Synaxarium
Daily Stories of the Saints
for the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
The Twenty-Fourth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Baramouda 24
Departure of Pope Sinuthius (Shenouda
I), 55th Pope of Alexandria
On this day, of the year 596 A.M.
(April 19th., 880 A.D.), the great father Pope Sinuthius (Shenouda I),
55th Pope of the See of St. Mark, departed. This holy father was a monk
in the monastery of St. Macarius. He advanced in righteousness and worship,
and was ordained archpriest for the monastery. Shortly after, he was chosen
for the Patriarchate with the recommendation of the people and bishops.
He was enthroned on the 13th. of Tubah 575 A.D. (January 8th., 859 A.D.),
and great tribulations and severe persecutions befell him. God performed
through him many signs and healed many grievous sicknesses. Once there
was a drought in the city of Mariout for three years, the wells dried up
and the farm land became barren. This father came to the church of St.
Mina, celebrated the Divine Liturgy, and supplicated God to have mercy
upon His creation. At the setting of the sun of that day, the rain began
lightly then ceased. This father entered his room and stood up praying
and he said: "O My Lord Christ, have mercy on Thy people with the riches
of Thy compassion, and let them be filled with Thy good pleasure." Before
he finished his prayer, mighty thunders and lightnings started, and the
rain descended like a flood, until the wells, the vineyards, and the farms
were filled with water. The people rejoiced, glorifying God the wonder
worker.
When this father was in the wilderness
visiting the monasteries, the Arabs of Upper Egypt came to the desert of
Scetis to plunder the monasteries and kill the monks. The Pope took his
staff that had the sign of the cross on it and he went forth to meet them,
when they saw the Cross they retreated and fled away. (The account of this
wonder is mentioned in the ninth day of the month of Baramoudah). Some
men, in a village called Boukhnessa, one of the villages of Mariout, said
that He Who suffered for us was only a man and that the Divinity had departed
from Him. This Pope wrote a letter and sent it during the Holy Fast (Lent)
to be read in all the churches. He said in it, "God the Word suffered for
us in His Body, and His Divinity was not separated from His humanity, not
for a twinkling of an eye. The pain and suffering did not touch and affect
the Divinity, as when you hammer a red hot iron, the iron suffers from
the hammering but not the flame. For the passion of the Humanity to be
of value, the Hypostatic union with the Divinity was a must, and through
this passion Christ redeemed all the humanity."
Also, some men from the city of
El-Balyana, and their bishops, said that the Divine Nature died. When the
father heard that, he wrote to them saying: "The Nature of God, the Word,
is unknowable, intangible, and impassable for it was impossible for the
pain to affect its essence. The participation of the Divinity with the
humanity in passion is moral participation, to give a value to these sufferings,
to pay the debt of the humanity to God the Omnipresent, and that would
only be possible if the Divinity would participate morally without affecting
His essence. So we say "Holy God, Who was crucified for us, have mercy
upon us." When his letter reached them, they turned from their error, and
the bishops came and confessed the true and right faith before the Pope
and asked for forgiveness. Pope Shenouda I, cared greatly for the churches,
their buildings, and their needs. He also cared for the places wherein
pilgrims sojourned, and what money has left to him, he gave to the poor
and the needy. When he finished his good course, he departed in peace.
He stayed on the Chair of St. Mark for 21 years, 3 months and 11 days.
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Sina, the Soldier
On this day also, St. Sina,
the companion of St. Isidore, was martyred. After the Governor of Farma
had tortured the two friends and St. Isidore was martyred, he kept St.
Sina in the prison until he was removed. When the new Governor took charge
with the command not to keep any one who confessed the Name of Christ,
he heard about the presence of Sina in prison, and that he was a captain
of soldiers. St. Sina was tortured much but did not turn from his counsel.
The Governor immediately ordered to cut off his head and he received the
crown of martyrdom. His mother was beside him when he was martyred, and
she saw a multitude of angels carrying away his soul as she saw St. Isidore's
soul at the time of his martyrdom before. They took his body, shrouded
it, laid it with the body of his friend St. Isidore in the city of Samanoud,
and many signs and wonders appeared from them.
May Their prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.