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  1. The Departure of St. Kyrellos (Cyril), Bishop of Jerusalem. On this day of the year 386 A.D. the holy father Anba Kyrellos (Cyril), Bishop of Jerusalem, departed. This father was chosen in the year 348 A.D. as a successor for Anba Maximus, Bishop of Jerusalem, for his knowledge and righteousness. He did not stay long on his Chair, until a contention arose between him and Acacius Bishop of Caesarea about who had the right to be in primacy over the other. Kyrellos argument in that he was the successor of St. James, one of the Twelve Disciples. Anba Kyrellos had sold some of the church vessels and distributed the money on the needy because of a famine that befell the land of Palestine. Acacius took this chance and made an effort to obtain an order to exile him from the country. Anba Kyrellos was exiled without any one listening to his case. In the year 359 A.D., he appealed his case before the council of Seleucia. The council called Acacius to hear from him his...

  1. Commemoration of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin St. Mary On this day we celebrate the commemoration of the pure, and chaste, Virgin Mary the Theotokos, mother of the merciful, and the compassionate One. May her intercession be with us. Amen.       2. Commemoration of the visit of Our Lord Christ to Bethany On this day also we commemorate the visit of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ with his disciples to Bethany, which is near by Jerusalem. Lazarus, who had been dead, and Jesus raised him, sat at the table with Him, and Martha his sister served those who were present. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair, and the Lord praised her. He pointed out to His death by saying: “She has kept this for the day of My burial.” (John 12:1-8) May his prayers be with us. Amen.       3. Consultation of the Chief Priests to put the righteous Lazarus to death, w...

   1. The Departure Of the St. Anba Khail (Mikhail) the Fifty Six Pope of the See of St. Mark. On this day of the year 623 A.M. (March 16th., 97 A.D.) the holy father Anba Khail (Mikhail), the fifty six Pope of Alexandria, departed. He was enthroned Patriarch on the 30th. of Baramouda 5296 A.M. (April 25th., year 880 A.D.). This father had nobel qualities, nevertheless a great sorrow came upon him. Pope Cosma II built a church on the name of St. Ebtelmaos in the city of Danousher which was under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Sakha. The people of Danousher desired to invite the father the Patriarch Anba Mikhail and some of the neighboring bishops to consecrate this church but the Bishop of Sakha was not pleased with this idea. When they did against his wish and the father the Patriarch along with the bishops came, this bishop refused to stay and he left the church pretending that he was going to check on their meal. When the Bishop did not come back, and the t...

   1. The Martyrdom of St. Aristobulus, the apostle. On this day St. Aristobulus, one of the seventy apostles that was chosen and sent to preach by the Lord before His passion, was martyred. He received along with the disciples the gifts of the Spirit the comforter, accompanied, ministered to them and preached with them the Life-giving Gospel. He turned many to the path of salvation, believed in the Lord Christ, baptized them and taught them the Divine commandments. The disciples ordained him bishop for the city of Abratabias, and he went there, preached it's people, performed many miracles, taught and baptized them. Many tribulations and humiliation befell him from the Jews and the Greeks, who threw him out many times, and cast him with stones. Having finished his strife, he departed in peace. St. Paul had mentioned him in his Epistle to the Romans (Ch.16:10). May his prayers be with us. Amen.      2. The Martyrdom of the Sts. Alexander, Agabius,...

    1. The Martyrdom of St. Aristobulus, the apostle. On this day St. Aristobulus, one of the seventy apostles that was chosen and sent to preach by the Lord before His passion, was martyred. He received along with the disciples the gifts of the Spirit the comforter, accompanied, ministered to them and preached with them the Life-giving Gospel. He turned many to the path of salvation, believed in the Lord Christ, baptized them and taught them the Divine commandments. The disciples ordained him bishop for the city of Abratabias, and he went there, preached it's people, performed many miracles, taught and baptized them. Many tribulations and humiliation befell him from the Jews and the Greeks, who threw him out many times, and cast him with stones. Having finished his strife, he departed in peace. St. Paul had mentioned him in his Epistle to the Romans (Ch.16:10). May his prayers be with us. Amen.       2. The Martyrdom of the Sts. Alexander, Agabi...

  1. The Departure of Lazarus, the beloved of the Lord. On this day the righteous Lazarus, the beloved of the Lord Christ, departed. He was the brother of Martha and Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair. When Lazarus fell sick the sisters sent to the Lord Christ saying: "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was" to magnify the miracle. Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples told Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, be...

  1. The Departure of St. Sarah the nun. On this day departed the righteous and ascetic St. Sarah the nun who was a native of Upper Egypt. Her parents, who were exceedingly rich, were Christians and had no other children. They raised her in a christian manner and taught her reading and writing. She was always reading the books of the church and especially the biography and sayings of the fathers the monks. She was influenced by their lives and desired the ascetic life. She went to one of the convents of Upper Egypt and dwelt there for many years serving the virgins. Then she put on the monastic garb, persisting on fighting the lust of Satan for thirteen years until Satan was weary of her. When Satan was exasperated from her steadfastness and purity, he wished to overthrow her by the sin of pride. He appeared to her while she was standing praying on the roof of her cell and said to her: "Rejoice for you have overcome Satan." She replied: "I am a feeble woman...