Archive for category: Fasts

November 24, 2016

November 16, 2017
Every year on Hidar 8 (November 17), the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewaido church celebrates the feast of the four beasts locally known as ‘Arba’ettu Ensisa’. Churches named after these heavenly creatures has been rarely built across the nation. They are four in number and take the form of a lion, an ox, a man and an eagle. They have six wings; are covered with eyes and continually praise God.

 Acording to Ethiopian church tradition of iconography, the surroundings and inner door of sanctuaries ornamented by the icons of Cherubim along with the Images of Holy Trinity.

The Ethiopic Synaxarium records the description of the Four Living Creatures as follows:

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God.  Amen.

On this day is celebrated the festival of the Four Beasts, who have no bodies, and which are the Wheels of God that bear His Divine Throne. According to the testimony concerning them by John the evangelist in his vision says, “I saw a throne in heaven, and He Who sat thereon was brighter than the sun, and more brilliant then the lightning.  And I saw in the midst four beasts, full of eyes; the first had the likeness of the face of a lion, the second had the likeness of the face of a bull, the third had the likeness of the face of a man, and the fourth had the likeness of the face of an eagle; and each of them had six wings. And they cried out by day and by night, saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy, God of Hosts.  All the heavens and the earth are filled with the holiness of Thy glory” (Rev. iv, 6). 

 And Isaiah the prophet also said, “I saw the Lord of Hosts sitting upon a high throne, and the whole place was filled with His glory.  Seraphim and Cherubim surrounded Him, and His awe and majesty were exceedingly great.  Each of these had six wings; with two of their wings they covered their faces, with two of their wings they covered their feet, and with two of their wings they did fly in the greatest glory by day and by night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts.  All the heavens and the earth are filled with the holiness of Thy glory” (Isaiah vi, 2).  

And David the prophet said, “He rode upon the Cherubim and did fly” (Psalm xviii, 10), and he also said, “He Who sitteth upon the Cherubim maketh the earth to quake,” And Ezekiel said concerning these wheels, “I saw a wind blow from heaven, and in it there was a cloud surrounded by fire, and brightness, and lightning, and four beasts supported Him.   Each face (or person) had six wings, and they went before them.  And the first beast had the likeness of the face of a man, and they ceased not to praise God by day and by night, and they said, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, all the heavens and the earth are filled with the holiness of Thy glory” (Ezekiel I).  

And John the evangelist said, “I heard a voice saying, Hallelujah!  Salvation and power and blessing to our God.  And the four beasts and the four and twenty elders of heaven worshipped God, saying, Hallelujah!  God the Sustainer of the universe is King (Rev. xix, 4).  After this I heard a voice saying, Praise our God with harp and psalms, Hallelujah!  And I heard the voice of a multitude of peoples like unto the thunder, saying, God, the Sustainer of the universe, is King.”  And many of the Books of the Old and the New Testaments testify concerning  the  honor  of  these  Four  Beasts  which  God  hath  set  near  Him  to  make supplication on behalf of all creation.  

He with the man’s form maketh supplication on behalf of the children of men, he with the lion’s form maketh supplication on behalf of the beasts, he with the bull’s form maketh supplication on behalf of the cattle, and he with the eagle’s form maketh supplication on behalf of the birds.  Now these beasts are very much nearer God than all the other powers of heaven. 

For this reason the fathers of the Church have instituted the commemoration of the heavenly creatures, and have built churches in their name in every place because they make supplication for the race of man.

  Salutation to the Four Beasts and to the horses of the Cherubim!

  Source: Ethiopic Synaxarium on Hidar 8 (November 17)

November 15, 2016

By Kassa Nigus 

‘Qusquam’ is a place where the Holy family found refuge following their flight from those who seek to kill the baby Jesus and where the Angle Gabriel revealed to St. Joseph that king Herod has died.

 Every year on Hidar 6 (Novembe 15), the Ethiopian Church commemorates the return of the Holy family to their home land, Israel and their relief from the menace of King Herod, following a period of 40 days of devotion and unique church services in memory of the hardship the Holy Family suffered during their flight.  It also venerates the appearance of Christ and His disciples on Mount Qusquam for the consecration of its church. 

Qusquam in Arabic is the name of village in Upper Egypt near the mountain up on which the monastery and church of Al- Muharraka are still standing. The monastery marks where the Holy Family is said to have dwelt during their exile in Egypt. The Homily of Theophilus compares the Holy Mountain in Egypt with the Holy mountain of Zion and Refers to Mary as ‘Mary of Zion’.

The Homily of Theophilus narrates the journey of the Holy family to Mount Qusquam   and testify concerning this matter,  “We might perchance find a good place wherein we might dwell and my darling Son pointed to a place with His finger and said ‘Let us go to this good place to dwell there in for it is a very fine place….and when we had sat down there,  we found in it everything that women need for washing children, a washing basin, a water channel, a well of water. We sat down there for six months and behold, the announcement of the Angle Gabriel came to us and informed us of the destruction of Herod, and we returned to the land of Jerusalem.’”  

Thus, Qusquam is a place where the Holy family has relieved from awful flight and where the announcement of the Angle Gabriel revealed to St Josef to inform the destruction of Herod.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, soon after the Magi left Bethlehem, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: Rise, take the Child and his Mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child to destroy him ( Mt 2:13). Our Lady’s joy at the visit of those distinguished men who had recognized her Son as the Messiah was instantly turned into sorrow and anguish. The cruelty of Palestine’s elderly king, ever fearful that someone might seize his throne, was well known.

Meanwhile, as we learn from several historical accounts, in the neighborhood of Bethlehem, infants two-years-old and under were being wrenched from their mothers’ arms and slain. The king had assassinated several of infants, as well as other persons he viewed as threats. The danger, then, was great.  Thus the Magi, being warned in a dream not to return to Herod…departed to their own country by another way (Mt 2:12).

After their stay in Egypt, which lasted for about three-and-half years, moved through many towns in Upper and Lower Egypt, the Holy Family called divinely to return to their home land as stated in the Gospel of Matthew (2:19-23), when Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead." Then Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel.

Besides, during this season of flight, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church offers special hymns that recite in the Holy Mass and other services for instance: 

• Mahilete Tsige (The Hymn of the Flower) and Seqoqawe Dingil (The Lamentation of the Virgin) along with the hymn of St. Yared (Digua). These strophes of hymns are composed in memory of the hardship of the Holy Family; 

• Biblical verse such as “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” (Hosea 11:1) 

• “The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.” Isa 19:1 
• “… His ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.” Hab.3: 6-7)1 – Cush is a Biblical name for Ethiopia as stated in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions.

• “Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.”  Psalm 84:3) 

From the above verse of the prophet Isaiah, we can realize the coming of the Lord into Egypt that resulted in the destruction of the idols of Egypt. While the Prophet Habkuku tells us about the coming of the Lord into Ethiopia and based on that verse (Hab.3: 6-7), the Ethiopian church tradition elaborates that during their flight, the Holy Family came to the land of Ethiopia and visited many historical sites such as, monasteries of Aksum, Debre Damo, Waldibba, Tana, Debre Zemeda, Mehur Iyyesus Gedam and many other holy sites.  

  May the prayer and intercession of St. Mary be up on us all! 

• Africa Zion: the Sacred Art of Ethiopia. (1993:73-4.)
•  E. A. Wallis Budge, 201. Legends of Our Lady Mary the Perpetual Virgin and her Mother Hanna, (page 98-99).
• Synaxarium: The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Translated by E. A. Wallis Budg__, page 122).  
• መ/ር አፈወርቅ ተክሌ 2005 ዓ.ም መጽሐፈ ታሪክ ወግስ ፡ ገጽ  288 – 289.  (Rev. Afewerk Tekle, (2005 Eth. Ca.) Metsihafe Tarik Wegiss, page 288-289). 

And the cause of its coming to Sedenya was a certain widow whose name was Martha, and who turned her house into a habitation for pilgrims; and she loved our Lady Mary exceedingly, and ministered unto her with all her power.

One day there lodged with her a certain righteous monk whose name was Theodore, and she received him with joy.  And on the following day when she was bidding him farewell, she said unto him, “Whither goes you, O father?”  And he said unto her, “I go to worship in the Sanctuary in Jerusalem.”  And she said unto him, “Take a little money from me to buy me a picture of our Lady Mary, and bring it to me when you returns to me”; and he said unto her, “I will buy [a picture] with my own money, and bring it to you.”  

And when he had arrived in Jerusalem he knelt and prayed in the holy places, and he set out on his return journey without having bought the picture.   And  immediately  he  heard  a  voice,  which  said  unto  him,  “Why  has  you forgotten to buy the picture?”  And being troubled by the voice he turned back into the marketplace, and found a picture of our Lady Mary, which had sweet features and a beautiful form.  Having bought it he wrapped it up in cotton and in fine linen.  And as he was traveling along a terrible road in the desert thieves rose up against him, and when he was wishing to take to flight, a voice came forth from that picture which said, “Fear not: complete your journey”; and he went on his way and none challenged him.

Another time a savage lion rose up against him and wanted to rend him, and straightway an awful voice came forth from that picture and drove away the lion.  And when Theodore saw all these signs and wonders, he wanted to carry that picture and drove away the lion.  And when Theodore saw all these signs and wonders, he wanted to carry that picture to his own city, and he did not wish to give it to the widow.  And as he was traveling by boat on another journey, the wind rose up against him and carried him towards Damascus.  And having disembarked he went into the house of that widow with several other pilgrims, and he did not discover himself to her, and she did not know him. 

And on the following day when he wished to go forth secretly and to depart to his city, the gates of the house failed to work and they remained jammed throughout the day; in the evening the monk returned to his abode, and when the widow saw him she wondered. And he continued to do this for three days, returning each evening; he saw the gate, but when he wished to go through it, he was unable to go on his way.  Then the widow took him and said unto him, “O my father, what ailed you?  Is your heart troubled that I see you thus disturbed?”  And then he told her everything that had come upon him in the matter of the picture.  And straightway she brought him into her house, and she opened the wrappings of the picture and found that drops of sweat were falling from it; and by reason of her joy she kissed the hands and feet of the monk.  

Then she took the picture into her prayer-chamber, and laid it upon a stand in a recess with great honors.  And she made for it a brass grating, so that no one could touch it, and she hung before it lamps which burned by day and by night, and outside these she hung silken curtains.  Beneath the picture she set a marble bowl into which the drops of oil, which sweated out from it, might be collected.  And that monk dwelt with the widow, and ministered to the picture of our Lady Mary until he died.  

And when the archbishop of that city heard the report of the picture, he, and the bishops and the priests and all the people came [to the house], and when they looked at the tablet with the picture they found that it was in the condition of being covered with flesh; and they marveled at this divine work.  And having emptied out the oil from the bowl, and divided it among them as a blessed thing, the bowl filled up [again] immediately.  When they attempted to remove the picture to another spot a great earthquake took place, and many people died; and the picture remained there until this day.

The feast is one of the 33 feasts of Our Lady Saint Mary in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and is celebrated annually on September 22 by the name “Tsedenya” which was the place where the miracle of St Mary took place.  
May her prayer and intercession be up on us!!
 
Source: Ethiopic Synaxarium on mskerem 10/September22.