The Tenth Month

Sene

The month of “Sene” is the tenth one amongst the thirteen months of Ethiopian Liturgical Year. The meaning of the word is defined in the spiritual dictionary written by scholars Teacher Kfle Giorgis and Aleka Kidan Woldae and published by Desta Tekel Wolde. They have defined the word derived from “Senye,” to mean “it is beautified, to make two, folding, to put layer, change in appearance and character, to become another, to imitate.” (Aleka Kidan Wolde Kiflea, page 875)

The Month of Sene’s day is 15 hours and the night is 9 hours. It is known from other months by its change in climate and whether from winter to summer.  It is occasion we acknowledge seasonal change from warm, sunny and hot climate to cold, dry and rainy occasion. Prophet David said, “You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter. “ (Psalm 74:17)

The Month of Sene is “month of root, water, cloud.” It is the time which the farmer harvest after sowing seeds, and awaits for production; land gets beautified and wets in this months.

Prophet David has said, “You visit the earth, and water it: You greatly enrich it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou prepare them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.” (Psalm 65:9)

The month of Sene in our Holy Church’s Doctrine, Prayer’s Book, and The Order of Fast, “Apostle’s Fast,” is known by it. We call this fast as “Ye ‘sene Tsome,” which means “the Fast of Sene.” The Evangelist Apostle Saint John also wrote the prayer of Saint Mary in Golgotha to Her Beloved Son and named it as “Sene Golgotha.”

Many feasts are commemorated in this month but we can only mention few of them in this article:-

  1. On Sene eight, at the return of Holy Mother Saint Mary with her Beloved Son, Joseph and Salome from Egypt, our Lord put out water by His miraculous work.
  2. Sene 12 is the day Archangel Saint Michael saved a young man called “Bahiran” from death penalty and a woman called “Afomiya,” from Satanic scam.
  3. The 17th day of this month is the commemoration day of our Saint Father Aba Gerima formerly known as “Yishaq/Isaac/,” who is amongst the ninth saints, for he received a covenant from the Lord and also is his disappearance day.
  4. Sene 20 is the holiday which Lord and Savior Jesus Christ built the first church by the name of His mother Saint Virgin Mary in Philippians city by three stones.
  5. The following day our Lord performed the Divine Liturgy and gave the apostle the Holy Communion (Eucharist).
  6. Sene 23 is the departure day of Wise King Solomon.
  7. Father Mosses The Black received martyrdom on Sene 24.
  8. The son of Joseph, Judah, amongst the 72 disciples becomes martyr on Sene 25.
  9. Sene 26 is the honorable day of Archangel Gabriel’s Church’s celebration day in Neclon.
  10. The Apostle Ananias who is one of 72 disciples became a martyr on the 27th of Sene.
  11. Saint John, the Baptist is born on Sene 30th.

As our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said, “And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42), we shall commemorate the feasts of saints to be saved from eternal fire and as well as be blessed on the holidays.

Glory be to God! And May He endow us mercy and blessing by the prayer, intercession and mediation of Saints. Amen!