May 24, 2013
Bashans 16, 1729
The Commemoration of St. John The Evangelist
On this day the church commemorates St. John the Evangelist and his preaching in Asia Minor, the city of Ephesus, and the cities that are around it. Commemorates, the afflictions that he suffered and what befell him from the evil men who worshipped idols until he brought them to the knowledge of God and delivered them from the error of Satan by his teachings. The miracles that God performed through him. The writing of his Gospel, uttering in it with the eternity of the Son and His incarnation. His ascension to heaven in the Spirit, he saw the heavenly ranks and heard their praising and wrote about it in the book of Revelation.
This was during the reign of Emperor Domitianus (Domitian), when he exiled St. John, after he placed him in a cauldron filled with boiling oil, and
was not harmed, to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation.
After Domitian had been killed in the year 96 A.D., St. John returned to Ephesus. He found some heretics of the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6) who taught
that Christ's birth was a natural birth from both Joseph and Mary. For this reason, he wrote his Gospel to refute their heresy.
St. John had ardent zeal for the salvation of sinners. Once he saved a youth, delivered him to the bishop, and told him: "I entrust you with the
safe keeping of this soul," but the youth, because of his bad conduct and the evil company that he kept, spoiled his morals and he became the head of a band of robbers. When St. John returned, he asked the bishop about the young man, who expressed his sorrow to St. John for the condition that became of this young man and told him what had happened. St. John rode a horse, took with him a guide, and travelled to his place. When he arrived to that place, he was caught by the thieves and they took him to their leader. When the leader saw St. John, he knew him, and was ashamed and tried to flee. St. John told him: "My son, be merciful to yourself, because the door of hope is still open for your salvation, and I will be your intercessor before the Lord Christ." Then, the young man wept, returned repenting, and St. John administered to him the Holy Communion to strengthen him.
The biography of St. John is written under the fourth day of Tubah. This feast is a commemoration for his evangelism, and also because on this day a church was consecrated after his name in the city of Alexandria.
May his prayers be with us and glory be to God forever. Amen.
16- اليوم السادس عشر - شهر بشنس
بشارة القديس يوحنا الانجيلى وتكريس كنيسة علي اسمه بمدينة الإسكندرية
في هذا اليوم نعيد بتذكار القديس يوحنا الإنجيلي وبشارته في آسيا الصغرى ومدينة أفسس وما حولها من البلدان ، وتكريس كنيسة علي اسمه بمدينة الإسكندرية . فقد قاسى من الأهوال وما لحقه من القوم الأشرار عابدي الأوثان إلى أن أعادهم إلى معرفة الله وأنقذهم من طغيان الشيطان بتعاليمه والآيات التي أجرها الله علي يديه ثم كتب إنجيله فنطق بأزلية الابن وتجسده . ثم صعد بالروح إلى السماء ورأي الطغمات السمائية ومراتبهم وسمع تسبيحهم وكتب بذلك سفر الرؤيا
وكان ذلك أيام الإمبراطور دومتيانس - عند ما نفاه - بعد أن وضعه في مرجل زيت يغلي ولم يؤثر عليه - وهناك في المنفي في جزيرة بطمس كتب هذا السفر.
وبعد قتل دومتيانس سنة 96 م رجع يوحنا إلى أفسس ولاحظ وجود مبتدعين من النيقولاويين يعلمون أن المسيح مولود ولادة طبيعية من يوسف ومريم فكتب أتجيله يوحنا ردا علي افتراءاتهم ، وكان شغوفا بهداية الخطاة فقد هدي شابا وسلمه للأسقف وقال له " احتفظ بهذه الوديعة عندك " ولكن الشاب أساء التصرف وأفسدت المعاشرات الرديئة أخلاقه وصار رئيسا للصوص ، ولما رجع سأل الأسقف عن الوديعة فأظهر الأسقف أسفه للحالة التي صار فيها . فجهز القديس حصانا وأخذ دليلا وسافر إلى مكانه ولما بلغه قبض عليه اللصوص وساقوه إلى زعيمهم ولما دقق النظر في الرسول اعتراه الخجل وفر هاربا فقال له " يا ابني ارحم نفسك فلا يزال باب الرجاء مفتوحا لخلاصك وأنا كفيلك عند الرب يسوع " فهطلت الدموع من عينيه ورجع تائبا وقدمه للتناول من الأسرار المقدسة لتقويه .
وأما سيرته فواردة في يوم 4 طوبة وقد رتب هذا العيد تذكار لبشارته ولأنه في مثل هذا اليوم كرست كنيسة علي اسمه بمدينة الإسكندرية صلاته تكون معنا . ولربنا المجد دائما . آمين