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THE
ELEVENTH
MONTH IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, On this day died Saint Abba Basendius, Bishop of the city of Keft (Coptos). This saint became a monk in his early years, and he devoted himself to the ascetic life, and fought a great fight, and learned many of the holy Books by heart, of their number being the Book of the Psalms of David, and the Twelve Minor Prophets. And when he used to read a prophecy of one of the prophets, the prophet who wrote it used to come and stay with him until he had finished reading the prophecy. And it is related of him that when he lifted up his hands whilst he was praying, his ten fingers used to shine like ten lighted lamps; and God wrought great sings and miracles by his hands. Now he never looked upon the face of a woman, and he bowed his head towards the ground [when he saw one]. And there was a certain woman who had a serious sickness in her belly, and one day she lay in wait for him by his cell, and came upon him suddenly; and he ran away and the woman ran after him. And when she was unable to catch him, she took a handful of the dust upon which his feet had trodden, and swallowed it, and straightway she was healed of her sickness. One day he saw three shining men, and they gave him some keys saying, “Thou must administer the Church of God,” and then God chose him and he was made Bishop of the city of Keft (Coptos). And when he was consecrating the Offering, he used to see our Lord and His angels on the altar. One day a certain priest was reciting the Liturgy before him, and when he was in the middle of it, he spat out spittle whilst he was standing before he altar. And when the priest had finished this father rebuked him, saying, “Art thou not afraid of God when thou standest at the altar? Dost thou not know that the spittle which thou didst spit out fell upon the wing of one of the Cherubim, who were standing before the altar?’ And great trembling and dismay came upon that priest, and they carried him to his house, and he fell sick and died. And this saint had a sweet voice, and a good delivery of speech, and no man became wearied of his admonition or teaching. And when the time of his death drew nigh, the saint knew about it a few days before, and he summoned his people, and he taught them and admonished them, and strengthened them in the True Faith, and gave them many commands; then he delivered up his soul into the hand of God. And God made manifest many miracles from his body. And his disciple took a small piece of his grave clothes, and it became a means of healing for every sick person who came to him in faith. Salutation to Basendius. And on this day became a martyr Saint Ammon, who was from the city of Tuh, on the borders of Buna in the north of Egypt. The angel of God Saint Michael appeared to this saint and made known to him everything that would happen to him, that is to say, that he must go to the city of Antinoe, where they would torture him for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he departed to the city of Antinoe and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before Eugaius the governor, who at once tortured him severely with the wheel, and with the fire, and with the red-hot iron bed, and with whippings with whips made of ox-hide, and with the tribulation of the [furnace] of the bath; and they flayed off his scalp and laid coals of fire on his head. And God gave him strength under all these tortures, and raised him up sound and uninjured, and without pain. And after this our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him in the form of a young man on a chariot of the spirit, and He comforted him, and strengthened him, and promised to be with him, and He said unto him, “O My beloved Abba Ammon, whosoever shall call upon thy name in the time of his tribulation, I will come down and deliver him. Whosoever shall celebrate thy commemoration, or shall write the history of thy fight, I will remember in My kingdom, and I will blot out his sins; and I will protect thy city and thy church and thy body.” And this saint performed great miracles whilst he was in the body. And when the soldiers cut off his head with the sword, he received the crown of life. And Saint Julius who was there took his body, and wrapped it in costly cloths, and sent it with two of his servants into his city; and his body is to this day in Upper Egypt, and many miracles appear through it. Salutation to Ammon.
Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen. |
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