The slipper of Spiridon of Trimifuntsky: where it is located and what they ask for, the history of the relics

What are they asking for?

This saint of God lived and labored 17 centuries ago in Greece, but gained great popularity among the Russian people. Through his prayers, the drought ended and the rains fell, those in need received help, and sinners were admonished.

Wonderworker Spyridon of Trimifuntsky

Thousands of people stand in line to venerate the relics of St. Spyridon. Sometimes they have to stay overnight all night. In their prayers to him, believers ask:

well-being in the family;
health;
assistance on the road;
solutions to everyday problems;
about real estate;
about debt repayment;
much more.

More about prayers to the saint:

Prayers to Saint Spyridon of Trimythous
Akathist to Saint Spyridon

Advice!
Especially Spiridon of Trimifuntsky helps in financial and everyday difficulties, and is a good assistant in business and business matters. The saint is also known as the patron saint of children. Parents offer prayers to him for their health and well-being. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, by the grace given to him by God, hears and accepts prayers from all corners of the Universe.

What did the old man look like?

By his appearance, you can unmistakably recognize Saint Spyridon on icons; you won’t confuse him with anyone. On icons he is depicted wearing a simple shepherd's hat, called a kidar, woven from palm branches. This simple shepherd's tiara became more glorious to him than all the well-decorated episcopal mitres.

The people in Trimifunt revered their shepherd, although he lived simply and was always seen dressed in the most modest clothes. In his hands he carried a palm staff, and on his neck a clay vessel, in which the holy oil from the Cross of the Lord was usually kept.

One day, this wretched outfit misled the arrogant courtier, who, seeing a poor wanderer entering the palace, hit the bishop in the face. And the saint, with humility, turned the other cheek to the angry one, according to the commandment. The taken aback nobleman only then, having regained his sight, saw who was standing in front of him.

Ashamed of the saint’s meekness and asking for forgiveness, he led Spyridon to the palace to the Emperor Constantius, who had long been suffering from an incurable illness.

The monarch had a dream in which an Angel named the name of a person whose prayer could heal this serious illness, and the whole court was waiting for Spiridon.

As soon as Constantius, standing up, bowed his head under the blessing of the Bishop of Trimifuntus, entering the throne room, and the hand of the saint touched the august head, the emperor was delivered from suffering, completely healed.

In gratitude for the miraculous help, the sovereign began to offer the bishop gold, but he refused, because he came to the palace for the glory of God, and not for a reward.

The emperor insisted, then Spyridon gave the sovereign and the entire court a pastoral lesson in selfless service to God and people: having accepted the gold and leaving the palace, he distributed everything to the poor.

Shocked by the saint’s dispassion and indifference to earthly wealth, the emperor himself distributed rich alms to the poor and from then on ordered the holy Church to be freed from taxes to the state treasury, for “it is indecent for the servants of the Immortal King to pay tribute to a mortal king.”

History of the relics

Saint Spyridon died during prayer. At that time he was already 80 years old. This happened in 348. Until the mid-7th century, his relics were kept in the city where he served as bishop - Trimifunt. Then the saint's body was transported to Constantinople due to the Arab invasion. After the city was captured by the Ottoman Turks, the relics were taken out in 1453 through Serbia to the island. Corfu.

Corfu is one of the most beautiful islands in Greece, located northwest of the mainland. It is the only Greek territory that was not conquered by the Ottoman Empire. It is quite large, the local population is predominantly Greek. In the capital of the island, in a tangle of narrow streets, there is a church in honor of St. Spyridon, the high bell tower of which is visible from everywhere.

Relics of Spyridon of Trimifuntsky in the temple in Corfu

Any passerby will eagerly direct you to the temple of St. Spyridon. The city residents have this tradition. Many people in the morning, heading to work, always try to be blessed by the saint. The same goes for children when they go to school. First they go to Saint Spyridon, and only then to their lessons. They all do this not out of habit, but consciously.

Four times a year religious processions take place in Corfu, in which Spyridon himself participates:

11th August.
Palm Sunday, deliverance from the plague;
1st Sunday in November, also an escape from the plague;
before Easter, on Holy Saturday, help from terrible famine.

The largest celebration takes place in Corfu on August 11, when they remember the miraculous deliverance of the island's inhabitants from the Ottoman invasion. On that memorable day in the summer of 1616, when the siege of the city began from all sides, residents ran to the temple, seeking the patronage of the saint. There was no chance to survive at all, since the enemy forces were significantly superior.

Before the start of the assault, a very heavy, prolonged rain began to fall, and a storm began at sea, which destroyed a significant part of the Turkish ships. The ground assault, abandoning its cannons in water-filled trenches, hastily retreated to the remaining ships. The Turks, having suffered such losses, without even engaging in battle, retreated from Corfu and did not approach again. The memory of these events is kept in the memory of many generations; gratitude to the saint is immeasurable.

The saint repeatedly protected Corfu from enemy invasion. During the second world war, when bombs fell on the island, an irrefutable miracle happened once again. When enemy aircraft attacked the city, and most of it was already destroyed, residents began to seek shelter under the roof of the Church of St. Spiridon, calling on him for help.

The bomb that hit the church did not explode. Therefore, everyone who was hiding in the temple remained alive and was miraculously saved. This served as evidence that the saint did not abandon his protection of the island and the people inhabiting it.

Miracles during and after life

Among the episodes in the life of the saint, which clearly signify miraculous faith and special chosenness, there is a story about his victory in a dispute with an Aryan philosopher at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325.

Then, among the 318 members of the Council, wise men and righteous men who debated in defense of the Orthodox faith against the teachings of the wicked Arius, there was one simpleton - the former shepherd Spyridon, who, without words, with the help of God's inspiration, simply and clearly smashed the arguments of the Gnostic sophisticated mind that limited the existence of the Son God's

Because “the preaching of Christ is not in the words of human wisdom, but in the manifestation of the Spirit and power.”

Spyridon showed the Trinity of God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - the Consubstantial and Indivisible Trinity, taking a brick in his hands, squeezing it - water flowed down, fire rushed up, clay became in his hand.

The demonic force was afraid of Spyridon’s holiness, struck down by God’s grace, pagan idols fell from his approach. Through his life-giving prayer, vessels were filled to the brim with oil, the flow of rivers stopped their flow, destructive droughts were revived by rain, the dead rose, returning to life.

He was a seer and saw through the human soul, healed secret sins, and brought deceivers to repentance.

Spyridon is a healer of the passions of love of money and covetousness. Thus, he healed a merchant who wanted to deceive him to keep the gold he had borrowed.

Spiridon always allowed the person asking for a loan to take what he needed from the pantry. The borrower exclaimed: “Won’t you come and see, what if I take away more than I ask?” Spiridon replied: “You will not take away more than you need, but you will return as much as you can.”

The deceiving merchant, having used the debt and brought it back for repayment, went to the storeroom, but only out of greed kept it and did not invest it back. And from this excess he soon went bankrupt. Having lost everything, in need the deceiver again came to ask for help from the saint.

In response to the merchant’s request for money, Spiridon, smiling through his gray mustache, sent him to take as much as he needed from the treasury. But there was nothing to take there. The covetous man had to ask for forgiveness from Spiridon and repent before God. Only by repenting and asking for the saint’s prayers was he able to change his situation.

Miracles continued even after the repose of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous. When the grave was opened many years after his death, they found incorruptible relics with soft skin and recognizable facial features. In the 7th century, the relics of the saint were transferred from Cyprus by order of Emperor Justinian II (685-695) from the danger of capture and desecration to the capital of Byzantium and remained there until the mid-15th century.

Saint's shoes

Looking into the sarcophagus with the relics, in addition to the vestments, we see on the saint’s feet velvet slippers decorated with gold embroidery. According to legend, in them the saint tirelessly travels around the world, looking for those who need his help. Gifts of gratitude to Saint Spyridon hang above the shrine with the relics. Among other things, there are many ships and boats on which are written the names of those people who received the miraculous help of the saint in response to their petition.

Slipper of Spiridon of Trimifuntsky

In the shrine lie the incorruptible relics of the saint. His head lies on a pillow and is slightly tilted - the saint seems to have fallen asleep for a while. You can see facial features, nose, lips, eyes closed. Despite the fact that these relics are one thousand seven hundred years old, it has a constant temperature of the human body. If you touch it, a dent remains, which gradually levels out. And you begin to realize that this body is imperishable.

The sarcophagus is opened twice a day for worship by believers, but sometimes this fails; the lid seems to resist. Believers believe that the saint is absent from cancer at this moment. He goes somewhere and helps those who are suffering and in need of consolation and protection. During the religious procession, the saint walks through the streets of the city, blessing everyone he meets along the way.

On the eve of the saint, during prayer chants, representatives of the clergy carefully transfer it into a special vertical shrine. When during the religious procession they carry St. Spiridon, you can see that he seems to be leaning on his legs. Before the incorruptible relics are again transferred back to the shrine, they are first carried around the temple three times. Saint Spyridon, as it were, finally blesses those praying.

The grace emanating from the saint goes to every believer. And in these shoes he goes to those who need his help. Slippers are changed every year. The old ones are distributed to people, donated to churches built in honor of St. Spyridon. And since there are not enough shoes for everyone, 2-3 meters of burgundy (red) material from which they are made are placed in the saint’s shrine.

And after that they divide it into thousands, millions of small pieces and distribute it free of charge to everyone. They are called "filahto" in Greek. Packaged in white envelopes, on the reverse side of which the face of St. Spyridon is depicted, framed by inscriptions in Greek in blue.

Important! Receiving filahto is a special blessing for every person. And when this shrine is nearby, it serves as protection for the believer. You can also purchase filahto via the Internet, paying only for postage at the rates of the country where the holy gift will be sent.

Where are they located?

The saint's cloth shoes constantly wear out. They have to be changed every year. One of the pair is divided into pieces, scraps of thread and distributed to everyone. The other is given to churches located in different parts of the world.

The saint’s slippers are already in many churches and monasteries:

the village of Afienou, near the city of Larnaca, on the island. Cyprus, Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
Alan Convent in North Ossetia;
Rostov-on-Don, Church of St. Spyridon of Trimifunt;
Kiev, Holy Protection Goloseevsky Monastery;
Krasnodar, Church of St. George the Victorious;
O. Valaam, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery;
Moscow, Danilovsky Monastery, Church of the Intercession;
in other places around the world.

On a note! In Moscow, the slipper of Spiridon of Trimifuntsky is located in the Danilovsky Monastery. To venerate the shrine, you need to get to the monastery, which is located at the address: Moscow, Danilovsky Val, 22.

In terms of kindness and responsiveness, Spiridon of Trimifuntsky is comparable to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The saint wears down more than one pair of shoes, helping the poor and sick in their needs.

Source

Day of Remembrance

Memorial Day of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky December 25 (December 12, Old Style).

In Corfu, celebrations in honor of Saint Spyridon take place several more times:

Palm Sunday celebrates the deliverance of the inhabitants of Corfu from the bubonic plague in 1629-1630. Then they saw a wonderful light over the temple of Spyridon and the city was saved.
On Holy Saturday, a litany with the relics of the saint (procession of the cross) is performed in memory of salvation from famine in the 16th century. The sailors of the ship that came to the island with bread then said that they were forced to change course by an old priest walking along the sea ahead and calling the ship to the island.
On the first Sunday of November, a procession is made with the holy relics of St. Spyridon in gratitude for the second salvation of the inhabitants of Kerkyra from the plague epidemic in 1673.

Where is the piece of “filahto” located in Moscow?

Sometimes, with the blessing of the current bishop of Corfu, the shoes taken from the saint’s feet are placed in a reliquary and donated to other Orthodox churches. Spiridon's shoes have been known in Russian churches since the 18th century (more often, however, not the shoes themselves, but particles - filahto).

A particle of the relics of Spiridon is in the temple built in honor of the Bishop of Trimifunt in Nagatinsky Zaton. Address: Moscow, Sudostroitelnaya str., 48A. Metro Technopark, Kozhukhovskaya, Pechatniki.
In the church of St. Spiridon in Fili, on Barclay Street there is a boot. Address: Moscow, Barclay St., vl. 9 (metro station Bagrationovskaya).
In the Church of the Resurrection of the Word on Uspensky Vrazhek there is a miraculous icon of the saint with a reliquary reliquary. An akathist is performed in front of the icon every week. Address: Moscow, Bryusov lane, 15/2. Metro Tverskaya, Okhotny Ryad, Chekhovskaya.

In the Danilov Monastery

The shoe of St. Spyridon in a special icon case was donated in 2007 by Metropolitan Nektarios of Kerkyra to the Danilov Monastery. The shrine with a particle of the relics of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky is kept here and now in the Intercession Church. Monastery address: Moscow, st. Danilovsky Val, 22. Metro Tulskaya, Shabolovskaya, Auto class=”aligncenter” width=”400″ height=”559″[/img]