The Coming of Saint Severus, Patriarch of Antioch, to Egypt

Egyptian Synaxarium Babah 2
THE SECOND MONTH
The Coming of Saint Severus, Patriarch of Antioch, to Egypt
Babah 2 Martyr – Coptic Calendar – Martyr Calendar
12 October

On this day St. Severus, Patriarch of Antioch, came to Egypt in the days of Eustinos the Emperor. This Emperor opposed the Orthodox belief, following that of the council of Chalcedon. However Queen Theodora, his wife, was an Orthodox and she loved St. Severus because of his Christian virtues and his true faith. The Emperor called him one day and many discussions took place regarding the faith, but the Emperor would not turn away from his wrong belief. The Emperor issued his orders to slay St. Severus. The Queen besought the saint to escape to save himself but he refused saying, "I am ready to die holding the Orthodox faith." However, as the Queen and the God loving brethren insisted, he and some brethren left to Egypt.

When the Emperor sought St. Severus and did not find him, he sent soldiers after him. But God hid St. Severus from the soldiers and they did not see him although he was close to them. When he came to Egypt, he went disguised from place to place and from monastery to monastery, and God made many signs and wonders by his hands.

One day, he went to the desert of Scete, at Wadi-El Natroun, and he entered the church in a uniform of a stranger monk and a great miracle took place at that time. It came to pass, that after the priest had placed the bread (Kourban) on the altar and gone around the church offering the incenses, and after the reading of the Epistles and the Gospel, he lifted off the Ebrospharin (altar covering), and did not find the Kourban in the paten; so, the priest was disturbed and wept. He turned towards the worshippers saying, "O my brethren, I did not find El-Kourban in the paten, and I know not whether this thing has happened because of my sin or because of your sin." The people wept; and straightaway, the angel of the Lord appeared to the priest and told him, "This has happened not because of your sin or because of the sin of the worshippers but because you offered El-Kourban in the presence of the Patriarch. The priest replied, "And where is he, O my Lord?" The angel pointed towards St. Severus. St. Severus was standing in a corner of the church and the priest recognized him by the grace of the Holy Spirit. The priest came to Abba Severus, who commanded him to continue the liturgy after they brought him to the altar with great honor. When the priest had gone up to the altar he found the offering on the paten as before. They all praised God and glorified His Holy Name.

St. Severus went forth from that place and came to the city of Sakha where he dwelt with a noble, and righteous man named Dorotheus, and he remained there until his departure.

His prayers be with us all and Glory be to our God, forever. Amen.


Ethiopian Synaxarium TEKEMT 02
THE SECOND MONTH
TEKEMT 02 - Geez (Ge'ez) Calendar – Ethiopian Calendar
(October 12)

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD. AMEN. AMEN.

On this day the great Saint Abba Severus, Archbishop of Antioch, came to the country of Egypt; now this took place in the days of the Emperor Eustathius, who was a wicked emperor. And the empress was a woman holding the right Faith, and she loved Abba Severus, and she placed in him very great confidence; but the emperor did not turn from his evil counsel and he wanted to kill Abba Severus. When the God-loving empress knew that the king wished to kill Abba Severus secretly, she besought the holy man to save himself, but he did not want to go away, and he said unto her, “I am ready to die for the sake of my Lord Jesus Christ.” And the empress urged him with many fervent entreaties, and certain God-loving brethren entreated him also, and he went forth from that city; and certain of the brethren who were with him fled to Lower Egypt. When the emperor had sought for him and had found him not, he sent soldiers to seek him out and to bring him to him. And God hid him from them, and they found him not, and yet he was nigh unto them, and he walked about in their midst and they did not see him when he was in that place wherein the soldiers of the emperor lived. When Abba Severus came to Egypt he went about secretly from place to place and from monastery to monastery, and God wrought by him great signs and wonders. One day he arrived in the desert of Scete, and he entered into the church of Saint Abba Macarius in the guise of a traveling monk, and at that moment the priest was offering the incense of sacrifice at the altar, and he was censing the people. Afterwards he read the Book of the Gospel, and then he lifted off the covering and looked for the Offering on the paten, but it was hidden from him and he could not find it. And he wept, “O my brethren, I know not whether this thing hath happened because of some sin of mine, or because of some sin of yours, but I cannot find the Offering on the paten, and It is hidden from me”; and the people wept because of this. And straightway the angel of the Lord appeared unto the priest, and said unto him, “This hath not happened because of thy sin, and this Offering hath not disappeared because of the sin of the people, but because thou hast acted stupidly, for thou hast dared to offer up incense and our Offering whilst the Archbishop Abba Severus is standing outside the sanctuary in a corner of the church.” And the priest said unto the angel, “Where is he?” And the angel pointed with his hand towards him, and he knew Abba Severus by the grace of the Holy Spirit. When the priest came to him Abba Severus commanded him to finish the service of the Offering. After this the priest brought Abba Severus to the sanctuary with great honor. And when the priest had gone up to the altar he found the Offering on the paten as before, and the priests marveled and praised God. After this Abba Severus went forth from that place and came to the city of Seha, and he dwelt there with a certain rich man who was a lover of God, and whose name was Dorotheus; and he lived with him until he died on the twenty-fourth day of the month of Yakatit.


And on this day are commemorated Takla Sama’et and Heriacus (Cyriacus?).

Glory be to God Who is wonderous in His Saints. Amen.


TEKEMT 02 - Geez (Ge'ez) Calendar – Ethiopian Calendar = Babah 2 Martyr – Coptic Calendar – Martyr Calendar