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The Fast of the Apostles

This fast, also known as the Fast of Peter and Paul in some traditions, is one of the four canonical fasting periods in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and other Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches. It follows the celebration of Pentecost (the descent of the Holy Spirit) and varies in length each year because it begins on the Segno, after Pentecost (which is movable) and ends on 5 Hamle in the Ethiopian calendar), the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

Feast of Paraclete

The Feast of Paraclete is a great feast of the Church, celebrated on the tenth day after our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ascended, and also on the fiftieth day from His resurrection. “Paraclete” is an ancient Greek word meaning “Comforter, Counselor, Advocate”; and this refers to the Holy Spirit. This feast is the day on which we commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, the proclamation of the birth of the Church, and the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise.

The Tenth Month

The month of “Sene” is the tenth one amongst the thirteen months of Ethiopian Liturgical Year. The meaning of the word is defined in the spiritual dictionary written by scholars Teacher Kfle Giorgis and Aleka Kidan Woldae and published by Desta Tekel Wolde. They have defined the word derived from “Senye,” to mean “it is beautified, to make two, folding, to put layer, change in appearance and character, to become another, to imitate.” (Aleka Kidan Wolde Kiflea, page 875)

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Dear Children of God! How are you? How is your spiritual life with your families and beloved ones? Hope it is pleasant, peaceful and joyful! How was the feast of “Ascension of the Lord,” and “Feast of Debre Mitmaq?” This was dual feast and celebrated colorfully in church! Did you go to the church with your families and beloved ones in spending it joyfully? Hope you did!

Little ones! We have now reached to the “Feast of Pentecost,” which is the “Feast of Holy Spirit.” Then after follows the “Fast of Apostle.” This is a fast that the apostles fasted after Holy Spirit descended upon them. They were given 72 languages to preach (teach the word of God) around the world and make people Christians by baptism.

The apostles fasted and so shall we Christians, by the name of Christ. This year’s fast begins at “Sene 2” and ends “Hamele 5,” at the feast of apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. So, in this season of fast, we do not eat food specifically, egg, milk and other milk products but only fasting foods such as vegetables, fruits and cereals.

Feast of the Ascension

The Feast of the Ascension is a feast in which we commemorate and celebrate the great mystery of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ascending to the highest heavens on the fortieth day after He rose from the dead, uniting His body with His soul, by the will of His Father, by His own authority, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit. This feast, in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, is one of the nine major feasts of our Lord and is celebrated with special spiritual rites and great joy.

About Mahibere Kidusan

Name

The association was named Mahibre Kidusan (an association in the name of Saints) Saints would be commemorated in that they abounded the secular world and sacrificed their lives to the orthodox belief for whom the prophets prophesized and apostles evangelized.

History

In 1977 E.C (Ethiopian Calendar) few students of higher education initiated the youth in the compass to become members of Sunday school and know the teachings of the churches. Later, this effort had been strengthened by students trained in the Zeaway Hamere Berehan St.Gebreil Clergy Training Monastery by the Then Arch Bishop of Shewa Abune Gorgorious II.

The movements continued in Bilatie military camp that brought all students of higher institutions in the country in 1983 E.C after a year, with the blessing of the church fathers the associations was set up by the name “Mahibre Kidusan” under the Sunday School Department of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Since then the associations has been proving spiritual service.

Vision

“Envisioning the Church fulfill its universal leadership role.”

Mission

Fructify and procure an organized, whole, eloquent, moderate, versatile and leader generation who strives in achieving the church’s mission and diligently work for her existence.

Institutional Asset

  • Spirituality: - It is the incarnation of the True Orthodox Religion, inveterate faith, good endeavors and spiritual knowledge; diligence God’s embodiment and cherishes the return to the Lord through the apostolic fight and a heavenly life; Thus, members are made by conversing and working in Christians endeavors at any state, period and condition. Trailing the path of patristic fathers, they serve humbly, faithfully with the trepidation of God.
  • Servanthood: -Members of the association serve with the indication of their Christian life, in a good will, seeking heavenly honor and grace, detesting worldly honor and praise vanity, sincerely, faithfully and with Christian love.
  • Leadership of Thoughts: - The association works in collaboration with leader of church concerned with the sustainability of the Church’s service necessary for the emit of orthodox ideas, with the timely thoughts and leadership
  • Cooperation - The association believes church’s service is activity of all members of the church. Therefore, it works in accordance to the issue, properly with shareholders and partners with affinity, discussion and sincerity for the unison of the mission, venerating sundry grace in incarnation.
  • Veneration of Professions: - It gives proper veneration and priority for skillful thoughts that do not contrast with orthodoxy education and are based with real information within any of its activities done by servile utilizing their various skill and knowledge of the association’s members, as they are congregated in serving the church. It also works for the endowment of proper veneration of the spiritual and carnal profession and professionals.
  • Rational Orator: - The association works for the challenge and resolution of the church’s internal and external obstacles, activities, habitual and histories based on the right data, clear and spiritual firm and truth.
  • Accountability: - Service of the association goal is embracing heavenly virtue. It therefore makes it accountable before God and the pupil as well, if it does not fulfill its responsibility properly. The manager or member in any of its ladder, is liable for the responsibility given within the work of the association.

OBJECTIVES

  • Empower the Church’s Institutional management, operating system and perception for a strong and time redeemer services, thru support of technology and various methods.
  • Expand gospel and apostolic mission multifaceted all over the world by organized and accessible centralized method.
  • Fructify and procure servile who are redeemer of the time, whole and orthodox, serving in the constitution of the Church as well as be active participants in the social, economic, political and on national management affairs through constructible curriculum, enabling students of Higher School Institutions attain full personhood
  • Preserving the Church thru firm apologetics based on the study and research about the blazon rumor on Church, spurious tales and trials of the Church activities by challenging and correcting the mistakes
  • Enhance the role of empowerment of children and youngsters by consolidating the Sunday School’s Capacity to empower the successor generation’s source
  • Executing organized and discerning services by constructing a family expressing orthodox spirituality endeavors and orthodox community maintaining its unity.
  • For the association to create an institutional working system redeeming the time, enabling the fulfillment of its mission. (in Management, Human Resource, Spirituality, Relation, Knowledge, Development, Finance and Technology)
  • Enhance the economic, social and political participation of orthodox through the principle of International Public Relation and Cooperatives Services.

Stand

The association shall not interfere in administrative affairs of the church and it is free from and political affiliation.

Membership

  1. Disciples who trained in various training institution of the church and providing ministerial activity.
  2. Higher institution students attending Sunday in their respective parishes.
  3. Member of Sunday school or/and parish that provide spiritual service after graduating from higher institution.
  4. The laity who support the objective of the association with their knowledge, money and labor.

Structure

Mahiber Kidusan is set under the Sunday School department of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It provides spiritual services by its sub centers in the dioceses all over the country and in the Diaspora.