Humility

Zooming out

An ageing master grew tired of his apprentice’s complaints. One morning, he sent him to get some salt. When the apprentice returned, the master told him to mix a handful of salt in a glass of water and then drink it.

“How does it taste?” the master asked.

“Bitter,” said the apprentice.

The master chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the old man said, “Now drink from the lake.”

As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the master asked, “How does it taste?”

“Fresh,” remarked the apprentice.

“Do you taste the salt?” asked the master.

“No,” said the young man. At this the master sat beside this serious young man, and explained softly,

“The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains exactly the same. However, the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake.”

Steppingstone

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off! MORAL : Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up. Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive. 2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens. 3. Live simply and appreciate what you have. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less from people but more from yourself. You have two choices... smile and close this page, or pass this along to someone else to share the lesson

My quote

" God no longer picks soulmates. You pick one yourself and ask him for his blessing" Buruk Kidane 

Description of Jesus Christ from the letter written from Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar

Pontius Pilate letter to Tiberius Caesar 

TO TIBERIUS CAESAR:

A young man appeared in Galilee preaching with humble unction, a new law in the Name of the God that had sent Him. At first I was apprehensive that His design was to stir up the people against the Romans, but my fears were soon dispelled. Jesus of Nazareth spoke rather as a friend of the Romans than of the Jews. One day I observed in the midst of a group of people a young man who was leaning against a tree, calmly addressing the multitude. I was told it was Jesus. This I could easily have suspected so great was the difference between Him and those who were listening to Him. His golden colored hair and beard gave to his appearance a celestial aspect. He appeared to be about 30 years of age. Never have I seen a sweeter or more serene countenance. What a contrast between Him and His bearers with their black beards and tawny complexions! Unwilling to interrupt Him by my presence, I continued my walk but signified to my secretary to join the group and listen. Later, my secretary reported that never had he seen in the works of all the philosophers anything that compared to the teachings of Jesus. He told me that Jesus was neither seditious nor rebellious, so we extended to Him our protection. He was at liberty to act, to speak, to assemble and to address the people. This unlimited freedom provoked the Jews -- not the poor but the rich and powerful.

Later, I wrote to Jesus requesting an interview with Him at the Praetorium. He came. When the Nazarene made His appearance I was having my morning walk and as I faced Him my feet seemed fastened with an iron hand to the marble pavement and I trembled in every limb as a guilty culprit, though he was calm. For some time I stood admiring this extraordinary Man. There was nothing in Him that was repelling, nor in His character, yet I felt awed in His presence. I told Him that there was a magnetic simplicity about Him and His personality that elevated Him far above the philosophers and teachers of His day.

Now, Noble Sovereign, these are the facts concerning Jesus of Nazareth and I have taken the time to write you in detail concerning these matters. I say that such a man who could convert water into wine, change death into life, disease into health; calm the stormy seas, is not guilty of any criminal offense and as others have said, we must agree -- truly this is the Son of God.

Your most obedient servant,
Pontius Pilate

This document can be found in the Congressional Library in Washington D.C.

Scholars, after studying the writing style have concluded this could be a forgery written by someone in the 4th century, either (Eusebius or Jerome)

ጳጉሜ

ጳጉሜ/ጳጉሜን/ 
በኢትዮጵያ አቆጣጠር ከነሐሴ በኋላ ጳጉሜን የምትባል አምስት ቀን አለች፡፡ ወር እንዳትባል አቅም ያንሳታል፡፡ ሳምንት እንዳትባል አምስት ቀን ብቻ ኾናለች፡፡ ጳጉሜን የሚለው ስያሜዋ ግን “ኤፓጉሜኔ” ከሚለው የግሪክ ቃል የመጣ መኾኑ በአበው ቃል ተነግሯል፡፡

“ኤፓጉሜኔ” ማለት ጭማሪ ማለት ነው ፡፡ በግእዝ ቋንቋችን ተውሳክ ማለት ነው፡፡ ተውሳክ ማለት ተጨማሪ ማለት ነው፡፡ “ወሰከ - ጨመረ” ከሚለው የግእዝ ግስ የተገኘ ነው፡፡ ኤውሮፓዎች ጳጉሜን የወር ተጨማሪ አድርገዋታል፡፡ ይኸውም ይታወቅ ዘንድ እኛ የወርን ቁጠር ሠላሳ ስናደርግ እነርሱ ሠላሳ አንድ ብለው የሚቆጥሩት ወር አላቸው፡፡ ይኹን እንጂ የኢትዮጵያ ሊቃውንት ጳጉሜን የወር ተጨማሪ ሳያደርጉ የዓመት ተጨማሪ አድርገዋታል፡፡ የዓመቱንም ቀን ቁጥር ሦስት መቶ ስድሳ አምስት ቀን ከነሱ ብለው ደምረውታል፡፡

በቅድስት ቤተክርስቲያን ካሉት ሁለት የፈቃድ አጽዋማት መካከል አንዱ በዚህ በጳጉሜ ወር የምንጾመው የፈቃድ ጾም ነው፡፡ ይህም ጾመ ዮዲት በመባል ይታወቃል፡፡ ይህ ግን እንደ አንደኛው የፈቃድ ጾም /ጽጌ ጾም/ በብዙዋኑ ዘንድ የታወቀ አይደለም፡፡ የዮዲት ጾም የሚባለውም እርሷ ስለ ጾመችው ነው፡፡ እዚህ ላይ ዮዲት ተብላ የተጠቀሰችው በቤተክርስቲያን ታሪክ ትምህርት ላይ በጥፋት ሥራዋ በተደጋጋሚ የምትጠቀሰው ዮዲት ጉዲት እንዳልሆነች ለማሳወቅ እንወዳለን፡፡ ወደ ታሪኩ ስንመለስ የፋርስ ንጉስ ናቡከደነጾር በሠራዊቱ ተመክቶ ሹም ጠላት አጥፋ ድንበር አስፋ ካመነው እጅ መንሻ እየተቀበልህ ያላመነውን እያሳመንህ ና ብሎ ለጦር አበጋዙ ለሆሎፎርኒስ ትዕዛዝ ሰጠ፡፡ ዮዲ 2፡-2-7፡፡ እርሱም እንደታዘዘው በኃይላቸው የታመኑ 12ሺህ እግረኞችንና በፈረስ የተቀመጡ 12ሺህ ጦረኞችን እየመራ ዘምቶ ካመነው እጅ መንሻ እየተቀበለ ያላመነውን እያሳመነ ብዙ ሀገሮችን እያጠፋ ሲሔድ ከአይሁድ ከተማ ደረሰ በዚህም ብዙ ጥፋት በመድረሱ የእስራኤል ልጆች አለቀሱ፡፡

ዮዲት ባሏ ሞቶባት ከወንድ ርቃ ንጽሕናዋን ጠብቃ በጾም በቀኖና በሀዘን ተወስና ትኖራለች በተፈጠረው ጥፋት ህዝቡ ላይ ለመጣው መከራ ማቅ ለብሳ በራስዋ ላይ ትብያ ነስንሳ ወደ እግዚአብሔር አለቀሰች፡፡ የፍጥረቱን ጥፋት የማይሻ እግዚአብሔር አምላክም ሕዝቡን የሚያድኑበትን መንገድ ለመጠየቅ ሱባኤ በገባች በሦስተኛው ቀን ገለፀላት፡፡ ዮዲ 8፡-2 ፡፡ ከዚህ በኋላ ጠላታቸውን በዮዲት ምክንያት እስራኤላውያን እስከ ዮርዳኖስ እየተከተሉ አጥፍተዋቸዋል፡፡

ዮዲት ጠላቷን ለማጥፋት የቻለችው በጾምና በጸሎት ከእግዚአብሔር አምላክ ኃይል አግኝታ ነው፡፡ ስለዚህ ምዕመናን ጥንተ ጠላታችን ሰይጣንን ፈቃደ ሥጋን ለማሸነፍ በጾም ከፈጣሪያችን ኃይልን መጎናጸፍ አለብን ብለው ጳጉሜን በፈቃድ ይጾማሉ፡፡

የጳጉሜ ወር ዕለተ ምጽአት የሚታሰብበትም ወር ነው፡፡ ይህም ጳጉሜ የዓመታት መሸጋገሪያ ጨለማው የክረምት ወቅት ወደ ማብቂያው የምናልፍባት እንደሆነች ሁሉ ምጽአትም ከጊዜያዊው ወደ ዘላለማዊ ከምድራዊ ወደ ሰማያዊ ከዚህ ዓለም ወደ ወዲያኛው መሸጋገሪያ ነውና ነው፡፡

ሊቃውንቱ እንደ ሱባኤ ቀን ቀኖና እንዲፈጽምባት ለብቻ ለይተው አኑረውታል፡፡ “ይህ ዓለም ኑሮ፣ ኑሮ በመጨረሻ ያልፋል፡፡ ጌታ ዓለምን ለማሳለፍ ይመጣል” ሲሉ የገታ የመምጣቱ ነገር እንዲነገርባት፣ መሥዋዕት እንዲሠዋባት፣ ጾም እንዲያዝባት፣ ምጽዋት እንዲመጸወትባት ለይተው መድበዋታል፡፡

ሕዝቡ ሳይቀር “ጳጉሜን ዕድሜ ትሰጠናለች፤ በኋላም ታድነናለች” ብለው ጾም ይጾሙባታል፡፡ የዚሁም ማስረጃ በቅዱስ መልከ ጸዴቅ ድርሳን ይገኛል፡፡ ንግሥት ዘውዲቱ ምኒልክ የጾም ሥርዐት ይፈጽሙባት ነበር፡፡ ሌሎችም ሽማግሌዎችና ባልቴቶች አክብረው ይጾሙባታል፡፡ ኾኖም የጳጉሜን አቆጣጠር አንዱ ከወር ጋራ፣ ሌላውም ከዓመት ጋራ ቢያደርገውም በሁሉም አቆጣጠር ውስጥ ሕያዊት ኾና መገኘቷ የታወቀ ነው፡፡

የነቢዩ ኄኖክ መጽሐፍም ጳጉሜን ጨርሶ አልዘነጋትም፡፡

ክርስቲያኖች ሁሉ በየዓመቱ በጳጉሜ ወር ሁሉም ተሰብስበው ከሌሊት ጀምረው በቤተክርስቲያን ተገኝተው ጸበል ይጠመቃሉ፡፡ ይህንን የምናደገውም እግዚአብሔር የተባረከ ዓመት እንዲሰጠን፣ ባሳለፍነው ዓመት የሰራነውን ኃጢአት ይቅር እንዲለን ነው፡፡ የምንጠመቀውም ንስሐ ገብተን ነው፡፡ በእግዚአብሔር ስም የተቀደሰው ጸበል ደግሞ ከበሽታችን ያድነናል፣ የተቀደስንም ያደርገናል፣ መጪውንም ህይወታችን የተባረከ ያደርግልናል፡፡

ወስብሐት ለእግዚአብሔር

መልካም የአዲስ ዓመት ዋዜማ (ጷጉሜ) ይሁንላችሁ፡፡

Meles zenawi quote

"If you want political office and political legitimacy from the people, start by accepting the people as your equals. Don’t patronize them. They know better than you. Understand them, accept their views, and help them shape their own future. Do not try to shape the future for them. But leadership cannot be learned through theory alone. You must be in the thick of things and practice it.”

On Nomadic pastoralists

• “That’s a romantic western idea but if there are people who want to live like that that is their right. If you force them to settle, you will not succeed.”

Martin Luther King's Final Speech

I have been to the Mountaintop

Thank you very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy and his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered who he was talking about. It's always good to have your closest friend and associate to say something good about you. And Ralph Abernathy is the best friend that I have in the world. I'm delighted to see each of you here tonight in spite of a storm warning. You reveal that you are determined to go on anyhow.

Something is happening in Memphis; something is happening in our world. And you know, if I were standing at the beginning of time, with the possibility of taking a kind of general and panoramic view of the whole of human history up to now, and the Almighty said to me, "Martin Luther King, which age would you like to live in?" I would take my mental flight by Egypt and I would watch God's children in their magnificent trek from the dark dungeons of Egypt through, or rather across the Red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the promised land. And in spite of its magnificence, I wouldn't stop there.I would move on by Greece and take my mind to Mount Olympus. And I would see Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides and Aristophanes assembled around the Parthenon. And I would watch them around the Parthenon as they discussed the great and eternal issues of reality. But I wouldn't stop there.
I would go on, even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would see developments around there, through various emperors and leaders. But I wouldn't stop there.I would even come up to the day of the Renaissance, and get a quick picture of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and aesthetic life of man. But I wouldn't stop there.I would even go by the way that the man for whom I am named had his habitat. And I would watch Martin Luther as he tacked his ninety-five theses on the door at the church of Wittenberg. But I wouldn't stop there.I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating President by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn't stop there.
I would even come up to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the problems of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come with an eloquent cry that we have nothing to fear but "fear itself." But I wouldn't stop there.Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, "If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the 20th century, I will be happy."Now that's a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around. That's a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a way that men, in some strange way, are responding.
Something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee -- the cry is always the same: "We want to be free."And another reason that I'm happy to live in this period is that we have been forced to a point where we are going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demands didn't force them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them. Men, for years now, have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence. That is where we are today.
And also in the human rights revolution, if something isn't done, and done in a hurry, to bring the colored peoples of the world out of their long years of poverty, their long years of hurt and neglect, the whole world is doomed. Now, I'm just happy that God has allowed me to live in this period to see what is unfolding. And I'm happy that He's allowed me to be in Memphis.I can remember -- I can remember when Negroes were just going around as Ralph has said, so often, scratching where they didn't itch, and laughing when they were not tickled. But that day is all over. We mean business now, and we are determined to gain our rightful place in God's world.
And that's all this whole thing is about. We aren't engaged in any negative protest and in any negative arguments with anybody. We are saying that we are determined to be men. We are determined to be people. We are saying -- We are saying that we are God's children. And that we are God's children, we don't have to live like we are forced to live.
Now, what does all of this mean in this great period of history? It means that we've got to stay together. We've got to stay together and maintain unity. You know, whenever Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing it. What was that? He kept the slaves fighting among themselves. But whenever the slaves get together, something happens in Pharaoh's court, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that's the beginning of getting out of slavery. Now let us maintain unity.
Secondly, let us keep the issues where they are. The issue is injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers. Now, we've got to keep attention on that. That's always the problem with a little violence. You know what happened the other day, and the press dealt only with the window-breaking. I read the articles. They very seldom got around to mentioning the fact that one thousand, three hundred sanitation workers are on strike, and that Memphis is not being fair to them, and that Mayor Loeb is in dire need of a doctor. They didn't get around to that.
Now we're going to march again, and we've got to march again, in order to put the issue where it is supposed to be -- and force everybody to see that there are thirteen hundred of God's children here suffering, sometimes going hungry, going through dark and dreary nights wondering how this thing is going to come out. That's the issue. And we've got to say to the nation: We know how it's coming out. For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.We aren't going to let any mace stop us. We are masters in our nonviolent movement in disarming police forces; they don't know what to do. I've seen them so often. I remember in Birmingham, Alabama, when we were in that majestic struggle there, we would move out of the 16th Street Baptist Church day after day; by the hundreds we would move out. And Bull Connor would tell them to send the dogs forth, and they did come; but we just went before the dogs singing, "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around."Bull Connor next would say, "Turn the fire hoses on." And as I said to you the other night, Bull Connor didn't know history. He knew a kind of physics that somehow didn't relate to the transphysics that we knew about. And that was the fact that there was a certain kind of fire that no water could put out. And we went before the fire hoses; we had known water. If we were Baptist or some other denominations, we had been immersed. If we were Methodist, and some others, we had been sprinkled, but we knew water. That couldn't stop us.And we just went on before the dogs and we would look at them; and we'd go on before the water hoses and we would look at it, and we'd just go on singing "Over my head I see freedom in the air." And then we would be thrown in the paddy wagons, and sometimes we were stacked in there like sardines in a can. And they would throw us in, and old Bull would say, "Take 'em off," and they did; and we would just go in the paddy wagon singing, "We Shall Overcome." And every now and then we'd get in jail, and we'd see the jailers looking through the windows being moved by our prayers, and being moved by our words and our songs. And there was a power there which Bull Connor couldn't adjust to; and so we ended up transforming Bull into a steer, and we won our struggle in Birmingham. Now we've got to go on in Memphis just like that. I call upon you to be with us when we go out Monday.Now about injunctions: We have an injunction and we're going into court tomorrow morning to fight this illegal, unconstitutional injunction. All we say to America is, "Be true to what you said on paper." If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions. Maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. And so just as I say, we aren't going to let dogs or water hoses turn us around, we aren't going to let any injunction turn us around. We are going on.
We need all of you. And you know what's beautiful to me is to see all of these ministers of the Gospel. It's a marvelous picture. Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher? Somehow the preacher must have a kind of fire shut up in his bones. And whenever injustice is around he tell it. Somehow the preacher must be an Amos, and saith, "When God speaks who can but prophesy?" Again with Amos, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." Somehow the preacher must say with Jesus, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me," and he's anointed me to deal with the problems of the poor."And I want to commend the preachers, under the leadership of these noble men: James Lawson, one who has been in this struggle for many years; he's been to jail for struggling; he's been kicked out of Vanderbilt University for this struggle, but he's still going on, fighting for the rights of his people. Reverend Ralph Jackson, Billy Kiles; I could just go right on down the list, but time will not permit. But I want to thank all of them. And I want you to thank them, because so often, preachers aren't concerned about anything but themselves. And I'm always happy to see a relevant ministry.It's all right to talk about "long white robes over yonder," in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here! It's all right to talk about "streets flowing with milk and honey," but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preacher must talk about the new New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do.Now the other thing we'll have to do is this: Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal. Now, we are poor people. Individually, we are poor when you compare us with white society in America. We are poor. Never stop and forget that collectively -- that means all of us together -- collectively we are richer than all the nations in the world, with the exception of nine. Did you ever think about that? After you leave the United States, Soviet Russia, Great Britain, West Germany, France, and I could name the others, the American Negro collectively is richer than most nations of the world. We have an annual income of more than thirty billion dollars a year, which is more than all of the exports of the United States, and more than the national budget of Canada. Did you know that? That's power right there, if we know how to pool it.
We don't have to argue with anybody. We don't have to curse and go around acting bad with our words. We don't need any bricks and bottles. We don't need any Molotov cocktails. We just need to go around to these stores, and to these massive industries in our country, and say, "God sent us by here, to say to you that you're not treating his children right. And we've come by here to ask you to make the first item on your agenda fair treatment, where God's children are concerned. Now, if you are not prepared to do that, we do have an agenda that we must follow. And our agenda calls for withdrawing economic support from you."And so, as a result of this, we are asking you tonight, to go out and tell your neighbors not to buy Coca-Cola in Memphis. Go by and tell them not to buy Sealtest milk. Tell them not to buy -- what is the other bread? -- Wonder Bread. And what is the other bread company, Jesse? Tell them not to buy Hart's bread. As Jesse Jackson has said, up to now, only the garbage men have been feeling pain; now we must kind of redistribute the pain. We are choosing these companies because they haven't been fair in their hiring policies; and we are choosing them because they can begin the process of saying they are going to support the needs and the rights of these men who are on strike. And then they can move on town -- downtown and tell Mayor Loeb to do what is right.But not only that, we've got to strengthen black institutions. I call upon you to take your money out of the banks downtown and deposit your money in Tri-State Bank. We want a "bank-in" movement in Memphis. Go by the savings and loan association. I'm not asking you something that we don't do ourselves at SCLC. Judge Hooks and others will tell you that we have an account here in the savings and loan association from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. We are telling you to follow what we are doing. Put your money there. You have six or seven black insurance companies here in the city of Memphis. Take out your insurance there. We want to have an "insurance-in."Now these are some practical things that we can do. We begin the process of building a greater economic base. And at the same time, we are putting pressure where it really hurts. I ask you to follow through here.
Now, let me say as I move to my conclusion that we've got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point in Memphis. We've got to see it through. And when we have our march, you need to be there. If it means leaving work, if it means leaving school -- be there. Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together.
Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a man came to Jesus, and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters of life. At points he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew and throw him off base....Now that question could have easily ended up in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked about a certain man, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side. They didn't stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy. But he got down with him, administered first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the "I" into the "thou," and to be concerned about his brother.Now you know, we use our imagination a great deal to try to determine why the priest and the Levite didn't stop. At times we say they were busy going to a church meeting, an ecclesiastical gathering, and they had to get on down to Jerusalem so they wouldn't be late for their meeting. At other times we would speculate that there was a religious law that "One who was engaged in religious ceremonials was not to touch a human body twenty-four hours before the ceremony." And every now and then we begin to wonder whether maybe they were not going down to Jerusalem -- or down to Jericho, rather to organize a "Jericho Road Improvement Association." That's a possibility. Maybe they felt that it was better to deal with the problem from the causal root, rather than to get bogged down with an individual effect.But I'm going to tell you what my imagination tells me. It's possible that those men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a dangerous road. I remember when Mrs. King and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, "I can see why Jesus used this as the setting for his parable." It's a winding, meandering road. It's really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles -- or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you're about 2200 feet below sea level. That's a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the "Bloody Pass." And you know, it's possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the priest asked -- the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?" That's the question before you tonight. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to my job. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" The question is, "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That's the question.
Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation. And I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you. You know, several years ago, I was in New York City autographing the first book that I had written. And while sitting there autographing books, a demented black woman came up. The only question I heard from her was, "Are you Martin Luther King?" And I was looking down writing, and I said, "Yes." And the next minute I felt something beating on my chest. Before I knew it I had been stabbed by this demented woman. I was rushed to Harlem Hospital. It was a dark Saturday afternoon. And that blade had gone through, and the X-rays revealed that the tip of the blade was on the edge of my aorta, the main artery. And once that's punctured, your drowned in your own blood -- that's the end of you.
It came out in the New York Times the next morning, that if I had merely sneezed, I would have died. Well, about four days later, they allowed me, after the operation, after my chest had been opened, and the blade had been taken out, to move around in the wheel chair in the hospital. They allowed me to read some of the mail that came in, and from all over the states and the world, kind letters came in. I read a few, but one of them I will never forget. I had received one from the President and the Vice-President. I've forgotten what those telegrams said. I'd received a visit and a letter from the Governor of New York, but I've forgotten what that letter said. But there was another letter that came from a little girl, a young girl who was a student at the White Plains High School. And I looked at that letter, and I'll never forget it. It said simply,
Dear Dr. King,I am a ninth-grade student at the White Plains High School."
And she said,
While it should not matter, I would like to mention that I'm a white girl. I read in the paper of your misfortune, and of your suffering. And I read that if you had sneezed, you would have died. And I'm simply writing you to say that I'm so happy that you didn't sneeze.And I want to say tonight -- I want to say tonight that I too am happy that I didn't sneeze. Because if I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1960, when students all over the South started sitting-in at lunch counters. And I knew that as they were sitting in, they were really standing up for the best in the American dream, and taking the whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1961, when we decided to take a ride for freedom and ended segregation in inter-state travel.If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1962, when Negroes in Albany, Georgia, decided to straighten their backs up. And whenever men and women straighten their backs up, they are going somewhere, because a man can't ride your back unless it is bent.If I had sneezed -- If I had sneezed I wouldn't have been here in 1963, when the black people of Birmingham, Alabama, aroused the conscience of this nation, and brought into being the Civil Rights Bill.If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have had a chance later that year, in August, to try to tell America about a dream that I had had.If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been down in Selma, Alabama, to see the great Movement there.If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been in Memphis to see a community rally around those brothers and sisters who are suffering.
I'm so happy that I didn't sneeze.And they were telling me --. Now, it doesn't matter, now. It really doesn't matter what happens now. I left Atlanta this morning, and as we got started on the plane, there were six of us. The pilot said over the public address system, "We are sorry for the delay, but we have Dr. Martin Luther King on the plane. And to be sure that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be wrong with on the plane, we had to check out everything carefully. And we've had the plane protected and guarded all night."
And then I got into Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?
Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop.And I don't mind.

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!

And so I'm happy, tonight.I'm not worried about anything.I'm not fearing any man!
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!

Lalibela

The Church of St. George or Bete Giyorgis is one of the eleven churches that are located in Lalibela. This place is considered to be one of the holiest places in Ethiopia. Those marvelous and mysterious churches are carved out of solid red volcanic rock in the reign of King Lalibela in the 12th century. Which he was inspired by Jerusalem and he wanted to build or recreate the second Jerusalem in Ethiopia. The church of Bete Geyorgis is different than any of the other churches, it is constructed or carved in a sign of the Cross. It is nearly impossible to see anything like this anywhere in the world. The art is impeccable.
Tradition has it that while people were working on the church during the day, angels continued to carry on the task at night. The dimensions of the trench are 25 meters by 25 meters by 30 meters. and there is a small baptismal pool outside the church.  

Those standing churches are over 900 years old and still being used for daily praying and liturgical services. Alebachev Retta, an 86-year-old church scholar who has studied in some of Ethiopia's holiest cities, explains what makes these churches so distinctive. "They are different because they were built from the top down," he says. "Everywhere in the world, structures are built from the ground up," he adds. "There is nothing comparable in the world"

The Story of King Lalibela and the Rock-hewan Churches is long and mysterious. 

The first European to see these churches was the Portuguese explorer Pêro da Covilhã (1460–1526). Portuguese priest Francisco Álvares(1465–1540), who accompanied the Portuguese Ambassador on his visit to Lebna Dengel in the 1520s. His description of these structures concludes:

I weary of writing more about these buildings, because it seems to me that I shall not be believed if I write more ... I swear by God, in Whose power I am, that all I have written is the truth

Anyone who wants to visit this historical holly place will not be desappointed, the place by itself has a spirit that is good for the soul and the praising and serves to God from the dedicated loving Christians will uplift the soul with no option but to surrender to Christ our Lord. 

"Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hands unto God"

After 55 days of fasting, by only eating a vagan diet meal once a day, easter celebration is announced by the main priest " Christ has risen ". People come all over the country and all over the world to be blessed and celebrate easter in a very astonishing place. 

The swastika shaped windows

   

The design from the inside

Monastic Life

MONASTIC LIFE ~ part 1

The birthplace of man. The Garden of Eden. The Land of Sheba. Ancient Christians traditions of worship and prayer.

 Ethiopians worshiped One God and accepted the Divinity of Christ centuries before those in Europe. Ethiopia is the home of thousands of churches, it is also a country which has numerous monasteries. The establishment of these monasteries started at the end of the 5th century with the arrival of the Nine Saints from Syria, Egypt and the Greco-Roman territory. These are the Fathers who at present are referred to in Ethiopia as the Nine Saints. Ethiopia once shared one Patriarch with Egyptian Copts, and therefore Ethiopians going to be ordained by the Coptic Patriarch would often stop at the desert monasteries on their way to Alexandria, and on their return home, built monasteries in the traditions of the Desert Fathers.

The oldest of these monasteries is Waldebba Monastery, which still today is the home of male and female monastics. Over the centuries the monks of Ethiopia have zealously guarded these ancient traditions, and even today the monastic communities are identical to those of the early desert fathers. You can find many men and women who remain unmarried all their lives in the hope of coming closer to God

* Like the first monasteries of Egypt, the monasteries of Ethiopia are built like ordinary villages, using the same materials as the poor people.

In Eritrea and Tigre it is rough, dry stone, and in the southern provinces mud and eucalyptus.

From one end of Ethiopia to the other the life of the monasteries is essentially the same, varying only in degrees of strictness.

Male only monasteries and women only monasteries are essentially the same, except that women cannot perform the Qidasse (Holy Prayers/Liturgy) and other priestly duties therefore Monk/Priests visit or may live nearby on the property to perform these duties.

They will eat and sleep separately from the female monastics.

+ + + I choose not to use the word "convent" because in the early days of the "Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers" the word monastery was used for the dwelling place of both men and women monastic's. I also do not use the word "Nun", I prefer the ancient ways, when there were just Monks ~ male and female monks.

(female ascetics in the East are called monks/monastics, Nun is a Western tradition)

Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only a hermit, or in the case of communities anything from a single building housing only one senior and two or three junior monks, to vast complexes and estates housing tens or hundreds.

The main purpose of a monastery is to be a place of prayer and prayer is simply communion with God.

~~Prayers

* The center of the monks’ life is prayer. Monks rise on most mornings at four O’clock and assemble in the church to chant the morning office (Sa’atat) which last two hours. On Sundays and Major Holy feast days the Sa'atat starts at midnight and then the Mass (Qiddase), finishes at dawn.

Unlike the large secular churches monks do not dance as the secular priests do. Some of the more ascetical monasteries do not even chant the office (Sa’atat) and the Mass (Qiddase), but prefer simply to say them.

At 6 PM the bell rings calling the monks to gather once again, for evening prayers about 2 hours. Apart from these common prayers a monk is expected to pray frequently in private. Each monk is free to choose their own method of private prayer, though certain ways are common. Some pray in the areas around the church building while others retire to their rooms or huts every one or two hours and say the Lord’s Prayer and the Canticle of St. Mary "Waddasse Mariam". Others repeat ” Eeyesus Kristos, please save me ” or ” Through Blessed Mariam, have mercy on me. etc. The Jesus Prayer is for Orthodox monks one of the most profound and mystical prayers and it is often repeated continually as a part of personal ascetic practice. Its practice is an integral part of the eremitic tradition of prayer. " Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner". Kyrie Eleison (My Lords have Mercy)

is said 41 times after prayer by the congregation but is said hundreds of times throughout the day by monks. Monks also spend long hours at night in silent contemplation. "Quiet Time".

~~Prayer Rope /Beads

Prayer ropes /beads are used to help concentrate the mind and keep count of prayers by monks.

When monks began going into the deserts of Egypt, it was their custom to pray the entire 150 Psalms every day, some of

the monks were unable to read, so they would either have to memorize the psalms or perform other prayers and prostrations

instead. Thus the tradition of saying 150 (or more) Jesus Prayers every day began. "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have

Mercy on me a sinner". (Ethiopian Monks still pray the entire 150 psalms daily in addition to their regular prayers.)

Monks would count their prayers by casting pebbles into a bowl, but this was cumbersome, and could not be

easily carried about when outside the cell.

The invention of the prayer rope is attributed to Saint Pachomius in the fourth century as an aid for illiterate monks to

accomplish a consistent number of prayers and prostrations in their cells. The use of the rope made it possible to pray

unceasingly, whether inside the cell or out, in accordance with Saint Paul's instruction to "Pray without ceasing In

everything give thanks: for this is the Will of God in Eeyesus Kristos concerning you." (I Thessalonians 5:17).

The western Rosary is said to have the same initial origin, however the Rosary did not come into existence until many years later.

When praying, the prayer rope is normally held in the left hand, leaving the right hand free to make the Sign of the Cross.

When not in use, the prayer rope is traditionally wrapped around the left wrist so that it continues to remind one to pray without

ceasing. If this is impractical, it may be placed in the (left) pocket, hung around the neck or suspended from the belt.

For humility: one should not be ostentatious or conspicuous in displaying the prayer rope for others to see.

The Father of Orthodox Monasticism, Saint Anthony the Great, originated the method of tying the prayer rope.

He started by tying a leather rope with a simple knot for every time he prayed Kyrie Eleison ("Lord have Mercy"), but the Devil would come and untie the knots to throw off his count.

He then devised a way-inspired by a vision he had of the Mother of God of tying the knots so that the knots themselves would constantly make the sign of the cross. This is why prayer ropes today are still tied using knots that each contain seven little crosses being tied over and over. The Devil could not untie it because the Devil is vanquished by the Sign of the Cross.

+ Today Prayer ropes may be found in knots of 33, 41, 50, 64, 100, 150, 200, even up to a 500 or more.

In Ethiopia the ropes are in 41 or 64 (knots or beads) instead of 33 and 50. Larger numbers are also used by monastics. 64 beads are in honour of the Virgin Mariam's age at her assumption, and 41 beads for the 41 lashes Christ received during His Passion.

  MORNING PRAYER

is designed to be prayed early for the coming of the True Light, the Lord Eeyesus Kristos.

It is mainly associated with the eternity of God, His incarnation, His resurrection from the dead.

It is intended to offer thanks to Him for having risen us from the sleep, beseeching Him to shine upon us,

enlighten our lives, and grant us the power of His resurrection.

It is important for all the faithful to pray each day, especially the morning prayers and evening prayers.

If one does not know how to pray, it's important to learn how to pray.

† INTRODUCTION TO EVERY HOUR

~ The prayers below are said at beginning of every prayer.

~ In addition Kyrie Eleison is said 41 times at the end of all prayers ~

I worship before the Cross of our Lord Eyesus Kristos, which was sanctified by His precious blood.

I cross my face and all over my body with the sign of the cross.

1. Besemai Ab. woWold. woMenfes Qidus, Ahadu Amlac, Amen

(In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.)

2. Kyrie Eleison, Lord pity us, Lord spare us, Lord have Mercy upon us, and Bless us, Amen.

3. Sibhat le'Ab, woWold, woMenfes Qidus, yi'izeenee wezelfenee, wele'aleme alem, Amen.

(Glory be to the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, now and forever and world without end. Amen.)

4. Lord make us worthy to pray with all thanksgiving

5. We believe and offer our supplications unto Thy Holy Trinity. We denounce satan in the sight of the Holy Mother

Orthodox Apostolic Church; and in the presence of the Virgin Mariam whom is Zion for ever and ever. Amen.

6. NAKUTEKA EGZIO

O Lord, we give You thanks, and we adore and glorify You.

O Lord, we subject ourselves unto You, we put our trust in You,

We give thanks unto you, O Lord, and serve your Holy name,

We worship You, to whom all knees bow in worship and all tongues serve,

Thou are God of Gods, Lord of Lords, and Kings of Kings.

Thou are the creator of all who have bodies and souls.

We call upon you according to the teachings of your Holy Son, who said,

† THE LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father Who art in heaven; hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us lest we fall into temptation,

deliver us and rescue us from evil,

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,

 forever and ever. Amen.(( AMHARIC (phonetic transcription)  Abba-tachin Hoy, Besem-mai Yemit-nor,

Simih Ye-kedes, Mengistih Timta,

Fi-qadih Besem-mai, Inde-Honech

Indihun Bim-i-der Ti-Hun,

Ye'il-let In-jera-chi-nin, Sitene Za-rey

Bedela-Chin-nim Yi-qir Bel-len,

Eng-nam Yebedel-lu-nin Yi-qir Ende-minil,

Abetu - Wode Fe-te-nam At-tag-baan,

Ke-kif-fu Adin-nin Enjee

Mengist Yan-te Nat-tin-na

 Hail - im Mis-ganam Lezel’ alem-mu Amen ))

~ (Hail Mariam)

O Holy Virgin Mariam in the peace of the angel Gabriel

Peace be unto Thee.

Thou are Virgin in spirit as well as in body.

Oh Thou mother of perfect God;

peace be unto thee.

Blessed are thou among women,

and Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb.

Rejoice oh Thou who art full of Grace

the Lord is with Thee

Ask and Pray for us to Thy Beloved Son

Eeyesus Kristos the Lord and Saviour

that He may have Mercy upon our souls

and forgive us our sins. Amen.(( AMHARIC (phonetic transcription)

Ime-bea-ta-chin Qi-dist Dingil Maryam Hoy,

bem-mel-aku be-qidus Gabri-el Selamta,

Selam in-ilish-alem,

Bay-ha-sab-e-shim dingl nesh,

Bay-se-ga-shim dingl nesh,

Yea-che-na-fee ye-ig-zi-abhear inat Hoy,

Selamta Le-an-chee yi-ge-bashal,

ke-se-toch hulu tele-ytesh,

anchi yete-ba-re-kish nesh, yma-he-tay-nish fray

yete-bareke new, segan ye-tem-el-ash Hoy,

des yebilish, ig-zi-abhear keachi gar new-ina

ket-tay-we-da-dew Li-ji-shi,

kegetachin, ke-mediha-nee-ta-chin,

ke-Eeyesus Kristos Zend,

Y-kirtan lemig-ni-lin, Hat-tee-a-ta-chin,

yasteseriy-lin zend, lezel' alem-mu. Amen

To Him let us give glory, giving thanks to God the Most High, and let us give thanks to His mother and His Honorable Cross.

Peace be unto you, while honoring you our mother Mariam, we beseech you. We trust you to save us from evil beasts.

For the sake of Hannah, thy mother and father Iyakem. O Virgin Mariam, today bless our congregation.

† TSELOTE EGZITENA MARIAM ~ (Prayer of Virgin Mariam) ~ Saint Luke Chapter 1 verses 46 ~ 55

And the Virgin Mariam said, my soul does magnify the Lord.

My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; for behold from

henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty has done to me great things;

and Holy is His name. And mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.

He has showed strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down

the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of His mercy. As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever and ever. Amen

† THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Eyesus Christos, for He has covered us,

helped us, guarded us, accepted us unto Him, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour.

Let us also ask Him, the Lord our God, the Almighty, to guard us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our life.

O Master, Lord, God the Almighty, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Eyesus Kristos, we thank You for every condition,

concerning every condition, and in every condition, for You have covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us unto You, spared us,

supported us, and brought us to this hour.

Therefore, we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, to grant us to complete this holy day, and all the days of our life,

in all peace with Your fear. All envy, all temptation, all the work of Satan, the counsel of wicked men, and the rising up of enemies,

hidden and manifest, take them away from us, and from all Your people, and from this holy place that is Yours.

But those things which are good and profitable do provide for us; for it is You Who have given us the authority to tread on serpents

and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, by the grace, compassion and love of mankind, of Your Only-Begotten Son, our

Lord, God and Savior, Eyesus Kristos, through Whom the glory, the honor, the dominion, and the adoration are due unto You, with Him,

and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, Who is of one essence with You, now and at all times, and world without end. Amen.

† PSALM 50 ~ (Psalm 51 in the King James version English Bible)

1. Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your loving kindness;

According to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3. For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.

4. Against Thee and Thee only I have sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight:

That Thou might be justified when Thou speakest, and be blameless when Thou judge

5. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin did my mother conceive me.

6. Behold, Thou desire truth in the inward parts: And in the hidden part Thou shall make me to know wisdom.

7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

8. Make me to hear joy and gladness; That the bones which Thou has broken may rejoice.

9. Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

11. Do not cast me away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

12. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation: and uphold me with Thy generous Spirit.

13. Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways; and Sinners shall be converted unto Thee.

14. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness.

15. O Lord, open my lips; and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.

16. For Thou desire not sacrifice, else I would give it: Thou do not delight in burnt offerings.

17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and humbled heart O God Thou will not despise.

18. Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion; Thou build the walls of Jerusalem.

19. Then shall Thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,

with burnt offering and whole burnt offerings: then they shall offer bulls upon Thy altar.

† THE CREED (Prayer of Faith Confession) (The Creed/Prayer of Faith)

† THE LORD'S PRAYER including Holy Virgin Mariam (Emabeatachin Qidus dingl Mariam Hoy)

† In the name of Mary, Your mother Lord have mercy on us (41 times)

† KYRIE ELEISON (My Lord have Mercy) is said 41 times in honour of the 36 lashes that Christ received during His Passion, plus the

nails in each hand (2), plus feet (2) and the spear in His side (41). We concentrate our mind on the suffering He withstood for us.

~ In addition to these, Monastics say many more prayers and Psalms daily. ~

                                   Throughout the day the prayers below are also repeated.

~ Alador አላዶር (the piercing on the right hand),

~ Danat ዳናት (the piercing on the left hand),

~ Adera አዴራ (the piercing on right foot),

~ Rodas ሮዳስ (the piercing on the left foot)

~ Sador ሳዶር (the piercing on the ribs by the lancet) ~ 41 times

~ Oh God ኦ አምላክ ~ 41 times

~ Eyesus Kristos (Jesus Christ) please save me ኦ ክርስቶስ ~ 41 times

~ Save us and deliver us by your mercy አድኅነነ እም መአትከ ወሰውረነ በምኅረትከ በእንተ ማርያም ወላዲትከ ~ 41 times

~ Hear us! Our God and Savior ስምአነ አምላክነ ወመድኃኒነ ~ 41 times

~ Eloi la'ma Sa-bach'tha-ni ? OR My God why has Thou forsaken me? ~ 41 times

(“Eloi” is the name Christ called His Father in Mt. 27:46)

~ Yae! Yae! Yae! ( “woe to me”) My God see me! ~ 41 times

~ OH God according to Your Mercy and not according to my sin ~ 41 times

~ Lord remember us in Your Kingdom ~ 41 times

~ Ig-zee-'o tesahalene ( "Lord have mercy upon us" ) ~ 41 times

~ Abba-ta-chin Hoy (Oh Our Father) ~ 41 times

~ Kyrie Eleison ( My Lord have Mercy) ~ 41 times

† If you would like to add these prayers to your daily life, my advise is to begin slowly, and repeat a few until you can say them as easily as breathing. Don't be too concerned with being perfect, the idea is to simply concentrate the mind and communicate with God.

~ I find it easier to always keep the Prayer Bead wrapped around my left wrist, with the excess crossed over the thumb with the Cross resting in my palm; so it's easy to slip on and off to pray silently at anytime and anywhere. I often even sleep with them on.

The ones I use has round beads divided at every tenth bead by a "Flat Metal Cross", or by a "Flat Red Bead" (Red signifies Christ's Blood that was spilled to save us). This makes it easy to count with the Prayer Beads without looking or while inside the pocket discreetly, or to find the point to interject "Lord Save Me" at certain intervals.

~ ~ ~ I usually say "Lord save me" at each "Flat Bead" , and also at the Cross at the end; or if I am in private I also Prostrate and

say "Lord Eeyesus Kristos, Son of God have Mercy on me a sinner".

~~~ It's also a good practice to prostrate at the beginning of and end of each set of 41 or 64; Still keep in mind that the most

important thing is to simply speak to God by praying.

† THE GRACE OF GOD BE WITH YOU ALL †

 MONASTIC LIFE ~part 2

In Orthodoxy a monk's primary task is the life of prayer, and it is through this that he serves others. It is not so much what a monk does that matters, as what he is. The monks by their withdrawal from society into the desert fulfilled a prophetic and eschatological ministry in the life of the Church. They reminded Christians that the kingdom of God is not of this world.

From its very beginnings the monastic life was seen, in both east and west, as a vocation for women as well as men, and throughout the ancient world there were numerous communities of nuns.

Monasticism is an inner and hidden life. It is absolute and the most radical expression of Christianity as a ‘narrow way’ leading to the Kingdom of heaven. Monastic detachment and concentration into oneself, however, does not imply egoism or the absence of love for one’s neighbour. Being outside of worldly vanity, a monk does not forget his fellow humans, but in the silence of his cell prays for them.

~~~ Daily Life

* Apart from the obligations of prayer and work, a monk is free to use their time as they thinks fit. Monks spend

many of their leisure hours chatting with each other. Each monk has their own room, in which he or she may have a few luxuries such as a metal bed, a small bedside table and lamp, a locker or cupboard/shelf, a drinking gourd, a bowl for food and a prayer book.

The pupils, on the other hand, have no privacy, three or four sharing one room, and are allowed no extra possessions.

(At some stricter monasteries all monks sleep on skins on the ground and owns only a drinking gourd and a plate)

There is a common kitchen where the food is cooked over an open fire, a granary and an assembly hall. Dominating the whole is the church, and this alone is built in expensive materials, such as cut stone and mortar or, in modern times, brick and concrete. Next to it is the sacristy where the vestments and sacred objects are kept. Behind the Church is the Bethlehem where the bread and wine for the Holy Eucharist (Lords Supper) is prepared.

~~~ Eating

 * In contrast to the Western monastery where the monks always eat in common, in Ethiopia they can eat separately.

After mid-afternoon prayers in the assembly hall the daily food is brought from the kitchens and distributed.

The monks can take it to their rooms and eat it as and when they please.

The food is generally "monks bread", or enjera and Shero or boiled beans, with a cup of tea (chai) or, for sick monks, a cup of milk.

In stricter monasteries the bread and beans are served on alternate days. A few monasteries, such as Assabot and Zuquala, allow the monks to grow their own vegetables near their huts which they can cook themselves to supplement the diet.

Monks keep all the normal fasts of the Church, and add many private fasts of their own. On major festivals at some monasteries the monks have stewed meat, while others always observe a vegetarian diet and some even only eat uncooked vegetables and on these occasions they eat together in the assembly hall. The pupils and visitors receive the same food as the monks.

~~~ Livelihood

* The monasteries all own sufficient land for the monks, needs. Although manual work is not considered essential in the monk’s life, as it is in the contemplative communities of Europe, the stricter monasteries such as Debre Libanos of Ham and Waldebba regard it as important that the members plough the land themselves. At harvest time all able-bodied monks and pupils are working in the fields, and only the old and lame remain behind. However in most monasteries a proportion of the land is rented to peasant farmers in return for a share of the crop.

Almost all monasteries trade with the local people, and every week on market-day a group of monks go to the nearest town carrying produce from the monastery lands. In exchange they buy soap and candles and any other supplies they may need such as building materials etc. Some monasteries purposely grow fruit and vegetables which they never eat themselves to sell at the market.

Surplus food is also used to feed the poor in the area.

~~~ Clothing

The style of gown worn by the monastics are the same, with very slight difference in

the style worn by female monastics, but for the most part they are the same.

The hats worm however are different.The design on the top of the hat worn signifies

whether a man is a simply a monk or a monk priest. It also signifies the rank or hierarchy of a monk.

(In a church outside a monastery a married priest wears a very different hat)

A monastery may have their own specific color that is their "uniform" which identifies a

monk as belonging to that particular monastery and is worn for official occasions as well

as anytime. That being said, all colors can be worn by all monastics.

White is always worn on Easter Sunday, and if taking communion and black is always

worn on Holy Friday and is the "uniform" color of monks in Jerusalem.

A High Rank Monk Priest or Abuna wears a special netela over their head or shoulders it has a dark red stripe.

People, man or woman, who leave home when they are old, to live as monks and to labor in monasteries, baking bread or

caring for the household needs of the priests, wear a simple, full-cut kemis of the coarsest material, without ornamentation.

A croched hat or head-cloth is wrapped about their cropped heads, but thay do not get the Ciof (hat) of someone who have

lived their life as a monk/nun in the monatery.

The older Emahoys / nuns and the hermits carry their prayer sticks all the times for support.

Though it may not be visible, a cross is always worn around their neck.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has a multitude of functionaries and the priest, deacon or nun is a familiar sight,

especially in the city, where there are large churches and religious centers, Priests and deacons dress simply,

in a long cotton gown that is a variation on the kemis, a cloche-style hat, draped with cloth, called a kob.

A higher rank such as an Abuna (Bishop) wears a cloak of heavy material with a stiff stand-up collar, called a kaba.

A fly-whisk, hand-cross, or prayer stick (used for support during the long church services) may be carried.

~~~ Hierarchy of the Monastery

* + Abba Mamhir ~ Teacher or Head Monk

Each monastery is entirely independent in administration, both of other monasteries and of the local bishop. The head of the monastery in all temporal matters is the Abba Mamhir. He does not directly order the monks as the abbot in the West does, but he appoints three senior officers to govern each area of the community’s life.

The main job of the Abbe Minet is not in the monastery at all, but is as ambassador to the outside world.

(Female monastics live identical ascetic lives to their male counterparts and are therefore also called monks, and their community is likewise called a monastery; The Emahoy/ Head Mother has absolute rule within her monastery).

The Mamhir is elected by the monks of his monastery for life or until he desires to leave the post. On the whole he is an untypical monk since he is chosen for his worldly wisdom, and many are quite young, some apparently in their early thirties. There is no special ceremony for the installation of a new Abbe Minet, but prayers for his guidance are added to the morning Sa'atat, and at midday there is a feast in his honour. Occasionally an Abbe Minet is promoted to the episcopate.

+ The Afa Memhir, (person who transmit order) is the Mamhir’s deputy and he has charge of the monastery when the Abbe Minet is away. The Afe Memhir keeps the general discipline of the community, and he has the authority to judge and to punish.

+ The Magabi, governs the whole livelihood of the community and assigns each person to his task. He decides when the seed should be sown and the grain harvested, and he ensures that the food is distributed fairly each afternoon. He does not have his own hut, but generally sleeps in the granary to guard against thieves.

+ The Gabaz, maintains the church and sacristy. The Gabaz has under his direct charge an

+ Ackabeit who guards the sacristy, sleeping there at night, and

+ A Bell-Ringer who calls the monks to prayers.

In large monasteries, such as Debre Bizen and Debre Libanos of Shoa, the Abbe Minet also appoints two or three older monks as advisers. They have no authority of their own, but they often accompany the Abbe Minet to meetings in town.

Most monasteries, however, are small and intimate to make such advisers unnecessary.

+ Qomas ~ The Spiritual Father

The spiritual head of the monastery is the Qomas. He is appointed by the bishop as his representative, and is often an older monk known for his exceptional sanctity. He does not guide the individual monk’s inner life, as the Spiritual Director in the West does,

but he gives advice when it is asked for, arbitrating in any conflicts in the community.

As one monk described it: ” While the Afe Memhir punishes by the rod, the Qomas punishes by prayer.” Large monasteries

may have more than one Qomas, and new bishops are appointed from the Qomases.

Hermits

* Though it has long since disappeared in the West, the hermitical life is still widespread in Ethiopia.

The cenobitical monks and the ordinary people regard the hermitage as Man’s highest abode on earth,

and often monks seem fearful at the possibility of God calling them to it. In almost every monastery

there are a number of monks – perhaps one tenth of the total-who confine themselves to their cells.

They are described as ” the monks who never see the sun.” They have no responsibilities within the

community and do not attend the daily common prayers. Food is brought to their huts each day by a

single monk permanently designated to the task, and the hermit only emerges for the Mass in church

on Sundays and feast days.

Usually their cells are within the monastery compound, though sometimes they are a short distance

away:at Debre Damo, for instance, hermits can be seen in apparently inaccessible caves in the sheer

cliff beneath the monastery. Other monks or lay people can visit them (if they can reach their cell), and

many of the rulers of Ethiopia, including the Emperor himself, frequently seeked the advice of these

hermits on both spiritual and temporal matters.

There are countless holy men (Ba’atawi) living in remote forests and caves throughout Ethiopia.

They are vegetarians and live only on the wild fruits and herbs which Nature provides. A few of these holy men are ordained monks who have left their communities, but mostly they are lay people. As another monk puts it, ” God has called them to holiness from nothing, as Christ called Peter and Paul.”

Here are the sources  of all these note

                                                         **** 1.http://www.monasticlife.org/MonasticLife.html

                                                          ****2.http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/category/ethiopian-news/page/122

                                                         ****3. http://www.memoware.com/mw.cgi?global_op=download_file&file_id=27412

                                                        *****4. http://it-it.facebook.com/pages/Promised-Land/103432266429374

and in PDF format  5. Robert Van de Weyer - The Monastic Community Of Ethiopia...http://tezetaethiopia.wordpress.com/2005/04/20/the-monastic-community-of-ethiopia-by-robert-van-de-weyer/