Gift Set 4 items

The gift set consists of 4 items: a keychain with the image of the Virgin Mary and Saint Spyridon, a komboskini bracelet, a bottle of myrrh and an amulet with the image of the Virgin Mary.

Saint Spyridon

Many Orthodox Christians turn to St. Spiridon in prayer. He belongs to the cohort of holy fathers of the dawn of Christianity. Spiridon was born in 270 A.D. in a small village on the island of Cyprus. Virtuous, deeply religious parents nurtured in him love and fear of God. The Bible became Spiridon's primary source of knowledge as well as a faithful daily companion.

In the hard days of idolatry and Christian persecution, the saint was a model of courage and truly Christian patience. He suffered for a long time for his faith in Christ, enduring many tortures. From 308 Spiridon was under arrest, and was released only in the 313. He was married, but lost his wife early and was left with a young daughter on his hands. But in spite of all his trials, the saint always found comfort in the word of God, turning his prayers and hopes of salvation to him. Generally recognized virtues earned Spiridon the respect and love of his fellow citizens. In him the afflicted found protection, and the unfortunate found solace.

It was the people's love that made Spiridon the First Bishop of Trimythous. But even after that, he remained the personification of Christian kindness and love. His doors, like his heart, were always open to everyone. In the bishop's house everyone could find food and shelter.

The name of Bishop of Trimythous is associated with the miracle he manifested at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. At that time, there was a heated dispute about the divinity of Jesus Christ and the trinity of God. Bishop Spyridon argued in support of this trinity. When it was his turn to speak, he took a clay brick in his hands, after which, crossing himself, he said:

"In the name of the Father", at which point a flame burst forth from the clay;

"And of the Son", and water began to drip from the brick;

"And of the Holy Spirit", after which only dry clay remained in his hands.

Those present were shocked and astonished. Spiridon explained that just as fire, water, and clay are three elements that make up one brick, so the Holy Trinity is God, one in Three Persons. And so the participation of the Bishop of Trimythous contributed to the establishment of truth at the Ecumenical Council.

The saint passed away in the year 348, but his intercession before God for people did not cease. Even today the christians offer up their prayers to him in the hope of help and protection.

Komboskini bracelets

Greek komboskini bracelets are woven by the monks of the Mount Athos monasteries with prayer and for prayer. The name of the bracelet reflects its essence and purpose: in Greek, kombos (κόμπος) means "knot", and skini (σχοινί) is a rope or cord.

The weaving of the komboskini bracelets is always accompanied by continuous prayer. Tying each knot, monks say: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." Due to this, Greeks believe that komboskini bracelet protects the person who wears it. But the bracelets also have a more practical use: like prayer ropes, they are used by the prayers to go through the knots and thus count the number of prayers uttered. 

Bracelets are braided in a special way: each knot consists of 9 crosses of cord, symbolizing the nine crosses, or nine angelic ranks. Often seed beads, little crosses or icons are woven into the bracelet. Komboskini bracelets are usually worn on the wrist of the left hand, as it's closer to the heart. Believers often give such bracelets to their family and friends to remember and pray for them.

Amulets

Fabric amulets are small bags, most often with church symbols or images of saints. They are usually filled with incense or other small objects.

Amulets are used as talismans; for these reasons they are often attached to clothes with a pin, and sometimes worn around the neck on a cord. The amulets can also be attached to the headboard of the bed.