Egyptian Synaxarium Babah 25THE SECOND MONTH
Departure of the Saints Apollo and Abib
Commemoration of the Consecration of the Church of St. Julius El-Akfehas
Babah (Paopi, Baba) 25 Martyr – Coptic Calendar – Martyr Calendar
04 November
Day 25 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Babah, may God make it always received, year after year, with reassurance and tranquility, while our sins after forgiven by the tender mercies of our God my fathers and brothers.
Amen.
Departure of the Saints Apollo and Abib
On this day, the righteous saints Abba Apollo, who was like the angels, and Abba Abib, the pious worshipper, departed.
Abba Apollo was born in the city of Akhmim. His father's name was Amani (Hamai) and his mother's name was Eyse (Isa). They were righteous before God, walking in His way, and loving to the strangers and saints.
They did not have a son. One night Abba Apollo's mother saw in a dream a shining man, who had a tree with him. He planted it in her house and it grew and bore fruit. He told her, "Whosoever shall eat of this fruit shall live forever." She ate from it and found it sweet and she said, "I wonder if I would have a fruit?" When she awoke from her sleep, she told her husband about what she had seen. He told her that he had seen the same vision, and they glorified the Lord. They added to their works of righteousness and to their striving. They fasted for two days on only bread and salt. After a while she conceived, and she prayed fervently until the child was born. They called him Apollo and they advanced in their piety.
When the boy had grown up and studied theology, he longed for the monastic life. This longing grew when he met a friend called Abib. They went together to one of the monasteries and became monks there. They practiced many ascetic works. They lived a good life that was pleasing to God. The saint Abba Abib departed on the 25th of Babah.
Thereupon St. Apollo went to Ablug Mount and many gathered around him. He taught them the fear of God and the acceptable worship. On the 25th of Babah they celebrated the commemoration of the saint Abba Abib to fulfill the saying of the Holy Bible, "The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." (Psalm 112:6) Abba Apollo lived for many years after that and he had monasteries and many brethren.
He was a contemporary of St. Macarius the Great who, when heard about St. Apollo, rejoiced. St. Macarius wrote him a letter to comfort him and the brothers and to confirm them in their obedience to the Lord. Abba Apollo knew by the spirit that St. Macarius was writing them a letter. There were many around him speaking the Word of God. He said to them "Listen my brethren, behold the great Abba Macarius is writing to us a letter full of comforting and spiritual teachings." When the brother arrived with the letter, they received him with joy then read it and their hearts were consoled.
St. Apollo was the one who went to St. Ammonius and saw the holy woman who stood in the middle of the fire but did not burn.
When the Lord Christ wished to relieve him from the labor of this world, he departed in peace.
His prayers be with us. Amen.
Commemoration of the Consecration of the Church of St. Julius El-Akfehas
On this day also was the consecration of the church of St. Julius El-Akfahsee (Aqfahs). This saint was martyred in the city of Tewa. This took place after the perishing of Diocletian and during the reign of Constantine, a short while before he was baptized. When Constantine was baptized, the Christian kingdom spread and the churches were built in the names of the martyrs that were slain by the infidel Emperors.
Emperor Constantine heard the reports of St. Julius and how the Lord had chosen St. Julius and preserved him along with his men to care for the bodies of the martyrs. He carried their bodies, shrouded them, wrote their biographies and how they were finally martyred. He sent each martyr to his home town. The Emperor praised the strife of this saint and blessed his work. He sent much money to Egypt, and commanded that a church be built for him in Alexandria. The church was built and his body was transferred to it. The church was consecrated by the Patriarch Abba Alexandros with some bishops. A feast was arranged on this day.
His intercession be for us and Glory be to our God, forever. Amen.
Ethiopian Synaxarium TEKEMT 25THE SECOND MONTH
TEKEMT (Teqemt, Tikemet, Thikimt, Tekemet, Tekemr) 25 - Geez (Ge'ez) Calendar – Ethiopian Calendar
(04 November)
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT,
ONE GOD. AMEN.
On this day died Abba Bula, who was surnamed ‘Abib. The name of the father of this holy man was Abraham, and that of his mother was Harik, and they were natives of the country of Rome, and came from the borders of Lupi; and since there was a persecution in the days of the Emperor Maximianus they continued to fly from city to city. As they lacked a son they entreated God, with fasting and prayer, to give them a son. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto them in a dream, and gave them a vine cluster which was full of grapes, and when the blessed woman conceived, a large tree which was near their house blossomed, and on the leaves thereof were written in the language of Rome the following words: “Bula servant of God, and the saint of the God of Jacob, Who dwelleth in Zion.” And when the child was born they left him for some time without making him a Christian. Then our Lady Mariyam appeared unto the Archbishop of Rome, and commanded him to go to the house of Abraham and baptize the child; and when he arrived there he made him a Christian and called his name “Bula.” When the father and the mother of the child heard [this] they marveled because he had called the child by that name without their having told him the name. When the archbishop had prayed, bread for the Offering and a cup of wine came down from heaven, and he consecrated them and administered unto them the Holy Mysteries. When the boy was one year old he spoke plainly and said, “One is the Holy Father, One is the Holy Son, One is the Holy Ghost.” After a little [time] his father and his mother died, on the sixteenth day of the month of Hedar (Nov-Dec). When the boy was ten years of age there arrived a wicked governor who ordered [the people] to worship idols, and when Abba Bula heard about it, he went to the governor and cursed his filthy idols. When the governor saw the small stature of the boy he marveled greatly. And he commanded [his soldiers] to drive nails into him, and to scrape his body, and to strip off his skin, and to saw off his hands and his feet, and to beat his back with whips, and to cast him on the wheel among the sharp knives and spikes, and to drag him along the road of the city; [and they did so]. And Saint Michael came and saved him, and healed him. Then Bula went to another wicked governor and reviled him, and the governor was wroth with him and cut off his head with the sword, and he was crowned on the eighteenth day of the month of Miyazya (April-May). And Saint Michael came down from heaven and raised him up unharmed, and he took him into the desert, and he arrayed him in the garb of the monk, and put upon him a mark in appearance like the sign of the Cross, and he said unto him, “God hath commanded thee to be a companion of the Saints.” And Abba Bula went up into a dry (i.e., withered) tree, and he dwelt therein fighting incessantly, and whenever he remembered the Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Passion, he always cast himself down from the top of the tree. One day having cast himself down Satan was strong to kill him, and he died, but our Redeemer came straightway and raised him up, and he said unto him, “Thy name shall not be ‘Bula’ only, but ‘ ‘Abibha,’ for thou shalt become many fathers.” And Bula loved Christ more and more, and he was always beating his face, and cutting his flesh with knives, every member of him, and he beat his back with seven hundred stripes; through these acts he died three times and our Redeemer raised him up again. And on each occasion He showed him how he had been born of a virgin, and on other days He showed him how he was seized by the Jews and His Passion. And for this reason Bula lived without eating and without drinking for two and forty years, and he never lay on his side for six and sixty years. And he also kept his head fixed for twelve years and six months, until his brains perished. One day when he saw the Passion of our Lord, he place a sword upright before him and then fell upon it and died. And our Lady Mariyam came with angels to the place where his body was, and she said unto him, “Peace be unto thee, O my beloved”; and his body spoke and said unto her, “Peace be unto thee, O Queen of the world.” And she laid her hands upon his body and healed him. And when his days were ended, and it was time for him to depart from this world, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him having in His hands shining crowns set with gems of various kinds, and shining raiment. And He said unto him, “Come unto Me, O My beloved ‘Abib, so that thou mayest enjoy never-ending pleasure. I swear unto thee by Myself that whosoever calleth upon thy name I will forgive him his sins. And whosoever commemorates thee, or show mercy on the poor, or clothes the naked, or feedeth the hungry, or gives drink to the thirsty man, or buildeth a shrine for thee, or writes the story of thy strife, or readeth it or heareth it, I will forgive his sins even to the tenth generation.” Having said this He kissed his mouth, and bearing him upon His breast carried him up into the air. And when he heard the praise of the angels, his soul tore itself away from his body, and entered the heavenly Jerusalem. Salutation to ‘Abib.
Salutation to the twelve handmaidens, and to the three and forty men, and to the three hundred and sixty women, who under the influence of ‘Abib became martyrs.
And on this day also died Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?), who was like the angels. The name of the father of this holy man Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?) was ‘Amone, and he was a native of the city of Akhmim; the name of his mother was Musya. And both of them were righteous before God, and they walked in His way; and they were very charitable towards pilgrims and strangers. Now they had no son at all. And his mother Musya saw a vision one night, and she saw in it a shining man who had with him a tree, and he planted the tree in her house, and it took root and blossomed and bore fruit. And the shining being said unto her, “Whosoever shall eat of this tree shall live for ever.” And the mother of the holy man took some of the fruit thereof and ate it, and it was sweet in her mouth, and she said in her heart, “Shall I, I wonder, have fruit.” When she awoke from her sleep she told her husband what she had seen. And he told her that he had seen in his vision what his wife had seen in her vision, and they praised God many times. And they added to their works of righteousness and to their strivings, and they fasted for two days at a time and their food was bread and salt. When the mother of the holy man Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?) conceived, she prayed many prayers and vanquished enemies. And every night she prostrated herself to the ground one thousand times, and every day five hundred times for a period of nine months, until she brought forth her son; and she called him “ ‘Ebloy (Apollo?).” After this she added to her works of goodness and righteousness. When Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?) arrived at man’s estate he wished to assume the garb of the monk, and he continued to feel this wish until he found the mans of gratifying it. Now he had a friend whose name was ‘Abib, and taking him with him they went forth by night, and they departed and became monks in one of the monasteries of Upper Egypt; and they devoted themselves to the ascetic life and fought strenuously. After a few days ‘Abib died, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Tekemt (Oct-Nov). Thereupon Saint Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?) departed to the monastery of Ablug, and many men were gathered together [there], and he taught them the fear of God and right worship. And on the day of the death of Abba ‘Abib, whilst they were performing the service of commemoration, Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?) said unto them, “O brethren, whosoever shall pray this day in the name of Abba ‘Abib God will forgive him his sin, even as Christ promised him with this promise, in the following words: ‘O My chosen one ‘Abib, whosoever shall pray one prayer on the day of thy commemoration (now Saint ‘Abib had said to God, Forgive me all my sin), I will forgive him his sin for thy name’s sake.’ “ And it came to pass in that hour that one of the monks died, and whilst they were standing and were burying him, one of the brethren who were monks felt doubts about what Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?) said. And straightway that dead man rose up, and he began to speak and to say unto them, “Why do ye doubt the words of Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?)? God did covenant this covenant with our father Abba ‘Abib on the day of his commemoration”; when the dead man had said these words he turned and lay down again. And the brethren, the monks, marveled and praised God. Now Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?) lived very many years, and he built many monasteries, and had many children; and in his days lived Abba Macarius the Great. When Abba Macarius heard the report of him he rejoiced therein exceedingly, and he wrote to him letters comforting him and his sons, the monks, and encouraging him to continue in the work, which was well pleasing to God. Now whilst Abba Macarius was writing those letters in the desert of Scete, Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?), being in Upper Egypt, knew by the Holy Spirit that he was doing so. And he said unto the monks who were round about him, speaking unto them with the voice of God, “Be silent, O my brethren, for behold Abba Macarius is writing to us a letter of encouragement.” Having spoken these words in this manner, behold, straightway a certain monk came having with him the letter of Abba Macarius. And the monks went out and they received him with joy, and he read the letter before all the monks with joy and they rejoiced with a great joy. This holy man Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?) went to the holy father Abba Ammonius, and he saw that holy woman, whose name was Yawahit, dwelling with him. And Christ having wished to give him rest from the labor of this world, he died straightway in peace on the fifth day of the month of Yakatit (Feb-Mar). Now we have written the history of Abba ‘Ebloy (Apollo?) side by side with that of his friend Abba ‘Abib.
And on this day also took place the consecration of the church of Saint Julius the martyr, of the city of ‘Akpahos (Acfaha). Now the saint became a martyr in the city of Tewa, according to what is written in the account of his strife. And this took place after the destruction of Diocletian the infidel, when Constantine was reigning, and a few days before he was baptized with Christian baptism. And when he had been baptized the horn of the Christian kingdom was exalted, and churches were built in the names of the holy martyrs whom the infidel emperors had slain. When the Emperor Constantine heard the report of this holy man Julius, and how God had raised him up and preserved him so that he might care for the bodies of the holy martyrs, both him and his servants, and carry their bodies and bury them, and write the history of their strifes, and how he became a martyr afterwards, he praised [God] for this holy man, for his fight was good. And the emperor sent very much money to Egypt, and he commanded [the people] to build a fine church in his honor, and to carry his body thither and to lay it therein; and they built a fine church in his honor even as the emperor commanded, and they translated the body of Saint Julius and laid it therein. And the Archbishop of Alexandria and his bishops consecrated it, and celebrated a festival even as do we this day. And many great signs and wonders were wrought by the body of Saint Julius. Salutation to the consecration of thy church, O Julius.
And on this day also are commemorated Abba ‘Abel and Dalila (Delilah), the virgin.
Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.
TEKEMT (Teqemt, Tikemet, Thikimt, Tekemet, Tekemr) 25 - Geez (Ge'ez) Calendar – Ethiopian Calendar = Babah (Paopi, Baba) 25 Martyr – Coptic Calendar – Martyr Calendar
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