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Short Stories (Stories for the Youth), book by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

318- The Angel Left me

 

St-Takla.org Image: Father Mikhail Ibrahim (1899-1975) during raising the incense prayer. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: القمص ميخائيل إبراهيم (1899-1975)، خلاص صلاة رفع البخور.

A Real Story

 

Fr. Yohanna, the priest of St. Mark’s Church in Shobra, Cairo, Egypt, was shocked to see what Fr. Mikhail Ibrahim did. After dismissing the angel of the offering at the end of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, he returned quietly to the sanctuary and bowed to a child. He repeated that three times. As he was bowing he said to the child, “Forgive me, son. My voice was very loud. Forgive me.”

Fr. Yohanna asked Fr. Mikhail, “How could you bow to a child who is considered as your grandson?”

With his usual quietness, he said, “I’ll tell you what happened but don’t reveal this to anyone until my departure from this world. As I was remembering in front of the offering the names of those who asked me, I saw an angel near the altar. Every time I mentioned a name, he would appear and disappear again. I saw this deacon moving and he distracted me. I screamed at him to quiet down. Immediately the angel left me and didn’t return.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: تركني الملاك!

Lord, grant me the spirit of tranquility mixed with love,

In order to have communion with angels.

Give me to resist fighting for the truth with anger,

For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

May truth be mixed with love and not anger,

To be able to see You my true Love,

And enjoy the communion with the heavenly hosts.

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