Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings as we celebrate the feast of the Holy Great-Martyr St Demetrios the Myrrhstreamer, whose sacred relics continue to pour forth the sign of God’s mercy for the suffering world.
Let us turn to him, praying for a world plunged into darkness and confusion – in some ways so similar to the world of St Demetrios: full of godlessness, tyranny, idolatry, falsehood, lies and violence.
Having great confidence in his intercessions for the people of Christ, we take comfort in the prayers and miracles of the saints, whom God has given us as intercessors and helpers, proclaiming through them His love and mercy to the world.
Holy Great-Martyr Demetrios, pray to God for us!
The work of St. Athanasios Patelarios, of Crete, bishop of Thessaloniki.
Kontakion I: O ye faithful, let us praise with hymns and divine praises the Myrrhstreamer, who hast deposed the cruelty of the tyrant, and conquered the audacity of Lyaios, and preached Christ as God clearly, and let us cry out to him: Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Ikos I: Angels were astonished in heaven, beholding the godless rage of the tyrant and as thou wast put to death by his decree, O Demetrios, we cry out to you thus:
Rejoice, sacred pinnacle of the martyrs,
Rejoice, joyous radiance of the saints.
Rejoice, for thou wast placed in a pit as one condemned,
Rejoice, for thou didst ascend to Heaven as one without a body.
Rejoice, dweller in the ranks of the angels,
Rejoice thou who didst bear the tortures of the tyrant.
Rejoice, for thou despisest the wiles of the enemies,
Rejoice, for thy soul now dwellest in Heaven.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion II: The divine Nestor, beholding himself in manliness, approached the king with boldness: “Thine exceeding danger appears as an abomination to my soul. For I will put to death the godless Lyaios, crying out: Alleluia.
Ikos II: Having godly knowledge, O Demetrios the boast of martyrs, thou didst say to the tyrant: “From soulless matter [i.e. idols], how is possible to give birth to God? Speak to me.” To [the Martyr], the faithful who honour God cry out with fear:
Rejoice, most-radiant lamp of Thessaloniki,
Rejoice, for thou didst overcome Lyaios in victory.
Rejoice, thou who pourest forth divine myrrh from thy grave,
Rejoice, thou who bearest divine zeal in thy heart.
Rejoice, for thy blood was a purifying bath,
Rejoice, for through thee there is blotting out of sins.
Rejoice, thou who deposest the delusion of the idols,
Rejoice, thou who hast censured the mania of tyrants.
Rejoice, for thou healest the suffering of bleeding,
Rejoice, thou who hast offered thy soul from its depths.
Rejoice, for thou hast delivered Marinon from leprosy,
Rejoice, thou who didst send forth thy beloved Istron.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion III: Power from heaven then strengthened Nestor to fight, and he took up arms against the utterly strong Lyaios, and with swift hand, he struck him down as dead, and therefore cried out to the Saviour, chanting: Alleluia.
Ikos III: Having the divine desire to obtain the body of Demetrios, the pious Emperor [Justinian] went, but as he did not desire this, fire came forth from his grave threatening death. And he said to him such words in fear:
Rejoice, unemptying river of wonders,
Rejoice, irrevocable icon of traumas.
Rejoice, for thou didst not grant thy relic to him who didst seek,
Rejoice, for thou grantest sanctification to those who venerate thee.
Rejoice, for thou didst summon fire from thy divine grave,
Rejoice, for thou who didst censure the mania of the tyrant.
Rejoice, for thou deposest the worship of the idols,
Rejoice, for thy body was pierced with spears.
Rejoice, for thy blood was given as drink to the godless,
Rejoice, for thou sanctifieest the whole world with thy body.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion IV: Having godless confusion and evil thoughts, the senseless king was enraged, beholding the martyr not preaching the delusion of the idols. We, beholding the unjust slaughter of the saint at his hands, cry out: Alleluia.
Ikos IV: The ends of the world heard of the murder of Demetrios at the hands of the senseless tyrant, and beholding him dead, they hastened to him, seeing the sacred wonders that he pourest forth throughout the whole world, as they honour him, saying:
Rejoice, thou who tradest the corruptible things for the heavenly,
Rejoice, thou who hast deposed the counsels of the evil ones.
Rejoice, thou who joinest chorus with the bodiless angels,
Rejoice, thou who didst enter the land of the greatly-suffering saints.
Rejoice, thou who servest together with the spotless cherubim,
Rejoice, thou who walkest together with the pure seraphim.
Rejoice, for thou hast served the Lord of Lords,
Rejoice, for thou bearest within the seat of divine thrones.
Rejoice, most-fervent fellow servant with the angels,
Rejoice, most-wise fellow counsellor with the archangels.
Rejoice, sacred adornment of the venerable,
Rejoice, radiant rejoicing of the martyrs.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion V: Perceiving Demetrios to be a God-bearer, the most fervent man hastened to be delivered through him from the terrible demon. And having touched his deliverer, he rejoiced in the Lord, crying out: Alleluia.
Ikos V: Leontios, the son of the Orthodox, formerly saw the unspeakable might of the martyr, and desiring to come to him, he sought for Istron to hasten to pass by him with his robe, and cried out to him:
Rejoice, thou who through thy robe didst work awesome wonders,
Rejoice, thou who didst not bear stains of offences.
Rejoice, for thy streams have become our own.
Rejoice, for thou didst drive back the campaigns of barbarians,
Rejoice, for thou dwellest amongst the thrones of the Martyrs.
Rejoice, thou who didst drive away the plague from Thessaloniki,
Rejoice, our sun which shinest upon the faithful.
Rejoice, thou who deliverest from the love of idols,
Rejoice, thou who deliverst all from the bonds of slavery.
Rejoice, thou who grantest grace to all those who approach thee,
Rejoice for thou ever dwellest with those who praise thee.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion VI: The deluded became preachers of the corruption of souls, as they hastened through Thessaloniki, performing idolatrous acts and preaching godlessness everywhere, and as the martyr left the tyrant like a mule, he said: Alleluia.
Ikos VI: The divine Nestor, shining together with the sacred Demetrios, drove away the darkness of error, for they anathematised the idols steadfastly, and cast them down, whilst the faithful who were saved cried out to those strugglers:
Rejoice, Demetrios, O firm support,
Rejoice, Nestor, O splendid pride.
Rejoice, thou who didst grant strength to Nestor,
Rejoice, thou who didst grant corruption to Lyaios.
Rejoice, thou who didst firstly censure the blind tyrant,
Rejoice, thou who secondly didst keep St. Demetrios’s example.
Rejoice, thou who didst receive death by spears,
Rejoice, thou who receivest incorruptible life through the sword.
Rejoice, thou who wast murdered in prison like a convict,
Rejoice, thou who wast preached throughout the world as one immortal.
Rejoice, thou who before death didst work awesome deeds,
Rejoice, thou who after death workest wonders.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion VII: The holy twain of martyrs then passed from this world, as the sacred martyrs had greatly endured lawless murder. Therefore, those who behold this are astonished, and cry out to the Lord: Alleluia.
Ikos VII: A new song was found, as we bitterly sing the funeral hymn to Demetrios, for he was slaughtered by a godless tyrant, and did not sacrifice to the idols. We therefore hymn him and fervently cry out:
Rejoice, thou who wast placed dead in a grave,
Rejoice, thou who ridest throughout the world as one alive.
Rejoice, for thy blood wast shown to be a new cleansing bath,
Rejoice, for thy soul hast company with the Angels.
Rejoice, for thou art hymned from the ends of the earth,
Rejoice, for they draw forth from thy fragrant myrrh.
Rejoice, lamp amidst the martyrs,
Rejoice, ray of divine graces.
Rejoice, thou who wast dyed with your holy blood,
Rejoice, thou who wast sanctified in thy divine body.
Rejoice, thou who didst receive diamond crowns,
Rejoice, for thou now dwellest in the halls of the ever-memorable.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion VIII: Beholding a strange wonder, the idols were moved by the bravery of the martyrs. Therefore, he who now dwellest on high givest bravery to those who dwell on the earth to take courage, and aim their arrows at the idols. To him we now cry out: Alleluia.
Ikos VIII: Having his mind wholly on things above without departing from the earth, was the most-pure martyr, for he didst clearly conquer the delusion of the idols, and preached Christ with boldness, hearing thus:
Rejoice, for thou wast killed for the sake of Christ thy God,
Rejoice, for thou desirest the joyous things of Paradise.
Rejoice, for thou didst travel the upper road to Heaven,
Rejoice, for thou inhabitest the dwelling-places of the pure.
Rejoice, for thou dost now travel with the angels,
Rejoice, for thou hast come to dwell with the saints.
Rejoice, for thou didst preach thy Christ like a holy trumpet,
Rejoice, for thou dwellest in the spotless mansions of Paradise.
Rejoice, thou who dost put forth myrrh from thy godly body,
Rejoice, thou who dost scoff at the rubbish of the godless,
Rejoice, for thou didst break asunder the intrigues of rulers,
Rejoice, for thou didst trample upon the delusion of the idols.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion IX: Thou hast received every grace from heaven, O Martyr Demetrios, and preached, paradoxically, that the inaccessible God didst become man, being the Son of God. Therefore, to Him let us cry: Alleluia.
Ikos IX: O Martyr Demetrios, thou didst show the many words of the orators of the tyrants to be foolish, for they were astonished at how thou didst strongly condemn the delusion of the idols. We, being astonished at this paradox, cry out to thee:
Rejoice, rose of virginity,
Rejoice, pinnacle of continence.
Rejoice, thou who didst live purely before thou wast killed,
Rejoice, thou who after thou wast wast killed wast led towards God.
Rejoice, thou in whom the light of God was planted,
Rejoice, thou in whom the grace of the Trinity didst make its dwelling.
Rejoice, length and breadth of the pious,
Rejoice, sharp sword against the faithless.
Rejoice, thou who shinest with the rays of the sun,
Rejoice, thou who drivest away the mania of the tyrant.
Rejoice, tree bearing the fruits of many graces,
Rejoice, for thou didst bear the shoots of many victories.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion X: Saving the Orthodox from the delusion of the godless idols, thou didst come straightaway, O Martyr, and didst preach the Lord as perfect God to the deluded and idiotic tyrant, crying out to him: Alleluia.
Ikos X: Thou art the shelter of the Martyrs, O Champion and Martyr, and all those who take refuge in thee, for thou hast revealed the Maker of heaven and earth to all, and deposed the tyrant and the idols. Therefore, we cry to thee:
Rejoice, deliverance for those in sickness,
Rejoice, saviour of those continuously bleed.
Rejoice, thou who sowest grace among all those who hymn thee,
Rejoice, for thou art a pillar of grace.
Rejoice, divine power, the casting-down of idols.
Rejoice, pure dwelling-place of God,
Rejoice, chaste type of Christ.
Rejoice, for thy blood didst become as a new baptism,
Rejoice, thou whose body didst receive death.
Rejoice, bridge leading those who die from earth to heaven,
Rejoice, for thou art a guide to the faithful.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion XI: We thy servants all offer funeral hymns at thy grave, O Martyr, shedding tears and offering odes and psalms to thee, for we are not at all worthy of what has been accomplished through thee, as befittest thy grave, but we cry out to the Saviour: Alleluia.
Ikos XI: Thy grave, O martyr, hast been shown to be light-bearing, shining forth with grace like light. For all who approach are suddenly granted joy and health, whilst we who approach thee cry out:
Rejoice, thou who preservest thy Church unharmed,
Rejoice, thou who didst trample upon the wiles of the evil one.
Rejoice, for thou hast driven back the nation of the Slavs,
Rejoice, for thou hast trampled upon the rule of the idols.
Rejoice, thou who hast uprooted the pride of the barbarians,
Rejoice, thou who castest out the conceit of the tyrants.
Rejoice, thou who hast preserved thy city unharmed,
Rejoice, thou who didst shake the delusion of the godless one.
Rejoice, thou who didst punish Onesiphoros for his theft,
Rejoice thou who hast uprooted the danger of the idols from the earth.
Rejoice, sure consolation of those who take refuge in thee,
Rejoice, salvation of the souls of those who approach thee.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion XII: Bearing grace from above, O Demetrios, thou didst drive out all the campaigns of enemies. Thou hast preached Christ to the ranks as a steadfast foot-soldier of grace, and didst cast down the idols, chanting with everyone: Alleluia.
Ikos XII: We hymn the wonder thou hast worked, O Martyr, as thy city was preserved victorious, as thou didst appear like a god to the faithless, sending forth angels speedily, saying: “Drive them far away from the city”. Therefore, we cry out:
Rejoice, for by thy will thy city was saved,
Rejoice, for through thy strength the enemy wast cast down.
Rejoice, thou who didst meet Achilleos in thy flight,
Rejoice, thou who didst send out Nestor with thy strength.
Rejoice, thou who drownest Lyaios in blood,
Rejoice, thou who didst rage against the faithless in spirit.
Rejoice, thou who strengthenst thy city through thy presence,
Rejoice, for if thou wouldst leave her, thy city would be lost.
Rejoice, thou whose grave is beloved by the writers of hymns,
Rejoice, thou who puttest to death falsehood through thy might.
Rejoice, thou who dost grant us a sea of graces,
Rejoice, thou who sowest the mercy of thy myrrh within all.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion XIII: O twain of Martyrs, who didst preach Christ as the surpassing Word before all, receive these funeral hymns and odes, and through thy prayers deliver us from every danger, and from the coming trial those who cry out to the Lord: Alleluia. (Thrice)
Ikos I: Angels were astonished in heaven, beholding the godless rage of the tyrant and as thou wast put to death by his decree, O Demetrios, we cry out to you thus:
Rejoice, sacred pinnacle of the martyrs,
Rejoice, joyous radiance of the saints.
Rejoice, for thou wast placed in a pit as one condemned,
Rejoice, for thou didst ascend to Heaven as one without a body.
Rejoice, dweller in the ranks of the angels,
Rejoice thou who didst bear the tortures of the tyrant.
Rejoice, for thou despisest the wiles of the enemies,
Rejoice, for thy soul now dwellest in Heaven.
Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.
Kontakion I: O faithful, let us praise with hymns and divine praises the Myrrhstreamer, who hast deposed the cruelty of the tyrant, and conquered the audacity of Lyaios, and preached Christ as God clearly, and let us cry out to him: Rejoice, O Martyr Demetrios.