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TODAY'S VERSE
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SAYINGS OF THE FATHERS
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SYNAXARIUM STORIES
The Departure of St. John the Evangelist and Theologian
The lot fell on him to go to Asia. The people of this area were stiff-necked, so he prayed to Christ to be with him. He went to Ephesus, accompanied by his disciple Prochorus. They embarked on a ship, but the ship was wrecked on the way and every one of the passengers clung to a plank of the ship's wood. The waves washed out Prochorus to an island, but St. John remained among the waves of the sea for several days, until the waves carried him, by the will of God, to the same island where his disciple Prochorus was. When they met together, they offered thanks to God for taking care of them.
From there, St. John went to the city of Ephesus where he preached the word of salvation. Its people did not accept his message at first, until a day when an only child fell in the furnace of a public bath managed by the child's mother. They took him in haste out of the fire, but he was dead and his mother wept bitterly. At this time, St. John went to the child, prayed fervently to God, made the sign of the Cross over him, breathed in the child's face, and life came back to him right away. His mother rejoiced and she kissed the feet of the Apostle and tears of joy were in her eyes.
From this time on, the people of the city came to hear his teachings and many of them believed and were baptized by St. John. This made the priests of the idols resent him and they tried to kill him several times but they could not, for the Lord protects all His chosen ones. After a great effort and many hardships, St. John led them to the knowledge of God and ordained bishops and priests for them. From there, he went to other places in Asia (Minor) and converted many of its people to the Faith of Christ. This saint lived 90 years, and they used to carry him to the gatherings of the believers. Because of his old age, he only gave them very short sermons saying, "My children, love one another."
He wrote the gospel known after him, and the Book of Revelation which he had seen on the island of Patmos, which is full of divine mysteries. He also wrote the three epistles known by his name.
He was with the Lord Jesus Christ at the Transfiguration. He leaned (reclined) on the chest of our Lord at the Last Supper. He asked the Lord, "Who is he that shall betray you?" He was standing near the Cross with the Virgin St. Mary and the Lord said to his mother, "Behold your Son," and to John, "Behold your mother." He was the disciple about whom Peter asked the Lord, "And this one, what of him?" The Lord said to Peter, "If it be that I wish him to be here until I come, what is that to you?" When St. John felt that he was about to depart from this world, he summoned the people and administered to them the Body and the Blood of the Lord. He preached and commanded them to be steadfast in their faith.
He then departed from the City of Ephesus for a short distance. He commanded his disciple and others with him to dig there a pit for him. He went down in it, raised his hands and prayed and then bade them farewell. He commanded them to return to the city and to confirm the brethren in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, and said to them, "I am innocent of your blood, for I did not leave any command of God that I haven't taught you, and now, let it be known that you will never see my face again, and God will reward everyone according to his deeds." When he said that, they kissed his hand and his feet, and they left him and returned to the city. When the people knew what had happened, they went out to where the saint was, and they found that he had departed. They wept and were deeply sad. They talked about his miracles and marvelled about his meekness. In spite of the fact that he did not die by the sword, as the rest of the apostles did, he was equal to them in the heavenly glories, for his virginity and his holiness.
His blessings and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen
T On the 25th of Kiahk, the great Saint John Kama departed. He was from "Shubramento" of the region of "Sa". His parents were God-fearing Christians and he was their only child. They forced him to marry against his will. When he entered his wife's room, he stood, prayed for a long time, then came near the young girl and said to her, "My sister, you know that the world and all of its lusts will go away. Do you agree with me to keep our bodies pure and clean?" She answered and said, "My brother, the Lord's Name lives. This also is my desire and now the Lord has given me what my heart desires."
They mutually agreed to live together as brother and sister and to keep their virginity. When they slept, the angel of the Lord came and covered them with his wings. For their many virtues, God planted a vine for them which grew up and covered their place of sleep. That was a sign of their purity and holiness; for what they did was above human nature, that two young people, a man and a woman, would sleep next to each other without being driven by the lust of the flesh; for who can come near a fire and not be burnt, unless it is God's divine power and care that keeps them and preserves them.
When their parents saw that they lived together for a long time without having any children, they thought that this was due to the fact that they were young. One day John said to his wife, "My sister, I desire to go into the wilderness to become a monk and I cannot do that without your permission." She gave him her permission and he placed her in one of the virgins' convents. There she became a virtuous nun and she performed many miracles, so they chose her to become the abbess of the convent.
As for St. John, when he left his town, the angel of the Lord appeared to him and guided him to the wilderness of Scetis "Shiheet". He went there and became a monk in the cell of Saint "Darudi" in the monastery of St. Macarius. He stayed with this saint learning piety from him until the saint departed. Then the angel of the Lord told him to go west of the monastery of St. John the Short and to build a cell for himself there. He went and did as the angel commanded him. Three hundred brethren gathered around him and became his disciples. They built a church and a house with a garden for themselves and Saint John Kama taught them how to pray and the use of the "Epsalmodia".
One night, St. Athanasius the Apostolic appeared to them while they were singing the song of the three young men. St. Athanasius revealed many mysteries to him. Another time, St. Mary appeared to him and told him, "This is my dwelling forever, and I shall be with them as I have been with you and this monastery will be named after me." The church of the monastery was named after the Virgin St. Mary. Some of the monks of upper Egypt desired to be under the guidance of St. John Kama and they asked him to come to see them. He called a brother named Shenouda, and gave him the responsibility of caring for the brethren until his return. When he returned, he found that he performed the task perfectly. When St. John Kama completed his course, he departed in peace.
His blessings and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen
The Martyrdom of the Great Saint Abba Moses the Black
In his early life, St. Moses was a slave to people who worshiped the sun. He was a mighty man who loved to eat and drink excessively. He killed, robbed and committed all evil. No one could stand up before him, or challenge him. On many occasions, he lifted up his eyes to look to the sun and to talk to it saying, "O Sun!! if you are God, let me know it." Then he said, "And you O God whom I do not know, let me know you." One day, he heard someone saying to him, "The monks of Wadi El-Natroun know the real God. Go to them and they will tell you." Instantly, he rose up, girded his sword and went to the wilderness of Shiheat. He met St. Esidorous (Isidore) the priest, who was frightened when he saw him, because of his appearance. St. Moses comforted him by saying that he came to the monks so that they might let him know the real God. St. Esidorous took him to St. Macarius the Great, who preached to him, taught him the faith and baptized him. He accepted St. Moses as a monk and taught him to live in the wilderness. St. Moses dashed in many worships, and fought a spiritual fight which was greater than that fought by many saints.
However, the devil fought him intensively with his old habits of excessive eating, drinking, and fornication. He informed St. Esidorous about everything which came upon him in his fight with the Enemy. He comforted him and taught him how to overcome the snares of the devil. It was told about him, that when the elders of the Monastery slept, he used to go round to their cells and take their water pots and fill them with water which he brought from a well at a far distance from the monastery. After many years in spiritual struggle, the devil envied him, and struck him with a sore on his foot which made him sick and bed-ridden. When he knew that this was from the devil, he increased in his asceticism and worship, until his body became as a burnt wood. God looked to his patience, healed his illness, and removed all his pains. The blessing of the Lord came upon him.
After a while, he became the Father and the spiritual guide of 500 brothers, who elected him to be ordained a priest. When he came before the Patriarch to be ordained, the patriarch wanted to test him by asking the elders, "Who brought this black here? Cast him out." He obeyed, and left saying to himself, "It is good what they have done to you, O black coloured one." The Patriarch, however, called him back and ordained him a priest, and said to him, "Moses, all of you now has become white." One day, he went with some elders to St. Macarius the Great, who said to them, "I see among you one to whom belong the crown of martyrdom." St. Moses answered him, "Probably it is me, for it is written: 'For all they that take with the sword, shall perish with the sword.'" (Matt. 26:25)
After they returned to the monastery, it did not take long until the Barbarians attacked the monastery. He told the brethren, "Whoever wants to escape, let him escape." They asked him, "And you O father, why do you not also escape?" He replied that he had waited for this day for long time. The Barbarians entered the monastery and killed him with seven other brothers. One of the brethren was hiding, and saw the angel of the Lord, with a crown in his hand standing by and waiting for him. He went out from his hiding place to the Barbarians and he was also martyred.
Beloved Ones, contemplate in the power of repentance, and what it did. It transformed an infidel slave who was a murderer, adulterer and robber into a great Father, teacher, comforter, and priest who wrote rules for the monks, and saint whose name is mentioned on the altar in our prayers. His Body is located now in the Monastery of El-Baramouse.
His blessings and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen
The
Translocation of the Body of St. Stephen the Archdeacon
On the 15th of Tout the Church celebrates the translocation of the body of St. Stephen the Archdeacon and first Christian martyr. That was more than three hundred years after his martyrdom, the reign of Emperor Constantine and the spread of the noble worship.
St. Stephen, the striver and martyr, appeared several times to a man called Lucianus. He was from a village where the honoured body was buried, known as the "Village of Gamaliel," near Jerusalem. He told him his name and where his body was buried.
That man went to the bishop of Jerusalem and informed him of what he had seen in his sleep. The bishop rose up, took with him two bishops and the people of the church and went to the place where the body was. They dug the ground, and a mighty earthquake took place. The coffin wherein the holy body was lying was revealed. Sweet and precious aromas came out from it. They heard voices of angels praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men." This praise was repeated and the bishops bowed down before the coffin. They carried it away with songs, hymns and candles until they came to Jerusalem. Later on, a man whose name was Alexander, and who was from Constantinople, built a church for St. Stephen in Jerusalem and placed the holy body in it.
Five years later, Alexander departed, and his wife buried him by the side of the coffin of the Saint. Eight years later, Alexander's wife decided to go to Constantinople and wished to take her husband's body with her. She came to the church, and she took the coffin wherein the body of St. Stephen had been laid thinking that it was the coffin wherein was her husband's body. She carried it away to Ascalon, and from there she embarked with it in a ship to Constantinople. In the middle of the sea she heard singing and many praises coming from the coffin, and she marvelled. She rose up and examined the coffin and she realised that it was the coffin wherein was the body of St. Stephen, and this was the Will of God. She gave thanks to the Lord and went on her way until she arrived in Constantinople. She went to the Emperor and informed him about what had happened. The Emperor, the Archbishop, priests and the people of the city went forth to the ship, and carried the coffin on their shoulders to the royal palace.
God made manifest many signs both on the ship and in the royal palace. They laid the holy body on a litter carried by two mules, and when they came to a place called Constantinious, the two mules stopped. When they beat the mules, they did not move but they heard the voice of one of them saying, "It is meet to place the Saint here." All those who saw and heard this, marvelled and they knew that He who had made the donkey of Balaam speak was He who had made this animal carrying the body of the Saint to speak. The Emperor ordered that a church be built for the Saint in that place. They laid in it the pure gem, the holy body of St. Stephen, the apostle and the martyr.
His blessings and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Martyrdom of St. Christopher
On this day St. Christopher was martyred. He was from the country, whose people were cannibals, those who believed on the hands of St. Matthias the apostle (As mentioned in the eighth day of the month of Baramhat). He had unsightly look and the body of a giant but his soul was good and gentle.
When he was captured by the soldiers of Emperor Decius the infidel he admonished them for afflicting the Christians. The captain of these soldiers beat him severely, and St. Christopher told him: "If it was not the command of Christ which teaches me not to do unto others as they do unto us, other wise you and your soldiers could not be delivered from me." The captain sent to inform Decius concerning him, who sent two hundred soldiers to bring him. On their way, the bread they had was consumed except for a little of it. He prayed and blessed that little of bread and became in abundance. The soldiers marvelled exceedingly and believed on the Lord Christ the God of Christopher. When they arrived to Antioch they were baptized by the hands of Abba Paul the Patriarch.
When St. Christopher came before Decius, who became frightened from his appearance, tried to charm, persuade and deceive him to deny Christ. Then he sent two beautiful women to make him fall into sin with them. He rebuked and preached them and they believed on the Lord Christ. They confessed their faith in the Lord Before the Emperor, who ordered them to be beheaded and they received the crown of martyrdom. As of this Saint, he was cast into a huge cauldron over hot fire, but no harm whatsoever came to him. The people present were amazed and they believed on the Lord Christ. They came forward to remove him out of the cauldron but the Emperor ordered them to be cut off with the swords. The emperor finally ordered to cut off St. Christopher's neck and he received the crown of martyrdom. His blessings and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Departure of the Great Saint Abba
Paul, the First Hermit
On the 341 A.D., the great saint
Abba Paul, the first hermit, departed. This Saint was from the city
of Alexandria, and had a brother whose name was Peter.
Pope Athanasius used to put the
palm fiber tunic on three times a year during the Divine Liturgy.
One time, he wanted to let the people know about the holiness of the
owner of that tunic. He put it over a dead man, and the dead man
rose up instantly. The news of this miracle spread all around the
land of Egypt. His blessings and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Commemoration of the Great Miracle performed by St. Basil (Basilius)
His blessings and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Martyrdom of St. Sophia On the 5th of Tout, St. Sophia, was martyred. She used to go to church with her Christian neighbours, so she became a believer in the Lord Christ. Longing to become a Christian, she went to the Bishop of Manf. He baptized her in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
There upon an accusation of becoming a Christian was brought against her before Claudianus, the governor. The governor brought her, and questioned her. She confessed and did not deny her faith. He whipped her and burned her joints; however, she went on crying out, "I am a Christian." The governor commanded to have her tongue cut off and then returned her to prison.
He sent his wife to her to dissuade her, and promise her with many rewards. When she would not be dissuaded, he commanded to have her head cut off. She prayed a long prayer and asked God to forgive the governor and his soldiers for what they had done to her. Then she bowed her head down and the executioner cut off her head.
A Christian woman paid much money to the soldiers, took her pure body, and wrapped it with shrouds. She placed the body in her house and many signs were manifested through it. On her feast day, very bright lights and incense came out of her holy and pure body.
When the Emperor Constantine heard the story of Saint Sophia, he carried her holy body to the city of Constantinople where he built a great cathedral and placed her body in it.
Her blessings and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Feast of the Cross On the 27th of September the church will be celebrating the appearance of the Honourable Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was revealed by the lover of God, Queen Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, from under the pile of Golgotha, after she ordered its removal. As to the reason for how this great pile of dirt came into being, it was thus: the Jewish leaders when they saw all the signs and wonders which were made manifest from the sepulchre of the Saviour, such as raising the dead and healing the sick, became angry, and they sent forth throughout Judea and Jerusalem ordering all the people to cast the sweepings of their houses and the dirt over the sepulchre of Jesus of Nazareth. They continued to do so for more than 200 years, until it became a very great heap. After Queen Helena had ordered the pile’s removal and the Holy Cross was found , she built a church for it and consecrated it. A certain Samaritan called Isaac, as he was travelling with his family among the people going to Jerusalem, reproved the people for taking such trouble in going to Jerusalem to worship a piece of wood. Among the people was a priest whose name was Okhidus. While travelling along the road, they became thirsty. They found no water and they came to a well where the water was foul and bitter. The people became dismayed. Isaac the Samaritan started mocking them, saying, "If I witness a power by the name of the Cross, I will become a believer of Christ." The priest Okhidus was moved with divine zeal and prayed over that foul water and made the sign of the Cross on it, and it became sweet. All the people and their animals drank, but when Isaac drank, the water was bitter and wormy. He regretted and cried and came to the saint, Father Okhidus, bowed down at his feet and believed in the Lord Christ. Then he drank from the water, and he found it sweet. The water of that well possessed the power of becoming sweet for the believers and bitter for the others. A cross of light appeared in the well and a church was built there. When Isaac the Samaritan arrived in Jerusalem, he went to its bishop who baptized him and his family. The feast of the appearance of the Honourable Cross, which is on the 10th of Baramhat, always comes during fasting, it was therefore substituted by the fathers for the 17th of Tut which is the day of consecration of its church.
Glory and worship be to Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen.
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On
the 4th of Tubah, in the year 100 A.D., St. John, the virgin, the
evangelist, and apostle who was the son of Zebedee, departed. St.
John Chrysostom (of the Golden Mouth) said that St. John the
Evangelist was originally a disciple of St. John the Baptist. He was
the brother of St. James the Elder, who was killed by Herod by the
sword. The Lord called him with his brother "Boanerges" (Mark 3:17),
that is "sons of thunder," for their strong zeal and great faith. He
was also the disciple whom Jesus loved.
he
Departure of St. John Kama (Khame)
On
the 13th of Tut, the Church commemorates the great miracle performed
by St. Basilius (St. Basil), Bishop of Caesarea, Cappadocia.
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