Archive for category: Sermon

The Almighty God created water extraordinarily from the sky visible for the eyes of human beings. In scripted in the Holy Book bible as “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Sky is the paint of water according to patristic fathers. (Genesis 1:6)

Light is the first thought of God as His first recorded words are; “Let there be light.” He created the light three days before creating any of the heavenly bodies. The light in Genesis is not a by-product of solar energy. It is rather, the principle of intelligibility in the structure of Creation. The light that God calls into being at the beginning of Genesis is that inner form of meaning that the mind of man, in due course, will be created to discover and investigate.

The human mind cannot comprehend a miracle, since it is the extraordinary phenomena. But it is the will of God to witness it in our lives as well as in others. Within this manner, we understand that it is God who does the miracles upon each of us as it is written in Psalm 77, “Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders.” (Psalm 77:13-14) In the Second Canticle of the Midnight Praises, Psalm 136 (135), we praise God “Who alone does great wonders.”

The miracle that is from God has is essential since it supports the true faith. Many teach strange beliefs and support their teachings with miracles to dazzle people. This is the main role of the Anti-Christ: to introduce new teachings that contradict the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he uses true miracles to support his false teachings. Therefore, if one concentrates on the factuality of the miracle, then it is easy for him to accept new teachings, since he will see the miracle as a fact, for example fire coming down from heaven or an image moving and speaking. However, if one concentrates on faith, then he will reject the teachings that contradict the true faith, even if they were supported by tens of miracles.

The miracle, which is from God, has a primary goal: to lead people to the true faith. The secondary goal of a miracle is an act of mercy towards a needy person, whether it is a sick person or someone in trouble, and God may save such a person in a miraculous way. As for the miracles that are for exhibition and dazzling people, they are not from God. Therefore, when we hear of a miracle, we should examine not only the factuality of it, but also more importantly whether it is from God or Satan.

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.