Archive for category: Fasts

When St. Mary departed from this world, the apostles tended her body and carried it to Gethsemane for burial. Some of the Jews blocked their way to prevent them from burying the body, and decided to snatch and burn it to ashes for fear it may thereafter bring news of another ‘resurrection’ and ‘ascension’.

Knowing the evil intent of the Jews, GOD sent HIS angel and took away the body of HIS Mother in glory to the Heaven. The Angels then took the body to Paradise, accompanied by John the Apostle, and laid it under the Tree of Life. When John returned to the other apostles, they asked him where the Virgin Mary was. He told them that her body was placed under the Tree of Life by an Angel. The Apostles then said to each other, "John saw and we did not; let us pray and fast that we can see also."

 They fasted and prayed for fifteen days, after which the Angels of GOD brought the body of the Virgin to the Apostles. They buried the body of the Virgin on Sunday. "On Tuesday, three days later, the Virgin Mary rose from the dead, just as CHRIST had resurrected."

St. Thomas the Apostle was not present at the time of St. Mary’s departure. He was on duty in his apostolic diocese of India. As he went back to Jerusalem carried on a cloud, he met St. Mary while ascending. Thomas then said to her, "I was not chosen to see your SON’s ascension in Glory, nor was I to witness yours. How sinful I am!" But She told him that he was the first to see Her ascending, and gave him the garment (also known as Megnez or Seben in Ge’ez) with which her rested body was covered as a token. That filled him with grace and ecstasy.
 
When St. Thomas arrived where the disciples were, they told him about St. Mary’s departure and he said to them as if he knew nothing, "You know how I conducted myself at the resurrection of the LORD CHRIST, and I will not believe unless I see her body." They went with him to the tomb, and uncovered the place of the body, but they did not find it. Everyone was perplexed and surprised. After confirming her death and seeing the empty tomb, St. Thomas told them how he saw her assumption, and showed them the garment which she gave him as a proof. Priests of the Ethiopian church usually cover their hand-held crosses with a piece of garment to remember the Seben St Thomas received from St Mary.   

 Despite St Thomas’ account of St Mary’s resurrection, the Apostles were eager to witness it first hand, and so one year later they started fasting and praying starting from August 7. On the 22nd of August (i.e., after 15 days of fasting) St Mary came with her beloved SON, JESUS. On that day, JESUS CHRIST performed the Divine Liturgy designating St Peter as assistant priest and Deacon Stephen (coming from heaven) as an arch deacon, and gave them the Holy Qurban (Communion). After the service, HE ordered the apostles to preach and witness the resurrection and assumption of His Mother throughout the world. 
 
Filseta is the most dutifully observed fast among Ethiopian Orthodox Christians next to the great fast (lent). The faithful including children, who do not actively take part in the other fasts of the church, fast for 15 days joyfully taking Holy Communion. Church Services including the Divine Liturgy are carried out for an uninterrupted 15 days. Churches across the nation are therefore usually filled with the faithful during this period as many of the believers go on a retreat (subae).  
 
May Her intercession and blessings be with us now and forever. Amen.
 
Source: Ethiopic Synaxarium, on Nehasie 16 (Agust 22). 

August 13, 2016

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church celebrates the conception of St Mary on Nehasie 7 (August 13). Church manuscripts such as the Synaxarium and Teamire Mariam (Miracles of St Mary) provide some details about St Mary’s parents. 

According to those documents, the father of Mary is named Joachim, and her mother is called Hannah. The righteous couple had produced no child even at the later stage of their lives for Hannah was barren, and they were very sad because of that. Infertility was a cause of shame in those days, and drew insults such as, “O you who lack the blessing of God.”  

Joachim and Hannah were sad due to that, and thus devoted themselves to rigorous prayer and fasting, in isolation to entreated God day and night for a child. They also vowed that if they brought forth a child, they would offer him/her to serve in the Temple of God. 

One day when Joachim was in the sanctuary praying and kneeling in supplication, slumber descended upon him and he slept. While Joachim was napping St Gabriel, the angel of God, appeared unto him, and said to him, “Behold, your wife Hannah shall conceive, and she shall bear you a daughter, and in her shall be joy and salvation for the entire world.” 

Joachim then woke up, went to his house, and told his wife the vision he had seen in the temple. Accordingly, Hannah conceived, and brought forth our holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, the object of boasting of the entire world. St Mary’s role in the salvation of humanity is profoundly central as she is the one who conceived and brought forth Our Savior Jesus Christ. 

Source:    
• Ethiopic Synaxarium, Nehasseie 7 (August 13). 
• Miracles of St Mary (the book of Teamire Mariam), 1989:16.

The Ethiopian church has also set the 15th day of every Ethiopian month in honor of St. Cyriacus and St. Julietta with the great annual feast falling on the 15th of Tir (January 23). There are also many churches dedicated to St. Cyriacus across Ethiopia. The deliverance of those saints is narrated in the Ethiopic Synaxaruim as follows:

And on this day also St. Cyriacus (Qirkos) and Julitta (Iyyeluta) his mother became martyrs.  When the child was three years old, his mother left her native land Iconium and went with her son to Tarsus fleeing from the Governor who was persecuting Christians. 

Unfortunately, upon their arrival at Tarsus, they found the brother of the governor from whom they had fled. Certain men laid information against them before the governor’s brother, and urged St. Julitta to worship the idols. She responded saying, “Ask the child whose days are three years to tell us whether it is good for us to worship the idols or not.” 

God gave the child strength. Then the child spoke and cursed the emperor and his gods, and all those who were there marveled greatly at him. The governor was ashamed, and he severely tortured the child and his mother. But God delivered them safely many times through the help of St. Gabriel. After seeing the miracles, many people believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and received the crown of martyrdom. 

Lastly, the Governor ordered to have the heads of St. Cyriacus and St. Julietta cut off. They then received martyrdom and the crown of honor God prepared for them. 
                                     May their prayer be with us!!
Source: Ethiopic Synaxarium, on Hamle 19 (July 26).

Every year, on Hamle 5th (July 12), the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido church  celebrates the feast of saints Peter and Paul with various religious rituals in the same day which always coincides with the end of the Apostle’ s fast and the monthly feast of Abune Gebre Menfes Kidus.

 St Peter

St Peter was a bold follower of the Lord. He was the first to recognize that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and eagerly pledged his fidelity until death. In his boldness, he also made many mistakes, however, such as losing faith when walking on water with Christ and betraying the Lord on the night of His passion.

Yet despite his human weaknesses, Peter was chosen through the mercy of God to shepherd His flock. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter became a fearless and powerful preacher of the Gospel. He performed many wonders, healing the sick and raising the dead, and even his shadow had the power of healing the sick. The Acts of the Apostles illustrates his role as head of the Church after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. Peter led the Apostles as the first Pope and ensured that the disciples kept the true faith. St. Peter spent his last years in Rome, leading the Church through persecution and eventually being martyred in there. 

 St. Paul
 St. Paul was born in Tarsus five years after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. He wrote fourteen epistles which are included in the writings of the New Testament, and through them we learn much about his life and the faith of the early Church. Before receiving the name Paul, he was Saul, a Jewish Pharisee who zealously persecuted Christians in Jerusalem. Scripture records that Saul was present at the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

Saul’s conversion took place eight years later after the Ascension of Jesus Christ as he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christian community there. As he was traveling along the road, he was suddenly surrounded by a great light from heaven. He was blinded and fell off his horse. He then heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He answered: “Who are you, Lord?” Christ said: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:1-6)

Saul continued to Damascus, where he was baptized by Ananias, one of the 72 disciples and his sight was restored. He took the name Paul and spent the remainder of his life preaching the Gospel tirelessly to the Gentiles of the Mediterranean world. (Acts 9:10-19)

In general, St. Peter and St. Paul are two of the most well known saints who are mostly responsible for spreading the Christ’s message in the days of the early church. As to why they are celebrated on the same day, scriptures have it that they were executed on the same day in 69A.D under the command of the Emperor Nero and buried in Rome. 

According to the scriptures, Paul was beheaded while St. Peter was crucified upside down at his own request because he said he was not worthy to be sacrificed in the same manner as Christ. 

Since we are among the first people, who accept Christianity by the apostles themselves, celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith in order to be sharers of their blessings. 

Source:
Ethiopic Synaxarium: the book of the saints of the Ethiopian Church, on the month of Hamle 5 (July 12) 
Hiruy Ermias 1995 E.C.Mezgebe Tarik, part-2, pp.119-126.