NEBAB #25: 2nd Sunday before the Nativity: Birhan (Light)
NEBAB #25
The Orthodox Tewahedo Magazine
2ND WEEK BEFORE THE NATIVITY: BIRHAN (LIGHT)
The Spiritual Education Unit
Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America
2nd Sunday before the Nativity: Birhan
In this issue:
1. The Light of the World
2. A girl named light
3. Faith and works
4. “Ask Abba/Kes”
5. A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam
6. Children’s corner
7.ይበል ግዕዝ
8. Orthodox Q&A
The Light of the World
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
Psalm 43:3-4
Hear the cry of the prophets during the 5500 years of darkness between Adam’s fall and our redemption through our Saviour Jesus Christ. This world was in darkness and waited for light, and when that light eventually came, it shone on them (Isa 9:2). Let us see how creation responded to the coming of the Light, and the lessons we can learn about how we are to be, now that Light is come into the world.
+ Herod hated the Light, and wanted his darkness back (John 3:19-21)
+ The Elder Joseph did not recognise the Holy Virgin because of the Light (Matt 1:25)
+ Peter, James and John saw the light (after sleeping through most of it) (Luke 9:32)
+ The created lights refused to shine when the Uncreated Light was put to the shame of nakedness (luke 23:34,45-46)
+ Satan was confused when the Light shone in Hades/Sheol/hell where light had never shone before (John 1:5)
+ The children of Adam rejoiced when they saw that the Light had come (Ps 16:9-10), standing for prayer and asking for mercy.
This is our time to be reminded what it really means that Light came into the world, that we should be saved rather than condemned by our unbelief. (John 3:17-18)
Shine on us, O Light of the World!
A girl named light- St Lucy of Syracuse
In the year 283, a girl was born to a Roman father and a Greek mother in the province of Catania in the Roman empire. Her parents named her Lucia (anglicised: Lucy) from the Latin root lux, meaning light. Her father died when she was very young and her mother suffered from an illness (called a “bloody flux” in literature, some say dysentery) for 4 years, making life very hard for the family.
Lucy, having heard of the greatness of a Christian woman named Agatha of Catania, and hearing during the liturgy the gospel reading which tells of a woman with a “bloody flux” being healed by touching the hem of Christ's garment (Luke 8:43), convinced her mother that they should make a pilgrimage to the grave of Saint Agatha and pray there. After a long night of praying, they fell asleep, and Saint Agatha appeared to Lucy, telling her that for the sake of her faith, her mother would be healed, and said that Lucy would soon be to Syracuse as she was to Catania. Her mother, Eutychia, was healed.
Soon after, Lucy rejected the marriage her mother had arranged to a wealthy pagan man, because she had promised her virginity to God, although her mother did not know it. She asked that her dowry be spent on alms for the poor, saying that she had found a nobler Bridegroom. The pagan suitor, hearing of this, denounced Lucy as a Christian to the governor.
Some accounts say that because it was told her that her beauty was desired because of her eyes, she removed them, sending them off and saying “there you have what wanted, now leave me alone”. Others say that her eyes were gouged out as part of the tortures she received on account of her faith. Her father's name is not known, and only some accounts mention that she prophesied against the Roman rulers with a dagger in her throat. What is clear is that Saint Lucy was martyred in the era of persecution, under Diocletian, but she was not initially well known outside of Italy, where she received her crown.
The news of her likely never reached Ethiopia in the early centuries due to the nature of the historical lines of communication, and so she is not widely venerated in our church, but neither was St Arsema, now beloved by Ethiopians, until the last few decades. We in the Caribbean and Latin America have received an island named for her, and the north of Barbados, as well as parts of Brazil, Venezuela and Uruguay. Let us honour this lesser-known saint and ask her help as she asked St Agatha’s.
Faith and Works:
Light up your Christian life
While modern churches which began after the invention of electric light, and who do not have our tradition of nighttime prayer, may not understand our use of candlelight, for us it is significant and ancient. Candles and lamps in church date back to the Old Testament, and have significance for us today.
Light- light is significant of knowledge over ignorance (Matt 5:14), truth over deception (Ps 43:3), and guidance (Ps 119:105). It reminds us of God's work in our lives
Sacrifice- as a candle gives light, it gives of its own body. Candles remind us of the virtue of sacrifice
Vigilance- though lost on us in the modern day, firelight has to be attended carefully and kept burning at night, teaching us vigilance (Matt 26:41). When you pray/study, try lighting a candle to practise vigilance, especially at night.
Ask Abba/Kes
"Why do we light candles in our church?"
In the Wudase Mariam for Sunday, the Holy Virgin Mary is called the golden candlestick that holds the Light, which is Jesus Christ.
The Fetha Negest in chapter 1 also says “[the church] must be lighted with many lamps, in the likeness of heaven”. In Exodus too, we see Moses being given the pattern in heaven to follow, which includes many candlesticks.
BIBLE QUIZ!
Which chapter of the book of Exodus gives details for making church candlesticks?
A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam
There was a certain city where a church had been built in the name of the archangel Michael. Each year, on the twelfth day of the month of Hedar [around November 18], which is the day of the festival of the archangel Michael, great numbers of people from the city would visit his church—may his intercession and his supplication keep our King David from the evil enemy! It came to pass one day that, when the people were journeying along the road to the church, a mighty roaring rush of waters came from the sea and burst upon the people. The rushing water terrified them exceedingly and drove them out of their senses. The flood surrounded that place and rose to a height of about two measures, nearly drowning the people. Then each of them prayed to God, and every man sought out a means to save himself. The people all fled before the waves that rolled in from the sea, so that they might not be drowned by the waters.
But behold, there was a certain woman traveling with the company who was with child. She was close to giving birth, and so she was unable to run away with the other people. She cried out after those who had forsaken her and fled, but no one looked back to her. Finding none to help her, she despaired utterly of obtaining help. Then, with tears, she cried out to God, the Most High, and to Our Lady Mary, the storehouse of compassion and mercy, who calls everyone to the love of her beloved son, the redeemer of the world. It came to pass that, when those who had taken flight arrived at the seashore, the pregnant woman stretched out her hands, raised her eyes to God in heaven, and prayed to Our Lady Mary with a great outcry and with much weeping and lamentation. [Suddenly,] the waves of the sea stood strong against the strength of the billows. Our Lady Mary hid the woman from the sight of the sea, bringing her tidings of hope and joy, and covering her with garments. The woman thought she was in a well-built and well-furnished house. Then, while she was in the midst of the sea, the pains of childbirth took hold of her, and Our Lady Mary delivered the child from her womb. She gave birth to a fine boy, whom she called “Abraskirospas”—[a name that means] in Greek and Hebrew, “The hand of Mary touched him and blessed him in the womb of his mother.”
Neither pain nor a flow of blood came to his mother [when she brought him forth]. It came to pass that, when the waves of the sea calmed down and the waters again became quiet, the woman emerged from it carrying her child in her arms. When the people saw her, many of them marveled and became speechless by reason of this great and miraculous thing. They all ran after her and asked her questions [about what had happened]. The woman related to them the great and wonderful miracle which Mary, the Mother of Life, the vessel of prophecy, had wrought. She told them how the Virgin had hidden her beneath the dark masses of the water so that she might not suffer death. Those who heard this story—men and women, children and the elderly, young men and babes, Jew and Gentile, and all the people of the world—marveled exceedingly. They gave thanks to the God of righteousness; and they multiplied the praises of Our Lady Mary, whose miracles are innumerable, whose beauty is immeasurable, and whose rule is beneficent and ineffable.
Just as you protected the woman who was inundated by
The terrible waves of the sea when the time came to give birth to her son,
Protect me and do not let my need be too hard for me.
My dear Lady Mary, who received me into your care:
Cover me with vestments of light and not of skin.
O Holy Virgin Maryam, pray for us!
LIJOCH! The Children's Corner
Memory verse: St John 1:9-10
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
Add some lights to the picture! Draw the moon and stars, and the comet that led the wise men to Bethlehem, then colour the picture
ይበል:ግዕዝ (yibel Ge’ez)
Let's reclaim our forefathers’ language
Today, some vocabulary concerning the word birhan, or light.
ብርሃን
birhan - light
comes from the root verb በርሀ berha - to be bright or to light up.
It also gives us words like አብርሀ abriha - to shine (as in መስቀል አብርሃ mesqel abriha), ብሩህ biruh - bright or shining, also cheerful or happy, and መብርህ mebrih - that which gives light, a lamp or a candlestick.
Similar sounding, but seemingly unrelated, is the word መብረቅ mebreq - lightning, as in the popular song አይኑ ዘርግብ ልብሱ ዘመብረቀ aynu zerigbi libsu zemebreqe (eyes of a dove, clothes of lightning). This word comes from the root በረቀ bereqe - to flash, sparkle, shine
ORTHODOX Q&A
When we sin, do we blame Satan or ourselves?
Our archbishop in the Caribbean and Latin America can often be heard saying “Poor Satan”. He often makes us pay attention to our part in our sins, instead of putting more blame on Satan than he deserves. Satan is to blame for temptation, but to throw all the blame on him is wrong. In the garden, God knew exactly what had happened, but He asked Adam and Eve to explain themselves long before He got to cursing the snake. Let God blame Satan, and let us judge ourselves.
Send us your questions at: seu.eotccarla@gmail.com
References
Short message on behalf the Spiritual Education Unit:
His Grace Abune Thaddaeus, Head Administrator Archimandrite Abba Gebreyesus, and all clergy and faithful- thank you for the opportunity to share this labour of love with you. Thanks also to the team of the Spiritual Education Unit for their hard work.
-Liqe Teghuan Tekle Mariam Greene
A girl named light (Roman Catholic Sources):
Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam: pemm.princeton.edu/en-us/stories/148
CONTACT US:
Archdiocese headquarters: Medhane Alem (Saviour of the World), Old Golden Grove Rd. Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago.
Tel. 868-642-4230.
e-mail: eotc.arch.carla@gmail.com
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