The Martyrdom of St. Mercurius Known as the Saint with the Two Swords
4th December – 25th Hator
On this day, St. Mercurius, known as the saint with the two swords (Abu-Saifain), was martyred. He was born in the city of Rome. His parents were Christians and they called him Philopateer (which means “Lover of the Father”). They reared him in a Christian manner. When he grew, he enlisted in the army during the days of Emperor Decius, the pagan. The Lord gave Philopateer the strength and the courage, for which he earned the satisfaction of his superiors. They called him Mercurius and he grew very close to the Emperor. When the berbers rose up against Rome, Decius went out to fight them, but when he saw how many they were, he became terrified. St. Mercurius assured him saying, “Do not be afraid, because God will destroy our enemies and will bring us victory.” When he left the Emperor, an angel appeared to him in the shape of a human being, dressed in white apparel. The angel gave him a sword saying, “When you overcome your enemies, remember the Lord your God.” (That is why he is called, “of the two swords”, “Abu-Saifain”, one is the military sword and the other is the sword of the divine power).
When Emperor Decius conquered his enemies and Mercurius came back victorious, the angel appeared to him and reminded him of what he told him previously, that is, to remember the Lord his God.
Decius, and his soldiers with him, wanted to offer up incense to his idols and St. Mercurius tarried behind. When they informed the Emperor of what had happened, he called St. Mercurius and expressed his amazement at his abandoning of his loyalty to him. The Emperor reprimanded him for refusing to come and offer incense to the idols. The Saint cast his gir dle and his military attire down before the Emperor and said to him, “I do not worship anyone except my Lord and my God Jesus Christ.” The Emperor became angry and ordered him to be beaten with whips and stalks. When the Emperor saw how the people of the city and the soldiers were attached to St. Mercurius, the Emperor feared that they might revolt. So instead, he bound him in iron fetters and sent him to Caesarea where they cut off his head. He thus completed his holy fight and received the crown of life in the kingdom of heaven. His prayers be for us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Martyrdom of St. James the Mangled (Sawn).
6th December - 27th Hator
On this day, St. James the mangled, was martyred. He was one of the soldiers of Sakrod, the son of Shapur, King of Persia. Because of his courage and his uprightness, he was promoted to the highest rank in the king’s court. He found favor and access to the king, who even counselled with him in many affairs. In this way, he influenced St. James greatly to the ex tent that he turned his heart away from worshipping the Lord Christ.
When his mother, his wife, and his sister heard that he adopted the king’s belief, they wrote to him saying, “Why have you forsaken the faith in the Lord Christ and worshipped the cre
ated objects, the fire and the sun? Know that if you persist in what you are doing, we will disown you and you will become a stranger to us.” When he read their letter, he wept and said, “If by doing that, I have become a stranger to my own family and my people, how would the situation be with my Lord Jesus Christ?” Consequently, he resigned from the king’s service and devoted his time to reading the holy books. When the news reached the king, he summoned St. James. When the King saw the change that had befallen him, he ordered that James be beaten severely and if he did not change his belief, he was to be cut up with knives. They cut off his fingers, his hands, his legs and his arms. Each time they cut off a piece of his body, he praised the Lord and sang saying, “Have mercy upon me O Lord according to Your great compassion.” (Psalm 50:1) Eventually, nothing was left of him except his head, his breast and his loins. When he knew that his time was near, he entreated the Lord to have mercy and compassion upon the world and the people therein. He apologized for not standing in the presence of the mighty Lord and said, “I have neither legs to stand before Thee, nor hands to lift up to Thee, behold the parts of my body have been cast around me, O Lord receive my soul.” Straighta way, the Lord Christ appeared to him, comforted, and strength ened him and his soul rejoiced. Before he delivered up his soul, one of the guards made haste and cut off his head. He thus received the crown of martyrdom. Some of the believers then came forward and took his body, wrapped it and buried it. When his mother, his sister, and his wife heard that he was martyred, they rejoiced for his soul and came to where the body was and kissed it, weeping. They shrouded it in expen sive cloth and poured sweet scents and perfumed oil over it. A church and a monastery were built in his name during the reign of the righteous Emperors Arcadius and Honourius. When the king of Persia heard the news of the miracles and wonders which appeared through the body of St. James and of the other honored martyrs, he ordered all the bodies of the martyrs in all parts of his kingdom, to be burnt. Some of the believers came and took the body of St. James and brought it to Jerusalem and entrusted it to St. Peter El-Rahawy, Bishop of Gaza.
The body remained there until the reign of Marcianus, who persecuted the Orthodox Christians everywhere. St. Peter, the Bishop, took the body to Egypt. There he went to the city of Behnasa, where he stayed in a monastery occupied by devoted monks. It happened that at the sixth hour, while they were praying in the place where the holy body laid, St. James appeared to them with many other martyrs of Persia. They joined them in singing, blessed them and disappeared. Before leaving, however, St. James told them that his body should stay there as the Lord commanded. Despite this, when Anba Peter the Bish op, decided to return to his country, he took the body with him. When he arrived at the seashore, the body was taken from their hands and returned to the place where it had originally been. His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen. The Martyrdom of St. Peter, the Seal of the Martyrs, 17th Pope
of Alexandria.
8th December – 29th Hator
This day marks the martyrdom of St. Peter, 17th Pope of Alex andria and the seal of the martyrs. His father was the archpriest of Alexandria and his name was Theodosius and his mother’s name was Sophia. They were God-fearing people and they had no children.
On the fifth day of the Coptic month of Abib, the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, his mother went to church where she saw other mothers carrying their children. She was exceedingly sorrowful and she wept. She besought our Lord Jesus Christ with many tears, to grant her a son. That night, Peter and Paul appeared to her and told her that the Lord had accepted her prayers and that He would give her a son, and to call him Peter. They commanded her to go to the Patriarch, to bless her. When she woke up, she told her husband about what she saw and he was exceedingly glad. Then she went to the father, the Patriarch and told him about what she saw and asked him to pray for her. He prayed and blessed her. Shortly after, she gave birth to this saint and called him Peter. When he was 7 years old, they gave him to Pope Theonas, as was done with Samuel the prophet and he became as a son to him. He placed him in the theological school where he re ceived his education and excelled in preaching and counseling. He then ordained him as a reader, then as a deacon, and shortly after as a priest. He relieved the Pope of many church adminis trative duties.
Before Pope Theonas’ departure, he recommended that Abba Peter be his successor. When he was enthroned on the See of St. Mark, the church was enlightened by his teachings. It came to pass in the city of Antioch, that a man of high authority had agreed with Diocletian the Emperor, to return to paganism. That man had two children and because of him, their mother could not baptize them there. Therefore, she took them to Al exandria. On her way there, the sea was troubled by a violent storm and she was afraid that her two sons would drown and die without being baptized. She therefore dipped them in the sea three times saying, “In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” then she cut her breast and with her blood made the sign of the Holy Cross over their foreheads. Eventually, the troubled sea calmed down and she arrived safe ly to Alexandria with her sons. On the same day, she brought them to be baptized. Whenever, the Patriarch, St. Peter tried to baptize them, the water would solidify as stone. This happened three times. When he questioned her, she informed him of what had happened to her at sea. He marvelled and praised God saying, “That is what the church proclaims, that it is one baptism.” Therefore, the baptism she performed in the sea was accepted by the Lord.
Also in the days of this Pope, Arius the heretic appeared, and St. Peter advised him several times to turn from his wicked thoughts, but he would not hearken to him. Consequently, he excommunicated him and prevented him from the fellowship of the church.
Arius contacted Emperor Maximianus, the infidel, and reported
to him that Peter, the Patriarch of Alexandria, incited the people not to worship the gods. The Emperor was out raged, and he sent messengers with orders to cut off his head. When they arrived in Alexandria, they attacked the people and destroyed most of the cities of Egypt. They robbed all their valuables, their women and children. In total, about 840 thousand of them were killed, some with the sword, some with starvation and some with imprisonment. Then they returned to Alexandria and captured the father, the Patriarch, and imprisoned him. When the people heard about their shepherd’s arrest, they gathered in front of the prison door and wanted to save him by force. The officer in charge of his slaying was worried that the general peace would be disrupted, so he postponed the execution till the next day. When the saint saw what had happened, he wanted to deliver himself to death for his people, for he feared what might happen to his flock. He wished to depart and be with Christ, without causing any disturbances or troubles. He sent for his peo ple and he comforted them and advised them to adhere to the true faith.
When Arius, the infidel, learned that St. Peter was de parting to be with the Lord, leaving him under the band of excommunication, he entreated him, through the high priests, to absolve him. St. Peter refused and told them that the Lord Christ had appeared to him this night in a vision, wearing a torn robe. St. Peter asked Him, “My Lord, who rent Your robe?” The Lord replied, “Arius has rent My robe, because he separated Me from My Father. Beware of accepting him.” After this, St. Peter summoned the Emperor’s messenger in secret and advised him to dig a hole in the prison’s wall on the side where there were no Christians. The officer was amazed at the bravery of the father and he did as he commanded him. He took him out of prison secretly and brought him outside the city, to where the tomb of St. Mark the evangelist, Egypt’s evangelist. There, he kneeled down and asked the Lord, “Let the shedding of my blood mark the end of the worship of idols and be the end of the shedding of the blood of Christians.” A voice came from heaven and was heard by a saintly virgin who was near that place. It said, “Amen. May it be to you according to your wishes.” When he finished his prayer, the swordsman advanced and cut off his holy head. The body remained in its place until the people went out hurriedly from the city to the place where he was martyred, because they did not know what had happened. They took the pure body and dressed it in the pontifical clothes and seated him on the seat of St. Mark, which he refused to sit on during his life. He used to say that he saw the power of God sitting on the Chair and therefore, he did not dare to sit on it. Then they placed his body with the bodies of the saints. He occupied the throne of St. Mark for 11 years. His prayers be with us. Amen.
+ The Advent Fasting:
Friday 25th November the Advent Fasting started. It continues for 43 days and ends by the Feast of Holy Nativity at 7th January. It is allowed to eat fish during this fasting except on Wednesdays and Fridays and usually we abstain from food until 3pm. For those who got health reasons they can consult their father of confession. The Advent Fasting is a preparation for the Feast of Incarnation of our Lord. We fast 40 days taking an example of the Lord’s Fasting and from Moses Fasting for 40 days before receiving the Law and Commandments. We fast also extra three days in com memoration of the days fasted by people during the time of St Abraam the 62th Pope of Alexandria for the miracle of moving the mountain. The blessed month of Keiahk falls during the Advent days in which we sing and read all about the Incarnation of the Lord. Let us all pursue fasting in humility and repentance and offer our hearts to be holy sanctuary for our Lord the Child of the Manager the Incarnated Lord.
+ Doxologies of Keiahk Doxologies and Praises of the blessed month of Keiahk starts at St. Mary’s church next Saturday 10th December 7 - 11 pm. During the week it will be held on Monday & Thursday every week 6:30 - 9 pm.
Contemplations on the Gospel of
The Fourth Sunday of Blessed month of Hator
Mark 10: 17 – 31 how hard it is [a]for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! (24) Many want to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but without toiling or struggling. They want to enter the Heavens without any sacrifices. They want to indulge in the pleasures and lusts of this world and its vanities and in the same time win the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a very difficult dilemma. Almost impossible to achieve. The Lord described it as it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for such person who swallowed like a camel to go through this narrow way of the Cross which leads to the Kingdom of Heaven. This person needs first to get rid of all these heavy loads which blocks his way. He has to humble himself and sacrifice all these world vanities. The Lord told us how to achieve and solve this difficult problem in clear steps: “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”.
First: Sell whatever you have: sell means to give away and sacrifice all the vanities.
Second: give to the poor: Works of righteousness and love to others.
Third: take up the cross and follow me: bear the sufferings for the sake of Christ. Follow Him. This is your main goal.
+ One thing you lack: How much we all in this land of migration need to learn about this one thing? Many rushed to these countries for achieving materialistic gains under the banner of achieving a good safe future for their chil dren. In fact, they peruse a more luxurious comfortable life. They seek to achieve more materialistic gains. Spiritual life is not a priority for many. How much we need to look carefully and ask what our main aim is to come here. What are our objectives and what ways we implement to achieve them? May were growing and progressing spiritually, but soon they start to deteriorate as they adopted this way of worldly liv ing. Some may have reached to this sad level which St. Paul say about: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3: 18).
There are saints who lived among us in this world but they sacrificed every thing for there love of Christ the King, The Lord gave them spiritual richness better than all the treasures of this world.
Church history tells us about St. Simon the Tanner. We do not know much about his early life. He was a sim
ple poor man. He loved to keep his purity. One day he felt that the lusts may affect him. He latter ly carried out the Lord commandment plucking out one of his eyes to escape offences. He lived with one eye working during the day at the shop of a tanner. Whatever he earned, he used to buy bread to give the poor. He used to spend all the night praying. In the morning he takes his jar full of water and the bread to distribute to the sick and the disabled. Anba Abraam Ibn Zorah the Patri arch was praying for three days that the Lord can help him to move the mountain as ordered by the Khalif. In the third day while praying St. Mary appeared to him telling him to go in the morning to an ally where he shall meet a man with one eye carrying a jar and this man will be the one whom the Lord will use to carry out the miracle. This man was Simon the Tanner. Simon insisted to hide himself behind the Patriarch and not to be seen during the miracle of moving the mountain. After the miracle he completely disappeared, and no one knows where he has gone. Church history also tells us about one of the prominent Copts Fahd Ibn Ibrahim, who was a scribe to Khalif Elhaken Beamrellah the Fatimid and was very much trusted by him. Soon, the mode of the Khalif changed and he started to persecute Christians. He asked his trusted scribe to adopt Islam and promised him many rewards. Fahd reused to deny his Christianity. The Khalif ordered him to be beheaded and to burn his body for three day. Even so his body was not burned, and his right hand was untouched by fire. Fahd was known for his charitable deeds and how much he was merciful and kind to the poor and needy. His right had was always stretched to give to any one who is in need. That is why The Lord has stayed not affected by fire more than any other part of his body. He is one of those martyrs in our history whom we do not know much about his life more than that he was one of those who preferred to sell everything and carry the Cross of Christ until death.
St Anastasia the Patrician who was a Byzantine who lived in the sixth century A.D. who refused the approach of Emperor Justinian to marry her (he was already married). She refused to be pressed by his promises and left Constantinople to Alexandria where she lived in a nunnery. When she heard that the Emperor is keen to find her, she wore men clothes and left to the desert of Scetis where she met Anba Daniel the wilderness Heg umen and lived there under his guidance in the
inner desert for 28 years unknown to any one except Anba Daniel whom she used to see once a week to receive the Holy Mysteries. When she knew that her end is drawing near, she sent him a message to come and bury her body asking him to bury her with her own clothes. She left this world which she rejected and sold away for the sake of her love to the Lord Christ and heavenly life and glory. My beloved, what are you ready to sell for the sake of your love to Christ?
Are you ready to disregard your personal pride and honour and bear any insult or harsh treatment from others peacefully and return it with love and blessing?
Are you ready to sacrifice this extra working hours in the day of the Lord and rather prefer to spend this time participating and enjoying the Heavenly Banquet which the Lord invite you to attend on that day?
Are you ready to wake up earlier than normal to attend more of these heavenly moments enjoying even a glimpse of the life in Heaven through prayers and attending the church praises?
Are you ready to give away these unsuitable friendships and not to defile your heart and home preserv ing your life purity and chastity?
Learn to sell to buy the better portion for the sake of Christ’s love to you and for the sake of the King dom of Heaven. Sell, and give the poor. Invest in the more lasting and unfading treasures of Heaven. Sell what is going to vanish for what is eternal and never vanish or lost.
+ and come, take up the cross, and follow Me. For this world, the Cross of Christ is ignorance and shame. For us, we the sons and daughters of God it is glory and great indescribable joy.
One of those who had literally done that Bokaira of Rasheed who was one of the notable employees for Elhakem, the Fatimid Khalif. Under great pressure and in time of weakness he buckled and denied Christ and turned to Islam. Later, he came back to himself and regretted what he had done. He decid ed to announce his return to Christ and repentance publicly. He went to the palace of the Khalif carry ing a Cross and shouting “Christ is the Son of God”. The Khalif tried to persuade him to deny Christ but he refused. They threw him in the prison bound with heavy chains. He spent all the night standing and praying and told those who are with him that before Sunset he will be pardoned and released. That is what happened. He dedicated his life to visit the prisoners and help the sick and the poor. He used to fast daily up to Sunset and spend all the night
praying.
Saints also carry the Cross in their bodies as St. Paul say, “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6: 17). These marks he carried as his pains “ so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19:12). St Rewis stayed nine years suffering from a sever sickness. He beared with the pain silently in a lot of patience praying for all who visit him and for the sick who need his prayers. When he knew that his life is drawing near to the end, he called his disciples and blessed them. He anointed all his body with the sign of the Cross and departed in peace in the 21st of Baba which is St. Mary’s commemoration whom he loved and always asked for he prayers and intercessions and appeared often to him to encourage and support him. The Cross was manifested in their holy conduct, patience and bearing pains and persecution in this world. They really followed the Lord carrying His Cross. Do you carry your Cross?
Your Cross is to live in purity and chastity in this world which is full evil temptations and lusts.
Your Cross is to live if full honest and straightness in this world full of twisting and unlawful works.
Your Cross is to destine yourself from the defiled pleasures of this world. People will think you have backward thinking and life style for you do not follow their styles and ways of living.
Your Cross is to bear with those who hurt you or deny you your rights. You show them all love as the Lord commanded us.
Your Cross is to carry out your responsibilities at home, work and community in faithfulness and work hard for the salvation of those whom you deal with to lead them to successful heavenly citizens. You look af ter their spiritual success first as well as their worldly success.
Do you really carry this Cross or you reject the Cross? Be aware, there no other way to Heaven except through this narrow road that is like the narrow opening of the needle. The world wants to make you a camel, but regrettably this camel cannot go through the eye of the needle.
The heavy Cross may make you like an ant which the world does not like or even does not know that it exist, but for sure you will pass through the eye of the needle to Heaven.
Bend down my beloved and carry your Cross every day and follow the Lord Christ.
FROM «ON THE EAST». A MIRACLE OF GREAT MARTYR MERCURIUS
Archpriest Pavel Nedosekin (https://orthochristian.com/75811.html)
Great Martyr Mercurius of Egypt
I was amazed by the Copts: they have a very living religious feeling. For several centuries now they have lived surrounded by enemies. There have even been periods when they were killed only for knowing the Coptic language. As a result, practically no one speaks it anymore; however, their faith continues. They speak Arabic; they are a minority in a country that sees them as an enemy, but they bear the ascetic labor of their faith like confessors. Their monasteries are filled. The monastic rule is strict. And most important, there is a constant, taut faith in miracles. In Cairo, in the monastery of the holy Great Martyr Mercurius, we were told a story that, in the words of those telling it, happened not very long before we came, but the acuteness and reality of the theme reminds one of something out of the ancient patericons. The Monastery possesses a parcel of land on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Alexandria. Several nuns lived there, guarding the land as a monastery metochion. It happened that the defense minister of Egypt took a liking to this parcel of land. Property belonging to the Defense Department was in fact located right near the monastery property. So he confiscated the property through the Ministry of Land Governance in order to build a vacation facility for officers. These documents were personally signed by President Mubarak.
Tamav EriniBy the time Abbes Irina (Tamav Erini—Mother Irina in Coptic) was informed of this it was too late: the land was already considered transferred to the Ministry of Defense. In the monastery of St. Mercurius itself, in Cairo, there are over 100 nuns. The monastery occupies a whole city block, enclosed on all sides by thick walls, with only one entrance through tall gates. This is fairly typical for Eastern countries, where most of the population is not Christian. The abbess called all the sisters together and explained the situation to them. “There is no one on our side. All the powerful of this world are against us. We have only God and His faithful servant, our heavenly protector St. Mercurius. We will pray to God and to St. Mercurius that we might find justice and not lose our monastery land.”
A fast was declared in the monastery. It was recommended to all the nuns that they refrain also from unnecessary conversations and say the Jesus prayer. Thus passed several months. Rumors came from Alexandria that building machinery had already arrived and a new fence was erected around the entire perimeter.
In the center of this women’s monastery in Cairo stood a large statue of the holy Martyr Mercurius. It not an ordinary sculpture—the saint sits on a horse in full military armor, and in his hands are two sabers, raised high above his head. This sculpture was made in an usually realistic style and painted like a natural image. When you first see the sculpture you understand that the saint, sculpted along with his horse in natural proportions, is as if alive—the only thing lacking is movement. Further I will relate the story as I heard it from various people in Cairo, nearly ten years ago. One night, as Abbess Tamav Erini was praying in her cell, a man entered on horseback with the appearance of an ancient soldier and said, “Quickly take the land title documents and get on the horse behind me—we must go.”
In a little time the abbess found herself in a large palace. It was absolutely quiet all around, only the sound of horseshoes clapping against marble resounded from the walls. The horseman knew the road. Galloping down several corridors, he and his passenger found themselves in a spacious, quiet, and low-lit room. This was someone’s bedroom. The travellers were in a hurry. It all happened rather noisily.
“Who is there?” came a voice from the side of a large bed. The soldier rode up to the man lying there and said, “I have brought you this nun. You have taken their monastery land unfairly. You must set it aright.” “What nun, what land?” the man said quickly as he fussily rose from his bed. “I can’t see anything, you need to turn on the light.”
The mysterious guest turned toward the abbess, who was standing by the wall. She reached for the light switch, and the room lit up with bright lamps.
Cautiously looking over the horse, the man woken from his sleep regained his composure and asked calmly, “Who are you, and how did you get in here?”
“I am Markoris Abu Seifen (Mercurius of the Two Sabers—Arabic),” answered the martyr, “and you know who this is. These people live under my protection. They have been asking me to help them for several months now. You should correct this mistake and then you will remain unharmed. Here are all the documents for my land that had been unjustly taken from these people.»
The abbess thought she was sleeping. It was all so realistic that she began to be afraid, and wished she could wake up from this strange dream as soon as possible and be in her cell.
President Mubarak
The facial features of the man who rose from his bed seemed familiar to her. She was torn between the thoughts, “Who is this?” and “How can I wake up faster?” But keeping her composure she placed all the documents on the table before the man. He looked over the matter for a few minutes and then said, “Yes, this is my signature. I allowed them to adjoin this vacant lot to the lands of the Ministry of Defense. But what can I do at this late hour?
“Write an order,” said the martyr. “Write that you cancel the former order! See, here are all the necessary numbers of documents. Write this order in duplicate. In the morning you will give orders to stop the construction work and that the land be returned to me. Give this woman the second paper with the indication that the parcel is the monastery’s property”
The man submitted. He took a clean sheet of paper, anxiously began shuffling through the documents he had been given, and started writing something with concentration.
When he finished he was very agitated. Afraid of the soldier in medieval armor, he said to the abbess: “Come here, please. Here are your papers. Everything will be in order for you. Do not worry about this any more. All the best to you.
By saying this he apparently wanted to hasten the end of this strange visit. By the soldier’s powerful hand the abbess found herself seated again on the horse behind him. The riders headed for the door. There was a pause. At that time, the man standing by the table, as if wishing to say goodbye politely, turned to the soldier with a strange phrase: “I know you, you are Abu Seifen. Tomorrow I will come and thank you.”
Already by the door, half turned to the master of the bedroom, the martyr pronounced, “Do not take revenge on anyone!”
Then there were the streets of Cairo, the corridors of the monastery, and the quiet of the night. The Abbess came to herself standing in the center of her cell. She was holding papers in her hand. The thought crossed her mind that she might have become somnambulistic. But her soul was exultant, and her consciousness told her that something unbelievable, something very important had happened. She called her cell attendant, who customarily slept near the entrance of the abbess’s chambers. By her sleepy appearance it could be seen that her sleep had not been disturbed, although the recent visitor’s entrance had seemed quite noisy to the abbess. She asked her to turn on the light, and began looking over the papers. All was as it had been before. She knew them well, because she had looked at them many times. But at the end, she saw an unfamiliar page. It was an order to cancel the confiscation of their land. On the paper were observed the numbers of all the orders. At the end of the text was the signature, “President Mubarak”.
The Abbess quickly called the dean, woke up all the sisters for a prayer of thanksgiving, and gave orders to immediately clean up the monastery, because a government delegation was expected in the morning. In the morning they were informed that the President of the Arabic Republic of Egypt would like to visit them. The Monastery of Great Martyr Mercurius. Modern view.
The Abbess herself led in the guest. She showed him the churches, the orchard, and took him to the statue of the Great Martyr standing among the trees. The government representatives stood at a distance and could not hear what the abbess and the President were talking about as they looked at the figure of the soldier “of the Two Sabers”.
In a little while the Abbess fell sick and was hospitalized. She was very respected for the high stature of her spiritual life. Many came to visit her. After her death she was honored even more. A large chapel was built in the monastery on the place of her burial, and a marble cover was placed over her grave. Apparently the Copts will canonize this abbess. She has many venerators. While still in the hospital, she received such a large number of people everyday that she became very exhausted. They say that one day she was visited by the Minister of Defense. She was amazed and even anxious. The general said to her from the doorway, “Mother, we have never met before. But I came to thank you, because thanks to you I kept my position several years ago. You probably remember the matter of your property in Alexandria. Forgive me, I wanted to take it away from you for a vacation facility for officers. The President told me everything, but let slip that he will not punish me this time because you had strongly asked him not to…”
Archpriest Pavel NedosekinTranslation by OrthoChristian.com
Laying the Time Capsoule )under the Altar of St John Chrysostom Church) Saturday 26th Nov 2022 Feast of St John Chrysostom
The new Building is expected to be ready within 12 months. church services are continuing as normal as in the Timetable inside the Bulletin. You can donate monthly contribution using Direct Debit forms available in the church or downladed from church website. Cost of building works is around $12,000000. Your support and donations will be blessing and very appreaciated.
Construction of New Buildings started Thursday 28th April