Synaxarium
Daily Stories of the Saints
for the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
The Tenth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Baramouda 10
Departure of Anba Isaac, the Disciple
of Anba Apollo
On this day the holy father Anba Isaac the
Disciple of the great father Anba Apollo, departed. This holy man renounced
the world since his young age. He became a monk in the wilderness of Sheahat
(Scetis), and a disciple of Anba Apollo for twenty five years. He fought
a strenuous fight that weakened his body to kill his body desires, and
control his will. He mastered the virtue of silence and quietness especially
during the prayers and the Liturgies. He used to stand during the liturgy with his hands clasped and his head bent until the end of the
prayer then he returned to his cell, shutting his door, and did not associate
with any one that day. When they asked him: "Why do you not talk to anyone
who wish to talk to you during prayers or the Liturgy?" He answered saying:
"There is time for talking and there is time for praying." When his departure
drew near the fathers the monks gathered around him to receive his blessing
and they asked him: "Why did you flee from men." He answered them: "I was not fleeing from men but from
Satan. If a man hold a lighted lamp in the wind, it will be extinguished.
So, it is with us when our hearts and minds shine because of the prayers
and the Liturgy then we talk with each other, our hearts and minds become
dark." And this holy father having finished his good spiritual strife,
departed in peace.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of Pope Gabriel II, the Seventy
Pope of Alexandria, who was known as Ibn Turaik
On this day also of the
year 861 A.M. (April 5th., 1145 A.D.) the great and holy father Pope Gabriel
II, the seventy Pope of the See of St. Mark, who was known as Ibn Turaik,
departed. This Pope was from the nobles of Cairo, and he was a writer,
scribe, distinguished scholar, with a commendable conduct. He transcribed
with his hand many Arabic and Coptic books, he retained its contents and
comprehended its interpretations. The elders of the people and the clergy
chose him for the Patriarchal Chair, and his enthronement was on the 9th.
of Amshir, 847 A.M. (February 3rd., 1131 A.D.). When he prayed his first
Divine Liturgy in St. Macarius monastery as the custom of the previous
Patriarchs, at the end of the Liturgy, he added to the profession after
the saying: "I believe and confess to the last breath, that this is the
life-giving Flesh that Thine Only-Begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior,
Jesus Christ, took from our Lady, the Lady of us all, the holy Mother of
God, Saint Mary," this sentence "He made it one with His Divinity." The
monks objected, lest it would be understood from that there was mingling
between His Divinity and His Humanity, and asked him to refrain from using
it. He refused saying: "This statement was added by a decree from the council
of bishops." After a great and lengthy discussion, they decided to add
this sentence: "Without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration,"
because of the fear of falling in the heresy of Eutyches, and he agreed
with them. During his papacy, he ordained 53 bishops and many priests,
he drew up Canons and laws concerning inheritance, and many other matters.
He never took any money from anyone, nor he touched the revenue of the
churches, or that of the religious endowments for the poor. When the governor
of that time asked him for money, the nobles and people collected three
hundred Dinars in gold and gave them to the governor on his behalf. He
remained on the Episcopal Chair for fourteen years, two month and two days,
then departed in peace.
May his prayers be with us and glory be to God forever. Amen.