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THE FOURTH MONTH
TAHISAS 02
(December 11)
IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT,
ONE GOD.
AMEN.
On this day God performed an act of power for the Three Children,
that is to say, Ananias, Azarias and Misael, and sons of Eliakim, the King
of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar carried off into captivity with their
father, and he reared them in his house and sold them in the country of
Babylon. When Nebuchadnezzar
had made the image of gold he commanded his officers and the people of his
kingdom to worship it. And
when certain men informed against them and told the king that the saints
had refused to worship it, he commanded his soldiers to cast them into a
fiery furnace which they had heated seven times hotter than usual; and
they prayed for a long time with their hands stretched out.
Then the angel of the Lord went down and made the fire to become
like a cool wind, and he brought them out, and the fire had neither
touched them nor singed the hair of their heads.
When Nebuchadnezzar saw this he bowed down and worshipped God, and
he honored the Three Children exceedingly.
Salutation to Shadrach, Meshach and Abdenego, who were preserved by
God in a fiery furnace, which was heated with pitch and asphalt.
And on this day also seven hundred and thirty-three (or seven
thousand and three) souls were martyred by Diocletian and they died in the
city of Antioch; these were the slaves of Fasiladas and his kinsfolk.
And on this day also [are commemorated] the deaths of Abtesfen,
and Anbas, from the West; and Nathaniel the monk, the worker of miracles;
[and Abba Hor the Monk].
Salutation to Eutychianus who finished his course and kept his
Faith.
And on this day also died Saint Abba Hor the
monk. This holy man was a
native of the city of Gawrah in Upper Egypt.
And he became a chosen monk, and he fought the fight and he was
superior to very many of the saints in his piety and spiritual strife; and
he loved to live by himself, and he went out into the desert, and he dwelt
there, a devoted ascetic, for many years.
And Satan, the enemy of good things, appeared unto him openly and
said unto him, “In the desert thou canst conquer us, because there are
no men here; but if thou wouldst [show thy self] to be mighty and strong
[go] to the city of Alexandria.” When
Saint Abba Hor heard this he rose up and went to Alexandria, and he drew
water for those who were in prison and for the poor.
And at that time three horses used to pass through the city
galloping, and one of them kicked a child and he died immediately.
And Satan entered into the hearts of the men of the city, and they
meditated in their hearts and said, “No one killed this child except
this old monk.” And Abba
Hor came and took the child in his arms, and he prayed in his heart and
made entreaty to God, and he made the sign of the Cross over him, and the
soul of the child returned to him, and he rose up alive, and Abba Hor gave
him to his mother. And Abba
Hor fled out of the city and they sought for him, but could not find him;
and he went to the desert and lived there for many years, and he fought
the spiritual fight continually, and he devoted himself to righteousness
and doing works of excellence. When
the time for his departure drew night he saw many saints calling him, and
he rejoiced exceedingly. And
he sent and gathered together his sons, and he commanded them to be strong
in the path of the ascetic life, and in working righteousness, and he told
them that he was about to depart to our Lord Jesus Christ; and they were
exceedingly sorry. Then he
became sick a little and he delivered up his soul into the hand of God.
Salutation to Abba Hor, whose prayer restored the dead to life.
Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen.
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