Abba Samuel of Waldeba
December 20, 2021
Abba Samuel was born around 1295 E.C. His father Stephen and mother Ammata Maryam were righteous people. When this holy man was just a child, they took him to Aksum and he grew up learning the Books of the Church.
Then, his father and mother died leaving him solo. So, he went to Dabra Bankol, to Abba Madhanina Egzi’e, and he put on the garb of the monastic life, dwelt there and fought with fasting and with prayer. He ate nothing except withered and decayed herbs. His drink was water and he became the servant of the monks, in the grinding of corn, and the drawing of water. As he found it irksome when his kinfolk came to visit him, he departed to another place. He devoted himself to fasting, to standing up and to prostrating himself so strenuously that at length he crushed his feet (i.e. became flat-footed). Thence, he departed to the desert, without food for forty days and forty nights. The lions, the leopards and all kinds of terrifying wild beasts came to him, and bowed down before him, and licked the dust at his feet.
One day as he was travelling along the road he arrived at a valley (or river), which was full of water. He had a book and some fire; he then entered the water a prayer. Although it engulfed him and the current dragged him down, yet by the power of God having forced himself across to the opposite bank, he found that the fire was not extinguished, and the book uninjured.
Satan attempted to fail him with phantoms of every kind of wild beast, but he was not frightened because his mind was bound up with confidence in his God. As Abba Samuel was praying, our Lord Jesus Christ came to him, and sealed his whole body, each limb thereof with His spittle, and he became filled with power. From that day on, he bound his feet with fetters, and wore sackcloth. He thrust all his limbs into water, recited the Psalms of David five times [each day] and scourged his back with strips innumerable. The lions used to peer into his cave like sheep, of some he used to stroke their bodies, of others he used to dress their wounds and pluck out the thorns from [their paws].
Then many disciples attached themselves to him, and of these the first was Abba Zarufael. One day Abba Samuel met Abba Gabra Maskal, of Dabra Laggaso, (now they had never seen each
other before,) and they passed the day in describing the great works of God. At the instant for supper, when they were praying, food came down to them from heaven, and they ate and gave thanks to God.
Then one day he met a monk from the desert, and they began to talk about the Mysteries which God had made for them. Abuna Samuel then said, “Behold, for twelve years I have been standing in the heights and censing the throne of God with the Four and Twenty Priests of Heaven.” When he went in and was consecrating the Offering, there came down to him bread and a chalice from heaven; and whilst he was reading the Praises of our Lady Maryam, he was lifted up off the ground to the height of a cubit, our Holy Lady, the Virgin Maryam, came and gave him a precious stone which shot out light from it, and some pure incense.
On the day of his departure, drew nigh Michael the Archangel came unto him caught him up on his wings and showed him all the delights of the heavenly Jerusalem. He then brought him before the throne of God and Abba Samuel received from him the promise concerning the man who should invoke his name or celebrate his commemoration. When he returned to his bed he told his disciples about what he had seen and then he died in peace.
May his intercession be with us, Amen!
Source: The Ethiopian Synaxarium page 209-210