeroom, where each could
take as much as was needed, and could later pay it back in the same way,
without records or accountings.
There is also the tale by
Socrates Scholasticus about how robbers planned to steal the sheep of Saint
Spyridon. They broke into the sheepfold at night, but here they found
themselves all tied up by some invisible power. When morning came the saint
went to his flock, and seeing the tied-up robbers, he prayed and released them.
For a long while he advised them to leave their path of iniquity and earn their
livelihood by respectable work. Then he made them a gift of a sheep and sending
them off, the saint said kindly, “Take this for your trouble, so that you did
not spend a sleepless night in vain.”
All the Lives of the saint
speak of the amazing simplicity and the gift of wonder working granted him by
God. Through a word of the saint the dead were awakened, the elements of nature
tamed, the idols smashed. At one point, a Council had been convened at
Alexandria by the Patriarch to discuss what to do about the idols and pagan
temples there. Through the prayers of the Fathers of the Council all the idols
fell down except one, which was very much revered. It was revealed to the
Patriarch in a vision that this idol had to be shattered by Saint Spyridon of
Tremithus. Invited by the Council, the saint set sail on a ship, and at the
moment the ship touched shore and the saint stepped out on land, the idol in
Alexandria with all its offerings turned to dust, which then was reported to
the Patriarch and all the bishops.
Saint Spyridon lived his
earthly life in righteousness and sanctity, and prayerfully surrendered his
soul to the Lord. His relics repose on the island of Corfu (Kerkyra), in a
church named after him (His right hand, however, is located in Rome). His
memory is also celebrated on Cheesefare Saturday.
Source: https://oca.org/saints/lives/2000/12/12/103526-st-spyridon-the-wonderworker-and-bishop-of-tremithus
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