“Wounded with love for Christ,/ and giving wings to thy mind through the radiance of the Spirit, O most sacred one,/ thou didst find thy work in thine active divine vision,/ O thou that art pleasing unto God,/ being a divine oblation,// and asking divine illumination for all..”
(Kontakion of the Saint)
On Wednesday, December 25, 2024, the Feast of Saint Spyridon, with the blessing of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, His Grace Siluan, Bishop of Orhei and Vicar of the Metropolis, officiated the Holy and Divine Liturgy at the Nativity of the Lord Metropolitan Cathedral in Chișinău. His Grace was joined by the Cathedral clergy in concelebration.
We celebrate the one who stood as a defender of the true faith and a wonder-worker, Saint Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous. Church hymns urge us to honour him with “spiritual festivity,” describing him as “the wondrous Spyridon, the divine treasure of hierarchs, the ever-flowing source of miracles, the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, the marvelous and inexhaustible sea of healings, the strong and immovable tower of the Church, the true support of the faithful, and the brilliant luminary of the world.”
God bestowed upon Saint Spyridon numerous gifts for his life filled with good deeds. The troparion of the saint encapsulates the holiness of his life:
“Thou wast shown forth as a champion of the first Council/ and a wonderworker, O Spiridon, our God-bearing father./ Wherefore, thou didst speak to one dead in the grave,/ and didst change a serpent into gold./ And, whilst chanting thy holy prayers, thou didst have angels serving with thee, O most sacred one./ Glory to Him that hath given thee strength!/ Glory to Him that hath crowned thee!// Glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee!”
In the person of Saint Spyridon, the personal virtues of his life in service to the Church were united with pastoral zeal, humility with firmness in defending the faith, the dignity of a child of God by grace with simplicity in conduct and life, miracle-working with closeness to the faithful. Saint Spyridon passed into eternal rest at the venerable age of 80, to the sorrow of the faithful in the city of Trimythous. He was a true shepherd of his flock, teaching people to defend their faith, to embrace humility, and above all, to love—because love is the most profound sentiment, and from it flows all the blessings God prepares for us.
Source: https://manastireacurchi.md/