The Twenty-Fourth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat
Baramhat 24
Apparition of the Pure Lady the Virgin
in the church of Zeitoun
On the eve of this day of the
year 1684 A.M. which coincide with tuesday the 2nd. of April 1968 A.D.,
during the papacy of Pope Kyrellos VI, the hundred sixteenth Pope of Alexandria,
our Lady and the pride of our faith started to transfigure in luminous
spiritual forms in and around the domes of the church dedicated to her
immaculate name in Zeiton, a suburb of Cairo. This transfiguration continued
in following nights in a manner that was never known in the East or the
West. This transfiguration in some nights was as long as many hours, without
stop, in front of tens of thousands of people from every race and religion,
with every one seeing her, pointing at her and interceding to her with
songs, hymns, tears, prayers and hails and She was looking to them in a
compassionate way raising her hand at times to bless them in all directions.
The first one to notice this transfiguration was the workmen at the garage
of the Public Transit System which was across the street from the church.
The watchman Abdel-Aziz Aly, who was in charge of guarding the garage at
that night, saw a luminous body over the dome of the church. He started
shouting: "light over the dome" and he called the other workers in the
garage. They all came and saw the bright light over the large dome of the
church. When they looked closely, they saw a young lady in white, kneeling
by the cross at the top of the dome. Because the dome had a round, smooth,
and very sloping surface, it held the men as though they were nailed in
their places watching the fate of the lady. Few seconds passed then they
saw the kneeling lady as she stood over the dome. They gave out a cry of
fear that she might fall down. They thought she was a girl in despair trying
to commit suicide and they cried warning that person not to jump down and
some of them called the police. The pedestrians, men and women started
to gather around. The view of the lady was getting more clear and she appeared
as a beautiful girl in a bright gown of light and had branches of olive
tree in her hand, and around her flew white doves. Then they realized that
they were seeing a heavenly spiritual view. They directed flood light to
the luminous picture to remove all doubt from their minds, but instead
it became more clear and bright. They cut the electricity off all the area
but the lady remained in her heavenly illumination and her bright gown
of light became more clear. She started moving around in a circle of light
radiating from her body to all the directions around her. All the people
then realized that this lady in front of them, without no doubt is the
Virgin Mary. They started to shout and cry saying: "She is the Virgin ...
She is the Mother of Light ... " They prayed with songs, hymns and hails
all the night until the next morning.
Since that night the pure
Virgin had transfigured in different spiritual views in front of thousands
and ten of thousands of masses, Egyptian and foreigners, Christians and
non-christians, men, women and children. Spiritual beings formed like doves
would appear before, during and after the transfiguration zooming through
the sky in a way raising the human from a materialistic to a heavenly atmosphere.
This transfiguration was in different forms. One of the most significant
ways this apparition took place was that; the head of St. Mary under the
vail looking down as in the picture of the sad Virgin and she was looking
toward the Cross and that view would stay like this at times or slowly
bow before the Cross at other times. The Cross itself will shine and illuminate
although it was made of concrete. And some times an angel would appear
standing behind her spreading his wings. That view might stay as long as
many hours. Another view was the view of the Mother of Light standing as
a great Queen in a beautiful spiritual portrait radiating dignity, elegance
and beauty. On her head was a crown of a queen as if it were made of diamonds
and some times there appeared on the top of the crown a small luminous
cross. And some times she appeared in the same way but carrying Christ,
to Him is the Glory, in the form of a child on her hand and on His head
a crown. And on other times she raised her both hands as She was blessing
the world moving to the right, to the front, and to the left in a dignified
way.
Many spiritual signs appeared
before, during, and after the apparition of the Virgin the mother of the
Lord's transfiguration. The appearance of tongues of yellowish flame would
flash over the church and then subside and that repeated several times.
Another form of the signs were the spiritual beings formed like doves,
larger than the doves that we know, appear about midnight or after, flying
in the middle of darkness illuminating in a fast speed, appeared suddenly
from no where, and also disappeared suddenly. These spiritual beings appeared
in different formations and in varying numbers. A fact we should be aware
of that pigeons do not fly during the night. Another sign was the shooting
stars which were constantly falling and were seen very close to the apparition
on many occasions as if coming down to glorify her from heaven. Another
sign was the fragrance of incense. The smoke of the incense poured out
of the domes in large quantities. Substance resembling clouds, thick fog
or smoke would roll in toward the church and completely cover the church.
Also the illuminated cloud that appeared over the domes of the church in
large volume and often proceeded the transfiguration of the Virgin or at
times the cloud slowly formed in the shape of the virgin. Sometimes the
apparition of the Virgin would appear from the clouds. This transfiguration
and all the spiritual signs were a forerunner and announcement for serious
or important events to come in the near and far future. Or it might be
a spiritual gesture from heaven to indicate the Lord's caring for His church
and His people and our country.
May the mercy of God be upon us all. May the Lord keep His people
and church in peace, with the intercession of Our Lady and the pride of
our race the pure Virgin St. Mary. Amen.
Departure of Anba Macarius, the Fifty-Ninth
Pope of Alexandria
On this day also of the
year 668 A.M. (May 20th. 952 A.D.) St. Macarius the fifty ninth Pope of
Alexandria, departed. He was born in the city of Shoubra. He rejected the
world since his youth and he desired the monastic life. He went to the
monastery of St. Macarius at the wilderness of Sheahat (Scetis). He lived
in virtues and good conduct made him worthy to be chosen a Patriarch, and
a successor for Pope Cosma. He was enthroned on the first of Baramouda
648 A.M. (March 27th. 932 A.D.). When he went forth from Alexandria going
to visit the monasteries in the desert of Scetis according to the custom
of his predecessors, he passed by his home town to visit his mother who
was a righteous woman. When his mother heard that he had arrived she did
not go out to meet him. When he had come to the house, he found her sitting
down weaving and she did not greet him or paid attention to him. He thought
that she did not know him. He told her: "Don't you know that I am your
son Macarius who was elevated to a great position and became a head for
a great nation?" She answered him with tears in her eyes: "I did not ignore
you and I know what became of you, but I would have rather seen you dead
than seen you as a Patriarch. Before, you were responsible only for your
own soul but now your are responsible about the souls of all your flock:
Now remember you are in danger and it is difficult to escape it." She said
that and went on weaving as she did before. The father the Patriarch left
her sad, and attended to his office with delegant and care. He instructed
his people with preaching and sermons. He did not touch any of the church
revenue, and did not lay his hand on any one without people consent. He
commanded the bishops and the priests to watch their flock and to protect
them with homilies and admonitions. He sat on the throne of St. Mark twenty
years in peace and tranquility, then departed in peace.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.