…… the Feast of the Assumption commemorates the entrance of Saint Mary’s corporeal body and soul into heaven as she preceded the faithful believers, taking her seat at the right hand of her bridegroom and Son.
The feast of the Transfiguration is one of the spiritual feasts that the Ethiopian Orthodox Incarnation Church observes. This holiday is among the nine major holidays of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Ge’ez and Amharic name of the holiday, Debre Tabor, which translates to Mount Tabor, pertains to the mountain on which our Lord manifested His divinity and the glory of His kingdom on August 8 during the time that He was traveling the land of Israel, teaching.
Even though Adam’s body was decomposing and rotting in the grave with its power revoked for a while, he was able to gain power and conquer death because it inseparably became one with the nature of the Deity afterwards. Christ suffered in the flesh and went to the grave, He beat death with His Deity and Divine authority and made the flesh with which He inseparably united victorious. By wearing man’s flesh which was humiliated, scorned, and crushed, He took man back to his place of dignity and honored him.
Onwards, people in the name of Christianity fast “The fast of Nineveh”, a three-day lent recognized by the Orthodox Incarnation Church, seeking a forgiveness and repentance from GOD. The fasting lasts from Monday to Wednesday, two weeks before the beginning of the Great Lent. This year’s Fast of Nineveh begins on Monday, February 10 and ends February 12,2020.
The opening of heaven right after Jesus was baptized indicates that we have been redeemed from Adam’s sin that led to the closure of the heavens through faith in LORD Jesus Christ and baptism. This reveals the spiritual value of Epiphany as an opener of the heavens. (Galatians 3:27).
March 20, 2017
By Kassa Nigus
His Holiness Abune Mathias Patriarch of Ethiopia, Archbishop of Axum and Ichege of the See of Saint Taklehaimanot, comforted victims of the landslide at Koshe landfill site, in Kolfe Keranyo sub city, on March 19, 2017. While visiting the victims, His Holiness expressed his sadness over the tragic loss of lives and comforted the families of the departed with the Word of God.
Along with the Patriarch, His Grace Abune Sawiros, Secretary of the Holy Synod and Archbishop of South West Shewa diocese, and His Grace Abune Deyosqoros, General Manager of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Patriarchate and Archbishop of Southern Tigray, South Eastern and Eastern Tigray Dioceses soothed the victims who are in a makeshift shelter.
It is to be recalled that last week, the Holy Synod declared a seven-day prayer for the departed in every parish, and donated ETB 200,000 to support the victims and bereaved families who lost all their belongings due to the accident.
The landslide, which swept through a massive garbage dump on March 11, 2017 in Kolfe Keranyo sub city, killed more than 100 people, leaving dozens missing. The landfill has been a dumping ground for Addis Ababa for more than 50 years.
May God rest the souls of the departed in peace!!
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.
By Tsegeye Girma & Synodos Tesfay
Christ came to the world in human form to atone for the wrongdoings of humans on our behalf and fulfill the Divine justice. He reopened the gate of heaven through His death as all humans, be they sinners or righteous, were not allowed to enter paradise. Between our Creator and us was a big wall that no one could take down but only our Lord Jesus Christ.
As the Lord promised to Adam, He came to the world and endured severe pain and contempt for our sake. He was then crucified on the Cross (Meskel) between two criminals who spent their entire lives robbing and terrorizing people. The Lord took our sin and our death and gave us His life; He called us His sons while everything we have ever done was crucified him and sin.
Christ redeemed us through His death on the Cross. The Cross has thus become the sign of victory for Christians. It is the symbol of our freedom from evil and our rebirth for a new life in Jesus Christ. That is why Saint Paul the Apostle said “But God forbids that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Gal 6:14)
Even after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Cross kept on making numerous miracles among believers. But the Jews who lived in those days were envious, and hence buried the Cross and turned the place into a dumping ground for garbage. Through time, the garbage piled up and took the form of a hill. The Jews had made every effort to obscure the place where the Cross was buried.
After 200 years, Queen Elena, mother of Constantine the Great, set out to locate the place where the cross was buried and excavate it. She prayed hard to request for the will and help of God and then headed for Jerusalem in 319 E.C to accomplish her project.
Given the lapse of two centuries, it was hard for Queen Elena to spot the exact place of burial of the Cross. She thus sough the counsel of an old man named Kirakos who told her that the Cross was buried in one of three hills located in city of Jerusalem.
Elena summoned all priests in the city for mass prayers. She then lit a bonfire and put incense into it. The smoke from the bonfire billowed into the sky and then bent down to the hill where the Cross was buried. She had the place dug, and three crosses were excavated. The True Cross on which our Lord was crucified was identified for the enormous miracles it did. After unearthing the Holy Cross, Queen Helena lit torches heralding her success.
In the Middle Ages, the Patriarch of Alexandria who got hold of part of the True Cross, gave the Ethiopian Emperor Dawit a piece of the Cross in return for protection afforded to the Coptic Christians. This piece is reputedly held at the Gishen Mariam church located about 70 kilometers northwest of Dessie in northern Ethiopia.
Ethiopians have been celebrating this day for a millennium. There are two occasions on Meskel. The first is Demera (September 26), in which bonfires are built topped by a cross to which flowers are tied. The flowers are Meskel Daisies. The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church orchestrates the ceremony to light a huge bonfire in Meskel Square at the heart of Addis Ababa.
The ceremony is accompanied by spiritual dancing and singing. Priests in full ceremonial dress sing around the bonfire. While the Demera is set on fire there is an inner feeling of brightness for all those who are around it. Little Demeras are also built at individual houses or villages. On the next day of Demera comes the Meskel festivity. In the morning of Meskel, believers go to the spot of the Demera, and using ashes from the fire, they mark their foreheads with the sign of the cross. The festival coincides with the mass blooming of the golden yellow Meskel daisies. The day is observed with holiday meals and drink.
Our forefathers have managed to preserve this age-old tradition which has recently been inscribed in the records of UNESCO as one of the intangible heritages of the world. The responsibility to pass on this unique tradition to the coming generations now lies on the shoulders of every one of us.
Happy Meskel celebrations to you all!!
Source:
Hiruy Ermias 2002: Mzgebe Tarik part 1 (መዝገበ ታሪክ ክፍል አንድ). Page: 32-33.
Christ came to the world in human form to atone for the wrongdoings of humans on our behalf and fulfill the divine justice. He reopened the gate of heaven through His death as all humans, be they sinners or righteous, were not allowed to enter paradise. Between our Creator and us was a big wall that no one could take down but only our Lord Jesus Christ.
As the Lord promised to Adam, He came to the world and endured severe pain and contempt for our sake. He was then crucified on the Cross (Meskel) between two criminals who spent their entire lives robbing and terrorizing people. The Lord took our sin and our death and gave us His life; He called us His sons while everything we have ever done was crucified him and sin.
Christ redeemed us through His death on the Cross. The Cross has thus become the sign of victory for Christians. It is the symbol of our freedom from evil and our rebirth for a new life in Jesus Christ. That is why Saint Paul the Apostle said “But God forbids that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Gal 6:14)
Even after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Cross kept on making numerous miracles among believers. But the Jews who lived in those days were envious, and hence buried the Cross and turned the place into a dumping ground for garbage. Through time, the garbage piled up and took the form of a hill. The Jews had made every effort to obscure the place where the Cross was buried.
After 200 years, Queen Elena, mother of Constantine the Great, set out to locate the place where the cross was buried and excavate it. She prayed hard to request for the will and help of God and then headed for Jerusalem in 319 E.C to accomplish her project.
Given the lapse of two centuries, it was hard for Queen Elena to spot the exact place of burial of the Cross. She thus sough the counsel of an old man named Kirakos who told her that the Cross was buried in one of three hills located in city of Jerusalem.
Elena summoned all priests in the city for mass prayers. She then lit a bonfire and put incense into it. The smoke from the bonfire billowed into the sky and then bent down to the hill where the Cross was buried. She had the place dug, and three crosses were excavated. The True Cross on which our Lord was crucified was identified for the enormous miracles it did. After unearthing the Holy Cross, Queen Helena lit torches heralding her success.
In the Middle Ages, the Patriarch of Alexandria who got hold of part of the True Cross, gave the Ethiopian Emperor Dawit a piece of the Cross in return for protection afforded to the Coptic Christians. This piece is reputedly held at the Gishen Mariam church located about 70 kilometers northwest of Dessie in northern Ethiopia.
Ethiopians have been celebrating this day for a millennium. There are two occasions on Meskel. The first is Demera (September 26), in which bonfires are built topped by a cross to which flowers are tied. The flowers are Meskel Daisies. The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church orchestrates the ceremony to light a huge bonfire in Meskel Square at the heart of Addis Ababa.
The ceremony is accompanied by spiritual dancing and singing. Priests in full ceremonial dress sing around the bonfire. While the Demera is set on fire there is an inner feeling of brightness for all those who are around it. Little Demeras are also built at individual houses or villages. On the next day of Demera comes the Meskel festivity. In the morning of Meskel, believers go to the spot of the Demera, and using ashes from the fire, they mark their foreheads with the sign of the cross. The festival coincides with the mass blooming of the golden yellow Meskel daisies. The day is observed with holiday meals and drink.
Our forefathers have managed to preserve this age-old tradition which has recently been inscribed in the records of UNESCO as one of the intangible heritages of the world. The responsibility to pass on this unique tradition to the coming generations now lies on the shoulders of every one of us.
Happy Meskel celebrations to you all!!
Source:
The Book of Synaxarium: September 27.
• Hiruy Ermias 2002: Mzgebe Tarik part 1 (መዝገበ ታሪክ ክፍል አንድ). Page: 32-33.
You do not own this day to act on it as you like. It is the Lord’s Day. You should give it to Him; learn verses from the Holy Bible, learn hymns, sing for the Lord and praise Him, pray, serve the Lord, visit His children orcontemplate on the Holy Books.
Do not spend it in making errands, shopping, or cleaning your house. Let all the day be for the Lord. If you cannot give all the day to the Lord, in case you are not on holiday in your work, give what you can out of it to the Lord and compensate the rest on another day.
One day a rich man was returning home in his car after shopping, and he was stopped suddenly by a godly man crying to him, "Take care, you man, see what you are treading on". He stopped quickly thinking he ran over a child, but he found nothing. He asked that godly man who answered him, "You are treading on the Lord’s day. You tread on the Fourth Commandment".
See what St. John the Beloved said in the Revelation, "I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day" (Rev.1:10). What a beautiful verse to contemplate on and to carry out in your life. Do the works that make you grow spiritually; for as your body is in need of rest, your spirit also needs to rest in the Lord.
Note: Now we have come to the end of our lessons about the First and Second commandments relating to the Lord’s worship, as well as the Third Commandment relating to the Lord’s name and the Fourth commandment relating to the Lord’s Day.
Next week, we will contemplate on the commandments relating to our relations with the others. The First will be "Honor your mother and your father."
Source: H.H. Pope Shenouda III, 1997.Contemplations on the Ten Commandments: The fourth Commandment, Volume I.