Feasts of Abune Habtemariam
December 3, 2021
Holy Father Abune Habtemariam was born in a country east of Raeuye, where there was a kind man named Fre Buruk. He was a very wealthy man, and blessed with a wife, Justina. She is adorned with virtues and works. This kind mother was diligent with fasting, prayer, almsgiving and genuflecting.
Later, she thought of what our Lord Jesus Christ had said about the monastic world. As she entered a cave, she suddenly found a kind hermit. When the narrator asked her about her origin, she told him that she thought no one was there, and as she was about to leave for another cave, the Holy Spirit appeared and told her to return to the world. She returned, thanking God. Not far ago, she conceived and gave birth the Holy father. Then, they were all happy. When he was baptized, he was given the Habete Mariam. He grew up well thought of God’s law and command. When he was taken to Church, he was deeply moved e hearing the Lord’s Prayer. He memorized it and led his life with praying day and night diligently.
Later his father made him a shepherd and whilst, he was safeguarding the sheep’s he said to the other shepherds, “Let us go in, for it is raining today. they said to him, “there is no cloud and the day is bright.” When they did not hear him, he went into the house with his sheep. Then, Heavy rain, wind, and lightning struck.
On another occasion, a shepherd snatched the staff from Abba Habte Mariam. He swore in the name of God, but he refused. When he had left him, God hanged him. When the shepherds pleaded with Abba Habte Mariam, the shepherd, who had been punished for his name, was released. He came and fell at the feet of our father.
Many years passed, when he entered to monastery known as Ele Adebare and became a monk by the hand of Melchizedek. He began to fight a great battle. He stood in the middle of the sea and repeated the Psalms of David, bowing down five hundred times in the middle of the sea. He stopped eating and became like a Waliya eating wild grass. He abstained for Forty-eight, eighty-eight days. He would stay up all night and pray the four Gospels during the day. Our God, who saw this great struggle, was revealed to him. Abba Habte Mariam was shocked by his majesty and fell on his face. But GOD said, “Fear not: for I came not to destroy thee, but to deliver thee.” He promised to give him a chariot of light where he would meet other Patristic fathers when he read the Gospel of Saint Matthew and Saint Mark, and when he read the Gospel of Saint Luke and Saint John, he promised him a chariot of fire to go to Jerusalem to receive his flesh and blood. He also made seven wonderful crowns. One is about his virginity, the other is about his monasticism, the third is about his perfect monasticism, the fourth is about his regular reading of the four Gospels, the fifth is about his hunger and thirst for his love; Sixth, because he did not harbor resentment and vengeance, and the seventh, because of his pure priesthood and his cleansing sacrifice. He told him, “I have given you a place for five hundred pillars of gold, for those who keep the memorial, and for the remembrance of his name.” Then, the Holy angels rejoiced and said, “We have come to take our brother to the infinite bliss of heaven.” when he had said this, Holy Trinity revealed to him and said, “I will bring him into this land, who will remember you, who will give gifts to the church in your name. Since you have been reading the four Gospels, I have given you a few thousand words of each word. I have given this promise to the children who will come after you, who will read and listen to your book of deeds, sprinkle the book of your death with water, and be immersed.” Then our Lord kissed him three times. His soul was without grief. Then Saint Angels lifted his soul up, praising her with great joy.
May this great righteous father’s prayer and blessing be with us, Amen!