Holy Martyr Stephen Dechanski, King of Serbia

Life

Stephen was the son of King Milutin and father of Emperor Dušan. By the command of his uninformed father he was blinded, and by the command of his thoughtless son he was strangled in his old age. At the blinding, Saint Nicholas appeared to him in the church at Ovche Field and showed him his eyes, saying: "Stephen, fear not, behold thy eyes upon my palm; in due time I shall restore them to thee." He spent five years in Constantinople as a prisoner in the monastery of the All-Sustainer (Pantokrator). By his wisdom and ascetic struggle, meekness and piety, patience and gentleness, Stephen surpassed not only all the monks in the monastery but all of Constantinople. When five years were fulfilled, Saint Nicholas appeared to him again and said to him: "I have come to fulfill my promise." And he made the sign of the Cross over the blind king, and the king received his sight. Out of gratitude to God he built the church at Dečani, one of the rarely magnificent works of Byzantine art and one of the most significant monuments of Serbian piety of old. Holy King Stephen with Saint Sava and holy Prince Lazar forms a beautiful triad of holiness, nobility, and self-sacrifice which the Serbian people gave. As a martyr he lived out his earthly days, and as a martyr he ended his life in the year 1336, receiving the crown of immortal glory from the All-Sustainer, Whom he faithfully served.