Once again this year, the feast of Saint Isidoros the Great Martyr was celebrated with resplendence on Sunday, May 20th (one week before his feast, due to Pentecost) at the Holy Church of St. Isidoros in Bethpage of Long Island, New York. Metropolitan Demetrius brightened the Feast with his presence, starting in the evening before with Great Vespers, and on Sunday morning, when he celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
Life of St. Isidoros
The Holy Great-Martyr Isidoros was from Alexandria, Egypt. He served as a soldier and was positioned in the reserve unit. He arrived at the island of Chios, Greece, on the military ships of the ruler Noumerios, where he was accused of being a Christian. He was martyred during the reign of the Emperor Dekius, 249-251 BC. With courage and daring, he confessed his Faith in Christ, and submitted to horrible tortures by Noumerios, who sought to change his mind. Even the Saint’s father arrived from Alexandria in order to change his child’s mind and get him to worship the idols. However, seeing that the Saint was firm in his Faith in Christ, Isidoros’s father was so enraged, that he ordered his son to be tied with ropes to wild horses, and to be dragged through the mountains, over stones and rough terrain. In the end, they ordered that the Saint’s head be cut off.
Tradition tells us that the martyrdom of St. Isidoros, when his body was torn as the wild horses dragged him around the island, caused the schinos trees to cry; schinos trees are abundant on Chios, and the Saint was dragged around them during his martyrdom. Even to this day, the schinos trees continue to weep as they produce the renowned aromatic Masticha, unique in the world, which, in appearance, looks like a teardrop falling from the tree.
With his martyrdom, St. Isidoros truly sanctified the island of Chios, which honors him and celebrates his memory. A portion of the holy relics of St. Isidoros can be found on Chios.
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Γιορτάστηκε και φέτος με κάθε μεγαλοπρέπεια η μνήμη του Αγίου Μεγαλομάρτυρος Ισιδώρου την Κυριακή 20 Μαΐου (μια βδομάδα νωρίτερα της μνήμης του, λόγω Πεντηκοστής) στον Ιερό Ναό Αγίου Ισιδώρου στο Bethpage του Long Island, της Νέας Υόρκης. Ο Μητροπολίτης Δημήτριος ελάμπρυνε την εορτή με την παρουσία του, από το βράδι της παραμονής στον πανηγυρικό Εσπερινό και το πρωί της Κυριακής που ετέλεσε την Θεία Λειτουργία.
Βοίος του Αγίου Ισίδωρου
Ο Άγιος Μεγαλομάρτυς Ισίδωρος καταγόταν από την Αλεξάνδρεια της Αιγύπτου. Υπηρετούσε ως στρατιώτης και είχε τη θέση του εφεδρικού. Έφτασε στη Χίο με στρατιωτικά πλοία του ηγεμόνος Νουμερίου και κατηγορήθηκε ως Χριστιανός. Μαρτύρησε στους χρόνους του αυτοκράτορα Δεκίου, 249-251 μ.χ. Με θάρρος και τόλμη ομολόγησε την πίστη του στον Χριστό και δέχτηκε φρικτά βασανιστήρια από τον Νουμέριο για να αλλάξει την γνώμη του. Ακόμα και ο πατέρας του έφτασε από την Αλεξάνδρεια για να αλλάξει την γνώμη του παιδιού του, για να προσκυνήσει τα είδωλα. Όμως, βλέποντας ότι ο Άγιος παρέμενε σταθερός στην πίστη του Χριστού, τόσο πολύ οργίστηκε ο πατέρας, ώστε έβαλε να δέσουν το παιδί του με σχοινιά και να το τραβούν αγριεμένα άλογα μέσα στα βουνά, στα βράχια και στις πέτρες. Τέλος του έκοψαν το κεφάλι.
Η παράδοση αναφέρει ότι το μαρτύριο του Αγίου, όταν τον έσερναν τα άγρια άλογα στο νησί και κατασχιζόταν το σώμα του, έγινε η αιτία να δακρύσουν τα δέντρα του σχοίνου που βρίσκονται άφθονα στη Χίο, και από όπου πέρασε ο Άγιος. Ακόμα έως σήμερα, δακρύζουν οι σχοίνοι και παράγουν την διάσημη αρωματική Μαστίχα, μοναδική στον κόσμο, που φαίνεται όμοια με δάκρυ που στάζει από το δέντρο.
Ο Άγιος Ισίδωρος με το Μαρτύριο του αγίασε πράγματι το νησί της Χίου που τον τιμά και τον γιορτάζει. Τμήμα από το Τίμιο Λείψανο του Αγίου φυλάσσεται στην Χίο.
This miracle of Saint Spyridon took place in Mandra, Greece in 1926.
It was 12/25 December, 1926. The state Church of Greece adopted the Papal calendar and with the help of the Greek government persecuted all those who did not accept the Papal calendar. The faithful Orthodox Christians of Mandra woke up and headed to their Church to celebrate the Feast of Saint Spyridon. When they reached the Church they saw that the door to the Church had been secured with chains and the faithful could not enter. Before leaving the Church to return to their homes they stuck their candles on the door. As soon as the last person placed his candles on the door
the chains broke and fell. The faithful, confirmed in their Faith, entered the Church and celebrated the Feast of Saint Spyridon.
The miracle was reported the next day by the newspaper Skrip.
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