I want to share my story of help from Saint Spyridon. There was a situation in my life when I had no funds to pay a loan. Salaries at the company were seriously delayed, and during this period my husband was looking for a new job.
What to do? I didn’t dare ask my relatives; their financial capabilities at that time were not very high. Take out another loan? We decided at the family council that this was a bad solution. All that remains is to ask for help from higher powers.
I began to pray to Spyridon of Trimythous, because this saint always helps honest people in solving material problems. I prayed for just three days - I read the canonical prayers and the akathist, and help came!
Unexpectedly, my work paid me my salary, and added a bonus for days of waiting, plus they promised a good bonus at the end of the year (which actually happened later). And a couple of days later, my husband was offered a very worthy job option.
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I thanked Saint Spyridon with all my heart! I am sure that it was his help that became the reason for solving my problems.
The most interesting thing is that as soon as I started reading prayers, my worries and fears simply went away. I felt that my request was heard, that I was under the protection of higher powers. Despite the fact that I had no opportunity to improve my financial situation, I completely stopped worrying.
Prayers for health
Prayer to Saint Spyridon helps to heal from many illnesses, including mental ones. After all, even during his lifetime, the saint knew how to cope with illnesses and even resurrect the dead.
Once, the Emperor of Byzantium, Constantine, who had suffered from terrible headaches for many years, turned to the saint for help. Not a single doctor could save Constantine from suffering. And then the emperor saw a dream in which the bishop healed his pain. The emperor invited bishops from all over Byzantium one after another, and no one could help him recover. And then a beggar came to the palace. The guards wanted to drive him away, and one of the guards hit the tramp on the cheek.
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Cooler than the belt of the Virgin Mary. Where are Orthodox relics kept in Moscow? But he only humbly substituted the other. And then the guard realized that he was not dealing with an ordinary beggar. It turned out that in front of him was Bishop Spyridon from the city of Trimifunt. The saint was immediately admitted to the imperial chambers and with one touch of his hand healed Constantine. As a reward, he received a huge amount of money, which he immediately distributed to the poor.
Since then, people have believed that turning to the saint helps to cope with various ailments.
Prayer appeal to Spyridon of Trimifuntsky
It is better to read the prayer to the Wonderworker before his image. You can visit a temple where there is an icon of the Saint or purchase his image in a church shop. Sincere prayer about the urgent and necessary, coming from a believing soul, will always be heard by God's Pleasant and will help a person.
How to pray correctly
The most correct thing would be to read the akathist to the Saint for 40 days, every day. But for various reasons, not every believer can cope with such a task. At the same time, you need to know that prayer can always be read, but akathists cannot be read during fasting.
To read the prayer you need:
- stand in front of the image of the Wonderworker;
- mentally or loudly addressing him, express your request;
- start reading the prayer.
You need to pray every morning and evening, saying the prayer three times. All this time you need to keep the image of a saint in your soul and not allow sinful thoughts .
The time it takes to fulfill the request varies. It depends on the essence of what is asked and the person’s faith in God’s Providence. Sometimes a person's problem is resolved within a few days, and sometimes it takes several months. Each believer must understand for himself, but still it would be useful to remind that what he asks should not be to the detriment of other people .
After reading the prayer to the Holy Elder, you should say words of gratitude . This makes a big difference. You need to be grateful for attracting help, intercession and enlightenment. It would be nice to accompany the prayer word with pious actions and deeds.
Prayer for money, prosperity
O blessed Saint Spyridon!
Beseech the mercy and love of God to not condemn us for our iniquity, but to deal with us according to His mercy. Ask us, God's servants (names), from Christ and God for our peaceful, serene life, mental and physical health. Deliver us from all spiritual and physical troubles, from all yearnings and the devil’s slander.
Remember us at the throne of the Almighty and beg the Lord to grant us forgiveness for many of our sins, grant us a comfortable and peaceful life, and grant us the death of a non-fasting and peaceful life and eternal bliss in the future, so that we may continually send glory and thanksgiving to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit , now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
This is one of three prayers to the Saint; their texts can be purchased at the church store.
Other well-being issues
The prayer to Spyridon of Trimifuntsky for housing sounds the same, since a person’s lack of a decent home speaks of his troubles. In this case, as in all others, a person must remember and distinguish between what is necessary and what is unnecessary. You should not ask for a second or even tenth apartment for yourself.
The text of this prayer is read when looking for a job, or if the work is related to trade, sale, for example, of cars, apartments, or other large transactions. In cases where income is not constant. Prayer to the Wonderworker for the sale of an apartment, according to the recognition of parishioners of many Orthodox churches, brings success in resolving this difficult problem.
Good human health is also a component of well-being. Even such a complex disease as cancer can be overcome by the power of faith, fasting and prayer.
A believer should regularly attend church services, including water blessings and other prayer services, and listen to the reading of prayers, troparions, and kontakia for the Holy Saints. It is necessary to devote time to reading the psalms; for this you can buy a psalter in the church shop.
Requests for a roof over your head
Saint Spyridon often provides assistance in housing issues - those who want to find a roof over their heads, sell or buy housing, or rent out an apartment pray to him.
The fact is that the saint once saved the island of Cyprus from a flood, which could have left many residents homeless.
At the beginning, there was a severe drought on the island, and the peasants turned to Spiridon with a request to pray for rain. As soon as the bishop finished his prayer, clouds gathered and a heavy downpour began, which in a few days flooded almost the entire island.
And then the saint again turned to the Lord to save the people of Cyprus from inevitable death and ruin. And the rain stopped as if by magic! The houses remained intact, and the fields turned green and began to bear crops.
Cancer at the solemn ceremony of welcoming the relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous, brought to Russia from the Greek island of Corfu, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Pyatakov
How does it help?
Prayer to Spyridon of Trimifuntsky helps in many matters. He is asked to help with:
- healing from illness;
- resolving material issues;
- improving family relationships;
- concluding successful real estate transactions;
- controversial situations.
During his lifetime, Saint Spyridon never left anyone in trouble. He was asked for help in unfavorable years, when there was poor harvest and the threat of famine loomed. He knew how to resurrect the dead. But the saint always said that you need to take care first of all about the soul and its condition. This principle should be followed by anyone who wants to ask a saint for something.
Important! If the desire is consistent with moral principles and does not pose a threat to anyone, then you can safely ask for its fulfillment.
Help with money matters
Prayer to the saint helps resolve financial issues, achieve justice and repay debts or, conversely, borrow money.
Throughout his life, Spiridon helped the poor - he simply gave away part of his income, and gave the other as an interest-free loan to those in need.
One day a ship owner approached the saint; he wanted to borrow money to equip a ship. The saint immediately gave him the required amount. When the time came, the merchant returned to repay the debt. The saint asked to put the money in the casket, but he himself did not even look to see whether the shipowner really put coins in the casket.
The next time the merchant again turned to Spiridon with the same request, and again it was fulfilled. This was repeated several times, and the sailor always repaid his debts in full, honestly returning all the coins to the chest. One day, the shipowner was overcome by greed and he decided not to return the gold to the box - after all, Spiridon never checked whether the money was there anyway. But when the merchant again asked for money, Spiridon said: “Take the gold in the casket, you yourself put it there.”
And then the deception was revealed - the dishonest merchant had no choice but to admit to the fraud. Spiridon immediately forgave him.
Temple of the Saint on the island of Corfu. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
At the relics of St. Spyridon: notes of a pilgrim. Lyudmila Lis
I have a lot connected with Saint Spyridon of Trimythous. I had long dreamed of going to see him, but things didn’t work out.
No matter what church I was in, I always looked for its icon with my eyes and was so happy when I found it.
Hope never left me, prayer never stopped. My trip became possible only after difficult trials and the revealed mercy of God. The enemy of the human race did not sleep and kept putting up all sorts of obstacles. I was denied air tickets twice after paying with a bank card. Moreover, the second time they refused the very next day after paying for the hotel. I even thought that the Saint himself did not bless me to go to him. I was strengthened by the blessing of the priest of our parish, who told me that Corfu is heaven on earth. However, it turned out that all temptations ended as soon as the plane landed on the island of Corfu.
It is worth keeping in mind that mostly charters fly to Corfu, so quite often the schedule is not respected - delays are possible. Flights, as usual, are at night; on the one hand, this is tiring, but on the other hand, arriving early in the morning in Kerkyra is very convenient for visiting St. Spyridon.
You can take a taxi directly from the terminal for 10 euros. Taxi drivers speak English, but suffice it to say in Greek: Agios Spyridonos. It doesn't take long to get from the airport to the temple by car - only about seven minutes.
The Church of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky was built in 1589-1594. Its bell tower is the tallest building in Kerkyra. The church had many donors. Even Catholics made contributions. Empress Catherine II and Emperor Paul I also took care of the decoration of this temple. The frescoes on the ceiling amaze with their beauty and abundance of gold, and the marble iconostasis is also unusual. Since ancient times, the temple of St. Spyridon has remained one of the richest in the East.
The gratitude of people who believe in God does not dry up, as does the help of the saint.
“Candles for both health and repose are placed in one place. This tradition makes sense, because with God all people are alive.”
The temple is open daily, and services are held there every day. After the Liturgy, the shrine with the relics is opened with two keys by two priests, and you can venerate the relics. Candles are taken on the street near the temple, and there is also a candlestick near the icon of St. Spyridon, who greets and blesses those who come to him. There are human-sized candles. They cost 5 euros, ordinary small candles - for a donation, anyone can throw money into the box at their own discretion. There are only two candlesticks inside the temple, apparently because of the heat it is not customary to light many candles. On the street, the icon of the saint has a marble candlestick for large candles and a sand one for small ones. Candles for both health and repose are placed in one place. This tradition makes sense, because with God all people are alive.
There are a lot of people at the service: pilgrims and local residents. It is always easy to distinguish Russians: ours stand reverently at the service - the Greeks pray while sitting. Greek women are very friendly and friendly, they will always help and tell you what and how. It is interesting to watch how the lucky ones who live here permanently enter the temple while going about their business. They enter the left door, approach the relics (you can also approach them during the service, only the shrine is closed), venerate the shrine, pray, take a blessing from St. Spyridon and go out the right door.
“If you put a cross on a note, the Greeks will think it’s a note of repose. Therefore, there is no need to draw a cross on a health note.”
A basket for notes stands to the left of the altar; you can order a magpie, a prayer service, and submit regular memorial notes. The only thing is that names need to be written in Latin. And if you put a cross on the note, the Greeks will think that the note is about repose. Therefore, there is no need to draw a cross on the health note.
There, to the left of the altar, there is a church store, where pilgrims are given a free piece of St. Spyridon’s velvet shoes, affectionately called “slippers,” and you can also buy oil, icons and incense. It is worth remembering that on the way back the oil must be checked in as luggage; many pilgrims complained that they had to leave all the purchased oil at the local airport because it was recognized as a flammable and explosive material. Since I arrived light and without luggage, I had to buy a small suitcase for the sake of oil.
I thought that many people, my compatriots, had visited this temple before me, among them Fyodor Ushakov, who later became a saint, and the Russian writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol.
Staying later in the Optina Hermitage, Gogol told all the brethren the details of his trip to Corfu. Among the pilgrims not far from Nikolai Vasilyevich there was an English traveler who did not believe in the incorruption of the relics of Saint Spyridon. He said that, most likely, there were incisions on the Saint’s back, and through them his body was carefully embalmed.
When the skeptic approached the relics, in front of the entire crowd, Saint Spyridon stood up from his shrine and turned his back to the Englishman. Nothing is known about the further fate of the stricken infidel, but this incident made an indelible impression on Gogol.
I would like to tell you about the most incredible miraculous incident associated with this holy saint. One day a train was crossing a bridge over a water canal. A little boy leaned out of the window and fell into the water. They searched for him for several days and could not find him either alive or dead. The unfortunate mother came to pray to Saint Spyridon for mercy. But what was the surprise of all those present when, having opened the shrine with the relics, they found the child alive and unharmed in the arms of the saint.
The service is over. There are many communicants for a weekday: a large group of pilgrims from Russia with their priest and elderly Greeks. After Communion, a line forms to see the relics. I’m surprised that there are so few people visiting such a great saint. No, this is not Russia. When the right hand of St. Spyridon was brought to our country, 1.3 million people venerated it within a few days.
For a minute my heart skips a beat: it’s scary, what if the shrine with the relics doesn’t open? This happens if Saint Spyridon is not in cancer. Sometimes he goes on business when someone needs his help. Fear gives way to joy - the cancer has opened!
I see silver plates in the hands of pilgrims. Later I discovered such plates in many Greek temples near icons. It turned out that these silver plates are a kind of “notes” to the saint. Various designs are stamped on the plate using embossing: a baby, wedding rings, a house, eyes, arms, legs, and there is even a right and a left. On such a plate, the name of the person for whom St. Spyridon is asked to intercede with God is written with a marker. If a woman cannot give birth, she writes her name on a plate with a picture of a baby; if someone has eye pain, then the name is written on a plate with pictures of eyes, etc. The silver plate must be given into the hands of the priest, who stands at the feet of the Saint. The priest applies it to the “slippers” of St. Spyridon, and then places it on the shrine. You can also give the priest a paper note with names, he will also pray for your loved ones.
In search of silver plates, I left the temple and immediately met a friendly Russian woman named Natasha. She told me the details about these records. A silver plate is not only a note, but also a donation. In Russia, too, miraculous icons are often decorated with rings, chains, and gold crosses, which people give to the church as a token of gratitude for healing. And in Greece, a silver “note” is just a request, and in gratitude for the healing, people buy a silver lamp and bring it to the temple. There are a lot of such lamps hanging over the relics of St. Spyridon, and there is even one gold one.
Natasha told me that the record can be bought in any store across the street, of which there are a great many around the Church of St. Spyridon of Trimythous. Almost all the sellers here are Russian-speaking, and this makes you happy. You immediately start to feel at home.
Natasha turned out to be from Donetsk; she and her husband moved to Corfu in the early 90s of the last century. Things were not going well for them, there was no work, and in 2014 they decided to return to Donetsk. A week before leaving, Natasha came to ask St. Spyridon for a blessing on her way home. After she venerated the relics and left the temple on the street, a friend approached her and said that a Russian-speaking salesperson was needed for the store, which was located just opposite the entrance to the temple. Natasha took this as a sign that Saint Spyridon did not give his blessing to leave. Having reached an agreement with the employer, she made her husband happy, and they stayed. And in December, war began in Ukraine. Natasha is very grateful to Saint Spyridon for his concern for their family. Her husband Victor now takes tourists to holy places, and Natasha actually spends all day nearby with St. Spyridon. What a blessing it is to have such a heavenly intercessor before God!
So, the plates were purchased, names were written on them, and the line at the relics decreased. The soul trembles joyfully again. Holy Hierarch Father Spyridon, pray to God for us! To be close to such a great holy man, to kiss his feet, when you are unworthy to even stand next to him due to your sins, is a huge consolation from God! There are tears of tenderness and repentance in my eyes. There is silence in the heart under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and the requests that were just repeated in line fade into the background, almost forgotten as something insignificant compared to the desire for the salvation of the soul. It’s as if the Saint and I are no longer on earth, but in heaven, and nothing earthly touches us, but only pleases us with the uncreated light and delicate fragrance spreading around us.
The relics of Saint Spyridon have the weight of a living person and have a temperature of 36.6. This is inexplicable from a scientific point of view. Several times a year, local priests change the saint’s worn-out shoes and feel the reciprocal movements of his feet towards him. Isn’t it a miracle, considering that St. Spyridon, a contemporary of Nicholas the Wonderworker, lived in the 4th century? And he still works, takes care of people, and does not leave us sinners without care.
After venerating the relics of St. Spyridon, I went to a shop where I bought a small icon with a piece of a shoe. On the icon, the saint is depicted in a shepherd’s cap (before becoming a priest, he was a shepherd); in his right hand, the Saint clutches a brick, from which fire erupted and water flowed out more than 1,500 years ago. Thus, he, who did not have the gift of eloquence, managed to convince many bishops at the Council of Nicaea who had fallen into the Arian heresy. They denied Christ as God, claiming that there was a time when He did not exist. By the power of God, dividing an ordinary brick into three elements: fire, water and clay, Saint Spyridon without words proved the trinity of God: the Father, the Word and the Spirit.
This icon is alive and warm. Everyone at home feels the presence of St. Spyridon in our home. Everything is now done with an eye on him and the sign of the cross.
This is a great responsibility. After all, the Saint vouched for us before God.
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Our information
Spyridon of Trimifuntsky was born in Cyprus around 270. From early childhood he tended sheep and led a righteous life.
For his good deeds, the Lord rewarded Spiridon with the gift of healing people, foreseeing the future and casting out demons.
Spyridon was married and had a daughter, Irina, but soon after his marriage the saint became a widower, and then his daughter also died.
However, Spiridon did not become despondent, but continued to serve God and people.
During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine, Spyridon was elected bishop of the city of Trimifunt.
The saint died around 348 while praying.
It is believed that prayer to the saint helps to recover from illnesses, find shelter and good luck in financial matters.
They say that sometimes the body of a saint leaves the shrine with his relics, because in order to help the suffering, Spyridon often goes to earth. This version is supported by the fact that the saint’s shoes constantly wear out.
Life of a Saint
Spyridon of Trimifuntsky was ordained to the rank of bishop for his holy and God-fearing life. Previously, he was a simple landowner, but was awarded a high church title for his humility and loyalty to the Lord. But this did not affect his modest character: Spiridon continued to engage in agriculture and combine earthly work with spiritual work. The saint died with a prayer on his lips, his soul easily parted with his mortal body.
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Saint Spyridon performed many miracles during his life, but he never tired of thanking God for the gift he received. One day a mother came to him with a dead baby in her arms. The saint prayed for the baby, and he literally came to life before everyone’s eyes. Seeing such a miracle, the mother fainted. Then the saint had to bring her back to life.
Every year the saint’s relics are dressed in new clothes, and the old ones are taken apart by believers piece by piece. Every year the saint is given new slippers, but after a year they are worn out.
Christians believe that Saint Spyridon tirelessly walks and helps people in all their troubles and weaknesses.
Where can you venerate the relics of Saint Spyridon? You can go on a pilgrimage to Greece to the island of Kerkyra. In Russia, part of the relics and the saint’s shoe are in the Danilov Monastery. They also honor St. Spiridon and Novgorod.
