Beata LeMariyam - በዓታ ለማርያም

The Entrance of Our Holy Mother Virgin Mariyam, into the Temple

On Tahisas 3 (December 12) we commemorate the entrance of our holy mother Virgin Mariyam, into the Temple when she was three years old, for she was dedicated to God. Her mother, Hannah was childless. she was exceedingly sad and so was her husband Joachim who was a blessed old man. They fasted and prayed to God fervently and with a remorseful heart saying, "If You give us a fruit, we will devote the child to Your Holy Temple". God answered their prayers and gave them a holy child Who would give birth to her creator and named her Mariyam.

According to their vows, they raised her for three years, after which they brought her to live in the Temple. Beata is one of the thirty three feasts of Holy Virgin Mariyam, the word ‘Beata’ means “her entry”.

Zechariah the high priest was happy to receive her but he was so worried about her sustenance and gathered the priests to discuss. At that same moment the Archangel Phanuel appeared to them holding of heavenly bread. Zechariah the high priest assumed the Angel came to reveal his glory to the people and tried to accept the heavenly food from the hand of the Archangel. But the Angel didn’t approached him, or any of the other priests. But as soon as they left the child alone Archangel Phanuel came down covered her with his wings and fed her. From that time she received her sustenance from the hands of Arch angel Phanuel for 12 years.

May Her intercession and blessing be with us all.

Prophet Elijah- ነብዩ ኤልያስ

According to Ethiopian Orthodox calendar The prophet Elijah was born on December 10 [Tahisas 1], in the province of Gilead, to his righteous parents, his father, Joshua, and his mother, Tonya, who had lived in the house of Levi. On the eighth day, when they had performed circumcision, they named him Elijah.

When the prophet Elijah grew up learning the Law, he left his mother, his father, his relatives, and all his money and lived in the wilderness. St. Paul in the Hebrews' message, "They went about in sackcloth, on carpets, and in goatskins; they were distressed, afflicted, afflicted, hungry, thirsty. These are the things that the world does not deserve: the forest goes for the mountain and the mountain, the cave for the caves and the crumbs for fear. " Hebrews 11:37

"Elijah" also means a lamp to the house of God, that olive oil might shine upon all that are in darkness. When the Israelites were in darkness when they broke into the law of God, worshiping idols, the prophet Elijah arrived and brought them back to God with a bright heart.

One of the great miracles the prophet had done with the power of God was to make rain and to revive again [1 Kings 17: 2]. The sacrifice of the Lord in the presence of the priest, and the disgrace of the priests [2 Kings 18: 38].

One day, as the prophet Elijah was praying, the angel the Holy Raguel was revealed and told him, "Rejoice, for the time has come for you to ascend to heaven. You will live in a land of complete happiness. A place where no sickness, death, sorrow, but full of blessing. There is one like you, Enoch, who writes the commandment of the Most High God.

"When the time came for God to bring Elijah to heaven, the prophet went from Gilgal to Jericho, and his disciple Elisha said, "By your living soul, I will not leave you." When they arrived in Jericho, there came small prophets from Jericho. Elijah's ascension was revealed to them by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and they said to Elisha, "Do you know that today the Lord will take away your Lord from you?" He said, "I know, keep quiet." Then Elijah went with Elisha, when he said, "Sit down here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan . I will not leave you."

Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. 13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. [2 Kings 6-14]

As Elijah crossed the Jordan River into the living nations, the believers born of the water and the Holy Spirit will inherit the kingdom of God. Our Lord said in the Gospel of John that "a person who is not born again cannot see the kingdom of God."

The prophet Elijah was one of the fifteen prophets (Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Jonathan, Gad, David, Solomon, Elisha, Ezra, Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and John the Baptist). This is a prophet who spoke physically with our Lord on the Mount of Tabor, a priest who broke down the sacrifice of idols, a traditional priest who initiated the ordinance;

Our Lord, our Savior, Eyesus Kirstos, has called John "Elijah" when he witnessed the greatness of the Holy Spirit of baptism. Our Lord calls John “Elijah” because it implies that he is teaching ahead of the Second Coming of Eyesus Kirstos,

James 5:17, KJV: "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months."

May the prayer of Prophet Elijah be up on us!

Commemoration of the Archangel Saint Michael- የሕዳር ሚካኤል

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church honors Saint Michael (Kidus Mikael); the Angel of mercy; on the 12th of each month of which two of them are great annual feasts of the saint – on Hidar 12 (November 21) and Senie 12 (June 19). His name Michael means “who is like God”.

Saint Michael is one of the seven Archangels, who is always standing besides God’s throne and is honored for defeating Devil at God’s command (Rev.12:7-9).

In addition to the Holy Bible, "Dersane Michael" contains the miracles of St. Michael. Archangel Saint Michael is powerful and the guardian of the souls and fighter against evil. He is often painted in the walls of every Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church followers with a flaming sword and spear, which pierces the devil.

On Hidar 12 (November 21):

1. Crowned and became the Arch of the Archangel’s

Saint Michael is one of the seven Archangels, who is always standing besides God’s throne and is honored for leading the army of Holy Angels and defeated Satan and the rebellious angels into Hell. Revelation 12:7 On this day God crowned him with his glory and mercy and become the Arch of the the Archangel’s

2. The Commander of the Lord’s Army

Joshua, the son of Nun, saw him in great glory and was frightened by him and fell on his face to the earth and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" So he said, "No; but as Commander of the army of the Lord... I have given Jericho into your hand, ... and its king." (Joshua 5:13-15, 6:2)

3. The Exodus of Israel from Egypt through the help of the Arch Angle Michael

Exodus 14:19-22:

19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He jammed[a] the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward[b] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Michael, is the commander of the angels, came down from heaven, and rolled back the stone from the mouth of the tomb, and announced the women “Christ is risen from the dead”.

St. Paul observes that the Hebrews “ all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Cor. 10:1-4; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27).

There is a common ritual practiced by the devotees in order to commemorate, worship and give thanks. Ethiopian traditional bread – Difo Dabo, roasted barley – Kolo in the name of St. Michael are being prepared and shared in the church.

May the prayer of Archangel Saint Michael be up on us!

Qusquam: Feast of the Holy Family

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD. AMEN

Qusquam: Feast of the Holy Family - ቁስቋም ማርያም

Gondar//Mahlete Tsige//Kuskuam mariam - YouTube

Qusquam in Arabic is the name of mountain in Upper Egypt on which the monastery and Holy Church of Al- Muharraka are still standing. The Monastery marks where the Holy Family is said to have dwelt during their exile in Egypt. The Homily of Theophilus compares the Holy Mountain in Egypt with the Holy mountain of Zion and Refers to Mary as “Mary of Zion.”

It is a place where the Holy family found refuge following their Exodus from those who seek to kill the baby Eyesuse Kirstose and where the Saint Gabriel revealed to Saint Yosephe that king Herod has died.

Every year on Hidar 6-November 15 the Ethiopian Church commemorates the return of the Holy family to their home land, Israel and their relief from the menace of King Herod, following a period of 40 days of devotion and unique church services in memory of the hardship the Holy Family suffered during their flight. It also venerates the appearance of our Lord and Eyesuse Kirstose and His disciples on Mount Qusquam for the consecration of its church.

The Homily of Theophilus narrates the journey of the Holy family to Mount Qusquam and testify concerning this matter, “We might perchance find a good place wherein we might dwell and my darling Son pointed to a place with His finger and said ‘Let us go to this good place to dwell there in for it is a very fine place….and when we had sat down there, we found in it everything that women need for washing children, a washing basin, a water channel, a well of water. We sat down there for six months and behold, the announcement of the Angle Gabriel came to us and informed us of the destruction of Herod, and we returned to the land of Jerusalem.”

Amid, Qusquam became the place where the Holy family has relieved from awful flight and where the announcement of the Saint Gabriel revealed to Saint Josef to inform the destruction of Herod.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, soon after the Magi left Bethlehem, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: Rise, take the Child and his Mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child to destroy him (Matthew 2:13).

Our Lady’s joy at the visit of those distinguished men who had recognized her Son as the Messiah was instantly turned into sorrow and anguish. The cruelty of Palestine’s elderly king, ever fearful that someone might seize his throne, was well known.

As we learn from several historical accounts, in the neighborhood of Bethlehem, infants two-years-old and under were being wrenched from their mothers’ arms and slain. The king had assassinated several of infants, as well as other persons he viewed as threats. The danger, then, was great. Thus the Magi, being warned in a dream not to return to Herod…departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:12)

After their stay in Egypt, which lasted for about three-and-half years, moved through many towns in Upper and Lower Egypt, the Holy Family called divinely to return to their home land as stated in the Gospel of Matthew, when Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” Then Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel. (Matthew 2:19-23)

Besides, during this season of Exodus , the Ethiopian Orthodox Incarnation Church offers special hymns that recite in the Holy Mass and other services including , Mahilete Tsige (The Hymn of the Flower) and Seqoqawe Dingil (The Lamentation of the Virgin) along with the hymn of Saint Jared (Digua). These strophes of hymns are composed in memory of the hardship of the Holy Family; Biblical verse such as “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” (Hosea 11:1) “The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.” (Isa 19:1) “… His ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.” Hab.3: 6-7)1 – Cush is a Biblical name for Ethiopia as stated in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions. “Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young– Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God.” (Psalm 84:3)

From the verse of the Prophet Isaiah, we can realize the coming of the Lord into Egypt that resulted in the destruction of the idols of Egypt. While the Prophet Habkuku tells us about the coming of the Lord into Ethiopia and based on that verse, “He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting,” the Ethiopian Church tradition elaborates that during their Exodus, the Holy Family came to the land of Ethiopia and visited many historical sites such as, monasteries of Aksum, Debre Damo, Waldibba, Tana, Debre Zemeda, Mehur Iyyesus Gedam and many other holy sites.

May the prayer and intercession of Our Holy Mother be up on us all!