April 01
The repentant Egyptian Mary
She is Mary, known as the Egyptian. She is the second Magdalene, who, from a summary of her biography, knows how great the effect of divine grace is.
At the age of twelve, she escaped from her father's house and came to Alexandria, which was at the height of its prosperity. And there she set up a trap of her wonderful beauty to hunt deceitful men and boys, immersed in sin for seventeen years.
And one day she came to Jerusalem to attend the celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, not to worship, but to watch. When she wanted to enter the church, an invisible hand stopped her. I tried to enter several times, but could not. She knew that it was her sins that prevented her from entering. She turned to the Virgin, saying: "You are the refuge of sinners, have mercy on me." And she only turned around inside the church, kneeling at the feet of the crucified, repenting of all her sins. Then she went to the monastery of Saint John the Baptist, confessed her sins, partook of the Holy Communion, and penetrated into the abyssal wilds of Jordan, practicing acts of repentance with all kinds of asceticism, austerity and prayer.
Days and years passed, and the priest Zosima passed through the wilderness, and behold, before him was a pale-faced woman with thick white hair. She began to tell him her biography. So Zosima was very happy with her and glorified God. She asked him to bring her the Holy Eucharist. Then she asked for his blessing and prayers, and went on to continue her struggle in her repentance. A year later, he misses her. He found her lying dead on the ground, her face radiating light and splendor. He buried her and returned to his monastery. Her death was in the year 521.
أعياد القديسين
4
نيسان - ابريل
ماروني
April 05
Saint Robertus
Robertus was born in France in 1017 from an honorable family. When he became a monk, he became a monk in Saint Mubarak, when he was fifteen years old. He shined among the beginners by his practice of evangelical advice and his devotion to the acquisition of virtues. After the end of the two years of experience, the monks elected him as their president. Then he resigned from the presidency out of a desire for unity and devotion to God. There he administered the affairs of poor hermits. When the statute of limitations increased and they tended to worldly matters, Robertus left them and retired in the wilderness. That they repented and returned to them, and stressed the preservation of the laws and established a monastery in Seto, France, which flourished with a large number of monks and the sanctity of its inhabitants. His prayers are with us. Trustworthy.
April 23rd
St. George the Martyr
This saint was born in the city of Lod, Palestine, in the year 280, from an honorable Christian family. His father died, so his pious mother raised him with a proper Christian upbringing. When he was seventeen, he entered the military service and was promoted to the rank of commander of a thousand.
The historian Eusebius said in his martyrdom: When Diocletian Caesar intensified his persecution of Christians and issued an order that he hung on the wall of the royal court in Nicomedia, Georgios came forward and tore that order. So the pagans seized him and mutilated him first, then they put iron slippers on him nailed to his feet and dragged him behind untamed horses, so God saved him from all that, then they threw him into a blazing furnace, but he did not harm him. He mourned the loss of the commander of his guard and the son of his old friend. So he took his kindness and flattery to discourage him from his determination, so Georgios loved to express his feeling of the king's sympathy. He pretended to be convinced and asked him to be allowed to go to the temple of idols. So they entered the temple of the god "Apolon" with a majestic celebration, attended by the king and the council of elders and priests with their golden robes and a large gathering of the people. Georgios went to the statue of Apollo and made the sign of the cross. And he said to the idol: Do you want me to offer you sacrifices as if you are the god of heaven and earth? "And the idol answered him in a loud voice, No, I am not a god, it is the God you worship." Immediately, that idol fell to the ground, and all the other idols fell with it. And then the priests and the people cried: Georgios, by magic, destroyed our gods. Death to this sorcerer. They crucified him and threw him with crossbows until he surrendered his soul. The fame of his martyrdom spread across the horizons east and west. And God performed many wonderful miracles on his hand. Since the fourth century, Christians have been making pilgrimages to the tomb of the martyr “the one who wears the nail”, and through his intercession they receive abundant blessings and blessings. The photographers drew a beautiful symbolic image of him, representing him stabbing with his spear the demon of paganism represented by the dragon, and defending the belief of the church represented by the daughter of the heavenly king. Churches and altars were built on his name in all countries. Britain took him as its patron saint. Many of its kings were called by his name. The English honor him greatly. France also honored him. And the Republic of Genoa in Italy took it as its first and largest patron. And the Republic of Venice established a military monastic band after him. His prayers are with us. Trustworthy.
April 24th
Mar Saba, the commander of the army
He was a Christian from the Ghat tribe and an army commander in Rome. His jealousy led him to miss the prisoners for their faith in Christ, so King Orleanus knew about him and arrested him. So what was Saba the valiant commander, except that he stripped him of the soldier's girdle in the presence of the king, and he continued his faith in Christ, saying: I am proud to be faithful to serve my heavenly king, as I was faithful to serve my earthly king, and I must obey the first before the second. Seventy idolaters believed. and they tortured and killed them. Then they drove St. Saba to prison, where the Lord Christ appeared to him, comforted and strengthened him. The next day the king summoned him before him again, and tried to persuade him with promises and threats to dissuade him from his determination and sacrifice to idols. He refused With all boldness and courage, the king ordered his head to be cut off, so he joined his fellow martyrs, enjoying with them the heavenly glory in the year 271.
April 25th
Mark the Evangelist
St. Mark was the companion of Paul the Apostle in his travels and labors, and the special disciple of Peter the Apostle. And Mark was from Jerusalem, where it is said that the Savior made the Passover in his house. This saint is John, who is called Mark, who was mentioned several times in the Acts of the Apostles, and who accompanied the apostles and participated with them in travel and preaching.
And when Peter was preaching and preaching the word of the Lord in Rome, the believers asked his student Mark to write down the good news that his teacher delivered to them. He wrote for them the Gospel known by his name around the forty-sixth year of Christ, as he had taught it from the mouth of his teacher and directed it to the nations in the Greek language.
And after St. Peter appointed his student Mark as a bishop over the city of Byblos, as proven by the ancient tradition, he went to Egypt, where he preached the Gospel in several cities until the Holy Spirit led him to the Church of Alexandria, of which he was the first bishop. And through his hand many people were guided to faith in Christ.
St. Mark established a school in Alexandria in which many scholars, rabbis, and martyrs excelled, including St. Athanasius, Basil, and Gregory of Nazianzus.
And when the idolaters saw the success of St. Mark in returning the pagans to faith in Christ, they became angry and conspired to destroy him. So while he was celebrating the Holy Mysteries on Easter Sunday, they tied him with ropes and dragged him through the streets of the city, saying: "Let's drag the bull into the barn." So his body was torn apart and the rocks were stained with his blood, and he thanks God for his family to share in his suffering. Then they put him in jail. And at midnight an angel of the Lord came to comfort and encourage him. The Lord Christ appeared to him, strengthening him and congratulating him on the crown of martyrdom and glory. The next day, they resumed the abuse against him until his pure soul overflowed and went to luxuriate in the anesthesia of bliss. And that was on April 25, 68 AD.
The historic Byblos church, which according to tradition is from the era of the apostles and was renovated by the Crusaders, is named after St. John Mark. His prayers are with us. Amen!
April 29th
Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena
This saint was born in Siana, one of the cities of Italy, in the year 1347. Her father used to work in dyeing fabrics, and her mother was a virtuous woman. Since her youth, Katrina tended to live a solitary life. So she began to practice prayers and meditations. God endowed her with heavenly visions when she was six years old. and at the age of seven she vowed to become God._cc781905-5cde-3194-3194-bb3b3b-1 A worshiper of the Virgin Mary, she took Jesus as her fiancé, and believed that he handed her a ring, the sign of the engagement, bearing three jewels, symbolizing the evangelical counsels: obedience, chastity, and poverty.
And Jesus showed her his heart and his five wounds, so that she was imprinted. And her mother was interested in marrying her. However, Katrina cut her hair as a sign of steadfastness in her vow of her virginity to God._cc781905-5cde- 3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ So it was difficult for her mother, so she rebuked her and occupied her with the tasks of the house. But her father made her devote herself to the cause of her calling. When she reached the age of fifteen, she wore the nun’s dress, h. For the third time, she continued wearing it while she was in her parents' house. Her austere life had belittled the great hermits with what she practiced of fasting and austerities, even flogging, wearing burial cloth and a girdle of barbed iron.
And when she became in the highest degree of perfection, the Lord appeared to her and taught her what the greatest philosophers and theologians failed to know.
God honored her with the talent of performing many miracles. Because of her intense contemplation of his sufferings, Christ appeared to her crucified, and the lights of His wounds penetrated her heart. and she saw with tearful eyes what befell the church in terms of division and strife. So I went to Pope Gregory in Avignon in France, after I wrote to him a letter filled with pleading with tears. and persuaded him to return to Rome with his retinue. after the papacy had established itself in France towards Seventy years (1309-1377) Recognition of the legitimate Pope Urban VI and the renunciation of Clement IX, the intruder. b-136bad5cf58d_ Despite all that she had of importance and influence with the greats of the world and praise and praise on the tongues of people, she used to hide behind the veil of meekness and humility.
