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Day 24 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Bashans, 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.
The Twenty-Fourth Day of the Blessed Month of Bashans
Commemoration of the Entry of the Lord Christ to Egypt
On this day, our Lord Jesus Christ
came to the land of Egypt when He was a two years old child, as the Bible
says in
(Mt. 2:13) that the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream,
saying: "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and
stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child
to destroy Him." This was for two reasons:
A. If He fell in the hand of Herod, and Herod
could not kill Him, he would have thought that His flesh was a phantom.
B. The second reason was to bless the people
of Egypt by being among them, so that the prophecy of Hosea
(Hosea 11:1) could
be fulfilled which says: "... out of Egypt I called My Son." And also the
prophecy of Isaiah (19:1) be fulfilled: "Behold, the Lord rides on a swift
cloud, and will come into Egypt, the idols of Egypt will totter at His
presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst."
The Lord Jesus came to Egypt with
Joseph, and His Virgin mother, and Salome. They passed in an estate called
"Basta" where the Holy Family drank from a well, and the water of the well
became a curing water for all sicknesses. Then they went to "Meniet Samannoud"
and crossed the Nile to the western side. In this place, the Lord Jesus
put His foot on a stone, and the trace of His foot appeared, and the stone
was called "Picha Isos" in Coptic (or The heal of Jesus). From there, they
went westward to Wadi El-Natroun, and St. Mary blessed the place, for her
knowledge that many monasteries would be built there. Then they went to
"Al-Ashmoneen" where they settled for several days, after which they went
to Mount "Qosqam", where the monastery of St. Mary was later built, which
has been known with the name "El-Moharrak monastery". When Herod died,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying: "Arise, take
the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those
who sought the young Child's life are dead."
(Mt. 2:20-21). They came back
to Cairo, and on their return they stayed in a cave which is today located
in the church of Abu-Serga in Old Cairo. Then they passed by El-Mataryia,
and they washed there from a well, and the well has been blessed since,
and a tree of Balsam grew beside it, from its oil the Chrism (El-Myroun)
is made which is used to consecrate new churches. From there, the Holy
Family walked to El-Mahama (Mustorod), and from there to Israel. We ought
to celebrate this feast spiritually with joy, for Our Lord Jesus honored
our land.
Glory to His Holy Name for ever. Amen.
Departure of the Prophet Habakkuk
On this day also, the prophet
Habakkuk departed. He was one of the twelve minor prophets, and he was
from the tribe of Levi. He was a singer using stringed musical instruments
as it is indicated in this verse: "The Lord God is my strength; He will
make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.
To the chief musician. With my stringed instruments." (Habakkuk 3:19).
He prophesied at the time of king Jehoiakim. He lived long enough to see
the return of the children of Israel from exile, and he prayed saying: (Habakkuk 3:2)
He prophesied about the Incarnation of Christ and His birth, saying: (Habakkuk
3:3). He finished his course, and departed in peace. A church after his
name was built in Bartsa - El-Behera in Egypt at the time of the Christian
Emperor Anastasius, and consecrated on the twenty fourth of Bashans.
May the prayers of this prophet be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of the Monk St.Bashnouna El-Maqari
On this day also, of the
year 880 A.M. (May 19th., 1164 A.D.), St. Bashnouna was martyred. He was
a monk in St. Macarius (Abu Maquar) monastery. During the fighting between
the men of prince Dergham and the men of El-Wazir Shawer in the Fatimid
rule, the monk was arrested. He was threatened with death if he did not
convert to Islam, but he refused. They burned him alive, and he received
the crown of martyrdom. The faithful took his bones and carried them to
the church of Abu Serga in Old Cairo, in the place of wax, and they buried
him there.
May his prayers be with us, and glory be to God forever. Amen.