Icon of Saint Spyridon - https://orthodoxgladness.blogspot.com/2020/06/st-spyridon.html
Saint Spyridon was born on the island of Cyprus, where he lived a simple farming life with his wife and children. When his wife passed away, he devoted his life entirely to God, later becoming the bishop of Tremithus, Cyprus. Despite this, he continued to work in his fields and care for his livestock. He did not use the fruits of his labor for himself but rather for charity, giving away his possessions to those in need.
Church historians note that Saint Spyridon took part in the first council of Nicaea, converting many to Christianity and defending the trinity against Arians. When he debated a Greek philosopher on Arianism, he gave a powerful speech on the importance of God’s wisdom over man’s. “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.”
The things of God were not meant to be understood by human reason but by his revelation to the world; the philosopher was convinced by this and became his defender. He later miraculously demonstrated the trinity; he took a brick and then squeezed it; water dripped to the ground, and fire shot up from the brick, leaving only dust in the saint’s hand. Spyridon explained that there were three elements that make up one brick, just as the three persons of the trinity make up one God.
Spyridon performed many miracles throughout his life with the power of Christ; his prayers healed the sick and cast out demons. One time, his friend was falsely accused and sentenced to death; while rushing to save his life, an unanticipated flood had blocked his path. Spyridon commanded the downpour to stop, and it did, allowing him to make it to the judge in time. Witnessing the miracle, the judge set his friend free.
Another miracle occurred when a group of thieves planned to steal the sheep of Saint Spyridon. They had broken into where the sheep were kept, but an invisible force kept them tied up. The saint found them the following day but had mercy on them, giving them a sheep and telling them to walk away from their criminal life. These miracles led to him being named “the wonderworker.”
The many miracles of Saint Spyridon -https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2016/12/8-miracles-of-saint-spyridon.html
Spyridon impacted many others, both in his time and with Christians today. Saint Simeon Metaphrastes, an author of his life, compared his hospitality to that of Abraham’s. There are countless stories of his wisdom and grace to others and how people would change after encountering him. The life he led for Christ made him a saint, and he is still venerated today by the Orthodox and Catholic churches today.
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