THE COMMEMORATION
By Bishop Mettaous
The commemoration of the Praise includes more saints
then those mentioned in the Commemoration of the Holy
Liturgy, and the church’s aim is to:
1. Follow their lives, their strong faith and love to
God, “Remember those who rule over you, who
have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith
follow, considering the outcome of their
conduct.” (Heb. 13:7),
also “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1)
2. Honour them because they suffered a lot for
God’s Name, Jesus even praised the woman who
poured the fragrant oil on His Head, “Assuredly,
I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in
the whole world, what this woman has done will
also be told as a memorial to her."’ (Matt.
26:13) as an example to be followed in honouring
His saints.
3. Feel the unity of the struggling church (us) with
the victorious church (in heaven), remembering
the Apostle’s words, “Therefore we also, since
we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the
sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of
our faith, who for the joy that was set before
Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God” (Heb. 12:1-2).
4. Give us a chance to ask for their intercession and
to know something about their lives, because they
are not dead, “For He is not the God of the dead
but of the living, for all live to Him."” (Luke
20:38)
We ask intercessions from St. Mary, the angels and St.
John the Baptist, while we ask the power of the prayers
of the rest of the saints.
We notice that there are saints who were not Egyptians,
yet they are united with us in faith and doctrine, which
proves that we are one “In the house of God, which is
the church of the Living God, the pillar of the ground
of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15)
[Intercede on our behalf, O Lady of us all,
Mother of God, St. Mary the Mother of our
Saviour, that He may forgive us our sins]
Mary means lady, and the Coptic Orthodox Church
honours St. Mary as the Mother of God “For He has
regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold,
henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Luke
1:48), exactly the right honour, not exaggerating like
some denominations, nor belittling her like others. She is
the mother of God, the Second Heaven, the Mother of
Light, and the Queen
The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates her
commemoration five times each year:
1. Her birthday 1 Bashans.
2. Her entrance into the Sanctuary 3 Kiahk.
3. Her departure 21 Toubah, at the year 44 A.D. at
the age of nearly 59.
4. The ascension of her pure body 16 Misra.
5. The building of the first church on her name in
Philippi 21 Baouna.
The church also celebrates her commemoration on the
21st of every Coptic month because many incidents in her
life took place: her departure 21 Toubah, consecration of
her first church 21 Bauouna, the miracle of melting the
iron and saving Matthew the Apostle in 21 Baouna, as
well as the consecration of many other churches for St.
Mary on the 21st Baouna.
A sixth day of celebration now is 2nd April when she
started her apparition in El Zeitoun Church in Egypt.
The story of the wedding at Cane of Galilee reveals the
strong intercession of St. Mary, and it has two main
objectives:
1. Present our petition before Christ in faith that is
not shaken.
2. If we want our prayers to be answered by the
Lord, we have to carry out His commandments
faithfully, as T. Mary told the servants,
“Whatever he says to you, do it” (John 2:5)
[Intercede on our behalf, O holy Archangels,
Michael and Gabriel that He may forgive us our
sin]
Michael: a Hebrew name which means “Who is like
God”. Archangel Michael is called Michael because he
loves human beings and fights Satan on behalf of them
(Rev. 12:7). Most Theologians believe that the angels
have one chief angel depending on the following verses:
“Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the
devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared
not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said,
“The Lord rebuke you.” (Jude: 9), also “At that time
Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands
watch over the sons of your people.”(Dan. 12:1), “And
war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought”
(Rev. 12:7). There are many other archangels for
specific groups, but Archangel Michael is a general
Chief.
The church celebrates Archangel Michael on 12 Hatour
and 12 Baouna, also on the 12th of every Coptic month.
May the blessings of his prayers be with us. Amen.
Gabriel: a Hebrew word which means ‘the man of God’,
or ‘the Might of God’ because he informs us about the
mighty works of God and His great deeds with us. The
church calls him the ‘Announcer’ as he was the angel
who brought the Annunciation to St. Mary about
conceiving Lord Jesus the Logos in her womb.
The church celebrates Archangel Gabriel on 13th Hatour,
22 Kiahk, 30 Baramhat and 13 Baouna.
[Intercede on our behalf, O holy Archangels
Raphael and Sourial that He may forgive us our
sins]
Raphael: a Hebrew name which means the compassion
of God. He healed Tobiath’s eyes, regaining his money
and helping Tobit his son getting married.
The church celebrates his commemoration on 3 Nesi,
when his church was built and consecrated by Pope
Theophilus the 23rd.
Sourial: a Hebrew name which means the “blower of
God’, the church celebrates him on 27 Tubah, and it is
written: [On this day the church celebrates Archangel
Sourial, who announced the salvation to Adam and saved
Joseph the Righteous from the Egyptian woman.
[Intercede on our behalf holy archangels
Sadakiel, Sarathiel, and Ananiel, that He may
forgive us our sins].
These archangels are chief angels above some other
angels, under the general chief Archangel Michael.
[Intercede on our behalf O Thrones,
Dominions, Powers, the Cherubim and the
Seraphim, that He may forgive us our sins]
These are the names of 5 great ranks of angels, they are
so sublime in their light and power, as well as being so
close to God.
The Thrones: they are the angels forming the glorious
chairs of the Divine Might.
The Dominions: The spirits that have dominions on
people and angels in less ranks.
The Powers: the angels whom God have granted great
powers to perform miracles.
The Cherubim: mean the angels with great knowledge
and wisdom. The singular is Cherub.
The Seraphim: mean the angels blazing with fire. The
singular is Seraph.
The Cherubim are described as ‘full of eyes’ and the
Seraphim ”with wings’, glorifying God without ceasing.
[Intercede on our behalf O four incorporeal
beasts, the ministers fervent as fire, that He may
forgive us our sins]
They are the rank of Thrones, carrying the throne of God,
“Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.
And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne,
were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in
back.” (Rev. 4:6) also, “And above the firmament over
their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance
like a sapphire stone; on the likenessof the throne was
al ikeness with the appearance of a man high above it.”
(Ezek.1: 26)
The church celebrates their commemoration on 8 Hatour.
[Intercede on our behalf O Priest of the truth,
the twenty four Presbyters, that He may forgive us
our sins]
These luminous priests are a spiritual rank, surrounding
the Throne of God, interceding for humankind, offering
God the prayers of the saints as incense coming out from
the censers, which they are carrying. Each one of them
has a violin with which he praises the Lord without
ceasing. All the angels and heavenly hosts are standing
around God’s Throne, but these presbyters are sitting on
chairs of light, carrying golden censers, and violins,
bowing and worshipping in front of the True Lamb,
asking forgiveness for human kind.
The church celebrates their commemoration on 24
Hatour.
[Intercede on our behalf O Angelic hosts and all
the Heavenly multitudes before the Lord, that He
may forgive us our sins]
Here, we are asking the intercession of the 9 heavenly
hosts altogether:
1. The Cherubim
2. The Seraphim
3. The Thrones
4. The Dominions
5. The Multitudes
6. The Authorities
7. The Powers
8. The Archangels
9. The Angels
The 10th rank are the saints who won victory on earth and
after their departure they inherit the Heavenly Kingdom,
being with the heavenly hosts, praising the Lord
continuously as well as interceding on our behalf before
the Throne of Grace.
There are a whole lot of different jobs delegated by God
to these heavenly hosts such as: praying of the depressed
people, serving the saints, guarding the believers,
carrying the souls of the departed, fighting and defeating
the devils, because as it is written in the Holy Bible, “Are
they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for
those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14)
[Pray to the Lord on our behalf, our masters
and fathers the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob]
Abraham: a Hebrew name which means a father to a
multitude of nations (Gen. 17:5).
Abraham is the great father of fathers, the example of
complete obedience, called the friend of God. He was
born in Or, his father was Tareh, this country used to
worship idols, so the Lord ordered him “Now the LORD
had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your
family and from your father's house, to a land that Iwill show you. I will make you a great nation; I will
bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a
blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will
curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of
the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:1-3). Abraham
was 75 years old when he obeyed the Lord and went out
of his country. He obeyed the Lord all his life, especially
when he was ordered to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice.
He died at the age of 175.
Isaac: a Hebrew name means ‘laughter’. He is one of
the three great Patriarchs, he is the son of Promise. He
also obeyed his father Abraham when he was tied up and
put on the altar as a sacrifice, symbolising Jesus Christ
Who obeyed His Father till the cross.
He died at the age of 180.
Jacob: a Hebrew name which means ‘catching the heel’.
He is the father of the 12 tribes of Israel, he suffered lots
of troubles and temptations. He lived for 17 years in
Egypt when his beloved son Joseph was the Prime
Minister there, he died at the age of 174.
The church celebrates their commemoration on 28 Misra.
[Pray to the Lord on our behalf, O perfect man,
the righteous and the just Enoch, that He may
forgive us our sins] Enoch: a Hebrew name, which means ‘consecrated’ or
‘experienced’. The church gives three titles to this great
man: perfect, righteous, pious.
He is Enoch about whom the Holy Bible wrote: “And
Enoch walked with God; and he was not found, for God
took him.” (Gen. 5:24). God took him, meaning he was
taken alive, and he will come back with Elijah, fight the
false Christ and then die.
He lived for 356 years before God took him.
[Pray for the Lord on our behalf, O Elijah the
Tishbite and his disciple Elisha, that He may
forgive us our sins]
Elijah: a Hebrew name, which means ‘My God is
Jehovah’, the Greek word for this name is Elias. He is
called the ‘fiery prophet’ because of his zeal for
worshipping the true God, and his hatred to worshipping
the idols, which was common in Israel at the time of the
cruel queen Jezebel. He had a great intimacy with the
Lord, he prayed not to rain and it didn’t for 3 ½ years,
then after killing the prophets of the Baal at Mount
Carmel, he prayed and it rained. Elijah was taken to
heaven alive in a chariot of fire, the church celebrates this
event on 6 Tubah.
Elisha: a Hebrew name which means ‘God is salvation’.
He followed Elijah as a prophet, and the Lord performed
many miracles through him, even after his death, “So it
was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the
tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and
touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his
feet.” (2 Kings 13:21). History records that Elisha’s
body, together with St. John the Baptist’s body were
transferred to Egypt. When St. Makarious – the Bishop
of Edko martyrised – he was buried with them, and at
that time some miracles were performed from their
bodies, some of which were:
A Mute Boy Speaks:
When they were placing St. Makarious’ body next to St.
Elisha and St. John the Baptist, there was a mute boy 12
years old who saw St. Elisha the Prophet and St. John the
Baptist embracing St. Makarious, so the boy spoke and
shouted [Look dad, these two men are embracing the
man who was martyrised, they are telling him: welcome
our brother, come and rest with us in peace]. All the
people present witnessed the miracle and glorified the
Lord.
Healing the Paralysed:
A paralysed person was creeping amongst the crowd
asking for a charity, and accidentally he was pushed on
the bodies, so he immediately stood up and started
running everywhere and glorifying the Lord.
The church celebrates the commemoration of Elisha the
Prophet on 11 Hatour. [Pray for the Lord on our behalf O Moses the
Archprophet and Isaiah and Jeremiah that He
may forgive us our sins]
These three prophets are considered the greatest among
the prophets of Israel concerning the pouring of the spirit
of prophecy on them remarkably. Moses wrote the first
five books of the Old Testament, 187 chapters, Isaiah
wrote his book, 66 chapters and Jeremiah wrote his book
52 chapters and Lamentations 5 chapters.
Moses: A Hebrew name which means ‘taken from
water’. He is the Archprophet who used to talk to God a
lot. Brought up in Pharaoh’s house, he delivered the
children of Israel from the slavery of Egypt. He led them
40 years in the wilderness tolerating their murmuring and
weaknesses. He died at the age of 120 years, “Then
Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo,
to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And
the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as
Dan, all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and
Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western
Sea, the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho,
the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said
to him, "This is the land of which I swore to give
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "I will give it to
your descendants.' I have caused you to see it with your
eyes, but you shall not cross over there."
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land
of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He
buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite
Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he
died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigour
diminished. And the children of Israel wept for Moses
in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of
weeping and mourning for Moses ended.” (Deut. 34:1-
8).
The church celebrates his commemoration on 8 Tut.
Isaiah: a Hebrew name, which means ‘God Saves’. He
was Isaiah the Son of Amos, who prophesied at the era of
5 kings of Judah about matters concerning Jerusalem, the
glory of eternal life, the birth of Jesus Christ, His
suffering and Crucifixion, as if he could see the entire
incidents in details. That is why he is called the
‘Evangelist Prophet’. Manasseh the king cut his body in
two with a wooden saw, and the church celebrates his
commemoration on 6 Tut.
Jeremiah: a Hebrew name which means ‘God
establishes’. He started his prophecy at the age of 15,
according to the Divine order, “Before I formed you in
the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified
you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jer.
1:5). He used to rebuke the people of Jerusalem for
disobeying the Lord. He prophesied about the coming of
Lord Jesus and His sufferings. He was martyred in
Egypt when the Jews stoned him, the church celebrates
his commemoration on 5 Bashans.
[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.
Job the Righteous: Job means repentant. He is a
descendant of Sam, Noah’s son’s generation. The Holy
Bible witnesses for Job that he was, “There was a man
in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man
was blameless and upright, and one who feared God
and shunned evil.” (Job 1:1)
He lived a long time before the establishment of the
Christian law, yet St. Paul’s words were fulfilled in his
personality, “for when Gentiles, who do not have the
law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although
not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show
the work of the law written in their hearts, their
conscience also bearing witness, and between
themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing
them.” (Rom. 2:14-15).
He was so rich, “Also, his possessions were seven
thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred
yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very
large household, so that this man was the greatest of all
the people of the East” (Job 1:3), and he used to offer
sacrifices on behalf of his children, “So it was, when the
days of feasting had run their course, that Job would
send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the
morning and offer burnt offerings according to the
number of them all. Thus Job did regularly. For Job
said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed
God in their hearts.” (Job. 1:5).
Job prophesied about the coming of Lord Jesus Christ,
“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth;” (Job 19:25), also he believed
in eternity and life after death, “And after my skin is
destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God”
(Job 19:26).
Job had many virtues, some of which were:
1. Chastity:
People in his generation never cared about chastity,
although they knew that impurity was the reason for
the flood. Yet, Job the Righteous was a chastise
person, as he says, “I have made a covenant with my
eyes; why then should I look upon a young
woman?” (Job 31:1), also “If my heart has been
enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my
neighbour’s door, then let my wife grind for
another, and let others bow down over her. For that
would be wickedness; yes, it would be iniquity
deserving of judgment. For that would be a fire that
consumes to destruction, and would root out all my
increase.” (Job 31:9-12)
2. Uprightness and Clearness:
He was a straightforward man in dealing with others
“If I have walked with falsehood, or if my foot has
hastened to deceit, Let me be weighed on honest
scales, that God may know my integrity. If my step
has turned from the way, or my heart walked after
my eyes, or if any spot adheres to my hands, Then
let me sow, and another eat; yes, let my harvest be
rooted out.” (Job 31:5-8), also, “Oh, that I had one
to hear me! Here is my mark. Oh, that the Almighty
would answer me, that my Prosecutor had written a
book! Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and
bind it on me like a crown;” (Job 31:35-36)
3. Kindness and Compassion:
“Have I not wept for him who was in trouble? Has
not my soul grieved for the poor?” (Job 30:25), “If I
have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated
me, or lifted myself up when evil found him. Indeed
I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for a
curse on his soul” (Job 31:29-30)
4. Merciful to the Poor and Needy:
“If I have despised the cause of my male or female
servant when they complained against me, what
then shall I do when God rises up? When He
punishes, how shall I answer Him?” (Job 31:13-14),
“For that would be wickedness; Yes, it would be
iniquity deserving of judgment. For that would be a
fire that consumes to destruction, and would root
out all my increase. If I have despised the cause of
my male or female servant when they complained
against me, What then shall I do when God rises
up? When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb? "If I
have kept the poor from their desire, or caused the
eyes of the widow to fail, Or eaten my morsel by
myself, so that the fatherless could not eat of it (But
from my youth I reared him as a father, and from
my mother's womb I guided the widow); If I have
seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or any poorman without covering; If his heart has not blessed
me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my
sheep; If I have raised my hand against the
fatherless, when I saw I had help in the gate; Then
let my arm fall from my shoulder, let my arm be
torn from the socket. For destruction from God is a
terror to me, and because of His magnificence I
cannot endure” (Job 31:11-23), “If the men of my
tent have not said, "Who is there that has not been
satisfied with his meat?' (But no sojourner had to
lodge in the street, for I have opened my doors to the
traveller);” (Job 31:31-32)
5. Worshipping God:
Job insisted on worshipping God although idolaters
were everywhere during his time, “If I have observed
the sun when it shines, or the moon moving in
brightness, So that my heart has been secretly
enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand; This
also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment, for
I would have denied God who is above.” (Job 31:26-
28)
6. Total submission to the Lord, although he was
very rich:
“If I have made gold my hope, or said to fine gold,
"You are my confidence'; If I have rejoiced because
my wealth was great, and because my hand had
gained much;” (Job 31:24-25)
7. Living a continuous life of repentance:
“If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, by
hiding my iniquity in my bosom” (Job 31:33), “I
would declare to Him the number of my steps; like a
prince I would approach Him” (Job 31:37)
8. Courage:
“Because I feared the great multitude, and dreaded
the contempt of families, so that I kept silence and
did not go out of the door?” (Job 31:34)
When Satan saw that he was so righteous, “Then the
Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant
Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a
blameless and upright man, one who fears God and
shuns evil?” (Job 1:8), he asked God’s permission to
tempt Job in his wealth, children and health, and God
allowed Satan to do so for the following reasons:
a. God noticed that there were some thorns of self
righteousness growing in Job’s heart (Job 32:1),
and because of God’s great love He didn’t want
Job to get destroyed by this sin in spite of his
many virtues, so God allowed these temptations
to purify Job.
God’s plan succeeded extremely, Job was so
humble at the end and said, “Then Job answered
the Lord and said: "I know that You can do
everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be
withheld from You. You asked, "Who is this who
hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I
have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, "I
will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ "I
have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but
now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1-6)
b. God knew how honest and strong Job was in his
faith, thus, such a temptation will make him
glitter and keep fast hold of the Lord stronger
than before, as well as the great reward awaiting
him.
c. To make of Job an ideal example of patience and
tolerance, as St. James says, “But let patience
have its perfect work, that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). He
mentioned Job as an example to follow in
patience and tolerance “My brethren, take the
prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as
an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we
count them blessed who endure. You have heard
of the perseverance of Job and seen the end
intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very
compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:10:11)
This temptation revealed other hidden virtues in Job:
1. Tolerating poverty after being so rich:
He even rebuked his complaining wife saying,
“But he said to her, "You speak as one of the
foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept
good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his
lips” (Job 2:10). He used to bless the Lord,
“And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's
womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord
gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be
the name of the Lord." In all this Job did not sin
nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:21-22)!!
2. Tolerating the physical pain:
“So Satan went out from the presence of the
Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the
sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he
took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape
himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.”
(Job 2:7-8), yet he said, “Man decays like a
rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten”
(Job 13:28)
His countenance was completely different that
when his friends came to him, “And when they
raised their eyes from afar, and did not
recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept;
and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on
his head toward heaven. So they sat down with
him on the ground seven days and seven nights,
and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw
that his grief was very great.” (Job 2:12-13)
3. Tolerating the death of all his children:
Job’s virtues in this calamity was obvious, he lost
his seven sons and three daughters on the same day, not as a result of normal death incident for
one or two, but because of a Satanic plan.
4. Tolerating others mocking him:
All his relatives and friends abandoned him, he
tolerated this and rebuked them, “Then Job
answered and said; How long will you torment
my soul, and break me in pieces with words?”
(Job 19:1). He expressed his psychological pains
because of others, “My relatives have failed, and
my close friends have forgotten me. Those who
dwell in my house, and my maidservants, count
me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight. I
call my servant, but he gives no answer; I beg
him with my mouth.” (Job 19:14-16)
5. The horrors of nighttime:
If a sick or tired person sleeps at night, he gets
refreshed in the morning, but Job never found rest
at night “Then You scare me with dreams and
terrify me with visions,” (Job 7:14).
At the end of the temptation God blessed and rewarded
Job in wealth and in his children, “He also had seven
sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the
first Jerimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the
name of the third Keren-Happuch.” (Job 42:13-14),
then, “After this Job lived one hundred and forty years,
and saw his children and grandchildren for four
generations. So Job died, old and full of days” (Job
42:16-17).
The church celebrates his commemoration on 2 Bashans.
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man, it is mentioned
about him, “Now behold, there was a man named
Joseph, a council member, a good and just man”. (Luke
23:50), also “Now when evening had come, there came
a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who
himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.” (Matt.
27:57).
He was also a disciple of Jesus “After this, Joseph of
Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for
fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away
the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So
he came and took the body of Jesus”. (John 19:38),
when they arrested Jesus “He had not consented to their
decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of
the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom
of God”. (Luke 23:51).
His relation and love to Jesus was hidden, until it was
revealed on the cross, when he dared to ask for Jesus’
Body to bury Him. “So when he found out from the
centurion, he granted the body to Joseph”. (Mark
15:45), “and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn
out of the rock, and he rolled a large stone against the
door of the tomb, and departed.” (Matt. 27:60), “then
he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a
tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had
ever lain before.” (Luke 23:53)
It is taken for granted that this man believed and was
baptised and gained eternal life.
May the blessings of his prayers be with us. Amen.
Nicodemus:
A Greek name which means a ‘noble man’
He was a Pharisee, Chief Priest, and a member of the
Synhadrim Council. The Holy Bible describes him as “a
ruler of the Jews.” (John 3:1). He came to Jesus by
night and talked with Him about the spiritual second
birth, he was convinced and admired Lord Jesus. He
defended Jesus when the Pharisees attacked Him “Does
our law judge a man before it hears him and knows
what he is doing?” (John 7:51). His love to Lord Jesus
was clear when he shared Joseph in shrouding and
burying Jesus “And Nicodemus, who at first came to
Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh
and aloes, about a hundred pounds” (John 19:39),
which showed that he was very rich.
It is said that while Joseph and Nicodemus were burying
the Lord Jesus, they heard angels from heaven singing
“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Eternal” and they were
completing the praise with “who was crucified for our
sake, have mercy upon us”
May the blessings of their prayers be with us all. Amen.
[Pray to the Lord on our behalf O Melchizedek
and Aaron, and Zachariah and Simeon that
He….]
Melchizedek means the King of righteousness, and
there’s an interesting story about him:
When Jared the son of Mahalaeel, the sixth of Adam’s
generation was close to death, he called Enoch his son
and Methusaleh, Enoch’s son and said to them, “I know
that soon you will leave this place, so whenever you
depart, take the body of Adam our father with you,
together with these three oblations, gold, incense and
frankincense. Command your son to bury Adam in the
middle spot of the whole world, let him consecrate one of
his children to be a hermit for all his life, not to get
married, or kill, or offer blood-sacrifices, but just
sacrifices of water and wine, because from this spot the
salvation of Adam will burst (referring to the prophecy of
crucifying our Lord Jesus on Mount Golgotha). He will
wear tiger’s skin as his clothes, never shaves or trim his
nails, and he’ll be the Priest of God the Most High.
When God ordered Noah to build the Ark to be saved
from the flood, Noah, took Adam’s body and the
oblations with him in the Ark. After landing on Mount
Ararat, Noah asked his son Shem, together with
Melchizedek to take Adam’s body and bury it in the
middle spot of the earth. He asked Melchizedek not to
get married because the Lord had chosen him to serve
Him, not to build a house for himself, or kill, or offer a
blood sacrifice but his offerings should of water and
wine, to wear clothes made of tiger’s skin, not to shave his head or trim his nails, and he’ll be the only High
Priest for God the Most High.
Shem did exactly what his father Noah asked him,
together with Melchizedek, the angel of the Lord
appeared to them and showed them where to bury Adam,
and that was the Golgotha. So Melchizedek was one of
Shem’s grandchildren.
Melchizedek lived as a hermit in the woods around
Jerusalem, when people knew about his piety, they used
to offer him presents and offerings, yet he never accepted
any, so they built an altar on top of Adam’s tomb, then
they built a city called ‘Salem” which means ‘Peace’,
which was later renamed ‘Jerusalem’ which means ‘The
light of Peace’. Melchizedek was the one who blessed
Abraham after returning from the defeat of Chedorlaomer
“Then Melchizedek King of Salem brought out bread
and wine, he was the priest of God Most High and he
blessed him and said ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most
High. Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be
God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into
your hand”. (Gen. 14:18-20)
Melchizedek the priest and king is a symbol of Lord
Jesus the King of kings, the Lord of lords and Chief
Priest.
In Hebrew 7:3 it is mentioned about Melchizedek:
1. “Without father, without mother, without
genealogy” which means that the priesthood of Melchizedek was not inherited from his father or
grandparents, as was the case in the tribe of Levi,
where the priesthood was only restricted to the
generation of Aaron the Priest, Moses’ brother.
This is assured by St. Paul’s word, “without
genealogy” i.e. his priesthood was not inherited
but coming from God.
2. “Having neither beginning of days nor end of
life, but made like the Son of God, remains a
priest continually”. This means that as a priest
he had no beginning of day, as the Levi priest
started their service at the age of 30, ‘nor end of
life’, and they used to end it at the age of 50. But
Melchizedek’s priesthood was not restricted to
this age, but he was made like the Son of Man,
remains priest continually, as the Psalm says
“The Lord has sworn and will not relent, you
are a priest forever according to the order of
Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:4)
Aaron:
He was the brother of Moses and the helper in all the
great miracles that took place in Egypt. God chose him
and his generation to be his priests. He was a priest for
the children of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness. The
church celebrates his commemoration on 1 Baramudah.
Zacharias:
Zacharias is a Hebrew name which means ‘the mention
of God”. He is the father of St. John the Baptist, fromthe generation of Aaron the priest. The Holy Bible
witnesses for him and Elizabeth his wife “And they were
both righteous before God, walking in all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
(Luke 1: 6)
When the angel announced the birth of St. John the
Baptist to Zacharias while offering incense in the altar,
he did not believe, and he was mute till the birth of St.
John (Luke 1: 57-79)
When King Herod ordered to kill all the children 2 years
and under, Zacharias put John on the altar, where an
angel came and took him to the wilderness, so the
soldiers killed Zacharias after they couldn’t find the baby
John.
The church celebrates his commemoration on 8 Tut.
Simeon:
A Hebrew name which means listener or obedient. He is
Simeon the elder, one of the 70 elders whom the
Egyptian king Patlimous Philadelphus ordered to
translate the Old Testament. When he was translating
Prophet Isaiah’s book where it says “Therefore the Lord
Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name
Immanuel”. (Is. 7:14), he didn’t want to write ‘the virgin
shall conceive’ lest the king would mock him, so every
time he tried to change it and write ‘the girl’ or ‘the
woman’ something stopped him.
On the spot, he fell into slumber where he heard in a
vision a voice telling him “you would not see death
before you see Immanuel born of a Virgin”, and it was
so.
Simeon lived for 300 years till the birth of Lord Jesus,
“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose
name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout,
waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy
Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him
by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he
had seen the Lord Christ. So he came by the Spirit into
the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child
Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in
peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen
Your salvation which you have prepared before the face
of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)
He blessed St. Mary and St. Joseph, and prophesised
about Jesus’ service during His Incarnation “(yes, a
sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the
thoughts of many hearts may be revealed”. (Luke 23:5)
The church celebrates his commemoration on 8 Amsheer.
[Pray for the Lord on our behalf, O choirs of
the Prophets and all the righteous and the just,
that He may forgive us our sins] The worshipper repeats his pleading to the Prophets and
righteous saints of the Old Testament, those whom he
mentioned, and the others whom he did not mention, like
Sheth, Noah, Abel the righteous…, also the heroes of
faith “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths
of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge
of the sword, out of weakness were made strong,
became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of
the aliens.” (Heb. 11:33-34)
He asks them all to plead to the Lord on our behalf to
forgive us our sins.
[Intercede on our behalf, O fore-runner and
Baptiser, John the Baptist that He may forgive us
our sins]
John:
A Hebrew name which means “God have kindness”.
He is the great St. John the Baptist, who deserved to
baptise Lord Jesus in the Jordan River, he is the
conjunction between the Old and the New Testament, the
greatest of women born and the greatest Prophet, as Lord
Jesus Himself had witnessed for him. He is John the
Baptist, the son of Zachariah the Priest the son of
Berechiah, his mother was Elizabeth. He was brought
up in the wilderness of Jordan “And the Child grew and
became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the
grace of God was upon Him”. (Luke 2:40)
He was brave in truth, and rebuked Herod when he
wanted to marry his sister-in-law (while his brother was
still alive), and the result was that he was beheaded
according to Herod’s orders.
His holy body, together with Prophet Elisha’s body are in
St. Makarious’ Monastery in Egypt.
The church celebrates his martyrdom on 2 Tut.
[Intercede on our behalf the hundred and forty
four thousand, and the Celebate Evangelist, that
He may forgive us our sins]
The hundred and forty four celibate are mentioned in the
book of Revelation “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb
standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred
and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name
written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from
heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice
of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists
playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song
before the throne, before the four living creatures, and
the elders; and no one could learn that song except the
hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed
from the earth. These are the ones who were not
defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the
ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These
were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to
God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth as found no
deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of
God.” (Rev. 14:1-5)
These saints are crowned with all these virtues, so
definitely their intercessions on our behalf are accepted
before the Throne of Grace.
The Celebate Evangelist means St. John the Beloved
disciple, because he was a celibate, never got married.
The church celebrates his departure on 4 Tuba, also on 16
Bashans.
Note:
We notice that ‘The Commemoration of the Saints”
started with “Intercede on our behalf” for St. Mary and
the Heavenly hosts, then “Pray for us” for the Prophets,
then back to “Intercede on our behalf” for St. John the
Baptist, the 144,000 celibate and St. John the Celibate
Evangelist. The reason is that St. John the Baptist is
placed in this position according to historical events, he
is considered the conjunction between the Old and New
Testament. We ask for his intercession, exactly like the
intercession of St. Mary and the Heavenly hosts because
Jesus witnessed for him, “As they departed, Jesus began
to say to the multitudes concerning John: ‘What did
you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by
the wind? But what did you go out to see A prophet?
Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is
he of whom it is written; ‘Behold, I send My messenger
before Your face, who will prepare Your way before
You’ Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of
women there has not risen one greater than John the
Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he.” (Matt. 11:7-11)
The 144,000 are also the New Testament saints who
lived in purity and chastity, they are following God
everywhere in heaven.
[Pray to the Lord on our behalf our masters
and fathers the Apostles, and the rest of the
disciples, that He may forgive us our sins]
[The Twelve Apostles of our Saviour Lord
Jesus]
1. Peter: means ‘rock’, martyred on 5 Abib
2. Andrew: means ‘strong man’, martyred on 4
Kiahk
3. James: (the son of Zebedee) means ‘follower’,
martyred on 17 Baramudah
4. John: (the son of Zebedee) means ‘God have
kindness’ departed on 4 Tubah
5. Philip: means ‘the knight’, martyred on 18
Hatour
6. Bartholomew: means ‘the son of the plougher’,
martyred on 1 Tut.
7. Matthew: means ‘the gift of God’, martyred on
12 Babah
8. Thomas: means ‘the son of the twins’,
martyred in 26 Bashans
9. James: son of Alphaeus, means ‘follower’,
martyred on 10 Amsheer.
10. Simeon: (the zealous) means ‘listener’,
martyred on 15 Bashans
11. Thaddaeus: means ‘compassionate”, martyred
2 Abib.
12. Matteus: “the gift of God’, was martyred on 8
Baramhat, who was chosen by the Apostles
replacing Judas the Betrayer.
The rest of the disciples include all those who believed in
Lord Jesus and followed Him, as written “Then Saul,
still breathing threats and murder against the disciples
of the Lord, went to the high priest”. (Acts 9:1) Those
people were called disciples until they had the new name
Christians “And when he had found him, he brought
him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they
assembled with the church and taught a great many
people. And the disciples were first called Christians in
Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)
May the blessings of their prayers be with us all. Amen.
[Pray to the Lord on our behalf, O blessed
Archdeacon, Stephen the first martyr that He may
forgive us our sins]
Stephen: A Greek name, which means ‘crown’. He is
the first martyr in Christianity, one of the seven deacons
appointed by the Apostles (Acts 6), also “And Stephen
full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs
among the people”. (Acts 6:8) He was martyred when
the Jews stoned him till death outside Jerusalem “and
they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the
witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young
man names Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was
calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit’. Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud
voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin’. And
when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:58-60)
Watching this scene, was the first seed of grace in Saul’s
spirit, which led him to Christianity.
The church commemorates his martyrdom on 15 Tut, and
the transfer of his holy body on 1 Tubah.
[Pray to the Lord on our behalf O Beholder of
God the Evangelist, Mark the Apostle that He may
forgive us our sins]
Mark: A Latin name which means ‘hammer’. He is
John called Mark, the writer of the second Gospel, one of
the 70 disciples and the Preacher of the land of Egypt.
The Lord instituted the Last Supper in the Upper Room
in his house, he is called ‘the Beholder of God’. He was
martyred in Alexandria when the idolaters dragged him
through the streets, till his flesh was torn out his blood
splashed everywhere then they put him in prison where
the angel of the Lord appeared and strengthened him and
promised him the crown of martyrdom. Next morning
they did the same until he yielded his soul in the hands of
Lord Christ.
The church celebrates his martyrdom on 30 Baramudah,
also on 30 Babah it celebrates the discovery of his head
and the consecration of the first church on his name.
A new celebration was the arrival of his body from Rome
to Egypt in the year 1684 for the martyrs, corresponding
1968 A.D.
May the blessings of the prayers of St. Mark, the great
preacher of the land of Egypt be with us all. Amen.
|| Pope Shenouda || Father Matta || Bishop Mattaous || Fr. Tadros Malaty || Bishop Moussa || Bishop Alexander || Habib Gerguis || Bishop Angealos || Metropolitan Bishoy ||