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“They chose Stephen, a man full of faith” Acts 6:5 Sermon by Aba Gebre Kidan part 1

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                  “They chose Stephen, a man full of faith” Acts 6:5           As the book of Acts was being written a king by the name of Taophila requested St. Luke to write down all the names of the apostles so that he knows who they are. St. Luke then wrote about their acts since actions describe one person’s identity more than their given name. Also our lord and savior Jesus Christ was known through his deeds. When God does powerful things we know about his mighty power, when God gives- we know about his generosity, We God saves we know about his salvation. Are the names; Lord, Holy, King, and Pure enough to describe God? No, But we use them because these are the most honorable names that human beings know.           Also, God is not described in only one name. For example, when we say God is a king, that doesn’t mean he is just only a king. God is a king, savior, healer, lord, merciful… etc, but all of these names describe his deeds, not his full character.  St. John Chrysostom
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Luckwarm Orthodox Tewahado Youth

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     Luckwarm Orthodox Tewahado Youth    Most of the youth nowadays identify as Orthodox Christians but live a life that is no different than an atheist. With the same ear we listened to Mezmur, Wereb, Mahelet, and Kidase we listen to Rap. With the same eyes, we have seen the icons we see porn and nude pictures of people. With the same mouth that we praised God, we swear and gossip and insult our neighbor. With the same legs that lead us to church we go to clubs. In the same way we have included mezmur in our social media stories we also post stories with rap music. With the same love button we pressed on the icon of St. Mary, we also love the “hot” naked girls or boys on Instagram . The truth is that we have become Lukewarm as it’s written in Revelation 3:15-16 “ I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”      Our heart doesn't want to accept the f
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  Music and The Church Recently, I was asked to write an article for a church magazine about my personal experience, which could be beneficial for the youth. Although my writing might not be great I pray the story could be beneficial for at least one person, so here we go. Growing up music was a big part of my life. I enjoyed it so much that I became a DJ while in high school. I was also a great dancer, from HipHop to traditional Ethiopian dances like Eskista, Guragina, etc…. In college, I was a HipHop, R&B and Reggae dance choreographer, and I loved it. My favorite artists were Tupac, Biggie, DMX, Jay-Z, Bob Marley, Sean Paul, Buju Banton, UB-40, Aaliyah, Ashanti, Avant, Joe, and Boyz II Men just to name a few. I even won “Man of The Year” contest during my college senior year because of the “sexist” (a.k.a. lustful) Reggae and HipHop dance performance judged by the female audience. I am not writing this to boast or because I was proud of what I did; it’s rather to let you know th
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Flight to Egypt

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Flight to Egypt           The New Testament teaches us that following the Birth of Jesus, Herod wanted to "destroy" the Child. Directed by an angel, Joseph took Mary and Jesus and left Israel, seeking refuge in Egypt. Once again we realize the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies when in Hosea 11:1 we read: "Out of Egypt I called My Son." In this passage the Son of God is Israel and Jesus is the true Israel. He reenacts in His own life the history of Israel, without falling into sin. The icon depicting this event in the life of our Lord reminds us that we must permanently preserve our precious faith in Him. The safe flight of our Lord into Egypt occurred in the midst of terrible sacrifice. Herod was furious when he realized that the Magi had not returned to tell him where the newborn King might be found. In retaliation, he ordered that all the male children in the area of Bethlehem, two years old or under, be killed. We remember the 14,000 children slain by Herod
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St. Hripsime(Saint Arsema)

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St. Hripsime(Saint Arsema) Early scholars have testified about the martyrdom of St. Arsema by painting her icon and writing a Melk, a prayer that uses body parts for glorifying. This holy martyr's father was Theodore and her mother was Atnosiana. Since her parents got her through a vow to God, she was raised at a church built in the name of Our Lord, starting at the age of three. As she started to outgrow her humble beginnings, she began to hear the word of other saints. St. Paul said, " There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:34) She thought about St.Paul’s words and devoted herself to Christ in a life of virginity.  A few years later, the renegade Diocletian, who reigned in Rome from 284-305, wanted to marry a beautiful lady and ordered his servants
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Meskel

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  Meskel Festival Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. Meskel The most important thing we should consider when celebrating the finding of the true cross, Meskel, is that it is founded on the hate of the Jews, and the love of Christians for the cross. For instance, the Jews tried to hide the cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on by burying it in a garbage dump. We will look at how it was found through Empress Helena, Eleni, and how the piece on which his right hand was nailed, came to Ethiopia. The healing of the sick through the holy cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified to save mankind made it possible for many to become Christians at the time. Because of its miraculousness and high respect among Christians, the Jews were overcome with jealousy and buried the holy cross in a garbage dump.  The story begins in a mountainous area, as the locals threw trash every day on the said mountain, burying the cross of Jesus. Eventually, the rubble was so piled
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