Saint Spyridon: shepherd, bishop, and defender of the Trinity at Nicaea
The post shares a video recounting the life of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous. Born in Cyprus around 270 AD, he worked as a shepherd, married, and after his wife's death entrusted his daughter to the church and entered monastic life. The video describes his miracles: he halted robbers, parted a stream to save the innocent, had choirs of angels chant during empty divine services, and healed the sick; his generosity and true faith made him widely known.
His reputation led to his consecration as bishop during the Arian controversy, when followers of Arius denied the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit, considering both as creatures. On his way to the Council of Nicaea, Arians decapitated his horses while he slept at an inn; he placed the heads on the bodies, prayed, and the horses were resurrected, though the heads were mixed up and discovered only in the morning.
When Arians bribed shipmasters to block his crossing, he made the sign of the cross, spread his cloak on the water, stepped onto it, and sailed across, arriving before his adversaries. At the council, the Arian advocate Eulogius presented heretical views well, stunning many bishops, but Saint Spyridon stepped forward and proclaimed the Orthodox faith: God created all by his Word and Spirit, the Word is the Son of God who became incarnate, suffered, died, rose, and is of one essence with the Father, a mystery beyond human comprehension.
He took a brick, squeezed it, and in the name of the Father fire burst forth, in the name of the Son water flowed, and in the name of the Holy Spirit dry clay remained; he said the three elements are one brick, just as the Trinity is three persons but one Godhead. The council was astonished, Eulogius accepted his words and acknowledged his error, renounced his heresies in the church, Orthodoxy prevailed, and the Arians were excommunicated.
The caption accompanying the video notes that the saint's relics remain incorrupt after nearly 1700 years and contrasts Orthodox saints with modern pastors and heterodox groups.
Key moments
- 0:00 Saint Spiridon was born in Cyprus in 270 AD, was a shepherd from a humble family, married, became a widower, entrusted his daughter to the church community, and entered monastic life.
- 0:00 He halted robbers, parted streams to save the innocent, had choirs of angels chant in his empty divine services, and healed the sick, and his generosity and true faith made him incredibly well-known.
- 0:31 He became a bishop during the Arian controversy, when the followers of Arius were numerous and refused to acknowledge the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit, considering both as creatures.
- 0:31 On the road to the Council of Nicaea, the Arians decapitated his horses while he slept at an inn; he placed the heads on the bodies, prayed, and the horses were resurrected, though the heads were mixed up and discovered only in the morning.
- 1:03 The Arians bribed shipmasters to prevent him from crossing the water to Nicaea; he made the sign of the cross, spread his cloak, stepped onto it, and sailed across, arriving before his adversaries.
- 1:33 At the council, Eulogius presented heretical views well, stunning many bishops, but Saint Spiridon stepped forward and proclaimed the Orthodox faith: God created all by his Word and Spirit, the Word is the Son of God who became incarnate, suffered, died, rose, and is of one essence with the Father, a mystery beyond human comprehension.
- 2:04 He took a brick, squeezed it, and in the name of the Father fire burst forth, in the name of the Son water flowed, and in the name of the Holy Spirit dry clay remained; he said the three elements are one brick, just as the Trinity is three persons but one Godhead.
- 2:04 The council was astonished, Eulogius accepted his words and acknowledged his error, renounced his heresies in the church, Orthodoxy prevailed, and the Arians were excommunicated.