Passion Week

Kyrie Eleison! Lord Have mercy! Kyrie Eleison

Holy Monday [Cursing of the Fig Tree]:

1. Cursing of the fig tree - The fig tree represents the Jews who were saying that they are children of Abraham but have no fruit of prophecy - Matthew 21: 18-19

2. The cleansing of the Temple - Matthew 21: 12 -13

Holy Tuesday [Day of Questioning]:

1. The Pharisees questioned the authority of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos – Mark 11: 27-33

2. The Parable of the Ten Virgins - Matthew 26:14-16

3. The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers - Luke 20: 9-19

Holy Wednesday [Day of Betrayal]:

1. Council of Pharisees who came together to decide the fate of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos - Luke 22: 1-2

2. Betrayal of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos by Judas - Luke 22: 1-6

Holy Thursday [Day of Prayer]:

1. Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos celebrated the Passover with His disciples - Matthew 26: 17-35

2. Washing of the feet - John 13: 1 -17

3. Instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist/Holy Communion - Matthew 26:26-29

Good Friday [Day of Crucifixion]:

1. It is also called Sekelet in Geez meaning crucifixion.

2. Crucifixion and death of Eyesus Kristos - Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23 & John 19

Holy Saturday [Kedamet Seure]:

1. The day that Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos’ body lay in the tomb- John 19: 38-41

2. The Harrowing of Hell - 1 Peter 3:18-20

May our participation in this Holy Week of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos’ Passion allow us to take up our own cross and follow Him to His glorious Resurrection.

Chief of Martyrs Saint Georgis - ሊቀ ሰማዕታ ትቅዱስ ጊዮርጊስ

Saint Georgis is one of the Honored Martyrs in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church, wherein he is referred to as the "Chief of Martyrs". The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church commemorates his feast on the 23rd of every month.

Furthermore, Saint Georgis's major feast days per year are;

· His Martyrdom on the 23rd of Miyaziya (May 1). Before his final rest he was recovered from death three times including once when he was chopped into many pieces and buried.

· The commemoration of the blossoming of the dry pillar of poor widow, blessings of her house and and healed her four year old disabled son on the 7th of Hidar (November 16th)

· The scattering of his bone on Tir 18th (January 27)

· The transferring of his relic on Nehasie 16th (August 22nd) that overlaps with the feast of the Assumption of Holy Virgin Mariam.

May the prayer and intercession of St. Georgis be up on us all!

Great Lent - Abiy Tsom - ዐብይ ጾም Eighth Sunday Hosanna - ሆሳዕና (Palm Sunday)

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! . . . Hosanna in the highest”

The Eighth Sunday of the Great Fast (Abiy Tsom) is called “Hosanna” which means Save us! This is the celebration of Our Lord's humble entrance into the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey, while the crowds were scattering their garments before Him and waving their palm branches.

Palm Sunday is significant for all Christians because it marks the beginning of Holy Week. That very important day when Our Lord and Saviour Eyesus Kristos began His journey toward the Cross.

Zachariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

The symbolism of the donkey refers to the ancient tradition that it is an animal of peace, versus the horse, which is the animal of war. A king comes riding on a horse when he was bent on war, but he rides upon a donkey when he wants to show he is coming in peace. Our Lord and Saviour Eyesus Kristos’ entry into Jerusalem would thus symbolize His entry as the Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king.

Why did Our Lord and Saviour Eyesus Kristos ride an Ass and a Colt to enter to Jerusalem?

The spiritual meaning of the Ass and the Colt are the Old and the New Testament, and the city of Jerusalem represents the soul. Our Lord and Saviour Eyesus Kristos the Word of God entered into Jerusalem riding on the Ass(Old Testament) and half way to Jerusalem he switched to young Colt(New Testament). From both Old and New Testament we find the word of truth which purifies our soul and drives away all evil.

On this day according to The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's tradition, clergies distribute blessed palm branches to the congregation. Believers on the other hand will make small crosses with the blessed palm leaves and tie them to their heads or make them into rings.

Palms have long been a sign of victory, success and glory. The palms we take home serve to remind us that by Our Lord and Saviour Eyesus Kristos’ victory, we too can gain this victory and achieve everlasting life.

Is our Faith to God dependent on conditions?

The same people who applaud Our Lord and Saviour Eyesus Kristos’ entrance into Jerusalem on Hosanna morning, shouting out “Hosanna in the highest!" and ‘King of Israel’ five days later, cried, “Crucify Him.” and ‘We have no king but Caesar!’. What a contrast between the palm branches and the cross. Before they were offering their own clothes for Him to walk upon, and so soon afterwards they stripped him of his clothes.”

As our Lord suffered and died for our sins, so we too should rejoice in our suffering for Him. This is how we show our faith and gain victory over the enemy.

May Medhanealem Grant us to See The Light of His Resurrection in Peace Amen!

Great Lent - Abiy Tsom - ዐብይ ጾም Seventh Sunday Nicodemos/ኒቆዲሞስ

The Seventh Sunday of the Great Fast (Abiy Tsom) is called Nicodemos, which is named after a member of the Jewish ruling council man who was very impressed with the miracles that our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos performed in Jerusalem. He came to him in the night in search of more knowledge and as a result, he learned about the first mystery of the sacraments of the Church, the Sacrament of Baptism.

John 3:1-8

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

According to the teaching of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church when the priest prays over the water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the water becomes the very same water that came out of the side of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos. And to Inherit the kingdom of God, as we are born from our father and mother we also need to be born again from God through baptism. Baptism is one of the seven sacraments through which a believer unites with the Holy Spirit and also is accepted into the membership of the Church.

Why the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church baptize boys after Forty [40] days, and girls after Eighty [80] days?

The Orthodox Churches baptize children on the bases of the faith of the parents and godparents. The Holy Bible teaches us that Christian parents must teach and raise up their children in the way of the Lord.

Matthew 19:13-14

“Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

This is also based on God's commandment to Moses.

Lev 12:2-5

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.

And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying for thirty-three days ; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled [7 +33 = 40].

But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty six days [14+66 = 80]."

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church teaches that the reason is Adam was taken into Eden Forty [40] days after he was created and Eve was taken into Eden Eighty [80] days after she was made from Adam's rib.

Nicodemus and Joseph had lived as secret disciples of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos and thus buried his body after he died on the Cross.

John 19:38-40

“And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.”

May Medhanealem Grant us to See The Light of His Resurrection in Peace Amen!