RIKIBE KAHINAT/ርክበ ካህናት

According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church canon, the Ethiopian Holy Synod meets twice a year under the chairmanship of His Holiness the Patriarch.

1. Tikemet 12 (October 22nd)

2. Rikibe Kahinat: On the 25th day after the Resurrection.

Rikibe Kahinat (ርክበ ካህናት) is a geez word which means coming together of Priests. This is the meeting of the parish council. Rikibe Kahinat is always on a Wednesday. On this day the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church parish council is held to remind the priests, bishops, archbishops and the patriarch that as the Lord gave Peter a special charge of feeding His sheep. They also have a huge responsibility to keep and protect the believers.

ACT 20:28-30

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them

According to Ethiopian Orthodox history the first Ethiopian Orthodox Church parish council was held on 1450 at the time of King Aste Zera Yacob.

At the time King Zara Yaqob, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church fathers had been divided over the issue of Biblical Sabbath observance. The division was more between the fathers known as the followers of Ewostatewos and fathers from the Monastery of Debre Libanos. The fathers of Debre Libanos Monastery believed that sabbath should be observed on Sunday but the followers of Ewostatewos, on the other hand believed that sabbath should only be observed on Saturday. King Zara Yaqob held the Council of Debre Mitmaq in Tegulet and asked Church fathers to sit and listen to both sides and provide him with their decision. The Church fathers finally agreed to celebrate both Saturday and Sunday as the Sabbath of the Church.

Simon son of John, do you love me? Fourth Sunday after Resurrections [Tinsae]

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church celebrates 4th Sunday after Tinsae to commemorate Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos' appearances to his disciples following his Resurrection for the third time.

Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos appeared to the disciples at different times in the 40 days after His resurrection and taught them many things they did not understand about the Scripture before.

Luke 24:45-48

“45 Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He said to them, “It is written that the Christ [Messiah] would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that a change of hearts and lives and [L repentance for the] forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, starting at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.”

Saint Peter used to catch fish for living, but once he became the disciple of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos he has been told he will be only going to fish people for the Lord, and to be His witness even unto death.

Mark 1:17

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people”

But on this day peter decided to go back to his fishing job and behind him came the other disciples. Peter felt deep remorse and wept bitter tears of sadness over his weakness of denying Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos and all the other apostles who fled at Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos’ arrest felt the same. In-spite of their weakness at the shore of Lake Galilee, Our Lord and savior allowed them to spend happy long hours with him, and eat with him; and also showed them that He still pleased to hand them over the responsibility of caring for His sheep.

John 21:9-17

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

Peter is the leader; the chief disciple, his name also means rock.

Matthew 16:18-19

“18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Even though Peter denied knowing Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos three times on the day of crucifixion, his penance allowed him to restore his discipleship and receive greater responsibility to keep and feed the flock of God. Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos ask Peter three times “do you love me” In the same way he denied him because he wanted to restore his discipleship and make him the chief.

Peter and the other disciples and their followers (the Church Fathers) are appointed by God to shepherd and maintain the Church throughout their life witnessing about death and resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos. Peter began his early church leadership after the resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos when he was the presiding person of Matthew's choice in place of Judas.

Acts 1:15-17

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.

Saint Peter spent the rest of his life preaching the gospel, and became a martyr in Rome with Saint Paul, on July 12 (Hamle 5 of the Ethiopian Calendar).

Christ Rose from the dead!

Church of Debre Mitmaq - ደብረ ምጥማቅ

Henceforth all generations will call me blessed

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church venerates Holy Virgin Mariam as the Mother of God, whom the Divine Grace chose to bear the Word of God in her womb by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). Since Holy Virgin Mariam is the interceding mother on behalf of her spiritual children, she is exalted above heavenly and earthly creatures. The Ethiopian church celebrates 33 feasts of Holy Virgin Mariam throughout the year and it is our duty to call her blessed mother.

May 29 - Ginbot 21 is one of the annual feasts of Holy Virgin Mariam celebrated colorfully following her appearance in the church of Debre Mitmak named after her.

According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Synaxarium, on this day our Holy Mother started to transfigure in luminous spiritual forms over and around of the domes of the church dedicated to her in Debre Mitmaq. Her public appearance continued for five days in front of tens of thousands of people from every race and religion. As everyone seeing her, pointing at her and interceding to her with songs, hymns, she was looking to them in a compassionate way raising her hand to bless them in all directions.

Her transfiguration was in different forms one of the most significant was on her head was a crown of a queen as if it were made of diamonds and sometimes there appeared on the top of the crown a small luminous cross. And sometimes she appeared in the same way but carrying Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kirstose, to Him is the Glory, in the form of a child on her hand and on His head a crown. And on other times she raised her both hands as She was blessing the world moving to the right, to the front, and to the left in a dignified way.

Hosts of Angles also appeared standing behind her spreading their wings to glorify her from heaven. The prophets, the righteous, and all the martyrs including Saint George and Saint Mercorios came and did homage to her. During her apparition, she made many miracles among the crowd, for instance, those who’s relative were died made prayer in her name, and then she brought them alive before their relatives as they had before on earth. The congregation threw their garments to her, she took and threw it back to them, and they divided it among them for blessing.

According to Ethiopian Orthodox church’s tradition, the site is one of the locations where the Holy family stayed during their flight into Egypt, and baby Eyesus Kirstos prophesied concerning of the church and said “Behold, later on the church will be built here in the name of my Mother, Holy Virgin Mariam”.

On 1441th EC, King Atse Zerayakob heard very sad news that the Muslim burned down the blessed holy virgin Mariam Debre Mitmaq church in Egypt. He built a replica of the burnt Debre Mitmaq church in shewa, Bulega. On 1450, Ginbot 21 (May 29) the new church was consecrated.

Christ Rose from the dead!

THE MASSACRE OF DEBRE LIBANOS Monastery

One of worst crimes committed by Italian fascism, Graziani during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia was the massacre of (Genbot 12, 1929) Debre Libanos Monastery.

On May 20, 1937 the Italian fascist General, ‘General Maletti’ surrounds the Debre Libanos Monastery on the feast day of the Archangel Michael and St. Tekle Haymanot, a great religious holiday. On this day the Italian's already knows that many pilgrims would come to this Monastery for religious celebration. The Italian troops invaded the Monastery after all the pilgrims arrived. Monks and pilgrims are loaded onto military trucks and taken away from the monastery, to be shot on the plateau of Laga Welde.

Each truck was filled with a variable number of people between thirty and fifty taken to a site on the far edge of a very deep gorge, about 500 meters deep. They shot the monks, priests, deacons and the pilgrims in groups, and the bodies were thrown in the deep waters. Altogether, they are killed by Italian troops around 2200 people which includes Priests, monks, deacons, pilgrims come to the monastery of Debre Libanos to pray.

Christ Rose from the dead!