Each year, on October 26th, the Orthodox Church commemorates the feast of St Great Martyr Demetrius the Myrrh-gusher.
In Bucharest, the Divine Liturgy was officiated at the outer altar next to the Patriarchal Cathedral by an assembly of bishops led by His Eminence Pavlos, Metropolitan of Drama. Together with Metropolitan Pavlos concelebrated His Eminence Teodosie, Archbishop of Tomis; His Grace Siluan, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary; His Grace Macarie, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Northern Europe; His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul (of Prahova), Assistant Bishop to the Archbishopric of Bucharest; priests and deacons.
In his sermon, His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos referred to St Great Martyr Demetrius and the fact that he exchanged the worldly dignities for the unchangeable spiritual values. The Greek Metropolitan also decried the fact that in our days more and more people choose to give up any value in exchange for important dignities.
His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos added that the primary care of St Demetrius was represented by youth; youth that today most need models and guiding.
“In an era such as today there is a need of a loving mission in order to guide youth towards Christ. In an era in which atheism and spiritual corruption determine the young people to live a licentious life, a life dominated by pleasures, there is a need of Christians imitating St Paul the Apostle and St Demetrius the Great Martyr, and who by their word and example of living can call young people to true life.”
Although he was an officer of the Roman Army, St Great Martyr Demetrius was actually a soldier of Christ. He was a Christian in a time in which being a Christian had a great cost. This means that no matter the dignity one holds, he can still be a soldier of Christ our Saviour and of His Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos also underlined.
“One’s profession or dignity does not represent an obstacle for Christian life and faith. Do you think that in our days there are no new martyrs shown? In Middle-East countries the pitiless sword of Islam cuts down authentic Christians and counts them in the same army of St Great Martyr Demetrius. Because our saint was and is an imitator of Christ, it would be best for us to establish ourselves in the likeness of Christ; let us imitate the saints, according to the word of St Paul the Apostle: ‘Therefore I urge you, imitate me, (as I imitate Christ)’”.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence thanked His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel for the honour of concelebrating on the Hill of the Patriarchate. He also congratulated the faithful for their godliness and dedication shown on the occasion of this pilgrimage.
“You are the praise, the blessing and the strengthening of the Romanian Orthodox Church. You are the boast of this Church. Remain always close to the Church.”
The liturgical responses were offered by the psaltic group Tronos of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest.
St Demetrius the Myrrh-gusher is one of the great martyrs, wonderworkers and healers of the Christian Church. He lived during the 3rd century, during the reigns of the Roman Emperors Maximian and Diocletian, and was a general of the army of Thessalia and a proconsul of Greece.
He was martyred in the year 306 because he did not deny his faith in Christ our Saviour.
