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Thursday, October 8, 2015

Explaination of dreams ( Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos )


 

What are Dreams?
St John Climacus gives a definition of dreams: “A dream is a movement of the nous while the body is at rest.” When the body is immobilised by sleep at night, the nous – not the rational faculty – continues working. This activity of the nous is what we refer to as dreams. Whereas dreams are an activity of the nous while the body is at rest, fantasy and imagination are an illusion of the eyes “when the mind is asleep. Fantasy is ecstasy of the nous, when the body is awake. Fantasy is the vision of something which does not exist in reality.” In other words, imagination is active while a person is awake, whereas dreams come into action during sleep.

There is a distinction between dreams and visions. “A vision is something seen more or less consciously when awake. A dream is something imagined during sleep” (St John Climacus). A person perceives visions by means of his senses, but he sees dreams through the action of his nous when his body is asleep.

In addition, the saints distinguish between dreams, visions and revelations occurring during sleep. According to St Nikitas Stithatos, we can see dreams, visions and revelations while asleep, and he examines the difference between them.

Dreams are images that do not remain unchanged in the imaginative faculty of the nous. They present a confused picture with constantly-altering scenes and forms.

Visions remain constant. They do not change, “but remain imprinted on the nous unforgettably for many years.” They benefit the soul by bringing compunction and revealing fearful wonders. As a result they keep the beholder reflective and in awe.

Revelations are theorias granted to the purified and illumined soul, “in a way that transcends normal sense perception”. They reveal the mysteries of God.

St Nikitas Stithatos goes on to explain that dreams are seen by “materialistic and sensually-minded people”, whose nous is darkened by passions and whose imagination is mocked by the demons. Visions are associated with “those well advanced on the spiritual path, who have cleansed the soul’s organs of perception.” Those who purify the soul’s senses and have progressed to a high level behold visions. Revelations are for perfect Christians, “who are activated by the Holy Spirit, and whose soul is united to God through theology.”

I think these clarifications are essential in order to make a distinction between dreams and theorias of God. We shall look at this issue in the next section, when we set out the factors that distinguish dreams coming from the devil from visions and revelations sent by God during sleep. It needs to be stressed at this point that dreams mainly affect man’s imagination. They are an action of the nous while the body is asleep, and most of them are the work of demons.

Types of Dreams

As we saw above, the Fathers make a distinction between dreams, on the one hand, and visions and revelations on the other. There are, however, many Fathers who speak about dreams in general. When we study their writings we realise that the dreams we see at night, while our body and senses are inactive, have many causes. Some dreams are the result of our natural physical state and impressions made on us during the day. Others are due to passions, in other words, to unnatural impulses of the soul. Some are clearly the work of demons. There are, however, dreams that come from God and are revelations bestowed by God, or the angels as God’s messengers.

The first category encompasses those dreams which are the result of the thoughts, reflections and impressions of the day. St Basil the Great, in response to the question, “Where do shameful nocturnal fantasies originate?”, teaches that, “They result from alien movements of the soul during the day.” These alien impulses of the soul and the impressions of the day are stored in our memory and create dreams. Many dreams also originate from physical reactions.

The second category includes dreams that arise from passions, which are actions of the soul contrary to nature. When the soul’s powers are corrupted and are motivated by the impressions provided by the senses, they provoke this type of dream. We can therefore see from our dreams which passions dominate us. More will be said on this subject in the next section.

The third category of dreams, so-called demonic dreams, is horrendous. Although the devil can also exploit the other two categories of dreams, he sometimes acts independently of them. St Diadokos of Photiki states succinctly that for the most part dreams are nothing more than “images reflecting our wandering thoughts or…the mockery of demons.” The demons trick those whom they have in their power. When they gain control of someone they appear to him both sleeping and waking in the form of angels or martyrs, and grant him a revelation of purported “mysteries” and bestow supposed “spiritual gifts” on him (St John Climacos).

But how do the demons act? What is it that they stir up during sleep? Evagrios Pontikos observes that the demons “make an imprint on the nous by arousing the memory, while the activity of our bodily senses is suspended during sleep.” The demons act mostly through our memory to provoke dreams.

We know from the patristic tradition that the majority of dreams are the work of Satan and fall into the third category. The demons transform themselves into angels of light or prophets and foretell the future. However, as St John Climacus remarks, the demons know nothing about the future from foreknowledge, because if they did, they would be able to foretell our death.

The demons attack monks more than anyone else by means of dreams, because they want to provoke them to abandon their sacred task. In particular, the demons attempt to disturb novices, who have left their homes and families, “representing to [them] that [their] relatives are either grieving or dying, or are captive for [their] sake and destitute” (St John Climacus). Of course no one should pay any attention to such dreams, because they are demonic deceptions intended to lead the monk to reject and abandon the monastic way of life.

The fourth category of dreams is those coming from God. Such dreams are sometimes called revelations and are associated with inner purity. Many such dreams are recorded in Holy Scripture. I should mention in particular the dreams of Joseph, the Betrothed of the Most Holy Mother of God, concerning Christ’s conception, birth and protection. St Isaac the Syrian says that the holy angels take the likenesses of saints “and show themselves in these likenesses in dreams to the soul while its thoughts are drifting, for joy, preservation and delight.”

So there are many kinds of dream and they are due to many causes. Christians should distinguish between dreams and examine where they come from. We shall now set out some factors that indicate the origins of dreams.

In general, as St John Climacus says, if we wake up from sleep peaceful this shows that we have been comforted by the angels unawares. If, on the other hand, we wake up troubled, “we are suffering as a result of evil dreams and visions.” A dream’s origin is indicated by whether it disturbs us or brings peace. This is not, however, absolute proof, as there is a sort of joy mingled with pride which comes from the devil.

St Diadochos of Photiki says that dreams that originate from the devil do no keep the same shape, but change from one form to another, alarm the senses, resound with laughter or “suddenly become threatening.” The figures that appear in the dreams sent by demons shout and menace, transform themselves into soldiers and sometimes “screech at the soul.” By contrast, dreams that come from God do not change shape or provoke fear and horror, but bring inexpressible joy and gladness.

St John Climacus teaches that demonic dreams usually show torments, judgments and separations, and make us frightened and miserable. This is a sign of delusion. It is possible, however, for us to see torment and judgment in dreams sent by God to make us repent. The difference is that in the first case such dreams bring despair, which is a sign of demonic deception, whereas in the second case, they give rise to intense prayer, repentance and a willingness to change.

Visions during sleep, according to St Nikitas Stithatos, are not all true, nor do they all leave an imprint on the nous. True visions are seen “only by those whose nous is purified, who have cleansed the soul’s organs of perception and who are advancing towards natural theoria.” Such people have purified themselves through prolonged fasting and exercise self-control in every aspect of their lives. They do not worry about day-to-day matters and are not concerned about this present life. They live like angels and “through exertion and hardship pleasing to God they have attained the sanctuary of God, the spiritual knowledge of created beings and the wisdom of the higher world.”

In general it should be stated that dreams that come from God (which are called visions and revelations) are as far removed from dreams that come from the devil (which have a strong imaginative element) as heaven is from earth. Just as there is no similarity between created and uncreated things, there is no similarity at all between diabolic and divine dreams.

According to patristic teaching, satanic dreams are characterised by colour and change, whereas dreams from God have no colour and are unchanging. This is how we can tell the difference between those sent by God and those which result from physical illness or satanic energy. Anthropocentric psychoanalysis, which does not make this distinction between created and uncreated, and does not accept the existence of demons and their energy, is unable to distinguish between different types of dreams. Thus it goes seriously wrong, because it can categorise divine visions as delusions and hallucinations. Only someone completely integrated into the Orthodox Tradition, who has the mind of Christ and has tasted heavenly things, is able to make this distinction and heal the illnesses of his spiritual children.

Dreams and Passions

We saw earlier that one category of dreams originates from passions, whether of the body or the soul. This issue will now be examined more closely, because by studying our dreams we can observe which passions dominate us, in order to fight against them.

St John Climacus writes that the heart of gluttons dreams of food and nourishment, but the heart of those who mourn dreams of judgment and condemnation. We know from the teaching of the Fathers that the human soul has three powers or aspects: the appetitive (desiring) aspect, the incensive aspect and the rational aspect. St Symeon the New Theologian writes about how we can understand from dreams which passions dominate us the most. When the soul’s appetitive aspect is stirred up by social contact, food and enjoyment, it sees the same things in dreams. When the incensive aspect of the soul is enraged against its fellows, it dreams of attacks by wild animals and reptiles, of wars and battles. When the soul’s rational faculty is elated with arrogance and pride, it imagines itself being caught up into the air, or seated on a high throne, or in command of the nation.

St Symeon’s disciple, St Nikitas Stithatos, is more revealing. He writes that someone who has made progress in the spiritual life can see the impulses of the soul by examining dreams. If the soul loves material things and pleasure, “it dreams of acquiring possessions and having lots of money, of female figures and passionate involvements, all of which lead to the soiling and defilement of soul and body.” If someone’s soul is grasping and avaricious, “he dreams of gold everywhere, and imagines himself acquiring it, lending it out at interest and storing it up in his treasuries. And he is condemned for his callousness.” If someone is hot-tempered and vicious, “he imagines himself pursued by wild beasts and poisonous snakes and is overwhelmed with fear and cowardice.” If his soul is full of self-esteem, “he will dream of acclamation and being feted by the people, of holding positions of power and authority. ” Even when awake he imagines that what is non-existent actually exists. If someone’s soul is full of pride and arrogance “he sees himself being carried along in a splendid coach and sometimes even flying through the air on wings, while everyone trembles at his great power.” Thus we can recognise the passions in our soul from the type of dreams we have.

We ought to note, however, that not everyone can make this distinction, only someone who has been trained in this struggle and has the precious gift of discernment.

Just as the impassioned person sees dreams that correspond to his passion, so the person who loves God and is diligent in practising virtue sees good dreams. According to St Nikitas Stithatos, if someone is sincere in his struggles for godliness, he sees in his sleep the outcome of events and awe-inspiring visions are revealed to him. He prays even when asleep and he awakes with tears on his cheeks and “words addressed to God” on his lips. When a person lives all through the day with noetic prayer and has learnt to converse with God, he does the same during sleep. His dreams and revelations are linked with God and prayer. It is possible for him to say the Jesus prayer with his lips even when asleep. He feels his heart praying continuously. His nous prays without ceasing. He wakes up aware of having prayed all night. It often happens that he is attacked by the devil. Then his nous automatically begins its converse with God (noetic prayer) and the devil vanishes. Such events do not make him afraid, in spite of the devil’s appearance, but bring him joy and gladness. All day long, even for days on end, he rejoices in God’s power and in the fact that the devil was driven off by the energy of the praying nous.

Dealing with Dreams

The holy Fathers were familiar with this sacred struggle and they describe how to deal with dreams. We shall look at some aspects of their teaching. First of all, preventive action is required. Because most dreams are connected with passions and every-day impressions, we have to struggle against the passions. The more we fight against passions, or rather, the more we strive to transform the passions and powers of the soul, the more we are freed from the dreadful state of dreaming. Our liberation from dreams is linked with dispassion and purification of the heart. St John Climacus writes that, “As a mass of dung breeds a mass of worms, so a surfeit of food breeds a surfeit of falls, and evil thoughts, and dreams.” We must therefore limit our food.

As many dreams result from alien impulses of the soul, avoiding such impulses helps us to get rid of awful dreams. If we purify our soul through being in a state of hesychia, so that it “is continuously musing on things that are good and pleasing to God”, it will dream of such things at night (St Basil). Our nous should be occupied during the day in musing on God’s name. Then our dreams will bring joy and gladness because, as St Symeon the New Theologian says, “What occupies the soul and enters it while it is awake, still occupies its imagination and thoughts during sleep.”

We should also pray before going to sleep. If we fall asleep after praying, we shall have corresponding dreams. Abba Philemon exhorts, “Before going to sleep, say many prayers in your heart, and resist thoughts and the attempts of the devil to lead you where he wills…as far as you can, take care to sleep only after reciting psalms and attentive reading; and do not let your mind accept alien thoughts through negligence.” Praying before sleep and striving to cut off thoughts is a good way of dealing with bad and demonic dreams.

Then we need a good means of countering dreams after we have seen them. The most effective method of confronting dreams is to stop them abruptly. We should avoid thinking about them when we wake up. Many people examine the dreams of the previous night, which leads to many errors. The holy Fathers recommend that we reject them completely and hold them in utter contempt.

St John Climacus describes the person who totally rejects dreams as “a wise man”, whereas he calls someone who examines them and believes in them “completely inexperienced”. The demons aim to defile us through dreams, so the same Saint advises us “never to think about the fantasies that have occurred to you during sleep.”

From the same standpoint, St Diadochos of Photiki says that not believing at all in dreams is sufficient to ensure our progress in virtue. “We can achieve great virtue just by never trusting our imagination.” In fact he teaches that, even if we were to reject dreams coming from God, for fear that they might be from the devil and we could be deceived, this is a good thing. God will not be angry with us in that case, because He sees that we are being careful. A servant who refuses to open the door at night to the master of the house, when he returns after a long absence, for fear that a deceiver may have the same voice as him and seize his goods, is praised by his master. The same happens when a Christian or monk does not accept dreams. God praises His servant because He knows that he acts in this way for fear of being deceived by the devil, who “transforms himself into an angel of light.”

We have to reject dreams and try to forget them, because by remembering them our hearts are filled with sadness, anxiety, despair and impurity. St John Climacus knows that many people, by continuously accepting dreams, have gone mad. When someone is constantly subject to the influence of the demons, the devil gains a hold over him and he becomes insane: “…so that these unfortunates are deceived and completely lose their wits.” This mainly happens in the case of demonic revelations. Many people get into such a state that, when they accept revelations and satanic dreams, they are mocked by the demons and “then they make sport of us even when we are awake.” The devil appears when we are awake and we become his servants. This results in the eternal death of the soul, as well as all sorts of other physical and psychological disorders.

The overall conclusion is that the type of dreams we have indicates what state we are in: whether we are enslaved to the passions, servants of the devil or servants of God. Dreams disclose our health or sickness, whether or not we are ill. On the one hand, confession, repentance and epitimion are necessary to cleanse us from passions. On the other, we must put no trust at all in dreams. In this way we shall be delivered from the tyranny of the devil, who desires our eternal death and wants to distance us from God.

Akathist to St. Dimitrios the Great Martyr and Myrrh-streamer


Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

O faithful, let us praise with hymns and divine praises the Myrrhstreamer, who deposed the cruelty of the tyrant, and conquered the audacity of Lyaios, and preached Christ as God clearly, and let us cry out to him: Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

Angels were astonished in heaven, beholding the godless rage of the tyrant (3), and as you were put to death by his decree, O Dimitrios, we cry out to you thus:

Rejoice, the sacred pinnacle of martyrs,

Rejoice, the joyous radiance of Saints.

Rejoice, for you were placed in a pit as one condemned,

Rejoice, for you ascended to Heaven as one without a body.

Rejoice, dweller in the ranks of the Angels,

Rejoice you who bore the tortures of the tyrant.

Rejoice, for you despised the wiles of the enemies,

Rejoice, for your soul now dwells in Heaven.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

The divine Nestor, beholding himself in manliness, approached the king with boldness:“Your exceeding danger appears as an abomination to my soul. For I will put to death the godless Lyaios, crying out: Alleluia.

Having godly knowledge, O Dimitrios the boast of martyrs, you said to the tyrant: “From soulless matter [i.e. idols], how is possible to give birth to God? Speak to me.”To [the Martyr], the faithful who honor God cry out with fear:

Rejoice, the most-radiant lamp of Thessaloniki,

Rejoice, for you overcame Lyaios in victory.

Rejoice, you who pours forth divine myrrh from your grave,

Rejoice, you who bears divine zeal in your heart.

Rejoice, for your blood was a purifying bath,

Rejoice, for through you there is blotting out of sins.

Rejoice, you who deposed the delusion of the idols,

Rejoice, you who censured the mania of tyrants.

Rejoice, for you healed the passion of hemorrhage,

Rejoice, you who offered your soul from its depths.

Rejoice, for you delivered Marinon from leprosy,

Rejoice, for your beloved Istron you sent.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

Power from heaven then strengthened Nestor to fight, and he took up arms against the utterly strong Lyaios, and with swift hand, he struck him down as dead, and therefore cried out to the Savior, chanting: Alleluia.

Having the divine desire to obtain the body of Dimitrios, the pious Emperor [Justinian] went., but as [Saint Dimitrios] did not desire this, fire came forth from his grave threatening death. And he said to him such words in fear:

Rejoice, the unemptying river of wonders,

Rejoice, the irrevocable icon of traumas.

Rejoice, for you did not offer your Relic to him who sought it,

Rejoice, for you grant sanctification to those who venerate you.

Rejoice, for you summoned fire from your divine grave,

Rejoice, for you censured the mania of the tyrant.

Rejoice, for you deposed the worship of the idols,

Rejoice, for your body was pierced with spears.

Rejoice, for your blood was given as drink to the godless,

Rejoice, for you sanctified the whole world with your body.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

Having godless confusion and evil thoughts, the senseless king was enraged, beholding the Martyr not preaching the delusion of the idols. We, beholding the unjust slaughter of the Saint at his hands, cry out: Alleluia.

St. Dimitrios the Great Martyr and Myrrhstreamer.


The ends of the world heard of the murder of Dimitrios at the hands of the senseless tyrant, and beholding him dead, they hastened to him, seeing the sacred wonders that he pours forth throughout the whole world, as they honor him, saying:

Rejoice, he who traded the corruptible things for the heavenly,

Rejoice he who deposed the counsels of the evil ones.

Rejoice, you who joined chorus with the bodiless Angels,

Rejoice, you who entered the land of the greatly-suffering Saints.

Rejoice, you who serve together with the spotless Cherubim,

Rejoice, you who walk together with the pure Seraphim.

Rejoice, for you served the Lord of lords,

Rejoice, for you bore within the seat of divine thrones.

Rejoice, the most-fervent fellow servant with the Angels,

Rejoice, the most-wise fellow counselor with the Archangels.

Rejoice, the sacred adornment of the Venerable,

Rejoice, the radiant rejoicing of the Martyrs.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

Perceiving Dimitrios to be a God-bearer, the most fervent man hastened to be delivered through him from the terrible demon. And having touched his deliverance, he rejoiced in the Lord, crying out: Alleluia.

Leontios, the son of the Orthodox, formerly saw the unspeakable might of the Martyr, and desiring to come to him, he sought for Istron to hasten to pass by him with his robe, and cried out to him:

Rejoice, he who through his robe worked awesome wonders,

Rejoice, he who did not bear stains of offenses.

Rejoice, for your streams have become our own.

Rejoice, for you drove back the campaigns of barbarians,

Rejoice, for you dwell in the thrones of the Martyrs.

Rejoice, you who drove away the plague from Thessaloniki,

Rejoice, our sun which shines upon the faithful.

Rejoice, he who delivered from idol-mania,

Rejoice, he who delivers all from the bonds of slavery.

Rejoice, he who grants grace to all those who approach him,

Rejoice for you ever dwell with those who praise you.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

The deluded became preachers of corruption of souls, as they hastened through Thessaloniki, performing idolatry and preaching atheism everywhere, as the Martyr left the tyrant like a mule, as he said: Alleluia.

The divine Nestor, shining together with the sacred Dimitrios, drove away the darkness of error, for they anathematized the idols steadfastly, and cast them down, while the faithful who were saved cries out to those strugglers:

Rejoice, O Dimitrios, the firm support,

Rejoice, O Nestor, the splendid pride.

Rejoice, you who granted strength to Nestor,

Rejoice, you who granted corruption to Lyaios.

Rejoice, you who firstly censured the blind tyrant,

Rejoice, you who secondly kept [Saint Dimitrios'] example.

Rejoice, he who received death by spears,

Rejoice, he who received incorruptible life through the sword.

Rejoice, he who was murdered in prison like a convict,

Rejoice, he who was preached throughout the world as one immortal.

Rejoice, he who before death worked awesome deeds,

Rejoice, he who after death works wonders.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

The holy dyad of Martyrs then passed on from this world, as the sacred Martyrs had greatly endured lawless murder. Therefore, those who behold this are astonished, and cry out to the Lord: Alleluia.

Saint Dimitrios the Great Martyr and Myrrh-streamer.

A new song was found, as we bitterly sing the funeral hymn to Dimitrios, for he was slaughtered by a godless tyrant, and did not sacrifice to the idols. We therefore hymn him and fervently cry out:

Rejoice, you who were placed dead in a grave,

Rejoice, you who ride throughout the world as one alive.

Rejoice, for your blood was shown to be a new cleansing bath,

Rejoice, for your soul is mixing with the Angels.

Rejoice, for you are hymned from the ends of the earth,

Rejoice for they draw forth from your fragrant myrrh.

Rejoice, lamp amidst the Martyrs,

Rejoice, ray of godly graces.

Rejoice, you who were dyed with your holy blood,

Rejoice, you who were sanctified in your divine body.

Rejoice, you who received diamond crowns,

Rejoice, for you now dwell in the halls of the ever-memorable.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

Beholding a strange wonder, the idols were moved by the bravery of the martyrs. Therefore, he who now dwells on high gives bravery to those who dwell on the earth to take courage, and aim their arrows at the idols. To him we now cry out:Alleluia.

Having his mind wholly on things above without departing from earth, was the most-pure Martyr, for he clearly conquered the delusion of the idols, and preached Christ with boldness, hearing thus:

Rejoice, for you were killed on behalf of Christ your God,

Rejoice, for you desired the joyous things of Paradise.

Rejoice, for you traveled the upper road to Heaven,

Rejoice, for you inhabit the dwelling-places of the pure.

Rejoice, for you now travel with the Angels,

Rejoice, for you have come to dwell with the Saints.

Rejoice, for you preached your Christ like a holy trumpet,

Rejoice, for you dwell in the spotless mansions of Paradise.

Rejoice, you who put forth myrrh from your godly body,

Rejoice, you who scoffed and the rubbish of the godless,

Rejoice, for you broke asunder the intrigues of rulers,

Rejoice, for you trampled upon the delusion of the idols.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

You received every grace from heaven, O Martyr Dimitrios, and preached paradoxically that the inaccessible God became man, being the Son of God. Therefore, to Him let us cry:Alleluia.

O Martyr Dimitrios, you showed the many words of the orators of the tyrants to be foolish, for they were astonished at how you strongly condemned the delusion of the idols. We, being astonished at this paradox, cry out to you:

Rejoice, the rose of virginity,

Rejoice, the pinnacle of continence.

Rejoice, you who lived purely before you were killed,

Rejoice, you who after you were killed were led towards God.

Rejoice, in whom the light of God was planted,

Rejoice, in whom the grace of the Trinity made its dwelling.

Rejoice, the length and breadth of the pious,

Rejoice, the sharp sword against the faithless.

Rejoice, you who shine with the rays of the sun,

Rejoice, you who drive away the mania of the tyrant.

Rejoice, tree bearing the fruits of many graces,

Rejoice, for you bore the shoots of many victories.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

Saving the Orthodox from the delusion of the godless idols, you came straightaway, O Martyr, and you preached the Lord as perfect God to the deluded and idiotic tyrant, crying out to him: Alleluia.

Saint Dimitrios the Great Martyr and Myrrhstreamer

You are the shelter of the Martyrs, O Champion and Martyr, and all those who take refuge in you, for you revealed the Maker of heaven and earth to all, and deposed the tyrant and the idols. We therefore cry out to you:

Rejoice, the deliverance for those in sickness,

Rejoice the savior of the continuously hemorrhaged.

Rejoice, you who sow grace among all those who hymn you,

Rejoice, for you are a pillar of graces.

Rejoice, divine power, the casting-down of idols.

Rejoice, pure dwelling-place of God,

Rejoice, chaste type of Christ.

Rejoice, for your blood became as a new baptism,

Rejoice, for your body received death.

Rejoice, bridge leaving those who die from earth to heaven,

Rejoice, for you are a guide to the faithful.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

We your servants all offer funeral hymns at your grave, O Martyr, shedding tears and offering odes and psalms to you, for we are not at all worthy of what has been accomplished through, as befits your grave, but we cry out to the Savior: Alleluia.

Your grave, O Martyr, has been shown to be light-bearing, shining forth with grace like light. For all those who approach are suddenly granted joy and health, while we who approach you cry out these:

Rejoice, you who preserved your Church unharmed,

Rejoice, you who trampled upon the wiles of the evil one.

Rejoice, for you drove back the nation of the Slavs,

Rejoice, for you trampled upon the rule of the idols.

Rejoice, you who uprooted the pride of the barbarians,

Rejoice, you who cast out the conceit of the tyrants.

Rejoice, you who preserved your city unharmed,

Rejoice, you who shook up the delusion of the godless one.

Rejoice, you who punished Onesiphoros for his theft,

Rejoice you who uprooted the danger of the idols from the earth.

Rejoice, the sure consolation of those who take refuge in you,

Rejoice, the salvation of the souls of those who approach you.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

Bearing grace from above, O Dimitrios, you drove out all the campaigns of the enemies. You preached Christ upon the heard as a steadfast hoplite of grace, and you cast down the idols, as you chant along with everyone: Alleluia.

We hymn the wonder that you worked, O Martyr, as your city was preserved victorious, as you appeared as a god to the faithless, sending forth Angels speedily, saying: “Drive them far away from the city”, therefore we cry out:

Rejoice, for at your will your city was saved,

Rejoice, for through your strength the enemy was cast down.

Rejoice, you who met Achilleos in your flight,

Rejoice, you who sent out Nestor with your strength.

Rejoice, you who drown Lyaios in blood,

Rejoice, you who raged against the faithless in spirit.

Rejoice, you who strengthens your city through your presence,

Rejoice, for if you left her, your city would be lost.

Rejoice, you whose grave is beloved by hymnologists,

Rejoice, you who put to death falsehood through your might.

Rejoice, you who grants to us a sea of graces,

Rejoice, you who sows the mercy of your myrrh within all.

Rejoice, O Martyr Dimitrios.

O pair of Martyrs, who preached Christ as the surpassing Word before all, (3) receive these funeral hymn and odes, and deliver us from every danger, and the coming trial through your prayers, those who cry out to the Lord: Alleluia.

And again the Kontakion.

Saint Dimitrios the Great Martyr and Myrrhstreamer