Oh, great warrior and martyr of Christ, look at the Orthodox people seeking for your help! Pour on us the ointment of your courage so we can defeat the proud enemy who lures us with his deception, so that we may freely embrace Christ in the Holy Spirit and Truth. Rejoice, our Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, daring of our Church!
On this Sunday, the sanctuary of the Forerunner at the Bigorski Monastery was filled with the glory of the never-setting light of Christ’s Resurrection and with the grace of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, the invincible warrior of Christ, who enlightened the city of Thessaloniki with his martyrdom and was glorified in the Heavenly Kingdom. Graceful waves of God’s mercy and love endowed the present faithful who were solemnly celebrating and rejoicing with holy triumphant chants and hymns of the resurrection, cordially gathered around their Spiritual Father, Elder and Abbot, the Bishop Parthenius, who with his Christ-loving soul, enabled us to truly feel the great and miraculous events of the Resurrection and the martyrdom of the Holy Great Martyr Demetruis. The veneration of the relics of the Holy Great Martyr and the fragrant myrrh coming out of it filled us with an unspeakable joy, a noble feeling and deep gratitude to the Bridegroom Christ, Who honoured us with the glimpse of that heavenly joy. The Holy Great Martyr having been pierced in the rib as was our Savior on Golgotha, painted the Church with his precious blood as and enriched it with the most beautiful ornaments and fragrances, leaving us a wonderful example of unwavering faith, hope and unspeakable love. Let all creations rejoice in the name of the powerful protector, whose prayers reach God’s Heavenly Doors. Namely, incomprehensible to us is how fast The Holy and Great Demetrius listens to our prayers, and promptly responds with his consolation, visiting those in need, performing miraculous and numerous healing to those who are suffering. That is why the humble voices of all the present faithful echoed as a symphony throughout the spiritual verses sung in honor of this Great Martyr. May the Saint support us in the daily monastic struggle of bloodless martyrdom, so that we could bravely walk the path, preserve the faith, thus receive the crown of victory from our Lord, rejoicing in the Resurrection together with the Holy Great Martyr for ever! Amen.
