Feasts of Debre Mitmaq
May 17, 2022
All Christian communities celebrate the festival of the appearance in public of our Holy Mother Saint Virgin Mary, in ‘Debre Mitmaq’ May 26 as she was seated upon light, in a circle, in the Church, which was built in her name.
Saint Mary was enveloped in divine light, and there were standing round about her all the hosts of the Archangels and Angels. Their wings were extended and overshadowing her. The Seraphim also were standing round about her with their censers censing her great majesty. Every time they bowed down to Saint Mary they praised her, saying, “God the Father looked down from heaven upon earth and He found none like unto thee. He sent His Only Son, and He was born of thee.”
Then the martyrs came, mounted upon their horses. They then bowed before her and Saint George descended from his horse, and two others came and bowed before her. He, who came after (Saint George) was Saint Mercurius, mounted upon a black horse. After him all the martyrs came, and bowed down and homage to her. Saint Mary blessed them, and they returned.
Soon after the prophets and the righteous also came, bowed down and did homage to her. The children whom Herod slew also came lamenting before her. They leaped up and embraced each other. When those who were gathered together saw this, it filled them with joy and they thought they were in heaven. if there was anyone whose father was dead, or his mother, or a kinsman, or a friend, and he asked her, saying, “O my holy Lady, thou Virgin Mary, thou God-bearer, show me so and so,” straightway she made that person to come in the form he had before [on earth]. When they threw down their stoles she took the one which she wished in her hands and threw it back to them. They divided it among the women an entity of blessing. Thus Christian and Armani (Pagan) saw her for five days. Later on when they wished to go home to their own houses, they did homage to her and made an agreement with her. Finally she blessed them with her hand (fingers).
May the intercession of our Holy Mother Saint Virgin Mary be with us Amen!
Source: The Ethiopian Synaxarium page 527