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

Nehase 12, the festival of the glorious Arch Angel MICHAEL

On this day is celebrated the festival of the glorious Arch Angel MICHAEL, for on this day he appeared unto the righteous CONSTANTINE above the city of Rome, and gave him power over all his enemies, and the emperor conquered them, and his kingdom became strong. And he destroyed the houses of Idols, and built Churches, and decorated them with every kind of decoration. For this reason our Fathers, the doctors of the Church, have commanded us to celebrate the festival of the glorious Angel, MICHAEL the Arch Angel, on the twenty-second day of this month. Salutation to thee, O MICHAEL, Angel of the covenant and counsel of God.

And on this day also righteous Emperor CONSTANTINE began to reign over the city of Rome, and over all the kingdoms of the countries, and the country of Syria, and Jerusalem, and the country of Egypt, and the Christian kingdoms. He reigned with his father KAONSETA in the city of BARANTEYA(BYZANTIUM) and all the borders thereof for twelve years, and his father died, and he reigned in BARANTEYA (BYZANTIUM) and the districts thereof. And he blotted out oppressors and the workers of iniquity in his kingdom, and his righteousness and justice were famous in all the ends of the world. And the chiefs of the city of Rome sent to him asking him to deliver them from the oppression of the Emperor MAXIMIANUS, who denied Christ, and to save them from his slavery.

When CONSTANTINE read their letter he was very sorry, because the oppression of that infidel had come upon them, and he pondered in what way he could deliver them. And the honorable Cross appeared unto him, and he was helped thereby. He departed to fight against MAXIMIANUS, and he crushed him and conquered him, and MAXIMIANUS fled from him; and the bridge which was over the river split asunder and he died an evil death, and his soldiers were drowned in the river. Now this took place in the seventh year of his reign.  And straight way the elders of the city of Rome, and all the men thereof, received CONSTANTINE with great honor, and with joy and gladness, and he made a festival to celebrate his victory for seven days.

And all the learned men of the city of Rome, and the poets  thereof, whose words were sweet and who were skilful in declaiming them, pronounced encomiums on the Honourable Cross, and called it the "Saviour of their city"; and they pronounced encomiums on CONSTANTINE, and called him, "Conqueror," and "Conqueror by the might of the Cross." And in the eleventh year of his reign CONSTANTINE was baptized with Christian baptism by the hand of SAL PETER , Archbishop of the city of Rome. And his name was mentioned at the altar, as at this day, and how the Honourable cross appeared unto him, and how he waged war on MAXIMIANUS,  and how that infidel was drowned. And behold we have written the description of  all this in the section for the eighteenth day of the month of Magabit, the day of the death of this righteous king. Salutation to the day when CONSTANTINE began to reign in Rome. And on this day twenty hundred men became martyrs with BASILIDES.

NEHASSE 13, the festival of our Lord Jesus Christ, and how His appearance was changed on Mount Tabor

On this day is celebrated the festival of our Lord Jesus Christ, and how His appearance was changed on Mount Tabor, when there were with Him three of His disciples, that is to say, PETER, and JAMES, and  JOHN. And our Lord said concerning them, "There stand here those who shall not taste death until they see the Son of God and of man coming in His glory." This is the glory wherein the Apostles saw Him. His apparel was white as snow, and His countenance was changed and became like lightening, emitting light. And behold MOSES and ELIAS came to Him, and they talked with Him that all men might know that He was the God of MOSES, whom He had raised from the dead, and the God of ELIAS, whom He had brought down from heaven. And because of  this PETER said unto our Lord, "Dost Thou wish, O Lord, that we should make here three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for MOSES, and one for ELIAS" In these words which PETER spake there is a sign of lowliness and humility.

He saw our Lord, and thought that He would live on the mountain. . . and he wished to make for Him a place where He could hide from the sun PETER did not wish for himself, and for his fellow-apostles, as he wished for our Lord, and for MOSES, and for ELIAS; but he made himself and his fellow-apostles like slaves of those lords. And marvel not at the little knowledge of the Apostles, for they were not perfect in knowledge at that time. And when PETER said this a cloud overshadowed them, so as to make it clear to PETER that He did not want a habitation made by the hand of man.

And a voice came forth from the cloud which confirmed the belief in the Godhead of our Lord in the minds of the Apostles, saying, "This is My Son, Whom I love, in Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." And they confessed His grace and His goodness, for by the coming of our Lord and by His going upon the mountain [the truth] of the prophecy of the prophets was made known of a certainty.

And the Apostles and the prophets rejoiced, for they saw His Incarnation which they had known not of, and the Apostles rejoiced also when they heard the voice of the Father, which they had never before heard. They heard it at that time, and by the voice of the Father they became certain of the Incarnation of our God the Son, which was hidden from them; and when they heard the voice of the Father the glory of the kingdom appeared, and the Apostles knew that it was our Lord Jesus Christ Who had raised up the soul of MOSES, and that it was He Who had brought up ELIAS, for verily none save God Who buried him knew where the grave of MOSES was, and none save He Who had brought him up to heaven knew where ELIAS was.

And none was able to make the dead to live save Almighty God, Who hath dominion over the heavens and the earth. And Mount Tabor is a similitude of the Church, and our Lord gathered together therein the Two Laws, the New and the Old. And when the disciples heard the voice of the Father, they fell down and became like dead men; and MOSES returned to his gave, and ELIAS went up to heaven. And our Lord Jesus Christ stood alone, for the voice came because of Him, and the prophets were frightened and the Apostles fell down upon their faces, for the Father revealed the Name of His Son, and that He existed for ever with His Father. Because of that voice the Apostles preached that He was God indeed, and also that the flesh(or, body) which He had put on was of the race of the children of men.

And in the Gospel our Redeemer preached saying . . . . If He was not flesh, why did the Angel GABRIEL say unto MARY, "God be with thee!" And if He was not flesh, Whom did they lay in the manger? And if He was not God, Whom did the angels praise when He went down from heaven on the day of His birth, saying, "Glory to God in the heights, and peace on earth, His goodwill to men." If He was not flesh, Whom did JOHN baptize in the Jordan? And if He was not God, Who was it that raised up LAZARUS from his grave? It was Christ, the Only Son, the Word of God. We confess that He is perfect God and perfect man, One Person without separation. And when the Apostles f ell down upon the earth, and became like dead men, our Lord touched them with His Life-giving hand, and He said unto them, "Rise up, and fear not." And they rose up straightway, and they lifted up their eyes and saw no one except our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was alone. Salutation  to DABRATABOR, which is called DABRA TELUL.

And on this day also was the martyrdom of Saint SAFRIRA, the daughter of MOSES the prophet. [In the Bodleian ms. the saint is called' AFRA, and the NATIVITY of MOSES is commemorated.]

And on this day also died Abba GALYON, the spiritual fighter. This saint was a spiritual fighter, and he ceased from prayer neither by day nor by night. He used to eat one meal be our Lord Jesus Christ Who hath given light to mine eyes, through the prayer of His servant LAURENTIUS." And when the emperor heard this, he commanded his soldiers to bring Saint LAURENTIUS before him, and he urged him to bow down to the Idols; and when he refused to do so they broke his teeth with a stone, and tore off his garments, and laid him upon an iron bed, and kept a fire burning under him until his body melted. And the saint continued to pray to his God until he delivered up his soul into the hand of God, and the Angels came to meet it, saying, "Hallelujah," and they brought it into the heavenly Jerusalem. Salutation to  LAURENTIUS.

 NEHASSE 16, the ASCENSION of the body of our Lady MARY

On this day took place the ASCENSION of the body of our Lady MARY, the God- bearer, into heaven. After her death the Apostles continued to be sad and sorrowful, because of her separation from them, and because they were left orphans by her; for our Lord had given them the hope that they would see her in the flesh.

Whilst JOHN the Evangelist was preaching in the country of Asia, on the sixteenth day of the month of Nehasse, he was caught up in the spirit to the Garden of Delight, and he saw our Lord Jesus Christ sitting by the Tree of Live, where was the body of our Lady MARY, and He commanded His Seven Angels to summon her from earth. And they said unto her, "God, our Lord Jesus Christ, commandeth that the body of His pure mother shall go forth." And straightway the body of our Lady MARY went forth from the grave at the foot of the Tree of Life, and our Lord Jesus Christ comforted her, and He said unto her, "Come to Me, O My beloved mother, that thou mayest ascend to the kingdom of heaven, to the joy which is everlasting." And straightway all the trees of the Garden bowed their heads, and the Angels and Archangels took her up, and the righteous bowed low to her. And DAVID, the prophet, snag a hymn of praise, saying, "And the Queen shall stand at Thy right hand, and her apparel shall be of fine needlework with gold woven through it."

And she sat down at the right hand of the Son of God , with great glory, and she went up into the heavens sitting upon the chariot of the Cherubim. And JOHN the Evangelist was blessed by her, and he bowed low before her, and he turned and came down from heaven, and found the Apostles gathered together and sorrowing for the body of our holy Lady, MARY the Virgin. And JOHN told them what he had seen, and how they had taken the body of our Lady MARY up into heaven, with great joy, and praise, and songs, and hymns.

And when the Apostles heard this they were exceedingly sad and sorrowful because they had neither heard nor seen what JOHN had heard and seen. And whilst the Apostles were sorrowing behold our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto them, and said unto them, "Peace be unto you, O My children! Why are ye sad about the body of My mother MARY?" Behold, I shall shew her to you, and your hearts shall rejoice"; and having said these words He went up into heaven with great glory.

And the Apostles continued [to wait] there for a full year. And on the first day of Nehasse JOHN said unto the Apostles, "Come, let us fast for two weeks, and let us entreat God, and make supplication unto Him, that He will consider us worthy and will show unto us the body of our holy Lady, the Virgin MARY, sitting on the right hand of her beloved Son, that we may rejoice in Her." And they fasted as JOHN had said unto them, and it came to pass that when the sixteenth day of Nahasse had come, as it were to-day, our Lord Jesus Christ caught all the Apostles up to heaven, and they saw in her flesh our holy Lady, the Virgin MARY, sitting on the right hand of her beloved Son and God in great glory.

And she stretched out her hands, and blessed each one of the Apostles, and the souls of the Disciples rejoiced exceedingly. And our Lord Jesus Christ served as priest in His holy Body, and STEPHEN the Archdeacon ministered with Him, and JOHN with Him, saying, "Stand up in fear"; and all the Apostles stood up around the altar. And there was great joy at that time, the like whereof   before never was. And when our Lord had finished, He gave them the Holy Mysteries.

And then [MARY] went up before them sitting upon the chariot of the Cherubim. And our Lord Jesus Christ said unto our Lady MARY, "Tell thy children, the Apostles, to preach in all the world the commemoration of thy Ascension into heaven," as it were on this day. "Whosoever shall celebrate thy commemoration, I will destroy his sins, and he shall never see the fire at all, for mercy shall find every soul who shall take heed and shall receive the Holy Mysteries on this day, which is the day of thy Ascension into heaven." And our Lady MARY said unto Him, "Behold, my sons, behold, they have seen with their eyes, and they have heard with their ears, and they have received with their hands, and they shall see other wonders greater than these"; and as the Virgin was saying these words she gave the salutation of  "Peace" to the Apostles, and they returned to the Mount of Olives.

And it is meet for us, O beloved brethren, to celebrate the commemoration of the Ascension of our Lady MARY into heaven with joy and gladness, so that she may make intercession for us, at all times, with her beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Salutation to the ASCENSION OF MARY into heaven and to MARY as the tree of knowledge, and to her body.

And on this day also took place the translation of the body of Saint GEORGE, the chief of  the martyrs, from the country of Persia to the church of Lydda, with great splendour. The translation of his body took place at the same time as the translation of the body of our Lady MARY, and therefore those who know how to love her, paint his picture with her picture, so that it may be a port of salvation for those who pray in his name. Salutation to GEORGE.

And on this day also GEGAR, governor of Syria,[became a martyr]; and this was the reason for his martyrdom. When our Lord was with His mother MARY in the mountains of LIBANOS, and GEGAR heard that HEROD wanted to seize them and kill them, he sent horsemen to them to bring them away from the mountains. And because of this HEROD seized him, and tortured him with every kind of torture, and he cut off all his limbs. And then our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him, and gave him a promise concerning everyone who should call upon his name, and celebrate his commemoration, and write the history of his strife. And then the soldiers cut off the head of GEGAR, and he was crowned with three crowns. Salutation to GEGAR, the governor of the martyrs.

PAGUEMEN 3, Saint Angel RUFAEL

On this day are commemorated the glorious Angel RUFAEL (RAPHAEL) the Archangels; and the dedication of his Church, which was built to him on an Island outside the city of Alexandria in the days of Saint THEOPHILUS  the Archbishop; and the mirracle which was made manifest therein, and took place thus. A certain rich woman from the city of Rome came to Saint THEOPHILUS the Archbishop, and with her were her son and a picture of the glorious Archangel RUFA'EL(RAPHAEL), and much money which she had inherited from her parents. And she cleared away the heap of rubbish which was infront of the archbishop's house, and there appeared from beneath it a treasure of gold, even as we have written [in the section for] the eighteenth day of Tekemt.

And Saint Abba THEOPHILUS built many Churches, and among them was the church which was on the Island outside the city of Alexandria, and was dedicated in the name of the glorious Archangel RUFA'EL(RAPHAEL); and Abba THEOPHILUS  the Archbishop finished the building thereof and consecrated it as it were this day. And whilst the believers were praying in the Church, behold the Church trembled, and was rent asunder, and it moved about. And they found that the Church had been built upon the back of a whale of the whales of the sea, on which a very large mass of sand had heaped itself. Now the whale lay firmly fixed in its place, and the treadings of the feet of the people upon it cut it off from the mainland; and it was Satan who moved the whale so that he might throw down the Church. And the believers and the Archbishop cried out together, and made supplication to the Lord Christ, and they asked for the intercession of the glorious Archangel RUFA'EL(RAPHAEL).

And God, the Most High, sent the glorious Angel RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL), and he had mercy on the children of men, and he drove his spear into the whale, saying unto him, "By the commandment of God stand still, and move not thyself from thy place"; and the whale stood in his place and moved not. And many signs and wonders were made manifest, and great healings of sick folk took place in that Church. And this Church continued to exist until the time when the Muslims reigned, and then it was destroyed, and the whale moved, and the sea flowed back again and drowned many people who dwelt in that place.

This story was told by JOHN, Archbishop of the city of Constantinia, to HONORIUS, the righteous emperor. And he said unto him, "Know, O emperor, that we were sailing in a ship to come to thee, and as we were going along we saw a Church, on the Island, on the day preceding the Sabbath, and we came into port, so that we might receive the Holy Mysteries on the First Day of the week. And we found a little monastery by the side of that Church, with brethren and monks therein. And, by the commandment of God, we went to them, and we said unto them, 'O brethren, if ye have with you an old manuscript treating of the days of the ancients, give it to us so that we may comfort ourselves therewith.' And they answered and said unto me, 'Behold, we have many manuscripts in the sanctuary, but we do not know how to translate them.' And I said unto them, 'Bring them here that I may see them.'

And  when they brought them to me, I searched through them, and I found that they treated of the mighty deeds and miracles which our Lord Jesus Christ had performed before His disciples, and also of the beginning of the heavens and the earth and [they went on] to the end of this world. And as I was examining these manuscripts, I found a manuscript which was written by our fathers, the holy Apostles, and which treated of the appointment of the Seven Archangels, and it said: 'When our Lord Jesus Christ was on the Mount of Olives with His disciples. He revealed to them the mystery of the Godhead.

And the Apostles asked Him, saying, 'O our Lord and God, we beseech and entreat Thee to tell us about the glory of the honourable Angel RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL), and what day Thou didst appoint him, and in what month, and whether he is the equal of his fellow Archangels, so that we may find grace and compassion with Thee, and his intercession.' And straightway our Lord Jesus Christ commanded, and the seven, and the three Archangels, came from the third heaven, MICHAEL, and GABRIEL  and RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL) with great joy, and they bowed down before our Lord Christ: and our Lord said unto the angel RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL), 'Tell the Apostles thy name so that they may know thy great honour.' Now the Archangel RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL), a sincere Angel, is the third of the Archangels, and MICHAEL  the Archangel is the first of all the Angels; and his name [meaneth] the 'compassionate.' And GABRIEL   is the second archangel, and his name [meaneth] 'God and man,' and it was he who was sent to our holy Lady, the Virgin MARY to announce the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ from her."

And RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL) said, "I make hearts to rejoice, and I am sincere, and good, and merciful to sinners, against whom I never lay information concerning their sins before God; I speak only of my power to save, and my sincerity, and my love for men. I send Angels with the souls of sinners, and I treat them with long-suffering until at length they repent of their sins, and forsake their transgressions, I am RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL) whom God set over the twenty-three hosts of Angels, [and] we praise God the Father, and His compassionate Son, and the Holy Spirit the comforter.

I am RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL) whom God commanded to give good things to the saints at the Marriage of one thousand years in Mount Zion, when our Lord Jesus Christ made them to drink out of the cup which is filled with honour indeed, as they reclined with Him when He sat on the holy throne. I am RUFA'EL(RAPHAEL) whom God commanded to take up branches of the Tree of Life in my hand, and to give them to Christians on that day [of] life and joy.

I am RUFA'EL(RAPHAEL) under whose hand are kept the treasure-houses of the heavens, and I open them and shut them according as God commandeth me. And if any man shall do a good deed to another man, who is in tribulation upon earth, for my name's sake, or shall write a book about my office, or shall remember any of the poor in my name, or shall offer up an offering or incense on the day of my commemoration, which is the third day of Paguemen, whereon God appointed me, and crowned me with the office of the Angels, I will bear them and transport them on the chariot of light, until they enter the heavenly Jerusalem.

And I will place in their souls scented branches with and exceedingly sweet odour, the like of which shall never be found upon the earth. Ask of me, O chosen Apostles, at all times so that I may protect you until ye stand before God. And preach ye unto all men in all the world that they must celebrate my commemoration, and I will make intercession with God on their behalf, and I will deliver them from their tribulation, and they shall never see punishment." And having said these words RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL) bowed low to the lord. And this glorious Angel RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL), the Archangel, hath performed many miracles, and it is meet that we should celebrate his commemoration at all times, for he maketh intercession with God on our behalf. Salutation to RUFA'EL (RAPHAEL).

And on this day is celebrated the death of MELCHISEDEK. This man was the son of  KAINAN,  the son of  SHEM, And when  he was fifteen years of age God commanded NOAH to send  SHEM his son with the body of our father ADAM,  and to lay it in the middle of the earth, which is called "KRANYO" (CRANIUM); and he informed him that the Saviour of the world would come, and that they would sacrifice Him there, and that He would redeem ADAM by His blood.

And SHEM  and  MELCHISEDEK took the body of Adam from the house of his father in secret, and he went there, and the Angel of God guided them; and MELCHISEDEK  was appointed priest. and he took twelve stones and offered up an offering upon them, with bread and wine which came down to him from heaven, and which revealed the mystery of the new Law. And the Angels used to bring food unto him from heaven, and his apparel consisted of a hide, and a hide girdle, and he continued to minister before the body of our father ADAM.  And when ABRAHAM  returned from the war, and had vanquished the kings, he offered him bread and wine, and ABRAHAM  gave him tithes of all his possessions, and he was appointed priest and king of SALEM  Salutation to MELCHISEDEK.

And on this day also died SERAPION of LANDUN.  This saint was learned in the Books of the Church, and in the interpretation of the same, and he renounced all the possessions of this world. And then he went and departed into the country of the pagans, and sold himself for twenty dinars, and he took care of his dinars. He ate nothing but bread and water, and he used to pray to God to turn [the people] from their error; and then he made them all to believe in the Faith of  Jesus Christ, and he taught them all the Law.

And then he told them that he was an Egyptian free man, and that for love of them he had sold himself; and he gave them the money of his price to give to the poor. And he departed to another city, the people of which were called "MANKAYAWEYAN," and he sold himself to them, and he served them until he made them to believe in the Faith of Christ. And then he went to Rome and lived and worked there, with fasting and prayer until at length he died in peace; and signs and wonders appeared through his body. Salutation to SERAPION.

And on this day also died the good, and honourable, and  Orthodox, and Apostolic king ZARA YA'AKOB  [died 26th August, 1468] after he had established ordinances and laws for the good behaviour [of his people] in all the cities of his kingdom. Salutation to ZARA YA'AKOB,  the preacher of the Faith of the Gospel.

PAGUEMEN 4, Saint Abba BENJAMIN

On this day died the ascetic, fighter, and anchorite Saint Abba BENJAMIN (or, BAYMON). This saint was from the city of MESR(CAIRO). There were seven brethren, namely, JOHN, and  JOB,  and JOSEPH, and BASIL, and BAYMON,  and JACOB, and  ABRAHAM,  and they all became monks.

JOHN was the most advanced (i.e. the eldest) of them in his days, and Abba BAYMON  was most advanced in knowledge and wisdom. And they all agreed together, and went forth from the world, and dwelt in places which were remote from men; and they bore the yoke of our Lord Christ. And they travelled on the straight road, and put aside the nonour of family, and the desire of their mother to see them. Now their mother came to their abode, and she stood outside and having sent them a message she waited for them to come to her, so that she might see them before she departed.

And they sent to her a message, saying, "If thou wishes to see us in the generation which is for ever, depart from this place"; and she understood, and accepted [their words], and departed. And this father was a haven and a comforter of the old men and of the young men of the desert of SCETE. And whenever tribulation, and doubt about the faith, or a temptation of the adversary [assailed any one of them], he would come to him, and our father would comfort him, and straightway he was cured of his sickness.

And this father composed works on Doctrine, and many Homilies, and profitable Admonitions on piety, and the spiritual fight, and the path of the monastic life. And he said in his teaching, "If thou seest a brother who hath transgressed,despair not of him, but wake up his soul, and comfort him, and lighten his heaviness, so that he may rise up form his fall." And he also saith, "Teach thy heart so that it may do what thy tongue sayeth." And one of the brethren said unto him, "If I see a brother who is good, I rejoice. And also, if i see a brother who is good, I rejoice in him, and bring him into my abode, and make him to rejoice. And also if I see a brother whose works are inferior I do not wish to bring him into my abode."

And Abba BAYMON answered and said unto him, "If thou treatest well the brother who is good, thou must treat that brother whose works are inferior with a double portion of goodness, for he who is sick needeth healing especially." And then he informed that brother who was talking with him, saying, "There was a monk in the monastery whose name was TIMOTHY,  and he fell into sin, and he was always weeping; and he wept, and groaned, and petitioned God, saying, 'O Lord, I have sinned against Thee; forgive me.' And a voice came to him and said unto him, I will only cast thee off when thou despisest thy brother in the time of his trial." And this father Abba BAYMON  also said, "If we cover over the sins of our brethren, God will cover over our sins." And this holy father lived all his days a life of spiritual fighting and devotion to God, and he arrived at a good old age and pleased God and died in peace. Salutation to thee, O mortal tongue of the seven brethren who refused to see their mother.

On this day also died LIBERIUS, Archbishop of the city of Rome. This holy father was appointed over the city of Rome in the days of KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE), the son of KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE). And KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE) having driven his brother, the Apostolic Saint ATHANASIUS, from the throne of the city of Alexandria, and having also driven out PAUL, Archbishop of the city of Constantinia, the two of them came to this father LIBERIUS  and asked him to help them. And he received them and brought them to the Emperor KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE), and he wrote for them from himself a letter to his brother KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE), and commanded him to receive them. And he wrote for them a letter to his brother KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE) that he might help them.

And when the Emperor KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE) read the letter of his brother KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE), and the letter of this holy father LIBERIUS,  he received them, and set them upon their thrones as before. And when KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE) was killed in the city of Rome, KUENESTA (CONSTANTINE) sent to this Saint LIBERIUS, and asked him to help him, and to drive the Apostolic ATHANASIUS out of the city of Alexandria, and to receive the Arians, and he made him many promises. But LIBERIUS did not accept this petition, and he would come to no agreement with him, and the emperor banished him to a remote region; and then he sent and slew the murderer of his brother.

And after this he went to the city of Rome, and with him were the heads of the monasteries and the chief priests, and they begged him to make this father LIBERIUS  to come back from exile to his Archiepiscopal throne in the city of Rome; and he accepted their petition, and commanded him to return to his office. And having returned to his Archiepiscopal throne, this father taught always his flock to be strong in the True Faith. And he composed many Homilies and Admonitions, and he resisted the followers of ARIUS, and excommunicated them, and drove them out until he died; and he sat on his Archiepiscopal throne for seven years. Salutation to Abba LIBERIUS  the Archbishop.

PAGUEMEN 5, Abba JACOB

On this day died the pure and holy virgin, Abba JACOB, Bishop of the city of MESR (CAIRO). The soul's desire of this fighter from his youth up was to wear the holy garb of the monastic life, which is the apparel of the Angels. And he went forth from his city, and departed to the desert of SCETE, that is to say, to the monastery of Saint Abba MACARIUS, and he took up his abode in a cave close by Saint Abba JOHN the Short; and he devoted himself to God and fought the spiritual fight for many years, and he was appointed Archdeacon of the Church of Saint JOHN. And the report of his virtues, and his knowledge, and his sanctity was noised about, and God chose him, and he was appointed Bishop of the city of MESR (CAIRO).

And having taken his seat upon the throne of his office, he added to his fasting, and prayer, and asceticism, and fighting of the spiritual fight, and he did not diminish through [the duties of ] his office his former fight. He taught his people continually, and he read the Scriptures to them, and he explained the obscure passages in them, and he admonished them for continuing to commit sin; and he excommunicated them and repelled them from receiving the Holy Mysteries until they repented. And when he had finished his good fight, he fell sick of a slight illness, and he summoned his flock and taught them to hold fast the True Faith.

And he summoned the priests and commanded them, saying, "Take heed that ye be not negligent at the time of celebrating the Mysteries," and he made them to know that they would deserve great punishment if they were if they were negligent about the celebration of the Holy and Divine Mysteries, and if they did not minister in holiness, and in the fear of God. And he said unto them, "I am innocent of your sins." And then he made the sign of the Cross over his face and eyes, and stretched out his hands, and made the sign of the Cross, and he covered his eyes with his hands and died in peace.And they wrapped him in a beautiful shroud which was worthy of bishops, and they made a great lamentation over him, and they buried him in the tomb of the fathers, the Bishops. Salutation to JACOB, Bishop of MESR (CAIRO).

And on this day also died the great Prophet AMOS, the father of ISAIAH the prophet, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. This righteous man prophesied in the days of the kings of Israel, JOASH, AMOS, and UZZIAH; and all the days of his prophesying were fifty years and more. And he admonished the children of Israel and their kings, and the kings of Judah, and he told them that God would not accept over many offerings, nor the things which they did not offer up to Him in the days of MOSES the prophet.

And he prophesied concerning the Passion of our Lord, and concerning the darkness of the sun on that day, and concerning the lamentation and sorrow which should come upon the children of Israel after this; and how their festivals should be turned into sorrow, and their joy into weeping; and how they should lack the help of God; and how they should hunger and thirst through the lack of teaching and knowledge; and how they should be scattered in all countries among the nations; and how they should be driven about like spelt. and all these things were fulfilled upon them, for they dwell [scattered] in the world unto this day. And it is said that the people killed him when he rebuked them overmuch for their sins. And he prophesied before the coming of our Lord Christ sixty (read six) hundred years before the coming of our Lord. Salutation to AMOS the prophet.

And on this day also died the holy, and blessed, and chaste Abba BARSUMA, the "Naked," the son of TABAN. This saint had God-fearing parents in the city of MESR(CAIRO), and they entreated pilgrims kindly and walked in the way of God; and they were exceedingly rich in gold and silver, and they had many possessions. And when they got this blessed son they called his name "BARSUMAN," and brought him up in the fear of the Lord, and taught him the Doctrine of the Books of the Church. And when his parents finished their days at a good old age, and died in peace, the brother of the mother of this saint took all the money which BARSUMAN's parents had left.

And when this Saint Abba BARSUMA saw how he had seized his parents' money, he meditated in his heart about this fleeting world, and said, "Our Redeemer saith in His holy Gospel, 'He who wisheth to save his soul, let him cast it away, and he who hath cast away his soul for My sake shall find it. What shall it profit a man if he hath gained the whole world, and destroyed his soul? And what shall a man give [as] a ransom for his soul? Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son of the children of men shall come in the glory of His Father, with His holy angels, and shall reward each one according to his works (Mark 8: 35-38.).'"

And the saint went outside the city, and did as JOB the Just did, and sat upon a dust heap for five years, in the heat of summer and the cold of winter, and he wore no clothing on his body, but went naked; and his loin-cloth was made of hairy sackcloth. And he said unto his soul, "O BARSUMA, know thou that thou must stand naked before God." And he devoted himself frequently to fasting, and prayer, and bowings, and vigil, by night and by day, for seven days at a time ceaselessly. And he ate [nothing but] dry bread soaked in water, and at length his body dried up, and his skin stretched itself tightly over his bones.

And then he said unto himself, "I will rise up and will depart from this place, so that men many not know me, and award to me the vain praise of this world." And he departed from that place, and came to the church of Saint MERCURIUS in  MESR (CAIRO), and he dwelt therein and fasted for three and thirty years. And there was a large serpent in a well which was in that church, and men were unable to light the lamp through fear of that church, and men were unable to light the lamp through fear of that snake.

And God willed to make manifest the righteousness of this righteous man, Abba BARSUMA,  and to make signs and wonders to appear at his hands. And the saint went into that cave, and stood up and prayed to God, saying, "O my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who hath given unto us power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and all the might of the Enemy, I ask Thee now to make me strong over this serpent which is in this cave, for Thine is the glory for ever and ever, Amen."

Then he sealed himself with the sign of the Honourable Cross, and he sang the psalm, saying, "Thou shalt be strong against the wolf and the serpent, thou shalt tread upon the lion and the serpent" and having finished his singing, he seized the serpent with his hand, and said unto it, "Henceforth be blessed! And straightway that serpent coiled itself at the feet of this saint, even as the lions crouched before DANIEL  the prophet in days of old. And this saint fought a great fight against hunger and thirst, and he used to fast two and three days at a time, and after thsi he fasted for a whole week, without cessation or negligence.And the light shone upon him, and when he stood up to pray the serpent would go away from him, and when he sat down and called the serpent it would come to him.

And there was a spring of water in that place wherefrom water flowed unceasingly in the winter season, and in the period of cold, and he used to stand up [in it] from sunset to sunrise, continually; and he used to eat dry bread, and food which had gone bad, and was full of worms, and had been thrown away, and he drank dirty water. And in those days there took place a period of great persecution of the Christian people in the country of Egypt.

And he passed all his time in reading the Books of the Church, and especially the Psalms of DAVID, and the histories of the ascetic labours of the fathers and the stories of their abstinence. And because of this he loved the life of abstinence and purity, and he spake to men profitable words, saying, "Without purity no man can see the kingdom of God, and all his sin shall God forgive when he hath acquired purity." And this saint stood up and prayed, and entreated God by day and by night for seven days, and God received his petition, and he taught the people Christianity.

And God performed many signs and miracles by his hands, and on many occasions made manifest to men his extraordinary spiritual fight. His presence was handsome, and he was of fine appearance, and his face was joyful; he rejoiced in being without a bed, and he possessed nothing whatsoever of this world's goods. He wore a tunic only, but he was [otherwise naked, and his head was uncovered and he covered his body with apparel which was in rags. And he endured the heat of summer and the cold of winter, and he laid no bed between his body and the ground, and he fought the fight that he might reach the Heavenly Garden. And he found trouble through evil men and devils; who is able to explain it? And in spite of this he gave thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ Who helped him in this difficult work.

And whilst following this course men heard of the glorious report of him, and   everywhere men loved him. He was the comforter of the old men, and of those who were in trouble and misery, and of him whom the temptation of the Enemy or of an evil man had found; such an one used to seek and find with him healing. And having spent thirty  years in his spiritual fight, and pleased God, he died in peace on the fifth day of the month of Paguemen in the one thousand and thirty-third year of the Martyres.

And after his death JOHN  the priest, his disciple, thought in his soul and said, "Who is there that shall comfort men after our father BARSUMA?" "Abba BARSUMA had knowledge through the Holy Ghost," saith his disciple. And he answered saying with his holy mouth, "Know, O my brother JOHN, I am far from all those who call me by my name, and unto all who say unto me, 'Abba BARSUMA, the son of TABAN,' I say, 'Behold I will fulfil for him everything which he wisheth with our Lord Jesus Christ.'" And after this he said unto his disciple ABRAHAM, "Give me a knife or a razor," and he cut off his tongue therewith, and cast it away, and he began to sing, saying, "The Lord illumineth me, and delivereth me, who then shall make me afraid?" to the end [of the Psalm].

And he sealed his face with the sign of the Honourable Cross, and delivered his soul into the hand of God, and the angels of light carried it up to the Garden of Joy. And he departed to God, Whom he loved, and he dwelt with the righteous in the Garden of Delight in the kingdom of the heavens. and the monks wrapped him up in pure white woollen cloths, and they took him and laid him in the church. And Abba JOHN,  the eightieth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, came, together with priests, and deacons, and the nobles of the city of MESR (CAIRO), and a great many Christian folk, and they made a procession in his honour with singing and instruments of music, and they buried him; and they made great mourning for him many days. Salutation to Abba  BARSUMA.And on this day also died Abba MAKDER. Salutation to MAGDER.

The Virgin Lady MARY, the God-bearer

On this day took place the assumption of the body of our pure, and holy, and honorable Lady, the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, who is indeed the LADY of all the women of this world. And our Lady prayed continually at the holy grave of our Lord Christ; the Holy Spirit made known to her that she was to depart from this fleeting world, and then told the virgins who were with her from DABRA ZAYT,  even as our Lord told them.

Then our Lady MARY prayed, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, hearken Thou unto me, and unto my prayer at this time, and unto my petition, and bring unto me thy disciple, JOHN the evangelist, and likewise all Thy disciples, both those who are living and those whose souls Thou hast taken, for Thou art the God of the living and of the dead, and unto Thee belonged glory for ever and ever, Amen." And behold a cloud straightway took up JOHN  in the spirit from the city of Ephesus, and brought him to our Lady the holy Virgin MARY; and when he stood before her she glorified our Lord Jesus Christ. And JOHN said unto her, "Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace, who didst bear our Lord Jesus Christ." and the Holy Spirit spoke by his mouth, saying, "Thou shall go forth from this world with great honor and glory, and after many great signs and wonders which our Lord and God shall make manifest by thee.

" When our holy Lady the Virgin MARY heard these words, she rejoiced exceedingly, and she prayed, saying, "Glory be unto Thee, O my Lord and God Jesus Christ, Who hast granted unto me what I asked. And now, honour me by Thy coming with Thine angels, so that they may take  my soul and bear it up with Thee in to the heavens." And straightway the voice of the Holy Spirit from heaven was heard, saying, "At this time all the angels shall come from heaven, and the Apostles from all the ends of the earth, riding upon the clouds, and they shall come to Bethlehem, for the sake of the holy and blessed Virgin MARY,  the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ." And straightway all the Apostles came, for those who were dead rose up from their graves, and they stood before our holy Lady the Virgin MARY,  and said unto her, "Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace, for our God was born of thee.

He shall take thee out of this fleeting world with great glory even as He promised thee." And straightway our Lady MARY sat down upon her bed, and said unto the Apostles, "Now do I know that my God and your God, Jesus Christ, will come to me, and that I shall see Him as I see you, and then I shall depart from this world. And now I desire you to tell me whence ye knew that I was to depart from this world, and so hastened your coming to me."

And PETER and all the Apostles said unto her, "The Holy Spirit commanded us to come unto thee, and straightway we mounted upon a cloud of light, and we arrived where thou art in the twinkling of an eye." When our Lady MARY  heard this from the Apostles, she lifted up her voice and said, "I praise and hymn Thy Holy Name, O my Lord Jesus Christ, my God, because Thou hast seen my suffering, and hast revealed unto me wonders, for Thou art Almighty; henceforth all generations shall hold me blessed."

And when the Virgin had finished her prayer and supplications, she said unto the Apostles, "Bring me incense and a censer, and summon our Lord Jesus," and they did as she commanded them; and straightway our Lord Jesus Christ came. And thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands of angels, surrounded Him, and archangels, and our Lord Jesus Christ comforted her, and told her of the rest and joy which were prepared for her. At that moment many miracles took place: the blind received their sight, and the dumb spake, and the lame stood up straight and walked, and the lepers were cleansed, and from those who were possessed of devils the evil spirits went forth quickly.

And all those who were suffering from sicknesses of divers kinds, as soon as ever they came to the place where was our holy Lady the Virgin MARY,  were healed straightway of their sicknesses, no matter of whatever kinds they were. Then our holy Lady the Virgin MARY said unto her beloved Son, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, I am afraid of the awful and terrifying angels who are in the air of the Land of Fire." And our Lord said unto her, "Which of them can have dominion over thee?" When the time for her to depart from her body drew nigh, the Apostles and the virgins who were there weeping asked her to bless them, and she laid her hands, and He wrapped it up in a cloth of light, ad took it up with Him to the habitation above.

And her Son, our Lord, commanded the Apostles to bury her body in a fitting manner, and they carried it to Gethsemane. And before her soul departed, our Lady looked and saw a great light, which it is impossible for the tongue of man to describe. And our Lord Christ said unto her, "Henceforth thy body shall depart to the Garden of Delight, and thy soul shall dwell in the abode of joy, wherein the angels shall praise [God] before thee." And our Lady said unto Him, "I beseech Thee, in the operation of thy wisdom, to hearken unto my petition.

Whosoever shall pray unto thee in my name do thou in thy mercy receive his petition. Whosoever is in tribulation and shall pray to thee in my name, deliver thou him from all his tribulation, for thou art Almighty in heaven and on earth. Bless everywhere those who shall celebrate the commemoration of my name, and accept the offerings of all those who shall offer gifts in my name." And our Lord Jesus answered and said unto her, "Behold, I have done for thee all which thou didst ask of Me. Rejoice, for every gift and every honour I will give thee from my holy Father.

And everyone who shall pray unto Me in thy name henceforward shall never perish, neither in this world nor in that which is to come, for I will be to him a kindly intercessor with My heavenly Father." After our holy lady the Virgin MARY was dead the Apostles prepared her for burial, and they carried her on a bier so that they might take her to Gethsemane, as our Lord commanded. When the Jews heard of this and they knew that it was our Lady MARY [on the bier], they went out to her, and one of them seized her bier with his hand in order to throw her off from it on the ground; and the angel of God smote him with a sword of fire, and cut off his hands, and they remained hanging on the bier.

And then the Jew believed on our Lord Christ, and he entreated our Lady MARY with tears and repentance for what he had done, and he wept bitterly, saying, "Verily, O pure Virgin, thou art the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, Thou God in truth, I beseech Thee to have compassion upon me." And through the prayers of the holy Apostles his hands were restored to their former positions. When the Apostles had buried her they remained there three days; now her death took place on Sunday, the twenty-first day of the month of Ter.

And our Lord Jesus sent angels of light, and they carried her body away from the grave, and laid it under the Tree of Life which is in the Garden of Delight. Now THOMAS the apostle was not present at the time of her death, but as he was coming on the cloud, he found her body with the angels. And one of the angels said unto him, "Make haste and salute the body of the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin MARY"; and he made haste and saluted her. And when he came to the Apostles they told him how our Lady MARY  was dead, and he said unto them, "I did not know it until I saw her body, even as ye made me to know when I doubted the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when he came to the grave to see the body of our Lady MARY, and they were amazed and marvelled exceedingly.

And straightway THOMAS  told them how he had saluted her holy body as the Angels were carrying her up [to heaven]. And the Holy Spirit said unto them, "God does not wish her body to lie in the earth." And God made a covenant with the Apostles that even as He had shewn Himself, so He would shew her to His  servants a second time, and He bade them wait until the seventeenth day of the month Nahase (Aug.-Sep.); and He fulfilled the covenant. And all the days of her life were sixty years; twelve years she lived in the Temple, three and thirty years she lived with JOSEPH, and after the Resurrection of our Lord Christ she lived for fifteen years in the house of JOHN the evangelist, even as our Lord commanded her when He said unto her, "Behold thy son," and to JOHN, "Behold thy Mother." Salutation to the going forth of thy soul from the body without fear of death. Salutation to the going forth of thy soul, and to thy death which was like unto a marriage.

And on this day also died the righteous woman HILARIA, the daughter of the Emperor ZENO. Her father was of the True Faith, and he loved the Church. He begot two daughters, namely this saint, and another, but he had no son. This saint, from her earliest years, used to love to sit by herself, and she determined in her heart to adopt the ascetic life and to wear the garb of the angels. And she went forth from the palace, and changed her apparel, and put on a man's attire, and departed to the land of Egypt, and thence to the desert of SCETE.

And she found there a certain righteous old man whose name was Abba BAMU, and she told him her mind, and informed him that she was a woman, and he hid her secret, and brought her into a cell, and he visited her frequently for twelve years. And she dwelt in her cell, and as no beard appeared upon her face, the holy old men thought that she was a eunuch, and they called her "HILARION the eunuch." And an unclean Satan took possession of her sister, whom she had left with her father, and her father gave much money to the physicians, but they were unable to cure her of her sickness. And his fellow-nobles advised her father to send her to the desert of SCETE,  to the holy old men, for the report of their holiness had reached the country of Rome.

And her father sent her off with nobles, and officers, and slaves, and handmaidens, and he wrote a letter to the holy old men, saying, "O my holy fathers, I will tell you what hath happened to me. God gave me two daughters, and one of them hath fled and I know not whither she hath gone, and of this one, her sister, an unclean Satan hath taken possession. I have always thought that she would be a comforter to me. I beseech your holinesses to pray on her behalf so that God may heal her of her sickness." and when the saints had read the emperor's letter, they prayed that God would heal her of her sickness; and the holy old men continued to pray on her behalf for many days, but she was not healed of her sickness.

Then they called "HILARIA the eunuch," who was her sister, and said unto her, "Take this daughter of the emperor and pray over her." And Saint HILARIA said unto them, "I am a sinner and I am not able to do this difficult thing," but they urged her until she took her. And HILARIA  carried her off to her cell, and prayed for her, and she was healed in a few days and that unclean Satan fled. Now Saint HILARIA  knew that the maiden was her sister, but  the maiden did not recognize HILARIA,  and she embraced her, and kissed her. And HILARIA went outside [her cell] and wept, and then she brought the maiden to the holy old men, and said unto them, "Behold, through your prayers I have healed her sickness." And the saints rejoiced, and they sent her to her father in peace; and when she arrived and stood up by him he rejoiced in her greatly; and all the people in the palace rejoiced, and gave thanks to Christ.

And the emperor asked her, saying, "What manner of life didst thou lead with the holy old men of the desert of SCETE?" And she told him about Saint HILARION who healed her of her sickness, and she said unto him, "He loved me very much and kissed me. " When the  emperor heard this his mind was greatly disturbed, and he said unto her, "Is it seemly for a monk to kiss a woman?" And straightway he sent a letter to the holy old men in the desert of SCETE, saying, "Send hither to me Saint HILARION, who healed my daughter, so that I may be blessed by him."

And the saints called HILARIA  and commanded her to go to the emperor, and she wept bitterly and prostrated herself at the feet of the desert monks, and said unto them, "I am unable to go there." And they said unto her, "This righteous emperor is a lover of the Church, and it is not seemly for us to transgress his commandment, even as the Holy Scriptures command us"; and they urged her, and she departed to the emperor her father against her will. And when she arrived he saluted her, and all those who were with her.

When the people had gone, and the emperor was left alone with Saint HILARIA, he asked her, saying, "I have been disturbed in my mind because I heard that thou dist kiss my daughter, and I wish thee to explain the matter to me"; now only the emperor and empress were there with HILARIA. And she said unto them, "Bring me the Holy Gospel, and swear unto me that if I tell you ye will not prevent me from departing to the desert of SCETE"; and they swore to her even as she asked.

Then she spake unto them, saying, "I am your daughter HILARIA." And she told them how her going forth took place, and how she had changed her apparel, and put on a man's attire, and she shewed them the marks on her body. And straightway they cried out loudly, and all wept [bitterly], and there was a very great outcry in the palace, and [her parents] said unto her, "We will never let thee go."

And HILARIA  said unto them, "Remember the oath which ye sware to me on the Holy Gospel"; and she passed the Great Fast of forty days with them, and [then] went to the desert of SCETE. And from that day the Emperor ZENO, her father, commanded the [governors] to give to the holy men who dwelt in the desert of SCETE. the tax of the and of Egypt for one year, and after this they gave the monks what they needed according to the emperor's command. And the monks rejoiced, and they became numerous, and they built nine hundred churches near the monastery of Abba MACARIUS,  and seven hundred churches near the monastery of Abba JOHN,  and five hundred churches near the monastery of Abba BESOY (BESOY).

And Saint HILARIA  lived in the mountain of  SCETE for five years after she came from her father , and she died [in peace], and none knew that she was a woman until she died. Salutation to thy going into the desert of SCETE, O HILARIA.And  on this day also died the holy father Saint GREGORY,  the brother of BASIL, Bishop of DASYAT. Now behold we have mentioned the commemoration of his father and of his brother in the section for the seventh day of the month of Ter.

This blessed man  GREGORY  was appointed Bishop of the   city of DASYAT,  and he was a most honourabe and learned man; and behold, we have written a little about his strife in the section for the fifth day of this month Ter. It is said of him that when he was consecrating the Offering, he used to see the Holy Spirit descending from heaven upon the altar, and then he saw one of the Cherubim embrace his head, and clasp him to his bosom; and then GREGORY  would come out of this sleep, and rest himself on the altar; and all the people used to think that this was merely the sleep of the body.

When he had completed three and thirty years in his episcopal office, Saint BASIL his brother came to him to visit him, for he was sick of a grievous sickness which was caused by excessive fasting; and GREGORY  went up to the altar to consecrate the Offering, according to his wont, our holy Lady the Virgin MARY appeared unto him, and she said unto him, "This day thou shalt come with me." After he had finished the Liturgy, he asked his brother BASIL to admonish the people to keep fast hold upon the True Faith. And he became like one who was asleep, and when [they tried] to rouse him they found that he was dead. And BASIL commanded them to make a coffin for him, and they did so, and he buried him with many prayers, and psalms and dirges. Salutation to GREGORY. And on this day also are commemorated NICOLAUS the martyr, and Abba VICTOR  the bishop.

And on this also PAUL the governor, and SILAS the priest, became martyrs in the days of  MARCION, the emperor of Rome, the Melchite heretic. When all the faithful were gathered together at Gethsemane, on the festival of the death of our Lady, JULIAN the infidel came and surrounded them, and killed them, leaving not one of them alive. On this also BAKHAYLA  MARYAM became a martyr in DABRA METMAK.

Salutation to JEREMIAH, who prophesied and was rebuked, when Israel loved to worship gods of wood and stone. He destroyed wild beasts and fierce lions by the power of his prayer, and therefore his festival is celebrated in Egypt.

Salutation to PAUL the governor, and the SILAS  the priest.
Salutation to JOHN, whom the Virgin MARY promised should depart from this world without seeing the terrors of death.
Salutation to KAWESTOS (CAUSTUS?)

The righteous woman Saint Elisabeth

On this day died the holy and righteous woman Saint ELISABETH the mother of JOHN the Baptist. This holy woman was from the city of Jerusalem, and the name of her mother was SOPHIA, and the name of her father was MATAT, the son of LEVI, the son of MELKI, of the tribe of ARON, of the tribe of LEVI; and he begot three daughters. By kin she was the daughter of the sister of the mother of our Lady MARY, the mother of God in the flesh. The name of the eldest was MARY, the mother of God in the flesh. The name of the eldest was MARY, and she it was who was the mother of SALOME, who received our Lady MARY when she brought forth the Wonder.

The name of the second was SOPHIA, and she it was who was the mother of this Saint ELISABETH.  The name of the youngest was HANNAH, who brought forth our Lady MARY; SALOME, and ELISABETH, and our Lady MARY were sisters; and ZACHARIAS the priest married this righteous woman ELISABETH. And the Holy Gospel saith concerning them that they were righteous and pure, both of them, and that they walked in all the Law of God blamelessly, and that this righteous woman was barren.

And because of the frequent entreaties of this woman and her husband, their petition reached God together, and God gave them a son, Saint JOHN the Baptist, so that He might make manifest their righteousness and their love for God, and the greatness of their Faith in Him. Because God did not grant them their petition early in their lives, this did not cause doubt or sorrow, on the contrary, they were persistent in their petitioning, and at length when they had became old in their days, and were barren, they produced a son, so that [men] might know the Divine Power.

And moreover, when the time arrived wherein our holy Lady the Virgin MARY  conceived the Word of God Who existeth for ever, JOHN, being in his mother's womb, preached Him, and he bowed before Him, even as his mother saith, "The child leaped in my womb with joy and gladness when our Lady MARY  came to me." And when she and her husband ZACHARIAS were grown old, God sent His angel GABRIEL, and announced to him concerning his son JOHN, and informed him what would happen to him. And this Saint ELISABETH conceived and brought forth the saint, the prophet, the preacher and Baptist JOHN; and her heart rejoiced at this, and the reproach of the children of her kinsfolk was removed from her. And then she saw our Lord ad Redeemer Jesus Christ, and confessed His Godhead, and she rejoiced in making to be saved those who believed on Him. And after this she lived in purity and righteousness even as she had formerly done, and she died in peace. Salutation to ELISABETH.

And on this day also is commemorated our holy Lady MARY, the two-fold Virgin, the God-bearer, for on it He gave her the Covenant of Mercy and she received it from her Son, our Redeemer Jesus Christ, in respect of him that should celebrate her commemoration, or should call upon her name, or give alms to the poor, even if it were only [a cup of] cold water. And the Son of this Saint MARY  after He ascended into heaven, taking her pure flesh [with Him], sat down at the right hand of His Father, having fulfilled every law of the Incarnation, with the sole exception of sin, and overcome the safferings of the Cross at His own good pleasure and will, which He did for our salvation.

And He left His mother MARY in the house of JOHN, His disciple, so that he might love her, even as He committed him to her, saying, "Behold thy son," and He said unto that disciple, "Behold thy mother." Thereupon our Lady MARY lived [there], and she used to go to the tomb of her Son, that is to say, Golgotha, to pray there. And when the Jews saw [her] there they were filled with wrath, and envy, ad they wished to drive her away; but God hid her from their eyes. Then they took counsel, and decided to set guards over His tomb, so that she might not come there again and pray, but she did not cease to go there day by day, and the guards did not see her, because the covering of the glory of her Son hid her.

And always angels were coming to minister unto her, and her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, visited her frequently, and fulfilled for her all her desires. Some of the angels used to take her up in to the heavens and shew her the places where the saints rested, with ABRAHAM, ISAAC, and JACOB.  And all the souls of the fathers who had died from ADAM until that time worshipped her, saying, "Glory be to God, Who hath created thee flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone. In thee we have found salvation, and thou hast become for us the haven of life from destruction through the Son of God taking upon Himself flesh through thee."

And then the angels took her, and brought her to her beloved Son on His throne, and the curtains, which were flames of fire, were drawn aside on the right hand and on the left, and our Lord took her hand, and kissed her mouth, and said unto her, "Hast thou arrived, O my mother?" And He raised her up on to the throne of His glory, and He seated her by Him, ad He described to her all the joy and gladness which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard of, nor heart of man imagined, which were prepared for her. And beneath the throne of glory she saw DAVID, the King of Israel, her father, (with all the company of the prophets, and the angels, and the souls of the righteous, in a circle,) singing to the harp, saying, "Hearken unto me, my daughter, and consider, and incline thine car. Forget thy people and thy father's house.

The king hath desired thy beauty; he is thy Lord." And from there the angels took her to shew her the place of punishment, and they brought her to the limit of darkness, which is prepared for Satan and his hosts, and for all those who walk in his ways. And our Lady MARY  said, "Woe is me! Who will describe this place to the children of men, so that they may not come hither?" And the angel said unto her, "Fear thou not, O MARY, God is with Thee, and for thy sake  with those who shall come after thee." And then the angels carried her away and brought her into a certain place, and thereupon our Lady MARY  sat down, being exceedingly sorry for all sinners.

And as it might be this day the sixteenth day of the month of Yakatit, she stood on the Place of the Skull (Gelgotha), and besought her Son, saying, "O my Son, swear to me by God Thy Father, and by Thy Name of Christ, and [by] the Paraclete, Thy Spirit, and by my womb which carried Thee for nine months and five days, Thee whom the earth cannot bear up, Thee Whom the angels cannot approach, I adjure Thee, O my Son, by Thy going forth from me without exhaustion, and by Thy delivery which was painless, I adjure Thee by my breasts which suckled Thee, and by my lips which kissed Thee, I adjure Thee by my hands which embraced Thee, and by my feet which walked with Thee, I adjure Thee by the manger wherein Thou didst lie, and by the ragged cloths wherein Thou wast wrapped, O my Son, and beloved one, I beseech Thee, ad entreat Thee, to hearken unto the words of my petition, and to come to me, and to fulfil for me everything which is in my heart."

And when our holy Lady, the Virgin MARY, the mother of the Light, had spoken thus, our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ came down straightway, and there were with Him, surrounding Him, thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands of angels, and he said unto her, "What shall I do for thee, MARY, my mother? What desire hast thou that thou wouldst have Me fulfil for thee?" And our Lady the holy Virgin Mary answered and said unto her beloved Son, "O my beloved Son, my Lord and Redeemer, my Hope, my Refuge, upon Thee is placed my mother, and in the womb which covered Thee, and Thou art my memorial, at all times. And now do Thou hear my prayer and petition, and hearken unto the word of my mouth which I speak unto Thee.

I Thy mother MARY, I Thine handmaiden, on behalf of him that shall celebrate my commemoration, and him that is athirst, or shall comfort the sorrowful, or shall make the sad to rejoice, or shall write the history of my strife, or shall sing a song at my festival; [swear to me] that God shall give him the good reward from Thee, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard of, nor the heart of man imagined.

I beseech and entreat Thee on behalf of all those who believe in me, to set them free from Sheol, and to remember the hunger, and thirst, and all the trials which came upon me through Thee." And our Lord Jesus Christ answered and said unto her, "It shall be unto thee even as thou sayest, and I will fulfil for thee all thy petition; I became incarnate of thee, and I swear that I will not make any covenant with thee to be a lie." Salutation to thee, O Book of the Law and Covenant, like the Tables of stone.

Saint Abba Minas

On this day Saint MINAS the monk became a martyr. This saint was from the country of 'AKMIM (AKHMIM) in Upper Egypt; his parents were Christians and they were tillers of the ground. This saint wished to array himself in the garb of the monk, and to reject this world, and he became a monk in one of the monasteries of the city of 'AKMIM (AKHMIM); he used to fast frequently for two days at a time, and he took no thought for his food and drink. And after this he departed to the district of ESMUNAYN, and dwelt there in a monastery for seven and twenty years, leading a life of devotion to God, and fighting the fight; and he never went outside the door of that monastery.

And when the Muslims reigned in the land of Egypt, and he heard concerning them, and how they said, "God hath no son of His Nature and Godhead, who sprang from Him," he was very sorrowful because of this thing. And having been blessed by the abbot of the monastery who prayed over him, he went forth and departed to the city of ESMUNAYN, and he stood up before the captain of the Muslim soldiers, and said unto hi, "Is it true that ye say that God hath no son of His Nature and Godhead?" And the captain said unto him, "Yea, we remove from God this thing, and we do not confess it."

And Saint MINAS said unto him, "It is right for thee not to confess Him if He were the son of carnal union and seed, but He is not this; He is the Light proceeding from Light, [and] God, in truth, proceeding from God, in truth.  And the captain said unto him, "O monk, this , in our Law, is infidelity." And the saint answered and said unto him, "Know thou that the Holy Gospel saith, 'He who believeth in the Son hath everlasting life, and that he who believeth not shall not see life, but the wrath of God shall descend upon him' ".

Because of this the captain was exceedingly angry, and he ordered the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword, and to hack his body in pieces, and to cast him into the river. And certain believers took his body and prepared it carefully for burial, and they performed a service of commemoration for him as it were this day. Salutation to MINAS, Bishop of  'AKMIM (AKHMIM).
Salutation to MOSES, the chief of the fathers, who died on this day on mount Nebo.

Sources:-  The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Sinaxarium, A translation /Cambridge University press/ by Fetter Lane, Condon, New York.

May God Bless us. Amen!!