This miracle is about the expulsion of the Agarines in a miraculous way from Saint Spyridon, when they threatened Corfu with complete destruction in 1716 AD.
Saint Spyridon was born in 270 AD. in the now occupied village of Assia (Askia) in Cyprus (and not in Trimithounta – today’s Tremetousia – as many write) by a family of shepherds, who were somewhat wealthy.
Although he was educated enough, he did not change profession. He continued to be a shepherd.
As a character, the Saint was simple, kind, full of love for his neighbor. On Sundays and feasts, he often took the shepherds and led them to the holy temples, and then explained the evangelical or apostolic passage to them.
God blessed him to become a frequent protector of widows and orphans.
He married a pious wife and had a daughter, Irene. Soon, however, his wife died. To heal his wound, Spyridon devoted himself even more to the teaching of the divine word.
After much pressure, he was ordained a priest. And indeed, he was a true priest of the Gospel, as Paul wants him to be: “Blameless, sober, vigilant, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; having his children in subjection with all gravity.” (First Letter of Paul to Timothy, 3:2-4)
That is, free from accusation, careful, restrained, modest, hospitable, didactic, and have children who submit with every modesty. Thus Spyridon was so righteous as a priest that when the Metropolis of Trimithounta of the Church of Cyprus became vacant, the people and the clergy elected him bishop.
From this position Spyridon advanced that much in virtue that God blessed him to perform many miracles.
It should be noted that Saint Spyridon with the prestige of his holy and moral life in the First Ecumenical Council, which took place in Nicaea, Bithynia (Asia Minor) and in which he participated, defeated the Martians and emerged as one of the brilliant defenders of the Orthodox faith.
In fact, according to tradition, after speaking for a while, then he made the sign of the Cross with his left hand too, holding a tile, in the form of the Holy Trinity and said: “In the name of the Father” and made fire to appear above the tile by which it had been baked.
When he said: “And the Son”, water flowed down, through which the soil of the tile was kneaded. And when he added: “And of the Holy Spirit” he showed in his handful only the soil that had remained.
Saint Spyridon slept on December 12, 350 AD.
Source: Metropolis of Zambia
