The Story of Saint Teklehaimanot
The Saint with Wings
Long, long ago in the beautiful land of Ethiopia, there lived a very special saint named Teklehaimanot. He was so special that God gave him something amazing – wings! Yes, real wings like an angel! This is his incredible story.
Chapter 1: A Family’s Prayer
In the mountains of Ethiopia, there lived a loving couple named Tsegaze’ab and Sara. Tsegaze’ab was a priest who loved God very much, and Sara was a kind woman who always helped poor people. They had been married for many years, but they had no children. This made them very sad.
Every month, they would have a special party for their favorite angel, Michael the Archangel. They would cook delicious food and invite all the poor people in town to eat with them. Sara would pray and pray, asking God to bless them with a baby.
One day, something terrible happened. Bad soldiers came to their town and took Sara away! They wanted to give her as a present to their mean king. Tsegaze’ab was so worried about his wife that he ran to hide by a lake. When a soldier chased him, he jumped into the water and prayed to the Archangel Michael for help.
Something magical happened! The water became like a warm tent around him, and the beautiful Archangel Michael appeared. “Don’t worry,” the angel said with a smile. “You are safe because of the special baby God will give you soon.”
Meanwhile, Sara was praying in the king’s palace. Just when the king was about to marry her, thunder and lightning filled the sky! The Archangel Michael swooped down and carried her safely back to the church where her husband was waiting.
That night, Tsegaze’ab had the most wonderful dream. He saw the sun and many bright stars dancing in their bedroom. The next morning, the Archangel Michael told them they would soon have a very special son.
Chapter 2: A Miracle Baby
On a beautiful winter day, Sara gave birth to a baby boy. They named him “The Happiness of the Churches/Happiness of Zion(Tsion)” because he would bring joy to many people. But this wasn’t just any ordinary baby – he was full of miracles!
When the baby was only three days old, he started talking and said ‘One is the Holy Father, one is the Holy Son, one is the Holy Spirit’. Everyone was amazed. As he grew, more wonderful things happened. One day, when his family had no food for their monthly feast, the little boy saw his mother crying. He touched some flour in a bowl, and suddenly there was enough flour, oil, and honey to feed the whole town!
The boy loved to read the Bible and sing beautiful songs to God. He was so smart and kind that everyone who met him could see he was blessed.
Chapter 3: Growing Up Special
When the boy was still young, the Archangel Michael appeared to the head of the church in a dream. “Tomorrow,” the angel said, “a man will come with his son. This boy is very special to God. Make him a deacon right away.”
Everything happened just as the angel said. The boy became a deacon, which meant he could help in church services. On their way home, something amazing happened. A man was mean to the boy and hit him for no reason. The boy called on the Archangel Michael, and the mean man suddenly became very sick. But the boy felt sorry for him and prayed for him to get better, and he was healed immediately! The man was so amazed that he and his whole family became Christians.
When the boy’s parents wanted him to get married, he said, “No, I want to serve God with all my heart.” His parents understood and respected his choice.
Chapter 4: The Great Preacher
As the young man grew up, he became a priest. He spent his time praying, fasting, and helping people. After his parents died, he went into the forest to pray. There, something incredible happened – God appeared to him, surrounded by angels!
“I have protected you since you were born,” God said. “From now on, instead of hunting animals, you will hunt souls for heaven. Your new name will be Teklehaimanot, and it means plant of the Father, plant of the Son, and plant of the Holy Spirit.”
Teklehaimanot began traveling to different places, telling people about God’s love. In one town called Ketana, people worshipped a scary tree that had an evil spirit living in it. Teklehaimanot prayed, and the evil spirit cried out, “Send Teklehaimanot away! He’s too powerful!”
With God’s help, Teklehaimanot made the tree follow him. As it moved, its roots made sounds like thunder. The evil spirit had to confess that Jesus was the true God. Over 111,000 people became Christians that day! When some people had been hurt by the evil spirit, Teklehaimanot prayed, and God brought them back to life.
Chapter 5: Wings Like an Angel
Teklehaimanot traveled to many places, healing sick people and teaching them about God. When a mean king tried to hurt him, amazing things happened. The king threw a spear at Teklehaimanot, but the king’s hand became paralyzed. When they hung Teklehaimanot on a tree, the tree bent down so his feet could touch the ground, and angels appeared with bright lights. The king was so amazed that he became a Christian too!
One day, Jesus appeared to Teklehaimanot and told him to go to a special monastery in the mountains. On his way there, Teklehaimanot met another monk, and God sent a cloud to carry them both to the monastery in just two days instead of several months!
At the monastery, Teklehaimanot lived on top of a very high mountain. When it was time for him to leave, the other monks tied a rope around him to help him climb down safely. But suddenly, the rope broke! The monks were terrified, but then they saw the most amazing thing – six beautiful wings grew from Teklehaimanot’s sides, and he flew down safely like an angel!
Chapter 6: A Holy Life
For many years, Teklehaimanot lived in caves and deserts, praying and fasting. He ate only plants and drank dew drops. He was so dedicated to prayer that he would stand on one foot for hours and hours until his leg broke! Even then, he kept praying.
Many people came to learn from him and became monks. He built churches and monasteries where people could come to pray and learn about God.
Chapter 7: Going to Heaven
When Teklehaimanot was 99 years old, God appeared to him and said it was time to come to heaven. Teklehaimanot became very sick, along with three of his followers. As he was dying, his cave filled with beautiful light and a wonderful sweet smell. He saw God, Mary the mother of Jesus, and many angels, including his dear friend Michael the Archangel.
His soul was carried up to heaven on that day, and everyone knew a great saint had gone to be with God.
The other monks took care of his body and buried it in his cave. Many years later, he appeared to one of his followers in a dream and asked them to move his body to the church. When they did, amazing miracles happened – lamps lit by themselves, and a man with a broken leg was healed just by touching the saint’s body!
The End
And so, Saint Teklehaimanot became the most famous saint in Ethiopia. People still remember him today and celebrate his special day every month (on the 24th day of the month). He watches over children and families, just like he did when he was alive. His story shows us that when we love God with all our hearts and help others, amazing things can happen – we might even get wings like an angel!
Remember, Saint Teklehaimanot is always ready to help those who pray to him, just like the Archangel Michael helped him throughout his wonderful life.