Nebab #63 Annual Feast of St. Michael the Archangel

 NEBAB #63

The Orthodox Tewahedo Magazine

ANNUAL FEAST OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

The Spiritual Education Unit

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America

In this issue:

    1. Annual Feast of Saint Michael "Sene Michael"

    2. Who Is Like God?

    3. Spiritual Vigilance

    4. Faith and works

    5. “Ask Abba/Kes”

    6. Miracle of the Virgin Mary

    7. Children’s corner

    8.ይበል ግዕዝ 

    9. Orthodox Q&A

The Annual Feast of Saint Michael

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, we celebrate two great feasts of the Holy Archangel Saint Michael. One in November and one in June. The feast on June 19 is dedicated to the "deliverance of Bahiran from the hand of the wicked rich man". Through the help of St Michael he was given everlasting life.

There was a God fearing man who faithfully celebrated the monthly feast of Saint Michael the Archangel on the 12th day of every month, especially in the months of Sene and Hidar. His wealthy neighbor, who lacked compassion, mocked him for honoring Saint Michael and for helping the poor.

Before the faithful man died, he instructed his pregnant wife to continue celebrating Saint Michael's feast and to give alms to the needy. After his death, his wife went into labor and prayed to Saint Michael for help. A great light filled the house, and she safely gave birth to a beautiful son.

Saint Michael appeared and blessed the child, declaring that God had ordained that the child would inherit the wealth of the rich man. 

The wealthy man overheard this prophecy and became determined to kill the child. He convinced the widow to give him the boy, promising to raise him and giving her twenty pieces of gold. Secretly, he placed the child in a box and threw him into the sea.

By God's providence, the box floated safely for many days until it reached another country. A shepherd found it and discovered the child inside. Since he had no children of his own, he raised the boy as his son and named him Bahran.

Years later, the wealthy man traveled to that region and discovered that Bahran was still alive. Shocked, he devised another plot. He persuaded the shepherd to send Bahran with a letter to his estate. The letter secretly instructed his steward:

"When you receive this letter, kill the young man who brings it and throw his body into a pit"

As Bahran traveled, Saint Michael appeared in the form of a royal horseman riding a white horse. He asked Bahran to show him the letter. After reading it, Saint Michael erased the message of death and replaced it with a new letter that said:
"When Bahran arrives, marry my daughter to him and give him all my possessions, servants and wealth. Do not wait for my return."

Bahran delivered the letter. The steward recognized the rich man's seal and obeyed the instructions. Bahran married the rich man's daughter in a church ceremony, and a great wedding celebration lasted forty days.

When the wealthy man finally returned home, he heard music and celebration. He was informed that Bahran had married his daughter and inherited all his property according to the instructions in the letter he had sent.

Overcome with shock, he fell from his horse and died immediately.

Bahran became a man who practiced good deeds. He realized that it was the honorable Archangel Michael, the chief of the angels who had revealed himself to him, saved him from being killed, and caused him to inherit all the wealth of the rich man who sought to kill him. Understanding this, he began to commemorate Archangel Michael every month. He also built a church in his honor and placed an icon of Saint Michael inside it. Many wonders and miracles were manifested through it. Bahran was later ordained as a priest and served in that church until the day of his death. Through the intercession of the glorious Archangel Michael, he inherited eternal life together with his mother, father and children.

Who is Like God?

The Ethiopian interpretation of the name of Michael is a question: Who Is Like God? The question is twofold, being an obvious rhetorical question, and an instructive question on the nature of mankind, and our relationship between God, angels and human beings.

Who is like God? Which creature can be compared to its Creator? The clay cannot even ask the Potter "Why did you make me this way?" (Romans 9:20-21), so it is unthinkable that the creature, who cannot speak to the Creator as an equal, could be compared to the Creator in nature. Michael the Archangel is the captain of the Lord's hosts. He is the commander of the armies of heaven, and he leads in battle against demons and human armies alike. He holds the power of God and wields it against those who make themselves God's enemies. He, as an angel, is glorious, and his glory cannot be compared to the glory of God. So who is like God? If the power and glory and authority of the great archangel Michael is not comparable to God's, how could anyone else compare? God is unapproachable and ineffable, and Michael teaches us and reminds us of this.

The devil tried to compare himself to God. He told the other angels, including Michael, that he had made them. Looking down he saw them all below him, and exalted himself. The Lord Whose word is always true said that whoever exalts himself will be abased, and so He put down the devil, throwing him down to earth, and when he rebelled again, into outer darkness. The Lord gave Michael His authority, putting him and all the holy angels under the banner of the cross (Psalm 60:4). Michael answered the question for the wicked one who did not know the answer. There is none like God.

Who is like God? After the devil fell like lightning from heaven, the Lord knew that he was thinking to himself "Maybe God will restore me because of the sweetness of my praise". At that moment God made mankind 'in splendor'. He said "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness (Genesis 1:26). This was a rebuke to the wicked one. Mankind who was below him in nature, was made greater than him by being made in the image of God. We were made a little lower than the angels and crowned with glory and honour (Psalm 8:5). The question was answered again for the devil. We are like God. 

This should not give us a chance to be proud. To know that we are like God should fill us with fear and trembling. The glory and honour of our being made in Godlikeness is a heavy crown, so it will bend the neck of anyone who wears it. Let the bending of our necks and the bowing of our heads make us look down at ourselves, and examine the image of God in us. Who is like God? This question is put to you, reader. Are you like God? Are you holy as He is holy? Do you love one another as He has loved you? God has made us to be like Him, and when we went away from Him He called us back to Him. He became One of us to lead us step by step like a baby. God became like us, so that we could be like God.

Take our Prayer before the Throne of God, Michael, Angel of Peace

Spiritual Vigilance

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen.

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5: 8-9

The Apostle Peter here calls for spiritual vigilance, not one grounded in fear, but one based on the knowledge of God through faith. Because our adversary the devil seeks any opportunity to make us fall into sin, Saint Peter likens him to a lion, for his ferocity, but he is powerless to harm us. He roams everywhere and tries to make us fall, but he cannot as long as we are spiritually vigilant and hold fast to God.

A person does not hate his brother who annoys him, but rather Satan. The battle and sufferings are not caused by humans, but in reality, it is a battle between God and Satan. For the devil is the adversary and the God of all grace is the One who perfects, establishes, strengthens and enables man to live a victorious life. Saint Augustine says that we must not hate people but rather their slanders and enmities. And Saint John Chrysostom, the suffering Patriarch says "How long will we fight each other thus pleasing our enemy, the devil?"

The devil is a fierce adversary, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He is our adversary because of his enmity with God and we are the image of God. He is our enemy because of His pride. He harasses us because of his envy for us, as we occupy the position he fell from. Despite all this, he has no authority over us unless we willingly surrender to him. He deceives but he does not compel. He roams but he cannot approach us unless we allow him, and then he gains the right to settle in us

Saint John Chrysostom wrote 3 articles on "A Response to Those Who Say The Devil Has Power Over Us" which he stated:
The demons could not even enter the swine without His permission (Matthew 8:28-38)

The demons could not attack Job without His permission

Our negligence makes the devil a deceiver and our vigilance makes us victorious and crowned, while he is put to shame

We should not place all the blame on the devil but on ourselves. If we stumble because of the devil, there are those who stumble because of the beautiful creation (Romans 1:21-25), those who stumble because of the members of their body created for God's glory, those who stumble because of the cross, which is the power of God for salvation (1 Corinthians 1:28,32), those who stumble because of Christ Himself, the giver of victory and life (John 9:39) and those who stumble because of the apostles preaching the truth (2 Corinthians 2:16) 

The Apostle urges us to resist by faith: To believe that the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory, cannot offer the invitation without the possibility of reaching it.

It is accompanied by divine practical ability to endure pain and resist the devil until His promises and calling are fulfilled in us.

"Is there anything more terrifying than the devil? yet we find no shield against him except faith, as it is an invisible shield against an invisible enemy who aims various arrows in the midst of the night at those who are unguarded"

St Cyril of Jerusalem

"But since he is an invisible enemy, we have faith as a powerful weapon, as the apostle says: "Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Ephesians 6:16)

When the devil throws a fiery spark of base desire, faith presents the image of judgement and extinguishes the mind's spark.

Glory be to God Forever, Amen

Faith and Works: 10 Levels of Righteousness

“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
  — John 14:2 (KJV)

Interpretation: He tells us that there are many riches in His Father's house. These riches are 10 levels of righteousness which are sufficient for everyone, and through mastering them, the troubles which overcome the flesh will no longer overcome a person.

They are:
1. Silence - Of the mouth first, then the heart
2. Understanding - Proverbs 4:7
3. Sweetness of Song - To never tire of worshipping (praying, praising, standing, prostrating, singing, reading and so on)
This is purity of the body.

4. Tears - Of joy, and of repentance
5. Governance - The desires of the flesh are governed and subject to those of the soul
6. Love - For all people and things that God created, having no fear of anything (wild animals, dangerous people, storms, and so on) 1 John 4:18
7. Visions - To see without being limited by space or time
This is purity of the soul, that is, of the mind.

8. To see the angels
9. To see the Uncreated Light
10. To become gods by grace - To be one with the Divine Fire (Psalm 82:6, John 10:34-35)
This is purity of the heart, that is, of the desire.

In the next issue we will consider how we can practise these riches of righteousness, starting with purity of the body.

Ask Abba/Kes

How can we keep the command to clothe the naked when the naked are naked because of a mental condition by they expose themselves?

The systems in the world around us have things in place to handle these situations (mental health problems). However, as Orthodox Christians we should pray on their behalf (i.e. on behalf of those who cannot clothe themselves), so that their situation be reversed. God bless.

 

BIBLE QUIZ!

By what title does Daniel the prophet call St Michael? (Daniel 10)

a) Prince

b) Archangel

c) Intercessor

A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Mary

A miracle performed by Our Lady Mary, Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, may her intercession be with us, amen.

There was a sinful man who developed a love for Our Lady Mary, the Holy Virgin, so he built her a sanctuary. He brought incense and alms, but his sins grew all the more numerous and complex.

Then that sinful man died, and the depraved angels of darkness came, terrifying and forceful. They brought this sinner before the Father, and the Father said: “Throw him to Sheol!”

While this soul was departing, Our Lady Mary, the Holy Virgin, saw it. She went to her Son and said, “My dear Son, show mercy to this soul, who built my sanctuary and who brought incense, alms, and gifts in my name. Give your servant his portion according to your covenant.”

The Lord said, “He stumbled in adulterous acts and miserable sins. He is not worthy of mercy.”

Then Our Lady Mary Mariham, the Holy Virgin, stood in front of her Son and begged him, weeping.

When the Lord saw his mother weeping, he commanded Michael and Gabriel, “Wipe the tears from her eyes with your wings.”

They wiped her cheeks with their wings.

Then the Lord said to Mary, “I have shown mercy on your behalf. His sins were washed away by your tears.”

That man entered the kingdom of heaven through the intercession of the Intercessor, the Treasury of Good Things.

May her prayer and her blessing be with our father, [...], forever and ever amen.

O Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us!

LIJOCH! The Children's Corner

Write a short story on Archangel Michael

ይበል:ግዕዝ (yibel Ge’ez)

Let's reclaim our forefathers’ language

The name of Michael asks a question:

መኑ ከመ ኤል?

menu keme El?*

Who is like God?*

*Name of God in Hebrew

Today we will add to our vocabulary the useful preposition

ከመ

keme

Keme means like, as, as if, or such. When talking about someone or something using pronouns, it becomes ከማ kema, as in ከማከ kemake like you (masculine), ከማኪ kemaki like you (feminine), ከማሁ kemahu like him, like it.

It is used in very common constructions like  ከመዝ kemez, which is formed from ከመ ዝንቱ keme zintu, and means 'like this', 'in this way', or 'so'.

It also appears in ዘከመ zekeme which is difficult to translate directly by itself, but means 'just as' or sometimes 'according to'. It is often the first word in inscriptions on icons, which describe what is portrayed in them.

ORTHODOX Q&A

"Why do we pray the midday prayer?"

At this hour, when the sun becomes strong, our bodies grow weary and our minds become sluggish, while evil spirits gain strength (Psalm 91:5-7) we strengthen our bodies, gather our thoughts and pray to God

It is also remembered as the hour when our father Adam ate from the forbidden fruit and fell from his glory. Therefore, we pray that we may not enter into temptation (Genesis 3:6)

Furthermore, it is the hour when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, glory be to Him, was crucified on the Cross on Good Friday for the salvation of His servants.

Send us your questions at: seu.eotccarla@gmail.com

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

References

Miracle of Mary: https://pemm.princeton.edu/en-us/stories/417

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e-mail: eotc.arch.carla@gmail.com

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