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 ||