Nicodemus: Seventh Sunday of Lent

April 18, 2016

By Kassa Nigus 

The seventh Sunday of the great lent is known in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church as Niqodimos (ኒቆዲሞስ). The day is named after a member of the Jewish ruling council who took special interest in the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in the third chapter of St. John the evangelist. Throughout the week of the seventh Sunday, the Church narrates story of Nicodemus and the lesson of rebirth he learned from our Lord Jesus Christ. The story is recorded in John 3:1-8 as follows:

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” He was impressed with the signs that Jesus performed in Jerusalem.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old?" Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”. This meant that God is above and therefore to enter His Kingdom we must all be born from above.
What does being ‘born of water’ mean?

We understand in the phrase ‘born of water’ a reference to baptism, either that of John the Baptist, or Christian baptism. The phrase describes our Christian baptism which unites us with the Holy Spirit. Through this wonderful sacrament, we become children of God. Nicodemus desired to become a child of God and was baptized. He believed in the Words of Jesus, was born from above and became one of God’s children.

Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus at night?
Based on our Church’s interpretation, Nicodemus chose to come to Christ during the night time for fear of being seen by the Jews; he was a scholar and member of the Jewish ruling council. The other reason was probably to get enough time to converse with the Lord and ask Him whatever questions he might have had.
Nicodemus bearing fruit

After our Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross, Nicodemus got a chance to collect and bury the body of His Lord. He and Joseph had lived as secret disciples of the Lord and thus buried His body together. 
Before that fateful time, Judas sold the Lord for thirty pieces of silver; the chief apostle Peter denied Him and swore that he never knew Him; the other disciples too forsake Him; the chief priests accused Him of blasphemy and the council condemned Him to death.
The only people who took risk of the ridicule of the Romans and persecution from the Jewish religious council for following the Lord till the end were Nicodemus and Joseph – the hidden disciples. The two men came to collect and bury the body of Jesus at their own expense. Here we witness the word Nicodemus received from Jesus in private bearing public fruit.

What can we learn from Nicodemus?
Nicodemus held a high position of trust in the Jewish nation. He was highly educated and possessed talents of no ordinary character, and he was an honored member of the national council. Though rich, learned, and honored, he had been strangely attracted by the humble Nazarene, our Lord Jesus. He did not talk with Christ about state affairs, though he was a ruler, but about the concerns of his own soul and its salvation.

If we are to grow, like Nicodemus, we need to admit and seek Jesus for the grace to make the change. Education, culture and science may change us but only the grace of God can transform us. The word of Jesus has the power to transform and release us from every hold of egotism, pessimism, criticism and worldly mindsets.

So let us not boast in our authority, wealth, knowledge, …. that God gave us. Let’s rather learn from the life of this giant saint and seek the rebirth that ushers us into eternal life.
Sources:  Holy Bible, King James Version.
                 Tesfaye Mitiku, 2006 E.C. ሰብዐቱ አጽዋማት (The Seven Fasts) 

Gebr Her: the parable of the talents

April 11, 2016
By Tsegaye Girma 
Our Lord Jesus Christ often used parables to illustrate and simplify his teachings so that His audience understood His message simply. The people whom He taught easily related to His sermons because the stories He used to illustrate and compare His ideas are drawn from their everyday lives. The parable of the three talents is one of the stories Our Lord Jesus Christ used to teach His followers about the need to use talents and gifts faithfully.

The Ge’ez phrase ገብር ኄር (Gebr Her) is used to refer to the sixth Sunday of the great lent when the parable of the three talents mentioned in Mathew 25 is read and recited in the Church. ‘Gebr Her’ literally means ‘Good Servant’ and highlights the good deeds of the servants who have been rewarded for their faithfulness and hard work. (Mt 25:14-30) Readings and chants of St Yared related to the story are recited throughout the week.  

This parable has been seen as an exhortation to Jesus’ disciples to use their God-given gifts in the service of God, and to take risks for the sake of the Kingdom of God. These gifts have been seen to include personal abilities ("talents" in the everyday sense), as well as personal wealth. Failure to use one’s gifts, the parable suggests, will result in judgment.

Based on Mathew 25:14-30, the parable that deals with wisdom in an eschatological context is recounted briefly as follows;
A rich man delegates the management of his wealth to his servants. He gives five talents (a large unit of money) to the first servant, two talents to the second, and one talent to the third.After being gone a long time, the master returns to settle up with his slaves. At that moment, two of the servants earn 100 percent returns by trading with the funds so that they seem eager to show their master what they have accomplished in his absence. The first presents his master with ten talents. He doubled the money His master entrusted to him. The second servant presents his master with four talents. He, too, doubled the money his master left in his care.

Both of these faithful slaves are rewarded well for their faithful service because:
First, they receive their master’s commendation, “Well done, good and faithful slave”. Second, because they have proven themselves to be faithful with the few things entrusted to them, they are now given even greater responsibilities by their master. Third, they are invited to “enter into the joy of your master.” But the third servant is severely rebuked and punished for burying the money instead of investing it.   

The meaning of the parable extends far beyond financial investments. God has given each person a wide variety of gifts, and He expects us to employ those gifts in His service. It is not acceptable merely to put those gifts on a closet shelf and ignore them. Like the three servants, we do not have gifts of the same degree. The return God expects of us is corresponding with the gifts we have been given.

The servant who received one talent was not condemned for failing to reach the five-talent goal; he was condemned because he did nothing with what he was given. The gifts we receive from God include skills, abilities, family connections, social positions, education, experiences, and more. The point of the parable is that we are to use whatever we have been given for God’s purposes. The severe consequences to the unproductive servant, far beyond anything triggered by mere business mediocrity, tell us that we are to invest our lives, not waste them.

What has the Lord given us to invest? We shall discover and utilize our gifts to be profitable and enjoy heavenly life.

Source: Holy Bible: King James Version.

Debre Zeit (Mount of Olives)

April 4/2016
By M/hr Kassa Nigus
Debre Zeit (ደብረ ዘይት): the Ge’ez phrase for Mount of Olives is one of the nine minor feast days of the Lord observed halfway in the fifth week of the great lent. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast with special consideration based upon the second coming of Christ, which was announced by our Lord on the Mount of Olives. Biblical verses and the hymn of St.Yared pertinent to our Lord’s second coming are read and sung on this day.
The signs of the end times spoken by our Lord will culminate in final judgment and resurrection of the living and dead, believers and unbelievers, righteous and sinners. It is in the knowledge of this truth of the second coming of Christ that all people must repent, believe and baptize in preparation for the arrival of God’ Kingdom.
The church advises us to be spiritually prepared for judgment at any moment and to put our trust in God that He will make everything right in the end. The final phase of the process of redemption began with the first coming of Jesus and will culminate in the events surrounding His Second Coming. There will be a final judgment of all people, living and dead. There will be a final defeat and destruction of all evil — Satan, sin, suffering and death. The kingdom of God will come to its fulfillment at last.
                              Signs of the end
Jesus, Himself, said no one would be able to predict exactly the end of the time but He informs that many events will occur before the Second Coming and which will be signs that the end is near. There will be wars, famines, earthquakes, false prophets, persecutions and an increase in wickedness, rebellion against God, worship of demons, idolatry, murders, sorceries, sexual immorality, and thefts. (Matthew 24:3-14; Rev. 9: 20). The Gospel of the kingdom must be preached to all nations for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.  (Matthew 24:14-28).
                         Resurrection and final Judgment
Everyone who has ever lived will be brought back to life in some form to face the final judgment along with those still living. When the end time comes, all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth and   can be in front of two different Judgment Seats (righteous in the right hand of Jesus and sinners in the left) — those who have done good will be granted eternal life; and those who have done evil, will be condemned to eternal punishment. (Matthew 5:29-30, 25:31-46, Mark 9:43-48 ; John 5:25-29)
 While we are still living, or until Jesus comes again, we have every opportunity to repent. We can change our ways from evil to good. But in the end we will all be judged. No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. You do not know when that time will come. The event, when it happens, will be swift and unexpected. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him. (Mark 13:32-33; Matthew 24:43-44)
                                            Be alert! Be Prepared!

Memorial Day of the Prophet Daniel

April 1, 2016 
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church Liturgical Calendar is full of feasts of Lord, St Mary, angles, saints, apostles and martyrs. Based on its Liturgical Calendar, it usually commemorates each saint monthly and annually in accord with their special devotions. The worship of Saints is definitely forbidden by the Church; however, asking for their intercessions is central in any of its services. 

On Megabit 23/ April 1, the Church commemorates the death of the Prophet Daniel. The Book of Ethiopic Synaxarium (on Magabit 23/ April 1), narrates the life story of Daniel and mentions the three holy youths (Anania, Azarias and Misael), the capture of Jerusalem and the deportation of the Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon, including Daniel and his companions, which are the fulfillment of many warnings from the prophets of Israel’s coming disaster because of the nation’s sins against God as it recorded in (Is 24:1-6, Jer 7:24— 8:3; 44:20-23;  1 Ki 11:5; 12:28; 16:31; 18:19; 2 Ki 21:3-5; 2 Ch 28:2-3). Because of their sin, the people of Israel were carried off captive to Babylon, a center of idolatry and one of the wicked cities in the ancient world.   

In all his life span, Daniel has been subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, and stopped the mouths of lions through his strong faith. 

Source: Ethiopic Synaxarium on on Magabit 23/ April 1. 

Abune Gebre Menfes Qidus: the Head of Anchorites

March 14, 2016
By Kassa Nigus
Abune Gebre Menfes Qidus [means the salve of the Holy Spirit] was born on Tahisas 29 in 829 E.C; his date of birth and conception coincided with the day of His God, Jesus Christ. 

His father’s name was Simeon, and his mother’s name was ‘Aklesya who were righteous before God.  They remained childless in moan and prayer for a period of thirty years because they had not got a son. However, later God heard their prayer and gave them this child.

According to his Gadl (Hagiography), the saint was appeared from the city of Nehisa, in Egypt and lived there 300 years in the desert of Egypt. Then, he came to Ethiopia by the order of God and wandered about the wildernesses of Ethiopia.   He, then, departed to the land of Ziquala, that later on became the great monastery of the saint and lived there 265 years as if naked and drinking no water and eating no food, exceeding many prophets of old and unlike a man upon earth, but likened to the angels.

 So his holy life began and was accomplished, now on the third year of his birth, God commanded the angel Gabriel and said unto him, “Go to the house of Simeon, and take the child from the breast of his mother, and bring him into the desert where there are many monks, and lay him down in their courtyard.” And say to the abbot, “Take the child from the courtyard, and bring him into the sanctuary”

Due to this divine order, the abbot raised him according to the Church’s rule, teaching all the scriptures and other religious leanings. Later, he got ordination from the bishop called Abba Abraham and he dwelt in the Egyptian desert called ‘Gebota’ [most probably in Upper Egypt] three hundred years.

Later on, he came to Ethiopia via Axum in 1129 E.C. during the reign of Qidus Harbey (also called Gebre Mariam), and expanded evangelistic activities in north and central Ethiopia. Then, he went to the next reigning king ‘Lalibela’, said to be in 1168 E.C., to discuss church issues. King Lalibela was excited and bowed to the saint many times and requested of him to stay with him.  But the saint did not accept the king’s request, instead he promised the king saying, “I will live in mount Ziquala and I will not depart from your country.”

He is one of the most renowned Saints in Ethiopia along with St. Tekle Haymanot in evangelistic activities and is known as the founder of Medre Kebd and Zequala monastery.

He is known by performing incredible miracles throughout his age and afterwards and is recognized by his exceptional quality, here are some of his miracles;    

On the third day of his birth, the child rose up, and came down from his mother’s breast, and he stood up and bowed three times to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and who also said, “Glory be to the Father, Glory be to the Son, Glory be to the Holy Spirit, Who has brought me out of the darkness into the light.”

The saint did not eat the bread of earth, or drink water, or wear raiment and he never prepared anything for his body, but he lived naked in the desert. However, he was arrayed by his beard and the hair of his head that covered his whole body like a thatch and swept the ground.  He was like the fowls of heaven, for he thought nothing about the food of this world, but he hungered and thirsted for God; his sustenance was offered from heaven.

 One day, the three saints (Abba Samuel of Waldebba, Abba Anbes of the land of Hazalo and Abba Benyam of the upper land of Egypt) came to the land of Kabd, carried on their lions, to ask and see Abune Gebre Menfes Qidus ’s celebrity. When they reached there they couldn’t get him and they stayed there for seven days in search of him.  Then a certain lion came to the three saints and devoured their lions. Then, the saints felt bitterly sad, and their sorrow was revealed unto our father, Abune Gebre Menfes Qidus.  Then, after he came to them with the great power accompanied by his lions and leopards, the saint rebuked the lions, and he rose up the dead lions from the belly of the lions and sent them away to their former owners.

During his combat, Satan came to him in the form of a black raven, pecked at his eyes, and dug out his eyeballs. Consequently, the saint remained blind for ninety-eight years, till the angles (Michael and Gabriel) healed his eyes through their breathing. He lived 100 years in solitude in Lake Ziquala, praying for Ethiopia and the world as well.

He lived in the desert escorted by 60 lions and 60 tigers that served him. The saint lived  300 years in Egypt and 262 in Ethiopia with a total life span of 562 years on earth and  died  on Megabit 5, 1931 E.C. Due to his  spiritual struggle, he was  entitled with these names: “the star of the desert” and “the head of anchorites”.

The Ethiopian church commemorates the feast of the saint on the 5th date of every Ethiopian month, of which Megabit 5 is the day of the death of the saint), and Tikmit 5 is the great annual feast of the saint. The reason for his commemoration on the 5th date of every Ethiopian month is:

The entry of the saint from Egypt to Ethiopia; the day on which he went out from the lake where he received the covenant from God; the day on which he raised the dead lions; the first mass of his church built in his name was also celebrated on this day.  His departure is commemorated on Megabit 5.  Consequently his Gadl states that, he died in Ziquala and rested in Medre Kebd.

             May the prayer of Abune Gebre Menfes Qidus be up on us!

 Source:
ገ ለ ገብረ መንፈስ ቅዱስ ::(The Hagiography of Abune Gebre Menfes Kidus) 1992 E.C.
  Synaxarium:The book of saints of the Ethiopian Church
 የዝቋላ ደብረ ከዋክብት አቡነ ገብረ መንፈስ ቅዱስ ገዳም ዐመታዊ መጽሔት ጥቅምት: 2007::  (Annual Journal of Ziquala Debre Kewakibt Abune Gebre Menfes Kidus, October, 2007).

The Covenant of St. Mary (Kidane Mihret)

February 23, 2015
By Kassa Nigus
Saints enjoy greater grace before God for forsaking the world and receiving hardship for the love of God. They have received spiritual powers to perform miracles while in this world such as making the dead rise, healing different ailments and driving out demons.

Likewise, one who implores by invoking their names, commemorates them and believes in their role of intercession shall be rewarded as has been confirmed by God.Our Lord says in the Gospel of Mathew 10:41-42 “that if any one receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple; verily I say unto you, he shall in nowise lose his reward.”

Saints intercede not only in the realms of the flesh as the scriptures testify for they are alive in soul. (Ex.32:2-15; Enoch 12:33-40, Luke 20:37-40). The word of God is living, and it works on the living. His covenant never changes and He Himself has said that saints are also living.

The church believes in the covenant and honor bestowed on holy Apostles, martyrs and the righteous. Covenant has been given to them that those who forsook all and followed him by carrying his cross and received hardship for the name and glory of Christ shall sit upon the twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel when the son of man sits on his glorious throne. (Matt. 19:28)

If the Lord said this about the apostles, then how much more effective would be the prayers of the Mother of God for the salvation of her children? We have seen St. Mary receiving the motherhood of the Incarnate Son of God. This motherhood is not merely an honorable title but a responsibility of unceasing work. Being a superior member of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, she responds to the need of the other members seeking the salvation of everyone.

The story of the wedding of Cana of Galilee shows how great the intercession of Virgin Mary is. When St. Mary saw that the wine at the wedding had run out, she informed her Son, “they have no wine” (Jn 2:3). Of course the Lord was aware of that and surely he does not need to be reminded with the need of his children. But He who is full of love is pleased to see the mutual feeling of love in His mother and His children.

Her request was only made once, which shows clearly her confidence in Her Son’s reply, for she did not repeat her request but with every assurance she said to the people, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”  (Jn 2:5)  Through her conversation with the people of the wedding, we can visualize her role in intercession. For she presents our needs to her Son and then directs our hearts to diligently carry out His comandments and to do whatever He tells us.

Accordingly, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church commemorates  the covenant of St. Mary by the name Kidane Mehret.

Kidane Mihret (ኪዳነ ምሕረት) is a Ge’ez phrase which literally means ‘covenant of mercy’. The phrase is used to refer to God’s promise to St. Mary that he would forgive the sins of those who seek her intercession – a fact that underscores the enormous grace of Our Lady before the Almighty.  Kidane Mihret also refers to Yekatit 16 (February 23), the day on which St. Mary received the promise.It is also observed on the 16th day of each month though not as colorfully as on February 23. The day marks one of the 33 feasts of St.Mary.

According to the Ethiopic Synaxarium (pp.365), God has promised St. Mary that he will bless those who celebrate her commemoration, call upon her name, or give alms to the poor even if it were only a cup of cold water. He also promised to bless those who build churches in her name, give cloth to the poor; those who visit the sick, feed the hungry, comfort the grieving, or write the history of her strife.

 
May her prayer and intercession be with us!!!

 

Source:
• The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church Faith, Order of Worship and Ecumenical Relations (1996: 60-62).    
• The book of the saints of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (Synaxarium).

The Fast of Nineveh (Jonah’s Fast)

February 19/ 20 16

The fast of Nineveh, the shortest canonical lent recognized by the Orthodox Church, is observed for three consecutive days, from Monday till Wednesday fifteen days prior to the Great Lent following the dietary rules of the Great Lent. As with all other fasts of the Holy church, the fast of Nineveh is observed by refraining from the intake of all dairy and meat products.

It is one of the movable fasts of the Ethiopian Church; the day on which the fast falls is determined through calculations based on the church’s calendar system.

Accordingly, in this year (2016), the fast of Nineveh begins on Monday, Yakutat 14/February 22 and lasts until February 16th/ February 26th. During this fast, we remember the three days Prophet Jonah spent in the belly of a large fish as penance for his disobedience to God and the atonement of the sinful city of Nineveh. During these three days, we should look at our lives and show remorse for our disobedient natures and follow in the footsteps of Prophet Jonah and the people of Nineveh.

May God Almighty be pleased in our fasting, prayer and lent!

Astereyo Mariam: the Festivity of the Death of St Mary

January 29, 2016

By Kassa Nigus  

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido church commemorates the death of St. Mary on Tir 21 (January 29). The day is known as Aster’eyo to mean appearance/Epiphany. It coincides with the season the church devoted to remember the different manifestations of Christ’s glory and Divinity, especially the Nativity, the Baptism as well as the miracle at Cana.

The term Aster’eyo is more popular in the commemoration of the death of St. Mary on the stated day in view of the fact that God came with thousands of His angles to comfort her, as is recorded in Synaxarium. The 21st day of each Ethiopian month is dedicated to commemorate Our Lady’s death and to venerate her.
According to the Synaxarium, the Holy Spirit informed Our Lady Virgin St. Mary at her usual praying site in the Holy Sepulchre that she was about to depart from this temporal world. When the time of her departure came, the virgins of the Mount of Olives came to her with the apostles, who were still alive, and surrounded her bed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory, came to her with a host of thousands and thousands of angels and comforted her. He told her about the eternal joy that awaited her in heaven, and she rejoiced.Before she passed away, the apostles and the virgins asked her to bless them. She stretched her hand and blessed them all. She then gave up her pure spirit in the hands of her Son and God who took it to the heavenly mansions.

The apostles prepared her body in a fitting manner and carried it to Gethsemane. Some Jews who were unfriendly to the apostles blocked their way to prevent them from burying the body. One of the Jews seized the coffin with his hands which were cut off instantly from his body and remained attached to the coffin. He regretted his evil deed and wept bitterly. Through the supplications of the saintly apostles, his hands were reattached to his body miraculously, and he believed in the Lord Christ. After the apostles placed St. Mary’s body in the tomb, the Lord hid it from them.

St. Thomas, one of the Lord’s disciples, was not present at the time of St. Mary’s departure. He was heading to Jerusalem carried by a cloud. On his way, he saw the pure body of St. Mary carried by the angels and ascended to heaven with it. One of the angels told him, "Make haste and kiss the pure body of St. Mary," and he did.

When St. Thomas arrived where the disciples were, they told him about her departure and he said to them, "You know how I conducted myself at the resurrection of Our Lord. I will not believe unless I see her body." The apostles went with him to the tomb, and uncovered the place of the body only to find out that it was not there. Everyone was perplexed and surprised.

St. Thomas told them how he saw the holy body and the angels that were ascending with it. They heard the Holy Spirit saying to them, "The Lord did not will to leave her body on earth." The Lord had promised His pure apostles to let them see her in the flesh once again. They were waiting for this promise to be fulfilled, until the 16th day of the month of Nehasie/August, when the promise was fulfilled and they saw her.
The years of St. Mary’s life on earth were 64 years. She grew up in her parents’ house and lived 3 years and seven months there. She was 12 years old when she left the temple where she grew up. She spent 34 years and three months in Joseph’s house until the Ascension of the Lord and 14 years with St. John the Evangelist, according to what the Lord said when He was on the cross: "Behold, this is your son," and to St. John, "Behold, this is your mother."

  May Her intercession and blessings be with us. Amen.   

Source: Synaxarium – The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

SAINT OF THE DAY

January 24, 2015
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church has been honoring both indigenous and foreign saints and martyrs dedicating a specific day to them throughout the year. Some of the saints were well known and celebrated in a very colorful feast, while  others remembered in a daily readings of their biography, struggle with the pagans for the sake of Christ  in order to  understand the sacrifices done by them and inspire faithful to lead a spiritual life.

On the 16th of every Ethiopian Month, the church dedicated the feast of Kidane Mihret (ኪዳነ ምሕረት), ‘covenant of mercy’ that refers to God’s promise to St. Mary.  every day of the year the church remembers at least one or two saints  on the date of his or her death, or birth. Among these one of the saints who remembered on this day (January 24) is recorded in the book of Synaxarium as follows:  

On this day Saint Philotheus, which name being interpreted is “lover of God,” became a martyr.  This saint was a man of Antioch, and his parents worshipped a bull which was called “Maraged.”  And they fed the bull on fine flour, which was boiled and mixed with fat, and seed-oil, and the honey of bees, and they anointed him with scented unguents thrice daily, and gave him wine and seed-oil to drink; and they built one house for him to live in during the winter and another for the summer.  And they placed a collar of gold round his neck, and rings of gold on his fore legs and hind legs. 

 Now this saint was of very goodly appearance.  And when he was ten years old his parents talked to him, and told him that he must worship the bull, but he would neither listen to their words nor do this thing, and because of their love for him, and because they did not wish to annoy him, they let him alone.  Now Saint Philotheus did not know Christ, and he thought that the sun was God.  And he stood up before the sun, saying, “I beseech thee, O sun, if thou art God, to tell me so”; and a voice came unto him from above, saying, “I am not God, but I am the servant and messenger of God Whom thou knowest, and thy blood shall be shed for the Name of God–Glory be to Him!”  

And when God saw the integrity of heart of the boy Philotheus, He sent His angel to him at that moment, and the angel informed him about the mystery of God, and opened his heart so that he might understand what he said unto him; and when he had told him everything, beginning with the creation of the world, and ending with the Incarnation of our Lord Christ, the heart of the boy rejoiced and his spirit was glad.  From that day he fasted, and prayed many prayers frequently, and he ate bread and salt only, and he gave alms to the poor and needy.  And when a year had passed his parents determined to give a feast to his friends and companions, and they required of their son to offer incense in honor of the bull, before they ate and drank.  
And the boy Philotheus stood up before the bull, and said unto him, “Is it true that thou art a god whom men worship?” And a voice came forth from the bull which said, “I am not a god, but Satan hath entered my heart and I have become a deceiver of men.”  Then the bull rose up and attacked the parents of the saint, and he gored them with his horns, and killed them.  And the saint commanded his slaves to kill the bull [and they did so], and they burnt him in the fire, and scattered [his ashes] to the winds.  And the parents of the saint were lying there dead, and God gave grace to Saint Philotheus, and he prayed over them, and their souls returned to them, and they rose up straightway and told him how they had seen the punishments which were [inflicted] in Sheol.  And after this Saint Philotheus and his parents were baptized with Christian baptism in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.  

And God gave him grace and power and he healed many sick folk by his prayer.  And the report of him reached Diocletian the emperor, who sent and had him brought to him.  And he said unto Saint Philotheus, “Cast incense to Apollo”; and he promised to give him many things if he would do so; and the saint rejected his promised things and his words.  And the emperor commanded the soldiers to punish him with every kind of torture, [and they did so].  

They first beat him with whips, and then they laid stones on his belly, and they did everything they could; but he was strong in the strength of God our Lord Jesus Christ. And he cursed the infidel emperor, and his unclean gods, until they smote him on the mouth, and cut out his tongue and broke his teeth; and when they had done all these things to him he would not hearken to the voice of the emperor.  Then the emperor began to persuade him, and to use words of blandishment and flattery to him, but Saint Philotheus laughed at him, and promised that he would worship that idol; and the emperor rejoiced at this and imagined that he would really do so.  

And he commanded his servants to bring Apollo, and the men and priests of the idols, and a herald went through the city who cried out, saying, “Come, O all ye people, so that ye may see Philotheus worshipping Apollo”: and all the people gathered together about the tribune.  And as they were bringing the idols along the road, Saint Philotheus asked our Lord Christ that the earth might open her mouth, and swallow up the idols and their priests.  And straightway the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the idols and their priests, and there was a great outcry round about; and when the people saw this, many of them believed on our Lord Christ. 

And the emperor was worth, and he commanded the soldiers to cut off the heads of them all with the sword, [and they did so,] and they received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens, and entered into life everlasting.  As for Saint Philotheus, when the emperor was tired of torturing him he commanded them to cut off his head with the sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens.

Source: The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Translation of Sir E. A. Wallis Budge). 

Epiphany

January 19, 2016
By Kassa Nigus 
 “Timket” is a Ge’ez word meaning “immersion in water” similar to the Baptism of Jesus Christ. The word also denotes epiphany which is driven from the Greek word epiphaneia meaning “appearance”. 

The annual Timket celebration is held across Ethiopia on Tir 11 E.C (January 19 G.C) with processions of priests carrying replicas of the Ark of Covenant, locally known as ‘Tabot’s, escorted by thousands of believers. The day is observed in commemoration of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River. Timket is not only one of the major feasts of the Ethiopian church but it is also a public holiday when offices and schools across the country are closed. 

Though Timket is celebrated on January 19, the season, according to the church’s tradition, covers the period from the eve of the festival to the start of the three-day fast observed in  commemoration of the fast the people of Nineveh observed to avert God’s wrath. During the Timket season, the church praises the Lord reciting chants and readings pertaining to the birth, circumcision, and baptism of Christ as well his miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. (Luke 2:21; John 2:1-11)

 Baptism of Jesus Christ by St. John 

 Christ’s baptism is recorded in the third chapter of the Gospel of Mathew as follows.  “‘I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.’ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Mathew 3:11-17)  

The baptism of the Lord is also recorded in  Mark 1:9–11 and Luke 3:21–23. Those two evangelists recorded the voice that came from heaven as addressing Jesus by saying "You are beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased".

 The Mystery of Baptism 
 The things that happened after the baptism of Christ reveal important facts for us:    
  Revelation of Holy Trinity: after Christ was baptized, the three persons of Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) have been revealed distinctly. The voice of God the Father came from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”. God the Son, incarnate in the human body, was baptized by St. John in Jordan River. And the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and perched on the Son. (Matt. 3:13-17)

The opening of heaven: right after Christ was baptized, the heavens were opened indicating that we have been redeemed from Adam’s sin that led to the closure of the heavens through believing in Jesus Christ and baptism. This reveals the spiritual value baptism has as an opener of the heavens. (Galatians 3:27). 

The Origin of Timket Festival in Ethiopia 

As land of God, Ethiopia has been following the teachings of the apostles and started celebrating epiphany at the national level in 530 AD during the reign of Emperor Gebre Meskel.  In 1140 AD, king and priest Lalibela made an amendment to the existing tradition of the Epiphany celebration by which he made a decree that urged all arks of covenant (Tabots) to be carried to a river or pool together to bless the waters. 
 
In 1426 AD, following a proposal from scholars, Emperor Zer’a Ya’ekob declared that the Tabots be taken to nearby pools on the eve (January 18) and stay the night there blessing the nation. In 1486 AD, Emperor Naod also made an order that the Tabots be escorted by the faithful in colorful processions. 
 
Following those traditions, the Tabots are taken to rivers and pools early afternoon on the eve of Timket, which is known as “ketera” meaning ‘making a reservoir for the celebration’. Each Tabot is carried overhead by a high priest to the nearby body of water accompanied by thousands of church members chanting hymns. 

The celebration is also augmented by spiritual dancing (known as shibsheba), drum beating, horn blowing, prayer stick waving and sistra rattling.  The Divine Liturgy is recited near the pools early in the morning. The water is then blessed and sprinkled towards the assembled congregation, some of whom immerse themselves in the water, symbolically renewing their baptismal vows. However, the festival does not end there; the crowd will escort the Tabots back to their churches at the end of the celebration on January 19. 

Though epiphany is a religious festival, many ethnic groups in Ethiopia celebrate it in line with their cultures. This adds to the appeal of the festival for foreign visitors and makes it one of the national celebrations which attract many tourists to Ethiopia. This unique festival qualifies as a tourism asset worthy of being recorded in UNESCO’s intangible world heritage list next to Meskel (True Cross) celebrations. 

Given the spiritual and cultural values of the festival, it is the responsibility of every Ethiopian to preserve this longstanding tradition and hand it over to the coming generation as it is.  

 Source:
•  The Holy Bible: The King James Version (1769)
• Megabe Mstir Welde Rufael Fetahi and Kesis Samuel Eshetu (translated by Dr. Merkeb Mekuria), 2014. Betimketu Dagmenga weleden, pp.132 (Special publication by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, Addis Ababa: Tinsae Zegubae