Lesson for Children — on the Gospel Reading for Feast of St. Demetrios
© Copyright 2020 Saint Kosmas Orthodox Christian Education Association. All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or posted on another website without permission of the copyright owner. Permission is granted to share this lesson only by sharing the link to this webpage.
Dear Children,
On October 26 we celebrate the feast day of Saint Demetrios the Great-martyr and myrrh-streamer. The Gospel reading for the feast of the St. Demetrios and all male Great-martyrs is John 15:17-16:2. In this Gospel reading, Christ is speaking to His disciples to strengthen them before His upcoming Passion, and for the persecution that they also will face.
Let’s read together the words of Christ in the Gospel for today’s feast:
“These things I command you, that you be loving one another. If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you for Myself out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Keep on remembering the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they know not the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. The one who hates Me hates My Father also. If I did not do the works among them which no other one has done, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which has been written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’ But whenever the Paraclete should come, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, that One shall bear witness concerning Me. And you also are bearing witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. These things I have spoken to you, in order that you should not be made to stumble. They shall put you out of the synagogues; yes, moreover, there comes an hour that everyone who kills you shall think that he offers God a service.”
Martyrdom is the highest reaching and most complete expression of love for God and love for one's neighbor. The martyrs had such love for Christ that they were willing to give their lives rather than obey the emperor and offer him sacrifice. They forgave those who tortured them, the ultimate expression of love for their neighbor.
In the Gospel (John 15:17-16:2) for the feast of the St. Demetrios, Christ is speaking to His disciples to strengthen them before His upcoming Passion, and for the persecution that they also will face.
This Gospel reading begins with Christ's command to "love one another". The Spirit of Truth commands us to love and to forgive. The spirit of the world is against what the Church teaches. Instead of love, the world teaches hate; instead of forgiveness, retaliation. The ruler of the world is Satan and all those who he works through, especially the Antichrist. But Christ is the All-Powerful One, the Pantocrator.
Throughout church history there has always been persecution. With persecution the devil attempts to attack through violence, with force. The martyrs of our Church have suffered and given their lives rather than to deny Christ.
Even more evil is how the devil attacks through heresy. Heresy is a lie of the devil. The devil is the father of lies. He attempts to deceive people through heresies. The fathers and confessors of our Church fought hard against every heresy to preserve the truth.
We must be willing to stand up for the truth especially as times get more difficult. Like the martyrs we must be ready and willing to give our lives to confess our faith that Christ alone is the true God, fully God and fully man, born of a Virgin mother.
Illustrated Synaxarion — October 26
The Illustrated Synaxarion of the Orthodox Church was compiled by Antonios Markou, (MA Ph); "St. Symeon the Translator's" Centre for Hagiographical Studies, Athens, Greece. The 1st edition was published in Greek in 2002, and the 2nd edition was published in English in 2004, in Athens, Greece. This publication is no longer in print. If it is reprinted by the copyright holder, all images and pdfs from The Illustrated Synaxarion of the Orthodox Church will be removed from this website and will be replaced by a link to purchase the book from the publisher.
Please see our FAIR USE STATEMENT regarding the posting of the Illustrated Synaxarion.
Hymnography — October 26
Audio Recordings of the Hymns for the Feast
chanted by Dimitrios Katsiklis
APOLYTIKION - St. Demetrios
(English Translation 1) Third Tone
A great champion hath the whole world found thee to be when in grave perils; for thou dost put to flight the heathen, O victorious one. As thou didst humble Lyaeus’s arrogance and gavest boldness to Nestor in the stadium, thus, O holy Great Martyr Demetrius, do thou entreat Christ God that we be granted great mercy.
APOLYTIKION - St. Demetrios
(English Translation 2: Ages Initiative) Third Tone
All the world has you, its mighty champion, fortifying us in times of danger, and defeating our foes, O victorious one. So, as you humbled Lyaios’s arrogance by giving courage to Nestor in the stadium, O holy Great Martyr Demetrius, to Christ our God pray fervently, beseeching Him to grant us His great mercy.
Kontakion - St. Demetrios
Second Tone
God, Who hath given thee invincible strength, O Demetrius, hath adorned the Church with the royal purple of the streams of thy blood and hath kept thy city unharmed, for thou art the support thereof.
Sheet Music
SAINT ANTHONY’S MONASTERY DIVINE MUSIC PROJECT
Sheet music for hymns in ENGLISH, western or byzantine notation.
from the Festal Vespers of St. Demetrios
Ανοίξαντός σου την χείρα — When You Open Your Hand
Anoixantaria in Pl. 4th Tone
Performance in Greek and English
Greek: Demetrios Katsiklis
English: Samuel Herron
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
Tucson, AZ
10/25/2019
Scripture — October 26
John 15:17-16:2 (Gospel for St. Demetrios and St. George)
[Desktop view shows English on the left and Greek on the right; Phone view shows English first, followed by the Greek.]
17 These things I command you, that you be loving one another.
18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you for Myself out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Keep on remembering the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they know not the One who sent Me.
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 The one who hates Me hates My Father also.
24 If I did not do the works among them which no other one has done, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father.
25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which has been written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
26 “But whenever the Paraclete should come, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, that One shall bear witness concerning Me.
27 And you also are bearing witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
1 These things I have spoken to you, in order that you should not be made to stumble.
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues; yes, moreover, there comes an hour that everyone who kills you shall think that he offers God a service.
17 ταῦτα ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους.
18 Εἰ ὁ κόσμος ὑμᾶς μισεῖ, γινώσκετε ὅτι ἐμὲ πρῶτον ὑμῶν μεμίσηκεν.
19 εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἦτε, ὁ κόσμος ἂν τὸ ἴδιον ἐφίλει· ὅτι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ ἐστέ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, διὰ τοῦτο μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος.
20 μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· οὐκ ἔστι δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν· εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν.
21 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα ποιήσουσιν ὑμῖν διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδασι τὸν πέμψαντά με.
22 εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἶχον· νῦν δὲ πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχουσι περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.
23 ὁ ἐμὲ μισῶν καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου μισεῖ.
24 εἰ τὰ ἔργα μὴ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς ἃ οὐδεὶς ἄλλος πεποίηκεν, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἶχον· νῦν δὲ καὶ ἑωράκασι καὶ μεμισήκασι καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου.
25 ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα πληρωθῇ ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἐμίσησάν με δωρεάν.
26 ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ παράκλητος ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας ὃ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ·
27 καὶ ὑμεῖς δὲ μαρτυρεῖτε, ὅτι ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐστε.
1 Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ σκανδαλισθῆτε.
2 ἀποσυναγώγους ποιήσουσιν ὑμᾶς· ἀλλ᾽ ἔρχεται ὥρα ἵνα πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας ὑμᾶς δόξῃ λατρείαν προσφέρειν τῷ Θεῷ.
Books for Children — October 26
The Illustrated Synaxarion of the Orthodox Church (PDF)
compiled by Antonios Markou
published by St. Symeon the Translator's Centre for Hagiographical Studies
The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints: October (Volume 2)
written/compiled by St. Demetrius of Rostov
published by Chrysostom Press
distributed by Saint Herman Press
Saint Demetrios the Myrrh-flowing
[hard cover book and AUDIO CD; English, Greek)
Orthodox October Package (English, Greek)
written and illustrated by Dionysios & Egle-Ekaterine Potamitis
published by Potamitis Publishing
handwriting/penmanship copywork:
Saints of the Church: Lives of Seventy Saints by St. Nikolai of Zhicha Arranged Chronologically with Copywork Made from the Hymns of the Orthodox Church — [St. Demetrios]
[copywork options include manuscript or cursive, Getty Dubay or Zaner Bloser; format options include hard copy or digital download]
published by Paidea Classics
“O God of Demetrios”: The Story of Saint Demetrios of Thessaloniki
written by Angeline Eliakopoulos
published (2002)
A Child’s Paradise of Saints — [Saint Demetrios]
written by Nun Nectaria McLees
published by Christ the Savior Brotherhood (2000)
Paterikon for Kids #27: Saint Demetrios (English, Greek, Romanian)
My Synaxarion: October (English, Greek)
Orthodox October Package (English, Greek)
Egle-Ekaterine Potamitis
Potamitis Publishing
Paterikon for Kids #69: Saint George of Ioannina, The Holy New Martyr (English, Greek)
Egle-Ekaterine Potamitis
Potamitis Publishing
Audios — October 26
Audio of the Life of St. Demetrios
PATRISTIC NECTAR SYNAXARION PROJECT
Hymnography for the Feast
FREE AUDIO FILES OF THE HYMNS OF THE FEAST
Apolytikion of St. Demetrios
Eikona: Great Saints & Major Feasts
An Audio Tour of the St. Demetrios Basilica in Thessaloniki
Postcards from Greece podcast
Message About Additional Orthodox Education Resources
If you are aware of any additional Orthodox education resources for children related to the saints and feastdays for the month of October, please send us the resource name and internet link via our CONTACT US page. Thank you!
Fair Use Statement
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.