Nebab #64 The Feast of the Apostles

NEBAB #64

The Orthodox Tewahedo Magazine

THE FEAST OF THE APOSTLES

The Spiritual Education Unit

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America

In this issue:

1. Apostles

2. Be the Light of the World

3. The Mystery of Holy Baptism

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

Apostles

In Ge'ez, the verb for 'to go' is the root of the word for 'apostle' (see today's Ge'ez lesson below for details). In English, 'apostle' comes from the Greek apostéllein, to send off or dispatch. Our Lord Jesus Christ- sing forth the honour of His name and make His praise glorious- had many disciples (from the Latin discipulus, a student or follower, although the etymology of the Latin word is unclear and debated), and it is important for us to distinguish between disciple and apostle. Disciples follow, so a disciple of Jesus is one who follows Him- wherever He goes, they go. An apostle is someone who is sent, which means rather than only going where the Lord goes, they go where the Lord tells them to go. This means the Lord sends them away from where He is to go somewhere else, with a specific purpose or mission. Not all disciples are apostles, but every apostle has to be a disciple, because no one can be sent by the Lord who has not first gone to Him and followed Him.

The significance of being sent by the Lord should not be underestimated. God the Son said to God the Father, "As You have sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." (John 17:18). This means their apostleship is actually a participation in God the Son, because the apostles are sent just like Jesus Christ is sent. What a great and terrifying honour! To properly understand apostleship, therefore, it behoves us to look at how God the Father sent His only-begotten Son to us, and what that means for our relationship with the Son and with the Father.

God sent His Son into the world to save the world through the Son. Therefore, this very Son who sent His apostles into the world sent them to save the world through His apostles. It is for this reason that the apostles are so highly honoured by Christians, and why we make them our point of reference for the entirety of the Christian faith, because they are the ones through whom the Lord sent salvation to us. St Paul clearly lays out how the apostles are to Christ as Christ is to God. He says that:

1. God reconciled the apostles to Himself through Christ.

2. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself.

Applying the principle that Christ sent the apostles as God sent Christ, we understand that:

1. Christ reconciled the world to Himself through the apostles.

2. Christ was in the apostles, reconciling the world to Himself!

Paul says as much when he says that:

1. God has given the apostles the ministry of reconciliation.

2. The apostles ask us in Christ's stead (place) to be reconciled to God!

Sadly, in our time, as in times before, many take the title of apostle onto themselves fraudulently, and deceive many. But God has not left us without a witness, but has done good to us, giving us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17). As the rainy season is upon us, let us thank our merciful God for the rain of His apostles, and their successors, our fathers the bishops. Thank Him for bringing us Caribbean people, separated from our home, to this time in which we produce spiritual fruits, and for filling our hearts with the food of His word and the gladness of His everlasting kingdom. Glory to Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, Who is glorified in His apostles, through whom He reconciles us to Himself.

Be The Light of The World

The apostles Peter and Paul are referred to in the Ethiopian tradition as the Lights of the World. The Light of the World, our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, came into a world of darkness, Himself being the Light, to enlighten it (John 1:5). He, being the Light of all people, (John 1:4) shines through people, as He shone from the face of Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai, and the people were afraid to see the Uncreated Light reflecting from Moses' face (Exodus 34:29-30), and as He shone through His mother, in Whom He lived, and Joseph, seeing her shining with Uncreated Light, did not recognise her (Matthew 1:25). When He told all of us who listened to His sermon on the mount that we are the light of the world, He was teaching us that He gives us His Light, which is Himself, and that we, carrying this Light, become, like Him, light to the world. What a great and high calling we have, to participate in Jesus Christ Himself!

In order for us to be the light of the world, we have to receive light from the Source of light, Who is Himself Light from Light, and God from God. This is a mystery that cannot be described, but we take part in this mystery by the grace of the sacraments, through which our God, the Consuming Fire, lights us on fire, so we can spread fire to the world. So how do we, as the Ethiopian tradition describes it, become fire? John, who was not that Light, but who came to bear witness of the Light, give us the answer.

He must increase, but I must decrease. - John 3:30

How, after all, does fire burn? It touches some flammable thing, perhaps wood, and begins to consume it. It heats up the wood so that the wood is the same temperature as the fire. It releases the particles of the wood from being still and stuck together, and changes them into free, moving particles. It burns up the wood, and takes the energy of the wood for itself. Fire turns wood into more fire. Fire uses up wood for its own purpose, to make the wood into fire, which can then spread and burn more wood. Fire spreads from one part of the wood to another, growing as it goes. Fire increases, and wood decreases. It is only by the wood decreasing and giving itself to the fire, to become one with the fire, to become fire itself, that the fire increases. The fire does the work of spreading, and consuming, and increasing. The wood only has to decrease.

You, reader, must decrease. You might have an opinion, and want your voice to be heard- increasing your influence and renown, but you must decrease, and stay quiet. You might be asked to do one thing, while wanting to do another, and you could resist the request and do your own thing- increasing your control and your ego, but you must decrease, and submit your will to that of another. You might want to eat- and increase your body or your strength, but you must decrease by fasting. You might want to buy new clothes, or new devices, or new hair or nails or skincare or watches or chains or shoes or bags- increasing your beauty, and your treasure of earthly garbage, but you must decrease, and be plain, and simple, and modest.

Only by decreasing, reader, will your Lord and Saviour increase in you. When you keep quiet and let your own words go unsaid, He will give you perfect words! When you let your will go undone, He will give you His will to do instead! When you let your body go hungry, He will feed you with His word! When you let your beauty go unnoticed, He will give you garments of light, and crowns of glory. He will beautify your heart, and it will shine from your face. He will anoint your head and wash your face and give you indescribable beauty that does not fade, and that will draw people to you.

You must decrease, so He can increase in you. That is how you will be the light of the world.

The Mystery of Holy Baptism

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

The Fast of the Apostles begins after the Feast of Pentecost and ends on July 12, commemorating the martyrdom of St Peter and St Paul and preparing believers for service and preaching. These apostles were part of the 12 chosen by Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the Apostolic Ministry which was to go out into all the ender of the world to preach, to teach and to baptize. The Myster of Baptism is both a sacred mystery in the Church and a redemptive Sacrament.

Today as we celebrate the Feast of St Peter and St Paul we remember the core of their apostolic missionary journey which was not centered on preaching and teaching only but on salvation through the work of the Holy Spirit in the Mystery of Baptism.

In the Faith and Order of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, we are reminded about why this sacrament is called a mystery.

"It is called mystery, because, when the priest recites the prayer of baptism over the water and blesses it, it will be changed and become the water that flowed from the right side of our Lord Jesus Christ and one can receive the invisible grace of the adopted sonhood of God (Jn. 19:34-35). Whosoever believes and is baptized, shall get remission of sin. "We believe in one baptism for the remission of sin" (Creed). "

Every person is born from God through baptism, and will be free from damnation. "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:28). To be born of the Trinity is for inheriting the kingdom of God. Our Lord has taught us that we cannot enter the kingdom of God except through baptism.

Baptism is the sacrament given to all who believe in the Mystery of the Holy Trinity and in the Myster of the Incarnation for the remission of sin, to obtain adoption from the Triune God, to inherit the kingdom of God.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." John 3:5

As we refelect on this glorious fast and the extraordinary ministry and leadership of our Holy Apostles St Peter and St Paul, let us not think that their example in discipleship is too far to attain. The core of our celebration is to be inspired by their work that continues throughout the ages even in our church today as we are guided and maitained by the same Holy Spirit. Let us continue to allow the Holy Spirit to use us and prepare us to continue the Apostlic teaching preaching and salvific ministery of our Holy Fathers. Through their preaching, thousands were saved and were added to the Church as we read in the Acts of the Apostles. In fact one of the first sermons of the Apostle, St Peter as we read in Acts 2:8 was this call to be saved through the waters of baptism

"Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" Acts 2:8

As members of the Church let us remember that baptism is our new identity in Christ. It is both an honor and a responsibility. Let us use the gifts and talents that we have received through baptism wisely and multiply the gifts to be of service to others.

Brothers and Sisters, let us commit ourselves to Christ.

Glory be to God Forever, Amen

Faith and Works

“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.

Last week we learned the 10 levels of righteousness. This week we begin to see how we can practise this righteousness, and starting with the purity of the body.

1. Silence - We should not be limited in our idea of silence. Silence does not just mean a closed mouth that makes no sound. Silence is the absence of noise, which means we can be speechless all day, but never once be in silence, if we are still living in noise. Our time of screens and speakers, endless scrolling and recommendation algorithms, and devices on our person at all times, makes silence harder and harder to come by. Why do we so often eat our food with a screen in front of us? Why has modern suburban life designed the family meal around a television? Why do so many of us walk around the world with our ears full of a totally different world, half in and half out of our very physical surroundings?

The benefit, however, of so much of our noise being concentrated in one source, is that is makes it very easy to greatly reduce our internal noise levels, by simply putting down that source. Dedicating just 15 minutes a day to spent without your phone, earphones, tablet, TV, and so on, will teach you so much about yourself, and about the goodness and power of silence.

Next week: Level 2 - Understanding

Ask Abba/Kes

What Biblical perspective supports Peter being the chief of the apostles?

Read St Matthew 16:17-19:

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. "

BIBLE QUIZ!

Which of the apostles did St Paul meet face to face on his first trip to Jerusalem?

a) Peter and John

b) Peter, James and John the sons of Thunder

c) Peter and James, brother of the Lord

d) James and John, the sons of Thunder

A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Mary

There was a certain man called Abba Paese whose sister was called Thecla, and they were of the residents of Abusir, a village of the region of ‘Asmunen.

Abba Paese had a friend among the people of the city of Alexandria who was called Paul the Syrian, a kind and honorable man.

While he was living in the city of Alexandria, he was afflicted with a severe sickness, to the point of coming near to death.

So he sent a letter to his friend Abba Paese, saying, “Make haste to come to me, my brother, so that I may see you before I die.”

Upon receiving his letter, Abba Paese arose and set out for the city of Alexandria with haste.

He came to his friend Paul and stayed with him until he recovered, but then word came to Paul, saying, “Paese has been called to the contending of martyrdom, and he has borne much suffering for the name of Christ.”

Now when Abba Paese tarried there, his sister Thecla arose and set out from Abusir for Alexandria, so that she might find out what had happened to her brother.

She hurried to the bank of the Nile in Antinopolis and came across a spiritual boat, docked outside the city.

Gabriel the bearer of glad tidings was in it, and the angel Suriel was stood at the helm. Our Lady Mary, the pure Virgin, was sat in it, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, was sat at her side.

So Thecla came and approached the angels because she thought they were its shipmasters.

When she came to the boat, the angels welcomed her like sailors and carried her onboard.

Then they spread out a carpet for her beside those blessed women and untied the boat.

Immediately they began to sail, for by the will of God, the winds cooperated with them.

Thecla said to the women, “Peace to you, my holy and blessed women.”

The women responded, “Peace to you, O sister of a blessed man. Your arrival is pleasing to us, our sister.” And they rejoiced greatly.

Then Thecla said to the angels, “Take for yourselves some of the provisions which we have with us so that you may eat.”

But they said to her, “We are not accustomed to drawing near to people’s property, for if your possessions are lost, you will suspect us of having taken them. However, if you do wish to give us something to eat, tell your handmaid to give it to us with her hand.”

So Saint Thecla told her handmaid to take bread, fish, some honey, and a little wine, that she might give it to them, and she did so. And it seemed to Thecla that they were eating.

Now when it was evening, she saw that the women’s countenances had changed, and that they were sorrowful. Therefore, Thecla responded and said to them, “My ladies, why do I see that you are so sad at heart?”

Elizabeth said to her, “I shall tell you what has grieved me, my sister. I bore a son after I had grown old, and I was left with no one but him to make me happy. Then, for sake of the name of the Lord, Our Savior Jesus Christ, they put him to death many days after the murder of his father. And behold, he has now been invited to the wedding feast of one of his companions in the city of Alexandria.”

Then Our Lady, the Mother of Life and treasury of mercy, answered her, saying, “I had only one son, and they took him from me in jealousy and crucified him on a tree.”

Thus Thecla responded, saying, “Behold, my ladies, truly great adversity has come upon you. Nevertheless, I would like you to tell me which country you come from.”

They told her, “We are from Jerusalem, the city of the Lord, glory to him!”

Then Our Lady said, “At this time, I entered the city of ‘Asmunen, where my son would suckle milk as a child. But when he was over thirty, they took him from me and crucified him on a tree and put him to death. Behold, we have now been invited to a wedding feast in the city of Alexandria, and that is where we are going.”

Thecla asked, “What is the name of the one who has invited you to a wedding feast from such a faraway land?”

So Our Lady Mary, the Mother of God, told her, “We are going to visit Paul the Syrian, for he has prepared a great wedding feast for his friend Paese, who was a resident of Abusir.”

Thecla exclaimed, “My ladies, I am Paese’s sister!”

Then the Angel Gabriel responded, “We know who you are. We also know who your sister and your father are. Are you not the daughter of our beloved Elijah? If we had not known who you are, we would not have carried you onto our boat with these holy and blessed ladies.”

When Thecla heard these words, she made haste and gave orders to her handmaid, who brought out fresh bread and good wine and prepared fish and offered it to them.

Then she implored them, saying, “I would like you to eat of these your handmaid’s provisions, so that you might have regard for my poverty and gladden my heart.” And they appeared to her as though they were eating the food.

After that, the pure Mother of Life said to Thecla, “You have acted kindly toward us on our journey today, but until now you have not known who we are, and yet we stand with your brother and your son.”

Likewise, the angels spoke these words to her.

So Thecla said to them, “Forgive me, my ladies, I am not worthy to stretch out my hand and eat with you. For it is not right for a servant to get up and eat with his master.”

Now this took place at night, and there was neither sun nor moon, but light which was brighter than the light of the sun shone on that boat.

So Thecla said to Our Lady Mary, the Mother of Life, “I have never seen such a boat as this, which sails without disturbance. While we were sat on dry land, this boat crossed over without needing anyone to pilot it from place to place, for the winds cooperated with them so that it might go where they wanted. For this reason, I marvel greatly, for I see light shining upon us.”

However, Our Lady Mary, the Mother of Life, said to her, “Have you not read what is written in the Holy Gospel? There Our Lord Jesus Christ—to the commemoration of whose name is due homage—was with his disciples in a boat when the sea was stirred up against them, and the Savior arose and rebuked the sea, at which time there was great calm? And now we are the disciples of this Christ.”

Now as Our Lady Mary comforted blessed Thecla with these words, they arrived in Alexandria.

May her prayers and blessings be with us to the ages of ages. Amen.

O Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us!

LIJOCH! The Children's Corner

Put these stories in the right order using the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Hint: Two of these stories happened on the same day, so they will have the same number.

ይበል:ግዕዝ (yibel Ge’ez)

Let's reclaim our forefathers’ language

Today, we learn an easy and very common verb:

ሖረ

hore

to go

As we learned in Nebab #47, in Ge'ez verbs, the consonant ወ we can become the vowel -ኦ -o. ከወነ kewene becomes ኮነ kone (to become), ጸወመ s'eweme becomes ጾመ s'ome (to fast), and in today's lesson, ሐወረ hawere becomes ሖረ hore, to go.

To make the causative in Ge'ez, we add አ- a- to the front of the verb, so አሖረ ahore means to cause [something or someone] to go [somewhere], which is translated as to lead or bring.

One who goes is ሐዋሪ hawari (plural ሐዋርያን hawaryan), or a traveller, and a similar word, ሐዋርያ hawarya (plural ሐዋርያት hawaryat), means one who travels having been sent, as by a king. The word can be translated as envoy, ambassador, or, most commonly, apostle.

ORTHODOX Q&A

" What is sin-?"

Sin in its Greek translation (hamartia) means "missing the mark", that is off target. This matters, because Greek was the language of many of the earliest Church fathers, whose thinking shaped much of our most basic theology. If we are at root good yet broken, it makes sense that this Greek inflected idea of sin actually presumes our goodness: it presupposes that there is a "mark" to be missed. Hitting the target (not missing it) is truly to be human. Whatever sin is, it does not reside at the root of our nature. Our transgression result from poor aim, misjudgment, skewed priorities. Sin is failure to be true to what we really are.

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/210

The Sacrament of Baptism - CopticChurch.net

The Fast of the Apostles – Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church Sunday School Department – Mahibere Kidusan

Faith and Order of the EOTC

How to Be a Sinner by Peter Bouteneff

Information was developed with assistance from ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2026) for language refinement in the article "Baptism"

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Tel. 868-642-4230.