The Feast of Saint Michael

June 20, 2016
By Kassa Nigus 

Saint Michael is one of the seven Arch angels who stand before God, and is honored for defeating the Devil and his angles in heaven after they rebelled against God (Rev.12:7-9).  When the faithful falls in Satan’s temptation, they call the name of this angle and are always victorious over him.

The Ethiopian Orthodox  Tewahido Church celebrates the Feast of St. Michael on 12th day of each month of which two are great annual feasts of the saint: on Hidar 12 (November 21) and Senie 12 (June 19).The feast on June 19 is dedicated to “the deliverance of Bahiran from the hand of the wicked rich man" through the help of St Michael as stated in the Ethiopic Synaxarium. (Senie 12, pp. 567-569). The concise story goes as follows: 

There was a certain man who feared God, and who used to celebrate St Michael’s feast on the12th day of each month, and especially during the months of Hedar and Senie. A rich man in the neighborhood used to despise and ridiculed this God-fearing man for celebrating St Michael’s feasts. 

 

When the God-fearing man approaches to his death, he commanded his wife to keep on the celebration of St Michael’s feasts. The woman was pregnant when her husband passed away.  The woman suffered terrible pain during labor and she delivered through the help of St. Michael. When she brought forth a child, St Michael came down from heaven, blessed the child, and prophesied about the future fate of the child saying, “This child shall inherit all the possessions and land of the rich man.” At that moment God opened the ear of the rich man and was heard what the angel said. Then great sorrow came upon him, and he wanted to kill the child. But God protected the child through the intercession of St Michael. 
 

When the child was ten years old, his mother’s money came to an end, and the rich man found his opportunity against the woman. And he requested a woman to minister her child at the wage of twenty dinars in gold. Then the woman gave her son to the rich man. The man rejoiced with a great joy, and said in his heart, “Behold what I have desired is fulfilled for me. 
 

Then he made a wooden box which fit the size of the boy and crammed him into the box and threw the box in to a river. However, the box floated on the surface of the river by the grace of God until it came to the quay of a certain city. A shepherd nearby saw the box and pulled it out and took it to his home. When the Shepherd unlocked the box, he found a smart boy crammed in the box.  He named him ‘Bahran’ because he found him in the river; the boy became to him as his son. 
 

Years later, the rich man wished to go and sojourn with the shepherd, and when the sun was about to set he said unto the shepherd, “If you provide me with a place to rest in until tomorrow, I will pay you the charge.” The shepherd welcomed the rich man into his house, and he called the boy “Bahran” by his name.  When the rich man heard the name, he asked the shepherd whether Bahiran was his son.  The shepherd replied “Yes, I found this young man when he was a little boy in a box in the river, and I took him and reared him as my son.” Upon hearing that, the rich man was very sorry in his heart, because he knew that the young man was the boy whom he had thrown into the river to kill him. 
 

The following day, with an evil plot in mind, the rich man asked his host to allow him to send Bahiran with a message to his house in his home city claiming that he had forgotten something at home. He promised to pay twenty dinars of gold for the errand. The shepherd was agreed with the rich man to send to his house. Then the rich man wrote a letter to his steward, saying, “When you have read this letter, kill the bearer of it, whose name is ‘Bahran,’ and cast his body into a pit. Let no one know about this until I come in peace”; he wrote on the letter a certain sign which they had agreed upon, and which none but the rich man and his steward knew. He sealed the letter and gave it to Bahran. He also handed him the money needed for the journey, and the young man departed. 
 

As Bahiran was about to reach at the house of the rich man , behold one day the angel of God, Michael, came to him in the guise of a soldier riding a horse; and he said to Bahran, “What do you have with you?” when Bahran told him about the letter, the angel asked to see it. Bahran has shown the letter in distant being frightened and the angel blew on the paper, erasing what was written on it.  Immediately, the thought of the letter was changed this way, “Behold, I the rich man have sent unto you the bearer of this letter whose name is Bahran. As soon as you have read this letter, let him marry my daughter and take over all my possessions. Do not wait until I come back, for I shall tarry on my journey. Let him do what he wishes in my house, for I have given him authority over all my belongings. Here is the sign which is between you and me, O my steward.” 
 

Then the angel sealed the letter, gave it to Bahran and Bahiran keep on his journey devotedly.  When Bahran had reached at the house of the rich man, he gave the letter to his steward. When the steward read the letter and recognized the mark, and knew that it was authentic. They immediately made a great marriage-feast for Bahran and the daughter of the rich man, and they married them in the church, before the sanctuary of God; the couple enjoyed their wedding season for forty days. 
 

Towards the end of the marriage-feast the rich man returned to his city, and when he heard the sound of the music, he asked, saying, “What is this sound which I hear?” People told him the whole story about the letter and that Bahiran and his wife took control of all his possessions. When the rich man heard these words, he cried out at the top of his voice, fell down and died. Bahran inherited all his money as God had commanded. The young man celebrated St Michael’s feast on the 12th day of each month, knowing that it was he who had appeared to him and changed the letter. 

Dear brothers and sisters, God changed the letter of death to the letter of life and vice versa for nothing is impossible with God. God has an unconditional authority at bringing good out of bad.  The things you wish might be removed from your life are often the very things that God is using to shape and change you into the character of good believer He wants you to be.  He wants to use that problem for good in your life. There’s something more important than your pain.  It’s what you’re learning from that pain. 

Glory to God!!

Source: 

• Ethiopic Syanaxarium, (Senie 12, pp.567-569). 

• Homily of St. Michael (Ge’ez and Amharic), 1989.

Parakletos: The Descent of the Holy Spirit

June 18, 2016

By Kassa Nigus

Parakletos comes from the Greek word translated “Comforter” or “Counselor” (as found in John 14:16, 26; 15:26; and 16:7). This Counselor, or Paraclete, is another name for the Holy Spirit, the third Person of Holy Spirit who among other things provides guidance, consolation, strength, and support to people. The feast of Parakletos also known as by the name Pentcost as the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and the other believers on the Day of Pentecost.

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, Pentecost is one of the nine major movable feasts of the Lord. It is a church feast that commemorates the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on the three hour of the day, fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ. This year (2016) the Feast of Pentcost falls on June 19 which is also the annual feast of St Michael – the festivity of the deliverance of Bahhiran from the wicked rich man through the help of the St Michael.

Originally, Pentecost was a Jewish historical holy day which is known as Harvest Festival before the era of the apostles. Harvest Festival (Be’ale Sewit): One of the major feasts during the Jewish year; it celebrates thanks giving for harvested crops. Israel commemorated it, fifty days – seven weeks to the day – after the sickle was first put to the grain there was a harvest festival. Fifty days after the grain harvest, processions of pilgrims bore baskets of their first fruits to the temple as a thank offering for the harvest.

After the accomplishment of His redemptive work, God made the harvest festival to relate to festival of the Holy Spirit. Seven weeks to the day after Jesus died and rose from the dead, He breaths the wind and fire of His Spirit upon His Church. This is the fulfillment of the Harvest festival: Fifty days after the sickle had been put to the grain, comparable to fifty days after JESUS was hung on a cross, crucified and buried, fifty days after the promised Seed that had been buried in the ground sprouted to life. After the fulfillment of His salivation; Jesus had made a covenant with His disciples to establish a new covenant, to establish a new Church.

Before Jesus was crucified, He told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come after Him: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”  (John 14:16–18)

During His Ascension, Jesus has promised the Apostles saying, “I will send unto you another Paraclete, Who shall come from the Father. Wait ye and remain in Jerusalem until ye receive the promise of the Father.”

Accordingly, when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place when the promise was fulfilled as Peter and the early Church were in Jerusalem for Pentecost. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (languages) as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1–4)

According to the New Testament commentators of the Ethiopian Church, the Apostles had spoken perfectly in seventy two languages, whereas the other devout men who were dwelling at Jerusalem, uttered in not less than fifteen languages; some uttered fifty, the other twenty or twenty five or even some had spoken sixty. (Metsahifte Haddisat Selestu 1989, pp.22)  

After the Apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit, they were enabled or empowered divinely to preach the Gospel of Salvation "in Christ" fearlessly. As a result, three thousand souls were added to the Church that day, through sacred Baptism (Acts 1:5, 9:4; 2:41). Thus, the official inauguration of the Church took place on that day, and is considered the day of the birth of the Church.

This feast is followed with the "Apostle’s Fast" which begins on the Monday after; or immediately following Pentecost Sunday.  It has a fixed end date on the fifth of the Ethiopian month of Hamle [July 12]. The fifth of Hamle is the commemoration of the Martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul.

Source:

• Holy Bible- King James Version

• The Three Books of New Testament Commentary: Acts, Epistles, Revelation (Metsahifte Haddisat Selestu in Ge’ez and Amharic), 1989, pp.22.

• Synaxarium: The book of the saints of the Ethiopian Church.

Mahibere Kidusan Launches Encyclopedia of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church

June 16, 2016
By Kassa Nigus    
Mahiber Kidasan’s (MK) Research Center announced the launch of Encyclopedia of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church at a ceremony held on June11, 2016 at Semein Hotel. The Encyclopedia is named Bahire Tibebat, temporarily, a Ge’ez term meaning sea of wisdom.

In his opening speech, Deputy Secretary-General  of Mahibere Kidusan, Ato Seyfe Alemayehu, made the remark that preparation of the Encyclopedia is one among the major activities carried out by the Research Center of MK. He also thanked Church and university scholars who contributed towards the success of the project.

Director of Research Center, Dr. Abate Mekuria, said that since the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the owner and source of many invaluable treasures, ancient monuments and has thousands of believers, the absence of church Encyclopedia till now has created a gap not only for the Church but for the country in general. Taking this fact into consideration, Mahiber Kidasan decided to prepare Bahire Tibebat in consultation with the relevant bodies in order to facilitate further the transmission of the teachings of the Church. Dr. Abate added that the Preparation of the Encyclopedia (Bahire Tibebat), directed by an Advisory Board under the chairmanship of Archbishop Abune Lukas, incorporates editorial staff members. The project embraces the involvement of three hundred and seven more local and foreign experts. 

Mel’ake Tabor Teshome Zerihun, one of the members of the Advisory Board, in commenting on the matter cited an Ethiopian saying, “journey of a thousand miles begins in one step”. Though the work required many trials and efforts, one should strive using shortcuts to attain the project before one passes away to see its fruition. He also recommended that the term Medbel be incorporated parallel to the word Encyclopedia. 

Dr. Mikre Sillasie G/Amanuel, another member of the Advisory Board, thanked Mahibere Kidusan for taking the initiative and start of this project. Though it is sad that Church Encyclopedia is absent till now, now they are sitting there making every effort to attain it. He also added that as the word encyclopedia comes from the Greek word meaning a source of knowledge, it is better to give it an equivalent name for it.  He suggested alternative names such as Mezgebe A’emro, Mezgebe Tibebat, Felege A’emro, Felege Tiobebat, etc. 

During the ceremony, the Advisory Board and other members of the editorial board expressed their excitement for being participants in the project. They also added that it is important to anticipate problems through insight so that it is possible to go past it and exhibit patience and understanding. They also underlined the need to ask God in prayer for the success of the project. 

During the event, an Advisory Board and an Editorial Board were set up.  Accordingly, Prof. Shiferaw Bekele [chairman], Prof. Baye Yimam [vice chairman], Dr. Abate Mekurya [Secretary], became members of the Advisory Board while members for the Editorial Board are Dr Yohannes Adgeh [chairman], Dr. Abebaw Minaye [vice chairman], and Deacon Mulalem Kassa [secretary].

Finally, Dr Yohannes Adgeh, chairman of the project, expressed his appreciation to the participants of the event and the owners of Semien Hotel for letting them use the hall for free. Following the lunch program to the guests, the event was closed in prayer.  

The Ascension of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

June 14, 2016
By Kassa Nigus 
The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is one of the nine great feasts of the Church in the liturgical calendar, and commemorates each year the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. Ascension Day is always celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day after Easter day (Acts 1:3). The story of the Ascension of our Lord is stated in the book of the Acts of the Apostles 1:3-11. It is also mentioned in the Gospels of Mark (16:19) and Luke (24:50-53).

In His last stay on earth, Jesus Christ was appeared, forty days after His Resurrection from the dead and commanded to His disciples not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the "Promise of the Father". He stated, "You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Acts 1:5).

After Jesus gave these instructions, He led the disciples to the Mount of Olives. Then, He ordered them to be His witnesses "In Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).  As the disciples watched, Jesus lifted up His hands, blessed them, and then was taken up out of their sight (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9).

Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Then two angels appeared to them and asked them why they were gazing into heaven. Then one of the angels said, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him going into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

The Ascension of Jesus Christ was vital in a chain of the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Old and New Testament times (Psalms 110:1; Matthew 26:64; John 6:62; John 7:33; John 14:28; John 16:5; John 20:17). A thousand years before the Savior’s birth, David prophesied the ascension of Jesus when he announced the Lord’s enthronement at the Father’s right hand (Psalm 110:1).

The ascension of Christ into heaven endorses contrary to Jewish expectations, the coming of Lord to this world was not to overthrow Rome, and establish an earthly, political administration as stated in different parts of the Bible, (John 6:15; 18:36; Acts 1:6). In contra to the Jewish expectations the ascension of Christ approves the end of His redemptive work and the end of His public ministry of words and works (John 17:4-11; Heb. 1:3; 10:12)

Glory be to our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ!

 

St. Thomas the Apostle

June 2, 2016
By Kassa Nigus
St. Thomas the Apostle  is one of the Twelve Apostles (Mat.10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6, Acts 1:13, John 14:1-5).   St. Thomas was born in Galilee, Israel, around the 1st century. The name Thomas is derived from the Aramaic or Syriac ‘Toma’, meaning "twin"; the equivalent term for twin in Greek is ‘Didymus’. (Wikipedia, the free Ency.). He is informally also called ‘doubting Thomas’ because he doubted Jesus’ resurrection. 

The Ethiopian Orthodox  Tewahido church celebrates his martyrdom on Ginbot 26 (June 3). In addition, the Tuesday after Easter is dedicated to him as the Tuesday of Thomas, in remembrance of St. Thomas’ doubting question to Jesus. St. Thomas is absent from the Upper Room the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples after His Resurrection. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’  But St. Thomas dismissed their claim saying, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (Luke 20:25). 

A week later the disciples were in the house again, and St. Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then He told Thomas to examine the Marks on His hands and  said, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’" Then, Thomas fell at the feet of Jesus and said, “My Lord and my God!” and Jesus replied, “Because you have seen me, Thomas, you believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet believe” (John 20:25-29). This incident gave rise to the expression “doubting Thomas.”

Thomas’ devotion to Jesus is indicated in the Gospel of John 11:5–16 and in his action when Jesus was to return to Judaea.  The disciples warned Him of the Jews’ animosity (“now seeking to stone you”), to which St. Thomas replied, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” At the Last Supper (John 14:1–7) St. Thomas could not comprehend what Jesus meant when He said: “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” St.Thomas’ question, “how can we know the way?” caused Jesus to answer, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”

Some of the apostolic missions of St Thomas that recorded in the Ethiopic Synaxarium are summarized as follows:  St. Thomas went to his apostolic diocese, India and Kantara to preach the Gospel and made many more miracles there. He worked there as a slave at one of the governors of the king, whose name was Lukios, who brought him to the king who inquired about his profession. Thomas said: "I am builder, carpenter and a physician. Then the governor set out to go to the king, and he left St Thomas to build in the house. Contrary to the order of the king, St Thomas preached the gospel of Christ in his master’s palace, and Lukios’ wife believed and all his household. 

Later on, the king asked him about his achievements, and St. Thomas answered: "The palaces that I built were the souls that have become the temples of the King of Glory; the carpentry that I did was the Gospel that removes the thorns of sin; and the medicines I practiced are the Holy Mysteries which heal the poison of the evil one. The king became angry and tortured him, and bound him among four poles, cut off his skin and rubbed his wounds with salt and lime. St. Thomas endured the pains. 

Lukios’ wife saw him suffering, and she fell from the window and died. Lukios came to him and said: "If you raise my wife from the dead, I believe in your God." St. Thomas went to the room where the dead body was, and said: “O, Arsonia, rise up in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ." She rose instantly and bowed to the Saint. When her husband saw that, he believed and many more with him from the people of the city, and St. Thomas baptized them. 

St. Thomas left and went to a city called Kontaria, where he found an old man weeping bitterly because the king killed his three children (other Ethiopic and Coptic sources said six children). The Saint prayed over them, and the Lord raised them up. The idolatry priests were angry, and wanted to stone him. The first one picked up a stone to throw it at him, but his hand became paralyzed. The Saint prayed over his hand, he was healed instantly, and all the idolatry priests believed in the Lord Christ. 

St. Thomas also went to the cities of Kenas, and Makedonya, and preached to the men therein in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He also baptized the wife of the king and all her household. When the kings heard about him, he was exceedingly angry and commanded four of his soldiers to kill him with their spears so as to erase him from public memory. They stabbed him with spear repeatedly until he died (in 72 AD). The men of the city including the king’s son came to deliver St. Thomas from the hands of the soldiers, but they found that his soul had already departed. Then they wrapped up his body and laid it on one of the royal tombs.  The Coptic Synaxarium recorded that, he was buried in "Melibar", then his body was relocated to El-Raha.

According to church tradition, St. Thomas was also the only witness of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. 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 St. Mary appeared to him while she was ascending to witness her body’s Assumption into heaven, from which she dropped her girdle. In an inversion of the story of Thomas’ doubts, the other apostles are skeptical of St. Thomas’ story until they see the empty tomb and the girdle. Today, priests attach a piece of vestment in their crosses to remember St. Thomas’ receipt of the girdle from the Ascended Virgin Mary. 

  Glory be to God who is glorified by His saints!!

Sources: 
• Ethiopic Synaxarium, on 3 June.
• Coptic Orthodox Church Network (http://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/9_26.html)
•Wikipedia, the free encyclo.,(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Apostle#Feast_days).

The Festival of the Appearance of St. Mary

May  30, 2016
By Kassa Nigus

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church venerates St. Mary as the Mother of God, whom the Divine Grace chose to bear the Word of God in her womb by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). Since she is the interceding mother on behalf of her spiritual children, she is exalted above heavenly and earthly creatures. Therefore, the Ethiopian church celebrates 33 feasts of St Mary throughout the year. 

Ginbot 21 (May 29) is one of the annual feasts of St Mary celebrated colorfully following her appearance in the church of Debre Mitmak named after her. According to the Ethiopic Synaxarium, our Lady started to transfigure in luminous spiritual forms over and around of the domes of the church dedicated to her in Debre Mitmak.  Her public appearance continued for five days in front of multitudes of people from every race and religion, she was looking to them in a compassionate way raising her hand to bless them in all directions.

According to Ethiopian Orthodox church’s tradition, the site is one of the locations where the Holy family stayed during their flight into Egypt, and God prophesied concerning of the church and said “Behold, later on the church will be built here in the name of my Mother, St Mary”.

Hosts of angles appear standing behind her spreading their wings to glorify her from heaven. The prophets, the righteous, and all of the martyrs including Saint George and Saint Mercorios came and did homage to her. During her apparition, she made many miracles among the crowd, for instance, those whose relative was died made a prayer in her name, and then she brought alive before his relatives as he had before on earth. The congregation threw their garments to her, she took and threw it back to them, and they divided it among them for blessing.

Source: Ethiopic Synaxarium, on Ginbot 21 (May 29).  

May the mercy of God be upon us all. May the Lord keep His people and church in peace, with the intercession of Our Lady, the pure Virgin St. Mary.  Amen.

The Veneration of Relics of Saint Tekle Haymanot

May 20, 2016
By Kassa Nigus 
Based on the teachings of Holy Scriptures, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church honors the holy bodies of saints and martyrs and commemorates the days on which their relics are relocated. 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.

There are several scriptural passages that support the veneration of relics even in the Old Testament times. For example, the Patriarch Joseph left a testament to the sons of Israel to preserve his bones in Egypt and, during their exodus, to carry them to the Promised Land (Genesis 50:25). Then, Israelites took Joseph’s bones when they departed Egypt (Ex. 13:19). The bones of Elisha came in contact with a dead person who then was raised to life (2 Kings 13:21). With his mantle the Prophet Elijah struck the water, separating the waters of the Jordan and along the dry bed of the river crossed the Jordan with his disciple Elisha ( 2 Kings 2:8). The prophet Elisha did the very same thing, himself, with the same mantle, after Elias was taken away into heaven (2 Kings 2:14).  During New Testament times, the Christians of Ephesus, attained healing of the sick through the cloths of St. Paul (Acts 19:12). (From Orthodox Tradition, Vol. VII, No. 1, p. 9)
 
Moreover, in his boundless love for man, our Lord Jesus Christ allows His servants to work perform not only through their bodies and clothing, but even with the shadow of their bodies, which is evident in an occurrence with St Peter the apostle: his shadow healed an ill man and expelled unclean spirits (Acts 5:15-16). From the very beginning, in apostolic times, Christians devoutly preserved the honored relics of the saints and the holy Apostles, so that these could be preserved for us till now.  
 
In the same religious tradition, the relic of Abune Tekle Haymanot is venerated in the Ethiopian Church every year on May 12. Abune Tekle Haymanot is a well-known saint both amongst Ethiopians, Coptic Christians and beyond. He is the founder of the famous Debre Libanos Monastery in his native province of Shewa.  The story of the commemoration of his relic is recorded in his hagiography as follows; Over half a century after his death, the relic of Abune Tekle Haymanot was relocated from Debre Asebot to his Monastery, Debre Libanos, the famous monastery in Ethiopia.
 
Fifty seven years later after his death, Abune Tekle Haymanot was revealed to his 4th successor, Echege (Abba) Hizkyas in a dream and said to him, my beloved Hizkyas, now, as My Lord Jesus Christ promised me the date of the relocation of my body has reached and God has chosen you to accomplish this mission. So, you have to congregate all my children; all those who believed in my fatherhood shall be gathered and make a spiritual feast. My relic will be moved on May 12 which is the date of the feast of Easter and Saint Michael. 
 
On this day, I, Saint Michael and Echege (Abba) Filipos (the 3rd successor of Abune Tekle Haymanot) will become there to bless the people gathered for the sake of my love. Then, you shall move around my relic three times before the Ark of God. He then disappeared after telling this to Echege  Hizkyas. 
 
Accordingly, Abba Hizkyas gathered the dispersed disciples of Abune Tekle haymanot in every direction. The following disciples of the saint were present during the relocation of his relic: Abune Anorewos of Fetegar, Abune Yosef of Ernat, Abune Anorewos of Moret, Abune Merkorewos of Merhabete, Abune Tadewos of Tsilalish, Abune Samuel of Wegeg, Abune Gebre Kristos of Wenji, Abune Medhanine Egzi’e of Denbi, Abune Adhane of Damot, Abune Eyosyas of Kili’atu and Abune Kewistos of Mehagil. 
 
After they gathered, all of them along with Abba Hizkiyas went to the cave where the relic was buried. They dug the tomb and found the relics surrounded by the cross in the left and right. Then, they cut his shroud into pieces to share among them for blessings as it made lots of miracles and instead covered the relic with new clothes and put it in a small coffin. Then, the saint’s twelve disciples entered into the church and moved around the relic three times before the Ark of God.
 
At a moment, Abune Tekle Haymanot came with Saint Michael and Abba Filipos gloriously and appeared over the Ark till the relics rested. He, then, blessed the people gathered there and ascended to heaven. The twelve disciples and the people at large celebrated the feast gloriously. 

Oh my Lord, as the twelve disciples of Abune Tekle Haymanot gathered at Debre Libanos Monastery to venerate his  relic, You also gathered us to inherit Your coming kingdom in heaven. 
Source:
• Gadle Tekle Haymanot 19 89 E.C., Chapter 65, pp. 216.
• Ethiopic Synaxarium on May 12. 
• From Orthodox Tradition, Vol. VII, No. 1, p. 9. Translated from the Serbian by theReverendGregoryTelepneff.Retrievedfrom(http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/relics_place.aspx). 

The Feast of the Departure of St Yared

May 18, 2016
By Tsegaye Girma 
Ginbot 11 (May 19) marks the departure of St. Yared, the great Ethiopian composer who was lived in the 6th century. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church attributes its rich, age-old chant tradition to the Saint and commemorates his disappearance each year on this day.

St. Yared was born in 505 E.C. in Axum to Abyud and Tawklia. After the death of his father, at the age of seven, his mother sent him to her priest brother named Gidewon to teach the lad and to look after him. As a child, St. Yared never seemed to succeed in his studies as he had difficulty understanding what his uncle taught him. At one point, he had even fled from Gidewon, an incident which led him to the turning point in his life. 

While taking shelter under the shade of a tree, Yared saw a caterpillar (some claim an ant) trying to climb the tree. Despite its repeated failures, the insect finally managed to creep up the tree and ate its fruit. Yared drew an inspiration from the determination of the tiny creature and went back to his uncle to start learning afresh. His efforts then bore fruit and he managed to learn by heart whatever he was taught including both Old and New Testament with unbelievable brilliance, and grew in excellence as he grew older and older. 

St. Yared also gained melodic insight through divine revelation and composed melodious sacred melody which had never been heard before in this world. He created a system of chants in three modes (scores) called Ge’ez, Izil, and Ararary. There is no any sound system out of the category of the three modes of these hymns St Yared invented divinely. St. Yared also wrote five volumes of chants for church services and celebrations. These volumes include The Book of Digua and Tsome Digua (chants for church holidays and Sundays services), The Book of Me’eraf (chants for major holidays, daily prayers and the season of fasting), The Book of Zimmare (chants to be performed after Mass) and The Book of Mewasit (chants for the dead). ST. Yared also created ten melodic notations for his spiritual melodies many centuries before the world-renowned composers Mozart and Beethoven. 

There are two views among scholars of the church about the final days of St Yared’s life in this world. Some say he passed away while others contend that he disappeared like St Henok and Elijah the Prophet.  

Despite that, every year on Ginbot 11 (May 19), the Ethiopian Orthodox Church marks the disappearance of the Saint who adorned its service with sacred melody.  

        May the blessing of St. Yared be with us all! 

Through the Solemn Lent to the Joyous Easter: Belief and Practice in Christian Ethiopia

April 27, 2016 

By Dr.  Mersha Alehegne

Ethiopia, as the stronghold of the Apostolic Christian faith, can be regarded as an open air Christian museum. It is the only country where Christianity deposits its two thousand years of tradition and history where biblical teaching gets the truest application. A lot of religious pasts come alive in Ethiopia in the form of strange and beautiful movements and ruins, built living centuries ago, or in the form of the unalterable biblical traditions. 

This, in fact, is the unique and most valuable legacy of the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, an indigenous and integral Church of Africa, who has the credit to shape the overall identity of the country for years.

Nonetheless this land of Christianity "is truly a land of discovery brilliant and beautiful, secretive, mysterious and extra ordinary" for the fact that it too, "is a land of astonishing natural beauty offering an almost unbelievable variety of landscapes . . . deserts . . . astonishing lake lands . . . savannas teems with game".

Literally speaking, the life of Christian people of Ethiopia are revolving around two things: fast and feast. For her children, to stay strong in their Christian life, the church recognized and chastised the necessity of the mastery spirit over the body. For this, she prescribed lots of spiritual deeds and practices. The one to come in the first list here is fasting which amounts to about 250 days a year. ” Their fasts are more numerous perhaps than those of any other Christian people, more than two – thirds of the year being assigned to abstinence. ” (Parkyns:276).

Although faithful of the church fast two-third of the year, they, in some degree relax themselves by the number of annual and monthly feasts they celebrate incessantly. These feasts can be categorized as the Feasts of Lord, Feasts of Virgin Mary, Feasts of Saints, and Feasts of the Angels. This short article aims at introducing, very briefly, a fast (Lent) and a feast (Easter) which are considered by the church as the most significant (than others) in the history of Christ’s revelation to man.

Lent (;b!Y ÛM; Abiy som): is one of the fasts which is observed following the example of Jesus Christ who fasted for forty days and nights in a desert after His baptism. The fast is known by several names: ወR` ÛM(wärha śom) meaning the month of fasting: ›RÆ ÛM(Arba śom), meaning the forty days’ fast and ; ;b!YÛM(Abiy som),), meaning the big fast.

 During  these  fasting  season,  the  Ethiopian  Orthodox  Tewahido  church  devotees  attend  Church services almost every day. Each day, services are held from morning to 2:45 P.M. every early in the morning when the priests sing from books of devotion such as S∂bhatä Nägh meaning "morning praise." There, they read and sing from such books of devotion as the W∂ddase Maryam (The praise of Mary), Mälk∂‘a Maryam,  Mälk∂‘a Iyyäsus (The praise of our Lord Jesus Christ) for the absolution of their sins, the longevity of their spiritual fathers, and the divine protection of their country and its people.

In most cases, only one full meal is taken a day at three o’clock in the afternoon in obedience to fasting rule of the Church. However, on Saturdays and Sunday people are allowed to eat in the morning. Meat, butter and milk are forbidden. Drums and cymbals are not allowed to be used, since the fast represents a season of mourning.

Apart from the abstinence from different kinds of food, any popular entertainment in the form of music is forbidden. Bägäna, one of the traditional musical instruments, is common in these fasting days. The Gänätä Tsige kidus Giyorgis church at Addis Ababa has a permanent evening program devoted to sing by this instrument. Despite the general and imperative fasting not of Lent, exemptions are allowed to newly married couples, sick persons and women who have given birth.

A day before, the Passion Week starts, Hosa‘∂na, the Palm Sunday is observed with the proper ceremonies with palms, processions and special services. In some places like st. Mary Churches of Axum Tsion and Entoto, this feast is observed in a more dramatic way as it has happened in Jerusalem when Jesus entered into the city from Bethlehem and Bethany.

The week of the passion (sÑn ?¥¥T; Sämunä H∂mamat): this is the last week of Lent which covers the days from Monday (after Palm Sunday) to Saturday. During this week, the spirit of devotion rises to a climax; the abstentions become more firm and worship, charity and other religious activities take on a more solemn feature.

The church established this week by which all the faithful re-lived and received graces from the fundamental mysteries of redemption. During this week, the faithful are expected to bow down as much as they can. As a rule, all faithful begin prostration on Monday. This is to commemorate Jesus‘ frequent bowing down in the dawn of Thursday before the prosecutors seized Him. (Mt. 26 : 39).

In this week, faithful are also expected to pray much to commemorate Jesus‘ extensive prayers at Gethsemane before He was captured. G∂brä H∂mamat, a book which is composed of different passages taken from the scriptures and other religious books dealing with the passion and death of our Lord, is also read as a special feature of the devotion of this week. The priests usually read all passages related to Jesus’ life in flesh and all the passions He received to emancipate man from the colony of Satan. The style of reading from the Bible and the G∂brä H∂mamat is a musical expression of sorrow.

Since this week is a time on which faithful of the church commemorate the suffering and damnation of the 5500 years, absolution to persons who die during this week is prohibited. Those who died this week may simply be buried and then given absolution when Passion Week is over. However, according to the canon of the church, absolution is also given in advance on the previous Sunday, the Palm Sunday in case any one dies in week of passion. Furthermore, no baptisms or celebrations of saints’ days are carried out during this week.

For the same reason, priests do not give blessings to the faithful; and faithful cannot kiss the Holy Cross during the week of Passion. Greetings among the fellowship are also suspended for the week to remember that Judas betrayed the Lord after he kissed Him. The priests start blessing their children by the cross at the dawn of Friday when, according to the teaching of the Church, Jesus liberated Adam who has been under the yoke of Devil in Hell.

Maundy Thursday (xÄM /ÑS; Adam Hamus): Maundy  Thursday marks the borderline between the first half of the Week of Passion and its final climax which lasts up to cock – crow on Saturday. Hence, Holy Communion is delivered on this day since it was on this day. (Mt. 26: 26-28). On this day, before the Liturgy service, the priest brings water in a basin and washes the feet of the faithful saying the prayer of thanksgiving. This is to commemorate what Jesus has done to His Apostles (John 13:1-20).

Back home, the faithful unusually, eat split beans and wheat cooked together known as gulban. There are different explanations why they eat this special food: It is to remember that Israelites eaten unleavened bread during their Exodus from Egyptian bondage. Since the children of Israel left Egypt hastily, they did not have time for the bread to rise, so it was made on that very first Passover without leaven. In the Bible, leaven is almost always symbolic of sin. Some said, gulban is eaten in order to mourn for Jesus.  This is in keeping the Ethiopian custom of preparing a type of food made of split beans called n∂fro when people die.

Good Friday (SQlT; S∂klät):  The next day is Good Friday on which thousands of believers are expected to attend the solemn church service in their respective parishes. This day is decidedly a day of prostration for everybody. There is a sense of sorrow and desolation. All the symbols, images and instruments used in the passion of the savior are publicly exhibited covered in black curtain in the church. For example, priests who lead the ritual wear black vestments. All sacred objects including the altar is also covered with a black cloth. This is to remember the dark centuries during which Adam was alienated from his Creator. The priests perfume the church not with incense but with myrrh. According to the Church’s teaching, the myrrh symbolizes the death of Jesus. This is justified from the saying of St. Ephraim, the Syrian: xM{x# :Èn km xM§K W:t$ wRq XSm Ng#| WXt$ $ wkRb@ zYTwhB lät$ ; bring incense for He is God, gold for He is King and myrrh for the death He receives´

Men and women go to church to prostrate themselves, remaining there from early morning until 5-6 p.m.  the hour  of  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ.  Good Friday therefore, is a special day  for confession.

Good  Friday  is  the  day  when  faithful  sorely  remember  the  passion  Jesus  received  to  redeem humankind. This is so not only for the elderly ones but to the children also. Before elders go to their parishes to participate in the office, young boys and girls go round, and knocking at the door of each house demand food calling out:

¸š¸ë … ¸š¸ë

XGz!xB/@R xBZè YSÈCh# kkBt$½

yLJ brkt$NM ÃB²§Ch#¿

ytwlÇTM b-@Â Ydg#§Ch#

¸š¸ë … ¸š¸ë

mÈN mÈN lKRSèS SQlT

¼s@èC h#l#¼ Ñl# bÇq&T XíÒCNN XNd q$NÅ xÃl@ nN

¸š¸ë … ¸š¸ë

ysb# kBèC XGz!xB/@R YSÈCh# LíCNM b¥?iÂCh# S-#N Sõ¬Ch#NÝÝ

Mishamisho … mishamisho…

 May God give you cattle in your yard, and children to your bosom;

and may those you have already grow up in health and strength

 Mishamisho … mishamisho…

 We come for your crucifixion (Oh Christ) Fill (our hands) with flour (ye women)

We are many as fleas Mishamisho … mishamisho… May He (God) give ye fat cattle Children in your womb

Give us gifts.

 Since the rationale behind the Misha Misho food is to mourn for the crucified Jesus, faithful give the children different kinds of food  like freshly – `baked bread, powder, pepper, salt, onions, beer, mead, bear, cookery, etc. After they have gone their rounds, they take the collected food, and, retiring to some corner of their village, eat and amuse themselves. Then, to symbolize the mourn to Jesus, they make a sham corpse of a bundle of clothes, and placing it on a couch, carry it in procession through the village; part of the boys dressed up as priests, and the remainders as mourners. As they go along, imitating in every point a real funeral, they wail and cry out ”Wai, wai, wai… .” And when they are tired of walking about they go and make a grave near some of the most frequented thoroughfares in the place and bury it which clearly remind how Joseph took the body of Jesus and bury it. The whole of this performance of the children is imitated from the Bible. This dramatic interpretation of Bible shows that how the Ethiopian faithful live life to the full in practice as Christ since their childhood. 

 Although children pass their day of Good Friday enjoying with the collected food and symbolically for Jesus, more rigid form of fasting continues to most of the elders until time of cockcrow on Saturday night. During these three days, priests and elders neither eat bread nor drink water, but remain in the churches singing and praying incessantly both day and night. This form of solemn fasting is known as "Akfelot." The faithful do this in accordance with the tradition which holds that the Apostles did not eat and drink until they knew of the resurrection of the Lord. Those Christians who have the strength to abstain from every kind of food for two days can fast on both Friday and Saturday. However, those are not that much strong fast on Saturday only.

 Holy Saturday (ቀÄM ሥ;#R; k∂dame S∂‘ur ) : The  seventh  day  of  the  Passion  Week (Saturday)  is known as k∂dame S∂‘ur meaning unobserved. It is called so because unlike other Saturdays of the year, it becomes a fasting day. It is also called Green Saturday for on this day the sedge is given to the people as the symbol of good news. At earliest dawn Saturday morning, about 5:30, priests and deacons put on their best garments, including ‘kapa’ (cape) and ‘lämid’, carry their colorful sun umbrellas as if in procession, and pass through the streets with parade cross, bell, and armful of yellow – green palm strips called ‘qetema’. They stop before every house, ringing the bell and singing out the following:

                    KRSèS tmrmr፣ Ä!ÃBlÖS ¬\r ፣ bmSql#M s§MN xdrg፡፡

Jesus Christ has been challenged

The Devil is chained,

He made reconciliation by His crucifixion.

The sleepy owner answering the call is given the reed to wind flat around his fore head, and he will wear it all day. And in appreciation of the good news, the head of the house gives the priest some money, and receives a blessing in return.

The sedge is used as a sign of good news based on the story of Noah and his dove that sent to   see if the flood had subsided. The dove returned with an olive leaf and knowing that the water had abated. Accordingly, since the leaf of the olive tree served as a sign of good news during Noah’s time, the Church also presents sedge to the laity to herald the good news that the waters of destructive sin and the punishment of soul are removed from mankind through the death of Christ.

 On the night before Easter, many go to church and pass the night making prayers. The night wears on accompanied by prayers and Hymns, and sometimes after midnight, everybody in the k∂ne mahlet is given a lighted candle which he carries during the three joyous circuits around the mäkdäs. Cock- crow marks the end of devotions at church when the resurrection is loudly declared amidst shouting and ringing of bells. Then people rush, out of the smoky, incense filled church, home with mouths watering at the prospect of sumptuous meals. For people who have been fasting the akf∂lot, special items of food known as calka, a drink composed of linseed and honey mixed with water, milk and curdled milk are served at the main get of the church. The purpose is to sake the tired people the dangers of eating strong food immediately after such a long period of total abstinence.

 Easter (Ís!µ; Fasika): Easter occupies a special place of importance in the Christian world. Easter marks, for Christians the world over, the Resurrection of Christ, for it was on this day that "Christ the Lord is risen". Symbolically, Easter connotes the return of life, light and spring after darkness and death.

 The Easter Festival is a great Christian feast of the liturgical year of Ethiopia that it is celebrated with special solemnity. The church is filled with the fragrance of incense and myriads of lights. The clergy are arrayed in their choicest vestments. All the people hold lighted tapers in their hands. Presents are exchanged,  drums  are  beaten,  hands  are  clapped  and  the  singing  is  heard  everywhere:  "our Resurrection has come, Hosanna." Men are heard saying" O Lord Christ have mercy upon us." They pray for a blessing "O God make it to be a festival of our good fortune and our wellbeing! Call us the people for next year also". Therefore, the whole day is one of spiritual and physical fasting, a commemoration of the holiest occasion of all history – a truly blessed time when Christ rose from the dead.

 In the morning, families who could afford one slay sheep and in many cases they may join to buy an ox co-operatively, slaughter it, and then share the meat. With regained strength, fired by good food and beer, the young men begin games of javelin throwing. Ball games, Qenchebt continues the entire following week.

 There are different forms of greetings, which are commonly used on Easter day and on the days following it. The following verses are what people exchange in dialogue form:

 "KRSèS tN|x XѬN½ b;b!Y `YL w|LÈN½ ;\é l\YÈN½ xGxø lxÄM½ s§M½ XMYXz@s½ ÷n½FS/ ws§MÝÝ"

 Christ is risen from the dead!

 By the Highest power and authority! He chained ‘Satan’!

Freed Adam!

Peace!

Henceforth!

 Joy and Peace Prevail forever!

 Once Lent is over, people are allowed to eat non-fasting diets ever on Wednesdays and Fridays until Ergät, the Feast of His Assumption. The fifty – five days are said to be  b›l /Mœ, meaning the feast of Pentecost. These days are ushered with a great number of marriages. No doubt, this is a period of a good deal of pleasant relaxation.

 Source: http://www.eotc-berlin.org/files/lent-easter.pdf

Hosaena: Eighth Sunday of Lent

April 23,2016
By Kassa Nigus
Hosa’ena: is one of the moveable feasts of the Lord that falls on Sunday prior to Easter. The feast commemorates the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-9), when palm branches were placed in His path, before His arrest on Thursday and His crucifixion on Good Friday. It thus marks the beginning of Passion Week, the final week of Lent.

This Sunday was also named Palm Sunday by the name of the branches of palm trees the crowds used to welcome their Lord Jesus by greeting Him with palm branches  and spreading in His road as He gloriously enters Jerusalem. According to (Mathew 21:1-16), the story of Hosa’ena (Palm Sunday) was narrated as follows:  

The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
Jesus had spent many times traveling through the towns and villages around Jerusalem. He preached about the kingdom of God and healed the sick wherever He went. As they came near Jerusalem, Jesus told two of His disciples to go into a nearby village and bring a donkey that would be waiting there. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey. Crowds of people spread their coats on the ground in front of Him. The holy city of Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims who had come for the annual Passover celebration. 

Some waved branches of palm trees, a sign of victory. The people shouted, Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord – the King of Israel! (Psalm 118: 26)

The Ethiopian churches decorated with palms and the Arch deacon  distribute palm branches to the fellowship in memory of the greetings Jesus received from the pilgrims as He rode into Jerusalem. It is customary in Ethiopian churches for the worshippers to receive fresh palm leaves on Palm Sunday. The walls of the temple ornamented with emblems of the palm.Believers often prepare palm fronds by knotting them into crosses used as rings and tied on their heads in preparation for the procession on Sunday.

Why Jesus carried on the donkey?
To fulfill the prophesy of Zachariah, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey, and upon a colt the foal of a donkey.”(Zachariah 9:9 KJV)

The symbolism of the donkey may refer to the ancient tradition that it is an animal of peace, versus the horse, which is the animal of war. A king came riding upon a horse when he was bent on war and rode upon a donkey when he wanted to point out he was coming in peace. Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem would thus symbolize his entry as the Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king.

In many cultures, donkeys are among the lowliest and have almost no value in our eyes. He comes in peace and humility and rides in on a donkey. According to church’s tradition, , in ancient times, palm branches symbolized goodness and victory, for example, Abraham praised his Lord holding palm branches when he gave birth his first Child Isaac, and his descendants, Isaac and Jacob had done the same. During their departure, Israelites also praised their Lord using palm branches.  

Today palm branches are now signs of martyrdom and of victory over death, proclaiming liberation through peace and non-violent resistance.

Source:  The Ethiopian Gospel Commentary 1983E.C (pp.233-236)