Life of Dmitry Solunsky for children. Life of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica

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, 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, praising the Lord even more. 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 the a large number of healings and miracles. Later, the incorrupt remains of Dmitry Solunsky were found. God's saint died for his faith and love for Christ. It was for his strength of spirit and his righteousness that 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 authentic image of the martyr is kept in the Moscow Tretyakov Gallery. Also, a particularly revered image of the saint is located in the temple Life-Giving Trinity on 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. Miraculous icon acts as the patroness of all warriors and soldiers fighting to protect their homeland. They also pray in front of the icon of Dmitry of Thessaloniki for the healing of diseases, especially eye diseases. The saint helps to gain courage and courage, endurance, peace of mind, fortitude. Miraculous image The blessed one is able to 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 don't leave us Holy Martyr! May we praise 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 have lost faith in themselves, in their strength, or have simply lost their way, appeal to his help. 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

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 - 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.

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 perceived 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 further enlightened and admonished him.

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. The king, having learned that the ruler he had appointed, 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], O 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, pronouncing the words of David: “ you will step on the asp and 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.

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 with 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 to betray death penalty Blessed Nestor. But this could not console Maximian; all day and all night he regretted the death of Leah. 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.

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.

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.

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 the ark, bound with gold and silver and adorned precious stones, and the honest 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.

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 pour over 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.

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 saint 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; came from him bright light, similar to 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 this way,” he said, “for I know that the Lord” is not completely angry, and is not forever indignant" (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, without any apparent reason They 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.

Soon after the enemies retreated from Thessalonica, another disaster struck this city. The enemies, in great numbers, devastated all grain reserves during the siege, so that a great famine occurred in the city itself: people in large number began to die from lack of food. Seeing that he hometown 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.

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.

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.

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 on fabric different flowers, trees, birds, animals and human faces. 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.

Troparion, tone 3:

You will find great champion in troubles, the universe, passion-bearing, conquering of tongues. Just as you brought down Leah’s pride, and you boldly created Nestor for the feat, so, Saint Demetrius, prayed to Christ God to grant us great mercy.

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 from solids and none 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.”

The rector told Vesti readers about the holiday Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, Vladyka Pavel.

Demetrius of Thessaloniki: miracles

An angel descended from heaven to strengthen the prisoner in prison. And, probably, Demetrius performed his first miracle while in prison. “The fact is that the emperor loved to watch gladiator shows, how his prison strongman threw Christians from the platform onto the spears of soldiers. And one Christian young man Nestor came to Demetrius in prison to take a blessing in the fight against the pagan. And with the blessing of Demetrius and praying to the Lord, "Nestor defeated the barbarian, throwing him onto the spears of the soldiers. The angry emperor ordered Nestor to be executed immediately, and Demetrius, who blessed him, was ordered to be pierced with spears," said Bishop Pavel.

So, on October 26, 306, Demetrius suffered martyrdom at the hands of the pagans. His servant, having collected the martyr’s blood on a towel, began to heal the sick, for which he was also sentenced to death by the emperor.

Dmitry Solunsky. Temple in Veliky Novgorod, 1381

The body of Dmitry Solunsky was secretly buried, and when Equal to the Apostles Constantine a church was erected over the grave. A hundred years later, the incorruptible relics of Saint Demetrius were found, and in the 7th century the flow of the fragrant myrrh began.

Saint Demetrius - patron saint

Saint Demetrius was invisibly the protector of his hometown of Thessalonica. Russian soldiers always believed that they were under the protection of the Great Martyr Demetrius.

The veneration of the saint in the Russian Orthodox Church began immediately after the Baptism of Rus'. And the day of his memory has always been associated with military feats and the defense of the Fatherland.

Through prayers to his heavenly patron, Dmitry Donskoy won a number of brilliant military victories. His victory on the Kulikovo Field was especially significant, after which it was established in memory of the soldiers who died in battle. Later on this day, all Orthodox Christians who have passed away from time to time will be commemorated.

"17 centuries have passed since that time. But the Church remembers her faithful sons and daughters, children of the Heavenly Father, and they testify to deep faith, devotion to the will of God and the salvation of our human souls. Demetrius of Thessalonica is the patron saint of warriors. He was a warrior himself. Therefore, he is depicted on banners and many churches, military units, and regiments are named after him. He is the patron of all youth who defend their Fatherland,” noted Metropolitan Pavel.

Demetrius of Thessalonica: what they pray for

What does the saint help with? So, they pray to Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica that:

heal from various diseases and primarily from the eyes,
ease the burden military service, since he is considered the patron saint of all soldiers - prayers are offered to him by both the military themselves and their relatives,
gain courage in the face of serious problems.

In addition, prayer in front of the icon of the holy martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica helps during the advance of invaders who violated the borders of the Motherland, as well as to preserve peace for those who were not affected by the war.

Demetrius of Thessalonica: prayers

Icon "Dmitry of Thessalonica on horseback"

First prayer

Holy and glorious Great Martyr of Christ Demetrius, quick helper and warm intercessor of those who flow to you with faith! Standing boldly before the Heavenly King, ask Him for forgiveness of our sins and to free us from the all-destroying plague, cowardice, flood, fire, sword and eternal punishment. Pray for His goodness to show mercy to this city, this monastery (or this temple) and every Christian country. Petition from the King of the Reigns for victory and victory over the enemies, peace, silence, firmness in faith and advancement in piety for the entire Orthodox power; For us, who honor your honorable memory, ask for grace-filled strengthening for good deeds, so that what is pleasing to our Master, Christ God, who works here, may be worthy through your prayers to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven for His eternal glorification with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Second prayer

Holy Great Martyr of Christ Demetrius! Standing boldly before the Heavenly King, ask Him for forgiveness of our sins and for us, the accursed (names), to be delivered from the all-destructive plague, fire and eternal punishment. Pray for His goodness to favor this parish (or house) and our temple. Ask us for grace-filled strengthening for good deeds, so that what is pleasing to our Master, Christ God, who works here, may be worthy through Your prayers to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and there glorify Him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.

Demetrius of Thessalonica: troparion

You will find great in troubles /

fight the universe, more passionate, /

tongues are conquering. /

Just as you brought down Liev’s pride, /

and boldly created Nestor for the feat, /

tako, Saint Demetrius, /

Pray to Christ God /

grant us great mercy.

Folk customs and signs of Dmitry

On the Saturday before this Demetrius Day, the memory of all Orthodox Christians who died in the faith and hope of resurrection is celebrated.

On Dmitriev's Day in Rus', commemorations for the deceased were celebrated everywhere. People went to church to light candles for the repose, and also visited the graves of relatives and built funeral feasts.

In former times, on this day, memorial services were held in all military units for Orthodox warriors who died for their faith and fatherland.

Sayings and signs for Dmitry's Day (Mitri's Day):

Grandfather's week begins.
Dmitriev's day - winter is already creeping up on the fence.
If the parents have a rest during Grandfather's Week (there will be a thaw), then the entire winter will be with wet greenhouses.
If Dmitrov's Day is snowy, then Easter is Holy, and if Dmitry's Day is bare, then Easter is Holy.
On Dmitri's Day, a sparrow brews beer under a bush.
Dmitriev Saturday - work for the party workers (commemoration, for the Battle of Kulikovo and general). Parents are alive - honor them; if they are dead - remember them.
Dmitriev does not wait for the day of transportation.
Saint Demetrius came to us on a white horse.
If there is cold and snow on Dmitry, spring is late and cold, and if there is a thaw, winter and spring are warm.

November 8 Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Great Martyr Dmitry, called Thessalonica. In Rus' he was considered “their” saint, but where and when was he born? Why is it called Myrrh-Streaming? Why did Rus' fall in love with the saint so much? Why was the Demetrius Memorial Saturday established before his memorial day? You will learn about this from our article.

Childhood and youth of the great martyr

Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica was born in the 3rd century in the Greek city of Thessaloniki (modern Thessaloniki). In Rus' this locality called "Solun". Hence the name of the saint “Thessalonica” and many versions that the great martyr was Russian. But they are not true.

At the time when Dmitry lived, Thessalonica belonged to the Roman Empire, and the saint's father was a Roman proconsul. Since Christianity did not exist then official religion, the parents secretly baptized their son in their home church and raised the boy in a Christian spirit.

The emperors of that time - Diocletian and Maximian Galerius - supported paganism and persecuted Christians. If they knew that the proconsul in Thessalonica was a follower of Christ, then the father of the future great martyr would hardly have remained in his position and died a natural death.

From service for the emperor to execution - one step

What was required of the young proconsul? Protecting the borders of the empire from external enemies, organizing the activities of military commanders. But the emperor entrusted his subject with a new task: to fight Christians.

Dmitry of Thessalonica did the opposite: he began to enlighten the pagans with the faith of Christ. This was an open challenge to the emperor. Maximian did not tolerate such insolence and imprisoned the proconsul.

Dmitry knew perfectly well what awaited him for openly professing Christianity, and even before prison he gave away all his property. It is not known how long he would have spent in prison if he had not agreed to the second insolence. And this was its meaning.

Emperor Maximian organized gladiatorial fights, pitting his proud opponent Leah against the Christians. No one could defeat him on their own. But the Christian youth Nestor, hoping for God's help, came to the imprisoned proconsul and asked for a blessing. Dmitry of Thessalonica blessed Nestor and asked the Lord for help. So the young man defeated the arrogant Leah, throwing him on military spears.

Maximian avenged the death of his favorite by executing Nestor. And when he found out from whom the young man received the blessing, he ordered his adviser to be killed as well.

On November 8, 306, in the early morning, Maximian’s servants arrived in prison. They caught Dmitry morning prayer and they pierced him to death with spears.

How did Dmitry Solunsky become Dmitry Myrrh-streaming?

The saint's body, according to the emperor's plan, was to be eaten wild animals. But the Lord did not allow this. The holy relics were buried by Christians.
The servant of the great martyr Lupp left himself a robe covered in blood and a ring in memory of the righteous man. By prayer and the touch of these things he healed the sick, for which he was also killed by the pagan emperor.

Only with the arrival of Constantine the Great, when persecution for the faith ceased, was a temple built over the grave of the great martyr. Many people came to this place, and Dmitry Solunsky helped many. One of them was the nobleman Leonty, who in the first half of the 5th century erected a large church on this site.

During construction, holy relics were also found. Not only were they incorruptible, but they also exuded fragrant myrrh. According to the testimony of the Byzantine official and historian John Skylitzes, the first flow of myrrh was observed in 1040.

As eyewitnesses write, the ointment flowed so abundantly that many believers who were in Thessalonica brought ampoules with it. But it was not only Christians who collected the fragrant liquid. When the city was captured by the Muslim Turks, they took with them the ointment from the relics of the saint, considering it a cure for all ailments. For working miracles from the relics, Dmitry of Thessalonica received a second name - Myrrh-Streaming.

There were also cases of super-blasphemous attitude towards the shrine. As the Byzantine historian Niketas Choniates writes, the Scandinavians also collected myrrh during the siege of the city in 1185. There was so much liquid that the Normans scooped it up with pans, cooked fish with it and lubricated their shoes.

In the 14th century, another miracle happened: myrrh-water flowed from the well in the crypt in which the relics resided. When the built temple turned into a mosque, the flow of myrrh from the well stopped.

Nowadays, the righteous remains of Dmitry Thessalonica do not exude fragrant liquid.

The Great Martyr is revered by both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. A long period(from the beginning of the 13th century until 1978) the relics remained in Italy, and only in the second half of the 20th century they returned to their hometown of Thessaloniki.

Veneration of the saint in Rus' and Demetrius Memorial Saturday

In many ancient Russian churches there was always an icon of Dmitry the Myrrh-Streaming with a piece of his relics. Where does this veneration come from? Since the time of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius. After the creation of the alphabet, the enlighteners of Rus' first of all translated the “Canon of Demetrius of Thessalonica” into Slavic.

Very often, churches in Rus' were named in honor of the saint. Perhaps the most interesting example is the 11th century Dmitrievsky Monastery in Kyiv. It was built by the son of Yaroslav the Wise Izyaslav (baptized as Dmitry). Long time historians could not understand what happened to it until they came to a version: over time it was renamed Mikhailovsky Golden-Domed.

The first stone church of the Moscow Kremlin, built at the end of the 13th century at the expense of Prince Daniil of Moscow, was also consecrated in the name of the Great Martyr Dmitry.

At every opportunity, the Russians tried to bring particles of the relics of the righteous or ampoules of peace to their churches. Judging by the number of icons with reliquaries, they succeeded.

Dmitry Solunsky was also depicted by Andrei Rublev on the fresco of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir.

Many Russian princes named their eldest sons after this saint (remember Yuri Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky or Ivan the Terrible).

Patron of warriors?

Since the saint was involved in military affairs during his lifetime, in Rus' he was considered the patron saint of warriors. Dmitry Donskoy especially honored his heavenly patron, with whom Dmitrievskaya memorial Saturday is associated.

In the fall of 1380, the army of Prince Dmitry won the battle with the army of the Golden Horde. In memory of the fallen soldiers, Dmitrievskaya Memorial Saturday was established. For the first time it was served by Sergius of Radonezh on the Saturday before the day of remembrance of the heavenly patron Dmitry Donskoy. The prince himself was present at the memorial.

The tradition of commemorating the dead before the feast of Thessaloniki has survived to this day. This day is called: Dmitrievskaya Memorial Saturday.

The life of the saint is described in the following video:

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!