David, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joachim and Anna

 

By Bishop Mettaous

 

􀂙 [Pray for the Lord on our behalf O David the

Psalmist, Ezekiel and Daniel, that He may forgive

us our sins]

David: a Hebrew name which means ‘beloved’. He is

the second king of Israel, born in Bethlehem Ephratha

from the tribe of Judah. In his youth he killed a lion and

a bear, he was strong and courageous. He killed Goliath

the Palestinian and waived away the shame of his people.

Samuel the Prophet anointed him as a king replacing king

Saul, whom the Lord had rejected. Saul chased David a

lot to kill him, but God saved him. God praised him by

saying, “And when He had removed him, He raised up

for them David as king, to whom also He gave

testimony and said, "I have found David the son of

Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My

will.” (Acts 13:22).

Our Lord Jesus Christ came from his generation, He is

considered the sweet psalmist of Israel, “Now these are

the last words of David. Thus says David the son of

Jesse; thus says the man raised up on high, the

anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of

Israel:” (2 Sam. 23:1), he was so talented in music (1

Sam.16: 18-23) and he orgainzied the service of singing

and praising in the house of God.

His psalms are full of prophecies about the birth of Lord

Jesus, His Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension and

sitting at the Right Hand of the Father.

He died at the age of 70.

The church celebrates his commemoration on 23 Kiahk.

Ezekiel: a Hebrew name which means ‘God gives

strength’. He is from a priestly tribe (Ez. 1:3). He

prophesied about the perpetual virginity of St. Mary,

“And the Lord said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it

shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it,

because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it;

therefore it shall be shut. As for the prince, because he

is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the

Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the

gateway, and go out the same way.”

(Ez. 44:2-3). His book contains 48 chapters. When he

rebuked the children of Israel for worshipping the idols,

they killed him.

The church celebrates his commemoration on 5

Bramudah.

Daniel: a Hebrew name, which means ‘God Judges’. He

was born in Jerusalem of a noble family, and was

captured with the Three Young Saints to Babylon. The

four of them were chosen to serve in the king’s palace.

God granted Daniel a Divine wisdom, he explained king

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, so the king appointed him as

the ruler of Babylon. His enemies informed the king

that Daniel and his three friends did not worship the

golden statue, and so he was thrown in the lion’s den,

where he was saved through the power of the Lord.

He prophesied about the destruction of Jerusalem and the

coming of Jesus Christ. His book consists of 12 chapters

and the Protestants deleted the last three chapters, but

they are written in the Apocryphal Book, and in the Non

Protestant editions of the Holy Bible.

He was buried in Babylon.

The church celebrates his commemoration on 23

Baramhat.

􀂙 [Pray to the Lord on our behalf Joachim, Anna

and Joseph the elder and the righteous Job,

Joseph and Nicodemus that He may forgive us our

sins]

Joachim: a Hebrew name which means ‘God revives’.

He is the righteous Joachim the father of St. Mary the

Mother of God, from Judah’s tribe. His wife Anna was

barren, and through their pleading together, the Lord

responded and granted them the sweet fruit St. Mary.

The church celebrates his commemoration on 7

Baramudah.

Anna: a Hebrew name which means ‘grace and

kindness’. Born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah.

Since her early childhood, the grace of God overflowed

her, she was wise, kind, chastise and praying all the time.

As she was barren, she kept pleading the Lord to remove

this shame and He accepted her prayers.

When St. Mary was 3 years old, Anna offered her to the

temple.

The church celebrates her commemoration on 11 Hatour.

Joseph the Elder: A Hebrew name, which means

‘increase’. He is the righteous Joseph who deserved to

be called the father of Jesus by the body, the Bible

witnesses that he was righteous, “Then Joseph her

husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make

her a public example, was minded to put her away

secretly” (Matt. 1:19)

He was from the tribe of Judah, and because of his

righteousness God chose him to be the fiancé of the pure

Virgin St. Mary, “Then Joseph her husband, being a

just man, and not wanting to make her a public

example, was minded to put her away secretly. But

while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of

the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph,

son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your

wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy

Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call

His name JESUS, for He will save His people from

their sins.” (Matt. 1: 19-21)

Joseph accompanied Lord Jesus and St. Mary in their

journey to Egypt, then coming back to Jerusalem. He

departed when Lord Jesus was 16 years old.

The church celebrates his commemoration on 26 Abib.

||    Pope Shenouda    ||    Father Matta    ||    Bishop Mattaous    ||    Fr. Tadros Malaty    ||    Bishop Moussa    ||    Bishop Alexander    ||    Habib Gerguis    ||    Bishop Angealos    ||    Metropolitan Bishoy    ||