At the year 325 A.D., 318 fathers assembled in the city of Nicea, in the days of Emperor Constantine, the righteous Emperor on the blessed day September 21 (Ethiopian Calendar). The reason for their assembly was to judge Arius who blasphemed against the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear Children of God, how are you? how was holiday? how did you receive the new year? The “Year of Luke” has begun and as you know, you have to be ready for your school to learn all good things in life. Be attentive children! the first place to learn is our Holy Church. Do you know why? It is because knowledge is the wisdom that God gives to His children as a reward to a good behavior, faith and diligence (hard work). So, you should also be mannered, have faith in God and live through religion being obedient to the ten commandment and Church liturgy. Good!
Dear Children of God, in the coming week, specifically on Church Calendar; September sixteen, we commemorate the founding of ‘Holy Cross’ that Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was crucified on by the Queen Saint Helena. Ok, so now we will tell you the story; so be with us!
Amid the thirty-three feasts of Holy Mother Saint Virgin Mary, the veneration of the miracle Saint apostle Luke paintings is celebrated in our Holy orthodox church especially in our country Ethiopia, in a church found at Addis Ababa city around Buraeau. On September 10 in the country called ‘Tsedenya’, Saint Mary’s painting which looked like it is clothed with flesh, dripped oil from it.
Merciful as He is, God has granted us yet another new year, “The Year of Luke” for we can rinse out our vices entirely. We have added one more year to our lifetime and getting older by the day walking towards the end of earthly life. It is today that we shall realize the mystery of salvation and acknowledge the path to heavenly kingdom. Our destiny shall be shade by God’s mercy for we are His children.
All in the name of Lord Jesus Christ shall be merciful as He taught us saying, “blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) Patristic fathers teach about the two categories of works of mercy, “Corporal works of mercy” and “Spiritual works of mercy”
Saint John the Baptist, son of Zacharias the priest, the forerunner and great prophet was martyred on the second day of September (E.C) by the order of King Herod.
“Behold, every work is made new in Christ. Behold old works have passed away, behold new works are known and every work is from God.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
This glorious angel Raphael, the archangel, has performed many other miracles. Amongst is in the story of Tobit and his son Tobias in scripted in the “Book of Tobit.” Holy Church commemorates him, the third of the vigilant, holy and heavenly archangels; the dedication of his church, which was built to him on an island outside the city of Alexandria in the days of Saint Theophilus the Archbishop; and the miracle which was made manifest therein and thus took place.
Midst all the months within an annual year, the thirteenth month Pagumen is unique in its nature as it has only few days but not thirty days alike the others. It has only six days in the Year of John and five days in the Year of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Accord our Ethiopian Orthodox Incarnation Church, this month is an extra month of a year and it considered as the last month in our country. However, the western countries considered it as additional days and divided it in the months of January, March, May, July, August, October and December in which each has 31 days.
The Amharic word of Pagumen comes from the term Greek word ‘Apagumene’ to mean “additional.” It is the time which we leave behind last year and enrich to the new year passing the season of summer and reach spring; so it is the resemblances of Judgment day.
We have received as an inheritance from the early fathers and doctors of the Church, who were strong in the grace of the Holy Spirit, an order to celebrate the festival of our holy fathers, the patriarchs, our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Our righteous father Saint Abune Tekle Haimanot is the most famous saint in Ethiopia. He is one of the very few, if not the only human on earth given wings! It is good to note here that Saint Tekle Haimanot is one of the very few saints that Christians celebrate their birthday. He is probably the only Ethiopian saint celebrated officially in foreign churches such as Egypt and Rome. He has a monthly feast on the 24th day of every month in the Ethiopian calendar.