A Miracle of Saints Cyrus and John for Theopompos Who Was Demon Possessed

 

The Miracles of Saints Cyrus and John

Miracle 14

On Theopompos Who Was Demon Possessed

By St. Sophronios of Jerusalem

There was a certain Theopompos who was gravely possessed by a demon and there was nobody who would not cry looking at him. Generally people are more despondent about those who have this kind of malady of the soul; likely because it does not concern the body, which is subject to natural diseases and to corruption due to its origin of the tree of transgression in the paradise (to xylon tes parakoes eiso paradeisou). However, the malady of the soul which is against nature. For it is a kind of alteration of the soul's incorruptible nature created by the grace of God, and a suffering resulting from a demonic machination.

Theopompos suffered from this malady for eighteen years. Since he could not stand the fury of the demon any more, he went to the shrine of the martyrs who deliver one from it. He had to come a long way on foot because he did not have money. He finally arrived at the shrine after sunset. Since he spent all his strength on walking and getting there, he went to sleep in the enclosed surroundings of the church as he was not able to cover the remaining small distance and reach the church itself. He reserved the following day for getting inside it.

He spent the entire night sleeping in that place. The benevolent martyrs appeared to him in a dream in their own form and not in that of someone else. They called Theopompos by his name and told him that in the name of Jesus Christ they expelled the malicious spirit that possessed him. They instructed him to wake up, thank God and go back home. So he eagerly woke up and went to the shrine, singing in praise to God and the martyrs who healed him in God and proclaiming the greatness of the miracle.

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