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   1. The Commemoration of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos. On this day the church celebrates the commemoration of the pure lady, the Virgin, St. Mary, the mother of Light, the mother of the Savior of the world. Her intercession be with us. Amen.       2. The Martyrdom of St. Barnabas, One of the Seventy Apostles. On this day also, St. Barnabas, one of the seventy apostles, was martyred. He was from the tribe of Levi. His ancestors left Judea long before he was born and moved to the island of Cyprus. His name was Joses. Our Lord, to Whom is the glory, gave him the name "Barnabas", which means son of "encouragement" or "consolation", when He called him to become an apostle. He received the gift of the Holy Spirit in the upper room with the disciples. He preached the gospel with them and witnessed to the Name of Christ. He had a field which he sold and brought the price and placed it at the feet of the apostles. (Acts 4:36-37) The apostles h

  The Departure of the Upright Haggai the Prophet. On this day, the upright Haggai, the Prophet, departed. This righteous man was a descendant of Aaron, the priest, and from the tribe of Levi. He was one of the twelve minor prophets. When King Nebuchadnezzar captured the Jews of Jerusalem and took them to Babylon, the parents of this prophet were among them, and he was born in exile. This prophet returned to Jerusalem along with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah and the rest of the people of Israel. He prophesied in the second year of the reign of Darius, King of Persia, who reigned in the year 3484 of the world and that was 15 years after the return of the people of Israel from the Babylonian exile. This prophet directed his prophecies by the command of God to Zerubbabel, then to Joshua the son of Jehozidak, the high priest. He incited the Jews to complete the rebuilding of the temple of Solomon, the son of David. They had started rebuilding the temple

  The Departure of St. John, Bishop of El-Borollos Who Gathered the Biographies of the Saints (The Synaxarium). On this day St. John, Bishop of El-Borollos, departed. He came from a wealthy family and from priestly ancestors. His parents were charitable and gave generously to the poor. When they died, St. John took the money they left and built a hostel for strangers. He gathered the sick, served them himself, and offered them what they needed. Once a monk visited him and saw his good deeds, he praised him and praised monasticism in his presence, showing him its honor. The saint was attracted to the monastic life and he had a deep love in his heart for it. After the monk departed, the saint distributed his wealth among the poor and went into the wilderness of "Shiheet" (Scetis). He became a monk under the guidance of St. Daniel the archpriest of the wilderness. St. John was known for his zeal for worship and for his great asceticism. He lived alone in a secluded

  1. The Commemoration of the Relocation of the Relics of St. Titus to Constantinople. On this day, the relics of the great St. Titus, the Apostle, and the disciple of St. Paul, were transferred from Crete to Constantinople at the order of Emperor Constantine the great. When Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, he paid his attention to the affairs of the churches in his empire, decorating them with the best paintings and precious stones, especially those churches in Constantinople, the capital of his empire. He also wanted to enrich the churches with the precious spiritual jewels, by collecting the relics of the saintly apostles and the honored martyrs. When he heard that the relics of St. Titus were on the island of Crete, he sent some bishops there, and they carried the relics with great honor and brought them to Constantinople. He built for it a splendid sanctuary, placed the body in a coffin which was placed inside the sanctuary. God honored this saint by man

   1. The Martyrdom of Saints Behnam and Sarah, His Sister. On this day, Saints Behnam and Sarah, his sister, the children of Sennacherib, King of Persia, were martyred. One day Behnam was out with 40 of his slaves hunting in the wilderness. He saw a huge wild beast, so he went after it for a long distance, and he was separated from his slaves. Night fell upon him and he had to sleep in that place. During his sleep he saw someone who told him to go to St. Matthew who dwelt in that mountain and he would pray for his sister so that the Lord would heal her. His sister was afflicted with an incurable disease, she was leprous. When St. Behnam woke up and was joined by his slaves, they searched for St. Matthew until they found him in a cave. He knelt between his hands, told him about the vision and they asked him to accompany them to the city. Behnam went before him to the city and told his mother about the vision and the presence of St. Matthew out of the city. Because of he

   1. The Martyrdom of St. Barsanuphius. This day marks the martyrdom of St. Barsanuphius the monk in the early days of the Islamic era in Egypt. He lived in the church of Mari Mina in the old district of Cairo (Fum-El-Khaleeg). He worshipped God with dedication and piety. He fasted two days at a time, praying incessantly with numerous metanias. Some wicked people accused him of cursing the judges and the Muslim sheikhs. They brought him and tortured him severely, then they finally cut off his head, thus St. Barsanuphius received the crown of martyrdom. His prayers be with us. Amen.       2. The Departure of St. Abracius (Apraxios). On this day also, the father St. Abracius (Apraxios) departed. He was from upper Egypt and became a monk in one of the monasteries when he was 20 years old. He fought a perfect fight until Satan grew tired of tempting him. Satan faced him saying, "You still have 50 more years to live in this world," wishing by these words to cast

The Departure of the Saint Abba Pijimi. This day marks the departure of the saint Abba Pijimi. He was a native of Feesha, diocese of Masil. When he was 12 years old, and while he was shepherding his father's sheep, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the form of a young man and told him, "Let us go and become monks." Abba Pijimi agreed and went with him to the desert of Scete; to a place where three elder monks dwelled, then the angel disappeared. The saint dwelt with them for 24 years until they departed. Then he left that place and went into the desert, a distance of three days travel. The devils appeared to him in the form of wild beasts, pigs and serpents. They surrounded him to devour him. He was able to discern their intent by the spirit. He prayed and they were vanished. Then he lived in a valley there for three years, fasting a week at a time; and at the end of the week, he ate a handful of dates and drank a little water. He prayed the Lord'

   1. The Departure of St. Heraclas (Theoclas), 13th Pope of Alexandria. On this day of the year 240 A.D., the holy father, Pope Heraclas, 13th Pope of Alexandria, departed. He was born to pagan parents who believed and were baptized after his birth. They taught him the Greek philosophy, then the Christian wisdom. He also studied the four gospels and the epistles. St. Demetrius, 12th Pope of Alexandria, ordained him deacon, then a priest over the church of Alexandria. He was successful in the ministry and was faithful in all that was entrusted to him. When Abba Demetrius departed, St. Heraclas was chosen as Patriarch. He shepherded the flock of Christ well. He converted many pagans and baptized them. He devoted his efforts to teaching, preaching and instructing the transgressors. He assigned to St. Dionysius the work of judging between the believers, and taking care of their affairs. Pope Heraclas sat on the throne of St. Mark for 13 years and departed in peace. May his

  On this day, Banina the Priest and Banawa the Deacon were martyred. Their prayer be with us. Amen.

  The Departure of St. Matthew the Poor. On this day, St. Matthew the Poor departed. This father was the Abbot of a monastery in Aswan Mount. He had great virtues. The Lord granted him the gift of healing the sick and casting off of evil spirits. Once they brought him a woman with an unknown sickness, which the doctors failed to cure, but he knew her problem through the Holy Spirit. He asked her to confess before those who were present. She confessed that she was married to two brothers at the same time, as a result, she was afflicted by that illness. The saint prayed for her and she was healed instantly. He reached a degree of piety to the point that the beasts did not fear him and ate their food from his hand. When he finished his course, he departed in peace. His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.

   1. The Departure of St. Abraam (Abraham), Ebn-Zaraa, 62nd Pope of Alexandria. On this day, of the year 970 A.D., the saint Anba Abraam, 62nd Pope of Alexandria, departed. This father was a descendant of the Christians of the East, whose name was Ebn-Zaraa the Syrian. He was a rich merchant who visited Egypt often, then finally settled there. He was blessed with many virtues, including mercy to the needy. His reputation of righteousness and knowledge became well known. When the Patriarchal Chair became vacant, the bishops and the learned elders all agreed to choose him as Patriarch. When he sat on the chair of the See of St. Mark, he gave all his possessions to the poor and needy. During his days, Cosman Ebn-Mina, the Coptic minister, was appointed a Governor over Palestine. Before his departure to his new position, he entrusted one hundred thousand dinars to the father, the Patriarch, asking him to hold them until his return. He asked the Pope to give the money to the p

  1. The Departure of Nahum, the Prophet. On this day is the commemoration of the righteous Prophet Nahum, one of the minor 12 prophets. He was born in the village of El-Kosh, one of the villages of Galilee. He was of the tribe of Simeon, among the prophets, he was the 16th from Moses down. He prophesied in the days of Amaziah the son of Joash, and in the days of Azariah, his son. He rebuked the children of Israel because of their worship of idols and he revealed to them that although God, the most High, is compassionate and abundant in mercy, yet He is a jealous God Who will take vengeance on His adversaries. He prophesied concerning the preaching of the Gospel and the apostles who should preach it, saying, "Behold on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace..." (Nahum 1:15) Nahum prophesied about the destruction that would come upon Ninevah. That was fulfilled since God had sent an earthquake and a fire which destroyed and bur

    On this day, St. Andrew the Apostle, the brother of St. Peter, was martyred. He was chosen to go to the city of Lydd and to Kurdistan. He entered the city of Lydd, where most of its people had believed at the hands of St. Peter. He was accompanied by his disciple, Philemon, who had a sweet voice and was a good reader. St. Andrew commanded Philemon to go up to the pulpit and read. When the priests of the idols heard of the arrival of Andrew the Apostle, they took their spears and went to the church. They stood outside the church to hear if he was cursing their gods or not. They heard Philemon reading the words of David the Prophet, "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak: eyes they have but they do not see: They have ears, but they do not hear: noses they have, but they do not smell: They have hands, but they do not handle: feet they have, but they do not walk: nor do they mutter through their throat. T

   1. The Departure of St. Peter Elrahawy, Bishop of Gaza. This day marks the departure of St. Peter Elrahawy (the Iberian), Bishop of Gaza. He was born in the year 49 A.D. in the City of Raha (Edessa) (1) to a noble family. When he was twenty years old, his parents gave him to the Emperor Theodosius II, to be one of his attendants. But because he had forsaken the world and its glories, he practiced asceticism and worship while living in the king's palace. He had parts of the relics of the holy martyrs of Persia with him. Abba Peter left the royal court and became a monk in a monastery. He fought a great spiritual fight. Shortly after, they ordained him Bishop of Gaza and its surroundings, against his will. It was said that when he celebrated his first Liturgy, blood flowed from the Holy Body and filled the Paten. Abba Peter took the body of St. James, the mangled (2) , and relocated it to a monastery in the city of Raha. When Marcian the Chalcedonian Emperor, starte

  1. The Departure of St. Acacius, Patriarch of Constantinople. On this day, St. Acacius, Patriarch of the city of Constantinople, departed. He was knowledgeable and well informed about the Holy Books and was an expert in explaining their mysteries. So, he was ordained a priest over the church of Constantinople. When the council of Chalcedone convened, he refused to attend its meeting and when they called on him to hear his opinion, he refused, claiming he was sick. He was exceedingly sorrowful for the tribulations that befell St. Dioscurus and he made that known to his companions and those he trusted: the Governors, Christians and ministers whom he knew to be dedicated and faithful Orthodox. He thanked the Lord that he did not participate in the works of this council. When Anatolius, the Patriarch of Constantinople departed, this father was chosen by the believing ministers and the enlightened government officials to be successor. St. Acacius strove diligently to elimina

   1. The Martyrdom of St. Peter, the Seal of the Martyrs, 17th Pope of Alexandria. This day marks the martyrdom of St. Peter, 17th Pope of Alexandria and the seal of the martyrs. His father was the archpriest of Alexandria and his name was Theodosius and his mother's name was Sophia. They were God-fearing people and they had no children. On the fifth day of the Coptic month of Abib, the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, his mother went to church where she saw other mothers carrying their children. She was exceedingly sorrowful and she wept. She besought our Lord Jesus Christ with many tears, to grant her a son. That night, Peter and Paul appeared to her and told her that the Lord had accepted her prayers and that He would give her a son, and to call him Peter. They commanded her to go to the Patriarch, to bless her. When she woke up, she told her husband about what she saw and he was exceedingly glad. Then she went to the father, the Patriarch and told him about what sh

  1. The Martyrdom of St. James the Mangled (Sawn). On this day, St. James the mangled, was martyred. He was one of the soldiers of Sakrod, the son of Shapur, King of Persia. Because of his courage and his uprightness, he was promoted to the highest rank in the king's court. He found favor and access to the king, who even counselled with him in many affairs. In this way, he influenced St. James greatly to the extent that he turned his heart away from worshipping the Lord Christ. When his mother, his wife, and his sister heard that he adopted the king's belief, they wrote to him saying, "Why have you forsaken the faith in the Lord Christ and worshipped the created objects, the fire and the sun? Know that if you persist in what you are doing, we will disown you and you will become a stranger to us." When he read their letter, he wept and said, "If by doing that, I have become a stranger to my own family and my people, how would the situation be with m

  Commemorations for Hator 26 1. The Commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Sts. Valerian (Balaryanos) and Tiburcius (Thiborinos), His Brother. On this day, Sts. Valerian (Balaryanos) and Tiburcius (Thiborinos), his brother, who were natives of Rome, were martyred. They were the sons of pagan parents. Balaryanos was betrothed to the daughter of one of the nobles of Rome; her name was Kilkeya. She was extremely beautiful and a Christian, who worshipped Christ in secret. When he married her, she gradually started to tell him about Christ's life and how to believe in Him, until he believed at her hands and was baptized. When St. Valerian was filled with Grace, he taught his brother who also became a believer and was baptized. Because of his righteousness, St. Valerian became worthy to talk to the angels and they revealed to him future hidden things. When Diocletian reigned and persecuted the Christians, these two saints went around the city and carried the bodie

    On this day, St. Mercurius, known as the saint with the two swords (Abu-Saifain), was martyred. He was born in the city of Rome. His parents were Christians and they called him Philopateer (which means "Lover of the Father"). They reared him in a Christian manner. When he grew, he enlisted in the army during the days of Emperor Decius, the pagan. The Lord gave Philopateer the strength and the courage, for which he earned the satisfaction of his superiors. They called him Mercurius and he grew very close to the Emperor. When the berbers rose up against Rome, Decius went out to fight them, but when he saw how many they were, he became terrified. St. Mercurius assured him saying, "Do not be afraid, because God will destroy our enemies and will bring us victory." When he left the Emperor, an angel appeared to him in the shape of a human being, dressed in white apparel. The angel gave him a sword saying, "When you overcome your enemies, remember the