Holy, Glorious Demetrios the Myrrh-gusher of Thessaloniki

Commemorated on October 26 The Great Martyr Demetrios (Dēmḗtrios) the Myrrh-gusher of Thessaloniki was the son of a Roman proconsul in Thessaloniki. Three centuries had elapsed and Roman paganism, spite of the ban of Christian preaching, was not able to halt the growth and strengthening of the Christian Church. When Demetrios was born, his father was appointed proconsul of Thessaloniki, and the ferocious struggle of the Roman authorities against Christianity continued. Demetrios’s parents were secret Christians, and raised their son in the Christian Faith. He was baptized and catechized in a secret church located in a room of their home. After the death of his parents, Demetrios was appointed proconsul of Thessaloniki by the emperor Galerius Maximian (305-311), who did not know that Demetrios was a Christian. Returning to Thessaloniki, the new proconsul openly confessed himself a Christian, and like the apostle Paul he taught the citizens of the city the Gospel and eradicated the remnants of paganism. Soon all Thessaloniki knew that their governor was a Christian. Learning that Thessaloniki was predominantly a Christian city, the emperor decided to punish the inhabitants. The imperial army had to pass through Thessaloniki on its way to a war against the Barbarians. In anticipation of this, Maximian gave orders to put Demetrios in prison. When the emperor arrived at Thessaloniki, he summoned Demetrios and asked him about his faith. Demetrios openly confessed himself a Christian before the emperor and denounced the futility of paganism. Maximian gave orders to lock him in prison. The Lord sent an angel to him in prison, who said, “Peace be to you, sufferer of Christ! Be brave and be strong!” After this, Saint Demetrios was heartened and unafraid of what might befall him. During this time in Thessaloniki, by permission of the emperor, gladiator contests were held. A ferocious German by the name of Lyaeus fought in the emperor’s presence on a platform erected on pillars. Conquering many people, he also killed the Christians thrown to him by Maximian on the sharpened spears held by the soldiers standing beneath the platform. A young Christian named Nestor came to see Saint Demetrios in prison, and asked his blessing to fight against Lyaeus. Saint Demetrios blessed Nestor, saying, “You will conquer Lyaeus, and you will suffer for Christ.” Nestor entered into combat with the ferocious barbarian and killed him. The emperor Maximian was astonished and asked why Nestor had done this. Nestor said that he had prevailed over Lyaeus with the help of the God of Demetrios. The emperor gave orders to execute Nestor, and Nestor was beheaded by the sword (October 27). Then the enraged emperor sent soldiers to the prison to kill Saint Demetrios. In the morning of October 26, 306, soldiers came to Demetrios and found him at prayer. They ran him through with spears. His faithful servant Lupus gathered up the blood-soaked robe of Saint Demetrios, and also his imperial ring, dipped in the blood of the martyr. With the ring, he began to heal the sick. The emperor gave orders to arrest and kill Lupus, and it was done. The relics of Saint Demetrios remained in Thessaloniki. In the fifth century, at his crypt they built a church, in which they found his relics undecayed and pouring forth streams of myrrh which brought healing to believers. This is the basis for his title of “Myrrh-gusher”. Numerous healings occurred and continue to occur through the prayers of Saint Demetrios and his holy relics.